Organisations must prioritise hiring and developing the best talent based on merit while considering diverse representations. TDM interviews Karen Chee, Vice President, People & Culture, Asia Pacific, BCD Travel on the changing phases of women empowerment, sustainability and advancing technologies.
Travel Daily Media (TDM): How does BCD Travel encourage and support the growth of female leaders within the organisation? What do you see as the main challenges faced by women aspiring to leadership roles, and how can organizations address these?
Karen Chee (KC): BCD Travel has strong talent acquisition and development practices in place. We make sure to hire and promote employees based on merit and competency, regardless of demographic factors, as part of our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We have made significant progress in empowering our leaders to build diverse leadership teams based on capabilities. We regularly assess the gender ratios and compensation of our leadership teams to address any significant discrepancies and strive for balance. If we find significant discrepancies, we will investigate whether these differences are justified and look for solutions to balance the mix. Despite our progress, traditional gender biases still influence professional and personal situations, which can be particularly challenging for women. Organisations must prioritise hiring and developing the best talent based on merit while considering diverse representations.
TDM: How do you mentor and guide the next generation of leaders, particularly women, in the organisation? What has been one of the most significant challenges you’ve faced in leading people and culture initiatives, and how did you overcome it?
KC: BCD Travel has implemented leadership development programs tailored to accommodate a diverse range of learning preferences, ensuring accessibility for all current and aspiring leaders. The complexity of determining a starting point for individual development has led us to establish platforms featuring curated training programs aimed at initiating employees’ development journeys, with a specific focus on leadership. Leveraging our Talent Management cycle, we identify high-potential employees and may integrate them into a mentorship program as part of their leadership development, providing regular guidance from a senior leader within the company.
The predominant challenge lies in effecting mindset change, whether among leadership, employees, or HR professionals. When change arises, initial inquiries often revolve around inquiries such as “What is the ROI on this?”, “How does it align with the business needs?”, “What’s in it for me?” or “How will I be impacted?” Ultimately, our people and culture strategies and initiatives must be aligned with our business strategies, priorities, and needs, thereby necessitating the clear demonstration of the value proposition and/or ROI of any people and culture initiative from the outset to stakeholders. Stakeholder engagement is pivotal. Transparency, receptiveness to listening and comprehending concerns, fostering an understanding of the rationale behind the initiative, and making a sincere effort to seek solutions are instrumental in establishing common ground and fostering acceptance.
TDM: What advice would you give to young women aiming for leadership roles in the corporate world?
KC: It is imperative to recognise that personal development can coexist harmoniously with authenticity. Often, possessing the mindfulness and courage to follow one’s trajectory transforms our disparities into assets, contributing diversity to the collective. Embrace challenges with audacity, even in the absence of immediate solutions, as growth and fortitude are cultivated through the process. Actively engage in empathetic listening and maintain a sense of curiosity, for there are perpetually valuable lessons to be gleaned. Extend kindness to oneself and others, acknowledging the universal experience of navigating adversities and receiving compassion during trying circumstances. Finally, endeavour to allocate balanced consideration to the various facets of life. While it is facile to become ensnared in a single domain, be it professional or personal, at the expense of others, it is essential to remember that the amalgamation of these domains shapes our identity.
TDM: In your view, what does the future hold for eco-friendly workplaces, and how will BCD Travel continue to innovate in this space?
KC: In light of the escalating impact of the climate crisis and the evident commitment of corporations to reduce their environmental footprint, organizations must engage their employees and involve them in this journey. Employees seek assurance that their workspace is environmentally conscious. This is where our ISO 14001 and 45001-certified global environment, health, and safety management systems play a crucial role, as it is certified across all our majority-owned markets. This certified systems-based approach allows for the monitoring, documentation, and enhancement of our environmental impacts and the health, safety, and well-being of our personnel.
As an example, under this system, we offer recycling facilities and promote waste reduction whenever feasible. Additionally, we advocate for minimising paper use in our offices, responsibly handling IT equipment, recycling end-of-life items, and donating reusable items to charities through local initiatives where viable. Furthermore, we are making investments in renewable electricity across our majority-owned offices, with the overarching goal of achieving 100% global renewable energy usage by 2030. Our initial focus has been on Europe, where, in 2023, 59% of our electricity was sourced from renewable means. We anticipate that over 78% of our electricity in Europe will be derived from renewable sources by the conclusion of 2024.
We aim for our employees to feel empowered to contribute to reducing the environmental impact of their workplace and personal lives, should they choose to do so. However, we are cognizant of our responsibility to address environmental sustainability in a considerate manner. All employee engagement messaging concerning sustainability is designed to empower employees to take action rather than inducing feelings of overwhelm or guilt. Adhering to these principles, we launched a month-long wellbeing campaign last year targeting eco-anxiety. This encompassed guidance on utilising the environment to foster a sense of balance, practical strategies for coping with eco-anxiety, and access to valuable resources from well-being experts. We conducted well-being sessions that allowed employees to voice their concerns, exchange ideas on leading an eco-friendlier life, and engage with global colleagues on this subject.
Furthermore, we organised workshops using a third-party platform to guide our employees through a tool for calculating their carbon footprint by deconstructing their daily routines, lifestyles, and habits. These sessions served as a non-judgmental, collaborative, and enjoyable environment to explore the contemporary climate challenges, while also instilling a sense of empowerment in the impact of their actions. The sessions provided an excellent opportunity for participants to share experiences about low-carbon practices. It is crucial to consider how we demonstrate our commitment to reducing our impact across all facets of the employee experience, including travel and meetings. Last year, we analysed our global travel to identify opportunities for carbon reduction, as well as to assess the broader impact of travel, such as water consumption, traveller well-being, and productivity. This analysis involved identifying the most efficient routes, optimal aircraft, potential CO2 savings on our frequently travelled routes, and opportunities to transition to high-speed rail.
Effective communication to engage our employees with our initiatives is equally pivotal. We have begun integrating sustainability messaging into select internal meetings and events, featuring sustainability initiatives related to food waste, renewable energy, and guidelines for more sustainable travel options.
TDM: How are emerging technologies like AI, machine learning, and automation shaping HR practices at BCD Travel? In what ways are you leveraging technology to streamline recruitment, onboarding, and talent management processes?
KC: The majority of our employee-related data is stored in digital formats, with BCD having successfully consolidated a significant portion of it onto unified platforms or interconnected systems in recent years. The online nature of most of our transactions, catering to HR personnel, managers, and employees alike, not only enhances efficiency but also facilitates comprehensive data capture and management. This, in turn, empowers us to conduct more thorough analyses and make data-informed decisions about our workforce and overall business operations.
TDM: With the rise of technology in HR, how does BCD Travel maintain a balance between tech-driven processes and personal, human engagement?
KC: The perpetual challenge lies in effectively balancing the utilisation of technology with personal engagement to address the evolving business needs within HR solutions. The guiding principle revolves around leveraging technology to diminish the team’s resource allocation towards administrative tasks and to facilitate data collection, management, trend analysis, and decision-making based on data-driven insights. Conversely, personal engagement assumes a pivotal role in addressing intricate scenarios, decisions lacking quantifiable ROI, and matters about the personal well-being and engagement of employees.
TDM: What emerging technologies do you see as game-changers for people and culture management over the next five years?
KC: Several significant advancements, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), sustainable technology, 5G expansion, and virtual reality, are anticipated to remain pivotal game-changers. In addition to enhancing automation and content creation, these advancements will democratize access, expedite the processing of substantial data volumes, and revolutionize user experiences. Furthermore, there will be an increased emphasis on ethical and data security considerations, along with the integration of human engagement.
Comments are closed.