In Conversation With Ciara Harrington, Chief People Officer, SkillSoft

With over 20 years of HR experience, what major shifts have you observed in HR practices and strategies over the years, and how have you adapted to them?

It's been amazing to watch HR truly join the C-Suite – HR is now seen as a function that’s a true ‘strategic partner’ and recognised as critical to the success of every business. You ask any current CEO what keeps them up at night, and talent is a large part of what they are thinking about. Any business's most significant expense is its team members; therefore, having an engaged, motivated, and diverse workforce is now a key input to driving productivity, growth and business success.

You've played significant roles in HR during mergers like Dell and EMC, as well as NBC Universal and Comcast. What advice would you give to HR professionals who are about to embark on managing the HR aspects of a merger or acquisition?

M&A project work has provided me with some of the most challenging and rewarding experiences in my career. My first advice to any HR professional given the opportunity to work on a merger is that they should fully embrace it – they won’t regret it! The second is to find common ground – what items do both companies value and agree on that can help bring the M&A team members together with a common purpose or shared mission?

The third is to be open to learning and change; there will be things your company does better and things the other company does better – coming together with an open mind allows the best practices from both companies to thrive and paves the way for a new integrated organisation built on ‘best practice’.

Fourth, expect the unexpected – everything will not go as planned; accepting this as part of the process will ensure you don’t get ‘demotivated’ or ‘disengaged’ and taking every unexpected event as a learning opportunity will set you up for success in the future.

Workforce transformation often involves change management. How do you approach this aspect to ensure a smooth transition and minimise disruption?

Successful change management for workforce transformation involves clear communication of the reasons behind the changes and the benefits they bring, involving employees in the planning process, offering training to bridge skill gaps, and recognising and addressing concerns. 

By involving the workforce, addressing their needs, and fostering a sense of shared purpose and vision, disruption is minimised, and a smoother transition can be achieved.

In your career, you have managed pay management processes for equity. Could you explain your methodology and the outcomes you achieved?

Pay equity is solved by having a clear and understandable pay philosophy that promotes equitable decision-making. Ongoing data and analysis of behaviour during the annual Compensation Cycle and out-of-cycle pay change decisions ensure we monitor how our philosophy is being applied, helping us focus on where we need continued education and training. 

At its core, pay decisions tend to be equitable when driven by facts such as - performance, position to market and critical of role.

Your perspective on equal parental leave challenging traditional norms is intriguing. How do you believe longer parental leave for both men and women can reshape the dynamics in the workplace and contribute to reducing gender disparities?

For me, parental leave starts with what’s best for the baby. The first year of a child’s life is so important, and longer parental leave, especially when offered to both parents, means the child gets to spend the maximum time possible in that first year at home, bonding with both parents, settling into the world and building that life-long connection. Through both parents taking time to bond with a new baby, both parents learn how to provide any needed comfort and soothing – setting the family up for a future where the child can be equally comforted by both parents.

In the workplace, it ‘normalises’ parental leave as something that applies to all employees and removes the stigma traditionally associated with married women. Additionally, it provides all individuals the proper time to adjust to life with a child and return to the office when they are ready. It also keeps more women in the workforce, removing the need for them to make a tough choice between quitting their jobs or putting their 6-week-old into daycare.

Could you share some of the policies and practices that focus on promoting equality in hiring, mentoring, and parental leave and how these initiatives contribute to a more equitable workplace?

Policies and practices promoting workplace equality include blind recruitment, where candidate personal information is removed from job applications to ensure fair evaluation; mentorship programmes matching diverse employees with experienced mentors, fostering growth and inclusivity; and equitable parental leave, which grants equal time off regardless of gender, promoting work-life balance.

Overall, these policies and practices create an environment where diversity thrives, unlocking innovation, boosting morale, and strengthening the organisation's overall performance.

How can organisations play a role in fostering a culture where taking time off for family responsibilities is seen as normal for everyone, regardless of gender?

Organisations can foster a culture where taking time off for family responsibilities is seen as normal by implementing gender-neutral parental leave policies, openly communicating support for work-life balance, and showcasing diverse role models prioritising family responsibilities.

Encouraging flexible work arrangements and promoting the value of holistic well-being further emphasises the importance of family time. Through these actions, organisations will start dismantling gender stereotypes, signalling that family commitment is a shared responsibility, and ultimately fostering an inclusive environment where all employees feel empowered to prioritise family needs without judgement.