Episode 48: Reimagining Inclusion in the Workplace
Featuring: Fiona Mullan, Co-founder and ceo of cardlytics
Co-hosted by Endeavor Ireland
Rory Guinan, Managing Director of Endeavor Ireland, sits down with Fiona Mullan, Chief People Officer at Ding, to discuss how companies can continue to revise and reimagine inclusion in the workplace, how to maintain cultural cohesiveness as a company scales, and some of the unique opportunities the people function has on building and growing great businesses in the next five years. Prior to her role at Ding, Fiona has held recruitment and HR leadership roles at Facebook, Microsoft, and Accenture.
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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
(02.17) Rory asks, “It is difficult to manage the team when a company scales. There are sub challenges such as cultural challenges and lack of direct contact with a colleague. What is the best approach to deal with all these challenges when you scale?
(3.00) Fiona says, “So, many leaders deal with these challenges. Planning and careful thinking is really needed. I like to think of this as science and art. In terms of science, what business is this and what kind of CEO are you? Picking the things that you want to do. Then, art comes in, which is all about changes. I recommend you actively engage people with this challenge that you are facing. It also gives them a chance to think about the challenge with themselves. Get feedback on the challenges. It will give an understanding and confidence to your workers.”
(08.17) Rory asks, “Looking at Ireland, where do you think we are right now with our approach on diversity and how likely are we to improve our approach?
(08. 25) Fiona says, “Diversity is the center of everything.” “Beyond gender, Ireland has come very recently through a diversity agenda in relation to other aspects of gender, race, multiculturalism, LQBT, disability. It is definitely changing. Culturally sensitive workforce. It definitely shifted from the appetite being more diverse to being more inclusive. It created that sense of belonging. It is essential for everybody to thrive, especially for minorities in the workforce.”
(12.17) Rory asks, “Hire ahead. How does that manifest itself?”
(12.43) Fiona says, “I don't think it is possible to be very binary around the number of employees. You need to contextualize your business objectives that you want to achieve and where that growth is going to play out. Of course numbers are important. I would break that around the opportunities. I am a big believer of hiring ahead, but very specific around the core areas that deliver the value.”
(16.20) Rory asks, “What is the single most important tool to boost an organization’s cultural cohesiveness?
(16.47) Fiona says, “Defining a leader is critical. It really comes down to the thought and intentionality that the leader brings into the culture of organization. Even if you are not thinking about it, you are building the culture without realizing.”
(27.00) Rory asks, “Are leaders born or made?”
(27.05) Fiona says, “They are made. I think everybody can be a leader. It is a behavior not a role.”
ABOUT FIONA MULLAN
Fiona Mullan is Chief People Office at Ding which she joined in January 2020.
Prior to that, Fiona was VP of HR at Facebook, covering all regions outside of the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. She joined Facebook in 2014 after 9 years at Microsoft. While at Microsoft, Fiona spent 3 years in China and Singapore, leading HR for Microsoft Asia Pacific and 2 years leading Recruiting for Microsoft internationally based in Europe. The early part of Fiona's career was spent at Accenture where she was for 7 years.