Abbie Buck, Chief People Officer at Collective Health: “Companies should be careful about presenteeism”

What a perfect job: one where you are the target audience! Collective Health wants to reach Chief People Officers as they’re in charge of health benefits for employees – and Abbie Buck is Chief People Officer at Collective Health.

But we’re not here to talk about health benefits per se. Instead, we wanted to find out how Abbie – who has spent over 20 years working for companies such as IBM, eBay, PayPal and Splunk – is helping Collective Health adapt to the changing workplace.

The answer is one heck of a lot. From embracing flexible working to fighting burnout, Abbie is keenly aware of what it takes to keep employees happy and motivated. Nor is she afraid to roll out new technology, although the word “transparency” is never far from her lips here.

So if you want a happy workforce, and a diverse one, keep reading.

Related reading: HR thought leaders highlight risks of AI in the workplace

Tell us about your role

I am the Chief People Officer at Collective Health, a healthcare technology company that’s fundamentally making health benefits work better for everyone – starting with the millions of Americans covered by their employer. I oversee all aspects of the People function, in addition to Real Estate and Facilities.

My role here is unique because I am the target audience and exactly who Collective Health is selling to among our customer base. We want to be reaching the folks at companies who advocate for their employees’ health and well-being. As someone who has spent their career caring for and looking after people, it’s in my best interest to ensure my staff’s health and wellness benefits fit their individual needs.

The US healthcare system is historically convoluted and costly, and the burden often falls on the individual to understand, navigate and pay for their care, which can lead to low utilisation, unnecessary costs and even adverse health events.

Collective Health wants to change that. We have proprietary technology, a robust partner ecosystem and industry-leading member advocacy that allows us to simplify health benefit plan administration for self-insured employers that want a better healthcare experience for their employees.

What made you pursue a career in HR? And what advice do you have for anyone considering a career in HR?

An HR career wasn’t my original plan. I was inspired to join the career path after early experiences working in the entertainment industry. And now here I am 25 years later as a Chief People Officer working to deliver business outcomes as we implement our strategies.

As for advice for HR employees and leaders, it’s important to remember we don’t just manage the table stakes needed to attract, develop and retain employees. We have to be astute business people and know how to drive positive outcomes while managing budgets, and leveraging data to ensure there’s an ROI in everything we do.

It’s critical to determine what a company’s population needs and how to curate solutions that meet those needs for both the company and its employees. The work doesn’t end when you implement new programs or benefits, you have to take into account how everything is actually performing.

Post-pandemic, what are your thoughts on flexible work trends and how do you think they’ll shape the upcoming years?

Collective Health currently operates on a hybrid model where employees have the flexibility to work from home but we also provide a productive and collaborative office space where teams can connect and build together. Inflexibility in where people work is becoming outdated – it’s time to acknowledge the shift in employee expectations and the data that supports embracing hybrid work arrangements.

With this new approach to work, one thing that comes to mind is companies should be careful about presenteeism, especially in a post-pandemic world. Presenteeism is when a company focuses too heavily on behavioural expectations rather than business goals. For instance, if in-person time is valued highly, it can force people into the office when they might not feel well, resulting in them going through the motions of work without being fully functioning. This can end up being as costly for a company as attrition. It’s a silent killer of productivity. Understanding how burnout and poor health are impacting people and the company can help combat presenteeism.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and how has it shaped your career?

Culture is a team sport. While people and employee experience teams are stewards of culture, it’s up to the leadership team to nurture the associated behaviours, and the whole company to shape and sustain it. Listen to your people as they will help define and evolve your culture into something that speaks to every level of the organisation.

What are the top three challenges HR professionals face today?

The three challenges that come top of mind for me in today’s HR landscape all centre around cultivating and maintaining appropriate transparency in your workplace.

I am a firm believer that transparency should be a core culture pillar for all modern-day companies and that transparency builds the foundation for trust and effective leadership. The word “appropriate” is also important to underscore. As companies grow and evolve, so does the way in which transparency is manifested.

For example, when a company is small and private, it’s simple to share information and contextualise decisions. As companies grow, what can be shared will change. Public companies have very different requirements and so, naturally, transparency will evolve to adhere to those requirements.

No matter the stage of the company though, reinforcing transparency, including how it has or will change is vital to ensure employees feel heard and supported while navigating growth and change.

Another challenge is the various workforces in place today, many of which are hybrid or “distributed.” Promoting transparency and encouraging employee engagement when employees are so spread out is a challenge that many HR professionals of today feel more acutely. I encourage HR leaders to get creative and look for ways to connect with teams regardless of location. There are lots of ways to build transparency and culture while balancing a hybrid culture.

And finally, transparency in technology. There are many ways in which technology helps but also hurts, to bridge the information gap and culture commitment among teams. HR leaders need to ensure transparency with all employees. Communications should always be inclusive and easily accessible to all team members through internal portals.

Can you give us an example of how your HR team leverages technology and how that has helped the company?

We use a digital solution to measure our employee engagement and conduct internal pulse check surveys on certain initiatives and ongoing processes. It’s incredibly easy to use, comes with great support, and allows us to integrate data to gain deeper insights about our workforce and how to improve employee morale and well-being.

In addition to internal engagement, we also use recruiting products that are integral to our focus on diversity hiring. This technology supports Collective Health’s ambitious goals on the hiring front by helping to focus our outreach to passive candidates so we can assemble diverse slates of candidates for a particular role.

At Collective Health, we also use the same mobile app that we provide to our members as a tool for benefits teams to help manage and support the health and well-being of their employees and families. The app helps remove friction in accessing care and encourages both employees and employers to make the most of their benefits plans.

What do you think has been the most significant way in which technology has impacted HR?

While it’s certainly not a new concept, our function is getting increasingly savvy at leveraging data to gain insight and anticipate emerging issues or opportunities.

Take, for example, the studies that large technology companies have been able to complete to understand the most important capabilities of great managers, or the impact remote, hybrid and in-office work policies have on productivity and retention.

Additionally, companies now have the ability to use data to anticipate issues like potential spikes in attrition, which allows for proactive steps to mitigate those risks.

What is an HR initiative you’ve spearheaded that you are particularly proud of?

Last year, I introduced sabbaticals at Collective Health after five years of employment. I feel strongly that both individuals and the company benefit by providing extended time off to recharge and recommit. This type of program is well received by employees and helps the company in the long run by retaining tenured employees and keeping them happy, engaged and re-energised.