Transcript

Derek Smith:

Hello and welcome to Baylor Connections, a conversation series with the people shaping our future. Each week, we go in depth with Baylor leaders, professors and more discussing important topics in higher education, research, and student life. I'm Derek Smith and our guest today is Cheryl Gochis. Cheryl Gochis serves as vice president of human resources and chief human resources officer at Baylor, a Baylor graduate. She returned to her alma mater in that role in 2016. The last nine years, Baylor has been recognized as a great college to work for by The Chronicle of Higher Education. And in 2019, earned the honor roll designation in that distinction for the eighth time. Among a number of noteworthy initiatives and programs for Baylor faculty and staff since 2016, the university implemented an adoption assistance program in 2017 and enhanced paid parental leave for faculty and staff. A year later, Baylor offered paid bereavement leave and paid military and emergency responder leave. And this year offered revised policies to support employees and retain talent, including four weeks of paid caregiver leave. Since coming to Baylor, Gochis has served on a variety of search committees, including the Presidential Search Committee. And in the community, she has served as president of the United Way of McLennan County Board. As we all work from home, she is joining us today on the program amidst all this business. Cheryl Gochis, thanks so much for joining us. It's great to have you on the program today.

Cheryl Gochis:

Absolutely. Thank you for having me.

Derek Smith:

Well, thank you for your time as you and your role juggle so much. And as people listen, they might notice it sounds a little different. And this is the first program that we have recorded outside the KWBU studios. I've always been able to look right across the radio booth of the person I'm getting to talking to. So I like so much of what we're all dealing with this day. This is a little bit different for everyone and highlighting the further reality that we're all living in as we socially distance to fight to COVID-19, learning process for everyone. So I'll ask you, Cheryl, just to start things off, what are you learning about remote work here as we all work through that?

Cheryl Gochis:

Well, I think I probably represent many Baylor employees when I say I have learned a lot about working from home in the past couple of weeks. All of us I think have ideas about what working from home would look like. But the reality of working from home can be extremely different. So like many of us, I transitioned to work from home, but I also have a high schooler that's now doing her schoolwork from home. My two sons that are Baylor students are doing online learning at home. So our home has very quickly become my workspace and our children's school. So we have had to be very grateful and patient and graceful with each other. It's actually even been a little weird for our dogs. They keep looking at us like, "When are you leaving?" And no one is exempt from this. But that being said, as a member of the HR team, I've really tried to put into effect some of the things that we've been recommending to managers and employees. And so we have many resources out there, but we've actually been trying to do those to make sure they're good tips. And the other day, one of our teammates did a team's discussion and said, "What have you learned about working from home?" And it was great to see our team members what they've learned. We had very practical tips from the physical tips of making sure you have a phone charger nearby to making sure you take time to stand. And then we had some humorous ones. One person said that she had a great idea and it was teaching her children how she likes her coffee. And so they are helping her along the way. And even that exercise has been part of us really trying to manage our team culture in this environment. So we have a 15-minute team huddle every day for us to touch base with one another. It gives me a chance to tell them latest developments and then to hear from me. But also, it's a good time for me to remind them to be kind to themselves as they're managing their expectations of themselves because many of my employees have also become homeschool facilitators and transitioning to the self-work. So sometimes a daily reminder for them to be graceful with themselves has been helpful because really every one of us is adjusting to this new normal.

Derek Smith:

Well, that is all great advice. And as we all adjust, just to get to this point, you and many people in roles across Baylor University had to begin to recognize that. As the reality of COVID-19 and the need to socially distance became apparent, how did human resources begin to respond as it relates to faculty and staff and what were some of those main priorities early on?

Cheryl Gochis:

Sure. As we began hearing about COVID, our first concern, and it has remained our top concern was health and safety of our entire Baylor community. HR focused specifically on that employee element. And so to do that, we wanted to really ensure we were communicating the significance of following the CDC guidelines and what the specific behaviors were that can protect people from the virus for themselves and others. We also really encourage people to familiarize themselves with the of COVID, emphasize that those symptoms needed to be given attention and their health was a priority. As you know, we have employees at Baylor that work very diligently, and we just want to ensure that that diligence and work ethic did not encourage people to push through and come to work instead of taking care of their health, and again, the health of our community. So we also reminded people of our caregiver leave that you mentioned earlier, and that it can be used to care for self. So people knew they could use their leave time and wouldn't have anxiety about that aspect of it.

Derek Smith:

I saw on the HR website, sometime around spring break or after when the university started putting forward tips for remote work to help people transition as successfully as possible, what did it look like putting those together? I know throughout HR and throughout the university, there's some really fantastic resources, people with insight into this.

Cheryl Gochis:

Yes, our time has really been spent developing those online resources that you're referring to and also a policy that supported telework. It was a very important piece for us to make sure that telework policy was approved. We've traditionally been a face-to-face campus, so we needed to pivot quickly on what work would look like remotely. We have designed the keep working remotely website. And we've tried to chuck it full of practical tips and to include technology, but also how to manage your work, how employees can really manage their own work and communicate with their managers. We also point out some resources that we have all the time as Baylor employees that maybe can access some more now, which is right now Media at Work. That's a video-based program that we have. All employees can use it and those videos are geared towards work topics, so leadership teams dealing with change. We also have LinkedIn Learning. And LinkedIn Learning has a wide variety of subjects and learning paths and every Baylor employee has access to it. So these learning opportunities range from two minutes to even longer learning designs and plans. And our hope is that during this time where people are at home, they can utilize some of these resources so they can learn and get better even as an employee.

Derek Smith:

Right. One of the things a lot of us are learning now, for some people, online meetings through Zoom meetings, Microsoft Teams, they've been a part of some's work experience for a while. But for many people, that's new. What's your experience been with virtual meetings and are there any tips you could share for people who are adjusting to that?

Cheryl Gochis:

Well, I am definitely still adjusting to that, but I will say that virtual meetings are here to stay. And becoming really proficient at those video meetings is important for all of us. I have a few specific tips from my own experience of working in this environment. And first one is just make sure you use a video. It can be very tempted to turn off the video aspect and maybe multitask or do other things, but using that video as much as possible is important, especially as a team leader and team member. People want to connect with faces. It helps to actually see people. And so when we're looking at a remote culture, that's an important aspect. Also, planning for video calls just like we would for a meeting at work, we don't just show up, we think about what's the process that's going to be discussed, or what's the aspect of the meeting I'm going to contribute to. So really, making sure you plan. And the other thing is to use the chat functions well. Most of our video tools that we use have a chat function. And so participants can chat and make comments and questions. And I would just say that something I think we're all learning is really determine that those chat comments are relevant, succinct, clear. At an in person meeting, you're always careful to not offer too many sidebar comments, or you want to make sure your comments are on point while the same goes for the chat function. And so just reminding people of that and I've had to remind myself of that. So those are my big tips at this point, but I'm sure I will be learning more in the next few weeks.

Derek Smith:

Cheryl, let's pivot a bit and talk about working at Baylor more broadly. Baylor has a reputation. And as we mentioned, the pedigree Chronicle of Higher Education has said for many years, in fact, nine years in a row that Baylor is a great college to work for. Starting off broadly, why would you say that is?

Cheryl Gochis:

Well, we're extremely intentional in building Baylor to be a great place to work. That's very high priority of our leadership team. And throughout the university, that is something that we think is really important because we know the physical resources and facilities are important and they attract many students to the campus, etc. But the heart of the university and what makes it truly special are the human resources. So our staff and faculty, they're the ones delivering that Baylor mission every single day. And we really want to ensure that the environment is such that they can focus on that student. So creating programs and policies to ensure that the employees have a great experience and can focus on the students is really paramount to all we do.

Derek Smith:

Talking to Cheryl Gochis and I want to ask you briefly, what are some of the things that The Chronicle of Higher Education, what are some of the metrics that they look at when they're putting this list together?

Cheryl Gochis:

Well, they do look at really 12 broad categories that they study, and they have different questions on each. Those categories, I won't go through all 12, but a few of those are the compensation benefits is one section. Competence in senior leadership is one of the sections, and we've done extremely well in that arena, and the president has definitely been a huge part of that. Job satisfaction, work-life balance is another one. And that's a topic that we really spend a lot of time working on, especially when it comes to our well-being programs. And so again, there are a series of questions in each of these categories. And after we get our results back, we've worked with the great colleges team to really analyze our results, see what we're doing well, and then the ways that we can improve.

Derek Smith:

I think one thing that people at Baylor know when you work there, if you don't already know, it is that Baylor mission to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment within a caring community, that's the mission. How has that mission infused into the process of becoming a Baylor employee and then growing as a Baylor faculty or staff member?

Cheryl Gochis:

Yes, it really is. And as our employees are growing and developing, we know that the culture is a very important piece of that. And one of the questions actually that is on the great colleges to work for survey is this institution's culture is special, something you just don't find anywhere. And we typically score very, very high on that question. And I think it is, it's because the notion of culture matters.

Derek Smith:

Talking to Cheryl Gochis, vice president of human resources at Baylor. And Cheryl, we mentioned some of those benefits that have grown at Baylor. You've alluded to them, but let's dive into some. There's really too many to fully list, but some of the ways benefits have grown at Baylor in the last few years, what have elicited the strongest response from faculty and staff.

Cheryl Gochis:

Yes. As you've mentioned, have had numerous addition to benefits at Baylor. And some of those have been in what we consider traditional benefits. So we added an opportunity for supplementary vision plan, and that was because employees had said we really want that as part of our offerings. Beyond traditional benefits, so other benefits come through policies and processes. And I think across the board, the best received programs have really been in the areas where we have on the front end received employee feedback and then allowed that feedback to inform us on a needed benefit, or even how to modify in it. And all of our recent policies, parental leave, caregiver leave, bereavement leave, they were all really supported by and in some cases suggested by employees, that the bereavement leave piece, a leader came to us and had been at the university for a very long time and then experienced a couple of situations where she had to be out due to deaths in her family. And she said. "I've been here a long time and I have a lot of leave, but I worry about new employees. And so could we look at enriching that?" And again, that just speaks to the spirit of our employees thinking about things, even if it doesn't really apply to them directly, just wanting to make sure that helps our culture.

Derek Smith:

One aspect of the culture, Baylor has a great culture of adoption among staff and faculty. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption named Baylor one of the top 100 adoption friendly workplaces in 2017. What does that adoption assistance look like in a nutshell, and have you seen that to benefit families of Baylor?

Cheryl Gochis:

Yeah. So our adoption benefit allows faculty and staff to receive up to $6,000 for reimbursement of adoption expenses. And so in addition to that financial benefit, those new parents can utilize their parental leave to care for that child. And our parental leave was just increased from four to six weeks this past year. We've also had numerous sponsors on seminars on how to foster and how to adopt, and so that's all been part of it. And we knew when we put that benefit in place that only a few relatively employees would utilize that and that makes sense. But although only a few use it, it really impacts the Baylor community exponentially because people love that their coworkers are able to adopt and have that support. And really, in many cases, they live vicariously through those employees. A neat story we had with that was one of the first employees who had inquired about the adoption benefit was actually one of the first recipients of the benefit. As we were working at details, she had a little bit of a delay in her adoption process. But the good news was as that delay was happening, we were preparing the benefit. And five days after we announced our adoption assistance policy, she received a call that she had been given a baby. A baby girl had been matched with that little girl. And so again, just a neat story about our employees and their feedback leading to a better life really for all of our community

Derek Smith:

We are visiting with Cheryl Gochis. And Cheryl, what does that mean to you personally from your own family's experience?

Cheryl Gochis:

Yeah, so my husband and I are huge advocates of adoption. We adopted our little girl in 2003. And so she's a junior in high school now. But at that time, we both worked for organizations that supported the adoption process. And it meant a lot to both of us. And so coming to Baylor, seeing that there was a need there, it was a great benefit to add. But also our adoption assistant aligns beautifully with our Christian mission and our commitment to supporting and strengthening families. And so making that a priority and enriching the lives of our faculty and staff, it's just been a wonderful, wonderful journey.

Derek Smith:

As we head into the final couple of minutes, I have two final questions for you. But one being when you think about benefits, they benefit current employees, but they also help make Baylor more attractive and a pretty competitive job market as you've brought so many great faculty and staff members to Baylor. I hear over the years and certainly recently is university's grown. What do benefits mean in that competitive landscape for attracting some of the best people to Baylor?

Cheryl Gochis:

Well, we are very fortunate and the best benefit we have to attract talent is our mission, our mission statement. To be able to come and be a part of a team that really creates world changers, which is what our students are is incredible. And we really try to ensure that anyone who wants to work at Baylor understands that you'll be part of a team that's changing the trajectory of people's lives. And so there is nothing more attractive, I think, than that. And again, by doing that, I think we're a very attractive employer here in Waco and really throughout the state and nation.

Derek Smith:

Well, Cheryl, finally, I want to ask you, we mentioned at the top of the show, Baylor is your alma mater. You worked in a number of HR leadership roles over the years before coming back. What aspects of that return to Baylor had been the most meaningful to you? The things that maybe most solidify in your mind, "This is why I made that move back here."

Cheryl Gochis:

Yes, that's a great, great question. I really returned to Baylor after being in corporate HR for the majority of my career. And at that time, I really felt that I wanted to contribute to the institution that gave so much to me. So Baylor's where I began my HR career through learning about HR and the business school, it's where I met my husband. But more importantly, it taught me how faith could inform my work and life. And that has been a huge difference maker. So the thought of being able to be part of a place that's given me so much was incredible. And anything I can do to impact employees and the impact of worklife here is a gift because that impact that HR has on employees will ultimately lead to student impact. And that's important to me in many ways because I reflect on how important it was for the investment of staff and faculty in my own life. So being here really is a joy because I feel like I'm able to give back to the institution that gave me so much.

Derek Smith:

Absolutely. Those are great thoughts, and we thank you for taking the time to come share with us about that today. And best of luck as you and your family juggle work and school and togetherness time as we all shelter in place. Thanks so much.

Cheryl Gochis:

Thank you so much, Derek. Appreciate it.

Derek Smith:

Cheryl Gochis, vice president of human resources and chief human resources officer at Baylor University, our guests today here on Baylor Connections. I'm Derek Smith. A reminder, you can hear this in other programs online, baylor.edu/connections. Thanks for joining us here on Baylor Connections.