In this episode of Redefining HR, I’m sitting down with Jill Campbell, Cox Enterprises’ president and chief people and operations officer. Jill and I discuss her move from operational leadership into HR leadership, how the team thinks about flexibility at scale, maintaining a people-centric workplace, the importance of business acumen in HR and more.

Cox Enterprises is a fourth-generation family-owned company. Jill joined Cox Enterprises right out of college and worked her way up in operations on the cable side of the company. She eventually became the chief operating officer for that division until another opportunity arose about five years ago. Jill was offered, by the company’s current CEO, the chance to head up the people function and operations for the parent company.

She wasn’t planning on switching gears. “I had just planned all my life to stay in operations and one day run the cable division. But when the head of the family asks you to do something, and you’ve been there as long as I have and had such a great career, you say, ‘Why not. Let’s try it,’” she shares.

Since then, Jill has found her new role to be “rewarding and amazing.” Her unique perspective and experience have created a fascinating path for Jill, which led her to explore what it truly means to have a people-centric workplace.

You can also listen/share the episode directly syndicated on any of these channels: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcast | Stitcher | TuneIn

What Is a People-Centric Workplace?

I’ve talked about the contrast between legacy HR and modern HR in my book. One thing that I noticed was the current shift toward people-centric workplaces in modern HR. More companies are moving away from policies against the few and changing to policies for the many. The default assumption is that employees will do the right thing.

At Cox Enterprises, Jill says that having a people-centric workplace is essential to the workplace culture. Having grown up in this company, Jill doesn’t know what it is like to work somewhere that doesn’t put its people first.

Cox Enterprises was founded by James M. Cox, a one-time governor of Ohio. In his will, Jill says, Cox encouraged his children “to make sure that they recognize and take care of employees.” That value system has been passed down to subsequent generations and is deeply ingrained in everyone who works there.

So, when Jill stepped into her current position, it was less about creating a people-centric workplace, because it already exists. Instead, Jill works to maintain this culture and evolve it as the company and its people grow.

Genuinely Putting People First

Being a family-oriented company, leaders at Cox Enterprises take the time to invest in their employees and maintain an inclusive environment.

Leaders there know most of the employees in the corporate office and are approachable, which cultivates a safe space. Employees should be themselves, Jill says, and share what they feel, think and believe, especially in challenging situations.

When COVID-19 hit and people were mandated to work from home, Cox Enterprises’ CEO met with the company’s presidents to discuss a strategy for the company. While they realized that they’d take a hit, much like other companies, the CEO was most focused on the well-being of the employees. No matter what, Jill says, the safety and well-being of employees are the priority.

“That is what a people-centric culture is all about. It’s when, at the top, the very top, they say, ‘I don’t care how much money I lose,’” she says, “None of that matters. What matters is our employees are happy, safe and healthy.”

Building a World With a People-Centric Workplace

When people talk about a new world of work, they might discuss a people-centric workplace or whether in-person, remote or hybrid works best for one company versus another. The truth is that deciding on all of these things needs to start with the employees.

Jill shares that the nature of work in your workplace should depend on individual teams’ needs rather than a companywide policy. “Give your employees the flexibility on when they come in and when they leave,” Jill says, even if that sometimes means coordinating among teams to “make sure that they're in sync with what you're doing.”

Cox Enterprises’ people-centric culture manifests through this approach, which emphasizes a collaborative environment so that when people are in the office, it’s more of a communal space for direct interaction and less time spent in meetings. “When you're here, we want to see teaming and, you know, networking and laughing in the cafe and all the things that you miss when you are remote and at home,” Jill says.

People in This Episode

• Jill Campbell: LinkedIn