In this episode, I sit down with SAP’s Chief Operations Officer, Sabine Bendiek. We talk about the transition into her HR role and making connections between the CPO and COO positions. We also discuss how SAP approaches innovation at scale with their new “Pledge to Flex” structure.

Sabine’s past roles focused on general management across technology companies. She found the chief people and operations officer position to be intriguing. Still, with a background in general management, she didn’t understand why she would switch over to an HR role.

Then Sabine looked at the big picture. She realized most of her experience centered on helping companies through transformations, with a particular focus on understanding the role of people in restructuring a system. Sabine recognized SAP “really felt like a great opportunity to take what I learned from a general management perspective and use that to support SAP in that transformation, really looking after the people and the operations component, which essentially means people, systems and processes.”

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SAP’s “Pledge to Flex” Initiative

The traditional work structure has been shattered in the past decade, leaving many HR leaders to redefine it. Now, in particular, is a moment of transition. With the increase in vaccinations and the loosening of many COVID-19 restrictions, it’s again possible for more employees to return to an in-person office. Of course, many (though by no means all) workers have embraced remote work and are reluctant for it to end. The result is an ideal time for companies to reevaluate their work policies.

During the pandemic, Sabine and her team surveyed their employees to understand where they stood. Which did they prefer: in-person or remote? The answer: both. They learned an overwhelming number (roughly 96%) opted for a “hybrid work style.”

It was clear most people enjoyed flexibility in regards to where they worked. SAP then had to step back and figure out what to do with this data. The team realized they had a clear task: Empower their employees so they could work in the environment that enabled them to be their best selves.

Benefits of the “Pledge to Flex” Initiative

SAP recognizes that the people who know best where their employees need to work are those employees. This initiative allows employees to be 100% flexible, allowing employees to choose where they want to work and creating an environment that fosters creativity, collaboration, focused work and a sense of community.

This approach empowers employees while still meeting business requirements and allowing managers to keep everything running smoothly. Sabine says the goal was to establish “flexibility around technology, but also around management style” so that an employee gets “an opportunity to look after your whole life.”

While this initiative has received a positive response from employees, it also raises new questions. For one, how do you manage in a fully hybrid work world? For another, how do you approach hybrid work to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion?

Rewriting the Rules and Amplifying DEI Efforts

One unexpected revelation from the pandemic was the discovery that remote work often resulted in strong virtual teamwork and a more inclusive work environment.

“What we all learned in the pandemic was that when everybody was virtual, all of a sudden, everybody was kind of on the same footing in terms of being heard,” Sabine explains. Physical separation frequently led to people doing a better job of actively listening to each other. Hybrid work should maintain these connections and also deepen them by also allowing colleagues to meet up in person on occasion.

Another benefit of hybrid work is its ability to create a less homogeneous workforce. Having flexibility around where, when, and how you work can help attract candidates from various backgrounds and drive geographical diversity. Sabine feels hybrid work will enable to SAP to assemble the most diverse and capable workforce possible: “Adding that hybrid work style, I think it's going to help us make sure we're attracting people who maybe before felt it just wasn't their kind of thing, and they couldn't really sign up for this with a commitment.”

People in This Episode

• Sabine Bendiek: LinkedIn, SAP’s “Pledge to Flex”, Twitter

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