Luani Alvarado

▶0:01HostWelcome to the Built by People podcast, where we share the stories and insights of the world's top HR leaders. Join us as we dive deep into the minds of HR executives, uncovering their strategies, challenges, and triumphs in shaping today's workforce. I'm excited to welcome Luani to the Built By People podcast. Luani, thank you so much for joining us. And as a starting question, I always love to ask if you could share a little bit more about your career journey.

▶0:55GuestThank you, Dave, and it's great to be here. Believe it or not, I actually started my career fresh out of school in commercial, part of a leadership development program with Dow Chemical. And I quickly realized that in order to win in the marketplace, it actually came down to people and the right environment to make them thrive. So that's how I made my entry into human resources.

▶1:23HostI want to talk about standing up a new company culture. Can you share your journey and challenges that you faced while establishing a new company culture at your current company? And what key elements did you prioritize to ensure success?

▶1:39GuestIt's a very exciting story because we have had a very, very long history, 130+ years of being part of Johnson Johnson. So this idea of standing up a complete new company was very exciting. It's almost like we were graduating. And one of the things that was very important to us in this process was really trying to create our new identity and something that was really inspiring and compelling that we could all hang on to. And so we went on this journey of really trying to understand what kept talent with us, and what was it about the talent that we competed for that made them want to join Kenview, made them want to stay with Kenview, and made them want to grow with Kenview. And through that process, we learned that people really wanted 4 things. One is that they wanted to be part of an environment where they felt like they can make an immediate impact. It was by bringing my talent to serve a compelling purpose. Two was about having an environment where they could be themselves and where their voice matters, that truly recognizes them for who they are, for their impact. They wanted the opportunity to grow and own their own personal journey, and then ultimately be rewarded and recognized for their impact. So it was through this process that we then identified and created our purpose and our values and also our value proposition, re-understanding what was it about Kenviewers that made them want to join Kenview and stay with Kenview.

▶3:46HostI wanted to now talk about people-centric HR approaches. How do you redefine HR as a people function rather than just a resource function? And could you provide examples of how this approach has influenced Kenview's organizational

▶4:04Guestculture? That is a great question because in this process, we were also very deliberate and very intentional to change the name of the function from HR Human Resources to People. And that was because we feel that people is really at the heart of everything that we do. You can have the best brand strategies, you can have the best plans, but at the end of the day, if you don't have the right people, you won't succeed in the marketplace. So when we think about culture at Kenview, we think about meeting people where they are. Our purpose of realizing the extraordinary power of everyday care comes from getting people together to innovate in service of more than 1.2 billion consumers that we serve on a daily basis. And so that same care has to do with how we look at our 22 +1,000 Ken viewers across the globe. So whether it is our approach to performance, how we look at learning, how we look at resources for health and wellbeing, it's all about meeting them where they are and leading with a high degree of transparency where they know what's available to them. Empowerment so that they are able to personalize choices that help them operate and perform at their best, and then accountability. It is very clear how we hold them accountable and what the expectations are, but also what resources they have available so that they can operate at their best.

▶6:03HostLuani, what strategies have you implemented to foster a culture of performance and engagement at Kenview? And How do you measure the success of those strategies?

▶6:14GuestSo again, we talked about being a purpose-driven and values-driven organization. I would say our purpose and our values are really foundational. And when we think about performance, we think about performance builds our credibility in the marketplace. Winning teams and our talent, they want to be part of a winning organization. So for us, performance, it's all about how are we truly doing in the eyes of our customers, in the eyes of our consumers, and quite honestly, in the eyes of our teams, because we feel that every day we're having to re-recruit our Ken viewers because they have choices, right? Whether they choose to go with us or go elsewhere, it is about the environment that we create. So for us, performance is very much from an outside-in focus. And so when we think about internally, we are moving from recognizing effort and recognizing initiatives to recognizing true business impact. How is it that what you do is making us stronger and making us better in the marketplace? So it is about, again, as I said, making sure that all of our Ken viewers have clarity in terms of where they're going to put their best energy, that they have an environment that helps them thrive, that they have the resources, and that they are rewarded and recognized for their impact. We also believe that everybody has a role to play when it comes to shaping a culture. So it takes intentionality and it takes everyone rowing in the same direction to shape that culture of performance and high engagement.

▶8:18HostLuana, you've been a participant in the Forbes Power Women Summit. What key takeaways have you applied to your work at Kenview from that summit, and how do those insights contribute to your leadership style? And the company's cultural development?

▶8:34GuestFirst of all, it was a great event. It was great to not only share our learnings at Kenview with very powerful women, but also learn from them. It was very apparent that as a healthcare company, it is essential that our workplace and our practices embrace a variety of different perspectives so that we can meet each Ken Viewer where they are. So for us at Kenview, the workplace is really structured around meeting people where they are. If you look at some of our practices relative to learning or flexibility in the workplace or performance, it's really catered to individual needs. So that they can pick and choose what makes sense for them to maximize their performance. And I think the last thing I would say is that it's not lost on me. We spend a lot of time investing in our people leaders because we believe that people leaders are truly the catalyst for creating an environment where people can be successful. And then it's not lost on me that my career success was fruit of somebody taking a chance on me. So we wanted to encourage all of our people leaders to support their people and take a chance on their own personal growth.

▶10:07HostLuani, what parting advice would you like to share with our community?

▶10:11GuestI would say pretty much what I just shared, which is it's not lost on me that All of us, we have mentors, we have people that inspire us, but at the end of the day, it is about that one person that is willing to take a chance on you and support you along the way that really will make a long-lasting impact. So I think my encouragement to all of us is to think about who are those people that made a real difference in your trajectory, in your personal growth. And how is it that you can pay it forward.

▶10:53HostLuane, thank you so much for joining us on the Built by People podcast. It was a pleasure to have you involved.

▶10:58GuestThank you. Thank you for having me.