HR as a catalyst for future-proofing business.

Under the correct management, human resources and development work hand in hand. Brandi Morandi, Chief Legal and Human Resources Officer of Equinix, talked exclusively with People Matters concerning how she and her team have developed an unprecedented leverage in the company's execution of its business strategy.

Brandi Galvin Morandi, Equinix's Chief Legal & HR Officer, comes from an unusual background for an HR executive. She started her professional career as a lawyer and worked with Gunderson Dettner for about five years as a corporate attorney before entering Equinix in 2003 as the company's Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel, and Secretary.

?With an excellent rapport and operating cadence with the executive team, Morandi was appointed permanent CHRO in 2019 before serving in the job on three separate occasions during the course of his 19 years at Equinix. She was interviewed by People Matters at a meeting in Singapore to discuss her work and how the Equinix HR department serves as a key hub for the company's ongoing digital transformation. Read on for a snippet or two of the chat that went down.

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?To begin, knowing the dangers your organisation faces and accepting those risks is a top priority for the legal department. You must have an in-depth knowledge of the company in order to determine what is most crucial, where you cannot compromise on safety, and where you can exercise some leeway. This is directly applicable to determining what kind of approach to people will prove successful.?

Second, the legal function has a mentality of "solving for the business" and "prioritising" in order to direct the company's scarce resources where they will have the greatest impact. This means ignoring less pressing concerns in favour of concentrating on a select few issues that will have the greatest impact. Putting on my lawyer's that helps me maintain a focus on solving for the business plan, making sure that what we're offering is useful and appropriate for the current endeavour.

?“It moulds a sense of responsibility toward judicious use of resources, both monetary and human.

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Share how you're steering human resources toward contributing to the overall strategy of change.

Human resources is not a secondary role at Equinix. Human resources is widely seen as an engine that drives and accelerates business, especially by the company's top brass. Our team is the home of the company's Transition Office, and we've been taking the reins in guiding the transformation to make the company's strategy a reality. In large part, this is due to the fact that failing to have the proper personnel working on the proper tasks while displaying the proper behaviours would result in the failure to achieve the desired strategic outcomes.

?Our ability to drive transformation is bolstered by our backgrounds and experiences outside of HR, as we outlined previously. As a former HR client, I understand your pain. Thus, I am able to listen with a fresh set of ears during strategic planning and even while simply considering the best approach to convey our ideas to the rest of the company. For instance, while introducing a new talent strategy, it's important to emphasise its role in bringing about the desired outcomes for the organisation.

?The threat of the Great Resignation is something that everyone is keeping an eye on. There is a lot to consider, such as the level of impact on an organisation, whether it is felt in IT or frontline roles, the rate of employee turnover, and the competitiveness of pay packages in light of evolving market conditions. To prevent staff turnover, we need to monitor a wide variety of metrics and data.?

The health and safety of the workforce is another issue that has been brought to the forefront as a result of the pandemic. In my opinion, the system as a whole is really worn out. Whether they are managers, leaders, or those that simply show up for work every day with a positive outlook, people have been through a lot. As such, it's important that we're also providing for the health and happiness of our staff as part of our efforts to keep them around.

?And of course, as we bring people back into the office and implement a global strategy of moving to a hybrid work environment, we will need to investigate ways to maintain employee engagement and productivity while also providing the freedom of choice that modern workers have grown to expect.

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?I believe it has potential in domains where the risks are compliance-based, such as in the context of local employment regulations. When it comes to human resources, though, it's essential to keep in mind that one size does not necessarily fit all. This is important from a legal and regulatory standpoint, but it's also important from a cultural standpoint and what the team will find most meaningful.

?“Rigidity isn't always the best or most effective strategy, in my opinion. We have to settle on a solution that will fly with the locals while still meeting the requirements of the international community.

?When we wish to advance a worldwide process, it may not be in sync with the local market, or vice versa, and this can make things difficult. Even within the same nation, regional marketplaces might be quite distinct.?

?Human resources will be seen increasingly as change catalysts and enablers, which is a trend I predict will gain momentum. Organizational change as we know it is about to undergo a radical transformation, and HR will need to be ready to assist in hastening the rate of decision making and transition. There will undoubtedly be a cultural component, which will entail keeping the best parts of your current culture while incorporating the new habits and abilities needed to realise your strategic goals. And because most people start from a place of not wanting change, HR will have to spend a lot of time putting staff into the appropriate mentality.

?“Human resources will need to transform its role from process curator to business strategy enabler.

?While there will always be some push to make human resources more accessible to consumers, it's also important to keep an eye on how HR fits into the bigger picture of the company's processes and goals. Human resources will be responsible for influencing desired actions by providing enough pay and benefits, as well as the resources and incentives workers need to implement the company's strategic plan. Culture will serve as a pivot point where HR and transformation meet.