Where do HR leaders draw inspiration from? What are their worst nightmares? How did they stand the test of the changing times? In this segment, we will trace your journey to the top. This is your story - a story that is made of extraordinary accomplishments, methods that helped you overcome adversity, innovative programs that you led, and fundamental changes that you brought in. It's your chance to inspire the next generation of leaders.

 

Kevin Silva is CHRO at Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA). In this role, Silva is responsible for Human Resources, Corporate Responsibility and Voya Foundation and directs a strategy aimed at building the organization’s human capital by attracting, retaining and developing world-class employees. Silva also serves on Voya Financial’s Executive Committee. Silva joined Voya in 2012. Previously, he served in senior HR leadership roles at Argo Group International, MBIA Insurance Corporation, Merrill Lynch Capital Markets, MasterCard International and PepsiCo Management Institute/PepsiCo. In an exclusive interview with HR.com, Kevin talks about his HR journey and shares valuable insights on the current HR challenges, Quiet Quitting, boosting engagement in today’s workplaces, the future of HR and much more.

Excerpts from the interview:

What has your HR journey been like, and what influenced you the most to positively impact your career?

Kevin: I knew that I wanted to get into the people business – to fully understand how one recruits, develops, trains, promotes and grows an effective team. What motivated me to start in HR was an early realization that one can only do a certain amount as a single contributor. You can multiply your efforts when you have a team. However, you can only be as good as the team that surrounds you – and only as good as the weakest link on that team. That realization came to me early in my career when I was a sales manager for Keebler. The more I built teams, the more personal satisfaction I got and the more I could magnify my own efforts and contributions at that moment.

What inspires you about your role?

Kevin: Starting a career in HR also helped me to find my personal purpose in life, which is to unlock the full potential of others. I've gotten great satisfaction from that personal purpose. Nothing is more inspiring or rewarding than knowing that I’ve made a difference in someone’s life and helped that individual build their career.
 

 

How do you see workplace culture evolving right now?

Kevin: One of the biggest recent drivers of culture change is the fact that employees are having a major impact on shaping and driving culture. They’re bringing to their employers their key life priorities; the social issues that they’re wrestling with; the family issues that they’re navigating; and health and wealth issues as they go through in different phases of life. They are bringing these issues and challenges to their employers individually, as well as through employee surveys, and participation in employee resource groups. Additionally, employers are bringing cultural priorities in terms of remote working; work-life balance; expectations around leadership behaviors and values. It is the consideration of all of these issues that are forming company cultures.

What according to you is one of the most overlooked issues facing HR today?

Kevin: I’m not sure if it’s overlooked or needs to be improved upon, but one of the most important issues facing HR today is the employer’s ability to fully embrace diversity and inclusion in such a manner that it unlocks the full potential of every employee, recognizes the different set of issues and challenges employees face and allows us to engage our employees in such a way that they can contribute at their maximum level. Additionally, mental health needs to be addressed as equally as we address physical health. Financial literacy, financial independence, and financial planning have become equally important for most employee populations.

What can HR do about “Quiet Quitting?”

Kevin: Although Quiet Quitting is a new term, it’s not a new concept to savvy employers. There are multiple reasons that some employees may disengage, may under-contribute, or maybe less productive or unsatisfied in the workplace. The effect of any one of these yields an unhappy employee and disappointed employer. In understanding Quiet Quitting, it’s important to recognize that employees have different motivations, needs and concerns. Therefore, there may not be one universal answer to address the Quiet Quitting effect. In fact, it is incumbent on employers to have mechanisms, processes and conversations that are necessary to understand their employees and the barriers to those employees reaching their full potential. The answer for one employee may be compensation, promotion, or recognition, and the answer for another employee may be flexible work hours, mental health support, or regular feedback from one’s supervisor on their career growth.

What advice do you have for HR pros to help boost employee engagement and retention in a remote, hybrid, or otherwise changed workplace environment?

Kevin: I would first say to increase communication and information flow and seek active participation in both running the business and solving business problems. Next, is to ensure employees have the technology, tools, processes, and information to be engaged in a remote environment. Third, is to monitor the ability of employees to make impactful contributions and correct issues that are in the way of making those contributions.  

With so many changes happening, how do you build the HR team of the future?

Kevin: The HR team of the future needs to have a passion for people and unlocking their full potential, as well as an understanding of the business and how to deploy human capital to increase financial capital. The HR team also needs to have contemporary ideas of diversity, inclusion and equity, and the knowledge to build and support a diverse working environment. Finally, the team needs to understand that COVID-19 and remote working has forever changed work processes and work preferences for a large portion of the global workforce.

 
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