How VF Corporation is Getting Hybrid Work Right 7/7

The Getting Hybrid Work Right call series has become a well-attended and wide-ranging discussion for HR leaders on all aspects of hybrid work. On this week's call, i4cp CEO and Co-Founder Kevin Oakes and Senior Research Analyst Tom Stone facilitated a conversation with special guest Jessica Muhlenberg, Vice President of Global Benefits, Well-being & Mobility at VF Corporation, an American global apparel and footwear company founded in 1899 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado. The company's 12 brands are organized into three categories, Outdoor, Active and Work, and include names such as The North Face, Timberland, Dickies, Jansport and others. Here are some highlights from the call:

• VF's guiding principles were followed as they considered how to approach hybrid and flexible work. These are:
  • Live with integrity. Be authentic and do the right thing, always.
  • Act courageously. Think and act boldly.
  • Be curious. Explore the world. Learn and evolve.
  • Act with empathy. Seek to understand and respect others.
  • Persevere. Persist and work together as One VF.
• Live Limit Less is VF’s global associate benefits and well-being program. It is designed to give their associates the tools they need to take on challenges, embrace opportunities and be their very best. It has components focused on body, mind, financial, career, and social.
• One key aspect of overall well-being for associates at VF is flexibility, especially in the context of the workplace and the future of work. Their Workplace Next framework provides their vision in this area. Like many organizations, associates fit into one of three categories: office based, office flex (hybrid), and fully remote. Four key perspectives are:
  • The WORKPLACE can take many forms: greater flexibility is needed in both the where and the when of work.
  • The OFFICE remains important: purposeful VF physical spaces bring people together.
  • Associates CONNECT and COLLABORATE in both virtual and physical environments.
  • They are focused on OUTCOMES (what and how) and leverage the AGILITY and SPEED afforded by new ways of working.
• A participant on the call noted that time-based flexibility is also very helpful for people with neuro-diversity considerations.
• As part of Workplace Next, VF has provided a wide range of training and support resources, for both leaders and associates, on various aspects of flexible and hybrid work. These fall under three categories:
  • Personal, e.g., Personal Well-Being Tips; Tips to Motivate, Prioritize, and Delegate; and more.
  • Teams, e.g., Guide to Calendar Management; How to Leverage Technology; and more.
  • Meetings, e.g., Meeting Facilitation Guides; When to Cancel Meetings; and more.
• VF also created several personas to help managers understand the different types of workers they might have on their teams, e.g., Early Bird, Care Taker, Total Flexibility, etc.
• We asked a poll of call participants: "Which of the following aspects of holistic well-being do you anticipate your organization focusing on the most for the rest of 2022 and into 2023? (Select all that apply)"
  • 24% - Physical health
  • 74% - Mental/emotional health
  • 27% - Financial – managing personal finances, savings, mortgages, etc.
  • 28% - Community – connectedness to communities where people live/work, volunteer involvement, philanthropy, etc.
  • 57% - Career – happiness with job, advancement opportunities, development, etc.
  • 27% - Social/relational – connectedness to others at and apart from work: family, friends, colleagues, etc.

• Robin and iOffice were two tools shared on the call that organizations are using to manage hybrid work location dates, times, and locations, including office/cubical hoteling and assignments.