Tech Culture Club: Vaco’s Chief People Officer Tracey Power On Tough Talks

Tech Culture Club host and WorkDove CEO Melissa Phillippi welcomed Vaco’s Chief People Officer (and longtime friend) Tracey Power onto the show this week. Vaco is a global talent solutions and business consulting firm serving businesses and job seekers across multiple industries. (Vaco is also the sponsor for Tech Culture Club.)

During Phillippi and Power’s action-packed chat, they discussed bolstering recruitment and retention throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Vaco’s unique programs that serve employees’ needs, and much more. Here are some highlights:

  • As Power says, Covid-19 was the ultimate laboratory for learning about human behavior. Vaco was not immune to the chaotic highs and lows that befell company HR departments across industries, from small to large businesses. But being able to track goals is key. This is why Power recommends not waiting until you have an HR person to have these conversations. A simple lesson we keep being reminded of: start now, and don’t wait until it’s too late. (2:30)
  • Vaco has distinguished itself as a leader in HR with programs like Vaco Cares, which gifts money to employees who apply and are in dire need. In the four years it’s been around, Vaco Cares has helped over 95 employees and customers. Listen to what else Vaco has in the pipeline to boost diversity, equity and inclusion at the company. (5:52)
  • Power and Phillippi discuss a common issue at companies: leaders love to praise but they shy away from having tough conversations surrounding accountability. But if you can’t have these conversations in a productive way, then your talent is going to disappear. There is plenty of risk you can mitigate by making sure you’re consistently checking in with your employees and making sure they’re reaching their goals. (20:25)

Listen to the full episode below, and don’t forget to subscribe! And as always, thanks to our sponsor, Vaco.

About Suzanne Blake 362 Articles
Suzanne profiles startups and innovation for GrepBeat. Before working at GrepBeat, Suzanne attended UNC Chapel Hill, obtaining a degree in journalism and political science. Previously, she wrote for CNBC, QSR Magazine, FSR Magazine and The Daily Tar Heel.