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Brittany Barhite has a big job at Firstup, an employee experience and communication platform that delivers personalized communication to employees the way they prefer to consume it. An experienced HR, communications, and experience leader, Barhite was recently tapped by the company to oversee all comms and brand experience, both internal and external.
For Firstup’s 340 employees, Barhite oversees their internal comms, onboarding, DE&I work, and recognition. It’s a big undertaking, but it’s one that Barhite is passionate about, because to her, good communication is at the heart of good people practices.
“We don’t always treat employees like you would [an] external consumer, we send one mass email, it’s done,” Barhite said. “In my research and in my experience...at every touchpoint along the journey—whether it’s the onboarding journey, a promotion, performance management—at the heart of that is good communications, because you could build the best training module or you could build the best recognition program, or have great goals, but if you don’t communicate those and align your organization, then [employees] don’t know about that.”
At Firstup, she gets to lean into her expertise and help the platform practice what it preaches.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What’s the best change you’ve made at work?
I was a communications leader for a Fortune 500 company, Owens Corning. During that time, I first encountered Firstup, as we were seeking a solution to connect our large deskless manufacturing population spanning 33 countries. Implementing Firstup at the manufacturing company yielded significant increases in communication engagement, solidifying my belief in the power of personalized communication and utilizing multi-channels to better reach the deskless population.
What’s the biggest misconception people might have about your job?
Many don’t understand that there are essential skills needed in order to work in employee experience (EX). A career in EX involves creating and fostering a positive work environment to enhance employee satisfaction, engagement, and overall well-being. This often includes overseeing employee communications, change management initiatives, and HR OD programs. This requires strong communication skills, empathy, problem-solving ability, good listening, change management skills, data analysis, collaboration, tech savvy, cultural competence, and training and development skills.
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What’s the most fulfilling aspect of your job?
I’m proud of our best-in-class onboarding program. It is a shining example of our commitment to an exceptional employee experience and consistently receives satisfaction rates of 95% and above. This comprehensive program employs cross-channel communication and innovative initiatives, including a preboarding communication journey upon signing your contract: an onboarding journey that triggers once the employee joins the company and includes a wealth of resources such as training materials, company history, and resources. Our onboarding experience extends beyond the basics, featuring training classes, intimate chats with co-founders, IT overviews, benefits discussions, Color Code personality assessment classes, coffee chats, and a host of other engaging components—all centered around the core principle of hyper-personalized communications.
What trend in HR are you most optimistic about? Why?
The move toward creating a consumer-like employee experience. The modern employee wants a modern, personalized employee experience. Traditional HR communications—sending emails, posting an update on a stagnant intranet page, or assigning a long eLearning with email reminders—is out of touch and ineffective. Employees want the same amazing experience they get when ordering from Amazon and other companies: a personalized, omni-channel campaign designed to reach them on their preferred channel with the information they need right at that moment.
What trend in HR are you least optimistic about? Why?
The conversation about remote and hybrid work policies will remain a focal point for HR professionals in 2024 and beyond. Research shows a growing desire among employees for increased flexibility, either via a hybrid work arrangement or full-time remote work. And yet, research also shows that employees are lonelier than ever.
While the solution may appear straightforward—return everyone to the physical office—the reality is more complex. Employees are demonstrating a strong preference for remote work…So, what steps can HR take to address this remote hybrid dilemma? Given the unique dynamics of each organizational culture and business objectives and the specific needs of employees, HR’s role lies in conducting surveys to glean insights and listen to the voices of the workforce before making any definitive decisions, while also balancing that with the demands of the business.