IMPACT REPORT

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In the looming shadow of a massive labor reshuffle, employers are being
careful about explicit demands, opting instead to develop incentives that
will motivate employees to return to the office of their own volition. This
is strategically necessary in a market that continues to be characterized
by talent scarcity, an existential risk that threatens to curb innovation and
growth. To circumvent these observed risks, companies have allocated funds
to their Chief Human Resources Officers so they can oversee the digitization
of their departments, the reconfiguration of their value propositions and
the development of retention and recruitment initiatives.

At the center of these parallel objectives are employees, who will dictate
the values that should ideally be reflected in the company’s culture and
objectives. Leadership roles within the organization will play a pivotal role
in identifying core values and transmitting them within the disaggregated
work model that is hybrid work. Downstream priorities for companies
include the reconfiguration of physical workspaces that have yet to adapt
to transmit and accommodate the needs of a flexible, hybrid work model.

At Mexico Talent Forum 2022, industry leaders highlighted the development

of human-driven business models by aligning the company’s value
proposition with its market objectives. This move marks a definitive
shift away from performance-driven company cultures and towards the
development of healthy, purpose-driven and inclusive work propositions. As
the premier event in the human resources and talent sector, Mexico Talent
Forum 2022 provided an ideal space for key decision-makers to share their
perspective and build a discussion around the latest trends affecting all
industries and sectors of the Mexican economy.
4
C onf e r e nc e I mpact

134 Breakdown by job title

companies

377 34% HR Director/ VP

conference 19% CEO/Founder
participants 18% Director
15% Manager
8% Partner/President
6% Consultant

59
speakers

Conference social Pre-conference social

3 media impact media impact

sponsors
12,440 direct impressions 5,482 direct pre-conference
during MTF LinkedIn impressions

1,305 2.70% click through

rate during MTF
3.06% pre-conference
click through rate
visitors to
the conference 8.31% conference 7.93% pre-conference
website engagement rate engagement rate

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organizer introduces the world’s
leading event networking platform.

Delivering intent-based matchmaking powered by

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Network, no matter where you are.

177
participants
Matchmaking intentions

833 812 Trading

matchmaking 136 Networking

communications
Total

1,355
194 Investment

38 150 Recruitment

1:1 meetings 63 Mentoring

conducted
5
C ompan y Att e ndanc e

• 7-eleven • Genommalab • Nexteer

• Accenture • Gentherm • NIC México
• Acclaim Energy • GLOBAL EDTECH • Norman Krieger Inc.
• ACH Foods Mexico IMPACT ALLIANCE • OCCMundial
• ADN Well-being • Globant • ONLINE CAREER CENTER
• Advisory Network • GPTW MEXICO SAPI DE CV
for Wellbeing • Graviti • PAGECOM
• Alabooool • Great Place to Work • Photon infotech
• Alphacredit • Grupo MC • Poliglota
• AMBE Engineering LCC • grupo ruba • Prestone
• AMECH • Grupo Salinas • Quadrant Comunicación RRPP
• Assurant • H. ROSEN DE MEXICO, • RM Pharma Specialists
• Axity S. DE R.L. DE C.V • Samsung
• BASF • Hasbro de México • Sanofi
• BAYER • HENRY • Scania
• Ben and Frank • HERMAN MILLER • Schenker International,
• Bosch • HOLLAND & KNIGHT LLP S.A. de C.V.

• Brella Ltd • Honeywell Mexico • Schlumberger

• Cafemor • Humand • Schneider Electric
• Casai • Humanologo Consulting • Scotiabank
• Castor App • Hunters Of Talent • Secretaría del Trabajo y
• Center for Emerging • iMile Delivery Services Previsión Social, STPS
Leadership • INDRA - MINSAIT • Shell
• Citi • Inventa Financial • Silabuz
• Clip • ioio • Slang
• Cognizant • IOS OFFICES • Someone Somewhere
• Collective Academy • ivoy • Starkey
• Conekta • JCP Consulting • Talentu
• Coppel SA de CV • JOKR • Tallentup
• Cox Energy • Kavak • Tec de Monterrey
• Danone • Kimberly Clark de Mexico • Technip Energies
• Dell Technologies • Klinc • Telmex
• Deloitte • KPMG • Thincrs
• Dimex Capital Sofom • Krino • TMF Group
• dmX • LABORATORIOS SILANES • Tribal Credit
• DocuSign • LafargeHolcim • TROX MEXICO
• Draeger • LaPieza.io • Tul
• Endeavor • LinkedIn Talent Solutions • Tupperware
• Enel • MAS • Ualá
• EPIC QUEEN • Mentorship-PDA • Vera & Asociados
• EVEREST • Mercado Libre • Vinco
• Evolutive Agency • Mercer • Volkswagen de México
• F5 • METAPHORCE BY FORTE • Walmart
• Femsa • Mexico Business • Wartsila
• FORTE INNOVATION • MexicoView • WillScot
CONSULTING/ METAPHORCE • Millerknoll • Workday
• Fundación México-Estados • Modatelas • Zenda.la
Unidos para la Ciencia • Momlancers
6
P rogram D ay 1

09:00 LEADERSHIP IN A CHANGING WORLD

Speaker:
Felipe Sánchez, Assurant Mexico

09:30 LEADERSHIP IN THE NEW WORLD OF WORK

Moderator:
Nicolas Benenzon, Humand.co
Panelists:
Alma Puig, Great Place to Work

José Antonio Alonso, DIMEX Capital

Eduardo Medeiros, Welbe Care

10:15 THE RISE OF THE CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER

Moderator:
Yamile Nacif, Accenture
Panelists:
Nora Villafuerte, Nestlé

Hernan Valcarce, Danone

Juan Domínguez, Clara

Diva Carrillo, Honeywell

11:00 NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY - AI-POWERED 1:1 MEETINGS

12:30 THRIVING COMPANY CULTURE, VALUES AND PURPOSE

AS CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS

Moderator:
Paulina López, Dell Technologies
Panelists:
Ricardo Combariza, Covalto

Carlos Andrés De Silva, DHL Express Mexico

Miguel Castuera, Conekta

Daniel Parra, Laboratorios Silanes

13:15 THE REPOSITIONING OF EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING

Moderator:
Olivia Segura Ortiz, KPMG
Panelists:
Victor Velázquez, Clip

Martha Barroso, ManpowerGroup

Hugo Salcedo Mejía, Unilever

14:00 NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY - AI-POWERED 1:1 MEETINGS

15:00 IMPACT OF MEXICO’S OUTSOURCING AND SUBCONTRACTING REFORM

Moderator:
Regina Cabal, Momlancers
Panelists:
Francisco Martínez Domene, The Adecco Group Mexico

Leonardo Lara, Mercer

Maya Dadoo, Worky

15:45 NOM-35 AND MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE

Moderator:
Diego Muradás, Zenda.la
Panelists:
Edgar Rosas, Centro de Liderazgo Emergente & APRHIFAC

Nidia Garza, OneAmerica

Jorge Mérida, ADN Wellbeing

Joaquín Apolonio Ávila, Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare

16:30 LABOR MARKET TRENDS THAT WILL SHAPE MEXICO’S ECONOMY

Speaker:
Héctor Márquez Pitol, Coparmex and AMECH
7
P R O G R A M D AY 2

09:00 THE FUTURE OF RECRUITMENT

Moderator:
Pato Bichara, Collective Academy
Panelists:
Sergio Porragas, OCC Mundial

Hernán García, Tec de Monterrey

Justyna Kroplewska, Citi

09:45 HR TRENDS: HOW MANUAL PROCESSES LIMIT PRODUCTIVITY

Speaker:
Jorge Valencia, DocuSign

10:15 THE RISE OF SKILLS-BASED RECRUITMENT

Moderator:
Alejandro Ureña, Evolutive Agency
Panelists:
Ricardo Rodríguez, Scania

Vanessa Escudero, Palacio de Hierro

Alejandro Hernández, The Kraft Heinz Company

Fabiola Quiroz, BOSCH

11:00 NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY - AI-POWERED 1:1 MEETINGS

12:00 THE HYBRID WORKPLACE/ DESIGNING A WIN-WIN FOR PEOPLE AND EMPLOYERS
Moderator:
Carolina González, EY Mexico
Panelists:
Mario Espinosa, Herman Miller

Marcela Domenzain, BASF

Ena Torres, Mercado Libre

13:00 UP-SKILLING, CONTINUOUS LEARNING AND THE WORKFORCE TRANSFORMATION

Moderator:
Jorge Ponga, Deloitte Consulting
Panelists:
Gabriela Villavicencio, Hyundai

Fernando Valenzuela, Global Impact EdTech Alliance

Mireya Rangel, Indra

Karlo Mondragón, Grupo Salinas

14:00 NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY - AI-POWERED 1:1 MEETINGS

15:00 THE ACCELERATED DIGITALIZATION OF THE HR FUNCTION

Moderator:
Carla Soto, Casai
Panelists:
José Ramón Fernández, Coppel

Ana Isabel Orihuela, Digital@FEMSA

Manuela Vélez, Tul

José Carlos Aguilar, Palenca

15:45 SALARY ON DEMAND: END OF THE PAYDAY CONCEPT?

Moderator:
Belén Meza, iVoy
Panelists:
Diego Villarreal, Castor

Nima Pourshasb, Minu

Courtney McColgan, Runa

David Roa, Klinc

16:30 CAPACITIPS. HOW TO BUILD CAPACITY IN 2022?

Speaker:
Santiago San Martín, Globant
8
C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
READJUSTMENTS EXPECTED FOR HYBRID WORK MODELS
A c t i v e l i s t e n i n g e ff o r t s o f C - s u i t e
executives and leadership was central to
the continued functionality of business
operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
T h i s c yc l i c a l p r a c ti ce h a s b e co m e a
standard that will influence the further
development of work modalities , and
ultimately improve companies’ ability
to pivot as needed for when the next
disruption arises.
“The COVID-19 pandemic remined us that
the future is always uncertain,” said Felipe
Sanchez, President and CEO, Assurant.
The social and organizational challenges
encountered over the past two years were
the ultimate resiliency test to Assurant’s
human resources initiatives and the strength
of its company culture. While the company
would go on to be awarded as a Great Place
to Work for the tenth consecutive year, this
did not materialize without significant effort
from both its leadership and contributors.
All the added initiatives and support that
contributors received were rooted in
constant communication such as weekly
townhalls and one-on-one coffee breaks
with Assurant’s CEO.
“These open lines of communication were
central to providing clarity and maintaining
company structure while safeguarding
the emotional and mental wellbeing of
our contributors ,” said S anchez. This
allowed Assurant to foster its company
culture even when confronted with the
i n h e r e n t c h a l l e n g e s e n g e n d e r e d by
remote work, which is known to undermine
social cohesion and trigger isolation .
The approach also helped the company
p i n p o i n t h e a l t h r i s k s a n d b u i l d f re e
preventative programs around physical
and mental wellness to circumvent issues
such as burnouts.
These efforts helped Assurant secure first
place as a Great Place to Work in Mexico’s
financial sector and close the first year of
the global pandemic with a trust index rate
of 94, the highest in its company history.
Furthermore, it was recognized as one
of the best companies to work for by
the women the company employed. This
was an important fist-time recognition in
Mexico, where women have traditionally
been disproportionally pushed out of the
labor market. These initiatives allowed
the company to grow steadily even as
the global economy suffered numerous
setbacks.
Since opening its offices earlier this year, the
company adopted a flexible hybrid model
regarding office attendance. Assurant will
continue to refine the model based on the
needs of its contributors, said Sanchez.
Although presential work is only required
t wi ce a we e k fo l l owi n g th e m o d e l ’s
implementation three weeks ago, this has
already been met with some resistance,
which is a problem that other companies will
likely encounter as they call workers back to
the office. The conundrum for companies
will be to decide if this is something
that they are willing to compromise on.
Re g a rdless , fl exibilit y will re m ain a n
9
C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
overarching feature of future work models,
so long as contributors can demonstrate
equal or increased productivity compared
to office work.
COMMUNICATION KEY TO KEEP WORKPLACE
MOTIVATION, ENCOURAGEMENT
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about
many challenges , among them the
adaptation to remote work, which generated
a shift in labor trends. This new era of digital
work necessitates a change in the desired
characteristics and abilities of leaders
need to ensure an efficient workforce, as
well as to enable companies keeping their
employees motivated and engaged, agree
Human Resources experts.
“The pandemic’s main lesson was to
break away from the leadership
paradigms. This is how we changed
toward a focus on the person, with
empathy and flexibility. This must be
preserved”
Alma Puig
CEO | Great Place to Work
“Leaders must teach their collaborators
about the importance of planning their
objectives and generate an environment
of trust. This can help avoid burnouts and
health problems,” said Eduardo Medeiros,
CEO and Co-founder, WelbeCare. New
practices must focus on achieving faster and
more efficient processes. Such processes
eliminate tiresome practices that wear
out employees, which will boost their
productivity and wellbeing. Traditional
companies normally fill out the schedules
of employees with meetings just ensure
they are busy when they could be focused
on achieving their tasks instead, mentioned
Medeiros. However, modern-day technology
revolutionized the way meetings work and
enhanced business operations.
“There are two key factors that foster an
efficient and productive workforce. One
Throughout this process leadership will
once again be tasked with demonstrating
empathy and support as companies enter a
new readjustment period.
is working with clear objectives. A leader
must know precisely what he expects from
every job position. Generating trust in the
working environment is the second factor,”
Medeiros added. To motivate employees, the
company’s purpose and mission statement
should be clear. Furthermore, its bond of
trust must extend to the digital environment.
This confidence can be created through
different channels such as the Metaverse
or WhatsApp groups created to talk about
topics unrelated related to work, he added.
“Going to work” is one of the most common
human activities and has been so for
ages. This changed drastically during the
pandemic and altered routines severely. As a
result, problems such as burnouts and mental
health issues appeared more frequently. To
deal with these problems, leaders needed to
adapt. “The pandemic’s main lesson was to
break away from the leadership paradigms.
This is how we changed toward a focus on
the person, with empathy and flexibility.
This must be preserved,” said Alma Puig,
CEO, Great Place to Work, adding that this
understanding was especially important in
Mexico, where one out of four employees
experience mental health issues.
Strategies to improve mental wellbeing have
taken leaps forward thanks to the greater
focus on people that companies developed,
as they enhanced their communication
skills and ensured work hours remained
reasonable. “While we keep implementing
the changes that new generations and
global conditions demand, we can keep on
moving forward,” said Puig.
Many companies focus solely on their clients.
Nevertheless, to measure the real value of
a company, it is similarly crucial to measure
the experience of employees and adapt to
10
C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
their needs. “To improve the organizational
culture, everything that happens within the
company must be measured. What is not
measured cannot be improved,” said Nicolas
Benenzon, CEO and Co-founder, Humand.
P a r t o f t h i s c u l t u r e i s a n e ff e c t i v e
communication strategy. According to José
Antonio Alonso Mendivil, Vice President,
DIMEX Capital, the shif t to a new era
highlighted the importance of delegating
and communicating with absolute clarity.
Teamwork strategies like appointing an
existing employee to help new newcomers
to adapt and learn about the company
were key to keep productivity steady, as
HR EXECUTIVES MUST MAKE THE MOST OF SEAT AT THE BIG TABLE
Among the many changes to the workplace
environment that the pandemic generated,
the new role of Human Resources (HR)
stands out. HR executives may have been
occasionally taken for granted in the past,
but industry experts agree that with the
advent of the Chief Human Resources
Officer (CHRO), the department has taken
on a reinvigorated relevance. C H ROs
should capitalize on this development.
Yamile Nacif Rueda, Human Capital Leader,
Accenture, underscored how the global
pandemic has put HR workers under the
spotlight. “Each day during the pandemic,
our strategy was under scrutiny,” she said.
This greatly increased the importance
of the H R depar tment. What is more,
all evidence indicates that this elevated
position is here to stay, so HR officers
should utilize their sway to improve their
company’s culture.
“We work out what is best for the
business by finding out what is best for
people, because it is people who move
a business forward. That is how we
earn our place at the table”
Juan Domínguez
Chief People Officer | Clara
the approach generated clear benefits
for DIMEX. Technology should be used
to enhance communication and create
space for more humane business practices.
The challenge here is to create a hybrid
environment by encouraging flexibility while
ensuring people still feel trusted and remain
motivated.
N eve r th e l e s s , eve r y co m p a ny wo r k s
differently. “Therefore, every company
needs to find its own recipe for success
and apply it. A more generalized approach
could be one where the focus is on the
person, with the support of technology,”
concluded Alonso.
Nora Villafuerte Garza, Vice President of
Human Resources, Nestlé, said that this
change was already in the cards for some
time: “This may be the best time to be a
CHRO with all the changes happening
around us. However, the rise in importance
of the CHRO began at least 5 years ago. We
are living through complicated, changing
times. In this country, we have a series of
new laws. Twenty-five years ago, HR was
losing importance as trade unions were
pushed aside and labor relations were
undermined. But now, we are back at the
forefront of business operations.”
Villafuerte highlighted how digitalization
puts a lot of pressure on HR officers. It was up
to them to supervise the implementation of
new platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft
Teams and to ensure that employees were
adapting well and not losing engagement.
With such a crucial role, Villafuerte noted
that HR officers are valued more than ever
and no longer need to fight for a place at the
top table. Due to a dearth of candidates with
the required experience and qualifications,
HR positions are among the most-sought
and competitive jobs on the current market.
Hernán Valrcarce, Vice President H R ,
Danone, concurred. The importance paid to
employees’ physical and mental health has
been on the rise for years, while remote work
11
C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
and flexible schedules were also already
considered. Nevertheless, the pandemic
underscored their importance further.
Referencing inflation, Valcarce noted how
HR is transforming how businesses approach
the managing of finances to reduce costs
and jump-start profits, too.
“For this reason, increased HR specialization
is of immense value, said Juan Domínguez,
Chief People Officer, Clara, particularly
because the pandemic has created many
new problems to solve. Diva C arrillo
Ortega, Senior HR Director, Honeywell
Mexico, noted that the brunt of these
challenges fall on the HR department.
Since it provides the communication links
to exchange perspectives across all layers
of the company, it was up the HR officers
to ensure remote work went smoothly and
that communication networks were kept
alive outside of the office.
“Employees who enjoy a positive work
experience and feel more motivated to
work toward their goals are more
valuable to any business”
Diva Carrillo
Senior HR Director | Honeywell Mexico
To this end, technology was essential. “In
HR, we have to be agile in how we adapt
and respond to changes,” noted Carillo,
adding that HR needed to supervise how
the digital transformation affects the
experience of employees. She argued that,
going forward, people must lead the digital
transformation. Businesses must embrace
the flexibility offered by technology and
implement new digital processes to improve
working processes. Carillo added that a
main responsibility of a CHRO is creating a
collaborative workflow, as well as to allow
employees to connect their experiences
with management. “Employees who enjoy
a positive work experience and feel more
motivated to work toward their goals are more
valuable to any business,” she concluded.
Domínguez emphasized that the increased
digitization of business processes should
not be synonymous with depersonalizing
the workplace. Instead, it should be a boon
to mental and emotional health, enabling
personal growth and development and
considering the diversity of the employees
involved. He also emphasized the need
to personalize the digital experience,
since “employe es ne ed to se e the
benefits themselves.” This transformation
must be accessible and enjoyable to all
generations, however.
Villafuerte similarly posited that HR must
treat technology as part of a company’s
new value proposition. Businesses that fail
to do this will be left behind. Nevertheless,
company culture must not be neglected. To
be effective, CHROs must make use of their
deep knowledge of people and relations
to define and establish this culture, said
Villafuerte, particularly for companies that
are just getting started or seeking to grow
rapidly. “Businesses do not create value,
people do,” she said, adding that “How we
treat people is what separates us from other
businesses. Products can be copied, often
more quickly than we would like. But the
most difficult thing to copy is the human
factor.” Villafuerte added that in the C-suite
of a modern business, a new triumvirate can
be observed with the CFO and CHRO on
either side of the CEO.
“We must link the goal of the company with
the capabilities and interests of its workers.
A business is only as good as its leadership.
It is up to HR to work on human relationships
and ensure teams have the leadership they
need,” Valcarce subscribed.
Domínguez joked that in popular culture, HR
officers were seen as the ones who disciplined
employees when they did something wrong.
However, this responsibility has been passed
on to management. With the increased
orientation towards digitization, HR remains
focused on human capital. However, the
second technical revolution must serve
people and not replace them. “Digitalization
is not done for HR but for people. This is
12
C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
not about substituting one for the other or
replacing the responsibility for managing
human capital and talent. It allows us to
focus our attention on employee wellbeing
and the health of the company,” he said.
To foster this wellbeing, companies adopt
different approaches. Villafuerte responded
t h a t N e s tl é u s e s s o f t wa r e a i m e d a t
improving the mental and physical health of
employees. This initiative was made possible
by the startup Cuéntame, which provides
psychological and nutritional advice that
extends to employees’ families to improve
their home life too. “Businesses have been
lagging somewhat in how they implement
data and analytics to boost employee
wellbeing,” she said. With Cuéntame,
h oweve r, N e s t l é m e a s u r e e m p l oye e
happiness with up-to-date questionnaires
with an added comparative element. “The
key to monitoring employee wellbeing
STRONG COMPANY CULTURE IMPERATIVE
TO INCREASE PROFITABILITY
A s global circumstances change and
technology advances, companies face
different challenges. Company culture as
part of the value proposal is imperative to
overcome these hurdles. Good culture can
shepherd a business toward a competitive
business model. Both company leaders and
employees play a key role in building this
environment, say Human Resources (HR)
specialists.
“Because of the conditions created by the
pandemic, new dynamics were generated,
which has driven companies toward an
is to keep asking questions and listen,”
agreed Valcarce.
For a CHRO to be successful, they must
be upfront and direct with leadership and
not be timid lacqueys, agreed Villafuerte
and Valcarce. It is up to the CHRO to tell
leadership what works and what does not.
To earn respect, a CHRO must show that
they have no ulterior agenda and tackle the
difficult questions head-on. Nevertheless,
the power of actively empathic leaders who
approach people to understand needs cannot
be understated. Now that HR has a seat at
the top table, it must make the most of it. The
model of the HR officer who simply manages
wage slips and decides who deserves a bonus
or a paycut is long gone. “We work out what
is best for the business by finding out what
is best for people, because it is people who
move a business forward. That is how we earn
our place at the table,” decided Domínguez.
environment hectic competitiveness,” said
Daniel Parra, HR Director, Silanes. Now, the
challenge for companies is to figure out how
can help to observe detrimental behaviors
and break paradigms. Companies must
generate culture shifts to assure better
results and a good value proposal for the
client, Parra added.
“A beneficial culture increases productivity
and improves commercial performance,”
said Paulina López, CD&I Leader Latin
America, Dell Technologies. Furthermore,
a growing amount of investors is starting to
13
C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
look toward companies where the culture
is robust, which has increased the pressure
for companies to build such an environment.
“Today’s working culture has to do with the
everyday conducts and habits of the people
in the organization,” said Ricardo Combariza,
Chief People Officer, Covalto. Culture and
strategy are the same and therefore cannot
be separated. “To operate profitably, you
need to keep the people working toward key
objectives, as well as motivated and happy,”
he continued, adding that “If your value
proposal is centered around the business
culture’s success, companies are will have
highly engaged employees that give their
best. There is where innovation thrives and
companies can attract the best talent of
the market,” said Carlos Andrés De Silva
De Silva, HR Vice President, DHL Express
Mexico. Conversely, displeased workers
rarely achieve their objectives.
“If a company focuses on improving its
culture, it can have more engagement, less
rotation and better results,” concurred De
Silva. Moreover, if staff feels motivated, it
will deliver a better performance and offer a
great service, which will then lead to happy
clients and enhance profitability.
“The goal is to hear the conversation inside
the company and turn this knowledge into
an internal superpower, which helps to
accomplish targets and enables what the
company wants to be in the future,” noted
Miguel Castuera, VP of People, Conekta,
“If company leaders do not have the capacity to
deeply understand what is happening internally,
this is a consequence of their behavior. It
will hinder their ability to change and
develop culture they want to build. Only
when you listen to the voice of
employees, you can make a real change”
Miguel Castuera
VP of People | Conekta
adding that collaboration is key and that
company culture needs to be adaptable
above all. “Companies should link their
culture and identity to what the market is
demanding, but this should also make a
company more flexible,” agreed Combariza.
However, these efforts are about more than
good marketing and PR. The goal is not
just to appear to be a company with strong
culture, it is about creating a connection
what the company looks like and the
company it actually is. This is a challenge
many have been afraid to tackle, agree
the experts.
“Listen to the voice of your culture if you
really want to transform your company,”
said Castuera. After all, the true culture
of an organization strongly influences
its behavior that ultimately determines
the public perception of the company.
Therefore, it is key to understand how this
culture generates value and adapt business
processes accordingly.
If company culture is to be strong and
enduring, leaders must lead and direct it.
“They have to be able to see what others
do not see, say what others do not say and
do what they have to do. More importantly,
leaders must stimulate everyone else to see,
say and do, too” said Combariza, adding
that “enterprises have to connect their
purpose with the purpose of each person
working there.”
“ If company leaders do not have the
capacity to deeply understand what is
happening internally, this is a consequence
of their behavior. It will hinder their ability
to change and develop culture they want
to build . Only when you listen to the
voice of employees, you can make a real
change,” concluded Castuera. Business
culture is a n a d de d b ut f un da m e ntal
va l u e fo r co m p a n i e s . St a ff n e e d s to
collaborate successfully and have a shared
sense of purpose if the enterprise is to
truly succeed.
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C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
CENTERING THE EMPLOYEE IN THE MODERN BUSINESS MODEL
B efo re , b u si n e s s e s we re fo cu s e d o n
generating performance-driven cultures,
but this outdated approach is slowly
disappearing and replaced with an
environment that centers the mental and
physical health of employees coming
from diverse backgrounds. Employment
is no longer just a question of value and
compensation but one of providing spaces
for employees to be healthy, happy and
grow professionally, agree Mexico’s Human
Resources (HR) leaders.
“We do want employees to feel like they must
work a 9 to 5 in person because they feel
forced to or because it looks better. Studies
show that at least half the population feel
they work better from home now, so we
want to keep this flexibility”
Martha Barroso
People and Culture LATAM
Director | ManpowerGroup
I n d e e d , e m p l oye e m e nt a l h e a lth h a s
i n fl u e n c e d t h e r e c o n c e p t u a l i z a t i o n
of business models . Víctor Velázquez
Patrón, VP of People and Organization
Development, Clip, underscored his pride
that his company has always been centered
around people, which he identified to be a
rarity in Fintech. Velázquez also remarked
that this new emphasis has played in Clip’s
favor. ompanies must no longer work
solely toward economic goals but rather
set targets that result in happy clients and
employees as well,” he said.
M a r th a B a r ro s o , P e o p l e a n d C u l t u re
LATAM Director, ManpowerGroup, noted
that while people focus on the pandemic’s
negatives, they must also acknowledge
some of the benefits that emerged for
e m p l oye e s . Fo r exa m p l e , b u si n e s s e s
are no longer zeroed in on product and
profit margins , but now favor a more
comprehensive approach that put s
employees front and center. “We listen
to and understand our employees, to see
how they feel on the outside and inside.
This approach ensures we are all on the
same page. Before, we thanked employees
for their product but did not consider the
efforts before and after,” said Barroso.
S h e a l s o n ote d th e i m p o r t a n ce of a
b u s i n e s s a n d i t s e m p l oye e s s h a r i n g
common goals as a factor that allows
them to connect closer. “Fifty percent
of co l l a b o r ato r s l e ave o rg a n iz ati o n s
w h e n t h e y fi n d b e t t e r b e n e fi t s a n d
connect more with another purpose,”
said Barroso. There is no one-size-fits-all
method; employers must instead listen
attentively to the needs of each of their
employe es . A s such , employers must
understand the preferences of all the
diverse demographics within their staff.
Hugo Salcedo Mejía, Human Resources
Vice President for North LATAM, Unilever,
remarked that employers must approach
wellbeing from the perspective of what
helps people work better. He highlighted
the impor tance of programs focuse d
on generating better work models with
leadership strategies that put people first.
A more personal approach is needed to
manage relationships, and a good leader
must always have an eye on the wellbeing
of employees. While there is still a way to
go, Salcedo was proud of the progress
Unilever has made in promoting these
work models. “Our slogan is work better,
not longer,” said Salcedo.
“The notion that any idea of a standard
solution to the issue of employee wellbeing
is illusory, Companies must therefore be
attentive to individual needs, considering
generational differences,” emphasized
Olivia Segura Or tiz, Par tner People &
Change and HR & Talent Management
Consulting, KPMG.
Velázquez agreed, noting that Clip has
designed a framework that considers these
different preferences. For example, Gen
X might be motivated by spending more
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C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
time at home while older generations, or
those who live alone, may prefer the social
aspect of an office. Clip has therefore put
in place initiatives like bringing pets to
work for one day. Velázquez underscored
that companies must embrace flexibility
and hybrid systems to provide employees
with a better work-life balance.
Salcedo emphasized that a companies’
reputation for employee wellbeing is of
prime importance in attracting talent.
For this reason, Unilever has a framework
focused on the company’s four pillars of
wellbeing: physical, professional, mental
and emotional wellbeing . This model
nsures employees are equipped with the
tools and support they need to overcome
the challenges life throws at them. Unilever
also offers more specific help to address
i n d ivi d u a l n e e d s , su c h a s n utritio n a l
advice for dieting and advice to maintain a
healthy sleep schedule. Salcedo noted that
employees must possess the confidence
and self-esteem to confront challenges,
but that the company must play a role in
unlocking drive and motivation that allows
them to be more productive at work and
manage pressure.
Velázquez said that Clip has put a similar
framework in place. The company’s point
of emphasis is communication, ensuring
there are always channels for dialogue
o p e n w h e r e e m p l oye e s c a n ex p r e s s
ideas and opinions. “ We might have a
forum for those who like to speak openly.
We have another option for those who
prefer to express themselves through
writing or anonymously through surveys,”
adding that “It is important to listen to
collaborators, but it is more important
to g e n e rate d i ff e re nt co nve r s ati o n a l
spaces,” a point that the other experts
emphasized, too.
S alce do se es U nileve r as pion e e rs in
fl exi b i l it y, h av i n g i m p l e m e n te d s u c h
policies as early as 2009. “This is now
common practice, but we bet on its success
before while other companies were obliged
to do it during the pandemic,” he said.
“After the pandemic, work became part
of people’s private lives. Now, we must
give our collaborators the tools to balance
work with their own lives,” he added.
Velázquez distinguished that Clip does
not use the term work-life balance, since
such a binary implies one must oppose
the other, “ We do not want people to
associate one with happiness and the
other with drudgery. We want work and
life to complement each other rather than
compete.” Clip has kept the option of
going to the office open for employees to
decide what works best. “Our employees
are adults and we must treat them as such.
We therefore trust in our employees to
make the decision. If an employee requires
paternity leave, or is seeking to balance
office work with childcare, we support
them,” he continued.
The experts also agreed on the necessity
of fostering a culture of greater employee
autonomy and self-management. “We do
want employees to feel like they must work
a 9 to 5 in person because they feel forced
to or because it looks better. Studies show
that at least half the population feel they
work better from home now, so we want
to keep this flexibility,” said Barroso. She
welcomed the fact that mental health is
no longer such a taboo, but noted that
companies must support networks to help
employees with burnout. For example,
having leisure spaces at work represents
little extra cost for the employer, but
allows employees to break up the day
and escape routines that promote long
working days . Segura referenced the
Organization for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OCDE) classification
of Mexico as the country with the worst
work-life balance, highlighting the work
that remains to be done in the country.
Re ga rding th e q uestion of rete ntion ,
Barroso argued that salaries should not
be a trigger for one’s mental wellbeing,
whether positive or negative. Instead, a
bigger emphasis should be put on laying
out clearly how employees can progress
in their career path.
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C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
MEXICO’S OUTSOURCING LAW: INCOMPLETE, BUT OPPORTUNE
M exico’s out sourcing law has met it s
p r i m e o b j e c t i ve : to i n c r e a s e f o r m a l
employment. But its rigid language has left
out new modalities of work that became
c o m m o n p l a c e i n t h e p o s t- p a n d e m i c
realit y. A s such , th e out sourcing law
should be expanded to include temporary
staffing opportunities to reflect this new
reality. It should provide the flexibility
that companies need, creating a timely
opportunity that could help speed up the
country’s economic reality, according to
industry experts.
“ O v e r 8 5 p e r c e n t o f t h e fi r m s t h a t
i n a d e q u a t e l y o ff e r e d o u t s o u r c i n g
disappeared and 3 million people have
s h i f t e d f r o m o u t s o u r c i n g to f o r m a l
employment,” said Leonardo Lara, Wealth
Leader, Mercer Mexico.
Mexico’s outsourcing law was draf ted
to c i r c u mve n t t h e a u d a c i o u s a b u s e
of subcontracting that lef t millions of
workers financially vulnerable and without
legal recourse to confront their employers.
Its announcement and subsequent
implementation were met with initial panic
and a race to comply and avoid fines. For
many, this transformative process involved
the reinvention or reconfiguration of entire
h u m a n re so u rce d e p a r tm e nt s , wh ic h
of ten expressed the need for internal
support. On the other hand, employment
agencies saw themselves obligated to
transform their entire business models to
accommodate the needs that arose from
this shift.
This inadvertently triggered a temporary
hiring freeze that ultimately hindered
the generation of formal employment as
intended. However, quantifying the exact
impact is hard to discern completely as
its enforcement came about during the
pandemic, said Maya Dadoo, Co-Founder
and CEO, Worky. Prior to this regulatory
change, it is estimated that more than 5.2
million people worked under the name
of an outsourcing company, of which 4.3
million were rehired by the client company,
according to data from ManpowerGroup
Mexico. This left a discrepancy of 900,000
people that were not registered with the
Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS),
indicating that they either lost their job or
were pushed into the informal labor market.
Altogether, this led to the demise of Mexico’s
once reigning subcontracting industry,
shrinking by an estimated 80 percent, said
Francisco Martínez, CEO, Adecco Group.
Companies coped by internalizing many
of the positions that should theoretically
continue to be outsourced to a third party.
“This is the first indication that the reform is
based on an incomplete law,” said Martinez.
One such task concerns payroll processing,
which in many cases is being handed off to
directors of human resource departments
that have never had to curate one, but if
done incorrectly could bring about hefty
legal consequences coming from IMSS.
“This has generated an overnight demand
for talent that does not yet exist, which
needs to be developed and nurtured with
urgency,” said Dadoo.
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C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
While this is only one aspect of the ongoing
confusion regarding the outsourcing law, it
highlights the desperation of companies and
the need for consulting on this unfolding
process. Demand for consultancy services
is likely to increase further in the following
months now that the Ministry of Labor
and Social Securit y (STPS) and IMSS
have proven to be willing to come after
companies that do not comply. “Their
recommendation is follow the law and
use the regulation to innovate internal
processes,” added Martinez.
C o ll e c tive ly, th is tra n s fo r m ati o n h a s
incurred significant costs for companies.
Even though these players they may be
inclined to reduce costs , they should
NOM-35: A LEGAL FRAMEWORK TOWARD EMPLOYEE WELLBEING
The conversation about mental health
problems, including the implementation of
a regulating framework for businesses to
tackle the issue, has become increasingly
im p o r ta nt . Th e refo re , th e discussio n
h a s fo u n d it s way to th e l e g i s l ative
debates of many countries like Mexico,
where NOM-35 has reached its sluggish
implementation stage. Still, its creation is a
win for both employees and employers, say
industry experts.
“Companies should consider the
management of psychosocial factors as
part of their business strategies. NOM-35
must become akin to a survival strategy
for businesses”
Jorge Mérida
Partner | ADN Wellbeing
NOM-35 is a legal framework aimed to
reduce psychosocial risks in the workplace
and to promote a positive organizational
environment. It is also a first in the country:
“Mexico is the last country in Latin America
to implement a norm like NOM-35,” said
Edgar Rosas, Human Resources Business
Partner, Centro de Liderazgo Emergente.
certainly not try to bypass compliance
standards, warned the experts. For now,
companies should focus on “meeting
compliance measures and seek professional
advice,” so that they are not found outside
of the law, agreed Regina Cabal Urquiza,
Co-founder, Momlancers. Nevertheless, it is
clear that Mexico’s outsourcing law needs
to be amended to include the function of
temporary staffing companies to provide
the flexibility that companies and some
working people need. For this, legislators
can look to similar outsourcing laws abroad
and retrofit them to accommodate the
sociopolitical reality of Mexico. This effort
will encourage the creation of more formal
employment, which will be the central
challenge of 2022.
Nevertheless, the norm’s implementation
has not yet materialized fully, even though
Mexico is one of the countries with highest
recorded stress rates. “Many organizations
have adopted the legislation out of fear for
fines and out of real faith in the regulation
to tackle the underlying problem,” noted
Rosas , adding that Mexico is lagging
compared to other countries when it comes
to mental health provisions. “We should
be asking if we have the adequate people
and auditors in place to evaluate these
psychosocial issues,” he said.
Adding to the problem is that 70 percent of
Mexican companies are Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs), which do not have the
resources to apply strong mental health
support frameworks. Therefore, collaboration
to support the efforts of these SMEs to reach
their social objectives is key, noted Rosas.
As a new regulatory framework, NOM-35’s
real importance is related to “the recognition,
validation and protection of mental health for
workers. It is a tool to use on the path toward
achieving a decent and dignified workplace,”
said Jorge Mérida, Partner, AND Wellbeing.
“ N O M -3 5 b e n e fi t s th e h e a l th of th e
collaborators. Consequently, employers
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C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
perceive higher productivity and achieve
success,” added Nidia Garza, Vice President
of Talent Management, OneAmerica. It
impacts a company’s bottom line for this
reason: when colleagues are happy, the
company benefits greatly, too.
“O rganizational and mental health is
imperative for a productive environment that
strengthens personal and organizational
values,” concurred Garza. “Companies
sh o ul d co n sid e r th e m a n a g e m e nt of
psychosocial fac tors as par t of their
business strategies. NOM-35 must become
akin to a survival strategy for businesses,”
agreed Mérida.
“NOM-35 is of social interest because it
benefits not only one’s coworkers, but also
their families and therefore wider society,”
said Joaquín Apolonio, Subdirector of
Safety and Health Special Projects at the
Workplace, Ministry of Labor and Social
Welfare. For this reason, the challenge is to
change the mindset of Mexican companies,
urging them to comply not only because
is law but also because it is the “right
thing to do.”
“Good leadership is essential if NOM-35 is
to be successful,” said Apolonio, adding
that leadership must be developed top-
down and be congruent in its approach.
INFORMAL ECONOMY REMAINS MEXICO’S
KEY LABOR PROBLEM TO SOLVE
Off the back of the Federal Labor Law (LFT)
reform, Mexico can forecast emerging trends
that will influence Mexico’s wider economy,
said Héctor Márquez Pitol, President,
Human Capital Commission of the Mexican
Employers’ Association (COPARMEX) as
well as President, the Mexican Association
of Human Capital Companies (AMECH). One
of the biggest issues to address, however,
re m a i n s M exi co ’s d i s p ro p o r ti o n ate ly
powerful informal economy.
Márquez offered an analysis on the progress
made since the LFT reform. “As we all know,
the reform had one main objective: to
A good leader should be an active listener
and convinced of the norm’s benefit,
because if leaders do not commit to NOM-
35 , it becomes arduous to encourage
everyone else. “Eliminating individualism
and boosting social support can become
a motivational driver for workers that
require help. This should be a key part of
the businesses strategy as well,” added
Apolonio.
Garza considers that understanding the
gap between what is being implemented
and what the law states is key to create
a plan that considers ever yone in the
organization, including those that have
differing perceptions regarding how to solve
the problem.
Recently, the Safe and Healthy Work
Environments (ELSSA) agency was created
with the goal to help companies implement
practices that support mental health and
general wellbeing. Companies that may
lack significant resources should seek out
ELSSA’s support, though companies ought
to also support each other by sharing best
practices, agreed the experts.
“Above all, the fact that we are discussing
mental health issues at important
p u b l i c f o r u m s i s a l re a d y a v i c to r y,”
concluded Mérida.
generate more decent and formal jobs,” he
said. With over two years now having passed
and despite the pandemic and the challenges
it posed to the labor market, enough data has
emerged to offer a fair assessment of where
the labor market is moving. “The reality is,
the reform has had positive results for some
but not for many others,” outlined Márquez.
Indeed, the data shows that 900,000 people
have lost job security in the past two years,
often in the form of reduced salaries and
shorter-term contracts. Meanwhile, 3.1 million
workers moved from one company that
provides personnel services to another for
an array of reasons.
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C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
The number of workers registered in the
Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS)
grew from 20,613,536 to 21,011,342 between
Feb. 2020 and April 2022, an increase of
around 400,000. However, this does not
account for the fact that Mexico’s labor force
grows yearly, with hundreds and thousands
of young people entering the workforce.
Furthermore, in the same period, the number
of people working in the informal economy
remained around 10 million more than those
in the formal economy, with figures rising
by around 240,000 in the same period. In
some states, especially the southeast, 80
percent of all workers continue to earn a
living in the informal economy. The National
O ccu p atio n a n d Em ploym e nt S u r vey
(ENOE) meanwhile indicates that the rate
of informal employment has increased 0.4
percent, from 55.4 percent in 1Q21 to the
current 55.8 percent.
Salary is a major indicator of job security,
and in the period between Feb. 2020 and
April 2022, the average monthly salary has
increased from MX$12,061 (US$605.37)
THE FUTURE OF RECRUITMENT HARMONIZES
TECH AND HUMAN TOUCH
Although the digitalization of human
resources (HR) processes is incredibly
efficient, it should not be considered a
replacement to a human touch , well-
rounded value propositions and continuous
l e a r n i n g . C o m p a n i e s s h o u l d a i m to
harmonize technological applications with
a human-driven recruitment approach in a
process that considers ethical guidelines,
diversity and inclusion to ensure they can
to MX$14,375 (US$721.51). However, as
Marquez highlighted, the main driving
factor pushing workers toward the informal
economy is that they can simply earn more
income than in formal work. Currently
21,011,342 workers are registered for Social
Security, but informal jobs continue to
outnumber formal ones. “Informality is a
cancer to Mexico,” bemoaned Márquez.
“As much as we discuss other valid issues
such as the duration of holiday leave, this
remains the main problem we have to
address.” Notably, the only industry to see
the number of registered workers decrease
post-pandemic is professional and technical
services, with 342,843 having lost job
security since Feb. 2020, representing a
drop of almost 15 percent. On a positive
note, the number of registered workers in
financial services increased 25 percent in
this same period, while the registration of
agricultural and construction workers is
showing signs of improvement this year.
Furthermore, the situation in northern states
has improved greatly, with informal work
falling to around 30 percent.
attract Mexico’s top talent, according to
industry experts.
“Technology automates different stages of
the selection process. However, the final
decision remains with recruitment managers.
Human intervention is still essential,” said
Justyna Kroplewska, Talent Acquisition
S e n i o r D i r e c to r, C i t i . N e ve r t h e l e s s ,
recruitment is a process defined by people
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C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
on both sides of the table. “The question is
also how to get your job applicants to say
yes to your proposal,” said Pato Bichara,
CEO and Founder, Collective Academy.
I n n ov a ti ve a p p l i c a ti o n s a l l owe d t h e
recruitment process to advance by leaps
and bounds, with room available to expand
toward other processes such as onboarding.
The latest transformation is defined by
using artificial intelligence (AI), which
takes over repetitive manual work such as
candidate screening, scheduling interviews
and knowledge direction. This is being
complemented with social media outreach,
data analysis and the strategic construction
of employer branding, although these tools
remain underdeveloped in the Mexican
context. Furthermore, human resources
experts still consider that there are crucial
gaps in the recruitment process that stand
to benefit from digitalization. This includes
candidate-facing technologies like progress
trackers, which could encourage applicants
that have entered the process.
Encouraging greater rates of engagement
is a top priority for recruiters in a labor
market defined by scarcity. Currently, digital
platforms are the preferred tool to source
talent, with around 87 percent of companies
deferring to job sites such as LinkedIn,
Glassdoor and Indeed to solicit and screen
qualified talent, said Sergio Porragas
Moreno, VP of Human Capital, OCC Mundial.
“This is where strategic communication
should begin, by posting the open position
with its qualifying criteria, desired skills and
renumeration clearly defined,” he added.
Committing to transparency throughout
the recruitment process is essential to
generating trust and is much appreciated
by candidates. A caveat to this approach
is the dependency on equal transparency
on behalf of the candidates themselves,
which is an important consideration for
positions that require hard, verifiable
skills. Therefore, the recruitment approach
stands to be fortified by the introduction
of skill ch e ck s , e ith e r in th e fo rm of
preliminary tests or through the use of AI,
said Porragas.
As the urgency for talent surges, companies
have also attempted to get closer to
universities , the prime generators of
highly qualified talent, said Hernán García,
Vice President of Talent and Experience,
Tecnologico de Monterry. Companies are
increasing their remunerative investments
and shoring-up their presence on the
campuses of leading academic institutions
as a means of influencing curriculums and
scouting talent. This assures that students
are being prepared with the knowledge
and skills they need to enter and succeed
in their respective industries. This is perhaps
best exemplified by Mexico’s technology
and aerospace industries, which have
participated in the curation of courses and
have a pronounced interest in accelerating
talent development.
Nevertheless, from the perspective of a
private institution, these efforts should
not be considered a substitution to a well-
rounded value proposition and attractive
co m p a ny cultu re . “ Te ch n olo gy h e lps
us to attract talent, but having a good
culture and engagement are our main
promotors. Technology, good referrals and
a great employee value proposition attract
candidates,” concluded García.
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C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
DIGITALIZATION, A MUST-HAVE FOR EVERY ORGANIZATION
D igit a lizatio n h a s revo l utio n ize d th e
workplace. Among the many operations
it changed is the recruitment process,
which human resources (H R) exper ts
argue should become more amicable and
simpler for both parties involved. Outside of
recruitment, digital tools ensure companies
become more efficient as they save time and
money, two factors that are essential to a
company’s survival.
The dawn of the COVI D -1 9 pandemic
accelerated the push for digitalization
in HR procedures. According to Jorge
Valencia, Account Executive, DocuSign,
39 percent of global companies were
not prepared for the switch to remote
work . When companies scrambled to
transition, 93 percent wasted investments
in technology bec ause they lacked
internal integration with other systems.
Nevertheless, technology enabling remote
work remains crucial since 72 percent of
the workforce prefers to maintain a degree
of home office. What is more, studies have
shown that implementing a scheme of an
average 2. 5 days working from home,
companies save US$11,000 a year for each
employee. If companies fail to adapt to this
new reality, they may also lose talent and
face high staff turnover rates.
An employment relationship starts the
moment that a company acknowledges
its need for a job position, after which the
recruitment process starts. Today, these
procedures are no longer only about the
needs and purposes of a company, they also
consider the candidate, who is making an
educated choice of where to work and likely
evaluating several employment options.
H i r i n g a n e m p l oye e u s u a l l y i m p l i e s
initiating a complex process. Before, this
process used to be carried out in person
but technology has allowed companies to
make the procedure more efficient, which
cuts costs and time. As remote work is here
to stay to stay, onboarding processes need
to be adapted to these new circumstances.
“If issues like entry and exit registration,
vacation controls and salary calculations
are not based on cutting-edge technology,
this could cause the collapse of a company
bec ause of a massive waste of time,
increased costs, the deterioration the
organizational climate and an increase of
turnover rates,” said Valencia.
Therefore, digitalization is no longer an
added value; it has become a necessity.
“The digitalization of onboarding and
hiring processes is also here to stay,” added
Valencia. Sixty-six percent of the companies
that digitalized these processes in the past
year say they will adopt more technology in
the year to come. For many companies, the
benefits to profitability and efficiency are
already evident.
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C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
BETTER A JACK OF ALL TRADES THAN MASTER
OF ONE FOR NEW RECRUITERS
For the recruiter of the past, the more
specific someone’s skill set was, the better
their job prospects would be. However, the
rise of recruitment processes that value a
broad range of skills is a trend that human
resources industr y insiders expect to
develop further in the coming years.
With a wealth of information available
for anyone to access, skills that used to
be difficult to come by are becoming
increasingly common. “Nowadays, people
can develop new skills free of cost and
easily acquire additional expertise for a
range of jobs across all industries,” outlines
Alejandro Ureña, Chief Innovation Officer,
Evolutive Agency. This begs the question,
how has skills-based recruitment evolved
from traditional models?
“If everyone is the same and shares the
same values, aspirations and reasoning,
we may risk closing the door to new ideas
and innovative concepts”
Alejandro Ureña
Chief Innovation Officer | Evolutive Agency
Ricardo Rodríguez, Employee Experience
& Talent Attraction Manager, Scania, set
out his company’s innovative approach
to recruitment: “We recruit people rather
than abstract skill sets. When we talk about
machines, we may say that they are well-
suited for one task or another’, but that is
not how we should treat people. Of course,
Scania looks at kills and experience, but
our recruitment model is also based on
personality, assessing how an individual
will fit within our organization and whether
they share our values.” While it used to be
a feather in your cap to have held down
a job at one company for an extended
period, Rodríguez notes that in today’s job
market, employers value those candidates
with diverse resumes and a wide range
of experience in different industries and
positions. “A Linkedin profile displaying a
tally of diverse skills and varied experience
is very attractive to us,” he emphasized.
El Palacio de Hierro’s Organizational Talent
Director, Vanessa Escudero, concurred. She
added that personality traits are becoming
just as important as previous experience and
qualifications. “We look for individuals with
the required skills and knowledge but we
also want someone who fits our company
culture, which is not always an easy task.
We want someone who not only possesses
expertise but someone who is also engaging,
shows a willingness to learn and adapt and
displays the potential to flourish within our
infrastructure,” summarized Escudero.
“The biggest challenge is finding the right
cultural fit. It used to be companies recruited
on te ch nic al skills a n d q ualifi c ations
with attitudinal aspects an afterthought.
However, we have turned this model on
its head,” agreed Alejandro Hernández
Dander, People and Performance Head,
The Kraft Heinz Company. For Hernández,
this approach goes even further. “Many
employers are beginning to focus on what
a candidate could become rather than
what they have to offer currently. As the
pandemic showed, people can adapt quickly
and learn new skills with ease. Technical
skills and competency can be taught, but
one’s attitude, especially a willingness to
learn and grow, is innate,” he said.
Fabiola Q uiroz, Countr y H R Manager,
Bosch, is of the same opinion. She argued
this transformation has been decades
in the making but gained more force in
recent years. Quiroz promotes “robust”
recruitment methods which favor quicker
learning curves so less time and resources
are invested in employee development and
training. “We try to avoid having to fill a
position right away and prefer a long-term
vision to manage talent. Our hiring process
is skills-based but with an emphasis on
the future outcome rather than short-
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C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
term fixes,” she said, pointing toward a
recruitment model that Kraft Heinz shares.
“We want to understand who the candidates
really are, where their talents lie and how
they fit in our company’s present and future
goals,” added Escudero.
Likewise, soft skills are held in higher regard
than technical ones since these can be
picked up and developed on the job while
soft skills are more instinctive. “As more
of the technical issues are carried out by
AI, soft skills are proving to become more
important, ‘’ emphasized Quiroz. Soft skills
are often universally useful and enable an
employee to adapt to new roles and migrate
to new positions within an industry.
The question, then, is how to identif y
these desirable profiles. Quiroz underlined
the additional value in-person interviews
contribute to the hiring process. “ We
take advantage of the digital world. As
a recruitment tool, software is a great
leveler. We use it to narrow down our list
of candidates. However, once we have this
shortlist, we use the interview process to
separate the top candidates,” she said.
THE SUCCESS OF HYBRID WORK MODELS DEPENDS ON INCENTIVES
Even though post-pandemic era companies
c o m m i t te d to fl ex i b l e wo r k m o d e l s ,
contributors have demonstrably proven
their unwillingness to return to office
regardless. If companies are to successfully
employ their hybrid work models, they will
have to develop incentives that will motivate
employees to come to the office on their
own account, say industry experts.
However, after this list has been established,
the approach changes: “We want to see how
candidates demonstrate problem-solving
skills and an ability to think quickly on the
spot. We wish to find candidates who show
traits such as leadership skills. And quite
simply, some skills, such as fluency in a
foreign language, can be discerned much
more easily in an interview scenario.”
“ The human fac tor simply c annot be
substituted,” Hernández agreed. However,
Rodríguez noted that the implementation of
digital processes is imperative to speed up
the application process, ensuring companies
do not lose out on top candidates to their
competitors. Quite simply, those who do not
stay up to date with the latest software will
fall behind.
N eve r th e l e s s , a s U re ñ a p o i nte d o ut ,
com pa nies sh o uld n ot p ut to o m uch
emphasis on shared values, lest they lose
out on much-needed diversity.. “If everyone
is the same and shares the same values,
aspirations and reasoning, we may risk
closing the door to new ideas and innovative
concepts,” said Ureña.
“The overarching question companies should
be considering is: Why, as a contributor,
should I be inclined to return to the office?”
said Marcela Domenzain Carmona, Human
Resources Director Mexico, Central America
and the Caribbean, BASF.
The initial transition to remote work was
turbulent, requiring constant communication
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C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
between employers and employees to
develop the optimal remote work model.
This social experiment established that
remote and hybrid work models could be
equally productive, if not more so, than
full-time presential work. The observed
results and benefits from this exercise have
consequently transformed the worker’s
perception of flexible work models from
nice-to-have to a firm expectation in the
labor market. While these truths have not
been negated by companies, remote work
models are not free from risks such as loss of
social capital, decreased collaboration and a
loss of identification with company culture.
“The overarching question companies
should be considering is: Why, as a
contributor, should I be inclined to
return to the office?”
Marcela Domenzain
Human Resources Director Mexico, Central
America and the Caribbean | BASF
To circumvent these risks, most companies
have opted to implement flexible hybrid
models that take the benefits of both remote
and presential work and give contributors
the autonomy to come into the office when
they want to. The response of employees
has been mixed, ranging from enthusiasm
to resentment. Nevertheless, it is clear
to employers that contributors require
incentives to ensure their response is closer
to the former. Furthermore, “rules and
guidelines regarding presential work must
reconceptualised, considering the inherent
organizational function of the company and
specific roles within it,” said Domenzain. This
is the immediate challenge of companies
during this initial phase of the transition back
to the office, an adaptation process that will
likely continue until the end of 2022.
With the looming threat of a massive labor
reshuffle, where employees are more than
ever willing to leave their current positions
in search of other opportunities, employers
are being careful about explicit demands. In
a labor-led market, the carrot has never been
mightier than the stick. In turn, companies
are in the middle of developing incentives
centered around networking, facilitated
collaboration and free-flowing creativity,
which in turn helps “reinforce company
culture and its value proposition,” said Ena
Torres, PBP Director, Mercado Libre. During
this process, leadership will play key role in
demonstrating that there is flexibility outside
of remote work and that there are substantive
benefits to reap from presential work,
emphasized Domenzain. However, this is not
to say that leaders should be expected to
take on the full weight of this transformation,
especially considering that that this work
model has only just began to unfold.
Fur th e rm o re , “p hysic a l offi ce sp a ces
have yet to be adapted to transmit and
accommodate the needs of a flexible,
hybrid work model,” according to Mario
Espinosa Guzmán, Vice President of Latin
America & Caribbean, MillerKnoll. Office
spaces need to be curated around daily
operational needs, as well as the comfort
of a company’s contributors, the company’s
values and ultimately the added value it they
provide. This is work in progress, as many
companies are still trying to gauge where
they should start. So far it has manifested
in a range of approaches that include the
depersonalization of workspaces , the
creation of specialized work spaces and
dynamic spaces that can be constructed
and deconstructed on demand. Overall,
the reconfiguration of work spaces needs
to provide functionality, support social
cohesion and provide the added value to
draw collaborators in.
Companies in expansion have the added
concern of ensuring that their spaces can
grow along with their enterprise. This is the
case for Mercado Libre, which announced
the creation of 14,000 additional jobs in
Latin America. Current proposals consider
the value in campus spaces similar to
Google, which constructs specialized spaces
according to functions like collaboration,
learning and creativity. “The end goal is to
create spaces that make people want to go
to work,” said Torres.
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C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
LEADERSHIP SKILLS MUST EVOLVE AS THE WORLD CHANGES
In a fast-changing world, attracting and
maintaining talent has become increasingly
difficult for companies. For leaders, a
flexible mix of soft and hard skills have is
of the essence to tackle company needs
that have arisen during the pandemic if
companies are to retain and develop their
talent and thrive in the process.
“Before, it was more important to zone in
on what we wanted to achieve. Now, we are
focusing more on how we are going to reach
those goals,” said Gabriela Villavicencio,
Head of Human Resources and General
Affairs, Hyundai. The wellbeing of the
people working for the corporations is an
important part of this journey.
The pandemic revealed the adjustments
companies must make to adapt to a new
reality. A key factor is operational flexibility,
creating a balance between person and
company to successfully confront the
disruption of the workplace. Instead of
at the office, companies now operated
inside the houses of their employees. This
phenomenon intensified the long-standing
need for mental health support inside
organizations. Leaders were put to the
test: they had to empathize with colleagues
and ensure collaboration remained
efficient in spaces that were not geared
toward teamwork.
“Currently, the issues that require the most
innovative approach are not necessarily
rooted in technology, but in the need to
look toward new ways to cooperate,”
s aid Fe rn a n d o Va le nzu e la , Fo u n din g
Partner, Global Impact EdTech Alliance.
Consequently, leaders had to transform and
prioritize skills that they did not previously
use to motivate workers and understand
their daily tasks more deeply.
Adapting the skillset is crucial for those
outside of the executive environment, too.
“Companies must acknowledge that work
dynamics change and that there is a need to
look for different skills,” mentioned Mireya
Rangel, HG Director Mexico and Central
America, Indra. Even though people are
getting paid for the skills they already have,
being agile and learning new skills is starting
to be more relevant, she added.
For potential hires with an adequate skillset,
the experts are seeing an international
“war for talent” emerge. To win the war,
companies must look toward the future, not
just to retain talent but to be successful in
their operations, too. “Organizations need
to be aware of how the global economy is
evolving to understand the types of skills
that will be demanded in the future,” said
Karlo Mondragón, Chief Human Resources
Officer, Grupo Salinas.
There is often a large gap between the
individual priorities of employees and those
of the company, so the experts say that the
challenge is to close that gap as much as
possible by aligning the employees with the
importance of competence enhancement
and sustained learning. “Human beings
learn what they want to learn. This must
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C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
come from an internal sense of purpose.
Our brains do not care about our success
but about the coherence of our actions.
Learning is an action that helps us achieve
something,” noted Mondragón.
For this learning to thrive, companies “need
to create an environment where people feel
free to take decisions with responsibility.
This will lead to the generation of ideas
that can support the company’s adaptation
to changes and ensure it grows as an
organization,” said Mondragón, adding
that an environment of experimentation is
HR OFFICERS CAN BE VISIONARIES IN THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION
The increased implementation of automation
and digitalization in the modern workplace
has dramatically changed the role of human
resources (HR) officers. Industry insiders
agree that rather than rendering the HR
department obsolete, this development
represents an opportunity for HR to take
on a more imaginative role.
As Carla Adriana Soto Tejeda, People and
Culture Director, Casai, notes, new digital
tools are fulfilling many of the traditional HR
tasks, freeing up HR officers to contribute
in other ways. José Ramón Fernández
D o m e n e c h , C H R O, C o p p e l , co n c u r s ,
arguing that HR’s role has moved beyond
administration and talent management to
comprise elements of strategic planning.
With a wealth of technology now available
to assess employee performance, HR can
expand their offering by setting objectives to
improve equipment and enable employees
to maximize their talent.
Ana Isabel Orihuela Fuchs, Head of People
Success, Digital@FEMSA, welcomes this
“Before committing to a digital tool or
solution, companies must evaluate their
current standing and readiness in relation
to digitalization,”
José Ramón Fernández
CHRO | Coppel
where innovation flourishes. Furthermore,
companies must understand that a person
will cannot learn if there is something
bothering them. Therefore, compassion and
empathy are some of the most important
characteristics of a modern business leader.
Executives must have a good balance
in their hard and soft skills, as one is no
longer more important than the other. “If
you do not put the human being front and
center in the company culture, then it will
be difficult to break harmful traditional ways
of thinking, leading and learning within the
office environment,” Rangel concluded.
dynamic shift in the role of HR: “Technology
is transforming everything in our daily lives,
HR needs to move forward too. We need to
make use of all these technologies to make
life easier,” adding that while others assess
the value proposition of new technologies,
it is the role of HR to foster a tech-driven
approach in the modern office. In doing so,
HR officers can be visionaries. “It is also up
to us to make employees feel that they can
be a part of these changes that affect their
everyday lives. We do not want them to
fear change or think new technologies are
too difficult to use. It is our responsibility
to e n co u ra g e th e m a n d explain h ow
technology makes their jobs easier, so
that they learn to embrace change,” said
Orihuela. “HR executives are ambassadors
for technology implementation in their
organization,” agreed Manuela Vélez, Head
of People, Tul.
Implementing new technology can yield
a wealth of benefits. José Carlos Aguilar,
Co-Founder and Co- CEO, Palenca,
celebrated how the digital revolution is
leveling the playing field for startups. New
companies that lack infrastructure can rely
on digitalization as a stand-in, like Palenca
did during its early stages throughout the
pandemic. With just 10 full-time employees
and limited resources on hand, applications
like Runa have been an invaluable asset
helping Palenca get off the ground, fulfilling
95 percent of the traditional HR role. Runa
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C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
simplifies the tedious and time-consuming
tasks of paying taxes and sorting out wages.
As the Palenca CEO argues, the time of
small and medium-sized companies is
simply too valuable: “SMEs must digitalize
their HR processes and take advantage of
technology. Spending hours on Excel sheets
is no longer an option,” said Aguilar.
Orihuela agreed, explaining how despite its
challenges, the pandemic allowed FEMSA
to see the potential of apps like Google
Workspace . While working re motely,
Orihuela also praised the value offered
by apps such as Slack, which in many
ways served as the virtual office that kept
communication and collaboration alive. Even
after the return to the office, the software
enables HR departments to monitor how
long employees have been logged in for,
with the aim of preventing burnout.
“HR executives are ambassadors for
technology implementation in their
organization”
Manuela Vélez
Head of People | Tul
She also noted that HR must be attentive
to any problems raised by employees
surrounding new equipment. The
demographics of an office can influence HR
decisions, too. One generation of employees
might be set in their ways and resistant to
change, having been used to one set of
software of operating systems their entire
work lives. However, a new generation
of e m p l oye e s m i g h t v i ew th i s s a m e
equipment as cumbersome and obsolete.
For this reason, Orihuela underscores the
importance of gradual, fluid change over
sudden overhauls: “Little tweaks every now
and again are better than major, sudden
changes.”
Vélez also celebrated the role of industry-
oriented social media networks in helping
companies overcome the challenges posed
by the pandemic. In Tul’s case, they have
also kept the option open for employees to
work remotely. Vélez, for example, oversees
her responsibilities from Miami, making
use of the management platform HiBob to
create journey maps for each employee. “A
journey map is a visualization of the process
that people go through to accomplish their
goals. At its most basic, journey mapping
starts by compiling a series of user actions
into a timeline. Next, the timeline is fleshed
out with user thoughts and emotions to
create a narrative for that process,” she
explained. The maps also help employees
co n n e c t i n d ivi d u a l g o a l s with wi d e r
company objectives.
Fernández, however, advises caution. In his
view, a good HR officer must always ask if
the implementation of new technology is
worthwhile. “Before committing to a digital
tool or solution, companies must evaluate
their current standing and readiness
in relation to digitalization,” he said. If
technology is underused or considered a
waste of time and money, HR will be held
accountable if they were the ones that
pushed for it. “There is no point being tech-
savvy just for the sake of it. We do not need
to fix what is not broken,” Fernández added,
pointing out that companies should not be
resistant to change but remain pragmatic, as
was the case for Coppel’s new technology
which has allowed it to manage its vast
portfolio of branches.
Fernández underscores the importance
of assessing whether a company is ready
to undergo such transformations. In his
view, management tasks HR with creating
a company culture and analyzing it s
maturation to provide useful insights. As
such, the main role of HR is introspection.
Orihuela agreed, underlining the
importance of free trials to sample the
latest sof tware solutions without fully
co m m it ti n g to th e i r i m p l e m e nt atio n:
“This makes employees participants in
the decision-making process. They pick
the solutions which help them work best.
It is never a decision taken from above in
which they have no say.”
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C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
ON-DEMAND PAY WORKS FOR EMPLOYEES
For decades , payday has come ever y
two weeks for most Mexican employees.
A l t h o u g h t h i s re m u n e r a ti o n m e t h o d
remains popular, millions of Mexicans
are living paycheck to paycheck. An on-
demand pay model is emerging to reduce
the length of time between each payday.
Its main benefits are solving liquidity
p ro b l e m s w h i l e p rov i d i n g e d u c a ti o n
towa rd fi na ncial welln ess , e mphasize
finance experts.
“Ace s s to l i q u i d it y i s a d e e p - ro ote d
p ro b l e m i n M exico . W ith a n ave ra g e
monthly salary of MX$11,000 (US$550)
and 70 percent of the population living
paycheck to paycheck without saving
anything, salary on demand is logical.
People can have access to their money
whenever they need it. In a world where
everything is to order, it makes no sense
that the most important element of your
financial life is not,” said Nima Pourshasb,
CEO and Co-Founder, Minu.
“The solution must not be limited to
paying wages, it must be accompanied
by financial education. You have to give
employees the necessary tools to
improve their financial lives”
David Roa
CEO annd Co-Founder | Klinc
The biweekly payment, known as the
quincena in Mexico, has not always been
popular. In the 1800s, people working
in factories received daily payments. “It
would have been unthinkable to finish
wo rkin g h o u r s a n d g o h o m e e m pt y-
handed,” Pourshasb said. With payroll
payments moving through bank transfers,
s a la r y p aym e nt s b e c a m e a biwe e kly
occurance. The salary earned by employees
is calculated by the employer, which takes
taxes and further deductions into account.
This makes it difficult for companies to
administrate their cash flows daily.
While most people continue to get paid
every two weeks or even once a month,
the technology to pay employees in real
time, or as often as they prefer, already
exists. “Thanks to the market penetration
of specialized companies that provide on-
demand pay, employees are increasingly
showing interest in this payment model,”
said Belén Meza Croskey, CHRO, iVoy,
adding that the model benefit s both
employers and employees while offering
additional advantages to the latter. “The
solution must not be limited to paying
wages, it must be accompanied by financial
education. You have to give employees the
necessary tools to improve their financial
lives,” emphasized David Roa, CEO annd
Co-Founder, Klinc. While there are both B2B
and B2C solutions, some have no cost for
employees, he added.
On-demand pay can be an important tool
for companies to retain talent. In the US,
the total nonfarm payroll quit rate rose
to 3 percent in Nov. 2021, according to
the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than
4 million US citizens have quit their jobs
every month since July 2021. Moreover, 88
percent of employees would consider taking
a lower-paying job with better benefits over
one that paid more but had inferior benefits,
a recent survey found.
Market opportunities for on-demand pay
represent a value of US$1 trillion across
OECD countries, according to EY. “This
grants a prominent role to employers and
financial services companies to provide
employees access to this liquidity and, in
so doing, create meaningful societal utility
at a limited frictional cost,” says the firm.
In addition, 70 percent of individuals in the
UK and US regularly experience financial
stress. Half of these individuals have faced
a financial shortfall between pay periods
and encounter this issue every four months
approximately.
“ O n - d e m a n d p ay m e n t b o o s t s t a l e nt
rete nti o n . I t re p re s e nt s f re e d o m fo r
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C onf e r e nc e H ighlights
employees. It is absurd to pay every other
week; companies should pay interest for
using their employees’ money. Regarding
financial stress, it is a great, flexible tool to fix
people’s financial problems,” said Courtney
Devon McColgan, CEO and Founder, Runa.
The method has great potential in Mexico
and it promotes financial knowhow, stated
Diego Villarreal, CEO and Co-Founder,
Castor. Unlike credit cards, “on-demand pay
creates that knowledge and strengthens the
relationship people have with money. People
can better understand how much money
they are able to spend each day,” he added.
In Mexico, an individual’s level of financial
education is closely tied to personal factors,
according to Deloitte: “A person with a
higher academic degree and higher salary
TALENT ACQUISITION STRATEGIES ARE
IMPERATIVE FOR COMPANY GROWTH
A co m p a ny ’s t a l e nt a cq u i siti o n ( TA)
strategy should be linked to its growth,
c u l t u re , m a n a g e m e n t , d i re c ti o n a n d
business focus. Whereas companies often
measure growth in profits, experts believe
there should be a shift in this mindset to
ensure human capital is also recognized as
a decisive factor.
“A good TA strategy is not only measured
by the number of hirings . It must be
accompanied by benchmarks coming from
multiple areas of the organization in order
to be successful,” said Santiago San Martín,
Country Manager, Globant.
If companies are to generate an optimal TA
approach, they need to focus on internal
teamwork, mutual understanding, listening
and cross-departmental collaboration,
ensuring the company is unified toward the
common goal of ensuring it attracts talent.
TA strategies are therefore no longer the
sole responsibility of the HR department,
added San Martín.
Automation is a great tool for companies
to make their recruitment processes more
is more likely to have more knowledge
about the various financial produc ts ,
while a person with lower education and
income levels will have less knowledge on
the subject.” According to the most recent
National Survey of Financial Inclusion
(ENIF ), Mexico’s population suffers a
considerable lack of knowledge regarding
the characteristics of financial products.
While the technology to make on-demand
pay the most popular payment method is
already viable, some companies remain
reluc tant to switch . What is more,
most SMEs are usually not aware of the
s o l u t i o n ’s b e n e fi t s , a g r e e d i n d u s t r y
exper ts . Never theless , in problematic
times brought on by a global pandemic,
the solution may catch on much quicker
than it did before.
efficient. The quantity of data generated
by the hiring process can be overwhelming
for one person, so technology can support
h um a n reso urces to id e ntif y n e e dles
in the haystack . N ever theless , Mar tín
underscores that companies should not
be single-minded in their mission to find
certain skills in the labor market. “If a
person can learn new abilities, that is an
added value,” he said.
Furthermore, a skill does not have to be
technical. Companies need employees
with strong sof t skills, which can help
enhance the working environment and
m o t i v a te t h e i r c o w o r ke r s . “A n o t h e r
important aspect to consider is the cultural
fit. Corporations could be overlooking
hidden talent within people that may
not have gone to the best university but
that possess tangible sof t skills,” said
Martín. “For real change to happen we
must act agents of change. In order to
have a happy and in-control company
culture, with which growth will materialize
automatically, we have to think about how
we want our colleagues to experience their
working day,” he concluded.
www.mexicobusiness.mx