Kevin Mullins
Vice President of Global Communications
Globoforce
For helping to make WorkHuman one of fastest growing leadership conferences, with more than 500 percent growth since its first conference in 2015
Making Change
WorkHuman is a conference dedicated to bringing more humanity, positivity, and respect to the workplace. Pioneered by Globoforce in 2015, it attracts leaders from companies like Accenture, Twitter, Intel, and Cisco who are passionate about creating work cultures that energize people to do the best work, as well as academics and researchers who are challenging the norm to build workplaces for the modern workforce. Our attendees repeatedly describe WorkHuman as unlike any other HR conference. Our CEO, Eric Mosley, calls it the “Woodstock of HR conferences.”
Our attendees have high expectations and we strive to provide an experience that exceeds their expectations. Also, since WorkHuman attracts a diverse audience, our goal is to always ensure that every attendee, regardless of their industry, job function, or title finds the conference meaningful and has actionable insights to take back to their organizations.
We listen to our attendees and take their feedback seriously. For example, previous participants asked us to space out our sessions so they are not rushed. At the last conference, we built in more break times so people could connect with each other, recharge, and feel rejuvenated at the end of the conference, not exhausted.
Managing Change
We leave room to be agile. We keep our finger on the pulse of the latest workplace trends and issues. As a result, sometimes we have to book speakers at a late stage. This year we put together a panel on #MeToo with Ronan Farrow, Tarana Burke, and Ashley Judd. The momentum the #MeToo movement has gained is a clear indication that workplace harassment is not confined to the entertainment industry alone. We saw an urgent need to bring this issue to the surface. Through WorkHuman, we are on a mission to help build workplaces that inspire people to be more human, inclusive, and respectful of one another.
What’s Next
We want to continue to surprise and delight attendees. Every little touch counts; every little detail matters. For example, this year, we collaborated with local Austin-based artists from different musical genres. The idea was to show how a diverse group of individuals can come together—when they respect each other—to create an amazing experience. We also created an Austin vibe by bringing in food trucks for lunch, using graphics inspired by local Austin artwork, and keeping things a little eclectic, playing off of the “Keep Austin weird” theme.
Giving Back
To cultivate a community of gratitude and belonging, we offered all attendees at WorkHuman the opportunity to give and receive appreciation through a recognition experience called The Gratitude Bar. Using the Globoforce platform, we encouraged attendees to thank and recognize each other and then redeem points they got for doing so to make with donations to local charities. The experience was meant to elevate the simple act of saying thank you and illustrate the emotional impact recognition and gratitude could have within organizations.
Best Business Advice
Be empathetic to everyone. You don’t know the background or the situation of the person you are dealing with. Assume your colleagues are doing the best they can.
Role Model
I have learned from a lot of people during the course of my entire career as I have been lucky to have worked with some amazing people. From a business luminary perspective, I like Jeff Bezos of Amazon. He looks at the long game and takes smart risks.
Spare Hour?
As a dad to two kids, ages eight and five, a spare hour is a rarity! I do like to run and also spend time with my family. And in the event I can get away for a couple of days, I love to travel and explore new places.
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