RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
“take the entire cost of employee turnover: it’S apparent that culture is crucial to retention.”
Learn how Vaishali Rathod, Chief People Officer at Tandym Group, builds a robust company culture to drive business results.
As an accomplished HR leader with 26 years of experience, Vaishali Rathod currently serves as Chief People Officer at Tandym Group. Known for her transformative leadership, she’s played pivotal roles at major organizations like Bristol Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson, where she spearheaded diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies. Her expertise in shaping people-focused policies and fostering inclusive cultures has been instrumental in Tandym Group’s growth, and her passion for creating supportive work environments continues to drive her impact in the HR space.
After nearly a decade-long tenure at Johnson & Johnson, can you share what aspects of their culture influenced your decision to stay there so long and what impact you think you left after your nine years of service? Anyone familiar with Johnson & Johnson knows that the organization is deeply guided by its credo—which commits J&J to putting the needs and well-being of the people we serve first. It’s integral to every leader's decision-making process, cited consistently in leadership discussions. It’s what guided us through many challenges, including the Tylenol crisis, and even during the recent talc allegations. My tenure there was particularly shaped by these principles; they influenced my work in diversity, equity, and inclusion, which was among the most rewarding roles I've held. I believe my impact was in strengthening these core values within the company's culture, ensuring they were more than just words, but actions lived out daily across global operations.
What inspired you to join Tandym Group after such a significant stint at J&J? I loved J&J, but joining Tandym Group was a decision driven by the opportunity it presented. The company was on the brink of substantial change, being acquired by a private equity firm and the growth potential to expand nationally. I was attracted by the potential to shape the company’s HR framework from the ground up, leveraging my experience to build a robust DEI strategy and revitalize their human resources approach during a critical growth phase. The dynamic nature of Tandym, coupled with its ambitious vision, made it an exciting next step in my career.
Could you elaborate on the unique challenges you faced in building a new company culture from scratch at Tandym? The primary challenge was the absence of a structured HR ecosystem that I was used to. We needed to create HR practices that were not only effective but also tailored to the unique needs of a growing company. This involved building everything from scratch—establishing core policies, setting up employee engagement programs, and integrating a sustainable DEI framework. Each step had to be carefully planned and executed to ensure it resonated with the existing team while supporting our growth and diversity goals.
What are the essential ingredients for creating a workplace where employees are empowered and motivated to contribute? First and foremost is the value—both in providing it and showing it. At Tandym, for example, we strive to make every employee feel valued and essential to our success. Adaptability is another crucial ingredient. It’s vital for an organization to remain flexible, adapting policies and strategic directions to align with both market trends and the evolving needs of its workforce. This adaptability ensures that we are not just reacting to changes but are proactive in leveraging them to enhance our operational effectiveness and workplace environment. And lastly there’s growth. It's about more than just scaling up operations; it’s about nurturing the personal and professional growth of each team member. We emphasize creating pathways for advancement within the company, which motivates our employees by clearly illustrating potential career trajectories. We back this up by investing in training and development programs that prepare our team for future opportunities, fostering a culture that values continuous learning and improvement. This approach not only helps in retaining talent but ensures that our employees are engaged, challenged, and see a future within our organization. By integrating these elements—value, adaptability, and growth—we cultivate a workplace where employees are not only motivated by external incentives but are genuinely empowered to excel and contribute to our collective goals.
“Investing in culture is crucial because it directly affects every facet of the organization and ultimately impacting our bottom line.”
Why is company culture such a valuable investment? Investing in culture is crucial because it directly affects every facet of the organization—from attracting talent to retaining it, enhancing employee satisfaction, and ultimately impacting our bottom line. A strong culture reduces turnover costs significantly and improves our brand reputation, enabling employees to feel valued and more engaged. This, in turn, empowers them to deliver their best work and advocate for our brand passionately, both of which are essential for long-term success.
When it comes to retention and all of that, the cost for turnover and filling roles is astronomical. It’s not just the cost of going out and recruiting, it’s also the time spent, the training you have to then provide, and all the resources on top of that. You’re taking people away from producing and generating revenue for the organization because they’re spending a good percentage of their time training or interviewing someone else. Employee turnover and attrition also affects the overall brand. So when you take that entire cost of one person leaving, it becomes all the more apparent that organizational culture is so crucial to retention.
What specific strategies do you use to build that community? Culture building, while sometimes thought of as “abstract,” benefits greatly from a strategic approach. One of the methods we employ at Tandym is to operationalize culture through clearly defined programs and observable behaviors that align with our strategic goals. For instance, we introduced the ‘pingboard’—a digital platform that promotes transparency and recognition. This tool not only tracks and celebrates employee milestones and achievements but also fosters a sense of belonging and appreciation across the organization. It’s a structured way to ensure that recognition is part of our daily operations, which helps in reinforcing the cultural norms we value.
We also introduced tokens as rewards for behaviors that exemplify our values, making the intangible aspects of culture tangible and actionable. These strategic tools help embed desired behaviors and practices into our daily operations, making our culture both vibrant and measurable.
Lastly, what’s your go-to pick-me-up at work? Definitely the popcorn made by our culture ambassador! It’s not just about the snack itself, but the sense of community it builds. Around mid-afternoon, you can smell it being made, and it’s a small, joyful break that everyone looks forward to. It symbolizes a moment of connection among the team, which is a small but meaningful part of our office community.
Vaishali Rathod's journey from a seasoned HR professional at Johnson & Johnson to the Chief People Officer at Tandym Group underscores her deep commitment to crafting resilient and inclusive workplace cultures. Her strategic acumen in implementing HR frameworks that enhance value, adaptability, and growth within an organization exemplifies her visionary leadership style. Her ongoing efforts contribute to the broader conversation on creating dynamic, supportive workplaces across industries.