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Workers are no longer just seeking stability in their current roles, they’re actively looking for infrastructural agility, purpose, and growth within their organizations. As a result, employers have been tasked with shaping nimble and people-first organizations where employees feel seen, supported, and empowered to grow.
From launching strategic initiatives like employee personas, designed to tailor programs and communications to the real needs of the workforce, to championing 12 active Employee Resource Groups, financial services provider TruStage has been working hard to ensure its employees are heard. Linda Nedelcoff, EVP, Chief Strategy and Human Resources Officer, told us more about its approach...
Retention strategies must similarly focus on empathetic, clear communication, clarity about organizational direction and opportunities for upskilling and growth
How are employee priorities shifting in 2025, and what does that mean for retention strategies in financial services?
Employee priorities in 2025 are skewing towards demands for greater transparency, authenticity, and more meaningful work. As external demand for AI and general tech-powered transformation accelerates, and in the wake of the pandemic and challenging economic conditions, employees expect leaders to acknowledge the real impact of change, not downplay it. As an example, when new processes and technologies are introduced, HR functions have a responsibility to equip employees with the necessary training and resources to ensure internal colleagues are not left behind or alienated when technology is being integrated.
From what we’ve seen in our efforts at TruStage, retention strategies must similarly focus on empathetic, clear communication, clarity about organizational direction and opportunities for upskilling and growth. When leaders recognize and address the human side of change, they are able to bolster trust with colleagues and foster a more symbiotic relationship between employers and employees, that is rooted in shared commitment. In simplest terms, employees want to know about decisions, be able to understand and then be supported in how they adjust.
TruStage has developed employee personas to tailor programs and communications. How have these personas changed the way you engage your workforce?
Across industries, HR functions are constantly tasked with turning varying colleague needs and preferences into digestible and actionable support resources and initiatives. When done successfully, employee engagement is rooted in real-time listening, acting on insights, and designing benefits that meet people where they are.
At TruStage, the development of our employee personas, informed by internal census data, have fundamentally changed how we engage our workforce. For example, we use these personas to look at the multiple generations of our workforce, along with life stages, to review our benefits. It is important we apply decisions on benefit offerings to ensure we have appropriate coverage of solutions. Ultimately, this results in a more personalized, connected employee experience that supports both engagement and performance, while still aligning to our organizational objectives.
Helping employees find meaning starts with transparent communication and goal-setting
Purpose and meaningful work are top of mind for employees today. How do you help employees find that at TruStage?
Helping employees find meaning starts with transparent communication and goal-setting. Given the role that purpose, growth and future-focused upskilling can play in retention, TruStage has doubled down on talent and leadership development.
Recently, our entire leadership team sat down and discussed what it means to have a ‘growth mindset’ at an organizational level, and how we can bring this to life for colleagues across the business. We also set up leadership cohorts where volunteer facilitators come in and unpack the topics and tactics that effective leaders should know to enable their employees.
That said, evolving workforce needs and innovation opportunities aside, the market that TruStage serves has stayed the same for over 90 years, and our mission of making financial services accessible to all continues to drive the entire organizations’ work. This means that HR’s priorities should also be in support of making the workforce a supportive and accessible environment. In our experience, when employees understand how their work contributes to broader goals, they are more likely to feel engaged and fulfilled.
You’ve championed 12 Employee Resource Groups. What impact have they had on employee engagement and inclusion?
TruStage’s ERGs function as 'listening posts' across the organization, surfacing challenges and guiding HR solutions. We often hear, as a part of an employee’s onboarding, they share that an ERG became an important connected 'community' for them. But it goes beyond inside the walls of TruStage, we believe our ERGs also can bring 'voice' for our products and services that protect our consumers. Members of our ERGs share their knowledge and insight around things such as purchasing trends, billing preferences, payment solutions that we collect in our competitive intelligence processes as well. Having our employees be a part of our research creates a personal and more intentional approach to decisions.
Benefits like the Sunny Day Fund and Home Thrive Benefit show a focus on financial and caregiving support. How do they shape the overall employee experience?
We, like many companies, understand that our employees have experiences that affect them inside and outside of work. Through discussions with our Caregiver’s ERG, we obtained practical insight that helped us to find the right partnership and solution that could actually address the needs and issues being shared. Home Thrive creates a support community and resource advocate that we heard was missing often in our employees’ lives. It allows them to be present in their family needs, while also being to contribute at work.
Sunny Day actually is a member company in our Discovery Ventures Portfolio. As we are missioned to creating brighter financial futures, it made sense for us to invest in a benefit that encourages our employees to save and invest in their financial future.
Born out of demonstrated colleagues need, these benefits have helped alleviate employee stress, improved retention, and demonstrated TruStage’s commitment to meeting employees where they are.
How do you balance organizational agility with providing employees a sense of stability and growth?
Balancing agility and stability require HR leaders to communicate openly about change, set realistic expectations, and factor employees into organization-wide decision-making. In the short term, we’ve done things like centralized learning and development, set up leadership cohorts, and leveraged AI-driven coaching to leverage technology while still maintaining human oversight.
When looking further down the line, the pace of change across industries is accelerating, and it is no secret that AI is a major driver. At TruStage, we’re embracing this shift by integrating AI into conversations around both our operations and leadership development. We want to tackle the new landscape head-on. As an example, we’ve leveraged an AI tool that helps leaders practice and prepare for tough performance conversations using AI-driven coaching, demonstrating how we are blending technology with empathy. Despite how AI has and will continue to reshape the workplace, HR leaders have a responsibility to ensure technology is paired with empathy and employee empowerment.
By placing connection, belonging, and growth, at the heart of our short and long-term plans, we continue to build trust and enable innovation
Preparing for the future means equipping employees with both digital skills and resilience, helping them navigate automation and change. Another example at the intersection of customization and AI that expands accessibility is a recently added healthcare benefit for employees needing physical therapy. The benefit is a virtual physical therapy offering, all overseen by a human and licensed physical therapist, that is AI-powered and lends a bit more flexibility to those who are unable to carve out travel time for appointments.
We have seen how customization fuels long-term belonging for employees, but to bring this personalized experience to life, it must be anchored in shared strategy.
Looking ahead, how do you see investing in people driving TruStage’s business outcomes and long-term success?
At TruStage, we invest in both present learning needs and future potential, increasing trust and care in the workplace. Our approach is data-driven and people-centered, ensuring that both employees and our end customers are supported in their respective journeys. By placing connection, belonging, and growth, at the heart of our short and long-term plans, we continue to build trust and enable innovation across the organization.
