"Engagement Reimagined: Prioritizing What Matters Most"

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Employee engagement is often misunderstood and misprioritized. Framing it through the lens of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs provides a clearer path forward. At the foundation are essential needs—fair compensation and meaningful benefits that support employees and their families. Above that are logistical realities such as commute expectations, working hours, feedback cadence, and flexibility for remote work. These elements are often non-negotiable, and while they cannot always be tailored to individual preferences, they should be communicated clearly so employees can make informed decisions.

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The next level of engagement is where organizations have the greatest opportunity to retain top talent. These core drivers, referred to as the Three Culture Tenets, include a strong relationship with one’s manager, work that is fulfilling and challenging, and clear opportunities for growth. At the top of the pyramid are perks. While appreciated, offerings like parties, meditation apps, or ping pong tables do little to drive long-term engagement. This session will help leaders assess where their culture efforts are currently focused and guide them in reprioritizing initiatives that truly support employee success.

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Through this session, you'll learn to:​​

1. Identify common engagement pitfalls, particularly the overemphasis on perks at the expense of foundational needs.

2. Apply the Employee Hierarchy of Needs framework to evaluate and realign culture strategies for maximum impact.

3. Communicate fixed aspects of company culture with transparency, helping employees self-select into environments where they can thrive.

4. Prioritize compensation and benefits as the baseline for engagement, recognizing that no culture strategy can succeed without first meeting these essential needs.

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Speaker Bio:

Maria is a seasoned people leader with a track record of scaling fast growing organizations through thoughtful talent acquisition and intentional people practices. She currently serves as the SVP of People Operations at Phil Inc., a fully remote, high growth HealthTech company. Prior to that, she led HR at M1 Finance and Tempus, where she helped both companies achieve tenfold headcount growth in under three years. Her earlier experience includes pivotal roles at Grubhub, Google, and Groupon, contributing to two IPOs and helping four companies reach unicorn status. Maria brings deep, real world insight into how culture, clarity, and connection can fuel organizational success.