The results of a recent ‘Engagement Survey’ were a very satisfying moment for Harrison.ai Chief People and Culture Officer, Nicole Karagiannis. The survey, which covered a myriad of areas, including leadership, management, work-life balance, and innovation, achieved a 98 per-cent response from staff, and a whopping 88 per-cent engagement rate.
“I can honestly say, we have a truly engaged workforce,” Nicole says proudly. “Our employees love their jobs.”
Nicole has been at Harrison.ai a little over a year, after a career forged in public and private hospitals and the disability sector. Now she partners with the leaders of Harrison.ai, Franklin.ai, and Annalise.ai to ensure they have the best positive workplace culture, leading with values and empowerment.
Harrison.ai and Nicole have spent the past 12 months working towards expressing the values that will take the company forward.
“I personally think they are fantastic values,” she says. “I really do believe that we don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk.”
The four company values are:
1) Great responsibility is a great opportunity.
2) We do the best work of our lives together.
3) Imagination overcomes impossible.
4) Obsessed with the process.
“Unpacking these four values, they really speak to the heart of what we are here for, which is to create healthcare solutions, using AI, that not only impacts millions of lives a day, but does so with the highest level of quality and clinical excellence. And we need to achieve that as a team. There is just so much to do, we are changing the world. You can’t do that alone.”
“We come from a place where we believe we are doing the impossible. And that takes a lot of grit and resilience and a huge bucket of imagination to keep pushing forward. We must continually work on improving what we are creating by being absolutely obsessed with the process.”
Nicole is adamant it is the people at Harrison.ai that determine success.
“We are essentially a people business,” she says. “Without our team members, not only do we not have the solutions and innovations, but we also don’t have the connection to our patients and our customers.”
She points to the industry-leading programs that Harrison.ai has rolled out to cater to its team. Such as the Becoming a Parent program that is built around financial support for IVF & ultrasounds, parental leave, grandparent leave, school-readiness leave, and miscarriage leave.
“It sends a strong message to our people that having your own family matters, and we want to be there with you on that journey, offering our support,” says Nicole. “This is a gender-neutral and carer-neutral program. Everyone has the same access.”
Harrison.ai also offers programs around mental health awareness, and well-being leave. There is also support for team members who want to participate in events such as the annual Oxfam Walk. Other initiatives include leadership programs to not only grow new leaders but to develop Harrison.ai’s existing leaders, through measures such as executive coaching.
“There’s a three-point philosophy to all of this,” says Nicole. “Firstly, we work with our people to develop solutions that suit their needs. Secondly, we encourage our team to be brave and take the lead; not to be afraid to innovate and do things differently. And finally, it’s all about keeping it simple. Keeping it real. Staying connected with your team.”
