Robinhood CEO makes eyebrow-raising comments on RTO; Cisco’s CEO laments job cuts

Greetings, comms pros! Let’s take a look at a few news stories from the past week and see what we can learn from them.

1. Robinhood CEO says it’s good to know managers are dealing with ‘more pain than you.’

Robinhood chief Vlad Tenev made some interesting comments on his company’s RTO policies, explaining that the finance app’s in-office policies intentionally differ based on seniority. In an appearance on the podcast “Cheeky Pint”, on which host and Stripe cofounder John Collison interviews guests over a beer, Tenev said that he wants leaders to model the RTO process for all employees, but said it in a blunt fashion.

According to Business Insider:

“If you’re a senior leader, an executive, you’re five days; if you’re a manager, four days; if you’re an IC, three days,” Tenev said in an episode of the “Cheeky Pint” podcast published on Wednesday. “It’s good because if you’re an individual contributor and you’re doing work, it’s very nice to know that your manager is going through more pain than you.”

Tech CEOs are known for grand and sometimes controversial pronouncements, and this comment fits that mold. A policy based on seniority is fine on the surface — but when you’re invoking some employees relishing in the pain of other employees, that’s a great way to sow discord in your culture. RTO is already a complex enough topic to broach as a communicator, and it’s got to be rooted within a company’s culture with an eye toward employee experience. Perhaps this is Tenev’s way of saying that rank-and-file employees have it pretty good compared to others. But managers and executives are employees too, and invoking the image of pain upon them isn’t ideal to say the least. One should also consider the channel. The looseness of a podcast studio might enable answers like this more than something more staid, like an internal memo.

Organizations can put together any RTO policy they see fit — but communication about it needs to be careful and considerate of all the people impacted. Off-the-cuff comments from leadership can plant the seeds of discontent if communicators aren’t advising executives on how to handle employee-centric RTO comms.

2. ’I don’t want to get rid of a bunch of people,’ says Cisco CEO before layoffs

Cisco is cutting nearly 200 jobs in California. A report from SFGate stated that employees were notified of the layoffs on August 14, and the cuts will be effective as of October 13. It is unclear exactly what kind of employees are impacted by the layoff.

However, In a recent interview with CNBC, CEO Chuck Robbins said that the looming impact of AI could slow future hiring in the tech space — but also that he didn’t want to eliminate any roles.

“I don’t want to get rid of a bunch of people right now. I don’t want to get rid of engineers,” Robbins said. “I just want our engineers we have today to innovate faster and be more productive and that gives us a competitive advantage.”

Robbins did not directly discuss the layoffs, though the interview was held the same day the WARN notice was filed.

Even when it might seem like it’s contradictory, it’s important for leaders to know how to communicate balance in their messages. Robbins makes it pretty clear that he doesn’t want to cut jobs, but that his ultimate priority is making Cisco a stronger company. Those ideas aren’t in opposition; they’re complementary parts of a CEO’s role. Effective leadership communicators know how to say the right people-centric things while also keeping focus on the company’s goals.

3. Warm leadership approaches can foster better employee learning: report

A study in Scientific Reports found that there’s a direct connection between benevolent leadership approaches and better employee learning outcomes. The study found that an approach that’s “characterized by warmth” can help plug holes that are created by a primarily transactional leadership style.

Communicators play a big role in humanizing leaders through messaging. Even seemingly small efforts like Q&As with the C-suite and profiles on leaders’ interests outside work can help foster connection through communication. The idea that a warmer leadership comms approach makes employees better learners isn’t just good for company culture — it’s good for business. Better learners are more skilled workers and often more productive ones.

No communication happens in a vacuum. Even the simple act of leaders being just a little warmer in their employee interactions and messaging can impact the bottom line.

4. How about some good news?

• Nike founder Phil Knight donated $2 billion toward cancer research.
• Lotus flowers grew in a Kashmiri lake for the first time in three decades.
• Scientists identified a new species of manta ray — the third in the world.
• Ragan Training is great for communications pros to find inspiration and resources.
• You should be rewarded for your work. Find out how to earn an award here! Our PR Daily Awards close next week.

Have a great weekend comms all-stars!

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports and trivia.