How Worldpay's Black-Belt Thought Leaders Engage Employees to Advance their Company Mission

Ultimately, it’s people who drive the success of all organizations, says Nathan Peirson, Vice President of Talent Management at Worldpay, the credit card processing solutions company headquartered in Symmes Township. Whether attracting, developing or retaining people, human capital leaders must seize every opportunity to positively impact employees, businesses and communities via the value that well-managed talent brings to the table.

“Talent management has to be intentional, not just a program or a series of programs. It must be  part of a larger strategy so it’s not a quick flash, but a long-term plan for changing a company’s culture. For us, everything starts with our people leaders – our managers – and their ability to impact employee productivity, employee engagement and the overall health of the organization.”

Worldpay wanted to demonstrate what being a great people leader looks like, Peirson says, so they created a development journey for their people leaders.  Included in the journey were a series of intimate, personal discussions between the CHRO, CEO and all Worldpay managers executed as part of what they called People Leader Road Shows. They sat down with people leaders and discussed not only new programs and business strategies, but how critical their roles as leaders were to the company.

“The People Leader Road Shows offered a different kind of connection, a personal connection,” Peirson says. “It wasn’t just pushed out via email. It embodied the importance of the investment we make in our people. It’s not always about the dollars and what a program costs, but it’s about the commitment and time from your leadership to demonstrate its importance – knowing how important our leaders are to our success. Charles Drucker, our CEO, was willing to make the time commitment to have these conversations. As a result, not only were our managers energized, but our CEO was also inspired and energized by the discussions, too.”

These People Leader Road Shows were initially part of the September 2015 launch of the V5 – Worldpay’s five core enterprise values.

“We wanted to say, ‘This is Worldpay. This is how we act and behave.’ These values – being passionate, demonstrating a winning attitude, continuously improving ourselves and our work, having strong character and valuing people – became the foundation of our organization. It’s how we attract, develop and reward talent. It’s in our DNA.”

Worldpay continues to grow organically through strategic acquisitions, and the V5 is a means of getting everyone on the same page, adhering to the same set of values. Or, as their slogan says, “One Worldpay. One Vibe.”

Overall, championing human capital requires looking through the lens of “How would I want to be led?” says Peirson. Baby Boomers or Millennials –  the skills needed to manage different groups are essentially the same.

“All employees want to be successful and have an impact. So, know your people. Be aware of their needs, their aspirations. Understand what is important to them as individuals. At the heart of it, it’s about having good conversations and talking to your people.”