Here’s to Hope – in Politics and the Workplace

There has been much talk about hope lately. Hope for a better tomorrow. Hope for change. Yesterday voters showed that their hopes are important, important enough to wait for hours to cast their vote.

Politics isn’t the only place I’ve heard about hope lately. Recently at an HR Conference there was much talk about the economy, minimizing risk, lowering expectation, but there was also one voice speaking about hope…a somewhat surprising voice, Michael Beckman, Director of Talent Acquisition for Freddie Mac.

Freddie Mac uses their mission of providing liquidity, stability and affordability to the housing market to recruit their employees. They want employees who believe in their mission and feel good about working for a company that is about helping out its neighbors. And even in today’s maelstrom it’s working for them. On college campuses, the very same kids who turned out the vote yesterday turn up at Freddie Mac’s booth to work for a socially conscious company.

According to Beckman even with the recent publicity, Freddie Mac has low turnover and continues to attract and hire quality talent. Our conversation during lunch continues to be one I come back to and think about. I think about how the world is changing. How the boomers and their “greed is good” “win at all costs” mentalities are finally losing their stronghold over the world I live and work in and how a more hopeful and socially conscious group is taking over.

Mr. Beckman did not have as much hope for my venture, promoting more flexibility in the workplace. He felt it would be difficult to have management roles work flexibly. He is, after all, still a boomer. Hopefully we Gen Xers and the Gen Yers will show him the way.