Rebecca Elise Ahmed
Rebecca Ahmed is an upcoming TEDx speaker, certified Energy Leadership Coach with the International Coaching Federation (ICF), and published writer. She has taken her expertise and launched her own business, Laugh Thru Life, where she brings energy and joy to the workplace and is a recognized expert in talent acquisition, culture, and diversity and inclusion. During her 10+ years as a leader in Human Resources (HR) in Hospitality, she is most notably recognized for partnering with C-Suite Executives through a 2.8B M&A, overseeing Talent Acquisition, HR Operations and Technology for up to 16,000+ team members. Rebecca joined Savills in 2019 as their Corporate Managing Director to help organizations leverage their commercial real estate to attract top talent. Rebecca has a bachelor’s in public relations with a double minor in communication design and business from the University of Southern California, and a master’s in hotel administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Works
Stripping Away Bias, One Avatar At A Time
What will the future of the workplace look like post-COVID-19? This is the million-dollar question on everyone’s minds! While the logistics of returning to work are the primary focus, a beautiful opportunity is arising within diversity and inclusion.
For the first time ever, almost everyone has become an avatar. Avatars have no color, no gender, no sexual orientation, no height, no weight. And yes, while we are asking people to turn on their cameras, the small image behind the screen leaves much unseen.
For the first time ever, we can evaluate a person’s performance based on their productivity and quality of work, rather than their performance under the influence of conscious and unconscious biases.
How will this shift in culture affect the future of the workplace? While it’s too soon to tell the long-term effects of COVID-19, I believe the effects of the virtual workplace will create an opportunity for compensation to join the other progressive fields of human resources.