For this week’s interview, we speak with the other co-head of the HR Guild, Brenda Laughlin. Brenda is the other half of Envario, having co-founded the firm with Brian Turk. Our conversation addresses her perspective on DeHR (Decentralized Human Resources), its areas for growth in Web3, and what she’s working on at the moment.
D: What drew you to Web3 and what excites you about it?
B: I explored investing in crypto and NFTs and became interested in Web3 when my business partner, Brian Turk, introduced me to DAOs. I have spent my entire career working for or consulting with companies on HR transformation and talent strategies. I have always been interested in forward-thinking around work and how organizations interact with their talent. I believe there are many opportunities to do “work” better.
My fascination with different models of work comes partly from my personal experiences. I have worked primarily in a remote capacity since 2007 and as an independent contractor for part of that time. I have also served in leadership roles in largely remote/independent contractor organizations. With COVID, we took a big step forward in accepting remote work. I immediately saw the benefit of remote work that allowed for the expansion of the talent pool — the increase in opportunities for people. My career catapulted when I became an independent contractor and saw the value of a fluid workforce.
Like COVID did for remote work, I believe Web3 concepts like DAOs and Blockchain will transform work for everyone. I am fascinated with supporting Web3 organizations on their journey to change work.
D: Our case studies were split HR into three categories — Sourcing, Benefits, and Payroll. In your opinion, which still needs to grow the most?
B: There is still a lot to figure out regarding pay and compensation. Many solutions for determining compensation built for Web3 are trying to solve the problem of perceived inequality in traditional compensation systems. However, one of the biggest challenges I see is how Web3 organizations are attracting and retaining contributors. So many talented contributors have mortgages and college to pay for and need to know what to expect in pay and benefits — providing security while also allowing for a decentralized compensation model will be a challenge. I don’t think anyone has answers on providing stability while allowing for a decentralized work model.
Additionally, the reward systems built for Web3 often involve a subjective crowdsourcing approach allowing everyone to provide input into what value someone provided and awarding compensation based on that. How can this approach turn into something transparent, equitable, and not a popularity contest?
D: From an HR perspective, what area of crypto most excites you and why? This can be either a specific piece of technology yet to be developed or that is in development but not yet mainstream.
B: I am intrigued with what the Velocity Network is creating using blockchain and a self-sovereign identity model allowing individuals to control their data and have sole ownership. They brought together HR tech industry leaders and vendors to lead and support this effort which is an impressive feat. Velocity Network’s utility layer will replace the outdated, fragmented way individuals represent their expertise, certifications, credentials, accomplishments, and career reputation. Instead of resumes and other self-reported online profiles, contributors can claim and own signed and verifiable digital career credentials from employers, educational institutions, and certification or license providers/issuers.
As we are building Enavrio, an HR and HR Tech Consulting Collective, I have found myself drawn to work around Intellectual Property and the concepts of composability. A mechanism for talent to protect, share, and profit from their work and allow others to build upon it will transform consulting.
D: Personally, what are you working on right now, Brenda?
B: One of the things I am working on right now within the Web3 space is helping DAOs with mechanisms for role clarity, accountability, and performance management.
However, my primary focus is expanding Enavrio’s reach and creating more opportunities for our independent freelancer collective. Our vision in creating Enavrio is to support Independent Contractors in growing and developing their individual businesses while coming together collectively to significantly impact the HR and HR Tech industries.
