Indeed Leadership Connect Member Spotlight: Christine Geissler

Last year’s infant formula shortage crisis was a reminder to Christine Geissler just how important an organization’s mission is — and how closely that mission should be linked to the employee value proposition. 

Geissler is the global senior vice president of human resources at multinational consumer goods company Reckitt for global nutrition and ecommerce businesses across Asia, Latin America and North America. A member of Indeed’s Leadership Connect, Geissler recently shared her thoughts on a variety of topics — including immigration, the global talent shortage, an unfortunate incident in Singapore and an inspiring quote from “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”

How did you get into the HR and TA field?

When I went to college, few universities offered courses in what was then called “personnel management.” The concept of human resources was just starting to come of age. 

So in college I thought I’d go into business and communications, something perhaps in public relations. But there were so many things I was exposed to in my senior year that pulled me in the direction of leadership and wanting to help people. And it’s some of my coursework that led me in that direction — whether it was my gender and communications course or an entire course just about listening skills … I learned a lot from it, and I know we can all still get better at active listening. 

In my first job out of college, I was a management trainee. I told them I wanted to get into personnel and human resources, so after a year, they made me the personnel and operations manager in one of their retail stores. I feel like I was one of the professionals who, at that time, were still forming what the whole HR and talent space would become. 

What are the two biggest challenges you’re facing in your role right now? 

Hiring and retention. 

You have to really think about what you’re doing to attract people to your company. What is your employee value proposition? What is unique about your company? What do you want to be known for, and how are you impacting the world? We’re really trying to address those things. 

Certainly, the labor market has forced us to look at what we’re doing to hire and retain in new and innovative ways and yet continuing to ensure we’re competitive and doing all the right things in terms of the basics, whether it’s wages or benefits. 

It’s important for our employee benefits to reflect our mission, too. As a company, we’re looking at parenting from many angles. The whole family definition has changed. How can we help with adoption, fertility, or other family benefits? One example is what we’ve done with parental leave. We offer, fully paid, 10 weeks of disability leave for mothers for birth. And in addition, we further provide 16 weeks of fully paid leave for both women and men for the birth or adoption of a child. That’s practically unheard of in the U.S. still today, to pay for a full 26 weeks of leave.

I had the privilege of seeing our value proposition in action more than ever this past year, too, in working for our nutrition business. (Among Reckitt’s many consumer brands are infant nutrition products such as Enfamil and Nutramigen.) 

During the infant formula shortage crisis in North America last year, our employees worked so hard and have been so passionate about our purpose: feeding babies. They worked a lot of overtime, gave a lot of incremental effort … and all because these employees are so engaged with … our mission. 

When the shortage hit, we had to scramble. We had to figure out how to make more, which took everyone from manufacturing working overtime to produce it, looking for every way we could make our formula better, quicker and faster without ever risking quality. 

It also meant working with the U.S. government and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), getting them to look at our global manufacturing facilities, like the one in Singapore. It was an all-hands-on-deck situation that involved us also talking to the president’s team, working with the regulatory environment to get our product out across the U.S. as soon as possible. 

What’s something you’re really proud of in your work right now? 

One of the things I’m most proud of is our leadership team during this crisis. We had been ready to make a price increase because commodities had gone up, as they have everywhere. Our leadership team knew we needed to raise prices — but they also knew it wasn’t the right time. We had parents panicking about where to find infant nutrition. The last thing we wanted to do is hike our prices. 

It was the right decision to make, for many reasons focused on our very important consumers. Another reason is that it benefits employee retention. Are you the kind of company that does the right thing? If you are, that’s the kind of company people want to work for. 

I’m so proud of my team. It’s difficult to get great employees. And my team is doing an amazing job across the globe. I’m privileged to work with them all. I’m also proud because the Top Employers Institute recently named Reckitt USA and Reckitt Canada as Top Employers for 2023, and we are receiving similar accolades in the majority of countries we are focused in!

March is Women’s History Month. Aside from what we’ve already discussed, is Reckitt doing other things to support women in its workforce? 

Yes! Women’s History Month is an important one that we support, but it is important year-round. We have leadership training designed to advance and accelerate women in the workplace. We’ve also developed programs that help assimilate women back into the workforce when they return from maternity leave. When you’re away for six months, it can feel like a lifetime. It’s also for men who take time away for an extended period, helping them assimilate. It’s about helping people be successful at work.

You’ve mentioned in the past that one solution to the global talent shortage is immigration. Would you elaborate on that? 

Why aren’t we, as companies, working together to develop a business solution to this problem instead of just relying solely on the government? We let immigrants into the country, but then we don’t let them work. And yet, the government is willing to spend the money to put them up in substandard lodging. What if we as companies and organizations offered to help immigrant families — help them get settled, get jobs and figure out this new world to live in? Why can’t we find an innovative solution to this problem together? We need workers, and we have people immigrating to the U.S. hoping to find work and build a new life. 

What do you see as the biggest change in the workforce in the next 10 years? 

How and where work gets done will be fundamentally different. Nobody's saying working from home 100% of the time is the answer. That’s not the future. But I don't think any of us know what the future of work will look like in 10 years, and that’s a little humbling. 

What's your biggest hope personally for the next 12 months?

I recently broke my arm in Singapore, so my hope is to get back personally to where I was before that with some wellness goals. HR is good at taking care of others; we all need to take better care of our own wellbeing too. 

Has the Indeed Leadership Connect program helped you in your role in any way, and if so, how?

We can share a lot and learn from each other. We can grow together. The Indeed team brings valuable insights to these events: into what’s going on in our world and how we can lean in and help. I appreciate that the Leadership Connect program isn’t about Indeed; it’s about bringing these leaders together and tapping into their collective wisdom. That is so rewarding to watch, participate [in] and learn from. It can actually serve as a catalyst for change. 

What’s the best career advice you’ve ever given or received?

There was a former military man I worked with who was a fantastic leader, and he taught me that whenever there’s a problem, recognize you’re 60% of the problem. When you understand that premise, solving the problem is going to be a lot easier as you have more of a vested interest in it being part of the solution.

Is there a particular book, podcast or movie that has inspired you? 

“Crucial Conversations” is a book that can inspire people to give others the feedback they deserve to help them on their journey. 

Also, there’s a quote from “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” a play that my daughter and I saw recently, that really speaks to me: 

“In every shining moment of happiness is that drop of poison: the knowledge that pain will come again. Be honest to those you love, show your pain. To suffer is as human as to breathe."  

To me, that quote is a reminder to be grateful and find joy each day. To know pain is to know and appreciate joy and the goodness in life. And I have a lot to feel blessed about at home and at work.