Donna Flynn, Chief People Officer at Steelcase

Episode SummaryWhat if your office space could directly improve trust, collaboration, and retention? In this episode of Built by People, we’re joined by Donna Flynn, PhD anthropologist and Chief People Officer at Steelcase, who shares how her unconventional career journey—from academia to tech to manufacturing—uniquely positioned her to lead transformative cultural change.Donna reveals how Steelcase reimagines the modern workplace using human-centered design—not only to develop innovative furniture, but also to shape inclusive employee experiences and drive engagement. She walks us through tangible projects like redesigning the HR workspace to build trust, launching a global network of employee resource groups, and pioneering wellbeing initiatives long before they were trending.If you're a people leader thinking about hybrid strategy, culture, or workspace design, this episode will challenge your assumptions and offer actionable insights on how to lead with systems thinking, empathy, and design principles.Key Timestamps[00:08] – Donna’s non-linear career path: from anthropology to HR leadership[03:27] – How redesigning the HR office improved trust and engagement[08:15] – Using human-centered design to create inclusive employee experiences[10:55] – Future-of-work research and building a wellbeing hub before it was cool[13:42] – Applying anthropology in HR to drive systemic cultural change[16:57] – Why CHROs should see workspace as a lever for cultureTakeawaysLeverage physical workspace as a tool for cultural transformationUse human-centered design to engage underrepresented voices and build belongingApply system-thinking to uncover hidden barriers and design effective changeRecognize the strategic value of HR in shaping hybrid work experiencesCreate environments that “earn the commute” by fostering connection and purposeOur SponsorPrevi is an employer network that provides private pricing for employees. Joining the Previ network allows employees to save on necessities they already pay for, such as cell phone service and insurance. Previ saves the average employee $2,200/year. ⁠Join at no cost to the company.⁠