The current issues NYP is facing are multi-factor. Putting aside the macroeconomic challenges, certainly those coming from the government, one needs to focus in exclusively on the one executive who has continued to consistently demonstrate his failure to lead effectively, and failing to hire senior staff in his area that are effective in their roles.
That is Shaun Smith, Group SVP, Chief People and Culture Officer at NewYork-Presbyterian. Year by year the HR function has allowed people issues to plague the institution, including: allowing unchecked growth in headcount despite thinning organization finances; refusal to eliminate teams under him that no longer provide value to the organization (TD, People OPs and Strategy, etc.); failure to establish core HR programs now common across modern organizations (true talent planning - succession, skill building/talent migration, and leadership development.) He’s hired a Chief Talent Officer in the past two years who had effectively produced zero net new programs or definable strategies - just another executive with bloated pay that accomplishes nothing in service to the organization, its patients and its employees. And, he’s allowed turnover to grow out of control in key areas of NYP. He’s created fiefdoms to protect his interests and those of his longtime employees, despite the organization’s push for consolidation, streamlining, and a need for centralized functions - like HRIS existing outside of IT. He has enabled the organization to now rely upon annual layoffs to fix his mistakes, causing thousands of New Yorkers and their families to suffer the consequences of his inactions.
Instead, he’s focused on pay to play “best employer” or “great places to work” recognition surveys to pay for false recognition of the organization to obfuscate the reality of his poor leadership in the People function. Wasting more money to insulate himself from his very obvious failure.
Even now, his part of the organization is taking the smallest cuts to positions while other corporate functions have deep, impactful cuts. Cuts in other areas that we believe will disrupt our ability to provide reliable, quality services to the rest of the enterprise.
No one understands why he has continued to persist at this organization when he seems to provide negative value, besides the obvious tricks he employs to boost outside recognition of himself and the HR group. Internally, no one shares this same perspective on his, nor his team’s performance. One must question- what ties does he have to Corwin or to certain board members that protects him and perpetuates his receipt of over $1.7m per year base compensation plan.
WHY IS OUR BOARD ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL WITH THIS?
WHY AREN’T THEY CHOOSING TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF OUR PEOPLE AND, BY EXTENSION, OUR PATIENTS - The whole reason for our being?
It’s shocking even to see the 466 teams engaging the Teamsters about forming a new union. This would have never been heard of before but the people mismanagement by senior leadership has necessitated a strong response from the plebeians.