With companies facing rapid transformation across industries, Drew Soule, a seasoned HR executive with over 15 years of experience in organizational design, talent strategy, and change management, is urging leaders to rethink the role of human resources in shaping business outcomes.
Drawing from his recent spotlight feature, “Drew Soule on Leading HR Through Change and Growth,” Soule challenges the outdated view of HR as reactive or support-only. Instead, he advocates for a new mindset—one that treats HR as a core driver of performance and transformation.
“HR can’t just react anymore,” Soule said. “We have to operate like product teams—understand the user, build systems that scale, and keep improving.”
The Cost of Not Evolving
According to a 2024 Gallup report, only 23% of employees worldwide are engaged at work, while 41% say they are unclear about their performance expectations. Soule sees this as a leadership gap—not just an engagement issue.
“If people don’t understand how they’re measured or how they grow, that’s not a talent problem—it’s a design problem,” he explained. “That’s where HR should be leading.”
Soule has helped companies navigate IPO readiness, M&A integration, and labor relations, and says most friction during these events comes from misaligned systems and unclear communication, not resistance to change.
A Call for Action: Design HR With Intention
Soule urges HR teams and business leaders to treat people operations with the same level of intent and experimentation as product development.
“Ask yourself—who are we building this system for? What do they need to succeed? What’s not working anymore? What are we solving for?”
He encourages:
-
Cross-functional collaboration between HR, Legal, DEIB, Compliance, and business units
-
Data-informed talent strategies, not gut-driven ones
-
Simple, scalable systems that evolve with the business
-
Accountability that’s paired with empathy and inclusion
Advice for Business Leaders
Soule believes executives need to bring HR into the conversation earlier—especially when companies are entering moments of growth or change.
“If you’re planning an acquisition, launching a new business line, or rethinking your org chart—HR shouldn’t be the last call you make. We should be in the room from the start,” he said.
He also encourages every leader, regardless of title, to focus on clarity, consistency, and connection with their teams.
“You don’t need a reorg to fix morale. Start by listening more and defining success more clearly.”
What Individuals Can Do Now
Soule’s message isn’t just for HR professionals. He wants employees and managers at every level to think critically about how they show up—and how they build culture.
He recommends:
-
Have regular conversations about performance expectations
-
Ask for feedback from peers and direct reports—throughout the year
-
Push for systems that reflect the actual work being done—not legacy policies
-
Make inclusion and transparency part of every team decision
“You can’t change the entire system overnight,” Soule said. “But you can lead differently in your own corner of it. That’s where culture starts.”
CALL TO ACTION
Lead your team like you’d build a great product: test, learn, and iterate. Start by having one clear conversation this week about performance, purpose, or inclusion. Better workplaces don’t just happen—they’re designed.
Media Contact:
Read the full Interview, here.
Email: drewsoule@emaildn.com
Media Contact
Contact Person: Drew Soule
Email: Send Email
Country: United States
Website: https://www.crunchbase.com/person/drew-soule-aab0