Introducing Steph Bloom
In a recent episode of the Rec Tech Podcast, Chris Russell sat down with Steph Bloom, the newly appointed Chief People Officer at Spear Physical and Occupational Therapy. Bloom, who has been with the company for about 94 days, shared her journey from consumer brands to the healthcare sector. She brings nearly 20 years of experience from high-growth brands like Framebridge, Casper, and Warby Parker. Bloom was drawn to Spear because of its unique approach to healthcare, which she explains as "a hospitality brand who happens to do physical therapy" > Spear is a hospitality brand who happens to do physical therapy. — Steph Bloom.
Bridging Hospitality and Healthcare
Bloom elaborates on how Spear integrates hospitality practices into their healthcare services. She notes that "bedside manner is always an important part of medicine" and stresses the importance of service design, drawing parallels with retail experiences > Bedside manner is always an important part of medicine across all disciplines and all specialties. — Steph Bloom. Spear aims to enhance the patient experience by focusing on elements like scent, product placement, and wayfinding, similar to a retail or hospitality setting. This approach is also reflected in their focus on real estate, ensuring that their clinics are inviting and accessible.
Talent Acquisition and People Analytics
A significant part of Bloom's current focus is on talent acquisition and refining Spear's employer value proposition (EVP). Bloom mentions, "We are growing. We have about 80 clinics in the tri-state area to date" and are looking to expand further > We are growing. We have about 80 clinics in the tri-state area to date. — Steph Bloom. She emphasizes the importance of using people analytics to drive business decisions and improve the overall employee experience. Spear uses tools like Lever and Dayforce to collect data, which Bloom aims to integrate for a comprehensive view of the employee journey.
The Role of AI in HR
Bloom discusses the evolving role of Chief People Officers in today's business environment, highlighting the importance of being a business executive who happens to have HR expertise. She sees AI as a tool to handle administrative tasks, allowing HR professionals to focus on more nuanced, human-centric work. Bloom personally uses AI daily and believes it can help "find so much more efficiency in your day for the work that requires face to face like human connection and critical thinking" > Find so much more efficiency in your day for the work that requires face to face like human connection and critical thinking. — Steph Bloom.
Future Plans and Challenges
Looking ahead, Bloom is keen on developing Spear's leadership programs to help clinicians become effective managers. She also aims to document and systematize the company's culture to ensure it scales effectively as the company grows. Bloom highlights the challenge of recruiting in a competitive healthcare job market, particularly as the number of graduates in physical therapy is not keeping pace with increasing patient demand. She underscores the importance of a strong EVP to attract talent from across the country.
Overall, Steph Bloom's insights offer a compelling look at how hospitality principles can enhance healthcare delivery and how people strategy is integral to business success.
