Lauren Frye, Director of People Tech and Data: Shaping the World of Work to Benefit Everyone
What will it take to transform the workplace into an even playing field for all? Global-first HR tech like Deel HR will play a key role, as will team leaders such as Lauren Frye, Deel’s Director of People Technology and Data.
Before joining Deel, Lauren worked at locally-owned businesses, multinational corporations, and tech startups across several different industries with increasing levels of leadership capacity.
“My experience has given me valuable exposure to many different schools of thought regarding business practices and policies,” says Lauren. “It’s also ingrained in me a desire to shape the world of work to benefit both ends of the employment relationship.”
Here’s what Lauren shared about working at Deel, her leadership style, and what scaling teams should look for in an HR tech stack.
What led you to Deel?
Lauren: I was a client of Deel in a previous role. At the time, we used the employer of record (EOR) model and contract management platform to expand our business into regions we would not have been able to independently.
As Deel continued to expand its services, there was clear alignment between my desire for professional impact and Deel’s goal to provide a low barrier of entry to scaling companies and personally flexible lifestyles to workers.
What’s a day in the life of the Director of People Tech and Data?
Lauren: While no two days look the same in a scaling tech company, I have found a rhythm that supports my team’s executional and strategic initiatives:
- Check emails and Slack to find slots of priority in the day for urgent needs
- Book meeting blocks to collaborate with team members in earlier timezones on cross-functional projects
- Dedicate a block of time to data hygiene across various sources of information
- Ensure all stakeholders have proper awareness by creating protected and secured reports
- Ensure all systems are updated properly and information is flowing in a timely manner. If not, I spend some time troubleshooting and performing root cause analysis on any returned errors
I wrap up the day with deep focus on projects, usually finding areas of improvement or tech automation to remove speed bumps from a process.
How did you develop your leadership style?
Lauren: My player-coach leadership style has been significantly shaped by witnessing strong leaders who influenced everyone to overcome challenges and become intrinsically motivated.
The most effective leaders would communicate organizational changes that directly or indirectly affect our operations. They asked for our input on source and resolution but also challenged our biases and predispositions.
They also cared for us as individuals, provided clear and timely feedback, got “in the weeds” with us when necessary, and set individualized paths customized to our strengths and weaknesses that aligned with organizational outcomes.
What should scaling teams keep top-of-mind when building their HR tech stack?
Lauren: The People/HR industry has been going through an extreme evolution over the last five years. This shift is due to macro-environmental impacts and an increasing need for HR to transform from owners of admin work to strategic partners.
While admin work will always be a piece of the HR puzzle, data analysis and technology adoption will allow us to influence change management and unlock competitive advantages.
When evaluating programs in an HR tech stack, look for tools that can:
- Create ease of use and security in people data management
- Streamline collaboration across organizational functions through automation
- Provide intelligence that guides you in making the best business decisions with the least amount of operational and experiential risk
You can hear more from Lauren and other Deel experts in our upcoming webinar, Simplify onboarding and increase employee engagement using an HRIS.
