TL;DR: Most companies rigorously control risks tied to physical assets yet overlook employee-related risk. By consistently tracking behaviors and spotting trends, ER teams can predict and mitigate people risk just as systematically as other operational hazards.
Video Transcript:
[0:00] I often wonder why organizations don’t manage employee risk the same way they manage risk for other resources. Human resources are usually the biggest expense, yet we treat them differently.
[0:30] Years ago, I was in a hotel elevator that suddenly stopped. I reported it at the front desk, and the staff sprang into action—asking questions, logging details, calling maintenance—because they knew an elevator failure could hurt guests and damage the hotel’s reputation. They had a playbook for that risk.
[1:00] That made me ask: Why don’t we react the same way when an employee behaves inappropriately and poses risk to the organization? Physical assets like elevators are predictable—you install them and expect them to go up and down reliably.
[1:30] Employees, on the other hand, are less predictable. They bring diverse backgrounds, experiences and roles, so some leaders assume risk can’t be standardized. But we can track behaviors, analyze data and find patterns to predict and manage people risk, protecting both the organization and employees.
