In August, Jeremy Falke, M.B.A., a senior human resources executive with more than two decades of experience in human resources, financial, and business operations for companies with dozens of locations across the U.S., joined UT Southwestern as Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer.

Mr. Falke oversees human resources operations, talent acquisition, employee relations, organizational development and training, and payroll, reporting to Holly G. Crawford, M.B.A., Executive Vice President for Business Affairs. His responsibilities include oversight of all human resource programs, developing strategic initiatives, and enacting short- and long-range planning affecting staff across the institution.

He comes to UT Southwestern from Sonida Senior Living, a Dallas-based company that operates more than 70 facilities in 18 states. Prior to that, he worked at Tenet Healthcare for six years, rising from Senior Director of Strategic Operations, Analytics, and Reporting, to Vice President of Talent, Culture, and Performance Systems. Mr. Falke also spent nearly a decade as the Chief Human Resources Officer at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

He recently answered questions for Center Times about his goals at UT Southwestern and his philosophy on human resources practices.

What is your philosophy and approach to human resources management?

The human resources function is all about supporting the people of the organization. I believe that great HR service and support help people do great work. That’s how I think human resources makes the biggest impact, ensuring that as much as we can and as often as we can, we’re interacting and engaging to help the people of UT Southwestern do great work.

We want to approach everything with a desire to “collaborate radically” with our partners and provide them with great service. Sometimes HR can be seen as simply good at saying “no.” So I believe it’s really incumbent on us to always try hard to get to “yes,” helping solve business situations or work that needs to be done through innovative ideas and true partnership.

Radical collaboration and service is a mindset that ensures we will always approach each task with a goal to find a solution within the policies, processes, or even laws relative to the situation. I believe this focused approach in always trying to find the best potential solution in each situation builds true partnership and ongoing trust with the leaders and our colleagues across the organization.

What changes and trends have you seen in HR?

In the short term, based on the current macro landscape, we will continue to battle for the top talent in ways never seen before. In the longer term, we will need to solve for the continued mass exodus of employees in the baby boomer generation. The impact of this largest generation in U.S. history reaching peak retirement has only begun to be experienced – and thoughtful planning, reinvented work, and innovative approaches to productivity will play a big part in winning overall in the next five to 10 years.

We have employees who want different things today. Technology and the life we’re living have something to do with it. The employee has so many options and desires for true flexibility and customized needs from their employer today.

I believe that both the pandemic and the emergence of the “gig” economy have grown a desire for individual flexibility in employees that is both challenging for the current workplace and also a huge opportunity for organizations that continue to actively listen to their employees and then innovate to find the space where both employee and employer are engaged, productive, and happy.

What appealed to you about coming to UT Southwestern?

First, UT Southwestern is a world-renowned and highly distinguished organization, so to have the opportunity to serve here was immediately interesting to me. I truly enjoy working in an academic setting where so many diverse and brilliant minds come together, focused on such a powerful mission to serve others.

One of the things that I love the most about the academic environment is the fact that you have great diversity. You have people coming from all over the world, focused on a singular and really incredible mission – to teach and research and care for others. I love being a part of that.

UT Southwestern is an incredibly special place, and I’m very proud to say I’m now a part of that community.