Meredith College welcomed Charlie Fisher, FedEx Kinko’s senior vice president of human resources, who delivered the School of Business Distinguished Lecture on March 15.

Fisher discussed the history of Kinko’s, from its one-store beginning in 1970 to the present, including 2004 when it was acquired by FedEx. He then began discussing FedEx Kinko’s place in the global economy, as evidenced by Fisher’s January business visit to China.

“It is very important to see that we are in a global world…no longer can we look at what is going on around us, and think that is the full picture,” Fisher said.

The Changing Workforce
As a human resources professional, Fisher manages issues relating to the changing workforce. A major issue is turnover, because “people aren’t as committed to any [one] company as they once were,” Fisher said, cautioning about the “tremendous hidden costs of turnover.”

According to Fisher, generational differences between Baby Boomer employers, who seem to have less desire for “work/life balance” than do their Generation X or Millennial employees can contribute to turnover.

Fisher suggests potential employees “think about the questions you ask and that you are asked” in a job interview when the employer is a Baby Boomer and the candidate is from the Millennial generation.

“Ask about what a day in the life is like, or about how many hours are worked during the week, rather than asking about work/life balance,” Fisher said.

Meredith Connections
A native of Salisbury, N.C., Fisher has numerous Meredith College affiliations. His wife, mother-in-law, grandmother-in-law, daughter and sister are all alumnae.

“This is like home to me,” Fisher said.

About Charlie Fisher
Fisher oversees learning and development, recruiting, benefits, compensation, human resources and related information systems initiatives for FedEx Kinko’s, where he previously served as vice president human resources for U.S. field operations. His experience includes more than 26 years in multiple industries that include textiles, automotive, technology and retail management.

For information on Meredith College’s School of Business, visit www.meredith.edu/business.