How does a globally acclaimed actress, producer and entrepreneur juggle all her responsibilities?
Nicole Kidman spoke with Paycom, a leading provider of cloud-based human capital management software, in an exclusive webinar about how automated technology helps save time and resources, her leadership approach and how she supports and inspires women in the workplace.
Paycom offers a range of valuable resources designed to enhance companies’ workforce operations and keep them up to date with the latest trends, changes and best practices in HR and payroll. Through webinars, podcasts and other platforms, Paycom regularly features industry experts, entrepreneurs and thought leaders who share their perspectives on HR technology, workplace trends and the future of work.
In addition to Nicole Kidman, Paycom has had the privilege of speaking with other notable figures, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Robin Roberts.
Here are key takeaways from Paycom’s discussion with Nicole.
Setting Boundaries and Managing Expectations
One of the first lessons Nicole learned early on was the importance of setting boundaries and acknowledging her own limits didn’t make her weak—they made her more effective.
“It’s amazing how things can change once you set your boundaries for what you are capable of,” she says, “and not where it’s an indulgent thing, but where it is actually very rigorously honest with yourself. What am I actually physically capable of, mentally capable of and emotionally capable of?”
Being honest about what she can and can’t do has allowed Nicole to create a more sustainable, productive work environment. Naturally, life and work don’t always go as planned, even with boundaries in place. There are moments when you need to let go of something to stay focused on your priorities. “You can’t do it all,” she admits, acknowledging that the key is accepting those moments when you need to adapt.
Embracing Opportunities and Staying Curious
Nicole embraces each new opportunity enthusiastically, always asking, “Are the rights to this available? What can we do next?” It’s this sense of curiosity that has fueled her career, allowing her to remain excited about what’s coming next, even when faced with setbacks. When those setbacks happen, she says you must maintain forward momentum and continue to believe in yourself and your team to push through tough times.
Nicole also reminds herself that growth comes from embracing failure. “The worst that can happen is you fail, or you weren’t the best at that… or you surprise yourself, or you get the job done very well,” she says, showing that taking risks helps keep her motivated and open to new possibilities.
Leadership, Mentorship and Empowerment
Nicole’s leadership style is all about empowering others and recognizing their efforts. “Passing on a compliment when you think of it–oh my gosh, the power of that. And so many people think nice things, and they don’t say them. Just a little pat on the back or a sign of encouragement is worth its weight in gold.”
She fosters a collaborative environment by celebrating individual contributions and ensuring everyone feels valued. By being flexible and accommodating, Nicole creates a supportive atmosphere that motivates her team to do their best.
Similarly, Paycom believes in create a caring, supportive environment. The company offers dynamic benefits, including in-house well-being advisors, $1-per-pay-period individual health insurance and $0 copays for in-network therapy and counseling. Additionally, Paycom provides employee resource groups (ERGs) to help employees from diverse backgrounds connect with one another.
Chad Richison’s, Paycom founder and CEO, dedication to building a positive work culture and empowering employees has earned the company numerous awards for its culture, recently ranking in the top 5 among large companies with the happiest employees in the U.S. and Canada on the employee review and salary platform Comparably.
One Paycom employee wrote, “From teammates to managers, supervisors and even the company as a whole, Paycom offers a positive and supportive environment where upward mobility and professional growth is accessible to anyone who wants it and is willing to put in the effort to get it.” Richison shared, “We’re focused on creating the best employee experience for companies around the world through our software, and that’s no different for our own employees.
Balancing Work and Life
Nicole integrates her family life into her career in a way that feels natural and fulfilling to her. “When my husband makes music, it’s our music. When I make a film, it’s our film,” she says, reflecting the deep connection between her personal and professional life.
It’s not always easy to deal with the demands of a global career. “At some point, you do have to set a cutoff time… the rest can be dealt with in the morning,” she advises.
Leveraging Technology
When it comes to managing her day-to-day responsibilities, Nicole tackles overwhelming workloads by focusing on one task at a time, asking herself, ‘What can I do right now?’ This focus on small, actionable steps helps her turn progress into motivation for tackling the next task.
Nicole also embraces technology as a tool to streamline her work and be more efficient. “Technology creates more time because the one thing we can’t buy is time,” she says, explaining how automation has freed her team to focus on higher-priority tasks.
Inspired by the same principle of simplifying work through automation, Richison founded Paycom to streamline processes for organizations and HR teams by leveraging technology. The award-winning automated time-off request tool, GONE®, eliminates time-consuming, manual time-off reviews and approvals, freeing HR teams and staff to focus on what matters at work and in life. According to Forrester Consulting’s Total Economic Impact study of GONE’s impact, it saved individual managers nearly one workweek annually previously spent on tasks related to approving employee time-off requests.
Paycom’s Beti®, an industry-first automated payroll solution, also gives employees direct control over their payroll, freeing up time by simplifying tasks like calculating work hours, tracking expenses and managing pay changes. This tool also helps employees find and fix payroll errors before submission, saving HR valuable time and preventing delays that could disrupt payments and cause larger issues. By eliminating these distractions, Beti ensures that both employees and HR can stay focused on the tasks that truly matter, while also maintaining connection and trust between employees and employers.
While technology keeps us connected globally, Nicole recognizes the need for boundaries in a constantly connected world. “We’re global, so we have to deal with all different time zones. And that can be, once again, where you have to go, this is the cutoff time, the rest can be dealt with in the morning.”
To watch the full webinar, visit https://www.paycom.com/resources/webinars/nicole-kidman-talks-tech-family-and-leadership/, and visit https://www.paycom.com/resources/podcasts/episode/nicole-kidman-on-leading-with-empathy-and-the-importance-of-giving-back/ to listen to the podcast. Plus, if you’d like to subscribe to Paycom’s podcast hub, head to https://www.paycom.com/resources/podcasts/.
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Nicole Kidman Joins Paycom Webinar and Podcast to Talk Leadership, Tech and Work-Life Balance