In this episode of the Cohesion Podcast, Miriam Connaughton speaks with Jim O’Gorman, Chief People Officer at Included Health, about designing belonging and connectedness in a distributed healthcare workforce. Jim shares how his team reinvested office savings into ERGs and in-person experiences, how they separate orientation from onboarding, and why psychological safety matters more than ever in a dispersed workforce.

From playlists and Slack channels to leadership development and DEI strategy, this episode offers practical guidance on how to build a people-first culture—with intention.

Episode Segments:

1. Getting to Know Jim

00:00: From Hulu to healthcare—Jim shares career highlights, personal stories, and a favorite show.

2. Rethinking Belonging

04:53: Why employees feel lonelier than ever—and how we’ve misunderstood engagement.

3. Leading a Remote Culture

08:09: How Included Health uses travel, ERGs, and curated moments to foster connection.

4. Generational Diversity in the Workplace

18:06: What really divides (and unites) different generations—and how to focus on what matters.

5. Onboarding with Purpose

21:31: Why onboarding and orientation should be separate—and how to create early connection.

6. Inclusion & Performance

28:04: Beyond checkboxes—how DEI connects to performance, safety, and true belonging.

7. Equipping Leaders

32:00: Why junior managers are under pressure—and how to support them in a remote world.

8. Tech That Connects

35:11: Using tools like Slack, playlists, and walk-on songs to scale human connection.

“We need to stop running from connectedness. Remote work requires more—not less—humanity in how we lead.” – Jim O’Gorman

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