Interview with Sylvia Anne Hewlett

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an interview with Sylvia Anne Hewlett, founder and president of the Center for Work Life Policy and Director of the Gender and Policy Program at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent interviewer. Findings – Sylvia is a member of the World Economic Forum Council on the Gender Gap. She is the author of nine books including When the Bough Breaks (winner of a Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Book Prize), and, most recently, Off‐Ramps and On‐Ramps . This interview discusses her recent publication: Top Talent: Keeping Performance Up When Business is Down and how to engage and retain talent in the workplace. Practical implications – Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations. Originality/value – This interview provides insights into the strategies that employers should adopt to retain and engage talent and how organizations can better communicate with their employees following the economic downturn.