Some of our team members work right alongside the clients they serve, and Craig Wilson is one of them. As an Onsite HR Generalist embedded at Serendipity Center, Craig supports the staff of a therapeutic school doing some of the hardest and most meaningful work there is. He came to HR by way of psychology, organic produce, and a few years on the slopes, and his path says a lot about the kind of HR professional he has become. I talked with Craig about his work, what is changing in our field, and the advice he would give to anyone starting out.
Tell us about your role and what energizes you about the work.
I’m an Onsite HR Generalist with Xenium HR, embedded at Serendipity Center, a private nonprofit therapeutic school serving students with complex mental health and behavioral needs. In my role, I partner with leaders and employees on everything from employee relations and recruiting to benefits, leaves, and day-to-day HR support. The best way I can describe my work is helping create an environment where employees feel supported so they can do their best work.
My path into HR was a bit of a journey. I studied Psychology in college and initially wasn’t sure what career I wanted to pursue. During my junior and senior years, I took courses focused on how groups function in organizations, and that sparked an interest in workplace dynamics and helping organizations succeed through their people. After graduating, I earned my aPHR certification, moved to Oregon, and began my career through an HR internship that eventually grew into a full-time role.
Before joining Xenium HR, I worked as an HR Generalist for a wholesale organic produce distributor. After some major life changes and a period of burnout, I took a year away from HR to travel and focus on myself. When I was ready to return, I was looking for something that offered balance and flexibility. I came across Xenium’s onsite model, and it turned out to be exactly the right fit. I was hired specifically to support Serendipity Center, and while I didn’t know much about the organization at the time, it quickly became clear how meaningful the work was.
What energizes me most is the people. Every day I get to work alongside employees who dedicate themselves to helping students through some of the most challenging circumstances imaginable. Being able to support the people who are supporting others is incredibly rewarding and is a big part of why I love what I do.
What changes in HR and payroll have surprised or shaped you the most?
One of the biggest shifts I’ve seen is the increased focus on employee experience. I feel like HR is often viewed primarily through the lens of policies, procedures, and compliance. While those things remain important, I’ve seen organizations place much more emphasis on the overall employee experience and the role HR plays in shaping it.
This was a topic that came up frequently at the recent PHRMA conference and is something that has significantly shaped my own approach. Employees want to feel valued, supported, and connected to their work. HR has a unique opportunity to influence that experience through recruiting, onboarding, communication, development, benefits, and employee relations.
I believe accountability and clear expectations are still essential, but organizations see better outcomes when HR goes beyond being the “policy police” and instead focuses on helping employees grow and succeed. That balance between supporting people and supporting the organization is what makes modern HR so impactful.
What trends or challenges should clients keep an eye on, now and a few years down the road?
I think organizations should continue paying close attention to flexibility, autonomy, and how they support employees both inside and outside of work. Since COVID, employee expectations have shifted significantly, and many employees now place a higher value on flexibility and work-life balance than previous generations did.
I also think organizations will need to become more creative in how they approach benefits and total rewards. Compensation remains important, but employees are increasingly evaluating organizations based on the overall experience they provide.
As newer generations continue entering the workforce, expectations around communication, development, workplace culture, and flexibility will continue evolving. Organizations that are willing to adapt and listen to those changing needs will likely be in a stronger position to attract and retain talent.
What’s a project or moment you’re especially proud of, and what impact did it have?
One project I’m particularly proud of has been helping improve the employee experience from the moment a candidate applies through their onboarding and training process.
When I started at Serendipity Center, there wasn’t a fully formulated orientation process in place, so I created an orientation program and presentation designed to help new employees better understand the organization and set them up for success. From there, I updated job postings to make them more engaging and candidate-friendly, implemented a new applicant tracking system (Prism integration), which streamlined the recruiting and onboarding process, and updated offer letters to create greater consistency and clarity for new hires.
I also had the opportunity to partner closely with Serendipity’s newly hired Training and Development manager to help create a smoother transition from orientation into classroom onboarding and training.
While none of these changes were huge on their own, together they helped create a more intentional and supportive experience for new employees. Knowing that those improvements continue to benefit employees long after they were implemented is something I’m very proud of.
What advice would you give to someone joining our industry today?
One piece of advice I received early on in college HR courses was, “Don’t go into HR just because you want to help people.” At the time, I wasn’t sure I agreed with it, but over the years I’ve come to understand what they meant.
Helping people is absolutely part of HR, but it’s also a business function that helps organizations operate effectively and achieve their goals. The most successful HR professionals understand how to balance the needs of employees with the needs of the organization.
If I were giving advice to someone entering the profession today, I would encourage them to find an organization whose mission they genuinely believe in. When you feel connected to the purpose of the work, it becomes much easier to handle the challenges that come with the role. In the process of supporting that mission, you’ll naturally find opportunities to help people and make a meaningful impact.
Can you share a meaningful experience that reaffirmed your purpose?
One experience that stands out is how my role evolved over time at Serendipity Center. I originally started in a part-time position, and shortly after I joined, another HR team member who managed benefits, workers’ compensation, leave administration, and payroll-related responsibilities left the organization.
Rather than immediately replacing that role, I stepped in and took on many of those responsibilities myself. It was definitely a stretch opportunity and required me to learn new areas of HR that I hadn’t previously owned. There were challenges along the way, but it ultimately became one of the most valuable growth experiences of my career.
What made the experience meaningful was knowing that I was able to help provide continuity and stability for the client during a period of transition. It reinforced for me that some of the most rewarding opportunities in HR come from stepping outside of your comfort zone and being willing to grow alongside the organizations you support.
How do you hope to grow in your role, and what excites you about the future?
One of the things I’ve enjoyed most over the past few years has been expanding my expertise beyond traditional HR generalist responsibilities. Taking on benefits administration, leave management, workers’ compensation, and additional operational responsibilities has challenged me in new ways and helped me become a more well-rounded HR professional.
Like anyone who is learning, I’ve made mistakes along the way, but those experiences have also been some of the best teachers. Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue strengthening those areas of knowledge while building on the foundation I’ve already developed.
What excites me most about the future is that HR is always evolving. There are always new challenges, new perspectives, and new opportunities to learn. That continuous growth is one of the things that keeps the profession interesting and rewarding.
What’s something your coworkers would be surprised to learn about you?
People may be surprised to learn that before HR, I spent several years teaching skateboarding and snowboarding. In my early twenties, I worked at an action sports camp where I had the opportunity to work alongside professional athletes and Olympians while coaching kids how to skateboard. Later, while teaching snowboarding on Mt. Hood, I volunteered with Burton Chill, a nonprofit program that introduced at-risk youth to snowboarding and skateboarding.
The funny part is that when I was younger and watching The Office, I used to joke that I would never end up in HR because I didn’t want to be “Toby.” Looking back now, life clearly had other plans.
Describe your work style in three words.
Authentic, thoughtful, curious.