I sat down with Emily Etherington to talk about her journey at Xenium, what lights her up about HR consulting, and where she sees HR heading next. Emily’s thoughtful, steady presence is exactly what you want when the people stuff gets complex—she brings clarity, options, and a calm, strategic lens.
What’s your role, and how long have you worked at Xenium?
I’m a Senior HR Business Partner. In this role, I serve as an HR consultant and strategic partner for a wide range of clients—nonprofit and for-profit, blue collar and white collar, public and private. I work with CEOs, HR leaders, CFOs, owners, and leadership teams, and sometimes directly with employees. I’m here to be a resource, a thinking partner, a project manager, and a strategy consultant. I just celebrated my 13-year anniversary with Xenium on August 20, 2025.
Tell us about your career progression at Xenium.
I joined Xenium in 2012 to serve as an onsite HR partner for one legacy client—a 100-year-old company that had never had HR. They were growing fast and needed someone to build out everything under the HR umbrella, from maximizing talent to minimizing risk. I supported that client for nearly a decade and developed a strong relationship before moving into my current role as a Business Partner serving multiple clients.
How is onsite HR different from your consulting work now?
Onsite work feels like you’re truly internal to the client. You’re embedded in their team, day-to-day. As a Business Partner, I’m still integrated and accessible, but the model is more consultative. I’m not making decisions for the client; I’m providing the information, options, and risk considerations so leaders can make informed decisions. It’s a mindset shift: less execution for one company, more strategic guidance and project leadership across many.
How did you get into HR in the first place?
Like many HR pros, I stumbled in. Back in 2006, I was a part-time bookkeeper at a family-owned grocery. I had extra capacity, so I started helping the store’s HR rep with reference checks and phone screens, then moved into full-cycle recruiting, HRIS work, attendance audits, and HR admin. From there I grew into performance management, discipline, and terminations. When that HR rep helped open another store, I took over the store’s HR role and stayed five years before joining Xenium.
What do you enjoy about working in an outsourced HR and payroll company?
I love the thinking-partner aspect—helping leaders make solid decisions by combining compliance with business strategy and clarifying their risk tolerance. I also thrive on variety. Clients don’t always face high-stakes issues frequently, so having an outsourced team that handles complex situations regularly—and brings a bench of specialists and HR directors—means we can execute efficiently and effectively when it counts.
What’s changed in HR since you started?
Leaders increasingly recognize the value of HR at the strategy table. Compliance changes rapidly, and keeping up is tough, especially across multiple states. The need for well-versed HR professionals and teams is clearer than ever. HR is seen less as “policy police” and more as a true partner.
What challenges are ahead for HR?
Keeping pace with compliance and multi-state complexity is big. So is having the right systems and tech stack to do more with less time. AI is everywhere—understanding its limitations, using it wisely, and managing the risks is crucial as organizations experiment and learn.
Name a project or accomplishment you’re proud of.
Client feedback means a lot. Turning something heavy and complex into something doable is incredibly rewarding. Internally, I’m proud of my work on Xenium’s DEI committee. The structure and impact of that group have been meaningful, and I’m grateful to contribute.
What advice would you give someone starting in HR?
Have fun, know what you don’t know, and ask questions. Build your network. Join your local HR chapter. Follow the employment lifecycle and learn it in an organized way. Find mentors—inside or outside your organization—through groups like SHRM and local chapters. Subscribe to employment law firm updates. It’s a lot to track, and HR departments of one need smart ways to expand their bandwidth.
Which parts of HR are your favorite?
Maximizing talent and employee engagement energizes me. I also find it rewarding to help clients navigate risky or challenging situations. Talking about retention, engagement, and being a great workplace has a bigger impact than we can always measure.
What’s a favorite client memory?
There are many. I love being invited into clients’ worlds—holiday parties, nonprofit galas, and fundraisers. It is really rewarding to see the good our clients do in their communities and help amplify that.
How do you hope your role evolves?
I see growth for myself in data analytics—translating HR metrics into business value and using that to inform strategy up front. Leaders care about the numbers. Getting more strategic with metrics can help align HR more tightly with business outcomes.
What do you wish more people knew about HR?
HR is central to organizational and individual success. We’re involved at every step of the employee lifecycle—bringing in the right people, developing and retaining talent, aligning behavior and values, shaping benefits, and keeping the business moving. HR has a hand in all of it, and that impact isn’t always visible from the outside.