In this episode of Transform Your Workplace, Brandon Laws interviews Anitra St. Hilaire, HR expert and VP of People at ThreeFlow. Listeners will hear all about the most recent innovations in the areas of compensation, benefits, employee needs, remote and hybrid changes, and effective communication.
GUEST AT A GLANCE
Anitra St. Hilaire is the VP of People at ThreeFlow and has over 15 years of experience in helping companies grow by supporting and empowering their people. She is passionate about driving organizational effectiveness through recruiting, developing, and engaging employees.
A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST
🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR
🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws
📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.”
A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE
With extensive HR experience across three executive roles, guest Anitra St. Hilaire has learned no shortage of leadership lessons. She explained when she thinks of the momentous lessons that really shaped her, they’ve always revolved around “being values-aligned with the company, and [thinking] of my role as an organizational steward — I’m here for the company, which consists of both the people that are in it — the managers — and then the business itself.”
She went on to say that, as a leader, if you’re not closely aligned with the company’s values, it makes your job difficult because “being an empathetic and authentic leader requires you to have a lot of integrity with who you are.” When you’re unaligned, you become a mouthpiece for the company. “And that’s not quite the same as someone who is there because they want to be there.”
PODCAST EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
Aligned on the Mission
“I think having that relationship and knowing, back to the values point, that we’re trying to aim for the same outcome makes it so much easier to have some of those difficult and honest conversations about things that can be really tricky when it comes to decision-making.”
Finding a Seat at the Table
“I think it starts with knowing the audience, and I don’t mean that in a fluffy sort of way, but if you aren’t closely related to your executive team, you’re hopefully closely related to the people of the organization. […] But I think if you can talk to, you know, ‘one of our values is X and this is what I’m seeing from the people here, and here’s how I think we can be better living into these values,’ a lot of values-driven organizations will value that. […] It’s knowing the company and what they want, and then finding ways for you to bring your unique point of view, access point, and then back that up with data, whether it be quantitative or qualitative.”
HR Burnout
“Our jobs can be emotionally draining, and they were before Covid. It’s just that now we’re collectively going through something hard. And in some ways that can be helpful because we really do understand, and it’s a shared experience for all of us — but reminding ourselves and each other that it is okay to say, ‘Hey, I need to HR myself. I need to take care of myself for a moment.’ And recognizing that and asking for that space. We’re human and that’s real.”
Recognizing and Meeting Needs
“I love the managers here because I think they’re approaching things with their head, their hands, and their hearts. And that empathetic piece, like actually being thoughtful about what their people need. It’s tough. Like I know we can’t be therapists to folks and people don’t want that. And so it’s about trying to find that balance between being encouraging, giving people the space that they need, and managing people how they want to be managed.”
Facing Significant Challenges
“The first thing that comes to mind is this idea of prioritization and balance. There’s always so much that we could be doing. There’s a lot of important stuff, and important and urgent things will get your attention. But how do you find the space to prioritize the important but not urgent so not everything becomes a reactive fire that you’re putting out? […] I think another big challenge is as remote work becomes more of a thing for people, it’s more of an option. Remote work is not the same as in-person work, and you can’t just replicate what was in person in a remote way.”
The Old vs. the New
“The old world of compensation is that you pay people based on the location in which they sit because that’s where your business is. […] In the world of remote work, the pool of people that you’re looking at has expanded greatly. And so being thoughtful about, ‘Well, am I gonna pay you based on where you are? Am I gonna pay you based on tiers? Am I gonna pay one national average for the whole country?’ They’re all relevant depending on what you believe to be true about compensation.”
Keep in Mind
“Even if you have a great rapport with people, being very clear about how you engage with them can be helpful. […] I think ‘How can we engage with folks in ways that take some of that anxiety out of what can sometimes seem nerve-wracking?’ And I think that goes for HR leaders and all people — being very thoughtful about communication, particularly in asynchronous environments. You cannot communicate tone.”
LEARN MORE
Check out ThreeFlow’s blog and learn more about this innovative benefits placement company here.