Hi! Welcome to the inaugural edition of ‘Do You Have A Minute?’ 

Think of this newsletter as an HR advice column that should take you no more than one minute to read (except for this first edition…it’s a little longer). Every two weeks, I’ll answer a common HR question that I’ve been asked by an employee, leader, candidate, or friend during my nearly 20 year career as an HR professional. Topics will range from negotiating compensation, to interviewing, to performance reviews, to even when it’s probably time to consider looking for a new job. And of course, everything will be anonymized. 

My goal is to share my thoughts on how to practically navigate the complexities of today’s working world and hopefully demystify some of the HR processes that exist. I’m not looking to bombard you with a bunch of HR or legal jargon - I simply hope to help people be happier and more productive at work. 

Before we jump in, it’s important to share my philosophy towards HR so you can understand the lens through which I’m answering questions and building this newsletter. I operate based on four principles:

1. People are adults. Treat them accordingly.

2. People are inherently good. Assume positive intent.

3. Strong relationships are built on honesty. Be kind but candid with feedback.

4. We’re running a business. Know and understand the priorities.

Why should you care about my perspective? Read more about me below.

If you find this helpful, your network might too. Encourage your friends, teammates, and family to subscribe.

So here we go…question #1:

‘Is this conversation confidential?’

More often than not, this is the first question that an employee asks when they reach out to HR. While it’s an annoying response to hear, the answer is always, ‘it depends.’ 

For the most part, yes, your HR conversations are confidential. However, there are circumstances when your HR partner is obligated to do something with the information that you share. This applies if there’s any sort of illegal, inappropriate, or unethical behavior that needs to be addressed. 

An employee once approached me to share that they felt they weren’t able to live up to their manager’s expectations. We discussed and, with their permission, I subsequently spoke with their manager. It turned out that the manager was struggling to clearly articulate the gaps in the employee’s performance and where they needed to focus their time to be successful going forward. I was able to facilitate a conversation between the two and hit a bit of a reset button for them. They went on to successfully (and happily) work together for a few years after that.

There’s a common misconception that HR is working solely for the company. Yes, it’s our job to mitigate risk for the organization. But a huge part of achieving that is helping employees (YOU) be successful, safe, and productive at work. Sometimes that’s going to mean taking action with the information you disclose to us. While you may be nervous about the details of your conversation being shared, oftentimes the only way that your HR partner can impact change to help you is to have further conversations with others. 

In the above example, both the employee and manager needed an objective party to help them communicate with each other and rebuild trust in their working relationship. It couldn’t have happened without them trusting me to help with the situation.

A good HR partner is discreet, has rock-solid judgment, and knows how to navigate personalities and dynamics. They can take your concerns, help you work through them, and openly discuss the next steps to facilitate an agreement on how to move forward.

So, before you decide not to have a conversation with HR because you’re nervous about where the information may go, try thinking about it in a different way - what if your HR partner ends up helping you in a way that you couldn’t imagine because that’s our job and what we’re trained to do?

Who Am I?

I’m not a fan of the saying “we are like a family” when it comes to a work environment. We’re not. I have my family and I’ll (hopefully) never be in a position of having to lay them off, negotiate their comp package, or ask them to pay more attention to their personal hygiene because their desk neighbor is getting distracted. But, I do consider many current and former colleagues very dear friends and I approach my advice as “what would I tell my friend to do?”

Most people will tell you that they fell into HR. Not me. I’ve wanted this career since high school. 

As an early HR hire at Pandora and Lyft, I held various roles at both companies through hyper growth periods. Recently, I spent over 6 years as the Chief People Officer for Topia, a global SaaS platform, leading the company through major transformations including M&A, leadership changes, a shift to remote-first, and periods of economic downturns.

I have seen what can work wonders and what hurts. 

In January 2024, I launched my own business and work with clients on a fractional, project, or interim basis. I’ve built my reputation as someone who makes an impact quicker than you’d expect, who will cut out the fluff and keep it real, and who really cares about the people I work with. 

Interested in working with me? Visit my website.

What I’ll Answer Next Time:

‘How much time off is too much?’

Want to ask a question for a future edition? Submit it here.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is purely opinion-based and nothing included should be interpreted or construed as legal or professional advice. If you want professional advice, I’d love to work with you. Please reach out.