Wonolo
Just like the Avengers and the Justice League, HR Heroes continue to grow in numbers. Our 8th recruit is the Chief People Officer at DaVita, Eric Severson. Eric dons both a coprorate cape, rising through the ranks at companies like Gap Inc. and Macy’s, but also serving the public, appointed by US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker to the National Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE). In addition, Eric has a superhero he looks up to because she embodies the same traits that make a successful HR Hero. Read on to learn more.
Be on the lookout for more profiles of HR Heroes, and if you have someone that you think would be a great fit for this series, tweet your nomination to us using the #hrhero hashtag.
The one piece of advice I’d give to a new manager is…
Focus on finding ways to make your teammates’ jobs easier. Can you clear roadblocks, bureaucracy, or red tape? Provide tools or technology to make their job easier? Offer information or insights they don’t have that will help them better understand the problem they are working on? Empower them to eliminate conflict between work and home? To the extent that you can remove barriers to your team’s achievement of shared goals, you will earn their trust, respect, and even love.
I feel happiest when…
I’m helping teammates solve a problem or discover a hidden talent.
I started working in HR because…
I wanted to help people reach their full potential.
I always start my day with…
Meditation and appreciation. While I am getting ready for work in the morning, I spend about 20 Minutes doing a loving kindness meditation. In that meditation, you wish yourself and others in your world health, safety, happiness, love, peace, abundance, etc. I have found that when I start my day this way, the good will I wish to others is returned generously to me.
I feel that HR’s impact can be measured by…
The degree to which teammates trust the organization to deliver on its promises to them.
Firing someone is…
Not my favorite thing to do. However, since it’s often part of the job, I have found it gratifying to challenge myself to find ways of doing it that become life changing for the teammate who is losing her job. If the teammate has made a mistake (like a policy violation or stealing), I like to spend time with her discussing what she learned from her experience and how I might help her make a fresh start. To me, shaming someone who is losing her job is the last thing anyone needs. I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my own life, and I would hope that if I do something worthy of getting fired, I have the good fortune of encountering an HR professional who will support my transition with class and wisdom.
My go-to interview question is…
Explain how this role will help you fulfill your life’s purpose.
My HR Hero is…
Dr. Carol Dweck, author of Mindset, the New Psychology of Success. No book is more important to talent management & development in the 21st century.
The biggest challenge in the war on talent is…
Being heard amid the cacophony of talent branding messages
The one trait I look for in a good employee is…
Tenacity–the willingness to bust through walls to fulfill an aspiration
The superhero I most relate to is…
Wonder Woman. She is both courageous and empathic.
