Working in Human Resources comes with many responsibilities and challenges when it comes to overseeing the employee lifecycle and building employer-employee relationships. You're also expected to help the company elevate its mission and reputation in a positive light—internally and externally.
In addition, HR is filled with limitless possibilities for its leaders to nurture the career paths of others and find innovative solutions to move business operations successfully forward year after year.
Below, 14 Forbes Human Resources Council members share their "why" and what they enjoy most about their role in the field of HR.
Forbes Human Resources Council members share their insights.
Photos courtesy of individual members.1. Shaping An Inclusive Environment For The Next Generation
I find great joy in helping to build our next generation of leaders—both within the business and the HR function. The concept of “passing the baton” to the next generation is special. Continuing to shape and enhance our culture is another exciting piece of my role. The opportunity to be part of creating a differentiated and inclusive environment for people to thrive is so meaningful. - Andrea Ferrara, PepsiCo Beverages North America
2. Caring For The Career Journey Of Talented Individuals
HR is involved in every part of the business, but I especially enjoy my role in caring for the company’s talent and their career journeys. It’s my responsibility to make sure that an employee’s work environment and career path are as efficient and satisfying as possible. Influencing these factors is a very fulfilling part of my job and has a direct impact on the business's success as well. - Leslie Tarnacki, WorkForce Software
3. Working Across Various Industries
It's a privilege to work across a variety of industries or functional areas. It enables you to leverage proven people who are focused on their approaches to improving team cohesion, organizational culture and financial performance. - Gregory Pontrelli, Lausanne Business Solutions
4. Nurturing Relationships With Colleagues
I enjoy many aspects of being an HR leader! Developing relationships with co-workers is my favorite. We spend so much of our week at work, so it's important to have positive interactions there. If employees know who I am and that I care about them, I'm able to be more successful as a resource and advocate for them. - Sherrie LeCheminant, Blackstone Products
Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?
5. Extending Job Offers To A Diverse Group Of People
I most enjoy being able to extend job offers to candidates. We employ a diverse group of individuals from all walks of life, and it feels great to connect somebody in need with an opportunity for fulfillment and growth. This is especially rewarding if he or she has been out of the workforce for a while or has had difficulty landing a role at other places. - Alden Coffin, Forward Merch LLC
6. Unlocking The Full Potential Of Others
I enjoy living my personal purpose statement, which is “to unlock the full potential of others.” Developing, guiding and promoting people in their careers gives me personal satisfaction and increases their engagement and impact, all while benefiting the organization. - Kevin Silva, Voya Financial
7. Challenging The Status Quo
I enjoy being in a position that is perfectly poised to challenge the status quo and make meaningful changes to fight against the prevalent impact of white supremacy within the recruitment and hiring processes. HR can be a powerful change agent that can drive changes and develop methods to support those changes for long-term positive impacts on the organization and every human that we employ. - Brandy Marshall, Franklin Pierce School District
8. Instilling Confidence In Others
I believe all leaders are in the business of changing people's lives. My satisfaction comes from receiving opportunities to help others uncover the abilities they never realized existed. Building confidence in others while remaining patient with learning curves, exhibiting empathy and seeing someone blossom is unmatched in its professional fulfillment as an HR leader. - Jeffrey Pietrzak, Work Exceptional, LLC
9. Developing A Winning Team
I enjoy building winning teams comprised of talented individuals that work extremely well collectively. It’s not unlike building a championship sports team; it takes years of developing and honing that roster to compete to the best of our abilities. I enjoy successfully recruiting and engaging talent and helping them perform at their best to achieve our company’s mission and vision. - David Tripp, Sage Dental
10. Strengthening An Employee's Value
All of us are on professional journeys, and each of us brings to the table unique skills, talents and interests which can be leveraged. My favorite part of being an HR leader is getting to understand the incredible diversity of talent in our organization and empowering the potential of so many folks in achieving their goals and strengthening their value to our organization. It's thrilling. - Ron Lippitt
11. Learning More About Fellow Staff Members
I enjoy the people! It is amazing to learn about people, where they come from and how they work and communicate best. I also love that I get to have an impact on the experience those people have at work. The benefits that we implement directly affect those that we work with. - Kayti Patterson, Xenter, Inc.
12. Making A Positive Contribution To The Bottom Line
The ability to lead change within an organization with a focus on people is my “why.” As a Human Resources leader, I am able to tie business and people strategies together, which allows for a positive contribution to the bottom line as well as the people function. - Nakisha Griffin, Neustar Security Services
13. The Limitless Possibilities And Creativity
I enjoy the limitless possibilities that I have and the creativity I get to use as an HR leader. I get to hear the operational and functional leaders as well as the associates on the other spectrum of employment levels and come up with unique solutions that benefit all. A "no" or "not right now" just means I need to think of a more creative way to make it happen. - Evelyn Reed, Jacent Strategic Merchandising
14. Enhancing The Employee Experience
We spend so much of our time at work. It is incredibly rewarding to positively impact how employees experience their time on the job. Even beyond the walls of iHire, we’re on a mission to help educate and persuade employers across this nation to cultivate employee-focused company cultures. This won’t happen overnight, but one employer at a time—how’s that for a great challenge? - Lisa Shuster, iHire
