Amy Mencarelli, PHR, MBA’s Post

A list I wish someone had given me at the start of my HR career: The differences between HR in a small and large business.   Small Business HR:   ➕ Team of one/few ➕ Agile environment ➕ Self-learning through trial and error ➕ Daily communication with leadership ➕ Full employee lifecycle responsibilities ➕ High responsibility, high accountability ➕ Small changes for quick, positive impact ➕ Strong connection with all team members ➕ Utilizing spreadsheets for data & analytics ➕ Largely self-determined, independent work ➕ Fewer monetary resources/less access to tech ➕ Space for creative solutions and fast execution ➕ Single point of contact for all things HR & talent   Large Business HR:   ➕ Team of many ➕ Methodical execution ➕ Structured environment ➕ Robust systems for data analytics ➕ Specific responsibilities based on role ➕ Large budgets and broad access to tech ➕ Team to depend on/lean on for assistance ➕ Occasional communication with leadership ➕ Learning through observation and mentoring ➕ Pre-determined goals and specific project work ➕ Less span of responsibility, smaller accountability ➕ Opportunity to brainstorm in a team environment ➕ Team members you don’t know and may never meet   -------------------------------------------------------- ♻ Repost if you found this helpful and follow me, Amy Mencarelli, to grow your HR career.

Personnel Department. Employment Clerks. People and Culture. Human Resources. The titles for what we do haven’t been the greatest. Can we take a cue from “Twisters” and have the word “Wrangler” in our titles somewhere? ---------------------------------------------------------     ♻ Repost if you found this helpful and follow me, Amy Mencarelli, to grow your HR career.

When you’re an HR pro in a small business, you naturally get buy-in. You have convos with teammates about ideas. You brainstorm out loud in meetings. Your project work is often public. By the time an initiative comes to fruition, you’ve naturally vetted it. You didn’t have to go out and get buy-in. It was organically occurring. As you move into larger organizations, that’s no longer the case. And bonus: getting buy-in becomes even more critical. If you’re aware of this shift, you can proactively adapt. If you’re not, you’ll make mistakes you don’t even know you’re making. Obtaining buy-in comes naturally in smaller orgs. But it needs to be deliberately done the larger your org becomes. Adapt accordingly. -------------------------------------------------------    ♻ Repost if you found this helpful and follow me, Amy Mencarelli, to grow your HR career.

Why don’t we take more risks in HR? The longer I’m in HR. The more I realize how essential it is. We can’t upend the this-is-how-we’ve-always-done-it HR mold if we don’t take risks. We might even need to bend or break some rules to get there. Effective solutioning for our orgs and employees. That’s the goal. Give yourself permission to color outside the lines to get there. -------------------------------------------------------    ♻ Repost if you found this helpful and follow me, Amy Mencarelli, to grow your HR career.

1. What can you control? 2. What matters? Excellent HR pros: focus on the overlap. Distracted HR pros: focus on what they can’t control & what doesn’t matter. -------------------------------------------------------- ♻ Repost if you found this helpful and follow me, Amy Mencarelli, to grow your HR career.

Once upon a time, I thought you had to be an extrovert to be in HR. I was so wrong.   Introverts are just as vital in the world of HR. (And I’m not just saying this because I’m an introvert…I promise.) Curious what value an introverted HR team member adds? A few top areas: 1️⃣ Focus HR will be filled with endless distractions if you let it. Need someone who can double down and focus? Introverts. 2️⃣ Clear Written Communication Much of how we communicate in HR involves writing. Writing is a key way introverts enjoy expressing themselves. When you have important written communications that need to go out? Introverts. 3️⃣ Analytical Approach Deep thinking often goes hand-in-hand with introversion. Need help with problem-solving, strategic planning, research? Have a tense situation and need a calm demeanor to prevail & diffuse? Introverts.   4️⃣ Listening and Observational Skills Listening for feedback, concerns, specific details. Observing body language, dynamics, behaviors, potential issues. Whether you’re in tough conversations or confusing situations. Introverts. Whether you are an introvert or work with an introvert.   Don’t take these special skills for granted.   Harness them and put them to use. -------------------------------------------------------    ♻ Repost if you found this helpful and follow me, Amy Mencarelli, to grow your HR career.

I got all worked up over a potential HR situation. Lost sleep thinking about it. Worried it would end up worst case. Thought through every possible scenario. Considered my approach for every twist and turn. I walked into the meeting to learn fully about the situation. And it was nothing. All that time and energy...wasted. Important lesson learned early on in my career. Is it smart to prepare based on facts? Yes. Is it smart to spiral based on speculation? No. Make sure you delineate between the two. -------------------------------------------------------    ♻ Repost if you found this helpful and follow me, Amy Mencarelli, to grow your HR career.

From my first day in HR, I was considering: Where did I want my career to go? I started as a generalist and was promoted within the year.   Proof that it's never too early to start planning your career.   Increase your skills in your current role while also evaluating specialized opportunities in:   ➡️ L&D ➡️ DEIB ➡️ Talent ➡️ Payroll ➡️ Benefits ➡️ Analytics ➡️ Operations ➡️ Compliance ➡️ Management ➡️ Compensation ➡️ Business Partner ➡️ Employee Experience ➡️ A role that doesn't exist yet   And maybe after all that, you’ll realize you want to be a generalist forever. Great!   But before you make a decision, work to understand all that HR has to offer.   And then consider what best aligns with your:   ✅ Personal goals ✅ Career goals ✅ Strengths ✅ Interests ---------------------------------------------------------  ♻ Repost if you found this helpful and follow me, Amy Mencarelli, to grow your HR career.

Mary Barra. Former VP of Global HR at GM. Now long-standing CEO at GM. A former HR pro who started as a college student inspecting parts. She’s put all of her experiences to work as GM’s CEO for the last decade. A few of her top accomplishments HR pros can admire: ✅ Reshaping policy to empower employees reporting issues from the floor. ✅ Breaking the glass ceiling as the first female CEO in auto industry history. ✅ People-first problem-solving through the lens of her roles held at GM. ✅ Casting a clear vision to lead the org towards a fully-electric future. ✅ Relating to each of her employees through her unique career path. Mary Barra in her own words: “My first job at GM was as a quality inspector…at one point, I was probably examining 60 jobs an hour during an 8-hour shift. A job like that teaches you to value all the people who do a job like that.” She started at the bottom and worked her way up to CEO. Working in HR along the way. Learn more about her incredible career here: https://lnkd.in/egJeGtsP   --------------------------------------------------------   ♻ Repost if you found this helpful and follow me, Amy Mencarelli, to grow your HR career.

Understanding the business is a must-have HR skill. If you’ve been putting this off, change that today.   HR pros need to understand:   ✅ How their organization makes money ✅ How each department contributes to the overall goals ✅ What threats/competition the organization is up against   And then?   HR pros need to connect the dots on how we impact all of the above.   It looks different at every organization.   But once you understand one business? It becomes easier to understand the next.   And the next.   If you’ve been putting this off in your current role, change that.   It’s a skill you’ll need in every role.   The sooner you start, the easier it becomes.   -------------------------------------------------------    ♻ Repost if you found this helpful and follow me, Amy Mencarelli, to grow your HR career.