An Investment in HR
As an HR leader, I am accustomed to a high degree of transparency around my performance, compensation, and career outlook. So I was surprised to be surprised when I stumbled upon a spreadsheet containing a recommendation for my promotion.
Immediately, I started analyzing the promotion in the same way I would for any other employee:
- Is there a business need?
- Does the employee’s performance merit promotion?
- How will this be received by the organization?
Then I started dreading it. While I am very proud of the body of work produced since I started with Saatva, I am also keenly aware of my missteps and failures. Most recently, for example, I bombed in responding to an employee’s concern about the rising cost of living during a quarterly company Town Hall.
I also knew that the new title would set me apart from a peer group that is highly talented, seasoned, and full of potential. As an HR practitioner, I wondered whether leadership had fully considered how this news might land with others in the company.
Finally, I was six months pregnant, which was not widely known within the company at the time (one of the many benefits of a remote work environment!).
While the HR practitioner in me wanted to debate the first two points, and the pragmatist in me worried about the timing in light of my impending parental leave, deep down the female business leader in me knew that I should accept the promotion and let the chips fall where they may.
After all, my promotion wasn’t just about me.
The position of SVP, People was created as a reflection of the company’s commitment to its employees and its continued investment in the HR function. The executive team knows that our employees’ contributions have fueled our tremendous growth over the past 10 years. They see that rapidly evolving to improve our employee value proposition is just as important as rapidly expanding our market share. By making this move, leadership sends a message that an investment in and elevation of the HR function is a critical business driver.
Because I am a woman, it also makes a statement about diversifying company leadership. While it is no secret that Saatva was founded by a small, close-knit group of men, there is an understanding that diversity–whether of sex, age, ethnicity, or life experience–is imperative to the success of the business.
It has been a humbling experience: grappling with imposter syndrome, taking personal responsibility and stewardship of my company’s commitment to women in leadership, celebrating wins with my team while tackling the significant opportunities for improvement within our department, including my own.
I reflect on the times in my career when I’ve been able to challenge limited ways of thinking to help another female leader across a threshold to advancement:
- What would she need to do differently in the next six months in order to get that promotion?
- Don’t wait for her to get back from maternity leave! Promoting her now will motivate her, drive her forward, and be seen as a win for the team.
- Why don’t we expand the invite list to get a broader spectrum of people at the table?
- Maybe she’s leaning in…
While it’s uncomfortable for me to be a visible example of this kind of affirmative decision making, I take heart in knowing that it’s about more than me. It’s about the good that can follow from the responsibility that I’ve been given.
This article has been reposted on LinkedIn.