Building Employee Relationships and Fostering Engagement: An HR Director's Perspective

In this interview, Lindsey Patton speaks with Katie Mills, the Human Resources Director at XenTegra, who shares her 17 years of experience in HR. Katie discusses the dynamic nature of the job, its challenges, and the importance of understanding different perspectives. She emphasizes the satisfaction of helping employees find their fit in the workplace. Furthermore, Katie shares her insights on prioritizing tasks in a rapidly growing company, adapting to new industry norms, and developing strong employee relationships.

Katie Mills is a seasoned HR professional with a wealth of experience. She has held key roles in various organizations, including being the Human Resources Director at XenTegra and Head of Human Resources at Hankin & Pack PLLC. Katie's expertise in human resources management and strategic planning has contributed to her successful career trajectory. Here are a few of the topics we’ll discuss on this episode of People Analytics:

• Understanding and embracing the differences in people is crucial in HR.
• Transitioning from a mom-and-pop environment to supporting growth requires implementing policies and collaborating with different departments.
• Baby steps and compromise play a vital role in balancing the needs of leaders and employees in a growing company.
• Prioritizing pain points such as onboarding and performance management can benefit the company's overall well-being.
• Employee relations and communication are essential for building strong relationships and keeping employees engaged.
• Mentoring and coaching are valuable tools for supporting employees' professional growth and development.
• Networking and learning from other HR leaders for personal and professional growth.

Resources:

• XenTegra
• StaffGeek

Connect with Katie Mills:

• LinkedIn

Connect with our host, Lindsay Patton:

• LinkedIn
• Email

Quotables:

• 01:52 - “You know, I just, I try and remember that everybody's different. Yeah. You know, everybody. I think at a lot of it goes back to how you were raised, you know, your background, you know, what, what you're used to, you know, whether you have siblings, what industries you're used to working in, you know, your family education. So I just try to remember that everybody's different, which, you know, I think that's what makes the world go round, right.”
• 05:26 - “I just feel that, I mean, a happy employee is a productive employee, you know? Yeah. I mean, all of us love our jobs, you know, or else they wouldn't be called jobs. But, you know, if, if you're not happy, you know, if you're not coming to work, you know, at least looking forward to what the day's going to bring. If you're dreading it every day, then you're not doing anybody any good, mostly yourself, you know? Because life's too short for that. There's a lot of jobs out there, and there might be a lot of people that we kill to be in the job that you're in, that you're not happy with.”
• 04:52 - “And I love that attitude of, you know, let's see what, what helps fit for you? Because I feel like there can be, there can be ego involved when, when people aren't enjoying their jobs or, you know, want, may want something else, but, you know, I've talked to so many people who, who just want to work and problem solve together, because that, that solution, when you come to find a solution, it's, there's satisfaction there.”
• 16:51 - “Because I've been in jobs where, you know, I get past six months and I'm still like, wow, there's all this information that I, I still don't know, and I feel like I'm so far behind, but then expectations are high that I understand all this information. So I think that, you know, there, there definitely should be more grace with new employees for sure.”
• 00:33 - Katie: “I have been in human resources for about 17 years. And you know why I do it is because it's never boring, which by that it's not always fun, but it's always challenging. I'm always learning something. So I absolutely, I, I love it. I think it's where I'm, I'm meant to be.”
  Lindsay: “I like that you said it's not always fun, but there is benefit to things not always being fun sometimes, like you said, you're learning. So what do you like about it specifically? I know you enjoy people a lot.”
  Katie: “I do. I do. I think the people aspect, you know, the employee relations aspect is my favorite part because, you know what, what one person finds completely normal, the next person finds bizarre. So it's just, it's always interesting, you know, to, to see what motivates people and to see, you know, what people were thinking, why they, you know, when they did certain things and why they did it.”