The Role of Empathy in HR: Creating a People-Centric Culture

As an HR professional, I always have an answer prepared for those icebreaker questions at the beginning of every workshop or project kickoff. You know the ones…

• “What animal would you be?” > Dolphin

• “Favorite self-development book?” > Atomic Habits by James Clear

• “What’s your superpower?” > Empathy

For some reason, that last one made me a little uncomfortable the first time I said it aloud. As silly as it sounds, when I began working in corporate, I thought I had to hide my empathetic side. I was afraid that leadership would see it as a weakness. I thought I had to approach situations from a purely analytical and logical perspective in order to succeed.

However, as I progressed in my career, I quickly learned that empathy isn’t just okay; it is important. My role working in early careers often involved guiding recent graduates as they transitioned from academia to their first professional job - a journey filled with excitement, nerves, and let’s face it, a lot of uncertainty.

A Moment That Changed My Perspective

One day, I met Jordan*, a new graduate struggling to find their footing in the fast-paced and highly regulated world of biotech. They felt overwhelmed and unsure if they were the right fit. Instead of focusing on performance metrics, I listened to their story. We discussed their fears, motivations, and long-term goals. I also created a safe space so Jordan felt comfortable opening up about what they needed to succeed.

This simple act of listening helped Jordan feel valued and supported. Over time, they not only found their rhythm but began thriving, even taking on leadership roles within their project teams.

Why Empathy Matters in Early Careers

In early careers, we’re often a bridge between the idealism of university life and the realities of the corporate world. Empathy helps us:

• Build trust: Helping new employees feel seen and understood during this transition.

• Create genuine connections: It’s about addressing concerns while also recognizing the individual behind the role.

• Have difficult conversations: When delivering challenging news, leading with empathy helps build bridges. With the right approach, it makes those difficult conversations a little easier.

Building a People-Centric Culture

No matter your role, empathy is essential. Here’s what I’ve learned:

1. Empathy is critical to fostering a workplace where new employees can explore, grow, and truly belong.

2. People-centric cultures aren’t built through policies alone; they’re crafted through meaningful interactions.

As HR professionals, empathy allows us to create a culture that thrives on understanding and mutual support. When employees feel heard and valued, they grow and contribute to a culture of success for everyone.

*names have been changed

The Power of Project Leadership in HR Transformation

One of the most rewarding aspects of my career has been leading high-impact HR programs that drive real business transformation. From conception to delivery, seeing a program come to life is exciting, especially when it touches various business units and supports growth.

Here’s what I’ve learned over the years:

1. Collaboration is Key
   Working with cross-functional teams like Finance, IT, and Legal ensured that the HR initiatives we implement are not only strategic but also sustainable

2. Clear Objectives=Strong Results
   Setting long-term objectives allows teams to stay aligned and focused, driving the success of multi-year projects

3. Data-Driven Decisions
   Leveraging data and metrics has been essential in making informed decisions and ensuring programs meet their objectives

What’s been your biggest takeaway from high-priority projects?

Change Leadership: Building Resilient Organizations

As we approach fall here in Rhode Island, it’s exciting to look for the first signs of change: crisp mornings, changing leaves, and pumpkin making its way to every cafe menu. It reminds us that change is inevitable. And successfully leading change requires a strategic mindset and strong communication skills.

In my experience as a program manager, I reached into my change management toolkit often. Here are the three foundations that I kept in mind when tasked with managing change for a new initiative:

1- Developing organizational change strategies
Change should be intentional and planned with a clear vision. If the vision isn’t clear, ask questions until it is.

2- Effective communication
Leadership teams need direction, and the workforce needs transparency, which makes communication at every level critical. Map out your stakeholders, develop a communication plan, and follow-through on the plan.

3- Adoption and buy-in
Leading change is more about people than processes. Ensuring adoption and engagement across teams is key to a successful transformation. It’s important that employees are given the knowledge, skills, abilities and support to implement the change.

What’s your approach to fostering organizational change?

Driving Success Through Cross-Functional Collaboration

HR programs are at their best when aligned with the broader business strategy, which requires strong cross-functional collaboration. Throughout my career, I’ve partnered with teams across Finance, IT, Marketing, and Legal to ensure that our HR initiatives are integrated into core business processes.

Here’s what I’ve found to be most important in those partnerships:

1. Strong relationships make collaboration seamless, and that’s where the magic happens

2. Aligning on common goals ensures everyone is moving in the same direction

3. Diverse perspectives lead to innovation. Some of the best ideas come from collaborating across functions.

What’s your favorite aspect of working with cross-functional teams?