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Women’s History Month Series – In Conversation with Michelle Burton

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HR Spotlight Interview

Michelle Burton

Women's History Month Interview Series

In Conversation with Michelle Burton

Our special guest today is Michelle Burton, founder of North Star People & Leadership Advisory. With over 20 years of experience in people, culture, and leadership strategy, Michelle helps scaling businesses transition from founder-driven operations to sustainable, resilient models. A third-generation HR professional raised in a farming family, she brings a uniquely grounded, systems-thinking approach to the corporate world.

In this interview, Michelle challenges the stereotypes that frequently pigeonhole women in HR as the “office mom” or “policy police,” advocating instead for the role of the strategic business architect. She explains why the 2026 workforce is currently “recalibrating,” shares her structured approach to fixing the notorious “broken rung” of leadership, and reveals why she wants to ban the buzzword “bandwidth” forever.

Thank you for joining us, Michelle! If you could clear the air right now, what’s the one thing you wish every employee understood about your job?

Michelle Burton:

If I could clear the air on one thing, it’s this: HR’s role is not about enforcing rules for the sake of it; it’s about enabling organizations and their people to perform at their best as the business grows.

At its core, HR creates the structure, clarity, and leadership capability that allow teams to succeed in a scaling environment. My role is to balance the needs of the organization with the growth, well-being, and engagement of its employees.

From the outside, some decisions may feel transactional. But behind every policy, process, or difficult conversation is an effort to create fairness, consistency, and stability across the business.

It’s also important to understand that HR isn’t there to take sides. Our responsibility is to steward the long-term health of the organization by protecting the business while ensuring employees experience an environment where they can contribute and grow.

When HR functions well, it becomes a strategic driver that helps organizations move from reactive people management to intentional leadership, which is essential to scaling companies.

Nobody plans to go into HR. They usually get dragged into it because they’re good at listening. Is that true for you? What was the moment you realized you were meant to do this?

Michelle Burton:

Listening is certainly foundational, but for me the turning point was realizing how deeply people strategy shapes an organization’s ability to grow.

 

Early in my career, I supported a team navigating significant change as the business expanded. What became clear was that the challenge wasn’t just operational, it was structural and leadership related. Roles were evolving, expectations were unclear, and leaders were learning how to manage at a new level.

Being part of the process that helped bring clarity, strengthen leadership capability, and stabilize the team showed me the real impact HR can have. That was the moment I realized HR isn’t just about supporting employees, it’s about helping organizations mature and scale in a sustainable way.

That intersection of people, leadership, and growth is what drew me fully into this field.

HR requires a mix of skills—part lawyer, part therapist, part data analyst. If you strip away the job title, what’s the one superpower you rely on most when the office is on fire?

Michelle Burton:

Strategic Perspective.

In moments of conflict or crisis, it’s easy for organizations to become reactive. My role is to step back and look at the broader system, what’s actually driving the issue, what the organization is trying to achieve, and how the decision we make today will affect the culture and leadership environment long term.

That perspective allows me to move beyond simply solving the immediate problem and instead strengthen the systems around it, whether that’s leadership capability, role clarity, or decision-making structures.

The ability to connect people challenges to broader business strategy becomes one of the most valuable tools HR can bring to the table.

If you could describe the current mood of the workforce in 2026 using just one word, what would it be and why?

Michelle Burton:

Recalibrating.

Over the past several years, employees and organizations alike have experienced significant shifts, from remote work debates to economic uncertainty and evolving expectations around leadership and culture.

What we’re seeing now is a recalibration. Employees are reassessing what they value in work, while organizations are redefining what effective leadership, productivity, and culture look like in a modern workplace.

For HR leaders, this moment is less about returning to old models and more about helping organizations design workplaces that are clearer, more intentional, and better aligned with how people actually work today.

The conversation has shifted to the ‘glass cliff,’ where women are promoted during times of crisis. Have you ever felt that pressure to be the fixer in a broken system?

Michelle Burton:

It’s a dynamic many leaders, irrespective of gender identity, experience at different points in their careers.

Often those opportunities arise during moments of instability or transformation, when organizations need someone who can step in, stabilize the environment, and create a path forward.

While that pressure can be significant, I tend to view those moments through a strategic lens. Challenging environments often reveal the underlying structural issues within an organization including but not limited to unclear leadership layers, decision-making bottlenecks, or misaligned expectations.

When approached thoughtfully, those situations become opportunities to build stronger systems, strengthen leadership capability, and create more sustainable foundations for growth.

In many ways, those are the moments where HR leadership can have its greatest long-term impact.

Women in HR are often pigeonholed as the “office mom” or the “policy police.” How do you dismantle those stereotypes and ensure you’re seen as a strategic business architect first?

Michelle Burton:

The most effective way to dismantle that stereotype is by consistently operating at the level of business strategy, not just policy administration.

In my work, I focus on helping leadership teams think about how people strategy directly supports growth, whether that’s building the next layer of leadership, clarifying decision-making structures, or designing systems that allow teams to scale without chaos.

When HR is positioned as the function that brings clarity to how work happens, how leaders lead, and how organizations evolve as they grow, the conversation naturally shifts. You are no longer seen as the person enforcing rules, you’re seen as someone helping architect the organization itself.

HR professionals are the first responders of the corporate world, handling grief, layoffs, and conflict. What is your protocol for protecting your own peace after absorbing everyone else’s stress?

Michelle Burton:

One of the most important disciplines in HR is emotional boundaries.

You have to be deeply empathetic while also recognizing that you cannot personally carry every situation you support. My approach is to treat difficult situations with full presence in the moment by listening intently, responding thoughtfully, and ensuring people feel heard, but once the decision is made or the conversation is complete, I deliberately step back.

I also rely on reflection and perspective. In HR, the work is meaningful precisely because it involves real human experiences. Protecting your own well-being allows you to continue showing up with clarity and composure for the next challenge.

Without naming names, tell us about a time you had to deliver tough news that taught you something profound about leadership or empathy.

Michelle Burton:

Early in my career, I had to communicate a restructuring that impacted a small but close-knit team. Naturally, the immediate focus was on the operational change, but what stayed with me most was the emotional response from employees who felt uncertainty about their future and their value within the organization.

What that experience taught me is that leadership during difficult moments isn’t just about the message, it’s about the dignity with which people experience the process. Clarity, honesty, and respect matter enormously.

Since then, I’ve approached difficult conversations with the understanding that how organizations treat people in their hardest moments defines the culture far more than how they operate when things are easy.

Have you ever felt pressure to soften your delivery or be “nice” in ways male counterparts may not? How do you balance empathy with the need to be firm on policy?

Michelle Burton:

There can sometimes be an expectation that women in leadership communicate in a softer or more accommodating way. Over time, I’ve learned that empathy and clarity are not mutually exclusive.

My approach is to be direct, transparent, and respectful. People generally respond well when expectations and decisions are communicated clearly, even if the message is difficult.

Empathy comes from understanding the human side of the situation, while firmness comes from ensuring consistency and fairness across the organization. When both are present, the conversation tends to feel balanced rather than confrontational.

The age-old tension is between people and profits. Can you share an example where you had to advocate for something that didn’t have an immediate ROI but was critical for culture?

Michelle Burton:

There are moments when investing in people systems doesn’t produce an immediate financial return, but it creates the conditions for long-term performance.

One example was advocating for leadership development during a period when the organization was scaling quickly. At the time, some viewed it as a discretionary expense. However, the reality was that many of the organization’s challenges such as communication breakdowns, decision delays and team friction were rooted in leaders who had been promoted quickly without the tools to lead effectively.

Investing in leadership capability didn’t show up as an instant ROI line item, but it strengthened decision-making, improved team cohesion, and ultimately allowed the organization to scale more sustainably.

Sometimes the most valuable investments in an organization are the ones that build the leadership and cultural foundations for long-term growth.

We talk a lot about gut feeling in hiring. How are you using data to challenge biases—your own or hiring managers’—when it comes to promoting women and underrepresented talent?

Michelle Burton:

Gut instinct can be valuable, but when it becomes the primary decision-making tool in hiring or promotions, it often reinforces existing biases.

The way to counter that is by introducing structured decision frameworks. That means clearly defined competencies for each role, standardized interview questions, established career path frameworks and tracking promotion and hiring patterns over time. When you look at the data on who is being considered, who is advancing, and where people stall, you start to see patterns that aren’t always visible in individual decisions.

For leadership teams, that data becomes a mirror. It shifts the conversation from personal judgment to evidence-based decision-making. The goal isn’t to eliminate human judgment, but to ensure that judgment is applied consistently and fairly so that talented people aren’t overlooked simply because they don’t fit an unspoken mold.

Statistically, women often get stuck at the first step up to manager. As an HR leader, what is one systemic change you’ve implemented—or want to—that actually fixes this broken rung?

Michelle Burton:

One of the biggest barriers at that first promotion level is that organizations often rely on informal sponsorship and visibility to identify future managers. The problem is that informal systems tend to benefit the people who are already closest to leadership.

A systemic solution is to make leadership readiness more transparent and intentional. That means defining what ‘ready for leadership’ actually looks like through clear leadership competencies, leadership expectations, and development opportunities that employees can actively pursue.

Several years ago, I developed a Leadership Potential Assessment and Feedback Report that I still use as a practical tool in organizations. I have refined this leadership potential assessment over the years across the changing business landscapes. The purpose of the assessment is to move the conversation about leadership potential from subjective impressions to more structured evaluation. The tool evaluates emerging leaders across a set of core leadership dimensions.

What makes this tool valuable is the feedback component. Instead of simply labelling someone as a ‘high potential leader’ or ‘not ready’, the report highlights specific strengths and development areas tied to leadership expectations. It provides clear insights into where they already demonstrate leadership behaviours and where they may need further development. The report also outlines practical development actions that help individuals intentionally build the skills required for their first, or next leadership role.

For more seasoned leaders, I administer a Leadership Effectiveness Analysis and Feedback Report. While the Leadership Potential Assessment focuses on readiness for a first leadership role, the Leadership Effectiveness Analysis looks at how leaders are actually showing up once they are in the role and how their leadership is experienced by others.

When organizations create structured leadership pathways rather than relying on informal nominations, it opens the door for more people to see themselves as potential leaders and to prepare for that role in a meaningful way. It transforms leadership development from something exclusive into something accessible.

What is the biggest myth about working in HR that you wish would die?

Michelle Burton:

The biggest myth is that HR is simply an administrative or compliance function.

In reality, HR is one of the few functions that has visibility into how the entire organization operates, how leaders lead, how teams collaborate, and where structural issues are slowing the business down.

When HR operates strategically, it becomes a critical partner in organizational design. It helps leadership teams think about how to scale decision-making, develop stronger leaders, and build cultures that support sustained performance. That’s a very different role than the traditional perception of HR as just managing policies or people administration.

If you could ban one corporate buzzword forever, what would it be?

Michelle Burton:

Probably the word ‘bandwidth.’

It’s often used as shorthand for workload, but it can obscure the real conversation organizations need to have; which is about priorities, resources, and leadership clarity.

When teams constantly say they don’t have the bandwidth, it’s usually a signal that expectations aren’t aligned or the organization has outgrown its current structure. Instead of relying on buzzwords, leaders should focus on creating clearer priorities, clear communication through ALL levels of the organization and more sustainable ways of working.

HR is often described as a thankless job. You’re the villain when things go wrong and invisible when things go right. Why do you stay? What is the moment that reminds you this is why you do this?

Michelle Burton:

For me, the most meaningful moments happen when you see the long-term impact of the work.

It might be a leader who once struggled with managing their team but, after developing the right skills and support, becomes someone their employees genuinely respect and trust. Or an organization that once operated in constant reactive mode finding a rhythm and clarity as its leadership  and operational structure matures.

Those moments don’t always make headlines, but they represent real transformation. Seeing individuals grow and organizations become healthier, more effective environments for people to work; that’s what makes the work worthwhile.

“Empathy and clarity are not mutually exclusive.”

That powerful insight from Michelle Burton is a masterclass in modern leadership. Her approach reminds us that true empathy isn’t about softening the truth to avoid discomfort; it is about treating people with dignity, transparency, and respect, especially during an organization’s most difficult moments.

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, Michelle’s dedication to building stronger leaders and healthier organizational systems serves as a vital blueprint for the future of work. Thank you, Michelle, for sharing your strategic vision and grounded wisdom.

Michelle Burton is the founder of North Star People & Leadership Advisory, a developing advisory focused on helping scaling businesses strengthen leadership capability and align people strategy with growth. She is currently establishing the firm to partner with founders and executive teams navigating the complexities of expansion, including building the next layer of leadership and creating clearer organizational structures. Michelle has more than 20 years in people, culture and leadership strategy. A third-generation HR professional raised in a farming family, she brings a grounded work ethic and practical approach to developing leaders and building resilient organisations. Michelle’s work centers on practical, strategic guidance that helps companies transition from founder-driven operations to more sustainable, scalable leadership models that support long-term growth.

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Women’s History Month Series – In Conversation with Stephanie Davis Neill

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HR Spotlight Interview

Stephanie Davis Neill

Women's History Month Interview Series

In Conversation with Stephanie Davis Neill

Our special guest today is Stephanie Davis Neill, Chief Operating Officer at Click Boarding. With over 25 years of leadership experience spanning agile startups to Fortune-ranked companies, Stephanie brings a uniquely structural perspective to HR technology. A lifelong operator and Georgia Tech graduate with deep expertise in Lean/Six Sigma methodologies, she proves that the most effective way to solve complex people problems—such as employee engagement and workload reduction—is through robust, repeatable processes.

In this episode, Stephanie shares her playbook for protecting her peace through structural clarity, explains why she describes the 2026 workforce as “cautious,” and offers critical advice on how to strategically pivot after surviving the “Glass Cliff.”

Thank you for joining us, Stephanie! We’ve heard it said that ‘Nobody plans to go into HR; they are usually dragged into it because they are good at listening.’ Is that true for you? What was the specific moment you realized, ‘Oh, I’m actually meant to do this’?

Stephanie Davis Neill:

As a lifelong operator, I still find myself surprised when I describe my role in HR Technology.  I wasn’t initially sure it was the right fit until I thought about the challenges we solve, like engagement, accelerating readiness to work, and workload reduction for support teams and I thought, “this is what I have been doing my whole career!”. It’s true, when you really do pay attention, you can often clearly see the way forward.

You’ve worked in everything from furniture retail to global logistics. What have you learned about transformation?

Stephanie Davis Neill:

The fundamentals of managing transformation remain remarkably consistent from a startup to the Fortune 100: it is always about people and process. Whether you are hiring seasonal labor or highly specialized skill sets, transformation isn’t about the industry; it’s about facilitating how people and tools come together to deliver something amazing.

If you could describe the current ‘mood’ of the workforce in 2026 using just one word, what would it be? Why?

Stephanie Davis Neill:

Cautious.

As the pace of change continues to accelerate, particularly with macro economic pressures, adoption of AI, and shifts in company remote work policies, many employees remain uncertain about what comes next.  I suspect this is directly impacting the motivation for risk taking and job mobility.

We often talk about the ‘Glass Ceiling,’ but lately, the conversation has shifted to the ‘Glass Cliff’, where women are promoted to leadership only during times of crisis. Have you ever felt that pressure to be the ‘fixer’ in a broken system?

Stephanie Davis Neill:

Shining during a time of crisis can be a great way to get noticed and to accelerate leadership opportunities. I challenge women who rise during these periods to pivot quickly when the crisis is over to demonstrate strategic leadership. It can be very easy to fall into the trap of being the go-to person in every crisis. I once had responsibility for literal crisis management (weather and other disaster response functions) and because it ran so smoothly, it stayed with my team for several years instead of appropriately moving to the risk management team. After that, I learned to not only fight for what I wanted to manage, but also for passing along what I shouldn’t.

HR professionals are the ‘first responders’ of the corporate world, handling grief, layoffs, and conflict. What is your specific protocol for protecting your own peace after a day of absorbing everyone else’s stress?

Stephanie Davis Neill:

My protocol involves creating repeatable systems and routines that “anchor” the work. I rely on fixed organizational process, like our bi-weekly product and client discussions, to ensure everyone is on the same page and working toward the same priorities. This structural clarity helps prevent the “chaos” of absorbing everyone else’s stress because we have a clear, shared path forward.

HR is often described as a thankless job—you’re the villain when things go wrong and invisible when things go right. Why do you stay? What is the specific moment that reminds you ‘This is why I do this’?

Stephanie Davis Neill:

I stay because I love helping facilitate how people, tools, and resources come together to deliver something amazing. The “why” becomes very clear when you see the personal connection our teams make with clients. We recently finished a large implementation where the client didn’t want to let their consultant go and even asked for his personal information just to send a thank-you note. Hearing that our team has made that kind of impact, even at the very beginning of a partnership, is incredibly exciting.

“Transformation isn’t about the industry; it’s about facilitating how people and tools come together to deliver something amazing.”

That operational philosophy from Stephanie Davis Neill is a powerful reminder that at the core of every successful business transformation, the fundamentals of people and process remain entirely constant.

A huge thank you to Stephanie for sharing her expertise and proving that the best HR strategies are built on solid operational foundations.

As COO, Stephanie Davis Neill leads efforts to retain and grow Click Boarding’s customer base while optimizing operations for scalable growth. With over 25 years of experience in operations across startups, private-equity-backed firms, and Fortune-ranked companies, she is a proven change leader, most recently serving as VP of Customer Success & Direct Sales at Aaron’s. Passionate about building efficient processes, she applies Lean/Six Sigma methodologies to drive strategic problem-solving and cross-functional collaboration. Her expertise spans B2B account management, customer experience, and service management. A Georgia Tech graduate, Stephanie enjoys traveling and volunteering when not at home in Marietta, Georgia, with her family and rescue dog, Peanut.

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Women’s History Month Series – In Conversation with Advita Patel

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HR Spotlight Interview

Advita Patel

Women's History Month Interview Series

In Conversation with Advita Patel

Joining us is Advita Patel, an award-winning business communications consultant, professional confidence expert, and the 2025 President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. As the founder of CommsRebel and co-founder of A Leader Like Me, Advita specializes in building inclusive, high-performing environments. She is also the host of the Decoding Confidence podcast, with her highly anticipated book of the same name launching in May 2026.

In this interview, Advita breaks down the exhaustion of the modern workforce, the amplified pressures of the “Glass Cliff” for women of color, and why true empathy in leadership requires active practice, not just assumption. From setting non-negotiable boundaries to challenging the dangerous reliance on “gut feeling” in hiring, Advita provides a masterclass in leading with clarity and intention.

Thank you for joining us, Advita! If you could describe the current ‘mood’ of the workforce in 2026 using just one word, what would it be? Why?

Advita Patel:

Tired. The last six years have felt relentless for many people: constant change, new technology, economic uncertainty, and very little space to breathe or reflect. That’s why taking charge of the things we can control and prioritising our wellbeing matters more than ever. When you’re running on empty, you simply can’t show up properly for anyone else.

We often talk about the ‘Glass Ceiling,’ but lately, the conversation has shifted to the ‘Glass Cliff’, where women are promoted to leadership only during times of crisis. Have you ever felt that pressure to be the ‘fixer’ in a broken system?

Advita Patel:

Absolutely, and not just as a woman but also as a woman of colour, that pressure is amplified. There’s this unspoken expectation that you have to constantly prove yourself, outperform, and somehow fix what others couldn’t. You’re pitted against each other, and you genuinely believe you need to give twice as much just to be seen as half as capable. What makes it worse is that when you can’t fix a broken system, you internalise it as personal failure. It’s no wonder so many women burn out.

HR professionals are the ‘first responders’ of the corporate world, handling grief, layoffs, and conflict. What is your specific protocol for protecting your own peace after a day of absorbing everyone else’s stress?

Advita Patel:

Strong boundaries, and I don’t negotiate on them. My laptop stays in my office, and I don’t check anything work-related after 6pm. I know how tempting it is, especially when there’s an on-going issue. But if you don’t model your own boundaries, you can’t expect others to respect them either. Burning yourself out helps no one, and the long-term cost of not protecting yourself can be devastating.

Without naming names, tell us about a time you had to deliver tough news (a termination, a restructuring) that actually taught you something profound about leadership or empathy.

Advita Patel:

I was once asked to send out a restructure email just before a Bank Holiday weekend. The thinking was that it would get ahead of the rumours without leadership having to field questions straight away. I pushed back. Dropping news like that with no context, right before people disconnect for a long weekend, is unfair and causes unnecessary anxiety. The response from senior leadership? “Everyone’s an adult, they’ll understand.” That moment crystallised something important for me: empathy isn’t instinctive for everyone. It has to be actively practised, not assumed.

Have you ever felt pressure to soften your delivery or ‘be nice’ in a way that male counterparts aren’t? How do you balance empathy with the need to be firm on policy?

Advita Patel:

Yes. I was told my tone came across as aloof and cold, which genuinely surprised me because warmth is a big part of who I am. But I noticed the feedback only surfaced when I challenged or disagreed with something, and that told me a lot. Real empathy isn’t about backing down or over-softening to avoid discomfort. It’s about recognising that people aren’t difficult, they’re just different. It means understanding someone’s perspective without needing to agree with it, and holding your position without becoming defensive. Giving people space to be heard is empathy. Disappearing into agreeableness is not.

The age-old tension is between ‘People’ and ‘Profits.’ Can you share a specific example where you had to fight for a budget or a benefit that didn’t have an immediate ROI, but you knew was critical for the culture?

Advita Patel:

How to fight for a budget without a clear ROI? That’s practically a book I could write. In the work I do, it’s rarely possible to show an immediate return because it forms part of a much bigger picture. So, alongside attaching metrics to spend, I always talk about the consequences of not doing something, not just what success looks like if we do. That reframe gives budget holders the full picture rather than just our version of it.

We talk a lot about ‘gut feeling’ in hiring. How are you using data to challenge your own biases, or the biases of hiring managers, when it comes to promoting women and underrepresented talent?

Advita Patel:

Gut feeling is based on your lived experiences. And if your lived experiences have been sheltered and you haven’t had much interaction with people who are different from you, the bias you show in your gut will be aligned to your version of what good looks like. That’s why so many teams and boards have similar faces. This, in many cases, isn’t intentional. People will generally believe they have hired the best. But what they may not realise is that they are measuring best to their personal criteria. And if someone who is different or looks different is being interviewed, the natural reaction is that they are not a good fit. This is why data and evidence are needed to help slow your thinking down and help you tap into your reflective side of the brain.

If you could ban one corporate buzzword forever, what would it be?

Advita Patel:

Leverage. We don’t use that word at home, in conversation, in real life. I genuinely have no idea why it became so embedded in workplace language.

“Giving people space to be heard is empathy. Disappearing into agreeableness is not.”

That powerful distinction from Advita Patel fundamentally challenges how women are often conditioned to operate in corporate spaces. Her insights remind us that true leadership isn’t about fixing fundamentally broken systems at the expense of our own well-being; it is about establishing non-negotiable boundaries and using data to dismantle the biases hidden within our “gut feelings.”

A huge thank you to Advita for her candor and for giving us practical tools to protect our peace while driving meaningful organizational change.

Advita Patel is an award winning business communications consultant and professional confidence expert. She is the founder of CommsRebel, a consultancy supporting organisations to build inclusive, high performing workplace cultures, and the co-founder of A Leader Like Me, an international agency focused on inclusive leadership and employee experience. Advita is the host of the Decoding Confidence podcast, which explores confidence at work through honest conversation and practical insight. Her forthcoming book, Decoding Confidence, will be published in May 2026. An international speaker and award winning podcaster, Advita regularly speaks on confidence, leadership, inclusion, and communications. In 2025, she was the President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations in 2025.

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Women’s History Month Series – In Conversation with Rachel Shaw

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HR Spotlight Interview

Rachel Shaw

Women's History Month Interview Series

In Conversation with Rachel Shaw

Joining us is Rachel Shaw, the founder of Rachel Shaw Inc. and a nationally recognized expert who has spent over two decades helping organizations turn complex compliance into operational strength.

Rachel is the visionary behind the ADA Interactive Process Hallway® protocol, a system now utilized by thousands of organizations to navigate disability accommodations with consistency, legal precision, and, most importantly, care. Today, she shares her “superpowers” for cooling off a workplace on fire, why she’s trading “culture fit” for “culture add,” and how she navigates the unique pressures of being a “fixer” in the corporate world.

Thank you for joining us, Rachel! HR has been through the wringer lately. From being the ‘bad guys’ during layoffs to the ‘fun police’ during RTO, a lot’s been happening. If you could clear the air right now, what is the one thing you wish every employee understood about your job?

Rachel Shaw:

HR is not the “fun police.” We are the stability system of the organization.

We are responsible for ensuring that decisions are made consistently, legally, and in a way that allows the organization to survive long-term. Sometimes that means saying no. Sometimes that means enforcing boundaries. The goal is not control. The goal is fairness, sustainability and clarity.

The best HR professionals care deeply about people and the organization’s mission. Our job is to hold both at the same time, even when it is uncomfortable.

We’ve heard it said that ‘Nobody plans to go into HR; they are usually dragged into it because they are good at listening.’ Is that true for you? What was the specific moment you realized, ‘Oh, I’m actually meant to do this’?

Rachel Shaw:

Not at all. An early career assessment actually told me HR was the least likely fit for me.

What I discovered over time is that HR is the perfect fit for people who can do three things well. Have hard conversations with care. See the complexity in human behavior. Stay grounded in what is right and defensible.

I am deeply mission-driven. I feel the human emotion in situations, but I am not led by it. I am led by data, process, and legal guidance while still caring about the human in front of me. That combination is what made me realize this is exactly where I am meant to be.

HR requires a weird mix of skills. You have to be part lawyer, part therapist, and part data analyst. If we stripped away the job title, what is the one ‘superpower’ you rely on most when the office is on fire?

Rachel Shaw:

Curiosity.

When something goes wrong in a workplace, most people react. I get curious. What happened. What system failed. What data are we missing. What assumption are we making.

Curiosity slows down reaction and replaces it with better decision-making. It allows me to solve the right problem, not just the loudest one.

If you could describe the current ‘mood’ of the workforce in 2026 using just one word, what would it be? Why?

Rachel Shaw:

Disconnected.

Not because people do not care, but because systems, leadership and work design have not caught up with how people actually live and work today. The opportunity in 2026 is to rebuild connections with intention.

We often talk about the ‘Glass Ceiling,’ but lately, the conversation has shifted to the ‘Glass Cliff’, where women are promoted to leadership only during times of crisis. Have you ever felt that pressure to be the ‘fixer’ in a broken system?

Rachel Shaw:

I absolutely identify as a fixer.

For women and other underrepresented groups, the standard has historically been higher. That pressure forces you to be sharper, faster and more creative. That pressure, while unfair, has also produced extraordinary leadership.

I walk into rooms assuming something can be better and that I have a role in making it better. That mindset is not ego. It is ownership.

Women in HR often get unfairly pigeonholed as the ‘office mom’ or the ‘policy police.’ How do you dismantle those stereotypes to ensure you are seen as a strategic business architect first?

Rachel Shaw:

I dismantle it by focusing on business outcomes.

HR drives profit, productivity, retention and risk management. We use data, process and structure to get there while also caring about people.

One example early in my career. HR was expected to provide food for every meeting. Instead of arguing about it, I rotated responsibility across departments. Within months, the practice disappeared because once everyone shared the labor, they realized it was not necessary.

I do not argue stereotypes. I redesign systems.

HR professionals are the ‘first responders’ of the corporate world, handling grief, layoffs, and conflict. What is your specific protocol for protecting your own peace after a day of absorbing everyone else’s stress?

Rachel Shaw:

I use what I call the pillow test.

If I can put my head down at night and not replay the day, I know I acted with integrity. If I cannot, I ask two questions. Did I do something that needs to be corrected? Or did something happen that I need to process?

Then I take action. I adjust the process, or I get support.

Replaying the past without action is not useful. Learning from it is.

Without naming names, tell us about a time you had to deliver tough news (a termination, a restructuring) that actually taught you something profound about leadership or empathy.

Rachel Shaw:

Early in my career, I realized that even when a termination decision is legally and operationally correct, the process determines whether it causes unnecessary harm.

If an employee does not understand how the decision was made, they experience it as something done to them rather than something they were part of.

That insight led me to create the Interactive Process Hallway® protocol, a system that gives employees clarity, time and information so they can understand and accept decisions, even difficult ones.

Good HR reduces trauma. Great HR reduces risk and trauma.

Have you ever felt pressure to soften your delivery or ‘be nice’ in a way that male counterparts aren’t? How do you balance empathy with the need to be firm on policy?

Rachel Shaw:

I have always been direct. I have been told I am too much, too fast, or too direct.

What I have learned is this. Employees do not need you to be soft. They need you to be honest, respectful and consistent.

People can feel when empathy is performative. What they trust is clarity delivered with care.

My success has always come from employees and unions knowing that even on their worst day, I will treat them with dignity.

The age-old tension is between ‘People’ and ‘Profits.’ Can you share a specific example where you had to fight for a budget or a benefit that didn’t have an immediate ROI, but you knew was critical for the culture?

Rachel Shaw:

This shows up most clearly in onboarding and leadership development.

I often tell leaders to think about onboarding the way colleges think about frosh orientation. When a student arrives on campus, there is an intentional experience designed to help them understand the culture, learn the rules, build relationships and feel a sense of belonging. We do that because we know it increases success, retention, and engagement.

Yet in the workplace, we bring employees in, hand them a laptop and expect them to figure it out.

If organizations invested in onboarding as a structured, multi-day experience focused on connection, clarity and culture, and paired that with leadership development that teaches supervisors how to lead humans, not just manage tasks, we would see measurable improvements in retention, productivity and engagement.

The return on investment is there. Most organizations simply do not measure it, or they do not invest long enough to see it.

We talk a lot about ‘gut feeling’ in hiring. How are you using data to challenge your own biases, or the biases of hiring managers, when it comes to promoting women and underrepresented talent?

Rachel Shaw:

“Gut Feeling” is often a placeholder for bias.

To counter that, we need structured interviews, consistent scoring and when possible, blind or partially blind early-stage processes.

Data does not eliminate bias, but it forces us to justify our decisions with evidence rather than instinct.

Statistically, women get stuck at the first step up to manager. As an HR leader, what is one systemic change you’ve implemented (or want to) that actually fixes this ‘broken rung’?

Rachel Shaw:

One of the most effective strategies I have implemented is using third-party technical interview panels in the early stages of hiring.

These panels focus strictly on capability, not personality or familiarity, and they provide a fact-based recommendation to the hiring authority. When there is a mismatch between the panel’s recommendation and the hiring manager’s preference, it creates a necessary coaching conversation. I will often ask a simple question: what is getting in your way of selecting this candidate?

In one case, a candidate who used a wheelchair was the top choice of the panel but not the hiring manager. When we talked it through, the concerns that surfaced were assumptions about travel, attendance and potential accommodation costs. We were able to walk through each concern with actual data, including the candidate’s strong attendance record, prior travel requirements, and the organization’s existing ADA-compliant infrastructure and centralized accommodation budget.

The manager was able to move from assumption to evidence, and the candidate was ultimately hired and has been successful in the role for many years.

The lesson is not that bias can be eliminated. It cannot. The lesson is that organizations can build systems that slow the decision down, surface the bias and require leaders to move from belief to data before they make hiring decisions.

What is the biggest myth about working in HR that you wish would die?

Rachel Shaw:

That HR is the heart of the organization.

We are not the heart. We are the entire cardiovascular system. We touch every part of the organization. When we are working well, everything functions. When we are not, everything feels it.

If you could ban one corporate buzzword forever, what would it be?

Rachel Shaw:

Culture fit.

What we should be talking about is culture add, how someone expands the organization’s thinking, not how closely they mirror it.

HR is often described as a thankless job—you’re the villain when things go wrong and invisible when things go right. Why do you stay? What is the specific moment that reminds you ‘This is why I do this’?

Rachel Shaw:

I stay because of the moments when someone says, ‘That was one of the hardest days of my life and you made it easier’.

That is the work. That is the responsibility. When it is done well, it changes how people experience their workplace and sometimes their lives.

HR is thankless only when it is done poorly or unsupported. When it is done well, it is one of the most meaningful roles in any organization.

“We are not the heart; we are the entire cardiovascular system.”

That perspective from Rachel Shaw perfectly encapsulates the vital, often invisible work that defines modern HR. From dismantling the “office mom” stereotype to replacing “gut feelings” with data-driven equity, Rachel’s insights remind us that the strongest systems are those built on curiosity, clarity, and dignity.

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, Rachel’s journey serves as a powerful blueprint for any leader looking to redesign broken systems rather than just managing within them. A huge thank you to Rachel Shaw for her transparency and for giving us a masterclass in leading with both a steady hand and a human heart.

Rachel Shaw, founder of Rachel Shaw Inc., is a nationally recognized ADA and leave management expert and sought-after speaker known for helping organizations turn legal compliance into operational strength. With more than two decades of experience, she designs in-house systems that allow employers to manage accommodations with both legal precision and human-centered leadership. She is the creator of the ADA Interactive Process Hallway® protocol, now used by thousands of organizations to manage disability accommodation requests confidently, consistently, and with care.

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Women’s History Month Series – In Conversation with Jenn Harrold

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HR Spotlight Interview

Jenn Harrold

Women's History Month Interview Series

In Conversation with Jenn Harold

In HR Spotlight’s special Women’s History Month edition, we are sitting down with Jenn Harrold, the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at NewDay USA. With over 20 years of experience spanning technology, fintech, omni-channel retail, and logistics, Jenn has built a career translating business needs into human impact.

In this candid interview, she pulls back the curtain on the heavy emotional toll of being a corporate “first responder,” absorbing organizational stress so others can move forward. She also confronts the reality of the “glass cliff,” where women are often brought into leadership roles during crises specifically to fix broken systems. Jenn shares how she unlearned the conditioned need to “over-function” to prove her worth, transforming her approach by setting boundaries and refusing to carry fractured cultures alone.

Thank you for joining us, Jenn! HR has been through the wringer lately. From being the ‘bad guys’ during layoffs to the ‘fun police’ during RTO, a lot’s been happening. If you could clear the air right now, what is the one thing you wish every employee understood about your job?

Jenn Harrold:

I wish more people understood that HR professionals are people first.

When we orchestrate layoffs, we are not just managing spreadsheets, we are thinking about how to preserve dignity, how to communicate with clarity, and how to protect the people who are leaving and the people who are staying. We think about the ripple effects, and it takes a toll.

Sometimes we are asked to eliminate roles that belong to colleagues we’ve worked alongside for years. Sometimes we are even involved in decisions that impact our own teams. That work is heavy.

What’s rarely talked about is that we are the support system for everyone else, but we don’t always pause to process what we carry. We absorb a lot so others can move forward with steadiness.

Behind the policy and the process, we are simply human beings doing our best to balance compassion with business reality.

What boundary did you have to learn to set in your career that changed everything?

Jenn Harrold:

Early in my career, I thought being capable meant being available — all the time.

I’m a mom. A wife. A leader. I’ve carried a lot of titles. And somewhere along the way I decided I should be excellent at all of them simultaneously. I said yes quickly. I fixed things fast. I prided myself on being the person who could just get it done.

And for a while, that felt like ambition.

But if I’m honest, I was over-functioning. I wasn’t fully present anywhere. I was stretched across roles trying to prove I could carry it all — at work and at home.

I had to confront something uncomfortable: many women are conditioned to believe we have to outperform, overdeliver, and overextend just to earn and keep our seat at the table. I see it in my circles all the time.

At some point I realized that constantly being the fixer wasn’t leadership so, I started setting clearer boundaries.

At home, that meant being intentional about when I was working and when I was not. Not taking calls at dinner. Not mentally drafting responses during family time.

At work, it meant pushing back when “Can you just handle this?” became the default. My ability to GSD doesn’t mean I should absorb every urgent ask. Capability should not automatically equal responsibility.

The boundary that changed everything was this: I don’t have to prove my value by exhaustion.

When I stopped over-functioning, I didn’t lose influence. I gained clarity. And I show up stronger in every role because of it.

We’ve heard it said that ‘Nobody plans to go into HR; they are usually dragged into it because they are good at listening.’ Is that true for you? What was the specific moment you realized, ‘Oh, I’m actually meant to do this’?

Jenn Harrold:

Like many people in this field, I found my way here through proximity to people and performance. I began in the staffing agency world and eventually corporate recruiting.

The turning point came during a restructuring when I found myself leading recruiting and talent management. It was uncomfortable at first. I wrestled with imposter syndrome, the quiet voice asking, ‘do you actually belong in this seat?’

Then I led a major initiative that required aligning business strategy with talent outcomes. We weren’t just filling roles; we were shaping the future of the organization. That was the moment it clicked.

I realized I wasn’t just good at listening, I was good at translating business needs into human impact and vice versa. That’s when I knew this wasn’t accidental. It was alignment.

HR requires a weird mix of skills. You have to be part lawyer, part therapist, and part data analyst. If we stripped away the job title, what is the one ‘superpower’ you rely on most when the office is on fire?

Jenn Harrold:

Calm under pressure.

HR requires a strange but powerful blend of skills, part compliance, part therapist, part strategist, part analyst. But when things escalate, none of that matters if you can’t regulate the room.

In moments of crisis, my role is to create stability. I slow the pace emotionally, even if the decisions need to move quickly. I gather facts rapidly, assess risk, consider impact, and then move people toward clarity and action.

Panic spreads fast. If I can steady the energy, align the stakeholders, and keep the focus on solutions rather than noise, we can navigate almost anything. Rapid change and adaptation don’t intimidate me, they energize me.

If you could describe the current ‘mood’ of the workforce in 2026 using just one word, what would it be? Why?

Jenn Harrold:

Volatile — but not fragile.

The modern workforce is informed, vocal, and hyper-aware of power dynamics. Employees are recalibrating what loyalty, leadership, and work-life integration mean to them.

That creates intensity. Reactions are sharper. Decisions are faster. Transparency is demanded, not requested.

Volatility isn’t chaos — it’s compression. Everything moves faster now. Trust builds slower and it breaks quicker.

Organizations that lead with clarity and consistency will steady the room. Those that don’t will feel the swings.

We often talk about the ‘Glass Ceiling,’ but lately, the conversation has shifted to the ‘Glass Cliff’, where women are promoted to leadership only during times of crisis. Have you ever felt that pressure to be the ‘fixer’ in a broken system?

Jenn Harrold:

Absolutely.

I have a natural bias toward action. I move quickly. I assess, diagnose, and want to stabilize what feels chaotic. That instinct has served me well, especially in environments where change is constant and stakes are high.

But I’ve also learned that there’s a difference between being invited to lead transformation and being handed a mess and expected to absorb the fallout.

The “glass cliff” is real because women are often seen as emotionally intelligent, stabilizing forces. We’re brought in when morale is low, when culture is fractured, when trust has eroded. The unspoken expectation is that we will “fix” things.

What I’ve learned is this: I am willing to lead in a crisis, but I’m no longer willing to carry a broken system alone. Real change requires shared ownership. I’ll bring urgency, clarity, and solutions — but leadership is a team sport.

Being the fixer is powerful. Being the scapegoat is not.

HR professionals are the ‘first responders’ of the corporate world, handling grief, layoffs, and conflict. What is your specific protocol for protecting your own peace after a day of absorbing everyone else’s stress?

Jenn Harrold:

I compartmentalize — sometimes too well. It’s a strength and a liability.

Over time, I’ve realized that absorbing everyone else’s stress without releasing it is not sustainable. So, I’ve had to become intentional about decompression.

After an emotionally heavy day, I seek quiet. No noise. No input. I give myself space to process rather than immediately moving to the next thing. The pause matters.

Then I regulate — yoga, breath work, meditation. Movement is non-negotiable for me. I start every morning with a workout. It’s how I create resilience before the day ever asks anything of me.

Protecting your peace isn’t indulgent — it’s operationally necessary.

Without naming names, tell us about a time you had to deliver tough news (a termination, a restructuring) that actually taught you something profound about leadership or empathy.

Jenn Harrold:

I will never forget that day.

During a major restructuring, a new organizational design resulted in the elimination of a role held by a dear friend, and I had to be the one to tell her.

Professionally, I was composed. Personally, I was crushed. There is a particular kind of silence that follows news like that — the kind that stays with you long after the meeting ends.

We didn’t speak for a long time. When we eventually reconnected, something had shifted. She has since moved away, and our relationship was never the same.

Leadership is not about emotional distance. It’s about carrying responsibility even when it costs you something personally. Sometimes doing your job well doesn’t feel like winning and you have to be mature enough to hold that complexity without turning it into defensiveness.

That experience changed me. It made me softer in some ways. Stronger in others.

If you could ban one corporate buzzword forever, what would it be?

Jenn Harrold:

“Circle back.”

Not because the phrase itself is offensive — but because it’s often code for avoidance.

If something matters, address it. If a decision needs to be made, make it. If there’s conflict, have the conversation.

“Circle back” has become the polite cousin of procrastination.

HR is often described as a thankless job—you’re the villain when things go wrong and invisible when things go right. Why do you stay? What is the specific moment that reminds you ‘This is why I do this’?

Jenn Harrold:

Because in the moments that matter most, you see the impact.

It’s not in the big announcements or polished town halls. It’s in the quiet moments — when a leader grows into someone more self-aware. When a struggling employee stabilizes and finds their footing. When a difficult decision is handled with integrity instead of ego.

The moment that reminds me “this is why” is when someone says, “You told me the truth when I needed it,” or “You helped me see something I couldn’t see myself.”

HR sits at the intersection of performance and people. That tension is hard. It’s messy. It’s rarely celebrated.

When you help shape a system that both demands results and respects people — even imperfectly — that matters.

That’s why I stay.

A massive thank you to Jenn Harrold for bringing such profound clarity and empathy to HR Spotlight. Her journey proves that true leadership isn’t about absorbing every urgent ask or fixing every broken system alone; it is about creating stability, demanding shared ownership, and respecting the humans behind the performance metrics.

Jenn Harrold is the Senior VP of Human Resources at NewDay USA and an HR leader focused on talent strategy, organizational development, and growth. With 20+ years of experience spanning technology, omni-channel retail, fintech, and logistics, she partners closely with executive leadership to align people strategy with business goals and help emerging growth companies and SMBs scale through talent and culture. Jenn has a track record of leading transformative initiatives that drive engagement and performance, with deep expertise in performance management, retention, succession planning, and change management, and she is known for guiding teams through ambiguity and rapid change. A purpose-driven leader, she is committed to mentorship, community, and building high-performing teams that unlock organizational potential.

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