Bloomerang

Director, Engagement

Human Resources Business Partner

Mirra

Co-Founder

HR Collaboration Group - HR Consulting

Director of HR Services

Sr. HR Business Partner

Pill Box

Director of Human Resources / Controller

Warsaw Community Schools

Human Resources and Accountability

Grace College & Seminary

Data and Systems/GOAL Admissions Counselor

Growing my HR career | Sharing insights to grow yours too

✅ Experience as an:

HR Generalist | Business Partner | Director | Consultant

✅ Embracing the future of HR:

Sharing so others can learn along with me

✅ Motivating HR teams of 1 or many to be high-impact HR:

Focused on helping to propel HR forward in every company


https://amymencarelli.gumroad.com/

“You can’t be in HR unless you’re an extrovert.”
 
I used to believe this.
 
And still hear this comment sometimes.
 
If you don’t believe this, kudos to you.
 
Because the truth is?
 
We need introverts in HR.
 
(I’m one!)
 
If you’re an introvert wondering if HR is the right fit for you.
 
Or an extrovert wondering what value your introverted HR teammate adds.
 
Here’s a list to help you hone in on introverts’ extreme value-add in HR:
 
✅ Listening and Observational Skills
Introverts aren’t normally the ones doing the talking.
Instead, they’re the ones listening and observing.
Listening for feedback, concerns, specific details.
Observing body language, dynamics, behaviors, potential issues.
Whether you’re in tough conversations or confusing situations.
Introverts.
 
✅ 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.
 
✅ Clear Written Communication
Much of how we communicate in HR involves writing.
Writing is a key way introverts prefer to express themselves. 
Speaking or presenting in front of groups may be more of a stretch.
But when you have important written communications that need to go out?
Introverts.
 
✅ Focus
A key skill in HR is being able to do the deep, hard work it requires.
That type of work requires the ability for a radical level of focus.
HR has lots of distractions – people, events, emergencies.
If you need someone to double down and focus?
Introverts.
 
Introverts add so much value in HR.
 
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.
 
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Amy Mencarelli, PHR, MBA

In HR, you want to make a positive impact in the business immediately.
 
Whether you're new to the HR team or HR is new to the org.

But how?
 
Kickoff your HR health check in these 6 high-impact business areas:
 
✅ Legal Compliance = Decreased Liability
 
Get the basics in order.
I-9s. Job descriptions. Employee files.
Your goal is for this to go on autopilot once organized. 
Pro Tip: This is just one piece of HR. Don't let it eat up all your time.
 
✅ Increased Technological Efficiency = Decreased Labor Costs
 
What are you doing manually? 
Are there existing tools that can help? 
How can you speed things up/automate processes? (see #1)
Explore this early on and save yourself massive time on the back end.
 
✅ Salaries & Levels = Pay Equity
 
What is the compensation structure? 
Are progressive levels established for each function? 
Is it documented and adhered to for each new hire and promotion?
Work to establish parameters & help guide conversations as the org grows.
 
✅ Career Growth = Increased Engagement & Retention
 
How do your team members increase their pay, skills & titles? 
Be proactive with these conversations.
Create potential paths for employees.
Document and communicate.
 
✅ Data-Rich Approach = Data-Informed Decision Making
 
What's the general pulse of the team's engagement? 
If you don't have the data, you're just guessing. 
Establish a baseline and cadence to measure. 
Then use the data to take action.
 
✅ Policies & Processes = Organizational Alignment
 
Familiarize yourself with what already exists and identify gaps. 
A formal Employee Handbook is a great resource to have.
But if that's beyond your capacity?
Start by documenting key policies. 
 
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to grow your HR career.

HR will burn you out in no time if you let it. 
 
But you don’t have to let it.
 
There’s a better way: the HR Long Game.
 
To play the HR Long Game, you need to strengthen your:
 
✅ Perspective
Major on the majors, minor on the minors
 
✅ Consistency
In your systems, approach, development, & pace
 
✅ Patience
Everything can’t be fixed immediately (see Consistency)
 
Stop pushing yourself towards burnout.
 
Start playing the HR Long Game.

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Quiet days in HR used to stress me out.
 
No unexpected meetings?
No emergencies?
No requests?
 
Early on, I used to search for problems on those days.
 
I felt uncertain of my role.
Questioned my importance and necessity.
 
Pretty soon I found the perfect focus for those days. 
 
To-do list of deep, important, impactful work for the future of the org.
 
At each level, that list has evolved. 
 
But no matter my level, I've always kept a list. 
 
At the start of my career it included lots of:
 
"Research how to do x" items
 
As I've moved further into my career it's evolved to:
 
"Evaluate potential impact of x to the team/organization" items
 
It keeps my focus off of myself.
 
And repositions my focus on making an impact. 
 
(An unexpected meeting, emergency, or request is normally right around the corner anyway.)
 
If you haven’t started one, create a list for days like these.
 
No matter your level.
 
And be prepared to maximize those rare, quiet times in HR. 
 
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“Job-hopping is great for your career.”
 
That is the exact opposite of what I heard at the start of my career.
 
Looking back now? 
 
Had I not changed jobs as often as I did, I never would’ve acquired so many experiences.
 
Which has helped shape my unique HR approach.
 
There are points where I stalled out in my career.
 
By the time I realized I was stalled out, I was behind the eight ball on looking for my next opportunity.
 
Eventually I started looking for new opportunities before I felt like I needed them.
 
It led to:
 
✅ More conversations
✅ An expanded network
✅ Greater potential opportunities
✅ Diverse experiences (even if the role didn’t work out)
 
If you’re an HR pro at the start of your career wondering if you should move on.
 
Evaluate if you’ve stalled out. 
Evaluate the opportunities in your current role.
Evaluate opportunities available in the market that align with your goals.
 
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Stop pushing yourself towards burnout in HR.
Stop playing the HR Short Game.
 
Start playing the HR Long Game.
 
⬇ 
 
❌ HR Short Game: Focus on all the things going wrong.
✅ HR Long Game: Focus on the things you can impact.
 
❌ HR Short Game: React in the moment. 
✅ HR Long Game: Proactively plan and deliberately respond.
 
❌ HR Short Game: Sprint through days, weeks, months.
✅ HR Long Game: Identify when to sprint and when to marathon.
 
❌ HR Short Game: Over-engineer solutions based on a singular issue.
✅ HR Long Game: Create guidelines that bring out the best in the org.
 
❌ HR Short Game: Allow frustrations to create chasms with leaders and teams.
✅ HR Long Game: Work through frustrations to create stronger working relationships.
 
What else would you add?
 
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HR pros can’t just attend meetings.
 
We also need to observe. 
 
Observing is the Major League cousin of listening. 
 
Listening = paying attention to the words of the speaker.
 
Observing = taking in the speaker and audience’s body language, reactions, moods & words.
 
As HR pros, we need to be aware whenever we interact.
 
So sit back and observe others interacting well - or poorly.
 
And learn from what you observe. 
 
✅ Save yourself from mistakes.
✅ Build relationships faster. 
✅ Shortcut understanding.
✅ Gain new perspectives.
 
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“You’ll never make it in the corporate world.”
 
I was in the middle of an interview for a job I really wanted.
 
My immediate impulse was to give a very unprofessional response.
 
Instead, I took a breath.
Gathered my composure.
Acknowledged why they might think that would be the case.
And supplied the reasons I would make it in the corporate world.
 
Fast forward 24 hours, and they were calling to offer me the job. 
 
Did I take the job? No.
 
I didn't want to work somewhere that treated candidates that way.
 
But I saw the immediate benefit of not reacting in the moment.
 
I wasn't in HR at the time.
 
But that lesson has served me countless times as an HR pro.
 
And if I hadn't turned that job down?
 
I would have missed my opportunity to get into HR.
 
“You’ll never make it in the corporate world.”
 
Wasn't meant to propel my career forward.
 
But it did.
 
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I was struggling with what my next career move was going to be.
 
I wasn't qualified for the roles I wanted and was nervous to go after them.
 
At that time, I was fortunate to be part of a group mentoring program.
 
Each week, I was sitting next to someone in the same predicament.
 
Except they were going after exactly what they wanted. 
 
It hit me:
 
The barriers I was up against were barriers I had created.
 
That was a turning point in my career.
 
What barriers have you created in your life or career?
 
Identify them.
 
Tear them down.
 
Go after what you want.
 
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HR pros can massively benefit from HR templates.
 
✅ Use them as a foundation to build on.
 
✅ Tweak them to work best for your org’s specific needs.
 
✅ Shortcut your way to moving from good ➡ better ➡ best.
 
Looking for additional templates to add to your library?
 
Check mine out here:
 
amymencarelli.gumroad.com
 
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Focus on good in your HR career.
 
Create more good in your HR career.
 
In HR, focusing on the negative is the easy choice.
 
❌ You won’t make everyone happy
❌ You won’t know how to handle every situation
❌ You won’t always have the perfect thing to say
❌ You won’t sail into each weekend on a high note
 
Some days will leave you feeling like a failure.
 
So, you can focus on the negative.
 
And let the negative expand.
 
Or.
 
✅ You can focus on what you learned
✅ Determine how to do better next time
✅ And choose to move forward with optimism
 
Focus on good in your HR career.
 
Create more good in your HR career.
 
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I love HR. 
 
But there’s more to me than my HR passion.
 
A few outside-the-HR-lines facts about me to end the week!
 
1. I love all things sports. 
2. The Masters is my favorite weekend of the year.
3. My dog, Timber, naps next to me whenever I write (including right now!).
4. I’ll read any book on Lincoln I can get my hands on.
5. I’ve read Pride and Prejudice 6 times.
6. Along the same lines…I once got grounded from reading. 
7. I am a major proponent of flossing.
8. I celebrate my birthday for an entire week.
9. I have the Periodic Table hanging in my house. 
10. Cleaning and working out are my go-to de-stressors.
11. I took piano lessons for 15 years and loved it.
12. My husband is an amazing cook. I don’t even like to microwave.
13. I’m an introvert who loves small talk.
14. Disney World is one of my favorite places.
15. If chocolate cake is on the menu, I order it.
 
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One of the most important and challenging skills in HR: 
 
Storytelling.
 
HR needs to communicate its value, impact, and initiatives. 
 
And storytelling is a captivating way to do that.
 
Personally? I’d rather walk across hot lava than tell a story.
 
I absolutely believe it’s vital in HR. But I dread doing it.
 
I’ve read countless storytelling how-to’s.
 
So I technically know how to tell a story.
 
But I still struggle. 
 
My barriers are:
 
❌ I can write great stories, but I don’t tell them well.
❌ I’m an introvert and don’t enjoy taking up that much air time. 
❌ If I don’t see positive reactions, I assume my audience is bored & rush the rest.
 
Maybe you’re like me and can’t move past your own barriers. 
 
Here are a few mindset shifts I’ve made that have had a positive impact:
 
✅ Translate what works in writing to speaking - structure, pauses, etc.
✅ If getting better at storytelling is truly a goal, excuses aren't an option.
✅ The build-up of a story is crucial. It's silly to expect immediate reactions. Be patient. 
 
Fantastic storytelling in HR is crucial.
 
Identify your barriers.
 
And then refuse to let them stop you from mastering it.
 
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Past-focused HR professionals:
 
❌ Ask “how have we done it?” 
❌ Look backwards for solutions
❌ Implement stagnant programs 
❌ Copy and paste approach each year
❌ Allocate no time for building knowledge
❌ Hold grudges and use position for power
 
Future-focused HR professionals:
 
✅ Ask “how can we do it better?”
✅ Consider the future for solutions
✅ Analyze, iterate and innovate programs
✅ Build bridges and use position for impact
✅ Allocate regular time for building knowledge
✅ Evaluate approach regularly for improvements
 
Which one are you?
 
Which one are you surrounding yourself?
 
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Everyone talks about complicated situations in HR. 
 
Few talk about the specifics for navigating those situations. 
 
If you’re in HR and receive a harassment complaint, what should you do?
 
Here’s a framework you can follow:
 
1️⃣ Witnesses
 
Identify all witnesses. 
Document the info they provide.
Remind each witness to maintain confidentiality.
Ask each witness for anyone else you should speak with. 
And if there is any evidence they can provide (emails, texts, videos, etc).
 
➡ Document, document, document.
 
2️⃣ Findings
 
Compile your findings from Step 1.
Assess the prevalence and severity of the situation.
Review your findings and recommendations with leadership. 
 
3️⃣ Next Steps
 
Agree on a path forward based on the findings. 
Keep your company policies and state & federal regulations in mind.
 
4️⃣ Finalize
 
If termination is a potential, consult legal counsel to minimize liability. 
Or, if in doubt at any point, don't hesitate to consult legal counsel. 
Confirming direction is worth the cost in the long run.
Share the conclusion with the accuser and accused. 
 
➡ Document, document, document.
 
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At the start of each year, I hear HR pros talking about not getting burned out. 
 
Except now it’s not the start of the year.
 
It’s April.
 
And I’m sure we all need reminders on how to avoid burnout. 
 
So here’s a reminder from a list I shared in December. 
 
I hope I’m re-sharing it at the right time for you.
 
5 tips to keep you going on tough days in HR:
 
✅ Focus: on what you know to be true. Ignore everything else.
✅ Think: about the impact of your work to help center your focus.
✅ Invest: in yourself. Take time to expand your business knowledge.
✅ Keep: a list of items that energize you & pick from that during low times.
✅ Give: yourself permission to set the difficult thing aside until the next day.
 
This is a starting point.
 
Take this and add more ideas that work for you.
 
Refer back to it often.

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It’s almost the end of Q1. 
 
Other teams are looking at their performance and measuring effectiveness.
 
Are you doing the same thing for your HR team?
 
Here are a few questions you should be asking:
 
1️⃣ What went well?
2️⃣ What didn’t go well?
3️⃣ Are you measuring all of the right things?
4️⃣ If you performed at this level for 3 more quarters, would 2024 be a success?
5️⃣ What should you tweak in Q2 based on the answers to the above?
 
HR teams need to maintain a high standard. 
 
Take the time to evaluate performance and recalibrate where needed.
 
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A common HR fear:
 
Fear that an initiative will flop. 
It will reflect poorly on you and your team.
HR’s delicate reputation will slowly start to unravel.
 
How to combat this?
 
Research.
 
Some great ways to do that research:
 
1️⃣ Ask your HR network (if you don’t have one, start building one today)
 
2️⃣ Proactively attend HR webinars/conferences to learn about new ideas
 
3️⃣ Subscribe to, read, & save HR newsletters to create a bank of knowledge

4️⃣ Check online HR resources like SHRM and AIHR | Academy to Innovate HR
 
It can be scary implementing something new at your organization.
 
Don't let that fear stop you from executing important work at a high level.
 
Do the prep work. 

Do your research.
 
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