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Sarah Villano works for Refersion, a New York–based tech company that helps online merchants track affiliate sales. The company’s HR function is only about three months old, according to Villano, who was hired just as the department was forming. Villano, 28, told HR Brew her career path began with an internship in the HR department at Amnesty International, and says that her interest in the field arises from a desire to ensure people have ethical workplaces.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
How would you describe your specific job to someone who doesn’t work in HR? One-third office manager, one-third event planner, one-third onboarding/welcome committee.
What is the best change you’ve made at a place you’ve worked? I started a DE&I committee and grew it to 20 members. We ran monthly newsletters and programs and had an active employee participation base for all events and offerings.
What’s the biggest misconception people might have about your job? HR discourages employee connection and authenticity, and that we’re more focused on promoting adherence to rigid structures. In reality, a good HR department encourages individuals to show up authentically and ensures that employees know they’re valued for their whole self.
What’s the most fulfilling aspect of your job? Hearing feedback about how our programs and efforts directly translate to individuals feeling welcomed, accepted, and that they experience a strong sense of belonging and worth in our company/field.
How did you get interested in this career path in HR? Growing up, my dad ran a recruiting firm, and so I always had some level of interest in it. But at the beginning, I was less interested in the corporate aspect, and more in helping people improve themselves. That was [my dad’s] main way of doing recruiting, actually; he kind of helped tailor to the whole person and make sure they were comfortable so they could get great roles for themselves and improve their career…So I saw that aspect of it, and that kind of pushed me toward psych, and I realized as I was doing psychology, I was really more interested in ensuring people had ethical workplaces, because that seemed to be a big point of stress for individuals. I’m kind of a people-first HR person, which in 2022, I hope most people are by now.
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What trend in HR are you most optimistic about? Why? I see HR transitioning away from strictly payroll/benefits (think back to when the function was referred to as “Personnel”), and towards overall employee wellness (especially with an emphasis on DE&I programs, which is long overdue).
What trend in HR are you least optimistic about? Why? Unlimited PTO, specifically when implemented as a way to circumvent accrual payouts and to avoid providing a direct number of days employees are encouraged to take off (aka listing unlimited and hoping they only take five days).
Tell us one new or old HR tech product or platform that’s made your life easier, and why: Justworks is the first HRIS tool I’ve used that truly nails an easy UX. They let us streamline employee onboarding information successfully, so the onus is on the onboarding new hire to enter their information in an easy, intuitive, and user-friendly way that results in increased data integrity and higher usage of the platform.