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Jamie Coakley is SVP of people at Electric*, a New York City-based IT services provider for small and medium businesses in North America. Coakley, who has worked in talent and recruiting for the past decade, recently spoke with HR Brew about how she manages the needs of more than 400 full-time, mostly remote, employees.
Editor’s note: This conversation includes discussion of suicide. If you, or someone you know, are experiencing thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or via online chat.
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? I’m paid to make sure we don’t get sued, but really, what that means is, I get paid to take care of people and make sure we treat them well. This means treating people fairly, designing equitable practices, training managers on how to be leaders, and investing in the growth of our people.
What’s the best change you’ve made at a place you’ve worked? Opening discussions company-wide regarding unsettling current events. It has been hard, but it has brought us together. Companies who shy away from creating dialogue in the workplace around sensitive and taboo topics don’t understand that people bring their whole selves to work, and we should take care of everything they bring. We view our employee count and resources as a vehicle to make change in our communities at large, and I love this perspective.
What’s the biggest misconception people might have about your job? That I create rules and say no often. I am a “Yes, and” person, not a “No, but.” HR isn’t there to make things difficult; we are there to make sure things are done well and thoughtfully. This sometimes may slow us down, but for good reason.
What’s the most fulfilling aspect of your job? Seeing someone come forward about something, working with them to resolve [it], and seeing the impact of that intervention or discussion. I love to see that our culture in action works—we take care of people. People come to my team when they need help, and we support them fully.
What trend in HR are you most optimistic about? Why? Mental wellness being a primary benefit for employees. We have avoided these conversations in the workplace for too long. We should talk about the things that affect our well-being and take action to support one another in and outside of work.
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Do you have any examples of how you’ve tried to take steps like that? The biggest wake-up call that comes to mind was the murder of George Floyd in June of 2020. The psychological safety, the well-being of our employees—and our Black employees specifically—was just at an all-time high [as something] we needed to pay attention to.
We rolled out company-wide discussions—forums, we call them—and they were really safe-space conversations…Because of that, through all that the last two years have brought us, we’ve been able to continue those safe conversations and dialogues, whether it be the election—because that happened after shortly in 2020—we saw the rise of hate, the rise of anti-Semitism.
We had a forum come together just the other day to talk about mental health specifically. We had a contractor take their own life. It wasn’t an employee, but [the person] was a part of our team and our community. The teams came together to sort of say, “Hey, we should talk about this. We should talk about suicide prevention. We should talk about mental health.” It has really spurred some great conversations in the workplace about how to support one another.
And so, from that, an employee resource group (ERG) was formed, called Mind At Peace, a mental health ERG. Through both Slack and the meetings that they hold, there have just been some awesome discussions lately in terms of supporting one another.
What trend in HR are you least optimistic about? Why? Signing bonuses in this hot market. I don’t think people should be paid to join a company, although I understand why. They are becoming more common in this market, and I think candidates should understand they will always be leaving something on the table when leaving a current employer. You should see the vision and understand why you are joining, outside of cash compensation.
Tell us one new or old HR tech product or platform that’s made your life easier, and why: We’re really excited about the adoption of Sparrow, our new outsourced paid leave platform. There is a ton of administration that goes into leave, and to be able to pay a company to do this well and right vs. require that tedious work from my in-house team is a game changer.
*Electric is Morning Brew’s IT services provider.
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