We’ve got a new reporter on the HR Brew team

Today’s is a special edition of our Coworking 1:1 series. This week, we’re featuring one of our own! Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click here to introduce yourself.

Cha…cha…changes. Turn and face the strange(r)! Meet Paige McGlauflin, who joins HR Brew this week as our newest reporter. After reading this week’s edition of Coworking, she’ll be a stranger no more.

McGlauflin comes to us from Fortune, where she was part of its leadership desk covering the C-suite. She also authored its CHRO Daily newsletter, which encompasses all things HR. Prior to her work at Fortune, she was a freelance reporter and writer, as well as an editorial assistant and junior reporter at a startup that published B2B newsletters for niche professional communities, including one for DE&I pros in tech. You’ll begin to notice her bylines in the HR Brew newsletter, where she’ll be covering recruitment and retention in the near future.

In her free time, Paige likes hiking, reading and looking for new book recommendations, exploring different parts of the US, cooking and baking, and checking out antique and thrift stores. The Emerson College alum currently lives in Seattle.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What are you most interested in exploring as you begin reporting for HR Brew?

I’m very interested in taking a close look at all of the chaos happening with the labor market. It’s an issue impacting everyone, from employers who can’t keep up with labor demand to job-seekers who are struggling to find employment.

What’s the most interesting personal experience you’ve had with an HR professional?

There isn’t one specific experience, but I really enjoy taking advantage of “downtime” at conferences, like lunch or coffee meets, to chat with HR pros and hear what’s on their minds. For example, I’ve heard from Gen Z personnel who are eager to refresh the function and build new relationships between HR and employees.

What’s the biggest misconception people might have about your job as a reporter?

A lot of people I’ve spoken with in my personal life have said they think business news and HR coverage in particular can be stuffy or boring. I actually think it’s very easy to make these topics relevant for HR pros and interesting for broader audiences. My coverage has included unique perks companies offer employees, how well (or horribly) companies handle layoffs, and internal issues like workers unionizing or talking politics at work, which all not only fall under HR but also catch readers’ attention.

What’s the most fulfilling aspect of your job?

I would say getting to write about the world of work and speak with professionals who are invested in evolving the HR function beyond just its basic responsibilities, like payroll and performance reviews, to really rethinking the employer’s relationship with its employees.

What is your favorite book, film, television program? Or all three!

I don’t know if I have a favorite book of all time, but I’ll share what I’m currently reading! I’m almost done reading The Freaks Came Out to Write by Tricia Romano, which captures the oral history of the alt-weekly newspaper the Village Voice using only quotes from sources or existing interviews. (Fun HR fact: Some sources in the book claim that the Voice was one of the first employers to offer health insurance coverage for unmarried gay couples, as well as perks like a $5,000 stipend for childcare!)

As for my favorite TV show, I’d have to say Community, though it’s a close tie with many other shows. And for my favorite movie, it’s a toss-up between The Sandlot and Spotlight.

Tell us one thing you’d want readers to know about your outside of your journalism chops?

In my spare time, I love spending time outdoors, doing anything from hiking or kayaking, to reading in the park, to taking my dog, a one-year-old Australian Cattle Dog mix named Frankie, on adventures. In other words, it’s very important that I go touch grass.