This HR leader knows the function is a ‘strategic growth engine’

Karina Young serves a dual role as VP of people for performance management platform 15Five. She’s got a background in people leadership stretching back more than a decade, so she’s leading strategy and execution for the software company’s HR team, but she’s also partnering with sales and marketing on go-to-market efforts, bringing her experience with her sleeves rolled up to 15Five clients and deals.

Young’s grown her thought leadership profile, hosting a podcast and serving as a resource to HR leaders in the 15Five ecosystem. The additional remit is one she takes very seriously, working to showcase both the best practices and the real day-to-day journey getting her team and organization there.

“We need to live up to the vision and standards that we set, to those standards that we go out to our customers [and are] trying to help them do. But I think it is equally important for our teams to also experience the reality of HR and the reality of changing companies,” she said. “I don’t want them to feel like I’m speaking to a fantasy that’s not achievable for anyone.”

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

What’s the best change you’ve made at a place you’ve worked?

One of the most meaningful changes I helped lead was tying compensation more closely to performance and engagement data. Instead of relying on gut feel, we gave leaders real insights about performance cohorts—like high-potential employees from performance reviews against their comp ratios—to guide pay decisions. It brought more fairness and transparency into the process and helped employees see a direct connection between their contributions, their growth, and their opportunities. It also shifted leadership conversations from subjective judgments to data-driven recognition and development.

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

That HR is just about compliance and benefits. Modern HR is a strategic growth engine. It shapes culture, develops leaders, boosts engagement, and ensures your people strategies align with the company’s strategic goals. It directly impacts revenue and retention.

What’s the most fulfilling aspect of your job?

Helping people see their own potential and helping companies see the power in their people. There’s nothing better than watching managers become better leaders, employees grow into new possibilities, and businesses thrive because they invested in their people the right way.

What trend in HR are you most optimistic about? Why?

I’m excited about the shift toward truly strategic, human-centered leadership. Organizations are realizing that performance and engagement aren’t check-the-box activities; they’re business drivers. Tools like real-time people analytics and AI are making it easier than ever for HR leaders to connect their work directly to business impact. It’s raising the expectations for what great HR leadership looks like, and I think that's a good thing.

What trend in HR are you least optimistic about? Why?

Rolling out company-wide initiatives with no personalization, no manager support, no plan to follow through, and no clear connection to business impact. Pair that with slashing strategic HR investments at the first sign of budget pressure, and you’ve got a recipe for disengagement. It might feel efficient in the moment, but it erodes trust and leaves performance gains on the table. People success doesn’t come from checking boxes. It takes thoughtful investment and real action.

How has your experience working in HR for your current employer differed from your experience working in HR for other organizations?

What drew me to 15Five was the deep curiosity and respect they have for the HR function. The team at 15Five spends their days obsessing over the life of a HR leader; what they do, what makes them unique, what challenges they face, and what support matters to them. What that means for me is that I’m surrounded by people who expect HR to have a seat at the table so I get to spend my time maximizing that role as a strategic business leader and holding a high bar for what we do. That is completely unique from HR in other organizations where leaders are generally starting on their backfoot and spending excessive time and energy gaining buy-in across other execs to be included in the same business conversations as decisions as their peers.

Are there unique benefits or challenges to delivering HR programs and policies in your current workplace that have affected your approach to people work?

I cherish the support I get at 15Five and know that, unfortunately, it is unique. It gives me a greater sense of pride in what I do and deliver, along with a sense of creativity to try new things and break barriers that would be harder in other environments.