This former Pennsylvania state HR official is now focused on delivering impact in the private sector

Reid Walsh tells her HR team at NEOGOV, where she serves as its CHRO, to focus on impact. Walsh told HR Brew she has been “maniacally focused” on it since she joined the cloud-based HCM and hiring platform designed specifically for the public sector back in 2023.

It’s not about just identifying the people work that needs to get done. Walsh wants her teams focusing on the interventions and programs that will deliver the most impact for employees and thus the business.

It’s “being aware enough and involved enough, and honestly, having the superpower of intuition and impact to be able to address things when you could do everything,” she said.

Arriving three years ago amid rapid growth, a major acquisition, and a remote-work reset that transitioned away from a central office in LA, Walsh focused first on stabilizing a culture in flux, and set core operations (SOPs, payroll, hiring) that would deliver the most impact for the business.

Walsh’s entry into HR came mid-career, when a part-time role helping manage the gubernatorial campaign of Tom Wolf in her hometown in Pennsylvania eventually evolved into a role running HR operations for the entire state as its deputy secretary of human resources and management.

She made several impacts serving under the governor in the Keystone State as well, including consolidating 26 state agency HR operations into one shared-services model, and then helping 26,000 employees go remote during the Covid-19 pandemic, pivoting away from in-person trainings and fielding more and more remote employee calls.

Under the scrutiny of lawmakers and the public, she was also “doing things that I would never have to do in this private atmosphere,” like testifying before committees to defend budgets or policy choices.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

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

I am really proud of the changes in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that I helped make from a legislative perspective, so that we could be more efficient in how we hired employees. We reduced the time to hire so that we could deliver services faster to citizens of Pennsylvania. I played a key role in that and I’m really proud of it.

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

People often think HR is just about compliance, policies, and paperwork. In reality, my role is deeply strategic. I partner with leadership to make sure our people strategy directly supports our business strategy. That means understanding the organization’s goals, anticipating workforce needs and creating an environment where employees can do their best work. HR isn’t a back-office function. It’s a key driver of culture, engagement, and results.

What’s the most fulfilling aspect of your job?

Seeing the impact of my work. Watching our employees become happier and more engaged in their day-to-day work brings me a lot of joy.

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

HR will only play more of a role as we move forward. The more data we can produce, the more we will have a seat at the table. It’s important that we continue to show data that correlates to the initiative. Also, HR professionals must have a keen awareness of the business’s goals to stay in those conversations and continue to move the needle. So it’s incumbent on us as HR leaders to be tied into AI—how are you embracing the technology, but having critical conversations with leaders about their changing landscape and how we’re supporting them in HR—keeping the eye on the ball will be a big deal.

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

I’m cautious about the growing reliance on technology and AI without keeping people at the center. I’m all for innovation—it’s helped us move faster and make better decisions—but we can’t lose the human connection that defines great workplaces. HR is about people first. The challenge for HR leaders will be finding that balance and using technology to enhance, not replace, the relationships that drive engagement and performance.