9: Wendy Rodgers on Humanizing HR and Building Meaningful Connections
Raving Fans Start Within
In this episode of our Raving Fans Start Within podcast, you’ll meet Wendy Rodgers, Velosio's Senior Talent Management Specialist, as she shares her diverse career path, love for progressive HR, and hidden talent for writing limericks.
Learn why Wendy likens Velosio to a "Cheers Meets MASH" sitcom and how winning an Impact Award in her first year solidified her sense of belonging at the company.
Key episode takeaways:
- Empathy and Trust are Critical Business Skills: The combination of managing business needs with empathy and trust is highlighted as the core takeaway from diverse professional experiences, vital for creating lasting relationships and excellent experiences.
- HR Must Shift to a Progressive, Human-Centered Model: The traditional stigma of HR as "compliance and rules and police" is being actively replaced by a progressive approach that focuses on humanizing the role, having a sense of humor, and not taking oneself too seriously.
- Employee Experience is the Foundation of a "Raving Fan" Culture: The company's internal success is directly tied to the employee's journey, emphasizing that it all starts with employee experience at the heart of the organization.
- Career Journeys are Multi-Industry and Non-Linear: A path to a senior role can weave through five different industries and roles—from hospitality to healthcare to financial services—demonstrating that varied experiences build versatile skills.
- Small Daily Impacts Define Career Fulfillment: Making a difference in a small way, such as helping someone find something or making their life easier, is a passion that drives retention and a sense of belonging.
- Feedback and Empathy from HR Greatly Influence Company Direction: The feedback gathered and the empathy shown by the Talent Management Specialist in both the new hire and exit process make a huge impact and change the direction of the company.
1:14 Wendy's Hobbies and Time at Velosio
2:18 Wendy's Career Path Before Velosio
4:02 Wendy's Hidden Talent
6:02 Velosio as a TV Show
7:14 Wendy's Defining Moment at Velosio
9:38 Influential Book for Wendy's Work
11:06 Velosio's Theme Song and Visual Representation
Connect with Wendy Rodgers: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-rodgers-shrm-cp-2528117a/
Connect with Robbie Morrison: https://www.velosio.com/team-member/robbie-morrison/
Learn More About Velosio: https://velosio.com
Work at Velosio: https://velosio.com/careers
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