HR Leadership Insights: An Informational Interview Guide

1 Brianna D Skipwith HRM-FPX 5075 Section 1 HR Leadership Development: Human Resource Informational Interview January 16, 2024

2 I recently had the responsibility of holding an informational interview with a leader in human resources to learn more about what it takes to be a leader in the field. Since my ultimate objective is to advance to a senior position in the human resources department, I am expected to look into a real-life experience interviewing someone working in the sector. In order to make sure I would obtain useful information, I designed the interview so that I could learn about their leadership style and concentrate on obtaining data that would support me as I work toward being a leader. Laurie Newman, SPHR, SHRM-CP, was selected for an academic conversation about leadership positions in the Human Resources domain. Having working in the HR department for a number years, Laurie has had a number of jobs, including that of HR Officer for her company. Laurie is the Spotsylvania County Government’s Chief Human Resource Officer at the moment. Among Laurie’s duties is managing the day-to-day HR operations for the 1400 County employees and 15 departments. The Interview To help Laurie decide on her career choice, certain questions were posed to her. Laurie was asked, “What is your current/past role in human resources?” What are the responsibilities of this role? What achievements brought you to this position? Laurie response: “ I am the Pennsylvania County Government’s CHRO at the moment. I am in charge of the daily HR operations for the 1400 County workers and the 15 departments. Getting my SHRM-CP and SPHR credentials was a fantastic catalyst.” (L. Newman) After considering the responses, it was concluded that Laurie was the ideal person to talk to, so she was continued to be questioned, “What is leadership, in your opinion? Has your

3 function as a leader been affected by changes in business needs? In what way? How has the situation changed? Laurie response : “The capacity to achieve a shared strategy or objective by optimizing both your own and those around you. According to her interpretation of leadership, the most significant development, she stated, was technology. HR platforms that have helped streamline the industry have taken us light years from where we have been functioning in the past. Additionally, there has been a general shift in how HR is viewed, with HR now being viewed as a valuable strategic partner.” (L. Newman) Subsequently, her leadership philosophy was delved into by asking, “What is your idea about leadership and additionally, as a human resources leader, what opportunities and challenges have you faced in terms of leadership?” Laurie response: “ I think that having the role of manager, supervisor, or leader is a privilege, not a right. I believe that success may be achieved via setting a good example, upholding the highest standards of ethics at all times, remaining devoted to your organization and those who help you, and giving it your all every day. The two largest obstacles were 1) running my own firm as the HR Director. I discovered that sometimes, no matter how hard you work, circumstances outside your control can damage your success. 2)The Covid pandemic. As a result, we’ve developed an unprecedented ability to adapt and perform under pressure.” (L. Newman) Growth Opportunities: 1) “I have held multiple fantastic managerial jobs, and with each one, I have gained a great deal of knowledge and developed in new ways. I feel like I am getting better and better at every job I have” (L. Newman)

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4 Sincerely interested in the answers, the next question that was posed was “How have you applied strategy to individuals and organizations? As a strategic partner, what tactics have been effective for you? What steps have you done to develop your leadership skills? What guidance would you provide someone looking to lead effectively?” Laurie response: “ At the County, there are fifteen distinct departments, each with their own unique characteristics. From the courts to the DSS to the utilities, fire and rescue planning, operations, and strategic thinking are my daily passions. I face a range of challenges in each department, including constantly shifting needs. Working across an organization like this one, I find that in order to regularly complete a large portion of our tasks, I must assemble resources from several divisions. It’s an incredible education opportunity. Once more, uphold your integrity and communicate openly and honestly when offering counsel, concepts, and opinions. As people get to know you, they will respect you.” (L. Newman) Interview Findings and Connection to Leadership Theories Based on Laurie’s comments, her leadership style was associated with three distinct hypothesis. The connection was made between Laurie and her leadership theory by analyzing the data below: 1) “What advice do you have on being an effective leader?” Her response was “Your integrity is priceless, treat everyone with courtesy and respect, learn from everyone and every situation, be patient… success with follow.” (L. Newman) Behavior theories was used to support my response.

5 Behavior Theories will examine the actions, duties, and responsibilities of leaders in the workplace, focusing on their performance rather than their character. Expanded to observe the differences in followship connections and style between effective and ineffective leaders (Daft, 2018). 2) Laurie was also asked, “As a strategic partner, which tactics have been effective for you? “Again, keep your integrity intact and communicate openly and honestly when giving advise, ideas, and thoughts,” she stated. As people get to know you, they will respect you.” (L. Newman) This response lead me to think of the influence theory. Influence theory-based leaders examine the processes of influence between and followers. Charismatic leadership refers to a leader’s charismatic personality and attributes that contribute to their leadership influence (Daft, 2018). 3) Laurie also stated, “It is crucial for every individual and job in an organization to be accessible at every level. Pay attention to everyone and take notes.” Asking her, “What advice do you have on being an effective leader? She stated, “Leading this way has helped me develop more than any class, webinar, or course could ever teach me.” (L. Newman) This answer matched the Relational leadership approach. Relational Theories emphasizes the interactions and mutual influence between leaders and followers. Everybody brings something to the table and everyone is welcome to help realize the dream (Daft, 2018). Thinking back on my leadership style, I evaluated Laurie’s responses during the interview. The relational theory and the influence theory, which Laurie’s responses indicated she adhered to, are the two leadership theories with

6 which I associated, therefore I wasn’t shocked when I discovered this. Both of these embody the qualities that, in my opinion, characterize a great leader: the capacity to inspire creativity and influence others. Therefore, gaining the stakeholders’ support and confidence. I was relieved to believe that I was on the right track to achieving my objective of being elevated to a senior position within the company thanks to the insights gained from the interview. It confirmed my use of the relational and influence leadership theories as important tools for developing staff members through communication and mentoring so they see their value and their importance to the company. The advantage will be earning their respect and trust, which will enable me to influence them. Observed as the moral intermediary. The ancient saying goes, “You can get more bees with honey than you can with vinegar”, in my opinion. My conclusion is that a leader must present oneself as someone deserving of friendship and trust if they hope to be well-liked and influential. Laurie seems to fit this description, and it’s how I perceive myself. As a result, if I keep going in the same direction, I will eventually succeed. Conclusion In conclusion, it is clear that I will inevitably end up in a leadership position if I follow my ethical convictions, which are described as unwritten rules that determine a person’s behavior based on their background. These rules will assist me in upholding professional morality, which established appropriate conduct, expertise, and understanding in a commercial context. As a prospective leader who acts morally because it is the right thing to do, I must therefore

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7 navigate the concept of professional morality in an organization. Laurie’s comment, “Again, maintain your integrity, speak transparently and truthfully when exchanging advice, ideas, and thoughts”, (L. Newman) and the preceding statement are related to the Influence and Relational theories. People will respect you as they come to know you. Furthermore, I intend to closely observe the culture of the firm in order to get ready to assume my leadership position when the time comes. Through this interview, I have gained an understanding of the follow: No leader should be permitted to take on a leadership role without being aware of the guiding principles of their own philosophy (Dessler, 2020). These are great traits to have and many leaders and those who aspire to be leaders share many of the same traits.

8 References Daft, R.L. (2018). The leadership experience (7 th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Dessler, G. (2020). Human resource management (16 th ed.) New York, NY: Pearson.

5075-Assessment 2

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