Interviewer: Mahmoud Mansi

“Finance has evolved from accounting to leading and guiding better business decision-making. IT has evolved from providing tools to leading digital transformation. I cannot think of a better place to be right now than in a role that focuses on talent strategy…”

Jeanne Kerr
ABOUT THE INTERVIEWEE

Jeanne Kerr has been a Sr. Faculty member with HCI since 2012. She is also the Director of OD and Assessments for Ideal Outcomes, Inc. and the Principle of Talent Insight Group, LLC. Jeanne has over 20 years of organizational development, instructional design and delivery, human capital strategy and metrics as well as general human resources experience in a variety of industries. Her expertise includes talent acquisition, training, and workforce planning and development strategies that align with corporate business strategy and achieve results. She has developed and implemented a variety of leadership development, supervisory training and succession planning programs in such organizations as Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Elkay Manufacturing, and Household Finance.

Jeanne is the author of So You Want a Seat at the Table: A Practical Guide to Being a Strategic Business Partner.

Jeanne has her MA degree from Columbia University Teachers College and her BA from SUNY Stony Brook. She has certifications as a Senior Practitioner in Human Resources (SPHR), Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), Human Capital Strategy (HCS), and Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP).

THE INTERVIEW

1-HR Revolution Middle East: Jeanne, it is quite interesting that you have been working with the Human Capital Institute since 2012. This must have been a transformational journey on many levels. Can you please share with us how did your story with HCI start? How did your journey with HCI impact your personal/career life?

Jeanne Kerr: That question makes me smile. I had been the Director of Talent Management of a $500M company. The parent company was positioning the U.S. and Canadian Division for sale and eliminated several U.S. strategic positions, mine included. I had already begun working part-time for Ideal Outcomes and had decided to start my own talent consulting practice, when I saw a job posting on LinkedIn by HCI. After researching what they did, I was very intrigued, and applied. I was interviewed by the CLO, asked to complete several assignments, attended a Train-the-Trainer certification, and seven years later, am still loving my role. It is personally rewarding and I love how it helps me stay abreast of key talent trends.

2-HR Revolution Middle East: As a Senior Faculty Member at HCI, what is your role, and how do you feel your role impacts the world around you?

Jeanne Kerr: Culture and talent are the only true differentiators. Companies may have great products, outstanding service, or phenomenal, disruptive technology, but it is people who make all those things happen. I get in front of talent practitioners every month and can share the latest trends and research in the talent management field. And I get to learn from them and facilitate extraordinary, thought-provoking discussions. These talent leaders are the people who will drive positive change at their organizations. Every HCI program participant has the ability, and I think the mission, to lead change and improve their workplace for every employee.

3-HR Revolution Middle East: As HCI delivers offline and online training programs, do you use a different approach when conducting each?

Jeanne Kerr: There are quite a few differences between the two delivery methods. The biggest challenge with online is keeping participants engaged. It is so easy for people to start checking emails or do other work. Sure, people can do that in class, but when the facilitator cannot see them, it is easier and more tempting. Also, without the cues of facial expression and body language, the audience is harder to read. I have developed almost a sixth sense- when we are online, and energy is failing. Time for an activity or a break! Asking questions that are clear and concise is important in both environments, but particularly important online. Just as I cannot see participants, they also cannot see me, so my questions have to be quite precise and concise. No using gestures or even facial expression to clarify what I mean! The biggest compliment I can receive after teaching online for two days is, “It was so interactive…not at all what I expected.”

4-HR Revolution Middle East: As an instructor, how do you update the content of your training and self-develop your approach?

Jeanne Kerr: Luckily for us, HCI updates its programs. I supplement this with research and my own reading. I also work with clients who are grappling with the same challenges we are discussing in class and will share those stories (in a confidential manner). If I read an article by Harvard Business Review, for example, I will save it and mark it for a specific class. Most of all, I get amazing new insight every class from participants – which always gets shared with the next group.

5-HR Revolution Middle East: Jeanne, besides your collaboration with HCI Faculty, you are the Director of OD and Assessments for Ideal Outcomes, and the Principle of Talent Insight Group, LLC. Can you please tell us more about your roles and what are the most common challenges you face?

Jeanne Kerr: Ideal Outcomes, Inc., is my primary job these days. We help organizations create or refresh their cultures and drive employee engagement. Corporate culture is a key driver of financial success and our goal is to enable clients to not only define the culture they want but also to sustain it. We do not sell products or services; we partner with our clients to develop and implement sustainable solutions. I also run our assessment program: we offer culture assessments, 360s, and a variety of personality assessments to improve team communication and leader development. Our clients in these cases are typically middle market- perhaps 500 to 15,000 employees. We are very proud of our client relationships and our 97 percent client retention. We are also proud of our new book: Culture Spark: 5 Steps to Ignite and Sustain Organizational Growth, by my boss, Jason Richmond. We share many of our company strategies and tools in the book. My personal practice, Talent Insight Group, focuses mainly on smaller companies. I love being hands on and see myself as a coach to my clients.

6-HR Revolution Middle East: Can you tell us more about your book: “So You Want a Seat at the Table: A Practical Guide to Being a Strategic Business Partner”?

Jeanne Kerr: I started writing this book several years ago. I wanted to share what I had learned in a practical, actionable way. I was a business partner long before the term even existed. So many HR professionals want to add value and have strategic influence, but they just do not know how to approach this. People who have bought my book tell me they refer to it often and love how down-to-earth it is. This truly makes me happy to know I am helping colleagues reach their professional goals.

7-HR Revolution Middle East: HCI offers the sHRBP certification program, and the role of the HR Business Partner has been rapidly growing in recognition, responsibilities and value. What is your opinion about that? Since the role of the HRBP is moving from operational into more strategic role, what do you think the future role of the HRBP will be?

Jeanne Kerr: I think HR can only become more and more important. As I said in the very beginning of this interview, culture and talent are the only true differentiators. But we as a profession cannot add the value we desire unless we have a deep understanding of business, operations, and our markets. Other former “support” roles are also making this critical transition. Finance has evolved from accounting to leading and guiding better business decision-making. IT has evolved from providing tools to leading digital transformation. I cannot think of a better place to be right now than in a role that focuses on talent strategy.

8-HR Revolution Middle East: Jeanne, we would love to leverage the opportunity that we are interviewing you and ask you to pass a piece of advice to leaders who work in Learning and Development.

Jeanne Kerr: Focus on the business strategy and needs. Figure out how to equip your organization with the right talent and right skills to meet those needs. It is so simple to say and not so simple to do. But the only way we can be true business partners, is to look at every decision through this lens. And don’t assume every problem is a training problem, because most aren’t. Think about other solutions that can be in the Learning and Development realm: mentorship programs, succession planning, coaching strategy, stretch assignments, action learning projects, and so on. Align with the business and your other HR partners and you will be a huge asset to your organization.

THANK YOU

Links to Jeanne's Books:

So You Want a Seat at the Table

https://www.amazon.com/You-Want-Seat-Table-Practical/dp/0692542795/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=so+you+want+a+seat+at+the+table&qid=1557261009&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Culture Spark: 5 Ways to Ignite and Sustain Organizational Growth

https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Spark-Ignite-Sustain-Organizational/dp/1733710507/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?crid=2O2S7XB2PYQ9M&keywords=culture+spark+jason+richmond&qid=1557261074&s=gateway&sprefix=culture+spark%2Caps%2C172&sr=8-1-fkmrnull r