Unfiltered and Unpacked...Thoughts on a Career in Human Resources!

1. Why did I choose HR as a career?

HR choose me! My initial career interest involved Communications. I aspired to have a career in Public Relations or Public Affairs.?However, after completing two successful internships (Cultural Alliance of Greater Hampton Roads and Black Entertainment Television), I found myself wanting to try something different. Before completing my graduate degree at Bowie State University, I transitioned my studies to concentrate on Human Resources Development.?Luckily at the same time, the healthcare organization that I was working for had an HR Manager role vacant, and I satisfied the qualifications.?The HR Director within my organization hand-selected me and encouraged me to apply.?I had worked on some internal projects with her, and she knew I had a great work ethic.?Through her, I was able to land my first HR role, and luckily, the HR Director would later become one of my most trusted professional mentors and dear life-long friend.?

2. What have been my most challenging moments?

I have had a lot of complex turns in my 17+ years as a practitioner.?To date, I think internally and externally, the hardest things I had to face were managing a 6% reduction in force due to building renovations, dealing with unionization efforts four times due to unhappy staff, and dealing with my layoff as a result of an acquisition. These were all very challenging moments, and each was a first for me in my HR career.?They pushed me to the max and caused me to become even more ingrained in my profession.?Any downfall is unpleasant, and learning how to manage a negative turn of events with compassion and excellence is a skill that's acquired and applied delicately to ensure each adverse circumstance has the least possible detrimental impact on the affected staff. These critical HR moments helped me grow and evolve as an HR practitioner.?

3. What have been my most significant accomplishments/proudest moments??

Without question, three of my highlights include achieving status as a PHR (Professional in Human Resources) in 2008 and?GPHR (Global Professional in Human Resources) in 2021; being the youngest black Human Resources Director in one of my employer's organizational history in 2005 at the age of 24; receiving my organization's most prestigious accolade (The President's Award) twice in 2005 and 2008. There have been several other good moments, such as acquiring additional professional certifications, rolling out the successful implementation of a new automated HRIS system, redesigning a corporate website to be more interactive and inclusive of social media elements, or rolling out extra rewards programs to offer benefits to part-time staff and on-call staff as a retention strategy.?I have had a lot of "Top" moments, and I'm grateful for every experience.? Oh! I can't forget helping land one of my most recent employers a platinum-level award through GoDCGo as a "Best Place to Work" in the Greater Washington, D.C. area for their consistent conscientious efforts to reduce the organization's carbon footprint via enhancing commuter benefits and other sustainability efforts in 2019.

4. What advice do I have for a brand new person entering the field?

There are no shortcuts to this!?You have to invest wholeheartedly in yourself...get the education, get the experience, get more education, and get certified if you can.?In addition to that, find at least one person that will agree to be your professional mentor.?I would suggest having multiple mentors, especially if you are a generalist.?Having people to rely on in different specialized areas is paramount to success.?Stay active outside of your organization and attend as many professional development opportunities as possible to stay fresh and enhance your network.?Lastly, if you are interested in HR and plan to expand your career into a management role, I suggest starting in a generalist capacity.?Working as a generalist allows you to touch various functional areas of the profession and build your skillset across the HR spectrum.?As you advance into more senior roles, you can start to take on specialist positions related to human capital operations to learn or hone in on a specific area while never losing sight of the larger picture.?All HR must work collaboratively and in sync to have the best people and talent management capabilities.?

5. What areas of HR do I enjoy the most and why??

I enjoy HR because it is so multidimensional and deals with the "human" element of business.?One of my life mottos has been "You give but little when you give of your possessions; it is when you give of yourself that you truly give" -unknown.?Well, spending eight-plus hours dedicated to a job that impacts other people, products and services are ways of "giving of oneself" no matter what industry...and yes, those that give as employees do receive rewards such as compensation and benefits. However, work-life balance is what most of us want to ultimately achieve—an optimal work-life full of satisfying career options coupled with a good and balanced personal life.?HR helps support and maintain that aspect in any organization to different degrees of success.?Knowing that I manage a function that supports the human element of the business equation makes sense to me based on my life perspective.?I guess you can say I enjoy all areas equally.

6. What is your career plan? Where do you see yourself in the next five to ten years??

Hopefully, I will get a chance to explore other industries outside of communications, healthcare, social services, legal services, etc...in either a national or global capacity.?I am also interested in working more closely with the government. I want to work for an organization that truly values its people and supports them by giving them adequate resources and the autonomy to do the job.?Work-life balance is high on my list of priorities also...I need to be in a non-toxic environment conducive to my growth and personal healing.?I am approaching my mid-forties, and my life has transitioned a lot since my early twenties.?I now find myself expecting just as much from my employer as they wish from me for my professional services.?It has to be a healthy exchange and not one that forces me to deplete my resources investing while getting less than my return on investment.?

7. What are your external habits and ways you manage stress/achieve work-life balance??

Wow...I always say I am willing to try anything once!?I consider myself a well-rounded human being.?I enjoy all forms of outdoor activities such as beach activities, hiking, camping, and learning new challenging activities such as skiing, rock climbing, parasailing, snorkeling, etc...a few of which I have yet to try.?I also enjoy passive activities such as reading a good novel.?I'm reading "Giovanni's Room" by James Baldwin and "Think Like a Monk" by Jay Shetty, among other page-turners.?I recently finished "Respect" by Johnnie C. Taylor, President of SHRM, which was provided to me as a holiday gift from my mentor. I enjoy listening to all genres of music "The Weekend" happens to be at the top of my list as far as relatively new artists.?There's also movies, shopping and of course eating. I am a big foodie, and I am fond of seafood restaurants. "The Oceanaire" and "Latitudes" happen to be two of my local favorites.?Aside from all of that, I enjoy traveling the most and hope to visit all of the continents at least once...exploring every country would be my ultimate dream.?So far, New Zealand and Canada have been my favorite vacation destinations!?

8. What do you do, and how did you land that role?

At this very moment, I work as a Human Resources Manager for a national non-profit that focuses on "next-generation multi-civil rights and social justice." The organization's primary focus is to achieve a racially just democracy for all!?A beautiful elaboration of Dr. King's dream but still a far cry from our current reality. I landed this role through my independent job search.?After experiencing life as a part-time consultant for a few years, I decided to return to the workforce full time, just in a different capacity instead of working in healthcare.?I wanted to try something new to stretch my skillset and broaden my scope.?So far, it's been good, but there have been a few significant growing pains associated with my new role and returning to the workforce on a full-time basis.?I'm optimistic that this step will ultimately propel me to achieve my next set of career goals. ?

9. Why did you switch industries??

Change, growth, and the ability to make an impact.?I wanted to leave my footprint somewhere, and this was the right opportunity to support efforts geared at changing the lives of people of color and other marginalized groups. It felt timely and proper!?

10. Do you have any regrets?

I don't have any regrets about pushing myself in a new direction.?As far as my career as a whole, I regret not finishing my MBD-JD program at the University of Baltimore and Towson University, which I began in 2010.?I had dreams of becoming an employment/labor law attorney, but my personal life took precedent.?Who knows, maybe that opportunity will present itself when the time is right? I am still young!?A small piece of advice for the new HR professional...finish your education first...it's hard to go back once you are entrenched in work and don't align yourself with the wrong group...stay out of office politics and stay around people that are dedicated to your growth and development so you will succeed! Don't learn the hard way by constantly trying to be associated with the in-crowd!?

11. How do you stay on top of current HR issues and trends??

A ton of reading. Current reading "HBR Guide to Coaching Employees," a publication of the Harvard Business Review Press, and "The New One Minute Manager" by Ken Blanchard Ph.D. and Spencer Johnson MD. Besides surfing the internet, building an ongoing dialogue with mentors or network contacts, I enjoy attending various events geared toward advancing the profession as a whole. On the calendar next is the Annual SHRM Conference occurring June 12th - June 15th being held in New Orleans, LA...great jazz, a ton of cajun cuisine, and tons of HR stuff too. I am hopeful that efforts to reduce the spread of the Novella Coronavirus will continue to be successful and drastically reduce the threats typically associated with a significantly crowded in-person event! ?

12. What do you envision as the most critical issue from an HR prescriptive that needs to be tackled??

There are a lot of significant issues facing us as a result of the Trump Administration that will impact HR land over the next few years.?I think all HR pros are carefully watching President Biden's stance on immigration reform efforts to see how it will further impact the I-9 documentation process and things such as work-authorized visas and E-Verify. It will be interesting to see what impact newly proposed and pending legislation will have in the work lives of non-indigenous people who are undocumented, newly naturalized, and those authorized to work in the U.S. via certain visa status as it may further change the landscape of the US domestic workforce (especially considering the fiercely growing Hispanic population). Another hot topic is healthcare reform and the potential dissolution of the Affordable Health Care Act (i.e., Obamacare).?This program has secured health benefits for nearly millions of U.S. citizens.?However, Trump and his allies are still hell-bent on rolling back specific provisions. Repeal of this legislation will impact annual benefits cost, utilization, and enrollment for many employers and cause a shift in unemployment? What comes down the pipeline has yet to be seen.?I also think HR pros are watching issues such as FLSA legislation. (i.e., continuous changes due to the pandemic) and other things that have fallen off the radar like marriage equality to see what changes will result and how they may impact their workforce policies, programs, and ultimately their staff.?To me, there's not just one particular single issue... to be a dynamic HR pro; you have to have your eyes and ears at the forefront of any impending legislation to see how it will ultimately impact HR land.?

13. Do you participate in any external boards or professional associations??

Yes, I am affiliated with several professional associations, including but not limited to: The Society for Human Resources Development (SHRM), World at Work Total Rewards Association (WAWTRA), and the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR). I am also active in Toastmasters International (Komen).?I am a member of and support the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), The Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal, Greenpeace. GLAAD, Feed the Children, Doctors without Borders, etc...

14. How do you give back to the community and maintain social awareness??

My job and professional affiliations do a pretty good job of keeping me abreast of societal issues affecting the people I tend to identify with and among like the underprivileged and underserved.?I give back to the community mainly through volunteer efforts. My three most recent volunteering campaigns were with the American Red Cross, a local veterans support center, and aiding workers at a local community hospice. I enjoy those experiences because they allow you to become very other-oriented and focused on helping the lives of those less fortunate than you.?It's a constant reminder of the small things we have to be grateful for each day, like our general health, the activities of our limbs, and a positive outlook on life. Every American is a citizen, and the majority have given back to this country in one way or another to help build it up.?We should support our brothers and sisters who have fallen on hard times or have become victims of illness or injury beyond their control.?

15. How do you see the profession evolving over the next few decades??

Good Questions...I think as the workforce continues to shift (i.e., Great Resignation) and as baby boomers exit, more and more companies will have to focus their efforts on attracting, retaining, and motivating their millennial staff.?What does that look like...more and more investment in the latest technologies, increase in non-traditional work arrangements, succession plans that are aligned with millennial thinking, strategies focus on the entitlement mindset, tons of collaboration, more communal workspaces, more matrix environments with cross-functional reporting, ala-carte benefits with equitable options per demographically different groups, job-hopping and less loyalty to one organization to meet these changes. Finally, the aforementioned begs for HR to have an even greater seat of influence at the management table and be seen as a valuable strategic business contributor.

?16. If you could pick a secondary profession tomorrow, what would it be and why?

That's a refreshing question!?I enjoy HR immensely...I've had a great career thus far and initiated at least seven other HR careers under my leadership and tutelage. ?Today those people are employed as Human Resources Directors, Human Resources Managers, Workman Compensation Specialists, Senior Compensation Analysts, and a few have returned to school to seek advanced degrees.?So you see, not only have I received mentoring from the profession, but I have also given back by investing in the lives of other HR practitioners as a leader and mentor.?HR and I have had a good relationship, and if I had to start all over again, I would more than likely end up in an HR capacity.?However, as a hobby, I adore architecture, interior design, and environmental design.?I can watch HGTV and DIY marathons without ceasing.?Based on my vast interest in that particular area in my personal life, I would probably seek a path geared towards Architecture, Interior Design, and Landscaping as an alternative career if I did not have any other choice than to make a switch!?

Mr. Richard A. Winston III, GPHR, PHR, SHRM-CP, CCP is an African-American human resources professional filled with ambition, pride, and determination. He works in the Greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area at a progressive non-profit.?He has over 17 years of generalist experience in HR and has worked for several notable organizations (see bio linkedin.com/in/richardwinston3).?He earned an M.A. degree in Organizational Communications from Bowie State University and a B.S. degree in Communications from Old Dominion University.?He holds two certificates in Human Resources Management (Villanova University and Howard County County Community College). He is a Certified Salary Administrator through the World at Work Total Rewards Association. Richard is also certified as a Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR) and Professional in Human Resources (PHR) by the National Human Resources Certification Institute, an SHRM-Certifed Professional by the Society for Human Resources Management, and as a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) by the World at Work Total Rewards Association.