CRIO Employee Spotlight
Welcome to our CRIO Employee Spotlight series showcasing the talented individuals that make our organization thrive. We believe that our people are our greatest asset and we’re excited to share their stories with you.
Q1: What do you love most about your job?
A: I love CRIO’s dedication to pushing the needle when it comes to People Programs. We’re constantly exploring what’s possible when creating the workplace of the future. One thing I always tell my colleagues is, “I love a blank drawing board.” With CRIO, there is always a drawing board waiting to be filled with ideas. We never shy away from challenges, because it is within the obstacle where we find our biggest opportunities for change. Designing a strategy where remote work is both engaging and impactful would be my biggest Rubik’s Cube to solve. We are well on our way to cracking the code for how to develop high-performing teams in an inclusive, virtual environment.
Q2: Who are some of your biggest influences?
A: I have had a leadership coach for well over a decade. She continues to be an inspiring, supportive influence in my life to this day. We met in college when I wanted to learn the real-world application of various theories being taught in classes, while also implementing strategies for personal and professional effectiveness. I credit her for introducing me to great tools like Strengths Finder 2.0, Emotional Intelligence, and various books over the years (which I have passed on in my mentorship of others). She challenges me, knows me better than I know myself at times and gives me actionable feedback. Without a shadow of doubt, I wouldn’t be where I am today without her.
Q3: Tell us something that you wish more people knew about you.
A: I am particularly proud of is being a single parent to an amazing seven year old. I share photos of him on our CRIO Culture Slack channel nearly every week. I love being a part of the wider working parent community. Something that CRIO does extremely well is work-life integration. This enables me to be actively engaged in my son’s life from bus stop drop-off/pickup to all of his after-school activities. The lift is twice as much for single parents – which I think is a huge opportunity for equitable advancement opportunities in organizations. For many working parents, either-or decisions are forced too often: be an engaged parent or an impactful leader. At CRIO, I am empowered do both equally, which motivates me to operate at an even higher level in both capacities. I’m extremely grateful for CRIO leadership being both human and results-oriented.
Q4: What industry changes or trends do you think will have the biggest impact?
A: Remote/virtual workplaces are disrupting the HR industry as a whole. Being a part of an organization that is at the forefront of designing the future of work energizes me. CRIO understands that the traditional systems of an in-office environment do not work in a virtual setting. We are intentionally creating custom-fitted strategies that maximize our remote-first approach. Simply put, the square “office” peg just doesn’t fit into the round hole of remote work.
At CRIO, we are chipping away at remote effectiveness and understanding more and more how to create a high-performing virtual organization, spanning across 23 states and 4 countries. Performance management processes have to be differentiated. Employee engagement looks and feels completely different virtually. Cross-functional collaboration uses an entirely different set of tooling. Learning and Development is more intentional and structured. CRIO continues to grow in knowledge, depth and experience around remote work and the journey has only just begun.
Q5: What’s your favorite memory from working at CRIO?
A: Our 2022 end of year celebration, where every department presented their major successes of the year and restricted leadership team members from speaking beyond sharing kudos, remains my favorite memory so far. The presentations came directly from our talented team members, each creating fun themes and ways to share their biggest achievements of 2022. They earned every bit of the spotlight and it was so enjoyable to watch and listen to their proudest moments. It was a way for us to celebrate other departments, put faces to names, recognize our Employee Choice award winners, and most of all – have fun together. It is only the beginning of 2023 and I am already looking forward to this year’s ceremony.
Related Reading: Empowering Professional Growth in a Remote Work Setting
