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Jasmine Kuzak has worked in HR for eight years. She wants to be a Jill-of-all-trades, tackling all sorts of aspects of the employee experience. For over two years, Kuzak has been the director of HR at Birchwood Credit Services, a financial services company in Florida, where—as the company’s first HR employee—she has helped shape its people policies and programs.
How would you describe your specific job to someone who doesn’t work in HR?
It can be difficult to describe what you do in HR, because you essentially have to be a shape-shifter. One second, you’re a therapist, the next, you’re a salesperson, and by the end of the day, you could be an event planner. HR has the ability to shape the whole employee experience, and it’s a very powerful thing. We are responsible for finding the perfect balance between what employees need and what an employer can do.
Are there ways you're trying to change that reputation?
I've had a lot of experience working in HR remotely and building those relationships with remote employees. Even if I do need them for something, I'll make sure to at least have a little bit of small talk with them to try to get to know them a little bit…I try to remember something that we talked about before to follow up on like, “Oh, how's your dog doing?”
I think just having those more meaningful interactions with people helps a lot, because even when I do have to deliver bad news…people will actually thank me…for being so kind with them and caring about their growth here.
What’s the best change you’ve made at a place you’ve worked?
I would say the best change I've made at a place I've worked at is creating more value for HR as a strategic partner to the business. I have seen the evolution of the C-suite seeing HR as an administrative function to now involving HR in so many aspects because they have realized how much impact we can have on the people and business.
What factors have contributed to the C-suite seeing HR (you) differently?
Right from the beginning, it was the big transition…working remote. This was a whole new thing. We were hiring our first remote employees, so they heavily relied on me to navigate that: How do we continue to build this culture with our remote employees?
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Since they didn't really have HR before [I joined the team], once I started to prove my value here—and the things that I've brought into play or made them aware of—then I gained their trust more to include me in those [high-level] conversations.
What’s the biggest misconception people might have about your job?
The biggest misconception about HR is that as a department and function, we are viewed in a negative light. If HR wants to speak to you, you immediately feel some anxiety and assume it's something bad. Sure, HR is the deliverer of bad news, which gives us that reputation, but once you can get past those barriers and build trust among your employees, it can be a very powerful tool.
What’s the most fulfilling aspect of your job?
The most fulfilling aspect of my job is being able to have a direct impact on someone's life. That sounds dramatic, but in a way it's definitely true. Through recruiting, the feeling of giving someone a chance or opportunity that they've been waiting for. Through benefits, allowing families to feel some security over the health needs of their family. The list goes on.
What trend in HR are you most optimistic about? Why?
I am most optimistic about the trend towards recognizing that we must look at each employee from a holistic perspective. There has always been an expectation that when you get to work, you leave your home life at the door. Now, there is more empathy and understanding as to why this is not realistic. We are turning a corner, from being a support system to fix the whole person instead of just a distraction from what their real issues may be.
What trend in HR are you least optimistic about? Why?
Although technology obviously enables our processes to be easier, I do fear that there's just so much out there that eventually it makes it more difficult. Having one system for this, another for that, it can get really confusing.
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