Here’s this week’s edition of our Coworking series. Each week, we chat 1:1 with an HR Brew reader. Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click here to introduce yourself.
Jeffrey Barney is a self-professed “HR nerd” with 22 years of experience, whose transition from larger public companies to smaller private firms helped him break away from corporate silos and really “mix the people side with the business side more.”
“I think [smaller companies] are a little more entrepreneurial, a little more nimble, less rigid and set in their ways,” he said. “It allows, from the HR perspective, to really blend the art and science of business, which I think is a heck of a lot of fun.”
Barney has been the VP of people and culture at Arixa Capital since January 2022. At Arixa, he has got a good handle on the “science” part of HR with good systems in place. Now, he’s really dialed into the “art” part: company culture and bringing that “secret sauce” into the office. He said good people professionals know how the business operates and how all the pieces go together, not just how HR fits into the puzzle. Barney told HR Brew that the Covid-19 pandemic really sped up a transformation of the function to be more business-minded.
What’s the best change you’ve made at work?
Moving us to a benefit structure that enhances people’s lives, is easy to use, and provides value to the organization.
Part of it was trying to figure out...our utilization: What do people need, what [do] their families need? Doing some surveys with individuals, by teams, by company, [on] what’s working, what’s not working. Looking at other companies, what they’re offering, and trying to leverage some of the best ideas out there, but…that fit our teams.
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Fom health and wellness: Do they have what they need? Do the plans align? Are they affordable? Are we competitive?
On 401(k): making sure our costs [were] under control, because those are dollars we can actually put into our matching contribution to make sure that we’re differentiating ourselves from competitors.
What’s the biggest misconception people might have about your job?
That we’re the office police, we’re the principal’s office, or here to limit what the company can do. We’re here to help make the best business decisions possible, mitigate risk, and create the environment our employees want.
What’s the most fulfilling aspect of your job?
Being able to help people—whether it’s a single employee having surgery who needs assistance navigating benefits and disability, attracting an employee who will help move the organization forward, resolving conflict between leaders, or anything that has an impact on people, which [influences] the company’s ability to do our best work together.
What trend in HR are you most optimistic about? Why?
Continued evolution on DE&I initiatives and the buy in that an office needs to be more than “where work happens.” Anything that continues to move the employee experience forward will benefit the business and I’m excited to be at the forefront of this happening!
What trend in HR are you least optimistic about? Why?
Finding the right balance to harness the magic of our people while fighting Zoom fatigue. Not having people in the office just for “facetime,” but making it meaningful for the organization and individual. With more people pushing to stay away, capturing that secret sauce will continue to be a challenge.