We chat 1:1 with HR pros about their career journeys. Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click here to share your story with us.
A lot of HR pros learn people lessons in unlikely places.
Krystal Cooper, VP of people operations at logistics and supply chain company Vizion, held various roles at Thrift Drug in Allendale, New Jersey when she was 15–21 years old. After starting as a cashier, she ran the store’s photo lab, and later became a pharmacy technician. In these roles, she learned lessons she’d take into the people profession.
“You really learn how to read emotions, how to de-escalate situations really quickly, and how to just listen without talking,” Cooper told HR Brew. “All of those skills are actually things that you need now to be successful in people operations at any level.”
Cooper spoke with HR Brew about her journey to HR at corporations like Liz Claiborne, Duane Reade, and Tommy Hilfiger.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What are some lessons you learned in the six years working at a drug store?
Conflict resolution and…[being] really focused on always giving some form of white-glove service. And, that was always what I offered when I worked at the drugstore was, “Let me figure out a way to support you in your moment.” Especially once you move into that pharmacy function, people are coming [in] with their prescriptions. People are dealing with insurance issues. They’re sick. They’re not feeling great. They’re very stressed out.
The work ethic for me has always been ingrained in me from the very beginning with my father. He was a single dad, working all the time, and had to raise my brother and I on his own, so I had to really step in and help out. But, that work ethic always fed right into retail, which was, “When I walk in this door, I need this job. I want this job. I like this job, so I’m going to give everything I can all the time.” And, so that also feeds that ability to pay attention to people’s feelings, make sure that you’re supporting them however you can, and just listening because you actually care about your job.
Quick-to-read HR news & insights
From recruiting and retention to company culture and the latest in HR tech, HR Brew delivers up-to-date industry news and tips to help HR pros stay nimble in today’s fast-changing business environment.
What other early work experiences shaped your career?
At a couple different points in time in my career, I actually questioned, am I in the right career?...In 2008 [and] 2009, the market crashed, and I was like, “What am I doing? Oh my gosh. Do I just figure out a different career path?”...and I literally had to take [a] pause. And, that was the moment where I was like, “No, I love what I do”...[After a bad-faith manager] I also promised myself I would never let anyone make me question if I like what I do.
Did you ever ask yourself that question while working at the drug store?
When I was back at the drug store, it didn’t feel like a career until I got more into that leadership, management type of function. … For me, I’m always very driven to try to continue to build really great stuff… Oftentimes, you don’t have that ability when you’re at a lower level, so you have to climb that ladder. You have to get to the higher levels, because that’s where you start to have a lot more autonomy and a lot more freedom to be more creative.
You can’t really [be in the people] function if you don’t pay attention to what’s happening in each one of your business functions. At a lower level, oftentimes you don’t get that exposure. You might have just a small part of the whole business… Did I want to stay in retail? No, but I did end up spending a good amount of my career in retail and fashion retail from a corporate side. [You] end up going full circle sometimes.