Try as they might, HR leaders aren’t always equipped to help employees, especially employees who’ve experienced trauma. That’s why we spoke with Rachael Kelly, founder and CEO of HiveSmart, a consulting firm that specializes in trauma-informed practices.
Kelly, who wrote about her personal and professional experience with trauma in her book, From Trauma to Triumph: Finding Your Way Out: The End, shared how people leaders can talk about trauma in the workplace—something she’s done as an HR pro at companies like Pizza Hut and Sonic Drive-In.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What can HR pros learn from your book?
Having a greater understanding and appreciation for the fact that there’s things always behind the scenes that are going on with employees, and that affects how people show up in the workplace…It’s often we think about these kinds of things happening that is somebody else, or somebody not a CEO or CHRO sitting in the seat. But the reality is that it affects everyone, and it does not discriminate at all. I work with people who are presidents and CEOs of companies that are white men and people who are part of marginalized communities, and it is a universal truth that people experience a lot of trauma, and we see it in the workplace, because it’s human beings.
The first part is recognize [and have] awareness…When I’m seeing things happen and when I’m seeing behavior in the workplace that might be confusing. I need to be aware, and be curious, and compassionate, and empathetic about what might be happening, versus judging and reacting to that behavior…Two is understanding how you lead people through that, and there are certain tools and mechanisms that you can use to help people as you’re navigating through the current environment and when people are feeling traumatized.
How can HR pros help employees in these situations?
First is creating a safe space with that person and building trust. And, so if you see something going on, a lot of times what I do with people is just showing that you care, and saying, “Hey, I noticed this. Or, I’m seeing this. What’s going on? How are you doing? What’s coming up for you?”...You’re not trying to be their therapist. You’re also not trying to cross certain lines…[It’s] I just want to check in with how you are, as a human being and as a person, because I care about that. And in doing that, regularly checking in with somebody, it’s just holding a safe space for them to say, “Yes, I’m okay.” Or, “No.”
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How has trauma influenced or informed your leadership?
Before I went into HR, when I first started, I was in restaurant operations, and going into these dirty, messed up restaurants and turning them around…In every single one of those scenarios, when you’re turning around restaurant operations, that is not easy work to do. And, everyone who is [there], most of the people who are working in minimum-wage jobs, frontline roles, there’s a reason we land there. There’s history there, and in all scenarios turning around all of those businesses…it was always about helping people to overcome adversity. It was helping them to believe in themselves and helping them to helping to identify those core, raw skills and attributes, those gifts that they have, and helping to shape them and direct that in a productive way…[It] always meant overcoming adversity and trauma that existed in people’s lives and backgrounds.
[When trauma] happens when you’re young, and then the cognition in my head is…“I’m not worthy. I’m not smart. I’m not capable.” And, that holds you back, so breaking those limiting thoughts and beliefs with someone is a key part of them breaking through. And, then all of a sudden, you would see people just ascend, and have amazing lives and careers and break out of their own shell.
As I grew my career, just under the understanding of psychology and human beings, and how human beings function, the relationship between thoughts and feelings and behavior and performance—it’s very much informed my experience, very much informed all that work.