Employee Spotlight Q&A With Heather Carbray

Getting to work with so many smart, talented people. I have had the opportunity to learn so much from so many people over the years, and I would like to think they have gotten some valuable insights from me, too.

Where do I begin? I think the obvious challenge from a financial perspective is the uncertainty of the state of the economy. That speaks for itself. The role of HR is evolving from a support function to an integral part of the overall business strategy. Navigating what employees want and need can be tricky, especially since it varies from generation to generation. There is no “usual” way of doing things anymore. HR professionals have to come up with ways to engage and retain employees who all have different expectations while also keeping the financial impact in mind. There are so many other challenges and trends in the human resources world but I will stop here for now.

This one might seem unusual to some people, but is a big accomplishment for me. Speaking in front of crowds. I am an awkward introvert to my core and I would rather have a root canal than do any kind of public speaking. I have had a lot of practice speaking and presenting to our internal team over the years and have also spoken a handful of times at events and am now a bit more comfortable. Maybe still not that great at it, but at least words come out when I open my mouth.

When we are able, I enjoy collaborating in person. We stare at computer screens all day long so it’s nice to see people’s faces outside of a Zoom box, and not having to look at myself on a screen is a bonus. I also love our full-team brainstorming and hack sessions, whether on-screen or off.