An HR department can't provide
"We looked at our policies and said, if we want this to be a people-centric place, what do we need to do to make people feel safe here?" Carpenter says. "The balance of life and work is heavy, and we should be doing stuff that can support that."
When Carpenter got promoted to VP of HR in 2017, she immediately advocated for her title to be changed to head of people and culture — while still performing the traditional tactical responsibilities associated with HR, her department would also
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Carpenter started with benefits: She expanded Sentinel's wellness programs, extended the paid parental leave policy from four to 12 weeks, and added a separate grandparent leave policy. Though Sentinel already offers unlimited time off and flexibility, Carpenter emphasizes the need to provide specific benefits that "grant permission" for people to feel more comfortable using them. Since creating the more inclusive parental leave policy, for example, there has been an increase in new fathers at the company taking time off, she adds.
"We want to make sure you feel comfortable if you want to be home with your family," says Carpenter. "We have these things that make people feel like we're recognizing them, trusting them and supporting them in their life outside of work."
A second, ongoing focus has been establishing an improved performance system, with an emphasis on nurturing internal talent. Managers at all levels are trained to have conversations with their teams about goals and development, establish long-term individual growth plans and confidently address compensation, something that, before her arrival, they tended to avoid, Carpenter says. The result has been increased employee satisfaction, engagement and talent retention.
"We're making sure that we're identifying people who are superstars or high performers, and that we are putting together individual growth plans for them that make them want to stay," she says.
Carpenter sat down with EBN to talk about providing people with the right tools and support to be their best, and the positive impact it's had on the business.
How have you changed the way management training is approached since coming to Sentinel?
When I came in, our managers had no training. Everyone was running a different ship. It's their tone from the top, so if they're doing an awful job, their employees don't want to be here.
I started a management training program, and I have a facilitator that I work with to help build out the curriculum. Sometimes when you have an external person actually speaking, the language is better received, so he does the actual training. We've been running that [every year] since 2017. Since then, we have been on the Boston Globe's best places to work [twice] and our overall scores for managers have gone up significantly.
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Aside from training, what types of ongoing interaction do you have with managers to strengthen your department's relationship with them?
We're meeting with managers on a quarterly basis, and we provide guidance and make sure everyone's moving in the right direction. Our overarching ecosystem is very connected and we're immersed in what is happening in these subgroups. People — managers especially — are seeking us out for coaching. If employees are having problems, we're aware of them. If someone's going through something, they'll find us. We're really seen as a resource and a partner.
What drives you to create a workplace where everyone feels safe, valued and seen as an individual, including in how they are trained?
Everyone is different; everyone has a story. I'm actually neurodiverse — I'm dyslexic — [and] because of my background, I come from a place of 'everyone can be successful, it just might need to look a little different.' We shouldn't be boxing people in. That's important to me — helping people, connecting people, problem solving, making people successful.
What improvements have you seen as a result of these efforts?
When I started, there was very low engagement, and it has really come up across all the different groups [in the company]. Right now we're at 80% engagement, which is really high for our industry, and our tenure is 8.7 years, which is also really high. People generally like coming and staying, and I think it's because of the people and that they can be themselves.
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What is your advice to other HR professionals who want to establish a more people-centric mindset in their workplace?
Be firm, stand your ground and make a business case, because the things that you are bringing to the table and your advice are valuable and impactful. Sometimes that gets lost in our world; sometimes we are taken for granted, but we do a ton of stuff and we bring a lot of value, and being able to showcase that and the impact it makes goes a long way.
Talk to other people in your HR network. Do the research and establish connections, because you're going to find people who can help navigate that because they've been there, they've done that.
Whatever you're advocating for could be huge for your company, but sometimes we get nervous [about] putting hard dollars on it. But if you're really passionate about it and it's going to help your people, go for it.
