Her Story
About Barbara
I opened BGHR Consulting LLC in February after losing my corporate job, recognizing how much more I can provide to organizations in a consulting role than in a corporate role. My journey into HR began when I was originally leaning towards a law degree. After working at a law firm doing both paralegal work and HR, I saw that insurance defense was not the side of the law I cared to be on. While at St. Thomas University, my counselor and I decided I would go down the path of human resources because I was liking what I was doing more in HR than the actual paralegal work. I have a bachelor in human resources and my SHRM certification, but nothing prepared me as much as the hardcore day-to-day experience. In my work, I value the compliance side most - as I mentioned, I love law. One of the biggest challenges in HR is when you know what the right thing to do is and the CEO's going a different path, looking for loopholes to get things done their way and wanting HR to mask it as the best thing for the organization and the staff. On the opportunities side, HR has grown a lot from what it used to be where it was very transactional. There are a lot of opportunities in HR at different levels - whether you want to go into the benefits side, the numbers side which is payroll and finance and compensation, or the compliance side. I always imagine it like an octopus with a lot of tentacles that each relate to the organization. My typical corporate role looked hectic, busy, and unplanned - what you planned the night before is never what actually occurs because there's always a fire.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Barbara
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is not to take anything personal. This has been invaluable in my work, especially in HR where you're constantly dealing with difficult situations and challenging conversations. It's helped me navigate the complexities of the field and maintain my professionalism even when things get hectic.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering HR is to listen and learn as much as you can, and don't take anything personal. The field can be challenging, especially when you're dealing with difficult situations and navigating between what's right and what leadership wants. But if you stay open to learning and don't internalize the challenges, you'll be able to grow and succeed in this field.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in HR is when you know what the right thing to do is and the CEO's going a different path. This is not very popular because everybody likes to stay on safe grounds, but the CEO's just looking for loopholes to get things done their way, wanting HR to mask it as the best thing for the organization and the staff. That's one of the biggest challenges for HR. On the opportunities side, HR has grown a lot from what it used to be where it was very transactional. There are a lot of opportunities in HR at different levels - if you want to go into the benefits side, if you want to go into the numbers side which is payroll, the finance, compensation, or the compliance side. It's grown, and I always imagine it like an octopus with a lot of tentacles that each relate to the organization.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
In my work, the compliance side is most important to me. As I mentioned, I love law, so I would say the compliance side really drives what I do. In my personal life, my family and my values around family are what matter most. The togetherness, the time that we spend together - I value that immensely. That balance between professional integrity and family connection is what keeps me grounded.
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