Meet Alex Hattingh, a 'Chief People Officer' and part of a growing trend

Meet Alex Hattingh, a ‘Chief People Officer’ and part of a growing trend

Chief People Officer
Alex Hattingh is part of a growing trend of organisations and startups aiming to bring people management directly into their executive teams, by appointing a ‘Chief People Officer’.

Hattingh was appointed to the role at HR startup Employment Hero earlier this year, bringing a wealth of experience in HR and people management to the business — including time at Google, where she was one of the pioneers behind Google’s Project Oxygen, which aimed to uncover the real value of a strong management team for a tech companies.

She joined at the same time as AdRoll director Cat Prestipino, who became the startup’s first chief marketing officer.

For Hattingh, the goal is to drive an unbeatable company culture in the business, to ensure the team they’re building is agile, innovative, satisfied and purpose-driven — something too many startups don’t consider until it’s often too late, or too difficult to change.

Alex is the latest to answer our Q&A series The Link, connecting you to the interesting work and ideas of different women.

Who and what do you lead?

I lead the People & Culture Strategy for Employment Hero, which essentially involves guiding the entire employee experience. I will also be looking at the best practice HR tools to partner with product to ensure we are always improving our own Employment Hero platform. This will enable us to continue our mission of transforming the way businesses manage HR and making employment more rewarding for employees.

What are you working on right now that’s got you really excited?

Building out the people strategy and continuing to enhance the amazing culture at Employment Hero. This will involve evaluating how I build on the current strategy to consistently bring in great talent, looking at how I can support the leadership team on executing a fast moving growth strategy and enhancing our product with tools to better engage employees.

What one issue is making you really angry right now?

There are too many companies paying lip service to HR being an important part of business. When push comes to shove, many businesses don’t invest in the tools to actually make things happen! 

Best piece of career advice you ever received?

Don’t sweat the small stuff – focus on the deliverables with the biggest impact;

Measure everything and use this data to drive decisions;

It’s okay if you don’t have the answer.

What would you go back and tell yourself ten years ago?

10 years ago I was living in New York. I would tell myself to take a breath and enjoy the wins at the time. 

Biggest hurdle you’ve faced (or are still facing) in your career? And…

Managing employee engagement across different cultures and geographies; and having managers understand the vital importance of their role as ‘manager’ and dedicating time to their people. 

…How did/are you push through/work around it

Communicate, communicate, communicate

Always be asking employees for their input to feed back to leadership and then action it. The most vital part is action and execution. If you ask people about how the business can improve, it is futile if you don’t put an action plan in place and execute on that.

Also, by holding managers accountable for their team’s engagement and happiness.

How have mentors or sponsors (or both) aided your career?

Every step of the way. My mother has been my greatest mentor throughout my life, particularly when it comes to balancing disappointments and moving on to celebrate, and remaining humble and grateful.

Every amazing manager that I have had the fortune of having has aided my career by coaching, listening and challenging me, and always bringing me back to my deliverables.

What’s your favourite piece of tech?

Employment Hero!;

Any tech that makes your life and work more efficient. Slack for seamless communication and keeping conversations transparent and out of your inbox;

Evernote.

What daily publications do you read or follow?

Everything from the Harvard Business Review, to HR blogs and publications.

I use LinkedIn Pulse to organise my content in one place. This also allows me to follow influencers such as Adam Grant, Marcus Buckingham as well as companies that produce insightful content and research such as Gallup and Culture Amp.

What apps or tools do you use to help manage your day?

Google Suite; Evernote – I rely heavily on my calendar to arrange my to-do lists, tasks and deliverables.

Any industry associations you’re a part of or that you’d recommend to other women?

Business Chicks

Geek-Ups by Culture Amp

What book do you most recommend to other women when it comes to their career?

I have never relied on books for career advice or direction, you’re better off seeking out mentors and people, both women and men, who you admire for advice and sponsorship. Every organisation has its own cultural norms that you need to get to know and operate in.

And what are you reading/watching/listening to right now (for work or pleasure)?

Ted talks, Podcasts and LinkedIn Learning content.

Got a woman to suggest who you’d like to next read about on Women’s Agenda?

Michelle Gutherie, ABC CEO

Emma Issacs who founded Business Chicks

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