The Power of Women in the Workplace: A TriNet Perspective (Part Two)
Women’s History Month is not only a time to celebrate influential, powerful and respected women, but also a time for us to reflect on the impact women have had in our workforce. A few weeks ago, we shared 10 of our very own TriNet women from across the organization and across the nation. In this second part, we continue to celebrate and support Women’s History Month by spotlighting some of our colleagues who continue to make a difference every day.
As a career woman who has been with TriNet for over 18 years, a wife and, most importantly, a mother, it was very important for me to inspire my kids to work hard to achieve all their life goals. My three kids, who are now 19, 21 and 22, have watched my hard work and dedication pay-off throughout the years with several promotions and two Employee of the Year awards—in addition to raising a family. All three kids are now in college working toward their own career ambitions and maintaining part-time jobs.
Rochelle Wilson
Manager, Treasury & Credit
My very first boss taught me so much about how to approach work and life in a way to find the success I wanted. She had an amazing gift for providing correction and guidance while always making you understand that she was on your side. She taught me that long nights on projects should be balanced later with mid-day manicures, but that focusing on either too much will not get you far. She also taught perfectionist me to never shy away from an assignment just because I had never done something before and was afraid of mistakes. I feel so fortunate to have encountered someone like this early in my career and really attribute much of my success to the important lessons she instilled.
Elizabeth Perlak
Principal, Human Capital Business Partner
The adage, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear,” has held true for me. Throughout my career, I have continued to grow and develop through the support and guidance of many mentors. Though some of the mentorship programs I’ve been part of were structured, there were times when I worked for employers that didn’t have an official mentorship program. In those cases, I would identify an individual whose knowledge and work ethic I respected. Today, I feel very fortunate and thankful for the mentors in my life who have helped me successfully grow and develop in the field of human resources. I encourage everyone to identify a mentor, no matter how far along they are in their career, as well as offer mentorship to others. It truly makes a significant difference in a person’s life.
Virginia Capezio
Senior, Human Resources Consultant
My first full-time, permanent job out of college was in the communications department of a national nonprofit organization in Washington D.C. The head of our department was an award-winning former journalist turned PR executive who had worked for decades all around the world, reporting for large, renowned publications.
I came to the job having been a big fish in a small pond as an editor of my college newspaper who had graduated from one of the toughest journalism programs in the nation and had never received less than an “A” on any writing assignment in my life. However, our job at that organization was to create the type of captivating content that persuaded politicians on Capitol Hill to enact the laws we were fighting for. Our editor’s job was to make sure any content that left our organization was strong enough to impact policies. And his method of doing this was to pull me into his office with a printout of my work and hack it to death with his red editing pen before sending me back to my desk to fix it, often with a break in the bathroom or my car to cry (which he didn’t know about). This method would repeat until the work met his exceedingly high standards.
Then, one day, after having a piece of writing I was particularly proud of chopped to bits, I asked another, more experienced colleague how she handled the litany of negative feedback on her work. And I’ll never forget the perspective she brought to it: “Kim, you are receiving the type of coaching that many writers would spend an exorbitant amount of money on. Take advantage of this opportunity and let it make you better.”
I realized in that moment that none of the feedback I was receiving was personal. It was meant to mold my writing into what it had the potential to become. From then on, I opened myself to being challenged and, over the next couple years, my writing became progressively stronger and the red pen hacks became fewer. Now, many years and a ton of published articles later, I still see the effects of being molded by those tough writing lessons in my every day work.
Kim Runyen
Manager, Public Relations
As leaders, one of our most important skills is the ability to instill in others a desire to be their best. Women leaders tend to possess an innate ability to emotionally connect with others, which is essential to understanding and inspiring the next generation of leaders. Instrumental to my success is how I balance my relationships with achieving my professional goals. It can be very challenging for women to balance their instinctive talent for supporting others with their passion for their own success. This can be especially true in a technology role or other discipline where women have traditionally been outnumbered in leadership roles. It’s perfectly o.k. to prioritize both! My advice to other women is not to allow yourself to feel guilty for putting your needs and desires first. As a matter of fact, we benefit our clients, colleagues, families and ourselves the more we realize that by growing personally, we also grow as leaders, which allows us to have an even larger impact on a greater number of people.
Ciana Muth
VP, Technology Management
When I started working for TriNet many years ago, it quickly became obvious that people were considered the company’s most important asset. The culture was—and still is—one where colleagues don’t hesitate to do what it takes to help each other, to celebrate important milestones together and to come together to make sure we do what it takes to get the job done. That camaraderie and selfless willingness to do what is right for the company and for our customers had a lasting impression on me all those years ago and impacts how I work today. It really is the people you surround yourself with who can make or break your success.
Dianna Wiedlocher
Lead, IT Portal Operations
As I started my career in the oil and gas industry, I was so fortunate to have a cherished relationship with a great female executive mentor. Building a culture of support and mentorship for others is so important in improving all of us and paying it forward. Women sometimes find it difficult to trust others, but if you can find that one person, be it a dear friend, a family member or a valued colleague with whom you can connect at a high level and whose feedback you can truly trust, it will be invaluable for professional and personal growth.
Peggy McCurley
Executive Director, Human Capital Services
As women in the workplace, I believe we are all more successful when we support and empower one another to achieve our goals. One of the ways I have done this over the years with friends and women in my network is by sharing some productivity hacks. It all started when a friend asked, “How do you get so much done and travel for your job without losing your mind?” My answer was two things: outsource and automate! I have a personal belief that the phrase “work smarter, not harder” is true and I’ve incorporated it into my daily and personal life. For example, I like to cook but don’t enjoy walking the aisles of a grocery store. I find I’d rather spend my time on other things. So, I outsource grocery shopping by using Instacart and having groceries delivered. This allows me to place my grocery order from an airport and schedule groceries to arrive within an hour of when I get home. I have automated so many tasks that it’s like having a personal assistant at times. When I want to find even more extra bits of time, I use an app called Task Rabbit to hire someone to run errands or help with chores, such as putting up holiday decorations. My friends, my network and I share our productivity hacks with each other often and I strive to outsource and automate anything that doesn’t make me happy or isn’t a good use of my time. This enables me to balance work and life effectively. I get to do what I enjoy and focus on relationships not chores!
Elizabeth Dominicci
Executive Director, Customer Escalations & Customer Solution Analytics
It is successful, dynamic women who help other women to be successful and dynamic. I was incredibly lucky to have strong, confident women mentor and guide me along my journey and I credit that to helping me find my place in human resources and, especially, at TriNet. The path to success isn’t an easy journey as there are those defining moments when you have to be open to coaching and feedback and not take it personally, which can be hard. But to grow, we need to be open to trying new industries, new roles, new assignments and most of all, open to listening to other perspectives from successful professionals who paved the way before us. It is these relationships and mentorships that can help us in our careers when we need them most.
Rosemary Bryant
Director, Human Capital Services
Over 14 years ago when I started with TriNet, I knew I wanted to make an impact, not only for our clients, company and colleagues but also for other professional women. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to learn and work alongside several strong successful women. I quickly realized that as women, we have a keen ability to build relationships. I knew that leadership would be the next step in my career. When I became a leader at TriNet, I found something I didn’t even know was missing as it set me on the path to starting my executive MBA program. Every day I try to empower those around me, so they can see their greatness. Women being supportive of other women is pivotal for future professional successes.
Tina Herig
Director, Client Success Response Center
This communication is for informational purposes only; it is not legal, tax or accounting advice; and is not an offer to sell, buy or procure insurance.
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