What a People Partner at Cisco Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Human Resources Industry
Carolyn, a People Consultant at Cisco, wished someone had emphasized the importance of delivering difficult news and setting boundaries early in their HR career. The ability to be "clear is kind," while prioritizing honesty and capability over superficial niceness, and politely declining tasks outside one's role to avoid burnout, are crucial skills that developed over time.
Communication, Overcoming Challenges, Stress Management, Workplace Challenges, Industry Realities
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Carolyn Wright
People Consultant - People Partner
Cisco Systems, Inc
American University
UCLA Anderson School of Management, MBA
International Relations & Affairs
Technology
Human Resources (HR)
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. Delivering difficult news is a crucial aspect of the job and requires developing skills in clear, kind communication.
2. It's important to set boundaries and not overcommit to tasks outside your role to avoid burnout. Learn to say no politely but firmly.
3. Prioritize being honest, transparent, and capable over simply trying to please everyone. Authenticity and competence are valued over surface-level niceness.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
One thing I wish I had learned is that sometimes you have to deliver bad news. This is very relevant to human resources roles, though it's not just about the industry itself. Many people go into HR because they want to help and enjoy working with people.
Often, these individuals have people-pleasing attributes. I certainly put myself in that category, wanting to make people happy and deliver good news. I loved calling people with job offers when I started in recruiting; it felt like amazing work.
However, as my career progressed, I realized it's not always about making people "happy." It's about providing them with actionable information. As Brené Brown says, "clear is kind."
I've tried to adopt this as a mantra: you can be clear and give direct feedback or state your position in a way that is kind yet direct. Another common tendency, not just in HR, is taking on more than we should, or tasks outside our roles.
We might think we're helping, but we're actually contributing to our own burnout. This also creates confusion about ownership and prevents us from doing our essential work because we've overburdened ourselves.
I wish I had practiced the skill of politely declining or setting boundaries earlier. This includes saying, "That's not my area," "I don't have bandwidth for that right now," or "This might not be the answer you were hoping for, but it's the one I have."
It's important not to get too caught up in whether people like you or think you're nice. What matters more is that people know you are capable, responsible, honest, and transparent. These qualities are more important than superficial niceness.
Ultimately, the skillset of being direct, clear, kind, and fair is something I wish I had developed earlier and recognized the importance of sooner in my career.