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Halimah, Learning Manager, Slack Global Onboarding at Salesforce: Advize Career Interview
A career path starting in human development unexpectedly led to a fulfilling career in Learning Management at Salesforce.
The journey involved roles in nonprofits, leveraging presentation skills and a passion for facilitation, culminating in ownership of Salesforce's week-one onboarding.
Daily responsibilities include facilitating engaging onboarding sessions, collaborating globally, and developing dynamic content.
Success requires strong stakeholder management, creating positive experiences, and addressing underlying learning needs rather than surface-level issues.
The learning and development industry's collaborative spirit and focus on authenticity are highlighted, with emphasis on skills like empathy, collaboration, and emotional intelligence.
Key lessons include embracing imperfection, saying "I don't know," and leveraging undergraduate research skills in data analysis.
A commitment to creating inclusive environments and belonging in tech, informed by experience in diversity and inclusion work, underpins their approach.
Entry-level operations or people operations roles are suggested as excellent starting points for aspiring professionals.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Halimah Jones
Learning Manager, Slack Global Onboarding
Salesforce
Northwestern University, 2016
N/A
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Psychology
Technology
Human Resources (HR)
None Applicable
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Career Path of a Slack Onboarding Learning Manager at Salesforce
Initially pursuing a career in therapy, Halimah's college experience in human development led to a nonprofit role where "presenting and teaching" sparked a passion for facilitation. This organically evolved through various roles at a diversity, equity, and inclusion nonprofit and then Slack, ultimately culminating in Halimah's current position as a Learning Manager at Salesforce, a journey marked by unexpected managerial responsibilities and navigating a massive company acquisition.
Main Responsibilities of a Learning Manager at Salesforce
Halimah's role as Learning Manager involves owning "all of the virtual discovering Salesforce content" for the week one onboarding program, coordinating onboarding across Slack and Salesforce departments to ensure a seamless experience, and leveraging their Slack expertise through internal and external training and coaching. This multifaceted role also includes facilitating team-building activities and providing broader organizational learning support.
A Day In The Life Of A Slack Global Onboarding Learning Manager At Salesforce
A Learning Manager's day at Salesforce involves a mix of "facilitation" of weekly onboarding sessions—which Halimah finds "very fun and rewarding"—and collaboration with a global team through numerous meetings, driven by a desire to build relationships and "make connections with other groups." Content development and updates to reflect company changes are also key components of the role, highlighting the dynamic nature of the work.
Most Important Skills For A Slack Global Onboarding Learning Manager At Salesforce
Halimah, a Learning Manager at Salesforce, emphasizes the crucial role of "stakeholder management," describing it as building relationships and understanding others' perspectives to ensure alignment on goals. This skill, coupled with creating positive experiences that lead to advocacy within and beyond the company ("people come to me...because I remember your onboarding and like, I remember how great the experience was"), is key to success in learning and development.
Favorite Parts of Being a Learning Manager at Salesforce
Halimah, a Learning Manager at Salesforce, finds the most rewarding aspect of her role is witnessing "aha moments" during onboarding, demonstrating skills to others and facilitating "better, simpler, and more productive" working lives. This consistent experience of supporting others and seeing their progress reinforces her passion for the work and provides frequent validation.
Biggest Challenges Faced By A Learning Manager At Salesforce
Halimah's biggest challenge as a Learning Manager is uncovering the root cause of learning needs, as "the idea of what people think they want is not actually what they want." This involves differentiating between surface-level issues and deeper systemic problems, ensuring that learning solutions are sustainable and empower individuals rather than creating dependence on the learning team.
Favorite Parts Of Working In The Learning And Development Industry As A Learning Manager
Halimah, a Learning Manager at Salesforce, enjoys the strong sense of community and collaborative spirit within the learning and development industry, citing "sharing resources, sharing knowledge" as a key benefit. This collaborative environment, filled with "authentic" and "transparent" individuals, fosters continuous growth and allows for the exchange of valuable insights.
What Type Of Person Thrives In Learning And Development According To A Learning Manager At Salesforce
Learning and development professionals thrive when exhibiting authenticity ("you're just you but like on 10 version of you"), empathy, and strong collaboration skills, while effectively managing their own energy levels and feedback, even as introverts. The ability to moderate one's emotions and respond to on-the-spot feedback is crucial for success in this role.
What A Learning Manager At Salesforce Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Learning And Development Industry
Halimah, a Learning Manager at Salesforce, learned that "you're never gonna be perfect" in facilitating learning sessions, emphasizing the importance of focusing on learning objectives rather than flawless execution; even when technology fails, as it did when "both my and my co-presenters' laptops just died," adaptability and empathy are key.
Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Learning Managers In Onboarding At Salesforce
Halimah, a Learning Manager at Salesforce, suggests entry-level operations roles as a good starting point for aspiring learning and development professionals, citing "a lot of the data, a lot of the coordinating, the scheduling" as key responsibilities. Alternatively, people operations roles, which often involve aspects of the employee life cycle and sometimes learning development, offer another viable entry point, as evidenced by a previous team member's career trajectory.
Significant Career Lesson From a Learning Manager for Slack at Salesforce
Halimah's most significant career lesson is the power of saying "I don't know," building trust by acknowledging limitations and actively seeking answers, rather than fabricating them. This approach fosters collaboration, allows for continuous learning, and ultimately strengthens their ability to support the company as a whole, since their role is "not to know everything, it's just to know part of it and know who to ask for help."
College Experiences That Helped A Learning Manager At Salesforce Succeed
Halimah's undergraduate experiences, including "volunteering to present all the time" and conducting research, significantly contributed to their current success as a Learning Manager. The research component provided a strong foundation in data analysis, including understanding "the difference between qualitative and quantitative data," skills which are now essential to their role at Salesforce.
How Identity Has Influenced a Slack Learning Manager at Salesforce's Career
Halimah's career journey, starting in a diversity and inclusion nonprofit, shaped their focus on creating belonging in tech, particularly through leadership in Slack's Mahogany employee resource group. This experience, informed by "how do you bring all those different identities and create content or create experiences working where people feel like they really belong and that they can thrive," directly impacts their current role as a Learning Manager, emphasizing the importance of inclusive practices and accountability.
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