Dr. Denise Caleb, PHR, was recruited for human resources while working at Ford Motor Credit Corporation by an HR professional who thought she’d be a good talent recruiter. Dr. Caleb didn’t know what human resources was yet, but soon learned and fell in love with it, saying at the time, “I eat, breathe and sleep HR.” She pursued a human resources career path through higher education, retail pharmacy, University of Kansas Medical Center, San Juan Regional Medical Center and now as President of Human Resources Standards Institute SM (HRSI), working with organizations to help them achieve the top HRC certifications available to show they meet international standards for optimized performance and accountability. Dr. Caleb says that the certifications are not “one and done.” There is a difference between a certificate and certification. Because certifications require continuous improvement, they are ongoing with annual check-ups and five-year recertification requirements to make sure the organization continues to live up to its world-class credentials.
COVID’s Impact on Women in the Workforce and Challenges to Re-Entry
Dr. Caleb admits that women are being disproportionately impacted by COVID, whether “by choice or by request, women did leave the workforce during COVID 19 at a higher level and rate.” She says that we have to be very careful as a workforce to make sure we recapture those levels of talent among those that want to come back to work. She urges companies to make the processes of talent acquisition happen systematically and with ease, so women can be interviewed and re-enter the workforce. She also warns women not to end up being underemployed. She wants to make sure that women get hired at the same level or higher than they left. She says that the way to ensure that is to make sure women are positioned with their seat at the table so they can contribute.
Belonging–The Secret Sauce for Empowering a Workforce
In May, HRC offered an organizational certification of international standards for diversity and inclusion, called ISO 30-415. Dr. Caleb says that it’s important to have a playbook for how to do diversity and inclusion from both an internal and external perspective. She stresses the importance of making people feel valued and that things are equal and there’s justice within our systems. Beyond diversity and inclusivity, she says it’s very important that people “feel a level of belonging because there’s definitely a distinction between the two.” As women consider whether or not to go back to work, she says that they need to think about the organization’s mission and determine if it aligns with their own. The most successful combination is a diverse team that respects, listens and learns from other perspectives. For that to happen, the organization must foster a culture of trust and belonging for all of its workforce at every level.
Listen to or watch this conversation to find out more of Dr. Caleb’s personal journey and professional views about the benefits of human resources strategies. Check out HRSI.org and HRCI.org websites to find out more about the certification process. And look up Dr. Denise Caleb on LinkedIn to learn more about her amazing credentials, degrees, certifications, and awards.
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