In other words, Frazier is a client’s godsend.
She began her HR career in hotel management, working in her early 20s as a manager for a resort condominium hotel. Initially, Frazier was hired to manage the staff; however, HR interrupted her life, and soon she was introduced to a myriad of HR responsibilities and training programs.
''I learned a lot about personnel management,'' Frazier says about her first job. ''I then took that [knowledge] with me to a larger resort and stayed in the hotel industry in [an] HR and training capacity for a number of years, progressing from operations manager to HR manager [to] training manager and regional manager positions.''
Next, Frazier worked at a telecommunications company. There, she met someone who significantly influenced her career — her first manager. This inidividual’s ''vast wealth of knowledge in employee relations and strategic human resources,'' stood out to Frazier. ''She is an amazingly strong person from whom I learned the power of perseverance.''
And Frazier persevered. She became an HR director for a credit union as well as for a dental practice management company, focusing on organizational development and employee relations. She took her focus and passions, and set a long-term goal: ''to gain exposure in a variety of industries [in order] to accomplish a long-term goal of doing HR consulting work with an emphasis in employee relations.''
Eventually, her perseverance really paid off.
Through several online network gatherings, Frazier met a woman who would later become her next boss.
''I was a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and participated on the HRTalk bulletin board. Out of that came some social networking opportunities among HR professionals, and she and I connected on another HR forum,'' says Frazier. ''Eventually, she opened up another networking bulletin board, and I became a moderator of that forum. A year or so later, she was looking for someone to assist her in client training, so I begged for the opportunity! I worked for her as a contract employee for about a year before coming aboard in my current full-time role [at Nobscot].''
Today, when asked what she most enjoys about her job, Frazier says, ''I have the opportunity to work with the absolute best of the best in human resources in my current role. I have fantastic clients who are excited about the Nobscot product, and I get to help HR business partners in a wide variety of industries fulfill their strategic objectives.''
But her clients aren’t all that interest Frazier. Some of the most important issues she sees facing the HR profession today include ''integrating new generations, their expectations and technologies. Incorporating the generational mix is an increasing challenge as people work longer, technology changes quickly, and younger people enter the workforce.''
Fortunately, this HR Star doesn’t have many regrets. One thing she did wish had been different was her role in HR at the telecommunications company. She admits that ''during my third year there, the company reorganized the HR function across the division, and the expectations of my role became centralized to recruiting only, which was undesirable to me.''
However, Frazier immediately follows with a positive. ''Prior to that change, I loved my job at that company! The silver lining that came out of that was that it led me to my first HR director role, where I could again focus on employee relations, organizational development, and training.''
Thrown into the industry at a young age, Frazier persevered, made it to the top, and today, offers this advice to young HR professionals:
''I believe the best HR people have experience ‘in the trenches.’ That is, they worked in operations, have a solid understanding of the business and its objectives, and can translate how the HR function will support that mission. When those people couple that experience with solid business and human resources education, they become effective HR leaders.''
| Q. What CD is in your CD player right now? A. Rhythm of the Saints — Paul Simon. Q. What is the last magazine you read? A. Real Simple. Q. What is your favorite TV show? A. M*A*S*H. |
