Announcements
Five Questions with Ed Adams, Senior Vice President of Human Resources
Define the role Human Resources plays at Enterprise.
Human Resources (HR) is obviously all about people. Our responsibility is to create an appropriate work environment that helps attract, motivate, promote, retain and develop people in their careers with Enterprise. More specifically, HR employees address areas within the company such as recruiting, training, benefits, HR information systems, relocation and immigration, employee events and activities, business ethics, and diversity. Through these areas, we strive to take care of our employees so they can focus on providing the highest levels of service to our branch customers.
What opportunities lie ahead for HR?
Employee development and retention remain key areas of opportunity. Initiatives such as the Formal Mentoring Program, rolled out to groups last fall, and the Preparing for the Promotion Guide, developed by the North American Diversity Team and Career and Family Focus Group address these areas. At last year’s HR Conference, we introduced the Wellness Program to the groups to help reinforce the importance of our employees’ health. Overall, our goal is to ensure that each employee’s experience is as positive as possible. By simply listening to our employees, we can continue to address their needs. For example, we developed the new paternity leave benefit as well as the Spouse Relocation Program based on feedback from employees and their families. We also look forward to the opportunities the pending acquisition of Vanguard will provide for the men and women in the new Enterprise.
What challenges does HR face?
The biggest challenges we face in today’s competitive job market are attracting the right talent for our growing business, and then developing and retaining employees so their skills can help us grow our business globally. We also want to make sure diversity remains a priority, particularly in our upper-level positions, so that our workforce reflects the communities in which we operate.
Why should someone consider a career in HR?
A career in Human Resources is challenging and rewarding because our employees work with all areas of the company and across all departments and levels. As a result, each day is different and offers new opportunities to impact the success
of our business. Accountability is important in any area of the business, and our team has a clear set of expectations. Employees who produce results can build a very successful career in HR.
What makes a successful HR professional?
Many of the same skills that make any Enterprise employee successful are important for an HR professional – initiative, leadership, problem-solving skills and a focus on results. Our employees also need to have a clear understanding of the business and all its operations so they can provide the highest level of support to the groups they assist. A great HR professional has strong communication, organization and planning skills, and above all, the desire to make a difference in the workplace and the lives of our employees.
– Meghan Maguire
