As Siepe’s Director of Human Resources, how do you define your role and what does it mean for employees working at the Company?
I see my role as providing an organizational structure that helps meet the business’s needs while ensuring that our employee well-being and work-life balance are kept at the highest standard. This is important for allowing us to continue delivering innovative technology, data and analytics solutions to the asset management community.
I stay in constant communication with all employees and particularly, the leadership team, having a dialogue about new ideas and process improvement suggestions, as well as offering a platform where concerns can be expressed and solutions acted upon.
Before Siepe, you worked as an accountant and then moved into HR. How does your experience help you relate to Siepe’s employees?
I began my career in public accounting building a foundation of structure and process as well as an understanding of financial principles. Shifting companies to an internal accounting role provided an opportunity to sharpen my technical skills while also allowing me to collaborate with and eventually move to the Human Resources team. I gained invaluable hands-on experience as well as a broader insight into the significance of a partnership between departments. My early professional experience in the accounting space led to becoming more analytical with HR processes including compensation. My blended professional background has given me insight into the internal workings of Siepe’s clients and the potential stresses employees may experience when undertaking their day-to-day activities.
To ensure these potential issues do not get overlooked and, in turn, impact an employee’s well-being, I work directly with our CEO, Michael Pusateri, and the executive team to ensure the camaraderie and social aspects of work are reflected in our company culture. I’m proud to say this has created an open culture where employees are comfortable asking questions and raising their hands to address immediate needs and possible frustrations.
When hiring new talent, what types of people do you look for? And what advice would you give to people looking to progress their careers in the financial and technology space?
It’s an exciting time to be in the fintech space. There are so many opportunities for those who might be looking to enhance their financial acumen as well as their technical knowledge. When we are looking to add talent to the Siepe team, we first assess whether candidates have a basic knowledge of the financial services industry. This knowledge can come from previous experience or simply a brief exposure to some of the terminology. We do this to set candidates apart from each other, but what we’re really looking for are those individuals who have the drive to push themselves and the desire to be a part of something greater. By partnering with our clients to deliver innovative solutions, our employees work together to meet expectations and ultimately, enhance their depth of financial and technical understanding.
A candidate’s drive is difficult to determine by just reading a resume so candidates can expect that this soft skill is something well-vetted during our interview process. If candidates can convey this during the interview process, they will have an advantage. We have proven that our careful and thorough approach works resulting in only adding top talent. Siepe successfully began its 10th year of business so now is an even greater time to be a part of this team!
Can you tell how the HR department at Siepe is evolving to become more integrated with other areas of the business? How does HR collaborate with other sectors of the business?
I believe the foundation of Human Resources is relational. The HR department has placed significant emphasis on building relationships with all employees. My future vision for the department is to continue to drive HR initiatives by working even more closely with the heads of each business department enhancing our current partnership to streamline processes and being a listening ear to the unique needs across departments. We have established open lines of communication and meet weekly to provide recruiting updates, org structure changes, and onboarding/exit process updates, to name a few. Continuing to place focus on building relationships among teams, with leadership and across the company will ensure that our employees feel the support they need to be successful in their roles.
What goals have you set out for yourself and Siepe to achieve in 2022?
This year, one of our primary goals was to improve our diversity and inclusion awareness – and so we have implemented a new diversity committee to bolster efforts further. This brings a new multi-pronged approach focused on our recruitment, development, engagement, and outreach processes. Part of these efforts includes bringing in speakers to educate and engage with our employees and providing a platform at our monthly meetings for employees to share something unique to their background or culture.
Another goal was to continue implementing new frameworks around the HR team to become more integrated with other departments at Siepe. Simply put, we need to ensure that structure is in place so that HR processes don’t interfere with workflows and become a burden for our employees – rather a resource for them to enhance business and progress their careers. However, these frameworks need to be implemented in a way that sets Siepe up for further success. This may take shape in the form of streamlining the recruitment processes, enabling us to quickly bring in top talent and give our business a competitive advantage for future growth.
Why do you think Siepe is an exciting place to work?
While it sounds cliché, it has to be the people. We have spent a significant amount of time ensuring that we hire the best of the best and once onboard, we have invested hours in building relationships with them. I firmly believe that being surrounded by dedicated individuals not only enhances an employee’s overall experience but provides an environment where, if desired, one can only thrive. Having been with Siepe nearly since its inception, it has been a joy to offer support as talented professionals develop, grow in their skills and individually and collectively contribute to Siepe’s success. Each day is different and to know that Siepe continues to offer opportunities to bring in new, innovative ideas is just one of the many reasons that this industry is an exciting one!
What is a fun fact about yourself?
Despite being a southerner, I grew up watching and cheering for the Boston Celtics. I find great joy when I reference my knowledge of that era naming all the players while impressing my boys and even my husband!
