The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards were announced April 15, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place virtually May 27.
Next is Chief Human Resources Officer Award finalist Heidi Parks, who’s chief people officer at Intelligent Waves, LLC. Here, she talks key professional achievements, career turning points, professional risks and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2020?
I am thrilled to report that 2020 has been a highly productive year for Intelligent Waves’ Human Resources Department. As IW has experienced unprecedented growth, it required reinventing the entire HR function and rapidly scaled its capabilities. For me, it was the most fulfilling and challenging opportunity to show what today’s HR is all about: people.
As chief people officer, I have led my team in redesigning and rebranding the company’s HR department with the vision of transforming the employee experience by operating with a people-centric lens, which in turn establishes trust and confidence from employees and executives across the organization.
With this goal in mind, I have implemented a people-first customer service delivery model for HR & Recruiting by creating and implementing HR mission, vision, commitment and service delivery goals that focus on fostering a work environment that encourages open communication, personal accountability, trust and mutual respect.
Secondly, following the vision of becoming a preferred employer of choice with a reputation for fostering a culture of trust and strategic partnership to successfully attract, retain and grow IW’s talented and diverse community, I have rolled out IW’s Diversity Equity & Inclusion Program with a strategic plan that aligns with 2021 business goals.
Third, I have pioneered the establishment of IW’s Employee Advisory Council, which consists of key employees who can now share their suggestions and ideas to improve the company culture and growth in a safe and nonattributional way. This transparent communications tool allows executive management to make high-impact changes based on what employees care about the most.
And the results showed we have succeeded. In the past year, Intelligent Waves was:
- Nationally recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of America’s fastest-growing veteran-owned companies for the third consecutive year
- Recognized on Inc.’s Vet100 list
- Recognized on the Top 2020 Best Companies for Veterans list by Monster & Military.com
- Ranked one of the largest veteran-owned companies by 2020 Washington Business Journal
What has made you successful in your current role?
Let’s face it, when most people think of HR, they think about paperwork, red tape, bureaucracy and as the last place employees would choose to visit. My mission as chief people officer is to reinvent the HR function and convert it into a motivational support organization that engages employees’ hearts and minds with compassion, listening and purpose.
What was a turning point of inflection in your career?
An inflection point in my career was when I took a risk and moved into a new role after being with the same company for over 12 years. This was critical for my personal growth both as an HR professional and as a leader. This evolution of learning on the go was pivotal in getting me to where I am today.
Change can be challenging primarily when you have dedicated so much to one organization, but when we step outside of our comfort zone, that is where the magic happens. We genuinely grow in ways we could not have predicted.
I am grateful for those 12 years and all I learned, but what I have found is that putting yourself in new and different business situations, working with various types of people, tackling new challenges, driving change and cultivating organizational culture are all such valuable experiences that cannot only occur with one company. Sometimes, this kind of growth can only come from challenging yourself to do something else, something you hadn’t planned on.
What are you most proud of having been a part of in your current organization?
As chief people officer, I am most proud of reinventing the HR organization by transforming the employee experience that establishes trust and confidence from employees to executives across the organization.
Also, I am very proud that we can foster a culture of trust and listening, which resulted in higher retention and growth among IW’s talented and diverse community. We’ve done so through proactive diversity and inclusion programs, including helping veterans integrate into our innovative culture.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the future of the nation?
At Intelligent Waves, we are currently focused on implementing new performance management systems and leveraging communication and regular check-ins between management and staff as a critical aspect of ensuring our people are successful. If our people are not achieving, we want to help develop them through training programs, so we are implementing a companywide training initiative.
We are also revamping how we reward our employees by updating our variable compensation programs and implementing full rewards and recognition programs. Not all that drives people is monetary. We must look to our people to determine the rewards and recognition programs that will maximize potential and motivation, thus exceeding our customers’ expectations in the field.
Many studies prove the importance of feeling valued, having your organization’s needs met, and feeling invested in as critical factors in driving employee engagement and performance. We are focused on optimizing this.
How do you help shape the next generation of government leaders/industry leaders?
I think the next generation of industry leaders will need to look at what many startups, Amazons and Googles of the world are doing with their organizations. There’s real value in investing in the people side of the business as they are our sole asset, particularly in a services-based business.
There are several up-and-coming new trends that our industry will need to embrace. An example is the ability to work from anywhere. Years ago, government contractors may have shied away from this idea, but due to COVID, we have figured out that we can be just as productive, if not more so, working from anywhere.
What’s one key thing you learned from a failure you had?
Failing is never about failure. It is always about the lessons learned from failing. You just have to focus on the lesson and less on the fact that you feel you have failed. Growth only comes out of failing. You will fail and fail again until you learn.
Which rules do you think you should break more as an industry leader?
You always have to do what is right for your people no matter what. As long as it’s govcon compliant, if you have to change a policy to support your staff, you should. These are the things that matter. We have to put more heart back into HR.
What’s the biggest professional risk you’ve ever taken?
The biggest risk I have ever taken was stepping into a startup company I worked at before Intelligent Waves. This was risky at the time, but I knew the company was going to be successful. I learned so much in my 2 years with BlackSky, and they are doing even better today.
It is essential to follow your intuition, and I knew I would have unique challenges and grow working there. Which I did, and it brought me to IW and provided invaluable experience.
Looking back at your career, what are you most proud of?
I am proud of the opportunities I have had to mentor and help other HR professionals on my team or through my network. I have had the pleasure of having amazing people working for me over the years, and I love being able to inspire the younger generations to believe they can do anything and then watch them do it!
It’s incredible how much a little doubt can result in not taking action. I always want my staff to believe in themselves, to problem solve and to come to talk it through with me when they need advice or just to process.
What was your biggest career struggle, and how did you overcome it?
One of my biggest career struggles early on was believing in myself. Had I had a mentor who offered a bit more coaching and guidance, I am sure I could have avoided some years of imposter syndrome.
Watching inspirational leaders who achieved so much just by believing in themselves did a lot for my career. Overcoming my self-doubt took a lot of self-reflection and awareness, changing the narrative and refocusing my thought patterns to manifest my desired results.
What’s your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
As an HR professional, I have learned that the biggest and most important skill is listening to our most important assets: our employees. If you fail to have compassion and understanding of their authentic needs, your corporate culture will suffer. My advice is to allow everyone to feel valued and appreciated because culture is not a manual; it’s all about the people.