I’ve been lucky to work with some really great people over the years. At one point in my career, I built a team. It included about six direct reports. There were also another dozen or so indirect reports. Like any team, we faced our share of challenges—sometimes individually, sometimes together—and we also helped each other through them.
One thing I found myself saying often during tough times was, “person first, company second. Always.”
It means when people are doing work they enjoy or serves their growth, the company naturally benefits too. Work helps them grow and it aligns with what they really want. I led from that mindset. It helped me better understand what motivated my team. I learned how to support them in a way that still aligned with the company’s goals.
There were times when someone on the team realized they weren’t feeling fulfilled. Maybe they weren’t growing. Perhaps they just didn’t enjoy the work anymore. When that happened, we worked together to find something that fit better. This could be within the organization. If necessary, we supported them as they found that next step elsewhere.
Here’s how to think about it:
Person (wants and needs) → Position (role and responsibilities) = Mutual Success
Of course, all of this starts with hiring the right people. We place them into roles that are thoughtfully designed to support the company’s direction. That’s where talent management comes in. As leaders in this space, our role goes beyond just filling positions. We ensure that each role is clearly connected to business strategy. We focus on finding candidates whose strengths, goals, and values align with both the role and the organization.
But it doesn’t stop at hiring. We also design meaningful onboarding experiences that set the tone for success from day one. A well-aligned onboarding process helps new team members understand how their work contributes to the bigger picture. It starts building that sense of mutual value right away. From there, we continue supporting growth through training and development, and we nurture connection and purpose through employee engagement strategies.
The more aligned the approach, from recruiting through training and engagement, the faster people become proficient in their roles. As people grow, the company benefits.
A people-first philosophy, grounded in a clear connection to company strategy, allowed me to find deeper purpose. It helped not just in supporting others’ growth, but in meaningfully contributing to the company’s success as well. This is a nod to those of you doing this work every day behind the scenes. To you I tip my hat, the power of your work might be quiet, but it’s deeply important.
Resources:
HG People 
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