In this episode of Who Hired This Person?, host Kaitlyn sits down with Lakythia Ferby, Human Resources Director at Queens Community House. Lakythia shares her experience leading HR for an organization with over 40 locations, serving everyone from infants to older adults across Queens. With a passion for staff development and a data-driven approach, she opens up about hiring challenges, defining culture fit, and coaching both employees and managers for success.

🔹 Falling Into HR with Purpose:

Lakythia’s entry into HR was accidental—but it quickly became intentional. She explains how being the go-to person for onboarding and discipline sparked a passion for staff development and coaching.

🔹 Starting Strong as a New HR Director:

From day one, Lakythia focused on listening, learning, and visiting all program sites to understand the needs of both managers and staff. Her first 90 days were all about building trust and identifying areas for improvement.

🔹 Hiring Beyond the Résumé:

She shares a recent example where the most “qualified” candidate on paper didn’t land the role—reminding us how critical personality and team fit can be, even late in the interview process.

🔹 Defining a True Culture Fit:

At Queens Community House, a great hire is someone who’s solutions-focused, passionate about giving back, and sees clients as people with agency—not as problems to fix. Lakythia explains how those values guide their hiring.

🔹 Getting Clarity on Uncertain Candidates:

When unsure about a candidate, Lakythia leans into communication—aligning with hiring managers to determine what’s truly a “must-have” vs. a “nice-to-have,” and avoiding unnecessary disqualifies.

🔹 Coaching New Managers Through Hiring:

Her advice to first-time hiring managers? Focus on values and coach ability. Not everything can be taught—but many skills can, as long as the person aligns with your culture and mission.

🔹 Why Coaching Matters in HR:

Lakythia loves supporting employees and leaders alike. From training supervisors to digging into exit interview data, she sees HR as a way to empower people and help teams thrive.

🔹 Advice She Wishes She Got Sooner:

“Don’t just keep doing—pause and reflect.” Lakythia shares her practice of scheduling “not-doing time” to reset and stay focused, especially during high-pressure moments.

✅ Fit matters just as much—if not more—than qualifications on paper.

✅ Great HR starts with listening and asking the right questions.

✅ Reflective time is essential to avoid burnout and improve decision-making.

✅ Culture fit includes values like empathy, empowerment, and community.

✅ Hiring managers need coaching too—especially when making their first hire.

Links & Resources:

🔗 Connect with Lakythia Ferby on LinkedIn

In this episode of Who Hired This Person?, host Kaitlyn sits down with Carey Petersen, the Director of Human Resources at Innovate Auto Finance. With years of experience navigating HR in a high-growth, multi-state organization, Carey brings candid insights into what it really takes to build effective teams—often by learning the hard way.

From onboarding missteps to discovering what makes a “culture fit,” Carey shares stories that highlight the trial-and-error nature of HR leadership and how she’s evolved her hiring strategies over time. This episode is packed with real talk on coaching hiring managers, recovering from bad hires, and giving second chances when it matters most.

🔹 Starting HR from Scratch:

Carey shares how she built HR at Innovate Auto Finance from the ground up—what worked, what didn’t, and what she wishes she’d known when she started.

🔹 Hiring Flops and Fixes:

Not every hire is a hit. Carey discusses lessons learned from hires that didn’t work out, and how she’s adjusted her approach to spot red flags earlier in the process.

🔹 Culture Fit vs. Skill Set:

Carey explains how she identifies strong culture fits—even if they don’t have every technical skill—and why attitude and alignment often outweigh experience.

🔹 The Art of Second Chances:

In a field that values fresh starts, Carey reflects on when giving a candidate a second chance paid off—and when it didn’t.

🔹 Coaching Hiring Managers:

From rushed decisions to unclear expectations, Carey talks about how HR can coach hiring managers into better, more thoughtful hiring practices.

🔹 Onboarding That Actually Works:

Carey shares what she’s doing to overhaul onboarding at Innovate Auto Finance and how even small tweaks can make a huge difference in early employee retention.

🔹 Multi-State Hiring Challenges:

Hiring across different states comes with its own legal and logistical headaches. Carey offers tips for staying compliant and consistent.

🔹 Supporting Employee Growth:

Carey highlights the importance of internal mobility and how HR can advocate for development pathways even in lean organizations.

• Don’t rush a hire—culture fit and clarity around expectations are critical.
• A failed hire is a learning opportunity, not just a loss.
• Coaching hiring managers pays off in fewer missteps and stronger teams.
• Onboarding needs to be intentional, not just a checklist.
• Second chances work best when they’re grounded in honest conversations and clear boundaries.

For career opportunities at Innovate Auto Finance, email:

📧 humanresources@innovateauto.com

Website: https://www.innovateauto.com

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In this episode of Who Hired This Person?, host Kaitlyn sits down with Bandana Seehra, the Human Resources Director at Martello Group. With a strong background in HR and a passion for improving employee experience, Bandana shares her insights on hiring, team development, and creating a workplace where employees thrive. She discusses the challenges of recruitment in today's saturated market, the importance of onboarding, and the strategies that have strengthened retention at Martello Group.

🔹 Finding a Career in HR:

Bandana shares how her mother inspired her to pursue HR and how her journey led her to the property management industry, where she found the perfect intersection of her passion for people and real estate.

🔹 Balancing HR Responsibilities:

As an HR leader, Bandana wears many hats. She discusses how prioritization, realistic expectations, and seeking support are key to managing hiring, team development, and aligning HR with business goals.

🔹 Challenges in Recruitment & Staffing:

With an overwhelming number of job applicants, Bandana highlights the difficulty of filtering through resumes and the importance of finding candidates who truly align with job qualifications and company values.

🔹 The Impact of Hiring Decisions:

Bandana explains why hiring managers should wait for the right fit instead of rushing to fill positions. A wrong hire can disrupt team dynamics, while the right hire can elevate the organization.

🔹 Hiring for Culture vs. Qualifications:

Bandana prioritizes cultural fit over credentials, emphasizing that communication skills, adaptability, and teamwork are often more valuable than degrees.

🔹 Onboarding for Employee Success:

From pre-hire communication to personalized training methods, Bandana details how Martello Group ensures new employees feel supported and set up for success from day one.

🔹 Improving Employee Retention & Satisfaction:

As the first HR Manager at Martello Group, Bandana implemented initiatives such as employee surveys and open office hours to create a culture of open communication and trust, leading to stronger retention rates.

🔹 Advice for HR Leaders:

Bandana stresses the importance of mentorship and expanding professional networks to navigate the challenges of HR leadership.

🔹 Coaching Hiring Managers for Better Onboarding:

She highlights the need for HR professionals to coach hiring managers, ensuring they can effectively onboard and support new employees.

✅ Prioritizing cultural fit can lead to stronger, more cohesive teams.

✅ Effective onboarding begins before the first day and should be tailored to each hire’s learning style.

✅ Open communication and feedback loops can significantly improve employee satisfaction and retention.

✅ HR professionals should actively support and train hiring managers to enhance the hiring process.

✅ Expanding your professional network and seeking mentorship is invaluable for HR leadership growth.

Links & Resources:

• Connect with Bandana Seehra on LinkedIn
• Website: https://www.martello.group/

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In this episode of Who Hired This Person?, host Kaitlyn speaks with Angela Torres, Human Resources Director at ICAN, a nonprofit focused on after-school programming for underserved communities. With her extensive background in HR, Angela shares her journey from operations to leading HR at ICAN, offering valuable insights into nonprofit HR challenges, the importance of cultural fit, and creating a supportive work environment.

Key Lessons Covered in This Episode:

🔹 From Operations to HR Leadership:

Angela talks about her transition from operations to HR, emphasizing how she discovered her passion for recruiting and employee engagement and how it shaped her HR approach today.

🔹 Nonprofit vs. Corporate HR:

Angela compares her experiences in corporate HR to her work in the nonprofit sector, explaining how nonprofit HR is mission-driven, values employees deeply, and requires wearing many hats to make a difference.

🔹 Impactful Hiring Practices:

She highlights how ICAN’s hiring process prioritizes cultural fit and mission alignment over just qualifications, showing how the right mindset is key to creating a positive and effective work environment.

🔹 Increasing Retention in Nonprofits:

Angela shares her experience increasing ICAN’s retention rate by 30% in her first year. The key strategies? Streamlining the hiring and onboarding processes and ensuring a seamless cultural introduction from day one.

🔹 HR as a Department of One:

As a department of one, Angela discusses the challenges of managing multiple HR responsibilities and the importance of seeking help, prioritizing people over policies, and taking care of one’s own mental health.

🔹 Mental Health and Workplace Culture:

Angela explains how prioritizing mental health in the workplace, through policies and programs, has helped foster a culture of self-awareness and support at ICAN.

🔹 The Importance of Self-Awareness in HR:

Reflecting on her career, Angela offers advice on embracing one’s journey, the power of self-confidence, and the value of asking for help to grow in HR leadership.

🔹 A Memorable Hiring Success:

Angela shares a heartwarming story about a college student she hired, mentored, and helped find their true passion, leading them to a successful career in HR—proving the lasting impact of mentorship in HR.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Nonprofit HR is all about mission alignment and cultural fit—skills can be taught, but passion for the mission is non-negotiable.

✅ Streamlining hiring and onboarding processes is crucial to increasing retention, especially in the nonprofit sector.

✅ As an HR leader, self-awareness and self-care are key to setting a good example and leading a healthy, sustainable work culture.

✅ Hiring for potential, mentoring, and offering growth opportunities can lead to lasting success stories and meaningful careers.

Links & Resources:

• Connect with Angela Torres on LinkedIn
• Website: https://www.icanaz.org/

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In this episode of Who Hired This Person?, host Kaitlyn sits down with Jason Wavell, the Human Resources Director at Bluesky Property Management. With years of experience in HR and recruitment, Jason shares his journey from discovering his passion for recruitment to becoming an HR leader in the property management industry. He dives into the challenges of hiring, the importance of building a strong team culture, and the strategies that have led to Bluesky’s success and expansion.

Key Lessons Covered in This Episode:

🔹 A Journey from Recruitment to HR Leadership:

Jason reflects on how he found his niche in recruitment and moved into a human resources role at Bluesky Property Management, balancing recruitment with creating a sustainable and collaborative workplace.

🔹 The Importance of Hiring for Both Skills and Culture:

Jason discusses why it’s critical to hire employees who not only have the technical skills but also fit within the company’s culture, and how this ensures long-term success for both the employee and the company.

🔹 Embracing Diversity in Hiring:

Jason shares how focusing on finding the best candidate for the role naturally leads to a diverse team, and why diversity of perspectives enriches the work environment.

🔹 Managing Expectations and Communication:

Managing expectations across employees, tenants, and property owners can be challenging. Jason explains how transparent communication is key to aligning those expectations and keeping everything running smoothly.

🔹 Onboarding for Employee Success:

Jason emphasizes the importance of a solid onboarding process and how it helps new employees feel supported, integrated, and confident in their role, setting them up for long-term success.

🔹 Lessons Learned from Hiring Successes and Mistakes:

Jason shares real-life examples of both successful and unsuccessful hires, discussing how the right person can quickly elevate a team, while a bad hire can have a ripple effect on productivity and team morale.

🔹 Creating a Positive Work Culture with Team Building:

Jason reveals how Bluesky fosters team cohesion and a positive work environment, from regular appreciation lunches to team activities like sports challenges that help employees bond outside of work.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Hire for both skills and culture to ensure long-term success.

✅ Transparent communication and managing expectations are critical for maintaining team morale and productivity.

✅ A well-executed onboarding process sets new hires up for success.

✅ Diversity in hiring naturally happens when you focus on finding the right fit for the role.

✅ Team-building activities can strengthen relationships and foster a supportive work environment.

✅ A bad hire can disrupt the entire team’s productivity, so it’s essential to get it right.

Links & Resources:

• Connect with Jason Wavell on LinkedIn

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In this episode of Who Hired This Person?, host Kaitlyn is joined by Rachel Nolan, Human Resources Manager at Bayaud Enterprises,Inc. a nonprofit dedicated to providing employment opportunities for people facing barriers to employment. Rachel shares her journey into HR, her approach to hiring for mission-driven organizations, and how workforce development plays a pivotal role in employee retention and success.

Key Lessons Covered in This Episode:

🔹 From HR Enthusiast to Workforce Development Leader:

Rachel takes us through her career journey, starting with her passion for people and strategy, and how an acquisition led her to her current role at Bayaud Enterprises, Inc where she navigates cultural shifts while supporting mission-driven hiring.

🔹 The Biggest Hiring Challenges in Nonprofits:

Hiring in the nonprofit sector comes with unique challenges, especially when trying to balance limited budgets with the need for adaptable, mission-driven employees. Rachel discusses the difficulties of finding candidates who align with both skill requirements and the organization’s broader mission.

🔹 The Power of a Holistic Hiring Approach:

Rachel explains why resumes aren’t enough. At Bayaud Enterprises, Inc , they look at potential, lived experiences, and the ability to succeed with the right support, focusing on creating pathways for individuals with non-traditional job histories.

🔹 Cultural Fit Beyond Technical Skills:

A great hire isn't just about technical proficiency—Rachel shares a key lesson learned when a hire struggled with the collaborative nature of the team, emphasizing how cultural fit can make all the difference.

🔹 The Importance of Adaptability and Empathy in Hiring:

For Bayaud Enterprises, Inc employees need to be adaptable, empathetic, and deeply committed to the mission. Rachel explains why these qualities matter, especially when working with individuals facing employment barriers.

🔹 Setting Up New Hires for Success with Effective Onboarding:

Rachel highlights the importance of a comprehensive onboarding process, from clear communication to mentorship programs, ensuring new hires feel supported and connected to the mission from day one.

🔹 Manager Training: A Key to Retention:

Rachel shares how her introduction of a manager handbook and focused manager training has had a profound impact on employee retention by empowering leaders to offer better feedback and coaching.

🔹 Rethinking “Qualified” in Hiring:

Rachel offers advice on building a more inclusive hiring process, encouraging organizations to focus on skills, potential, and lived experiences, not just traditional qualifications like degrees or job titles.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Focus on mission-driven qualities—adaptability, empathy, and a commitment to making a difference.

✅ Hiring is about more than just resumes—look at lived experience and potential.

✅ Cultural fit can be just as important as technical skills in creating a successful team.

✅ A strong onboarding process that includes mentorship sets new hires up for success.

✅ Manager training plays a pivotal role in improving employee retention and performance.

✅ Reevaluate what “qualified” means to attract more diverse talent.

Links & Resources:

• Connect with Rachel Nolan on LinkedIn

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In this episode of Who Hired This Person?, host Kaitlyn sits down with HR expert Toyia Jewett, whose career spans workforce development, human resources, and over a decade of teaching high school Spanish before making her return to HR. With her unique background, Toyia offers fresh insights into the power of onboarding and why first impressions make or break employee retention.

🔹 From the Classroom to Corporate HR:

Toyia shares her journey from workforce development to education and back to HR, explaining how her teaching experience shaped her approach to employee training and onboarding.

🔹 The Onboarding Pitfall Most Companies Overlook:

Many businesses treat onboarding as a one-day event instead of an ongoing process. Toyia explains why a structured, long-term onboarding plan leads to higher retention and engagement.

🔹 How Bad Onboarding Leads to Early Resignations:

Toyia recounts a real-life example of two new hires who had vastly different experiences—one thriving and one quitting within weeks—shedding light on the consequences of inconsistent onboarding.

🔹 Bridging the Gap Between Orientation and Integration:

What’s the difference between orientation and true onboarding? Toyia breaks down how companies can move beyond paperwork and PowerPoints to create a culture of belonging from day one.

🔹 The Role of Leadership in New Hire Success:

Onboarding isn’t just an HR function—it requires buy-in from managers and company leaders. Toyia shares actionable steps leadership can take to ensure employees feel welcomed and supported.

🔹 Why Unconscious Bias Impacts Onboarding More Than You Think:

Toyia discusses how biases can affect how new employees are trained, included, or overlooked—and what organizations can do to ensure fair and inclusive onboarding experiences.

🔹 Small Changes That Make a Big Impact:

From personalized welcome messages to structured 30-60-90 day plans, Toyia shares simple yet effective strategies to improve onboarding without overhauling entire systems.

✅ Onboarding should be a long-term investment, not just a one-day event.

✅ Leadership plays a critical role in making new hires feel valued and integrated.

✅ Consistency in onboarding reduces turnover and increases employee success.

✅ Bias—whether conscious or not—can shape onboarding experiences and impact retention.

✅ Small changes, like mentorship programs and structured training, can transform how new employees adjust to their roles.

Links & Resources:

• Toyia Jewett on LinkedIn

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In this episode of Who Hired This Person?, host Kaitlyn sits down with Andrea Kvalsten, HR Manager at Ellingson Companies, to explore the ins and outs of hiring, onboarding, and building a strong company culture. With a background in staffing and a passion for people, Andrea shares her journey into HR, the biggest hiring mistakes companies make, and how businesses can create an environment where employees thrive.

🔹 Finding a Career in HR:

Andrea reflects on her unexpected journey into human resources, from staffing management to overseeing hiring and onboarding at Ellingson Companies.

🔹 The Biggest Hiring Challenges Today:

From recruiting in a niche industry to handling generational differences in the workplace, Andrea breaks down the common struggles HR professionals face—and how to overcome them.

🔹 The Importance of Onboarding Done Right:

A weak onboarding process can lead to disengaged employees. Andrea shares how companies can set new hires up for success from day one.

🔹 Red Flags in the Hiring Process:

What makes a bad hire? Andrea discusses the warning signs she’s learned to spot early and how structured hiring can prevent costly mistakes.

🔹 Advice for Job Seekers

Andrea reveals the one question every new hire should ask during onboarding to ensure a smooth transition into a company’s culture.

🔹 Why HR and Operations Must Work Together:

Collaboration between departments is key to long-term employee success. Andrea explains how breaking down silos can improve retention and workplace morale.

✅ Onboarding is more than paperwork—it’s about setting employees up for long-term success.

✅ Hiring challenges differ across generations—companies need to adapt.

✅ Job seekers should ask smart questions to understand company culture before committing.

✅ HR and operations work best when they collaborate, not compete.

Links & Resources:

• Connect with Andrea Kvalsten on LinkedIn
• Ellingson Companies

Thanks for tuning in to Who Hired This Person? this week! Want to subscribe or share your thoughts? Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more—and don’t forget to leave us a review!