Greenhouse open Speaker Series: prioritizing People team growth with Katie Burke, Hubspot’s CPO

3 mins, 6 secs read time

New year, new content. We’re kicking off an exciting new series to showcase our 2018 Greenhouse OPEN Conference speakers.

These experts and influencers will share details about their own professional journeys, and delve into the trends on the horizon for all things HR technology.

For our first installment, we’re excited to speak with Katie Burke, the Chief People Officer at tech powerhouse Hubspot.

Greenhouse: Let's start with a fun softball... What was your first job and how did you get it?

Katie Burke: I was a retail associate at the Express, selling jeans and folding clothes. I got it the good old fashioned way, by walking in and submitting an application and introducing myself to the store manager. The experience taught me a lot about service and selling; the only downside was getting really sick of holiday music after listening to it on repeat non-stop through the busiest season of the year.

GH: As an expert in the field, you’re tuned in to new trends. What’s one of the biggest trends you’re seeing in the talent industry? How do you think talent acquisition will evolve in 2018 and beyond?

KB: I think for years people dismissed social media and content creation as necessary only for roles in marketing, and now we are seeing candidates take much more active roles in cultivating their own personal brand online. But we are also seeing companies take this trend far more seriously, building out employment brands that are as compelling and unique as the candidates they are trying to serve--I think we'll see even more of that as the competition for talent escalates, and that's great news for companies who care enough to create a brand and an experience for candidates that matters.

GH: You’ve had an impressive career. What’s one piece of advice you’d offer someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

KB: Take your work seriously, but never take yourself too seriously--having a sense of humor is highly underrated.

GH: Diversity and inclusion is one of the most important, and most difficult to overcome challenges in the HR industry. What’s one tactical thing you’ve seen companies do to help move the needle on diversity hiring?

KB: I admire Unilever's approach to gender diversity because they set clear areas of focus, profile working parents at Unilever as part of an ongoing content series, and are thoughtful about processes and programs that move the needle for them long term. They have made diversity and inclusion business priorities, and matched their ambition with compelling content targeted toward parents and senior female leaders.

GH: The Greenhouse OPEN conference draws the brightest thought-leaders in the HR and talent industry. What are you most excited for at OPEN 2018?

KB: People teams are notorious for putting others first and not prioritizing our own team's growth and learning so for me it's the fact that some of the top people professionals in the world are taking time to learn and grow together. I'm personally excited to get ideas we can bring back and bring to life at HubSpot.

That’s one of the most compelling reasons to attend OPEN 2018. Everyone at the conference will leave with worksheets, case studies, planning templates and new resources physically (and digitally) in hand. These tools and best practices can be put into use immediately. We also recommend to attendees to schedule a post-conference debriefing with their own teams to share the most valuable learnings and carve out a plan for how to apply them in their own businesses.

Network, learn, and grow at OPEN this year, and join the movement.

There’s still time to buy your discounted OPEN 2018 tickets.