ASK HeR
A career girl’s guide to employment “stuff” from an HR expert
Imagine you could access an insider’s view of all things HR. Imagine you could get brutally honest advice on the best way to get a job, keep a job, get paid the most, and more—all from an unbiased third-party expert who’s providing it from the perspective of being your advocate. As a woman at work, most of your interactions with HR are company-focused. Said more directly, your HR team is working for your employer and their best interests vs. yours.
Ask HeR is an honest collection of guides that address everything you need to know from hire to retire. If there’s something you’re looking for that we haven’t covered or if you have advice to layer into what’s here, we hope you’ll let us know. We’ll tackle the issue and fold our point of view into the guide, making the platform even more valuable with your questions and inputs.
Now before we dig in...
We need to start with a few disclaimers and clarifications. Much of what’s covered here is controversial at some level, emotional for many, and subjective to some degree, so we’ve focused on making it as fact-based as possible while also layering in some frank guidance based on our experience.
Most important, know that Alexis—Women@Work’s resident HR expert—is US-based, so her understanding of HR is rooted in that experience and domain. Labor laws as well as HR policies vary significantly by country, and even by state in the US. Over time, we’d love to incorporate perspectives from around the world to ensure our advice is relevant to women globally.
Also know that the information and guidance here is a starting point of how things work and what you can expect. Because basic laws and conditions vary dramatically and each person’s situation is unique, it is critical that you always check what is valid to your particular case.
Despite the risk around that—how taboo and complex much of this is—we felt like this guidance was a “don’t let the great be the enemy of the good” situation. We thought an opportunity existed to provide valuable, straightforward information and honest advice about HR-related topics in the workplace from experienced women who are thinking about you, coming at all of it from your perspective.
Q+A topics
Coming soon!
Understanding compensation:
Base, bonus, and benefits
Losing your job:
Layoffs, firings, and silver linings
Knowing your rights:
Privacy, non-competes, and more
About Alexis
Alexis Harding is Women@Work’s resident HR expert. A long-time HR professional based in the Boston area, Alexis has rich experience in the HR departments of several large institutions over nearly two decades. She is here to engage with your questions about a range of topics that might be impacting your career and your overall success.
About Christina
Christina Van Houten is the founder of Women@Work. Based in Boston, she is a senior executive at one of the world’s largest enterprise technology companies. Christina has worked since she could as a teenager and has relished the experiences and empowerment a long-time career has provided her. She’s eager to support women of all ages, career stages, professions, geos, and backgrounds to help them find their way to the best possible life they can achieve.
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