In episode seventeen of Talkin’ Talent, Susan Pittman, Managing Director and Leader of Human Capital Advisory at Cherry Bekaert, joins Sam McCarthy to discuss all things human resources (HR). Together, they discuss her fascinating career journey, which includes working as the only female in personnel management at the United States Steel Corporation, and how it led to her managing the Human Capital Advisory practice at Cherry Bekaert.
With over 35 years of experience in human capital strategy and organizational development, Susan shares her insights on creating people-centered strategies that align with business goals. She also discusses her passion for fostering organizational cultures that unite and engage employees while building strong talent pipelines.
Tune in to hear her valuable perspectives and learn more about Cherry Bekaert’s unique Human Capital Advisory practice.
This episode covers:
- Susan’s unique career path
- Key functions of human capital advisory
- How human capital advisory differs from staffing and recruiting
- The differences between transactional and strategic HR
- Career tips on influencing organizational change
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SAM: Hello everyone. Thank you for joining us for the 17th episode of Talking Talent. I cannot believe we are at 17, and summer is almost over.
SAM: Although summer does not officially end until September 22, it always feels like the season ends after Labor Day. In the Washington, D.C. area and Virginia, children are already returning to school.
SAM: If you enjoy this episode, please tell your friends and coworkers about it. Anyone who appreciates good conversation about people and talent can subscribe on Spotify. You can also find it on the Cherry Bekaert website.
SAM: Today, I am excited to welcome a coworker who has been with us for almost a year. She leads the Human Capital Advisory practice at Cherry Bekaert, Susan Pitman. Susan, thank you for joining me today.
SUSAN PITMAN: Thanks, Sam. It is great to be here.
SAM: Susan has held many roles in her career, including HR professional, consultant, and faculty member. Susan, can you give us a few highlights of your career path and how you reached where you are today?
SUSAN PITMAN: I am happy to. It is a long and winding path, so I will try to be succinct. We were recently talking to a group of internal talent from Cherry Bekaert.
SUSAN PITMAN: They asked how I got where I am, and it is difficult to describe quickly. Each of those experiences along the way has enabled us to bring a richer product to our clients.
SUSAN PITMAN: I started by majoring in business when the field was still called personnel management. My undergraduate degree was in that field.
SUSAN PITMAN: I was interested in the business side of that major, so I earned an MBA to broaden my perspective beyond that narrow channel. I then went to work for the largest furniture retailer in Texas.
SUSAN PITMAN: In that role, I learned the core aspects of HR, such as payroll and compliance. From there, I was offered a role in Gary, Indiana, working for United States Steel Corporation.
SUSAN PITMAN: This was in the 1980s, and I joined them during a heavily unionized period following the longest steel strike in history. I was a management trainee in a job rotation program.
SUSAN PITMAN: My role was to learn all the functions of HR. I did a stint in safety, where I was the only female in management and the only person with an advanced degree.
SUSAN PITMAN: I went to work every day with a hard hat and steel-toed boots. I was also responsible for all labor pool decisions.
SUSAN PITMAN: Additionally, I worked in the hospital at the Gary Works site, which was large enough to be its own town. I also spent a significant portion of my time in staffing and recruiting.
SUSAN PITMAN: Because of this rotation, I became increasingly interested in different areas of HR. I was eventually recruited to teach at Valparaiso University.
SUSAN PITMAN: I ran the co-op and internship program and the Small Business Institute. That institute taught business undergraduates how to become consultants.
SUSAN PITMAN: It was funded through the SBA. Throughout this path, I always had one foot in HR and one foot in broader business operations and alignment.
SUSAN PITMAN: This led to an academic career for a number of years. I typically taught higher-level HR courses.
SUSAN PITMAN: This was when the field stopped calling it personnel and started using the term Human Resource Management. Now, 35 years later, we often discuss Human Capital Management, human capacity, and capability building.
SUSAN PITMAN: The field of study has grown tremendously. CHROs are now seen as trusted advisors and strategic partners with a seat at the C-suite level.
SUSAN PITMAN: Eventually, I started my own consulting business. We grew it quickly from a small regional firm to an international business.
SUSAN PITMAN: I then went to work for Yum! Brands, which is the corporate center for Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC Global. I led leadership and talent development.
SUSAN PITMAN: This followed my interest in organization development and building capacity across markets to drive strategy and impact the business. Later, I served as Vice President of People and Culture for a previous client.
SUSAN PITMAN: Ultimately, I joined Cherry Bekaert to lead the Human Capital Advisory team. We focus on the people strategy that helps drive the business strategy.
SUSAN PITMAN: I still use all of those experiences today. As functional purviews change, I can pull on global experiences and my "boots on the ground" safety background to help clients.
SAM: I appreciate you sharing that. Many HR professionals take a linear path, which is fine. You took risks and moved through rotational programs at global companies.
SAM: The best HR professionals I work with are those who take an interest in the business in addition to compliance, labor laws, and technical systems. In Washington, D.C., federal agencies often still use antiquated terms like personnel management.
SAM: I want to ask about your early experience. Tell me about a job you had in high school or college that had an impact on what you are doing today.
SUSAN PITMAN: In my early staffing and recruiting roles, I would look for this. I started waiting tables and working in hospitality in high school.
SUSAN PITMAN: I worked as waitstaff and later as a bartender to work my way through college and my MBA. I actually made more as a bartender than I did in my first job with an MBA.
SUSAN PITMAN: Hospitality taught me how to work with difficult customers and handle pressure. Serving people waiting at the door teaches anyone how to work well on a team.
SUSAN PITMAN: Building cohesive teams and working hard for short or long sprints is a key element I look for in candidates. Whether it is sports, military, or hospitality experience, these roles focus on team completion and transferable skills.
SAM: I love that. Many guests have shared how the service industry provided transferable skills. Susan and I both joined Cherry Bekaert via an acquisition.
SAM: Can you provide an overview of what the Human Capital Advisory practice does? How does your work supplement a company's existing HR organization?
SUSAN PITMAN: Our team is a group of certified HR professionals at the director level or above. We are internal consultants who now work on the advisory side of the house.
SUSAN PITMAN: We are advisors who work on projects with specific start and end dates. We can support any activity that a CHRO would consider.
SUSAN PITMAN: Typically, the work begins with people strategy. If a business is growing, we look at the talent pipeline and how to scale quickly.
SUSAN PITMAN: We also handle employee value proposition work. Many organizations are investing in branded statements about who they are to attract and retain the best talent.
SUSAN PITMAN: We support projects involving compensation, incentive plan design, and benchmarking. If a growing HR team lacks the capacity, we can come alongside them for project work.
SUSAN PITMAN: We also offer recruitment process outsourcing (RPO). This can be a complement to an existing recruiting and staffing group.
SUSAN PITMAN: Furthermore, we handle Performance Management and design. We ensure people are incentivized toward the right goals, aligned with the mission, vision, and values.
SUSAN PITMAN: Finally, we provide customized management and leadership development. We create content to help organizations grow their talent pipeline and internal capabilities.
SUSAN PITMAN: We also work with firm founders who are planning an exit or succession. We help build the transferable value of the business and look at the leadership bench.
SAM: What is the balance of your clients? Do you primarily work with CEOs, CFOs, or CHROs?
SUSAN PITMAN: Our sweet spot is supporting mid-market CFOs through HR solutions. At Cherry Bekaert, we offer various offerings to these leaders.
SUSAN PITMAN: In many cases, we work with CEOs and COOs who do not have a CHRO in place. We handle both strategic projects and transactional HR work.
SUSAN PITMAN: We create roadmaps and perform HR audits. We also offer a full suite of individual psychological and organizational assessments to help pinpoint growth levers.
SUSAN PITMAN: For smaller companies, we have a team that can manage payroll and transactional tasks. Our target remains those mid-market groups.
SAM: As we head toward Q4 and look ahead to 2025, what trends are you seeing in the market?
SUSAN PITMAN: These trends fall into three buckets. First, leadership is focused on building organization structures that are right-sized and capable of scaling.
SUSAN PITMAN: Second, there is a focus on sustainability and succession planning for founder-led organizations. We also ensure culture is aligned with strategy, especially during mergers and acquisitions.
SUSAN PITMAN: We spend time cleaning up mergers that did not go well. We ensure cultural alignment and that mission, vision, and values are strong.
SUSAN PITMAN: Finally, HR professionals were exhausted coming out of COVID-19. We are now being asked to prepare for continued, unprecedented change.
SUSAN PITMAN: This includes the use of AI. We are looking at how to use it as a tool in the HR toolbox while mitigating risks associated with untested technology.
SUSAN PITMAN: Leadership focus is on keeping things simple and proactively planning for change rather than just reacting.
SAM: Change is inevitable. After COVID-19, companies added people and then faced re-organizations. The job market has changed, empowering HR professionals to advocate for themselves.
SAM: I have seen a jump in people wanting to work fractionally. Some have started their own firms to focus on specific niches like software or government contracting.
SAM: Clients are looking for HR professionals who like to lead and mentor. Employees often leave because of weak management or a lack of feedback.
SUSAN PITMAN: I have two reading recommendations for HR professionals looking to move into a CHRO role. First, "Beyond HR" by John Boudreau.
SUSAN PITMAN: It teaches how to become a trusted advisor to the C-suite regardless of your seat. It helps you move from transactional to transformational activities.
SUSAN PITMAN: Second, I recommend "The First 90 Days" by Michael Watkins. It provides a plan for the first 90 days of any role to create points of influence.
SUSAN PITMAN: At Yum! Brands, we focused on intentional culture. We were taught to consider what mindset, perception, or belief we were trying to build, change, or reinforce.
SUSAN PITMAN: I also recommend "Taking People with You" by David Novak. It is a step-by-step guide on how to get big things done using influence versus power.
SAM: Thank you for those recommendations. We will post those links on the Cherry Bekaert page. I appreciate your time today.
SUSAN PITMAN: Thank you, Sam. Together, we are bringing a full suite of services to our clients for 2025.
SAM: We will keep refining that. Susan and I are always willing to have a conversation with anyone. Thank you.
SUSAN PITMAN: Thanks, Sam.
