#216 Navigating People and HR Challenges as a CFO with Gwenevere Crary, Founder and CEO, Guide to HR

#216 Navigating People and HR Challenges as a CFO with Gwenevere Crary

As businesses grow, the people and HR challenges they face become increasingly complex. Founders and finance leaders often find themselves responsible for managing HR-related tasks, even without formal training or expertise in this area. In this episode, Gwenevere Crary, Founder and CEO of Guide to HR, shares her insights on how finance leaders can effectively navigate these challenges and build a strong HR foundation for their organizations.

Crary emphasizes the importance of establishing robust onboarding processes to retain new hires and ensure a smooth ramp-up. She also discusses strategies for creating a learning and development culture, including providing a variety of training options and aligning with employee career goals. These proactive measures can help finance leaders support their teams and foster a positive work environment.

Furthermore, Crary highlights the significance of recruiting with a focus on culture fit and values, especially in startup environments. She also addresses the challenges of transitioning from a founder-led to a professional leadership team and maintaining a strong company culture. By prioritizing these aspects, finance leaders can contribute to the overall success and sustainability of their organizations.

Lastly, the discussion underscores the need for finance leaders to develop strategic thinking and planning skills to succeed in C-level roles. As they navigate the evolving landscape of their businesses, the ability to make informed decisions and align HR practices with the company’s goals becomes increasingly crucial. By leveraging Crary’s insights, finance leaders can enhance their capabilities and effectively manage the people-related aspects of their organizations.

Key topics covered:

• Importance of establishing robust onboarding processes to retain new hires and ensure a smooth ramp-up
• Strategies for creating a learning and development culture, including providing a variety of training options and aligning with employee career goals
• Significance of recruiting with a focus on culture fit and values, especially in startup environments
• Challenges of transitioning from a founder-led to a professional leadership team and maintaining a strong company culture
• Need for finance leaders to develop strategic thinking and planning skills to succeed in C-level roles

Links

• Gwenevere Crary on LinkedIn
• Kevin Appleby on LinkedIn
• GrowCFO Mentoring

Timestamps

• [0:06] – Introductions and setting the agenda
• [0:24] – Discussion on Grow CFO’s product launch and experiential learning
• [3:41] – Exploring partnership opportunities and fractional communities
• [6:22] – Addressing HR challenges and solutions for startups
• [11:54] – Importance of onboarding and performance management
• [15:22] – Creating a learning and development culture
• [20:12] – Recruiting and culture fit considerations

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