HRTech Interview with Kristin Cabot, Chief People Officer at Astronomer           

My background has included business, advertising, and operations, before moving into people leadership, so I appreciate a leadership team that can look at my role as Chief People Officer as something different than simply Human Resources. I like to classify my role in the realm of People Strategy, because to me, magic happens when you align the people strategy to the business strategy and sync the two. Prior to joining Astronomer, I spent time at companies like Neo4j, Proofpoint, ObserveIT and others.

What are you most looking forward to as Astronomer’s new Chief People Officer?

I am so thrilled to have joined Astronomer at such an exciting and transformative time. The energy, innovation, and passion that define this team are already evident, and I’m ecstatic to be a part of it. As Astronomer continues on its remarkable journey of growth, my focus is on ensuring that our employees and culture remain the foundation of our success. Together, we will build on the incredible work already in place to create an environment where every individual can thrive, contribute their best, and feel deeply connected to our mission.

What should B2B SaaS Chief People Officers’ be focusing on as workplace trends evolve?

The first thing that comes to mind for me is ensuring there’s a clear career path for employees and that there is a framework set up through which people can see how they can put down their roots at your company, grow, and develop their career. In early startups, everyone’s rolling up their sleeves and doing lots of different jobs. With that, opportunity and development comes inherently. People generally feel fulfilled, and they see what’s coming next or they see opportunities in the variety of work they’re doing. But as you get bigger, people’s scopes start to narrow a bit, since you need them to be more focused in specific areas. You need to understand each functional group, department, and its associated roles, as well as what you expect from people at different levels and positions. In this way, making sure this is defined for employees is really important at this stage, as well as ensuring they have the support from their managers to nurture this growth.

Read More: Hourly Work Reimagined: Putting People at the Center of the Workplace

How can HR teams drive better inclusive experiences and drive their hiring efforts keeping DEI in mind?

DEI should always be top of mind with hiring, and we talk about that a lot with our hiring teams and recruiters. Specifically within tech, it is common to be challenged to ensure gender and racial equality in your organization. Recruiting teams should be encouraged and able to provide a broad and diverse slate of candidates, so that they are enabled to hire the very best and most diverse talent. We grow stronger by doing this, while also building a more inclusive workplace.

What are some of the preferred HRTech you have used over the years to drive HR processes and goals?

15five has been amazing with career development and performance management. I also love Glint for employee surveys – their reporting is incredible, and super helpful as we make decisions around talent. Also, while it’s the only game in town, Workday is really strong and so instrumental within so many organizations. There are plenty of other great HR technologies out there, but these few immediately stand out.

Some common myths surrounding the role of HR in the modern workforce. What should HR teams be doing and how should HR teams be structured today in your view?

A common myth or stereotype is that HR is viewed as “the principal’s office,’ or a team that can get in the way. Unfortunately, this is often true! I really love building HR teams that can effectively partner with the business in a different way. HR should be viewed as strategic partners who help propel the business forward. We should be building programs that are set up to support the growth of the business. My team and I are always asking ourselves: is what we are doing helping us scale? What does this look like in 1, 3 or 5 years from now?

Thoughts on the future of HR, HRtech and AI?

I think HR continues to move in the direction I mention above. These new tools can be great support mechanisms, and can really help HR teams move faster and be much more effective.

Read More: HRTech Interview with Ramesh Ramani, CEO and President at ExpertusONE

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