When did you decide you wanted a
career in human resources?
Lisa Zangari: I think I was about 18 years of age and as I was
contemplating university, I knew I wanted a business degree.
HR interested me because it was just being recognized as a profes-sional
discipline and it was the vehicle to impact the lives of others.
I had a passion, even at that young age, to help people reach their
full potential and help business achieve results through people. So,
I pursued my Bachelor of Science in business and HR from Lake
State University in Michigan.
What was your first HR job?
LZ: Growing up in Timmins, Ont., I guess mining was in my
blood. After school, I was hired by Placer Dome as an HR coordi-nator
at a mining site in Northern Ontario. It was a remote mine
and so my schedule was four days on site and three days off site. I
loved it because the spectrum of opportunities was large and my
manager was very hands-off; he let me get involved with every-thing
– compensation and benefits, union work, everything from
soup to nuts. I was immersed in the business and felt I had the best
induction into the profession.
Tell me about your current job. What are
your main areas of responsibility?
LZ: I spent about 25 years working for big international min-ing
and technology organizations. In January 2016, I decided to
step out of the corporate environment to start my own consult-ing
practice called Epic Engagement. I had great experience from
every aspect of my career, which is vital to what I’m doing now. I
concentrate on three areas: helping CEOs and C-suite executives
in strategic planning sessions to optimize their organizational
design; offering facilitation – such as leadership sessions, training
and also the human resources business partner curriculum from
HRPA; and performance coaching, where I focus on the C-suite
as well as HR executives looking to develop their own capability,
structure and strategies. I enjoy working with people who really
want to get the job done and achieve extraordinary results!
What do you love about your job?
LZ: I love the “ah-ha” moment when people realize they have the
answer; they have the ability to reach their potential and do what
they were meant to do! Whether through facilitating a leadership
or strategic planning workshop or in a one-on-one session, I love
helping people find their answers and do things they didn’t believe
were possible.
What are the challenges you experience in your job?
LZ: When we’ve achieved a project’s desired outcome, it’s time for
me to say goodbye to my clients. What I find most challenging is
disconnecting. I am very invested and a part of my client’s team
– so even though my job is done, I don’t always get to see the out-come
of my work. Saying goodbye is difficult.
hr influencer
mari1408 / 123RF Stock Photo
“THE MORE EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE IN EVERY FACET OF HR,
THE MORE CREDIBILITY YOU WILL HAVE IN THE FUTURE.”
36 ❚ MAY 2018 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL