What truly sets great workplaces apart isn’t process, it’s people. Trust, culture, and intentional growth are what sustain high-performing organizations, and I recently had the opportunity to interview four dynamic leaders who embody that truth.
Maria Reyes, Global Workforce Innovation & Development Manager at Google and Tae Kim, Head of People at Leverage Companies, each demonstrate how strategic talent development, scalable learning, and embedded HR practices can drive measurable business outcomes. By empowering employees and aligning HR initiatives with company strategy, they prove that human-centered leadership is the ultimate catalyst for organizational success.
At HIC Consulting, we see this philosophy in action every day. Through our collaborations with people leaders across industries, we help organizations turn these ideas into sustainable leadership programs and measurable impact. HIC partners with organizations to advance management capability through dynamic live simulations that accelerate learning, reinforce culture, and drive real business results.
What these two leaders share is exactly what we believe: when people leaders are equipped to drive both performance and purpose, culture transforms from a talking point into a true competitive advantage.
Preparing Talent: Maria Reyes, Global Workforce Innovation & Development Manager, Google
At Google, Maria Reyes focuses on developing talent through work-based learning and career readiness programs. “It’s not enough to hire talent, we need to prepare them for the work of tomorrow,” she explains.
Her programs equip employees with skills for emerging roles and provide hands-on, experiential learning opportunities. This isn’t just theory: according to LinkedIn’s 2025 Workforce Learning Report, employees who participate in structured career readiness programs are 23% more likely to be promoted within two years and report 37% higher engagement scores.
Maria emphasizes that building internal pipelines is a leadership strategy: “When employees see a path to growth and skill-building, trust in leadership and commitment to the organization increase.”
Embedding HR and Scaling Culture: Tae Kim, Head of People, Leverage Companies
Tae Kim, Head of People at Leverage Companies, a private equity firm focused on redefining what excellence means in the world of real estate, is reshaping what HR looks like inside fast-moving organizations. His approach blends culture-building with creativity, scaling trust, belonging, and engagement through unexpected channels like social media.
“In startups, HR isn’t a back-office function, it’s the glue that holds culture, strategy, and operations together,” Tae says. Partnering with the Media division, Leverage’s employees have become the brand’s best storytellers. Encouraged by HR, team members create skits, behind-the-scenes videos, and lighthearted ads that showcase their real work experiences and camaraderie. What started as an engagement idea has turned into an authentic recruiting and brand-setting engine, organically attracting new talent and strengthening team identity.
According to Deloitte’s 2025 Human Capital Trends, companies that embed HR into daily operations and elevate authentic employee storytelling see 2.5x higher engagement and 30% faster onboarding success, results Leverage is living proof of.
“In high-growth environments, culture can be the greatest catalyst for effectively scaling or the Achilles’ heel causing massive amounts of friction,” Tae explains. “When people are proud to share where they work, you know culture isn’t just managed, it’s lived.”
Key Takeaways for People Leaders
- Develop talent that drives business impact. Focus on skills and growth opportunities that translate directly to measurable outcomes.
- Invest in scalable learning programs. Digital tools, micro-learning, and peer coaching align employee growth with company objectives.
- Engage employees through funding and accountability. Professional development budgets, mentorship, and manager scorecards drive retention, performance, and engagement.
- Embed HR into operations. Integrated HR practices foster trust, ownership, and belonging, particularly in fast-growing or early-stage organizations.
These two leaders show that workforce growth isn’t about processes, it’s about people-first strategies. When organizations prioritize talent, culture, and trust, HR becomes a strategic driver of business outcomes.
The future of work will belong to organizations that invest in human potential as much as operational efficiency and leaders like Maria and Tae are showing exactly how it’s done.
Here’s How You Can Amplify My Work (3 Quick Actions):
1️⃣ Tell your HR team about the Supercharged Management Accelerator — a program designed to help managers at every level navigate organizational dynamics.
2️⃣ Pre-order my new book, Supercharged Teams, and help spread the word! 📘
Post this on your LinkedIn feed and tag me:
I just pre-ordered Supercharged Teams: How Every Manager Can Create a Culture of Excellence by Netta Jenkins — and you should too!
3️⃣ Leave a Review once you’ve read it. If you’re a manager, aspiring leader, or someone who cares about building teams that drive real business impact, this book was written with you in mind.
