Women are transforming businesses with their resilience, optimism, and unwavering determination. They have proven their worth time and again and are emerging as game changers in their respective domains. Their dedication, ingenuity, and dynamism have enabled them to overcome insurmountable odds and pave their way to the mountain top of career growth and excellence. These trailblazing women have proven that no challenge is unachievable, and history can be made with courage and a never give up mindset.
In this issue of Chief Women Leaders, we present to you an inspiring journey of Ms. Turkessa Antrum, the Chief Human Resources Officer of nonprofit behavioral healthcare provider Community Health Resources (CHR). She has a solid and diverse background in all aspects of human resources, including policy design and implementation, compensation and benefit administration, performance management, recruiting, labor relations, and more. She has held several leadership positions in non-profit and healthcare organizations, consistently focusing on creating strong organizational cultures and positive work environments.
A Journey Filled with Challenges and Opportunities
When Ms. Antrum started her undergraduate studies, she had not originally considered a career in Human Resources. At that time, 29 years ago, the function was called “personnel” and was lesser known in organizations, as it is today. For many people, a career in HR was not their initial track but they somehow “fell” into it. Ms. Antrum’s career also had a similar story.
Due to challenging financial circumstances, she had to stop attending college. Eventually, she was able to secure a temporary assistant HR job. In three short weeks of working there, she enjoyed the team, her supervisor, and the work that she was doing. Her hard work and dedication were also appreciated by her employers. This opened the doors for a permanent position for Ms. Antrum in that company.
She ended up working for that company for 5 years until they were acquired, and the department was laid off. Ms. Antrum continued in the field in progressive generalist and leadership positions over the years, working in almost every function of HR. A move to Connecticut in 2006 and a few jobs with other employers finally led her to the place where she was supposed to land- CHR.
Helping Leaders Navigate through Times of Change
Ms. Antrum completed her two-year term as President of Human Resources Association of Central Connecticut (HRACC) at the end of 2023. When she originally started her term, her primary goals were to continue the great work of the chapter that was led by her predecessor. She wanted to ensure that the organization provided its members with an enhanced level of programming and services to assist them with navigating through the ever-changing landscape post Covid. That meant working with its engaged board to provide relevant training and timely legislative updates to assist them with positively impacting their workplaces.
The Changing Roles of a CHRO
According to Ms. Antrum, the role of Chief Human Resources Officer has evolved and will hopefully continue to evolve particularly in mission driven non-profit organizations. “When this role was designated, CHR was already doing a lot of the work to ensure that employees and clients felt a sense of belonging and inclusion,” she states. The company has made a commitment, however, to move beyond traditional approaches and into more strategic, organization-wide transformation efforts so employees can reach their potential.
Making an Impression Across Different Arenas
Ms. Antrum has been an adjunct professor with the University of Hartford for over 10 years. She believes that it’s a very rewarding opportunity. She balances her responsibilities at CHR and UHART by leveraging early mornings, evenings, and weekends for academic work.
Many of the insights and experiences from working in the business world for over 25 years directly informs her teaching. Ms. Antrum believes that working as a professor also keeps her sharp in her field, ensuring that she stays updated with research, workforce trends, and evolving best practices. “I enjoy engaging and mentoring my students while fostering the next generation of leaders,” says Ms. Antrum.
Navigating Challenges Effectively
As per Ms. Antrum, HR professionals must contend with the following challenges:
Talent Acquisition & Retention in a competitive market- Ms. Antrum believes that companies may have to often refine their branding and invest more in employee experience and retention. Now more than ever, organizations must look at competitive pay and benefits, clear career development pathways, and fostering an inclusive workplace culture.
Employee well-being and mental health– In the opinion of Ms. Antrum, burnout, stress, and mental health issues are increasingly common in behavioral health organizations. It has been so important for CHR that they adopt and implement wellness programs, encourage work life balance, and train their managers on supporting employees effectively in this area.
Enhancing Employee Engagement and Upholding Organizational Culture
Keeping today’s evolving workplaces in mind, CHR prioritizes on enhancing employee engagement and organizational culture. Some initiatives that the company is currently working on are as follows:
Leadership Development and Manager Training– CHR has implemented two tracks of leadership training, tailored specifically to help train on emotional intelligence, inclusive leadership, and coaching skills to help its managers become better people leaders. The management strongly believes that stronger manager/employee relationships can increase retention and produce highly engaged staff.
Increase Engagement and belonging initiatives– Currently CHR has two active Employee Resources Groups (ERGs). “We would like to engage additional groups as we feel that employees tend to be more engaged when they feel seen, heard, and valued,” states Ms. Antrum.
Employee Engagement Committee- CHR has recently launched a subcommittee to work on initiatives focused on engagement and retention of staff. “We are just in the beginning stages of this initiative, but the objective is to improve employee retention by equipping our managers with the tools needed to successfully lead, manage and engage with their staff,” shares Ms. Antrum.
Precious Words of Encouragement
Ms. Antrum advises emerging HR professionals to think like a business leader and not just an HR professional. “The HR function has shifted from when I started in it 29 years,” she states. She believes that it is no longer a support function, but a strategic driver. It is important for HR professionals to learn and understand the organization they work for, which includes their mission, vision, and strategic goals. That way, they can align HR strategies to support the overall success of the organization they work for.
One of the most important things that Ms. Antrum has done over the years is that she has developed very strong relationships with key leaders and executives. She has positioned herself as a trusted, reliable, and credible advisor on workforce strategy. Finally, in most recent years she has learned that any decision she makes for her team, or the organization, must be data driven. Hence, it’s important to use data analytics to inform hiring, retention, engagement, and all other strategies.
Finally, she advises the young generation to stay agile and embrace change. “Every day in HR will not be the same. The work for HR, with the changing landscape and frequent new laws and regulations, is evolving fast,” shares Ms. Antrum. In her opinion, it’s important as an HR professional to be adaptable and ready to help their organization navigate effectively through these changes. HR leaders who think strategically, act with influence, and drive measurable impact, will help shape and transform the organizations they serve.
