Donna Bauer

Background

About Donna Bauer

Global Human Resources Professional with 22 years of experience in a full range of HR functions: • Employee Relations • Employment Law & Policy Development • Investigating & Report Writing • Coaching, Advising, Interviewing • Facilitating, Capacity Building & Mentoring • Compliance, Research & Record keeping It has been said that the greatest asset of an organization is its people. But has this become a worn-out cliché? Distilling employee engagement down to its simplest form- being seen, valued, and empowered can be a vital part of organizational life. Engagement happens when one connects to their work, understands what is expected of them and where they fit in, sees the impact of their contribution, and trusts their voice will be heard. I have a passion for right relationships. Idealistic? Probably, but that will not stop me. With 22 years of experience in human resources, volunteer roles working with at-risk youth, the dying and bereaved, those incarcerated and trafficked, I am compelled to continue. In fact, it goes back to my childhood. Being a middle child, I learned to be the family mediator and negotiator. In my teens, I attracted people who readily shared their problems and I learned to ask good questions and listen. By early adulthood, I saw this natural penchant to analyze problems, look for root causes and seek solutions grow in my personal and professional life. Professionally, I started in accounting, but quickly realized meaningful work was with people. So, I replaced balance sheets with people acquisition and instead of looking for discrepancies between revenue and expenses, I delved into balancing differences between staff and supervisors. I soon discovered my niche in employee relations. Employee Relations wears two hats, lawyer and counselor. But there’s much more in- between. The 'in between' space is one of ambiguity and complexity because people are people, and rare is the solution black and white. Tenacity, curiosity, empathy, and humor help me to live in the gray of employee relations.