Human Resources: the department charged with managing a company’s resources and contributing those to individual associates’ satisfaction and performance. Whether that be helping you set up a retirement plan, keeping up with corporate policies or mediating interpersonal conflict, HR does it all. At Jenner Ag, the person behind the acronym is none other than Beth Berger, Executive HR Corporate Compliance.
Beth is in charge of staying on top of corporate policies, associate paperwork, government compliance and much more. “I do a little bit of everything,” says Beth. “I help not only our management team but our associates as well.” She adds that her family background in small business serves her well for the role. “I try to always consider if what I am doing is best for our team at Jenner Ag as a whole. Does this help not only management but each associate as well?” says Beth. “Dealing with a company this size allows people to really find their rhythm and place – the fit at a small business is unique; the daily interaction is unique.”
What creates that special feeling? Beth says it’s simple: people. “The heart of HR, and certainly the most interesting part, is people. I am part of those first faces someone sees when they start with us. I help to make sure someone feels like they fit here.”
Visiting HR on your first day at any new job can be scary, but Beth says she tries to lessen the load on associates by sharing a key piece of advice someone once gave her. “You can’t learn everything in one day – it takes on average 16 months for anyone to completely understand a role. I tell them to remember to enjoy the process and keep learning,” says Beth. “One of the first things I noticed when I started here 10 years ago was no matter who I saw when I walked in, they spoke to me and made me feel welcome, and that’s the essence of the Jenner Nation.”