Office Hours: I’m the VP of People at Food52. I’m Susan Fierro. AMA!Featured

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Hi Elphas!

I’m Susan Fierro, VP of People at Food52, Schoolhouse, and Dansk. I am a veteran People executive, with 15+ years of both tactical and strategic Human Resources experience. I've spent that time designing and leading people teams across a range of businesses and sizes to help them scale.

I'm deeply devoted to creating an environment where team members can thrive. I focus on finding the perfect combination of structure and practicality to attract and retain the most talented individuals. Connecting the right people to solve business problems is so rewarding!

During my downtime, I enjoy living in the beautiful Pacific NorthWest and exploring with my husband, son and English bulldog. Cooking, hosting and creating memorable experiences through food and hospitality for friends and family bring me joy!

Ask me anything about being a people executive, joining a start-up, mom life, creating an environment where team members can thrive, my most memorable food experience, or anything else!

ElphaStaff·Oct 21

Thanks so much for joining us @susanfierro!Elphas – please ask @susanfierro your questions before Friday, October 25th. @susanfierro may not have time to answer every questions, so emoji upvote your favorites 🔥👍🏾➕

KQ·Oct 22

how do you quantify fit + happiness in people outside of productivity? I have found that people leadership roles aren't always quantifiable. said another way, how are you advocating for change that supports the overall culture + happiness quotient in a company?

susanfierro·Oct 26

@KQ So many leaders wants data! I love data but sometimes storytelling is just as impactful. Similar to how we track and react to CX feedback we can also surface employee sentiment and feedback in themes to address it for positive changes

Iynna·Oct 22

Thank you for being with us this week, Susan! Love your background and passion for HR/people mgmt. Curious what exactly is a people executive? Is it something like a fractional head of HR/People and on paper you're not an employee of the company but more of a consultant? Sounds like a great setup either way, allowing you to experience many different environments and workplace. Looking at companies that have a stellar culture and have been able to retain great people over the years: what do you think they got right from the get go?We hear a lot about the different stories of things that don't go well but i actually want to hear the opposite :D

susanfierro·Oct 26

@iynna I’m currently in house as an executive over the people function. I think companies who have had and sustained great culture have one major thing in common and thats a senior leadership that leads by example, culture starts at the top

rosalindnapoli·Oct 21

Hi @susanfierro I'd love to hear about how you manage difficult (HR) conversations with remote employees if applicable:)

susanfierro·Oct 26

@rosalindnapoli difficult HR conversations are already hard and a remote environment can make it even more challenging. A couple of things I’ve done that seem to help:- Make sure the individual is in a good place to have the conversation, both mentally and physically. They are aware of the seriousness of the conversation. They are able to fully focus, minimize distractions, have camera on, notifications off and focus. - I also make sure to send a follow up note after the conversation to ensure the message was clear

Regine120·Oct 23

Hi Susan, thanks for taking the time with us! I would love to know your top 3 tips to someone who joined a new team with a variety of different functions (e.g. engineers, data scientists, product managers).

susanfierro·Oct 26

1. Get clarity, with lots of different functions it’s important to have clarity on what each role does and how they intersect2. Empathy, have empathy for the other roles and seek to understand them3. Find commonality, while all the roles are different there are certainly some similarities

ashleybouldin·Oct 28

Hi Susan - How do you ensure that any company you lead's hiring practices are free of age discrimination? I already feel it at 42, a point at which I only now feel extremely confident in being able to draw on my experience!

susanfierro·Oct 29

Hi @ashleybouldin fellow 42 year old here! 🙋‍♀️ I totally feel you on “only now feel extremely confident in being able to draw on my experience” girl, same! The best thing that recruiting and hiring managers can do is create a score card for assessing candidates. Lining up what the role needs with what the candidate has and not deviating from that helps ensure that the right person gets hired for the right role regardless of age!

sophiedavies·Oct 22

Hi Susan, I would love to know how you became a people executive? Also, how would you recommend self employed professionals who want to improve culture and build community at work get a foot in the door to proof themselves at mission-driven companies?

mokshikasharma·Oct 24

Hi @susanfierro - For my question - You mentioned creating environments where team members can thrive. What are some specific strategies or practices you’ve found most effective in scaling that type of culture across different brands, especially in a growth company like Food52?

susanfierro·Oct 29

Two words: Psychological Safety!! It’s truly the key

jfbeckett·Oct 25

Hi, @susanfierro. What is your earliest food memory? Thank you for being an Elpha resource!

susanfierro·Oct 26

@jfbeckett such a great question! My earliest food memory of my mom making us breakfast for dinner. Pancakes, eggs and bacon! My 4 siblings and I thought it was so cool to eat breakfast at night. It became a try

brookevlasich·Oct 22

Hey Susan! Thank you so much for offering to share your expertise and experiences us.I recently started freelancing with a startup to get some more experience in a new field (I’m making the change from social media to photo/video production). I’m currently working with them on social media projects until more production projects come in.What steps do you suggest I take in order to ensure I’m successful at a startup? What do you recommend I do to make sure I get opportunities in photo/video production and am not only working on social media projects for this startup?

susanfierro·Oct 29

@brookevlasich congrats on getting an opportunity to pivot, although I know it can be frustrating to get the exposure and opportunity to show yourself in the new role. I would say, stay the course and keep bringing it up. If you’re in a good place you’ll hopefully be rewarded for being flexible with video/photo production once they become available. Don’t be afraid to be annoying, send follow up emails and check ins to ensure the team knows you are happy to be doing the work you have access to and ready for the other stuff once it’s available

brookevlasich·Oct 30

Thank you so much! I’ve been going back and forth on how much do I mention something and when do I ask for more work in photo/video production.I’m also reminding myself to be patient and things will open up and work out. Appreciate your encouragement to keep at it!

Josefina·Oct 21

Hi Susan! Thank you so much for making the time. I'd love to hear about your most memorable food experience! As well as your most memorable hosting experience (if it's not the same one) :)

susanfierro·Oct 26

@Josefina My most memorable food experience was at Nobu in Malibu, we had a private omikaze and it was mind blowing! My favorite hosting experience was Mother’s Day brunch I prepared for my mother and mother in law, they were so appreciative and it felt amazing to give them a special day

Iynna·Oct 22

hahah that is the most Josefina question ever, I love it :)

ebuwaevbuomafike·Oct 22

Great to have you here, Susan! Your org has amazing content 😎What’s your advice for hybrid managers with remote and hybrid direct reports? What models have you seen successful with managing performance as well as supporting mobility and growth?

susanfierro·Oct 26

@ebuwaevbuomafike thank you! 😊 I think in remote and hybrid environments, mobility and growth can be overlooked. I have found that clarity about what success looks like for each role and measuring it consistently across roles and at a predetermined cadence helps everyone know where they stand and what’s possible. Creating individual development plans can help to outline growth for folks along with clearly defined career paths

ebuwaevbuomafike·Oct 26

Thank you for sharing your experience!

MandyWong·Oct 23

Hi @susanfierro! Thanks for your time. Would love to know how you find top talent (that’s right for your business), given the market is flooded with skilled people who are looking for jobs. Is it through employee referrals, your own network, etc? What are the top characteristics you look for to fit and grow with the company culture? ☺️🚀

susanfierro·Oct 26

@MandyWong finding top talent can be hard in a busy talent market. Referrals are always a great way to start but I’m cautious about how that can impact diversity (sometimes). Top characteristics I look for are comfort with ambiguity, excitement for the company and role, and experience that matches the role

kanchankhemani·Oct 23

Hi Susan, I am a big fan of hosting too! Thanks for taking the time for us. I’m currently a grad student aspiring to launch my own venture in a couple years - what are some of the key traits I should look out for when making the first few hires (beyond technical skills)? Any tips for skills to develop as a founder re. People and culture / others?

natalielieurance·Oct 25

Hi Susan! I would love to hear more about how you landed at Food52. Specifically, did you identify industries that interested you such as food, and then target certain companies? Or was it just a happy accident that you also love cooking and hosting? If you did do it on purpose, can you shed a little insight into your thought and execution process? Lastly, either way is it really enjoyable to work in an industry that also overlaps with your personal passions? I've always worked in Banking and Finance, and I feel rewarded solving complicated challenges. However, at times I've entertained the thought of seeking out a switch into an industry that aligns with the things that interest me outside of my job - like food or retail for example :) I'm a passionate home chef and also love to host, as well as scroll Food52. I would really just love to hear any insight you can shed on the topic!

susanfierro·Oct 26

It was a happy coincidence! So far I have found being in this environment has brought a deeper sense of connection to the business and excitement for what we are building, selling and our products. This is the first time in my career that I’ve worked for a company with a product that I’m personally interested in and passionate about and I will say, it makes a difference. I’ve noticed the difference within our employees too

natalielieurance·Oct 28

Thank you, that's a super helpful insight!

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