Her exuberance for HR was heightened when she discovered that the company she was working for had an "abysmal 'personnel department.'" Desiring improvement, Morey worked hard, educated herself, and began "[delivering] 'white papers' to management about what needed to…improve (e.g., job descriptions, proper pay classifications, genuine performance management, job posting, etc.)." And soon, top management began implementing her proposals.
Morey, who had received her bachelor's degree in business administration and her master's degree in public administration, went from her Boston, MA, Fortune 1000 company to "being an HR representative for a Fortune 500 computer manufacturing company."
"I continued on that path by becoming an HR manager in a Fortune 100 computer company. Eventually, I went into consulting and headed human resources for a major Japanese auto manufacturing entity. Then, I returned to HR consulting," she says.
Consulting, she continues, presents her with a wide variety of challenges, something Morey thrives on. "The opportunity to learn about different kinds of enterprises and to meet the dynamic entrepreneurs and top management teams that make these companies successful," is one of the elements Morey likes best about her job.
Specifically, Morey's resume includes working for Lotus Development Corporation (now a part of IBM), Korn Ferry International ("to be the 6th American hired by Mazda Corporation for their new manufacturing plant outside of Detroit, MI"), "and a large business consulting firm from 2002-2007, winning the outstanding HR consulting business award nationwide in 2005."
Finally, having subjugated the HR world, Morey began her own HR consulting firm in early 2007. And while starting a business from the ground-up can harbor a myriad of risks, Morey hunkered down, worked hard, and survived. A few months after her start, she "received the South Florida Business Journal's 'Excellence in HR Consulting Award.'"
Today, Morey presides as managing director of RemarkAbleHR.
"I own and manage [RemarkAbleHR]...a source of experienced and certified human capital services for all sizes and types of enterprises. We help with the following kinds of projects:
- Recruiting the best talent
- Reducing turnover
- Selection and hiring techniques
- Improving the orientation process
- Communications with employees
- Compensation systems
- Benefits consulting
- Performance management systems
- Worker morale
- Transitions from employee leasing
- Reducing workers comp costs
And HR in general faces challenges. Specifically, she believes that "HR has the challenge of not being perceived as merely 'nice to have' by many enterprise drivers."
"HR is still struggling with the challenge of internally marketing the worth of HR and providing meaningful metrics and proof of the value that HR provides," she continues. "Many HR people resort to being the onsite social worker or else the source of dire warnings of the claims and lawsuits that can result from not heeding HR's advice."
| Q. What do you like to do outside of HR? Any odd hobbies/interests? Are you married? Do you have children? Can you explain a little about your personal life outside of work? A. I love fine art and have traveled to many great art museums in my life. I still seek out new exhibits and never miss a chance to visit an art museum in any city I visit. I love live theatre, too. I have a 28-year-old daughter who is a vet tech and an outstanding professional in her field. We are both animal lovers. Q. What CD is in your CD player right now? A. Sarah McLachlan. Q. What is the last magazine you read? A. HR Magazine. Q. What is your favorite TV show? A. Antiques Roadshow. Q. Who is your role model? A. I admire Hillary Clinton. |
But Morey refuses to admit defeat. "We can do better by positioning ourselves as a genuine contributor to the profitability of the enterprise."
Overtime, Morey has excelled in the HR field, rising from her first professional job as assistant director of the NYS Assembly Intern Program to director in less than a year, and although she admits she made missteps and mistakes along the way, there is nothing she would do differently. "I did the best I could with the information I had at the time and in the climate of the eras in which I worked."
And work she did. From assistant director and director to "Excellence in HR Consulting Award" winner and owner of her own practice, Morey is living proof that dedication and determination lead to success.
"I honestly believe that the key to success in HR is pretty much the same as in every other field," she continues. "Always do more than is asked of you — and don't wait to be asked. Find ways to add value. Take/make opportunities to learn more than you need to know to do your job. Be where you are supposed to be when you are supposed to be there. Don't make excuses. Keep your word. When you can be helpful, be helpful, even if there is no immediate reward — or will ever be a reward. Know your subject matter and be courageous enough to stand for something in which you believe."
