Joining me today is Kelly Culler, Senior HR Business Partner and VP of Talent Acquisition at Northwestern Mutual. In this episode, we discuss her unique role and why people are the heart of any company. Kelly is an accomplished executive with a distinguished career in human resources. She leads a high-performance team dedicated to sourcing, engaging, acquiring, and attracting top-tier, diverse talent that aligns with Northwestern Mutual’s values. In our conversation, we discuss her career journey and path to Northwestern Mutual. We delve into how the HR business partner role differs from traditional HR, ways of differentiating yourself in the HR space, how the recruitment landscape is evolving, and why people are at the core of business outcomes. Discover how to sell your role as a recruiter and unlock the full potential of people and teams. Gain insights into her approach, challenges in the HR space, strategies for building genuine relationships, and much more! 

 

Key Points From This Episode:

 

• Background about Kelly and her role at Northwestern Mutual.

• A Traditional recruitment role versus an HR business partner role.

• How Kelly developed her skillset and what sets her apart.

• Explore how the traditional HR landscape is changing. 

• Her approach to navigating outdated mindsets in the HR space.

• Why just being good at your job is not enough. 

• Kelly’s unique approach to her role and building relationships.

• Insights into the multi-disciplinary nature of her role.

• Critical aspects of developing healthy and accountable leadership.

• Metrics and methods for measuring effective leadership. 

• The motivation for her leadership development programs.

• Final words of advice for others forging a career in HR. 

 

Quotes:

 

“[As an HR business partner], I am going to bring the people acumen to the table because my expertise is people.” — Kelly Culler [0:07:39]

 

“To me, people are the heart of what creates business outcomes.” — Kelly Culler [0:10:27]

 

“Forge a relationship with your leader so you have the trust because they are going to help you unlock more things than not from a career perspective.” — Kelly Culler [0:33:37]

 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

 

Kelly Culler on LinkedIn

Northwestern Mutual

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