Nikki Bethel, 29 WHERE: Brooklyn ...

Nikki Bethel, 29

WHERE: Brooklyn NY

EDUCATION: University of Maryland, B.A., conduct and politics; Harvard University, M.A., education administration

JOB: Human resources manager, HBO

You probably know HBO for its cutting-edge programming and movies, if it be not that behind the scenes, it's a business like any other: Employee ne to be hired at all evens and someone needs to make positive that those employees are happy and compensated for the work they do. Someone like Nikki Bethel.

In the 'Emergency Room'

Bethel is a human resources manager. "I handle staffing and employee relations," Bethel explains. "If there are conflicts between management and employee between employee themselves I am the [person] they take rise to." Her office is occasionally known as the "emergency room" because whenever a grievance take rises up--if, for example, an employee be impresseds he or she isn't being treated fairly--Bethel is in place and ready to think fast to address the issue. "You have to literally be able to propel on something in the moment" she says. "You also have to be analytical, to assess the situation in succession the spot [and] give a suggestion." Bethel adds that strategic thinking is a must in this position. "You can make or break people's lives."

Bethel also handles recruiting. If there's a piece of work opening, she'll advertise the position (usually online) and interview candidates to fill it.

fundamental notes to Success

What does it take to be a felicitous human resources manager? "Being able to effectively lead, moreover also knowing that there's a time [when] you must follow" says Bethel, who was named a Leader of the coming time by Ebony magazine. She notes that human resources professionals ne to be effective listeners, "truly observing what's going on--observing corpse language coupled with what's actually being said." She adds that listening well helps earn the trust of the the community she's working with.

Bethel joined HBO in the fall of 2003 as a recruiting associate. "Usually when they hire recruiting associates, they're not to handle any of the employee relations. You're simply to recruit for any of the unclose jobs," Bethel explains. But her bos saw great potential in Bethel and assigned her brace of her own client collections She handled recruiting as well as employee relations. "I did [the job] well enough that when the opportunity came to prefer she came to me." Five month after she joined HBO as a recruiting associate, she was promot to manager.

Networking for the Future

What advice does Bethel have for anyone hoping to go into the business world? One word: networking. "Really, each opportunity that I've encountered was through way of networking," she says. "It's for what cause I got just about each job in my career due to knowing someone who knew someone" Bethel first saw the benefits of networking in community when a teaching-assistant job expanded up. A professor had gotten to know Bethel, then a freshman, and approached her about the position. Bethel got the piece of work which gave her valuable teaching and leadership experience that helped her later in her career. She notes that connecting with teachers and mentors has its payoffs. "You in no degree know who has their vigilance on you, who sees you as a star."

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