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Using Knowledge to Build a Strong Network

by | Sep 24, 2019

As one of the industry’s leading independent events for more than 20 years, the HR Tech Conference never fails to help professionals build a strong network and feature cutting-edge tools for the HR and IT industry! 

Ahead of the HR Tech Conference, we were impressed by the sessions in the Women in HR Technology Summit. The opening and closing sessions feature women who have built up large organizations like Workday and Walmart. And the breakout sessions cover topics like workplace diversity, talent mobility, gender equality, well-being, mentorship, future generations, and much more. 

To continue the conversation on gender diversity in the workplace, we interviewed First Advantage Chief Marketing Officer Katharine Mobley to get the scoop on how she uses knowledge as power as a leader in the industry and her organization.

Katharine Mobley is an award-winning marketer with a proven track record of driving revenue growth for global brands and technology startups. Currently, Katharine serves as the Chief Marketing Officer for First Advantage, a global background screening company with 26 locations and 4,000 employees. With 20 years of experience in marketing, Katharine is dedicated to helping the next generation of women build a strong network by example and mentorship. She has been: 

  • Recognized as an SIIA CODiE Judge
  • Awarded the OnCon Icon Award for marketing leadership
  • Named to OnBoard’s Executive Honor Roll
  • Honored with a Stevie® Award for Female Executive of the Year in 2018.
  • And much more (trust us, her list of accolades go on and on.)

Capacity: What is your preferred communication channel when it comes to talking to your team?

Katharine: With over 4,000 employees around the world, we leverage several methods of communications such as email, Skype, and Zoom. However, my preferred method is Microsoft Teams because we can have instant communication and have fun with it by sending gifs and funny images to keep us laughing during difficult days. I also like it because of the channel feature. This allows us to conduct streamlined communications and make decisions in real-time as a team.

Fun fact: Capacity has a robust collection of conversational interfaces that includes Skype, Zoom, Microsoft teams, and more. When leaders like Katharine need to access resources or have a question, they can ask Capacity through their preferred communication channel at any time of the day or night. 

Capacity: How do you make yourself accessible to your organization?

Katharine: Our leadership team is very accessible, and we have a fairly open-door policy. However, as a global organization, it’s imperative that I work with my team to ensure those in different time zones and locations around the globe have ample amounts of my time, so I conduct weekly check-ins.

Pro tip: Want to plan successful and productive check-ins like Katharine? Check out this article by Harvard Business Review

Capacity: What’s the most beneficial piece of knowledge that you’ve received in your life?

Katharine: I think it’s key to know that few of us achieve career success in a vacuum. Along the way, we connect with colleagues, managers and, in some instances, advisors to receive valuable outside perspectives. This is true of my career and I think it is imperative to build a strong network not only in your professional life but in your personal life as well. I learned that from watching my father navigate business and build relationships that he has had for his lifetime. So get out there and build your tribe! Mine has helped me through so many challenges in my life.

“I think it is imperative to build a strong network not only in your professional life but in your personal life as well.” 

Capacity: What tool or resource helps you excel every day in your leadership role?

Katharine: Honestly, my phone because it keeps me on schedule. As an executive, wife, and mother of two teenage boys, my schedule is intense. I use my phone to stay on track by scheduling EVERYTHING, so I know what I need to do and who needs to go where. And if I feel I just might forget something I resort to the old-school way…post-it notes!

Side note: We forgot to mention that SMS is also included on our interfaces list. Send a text, and Capacity will always respond. 

Capacity: How do you do your best work?

Katharine: My thoughts are most clear early in the morning. So when I can, I wake up earlier than anyone in the household, grab a cup of coffee, and work in my home office. My office is quiet and I can work from my desk or my reading chair. I also like to work outside. So on nice days, I’ll work by the pond at the office or in my backyard at home. 

I can’t live without coffee first thing in the morning and water the rest of the day. My team knows I am NEVER without a bottle of water!

Pro tip: Did you know hydration is imperative to productivity at work? A one percent drop in hydration can lead to a 12 percent drop in productivity according to the Daily MBA.

If you’re attending the HR Tech Conference, make sure to attend, “Why Mentoring Matters,” on Tuesday, October 1 at 9:10–10:00 a.m to hear more from Katharine Mobley.