Paige Wanckel | Insights into HR evolution and life in New York

In this Q&A with QUT alumnus Paige Wanckel, we dive into the world of human capital, as well as living and working overseas!

Currently the Human Capital Business Partner, Americas at First Sentier Investors, Paige oversees business partnerships, training, and development for the Americas region.

Motivated by a US study tour, she offers advice for QUT alumni interested in working overseas, and discusses emerging trends in Human Capital, such as skills-based hiring and AI integration. She also emphasises championing diversity, equity, and inclusion at senior levels and shares valuable career lessons.

Tell us about your role as Human Capital Business Partner, Americas at First Sentier Investors

My role oversees the Americas region of the business, which provides business partnership to leaders and employees, training and development, team planning, benefits and payroll, employee lifecycle management, and project work. The organisation is a global business, providing the opportunity to connect with colleagues around the world.

Human Capital verse Human Resources – what’s the difference?

Human Capital (HC) is about reaching business goals through people. The change of name is a healthy reflection of the advancement of the profession, and the service it provides. HC professionals must understand the business and departments they work with to provide informed and unbiased recommendations. Once referred to ‘personnel’, then HR and more recently Human Capital, the cache of the change rightly represents the impact that Human Capital has on a business.

You completed an undergraduate degree in Media and Communications from QUT, but now work in human capital in New York. How did you make that transition?

My first employer in the field took a chance on me. Through a referral from an existing employee, they agreed to hire me in a HC role on a temporary basis at first and threw me into the work. ‘Doing’ the job and having an interest in what I was doing was the best fuel.

It also helped having transferable skills – in particular, strong writing skills and robust communication around tasks and deadlines. My natural interest in people and human behaviour are attributes that lend to the profession as well.

What are some emerging trends that you’re seeing in Human Capital?

A trend emerging in recruitment is skills-based hiring. Skills-based hiring removes the opportunity for bias, enables recruiters to stick to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) requirements, and is a more financially operational acquisition model which is especially valuable given the landscape post-COVID19.

The second trend is the emergence of AI, which all businesses should be exploring. No one person should spend half a day pulling a report, when AI can produce it in minutes. AI can add to a business in varying degrees – producing PowerPoints, contracts, chatbots, audits or reports (to name a few). This will have two knock-on effects. First of all, junior staff will have the bandwidth to take on more challenging work at earlier stages of their careers, therefore speeding up individual aptitude and overall innovation. Secondly, AI needs to be built, monitored and managed on an ongoing basis, meaning, existing staff should be upskilled with engineering skills and recruitment will begin including this skill when bringing on talent.

How do you or your organisation champion diversity, equity, and inclusion, particularly at senior levels?

The organisation has an established DEI strategy that is well circulated internally and is available publicly. The business facilitates speaking events, seminars and employee community groups where different ideas can be proposed and employees can connect with others. At senior levels, DEI metrics are measured and included in business reports, further ensuring transparency, and accountability. It now is entrenched in our corporate culture.

What key outcomes do you consider most valuable in assessing the impact of human capital initiatives?

Human Capital considers high performance, healthy numbers and good morale. Some outcomes are measurable, such as workshops where attendance can be recorded, tasks can be assessed or when direct feedback can be provided by staff. However, working with human behaviour can mean much of the work is subjective and difficult to measure. Of course, you can look at the financials, company results, and sales results, but performance is more than the numbers. This is where broadening the lens must come in, assessing team dynamics, looking at the manager, external contributors, and questioning whether the data is complete or correct.

What motivated you to move to the United States? What advice would you give QUT Alumni who are interested in working overseas?

At QUT, I participated in the US study tour which was a 2-week program based in New York City. I had visited the city previously with friends, but the QUT trip was where I truly connected to the history, art, and vast opportunity available in this international city. I was always interested in living overseas and this trip solidified it.

For any alumni with the same seed of interest, my advice is to go for it. The time will pass regardless, and it is much better to have an “oops” than a “what if”. The things you will learn about yourself, how you want your life to look, and the impact it will have on you career will be immeasurable.

Paige enjoying the sights of New York City

Did you have a job secured in the US before you left Australia? How did you go about finding employment?

I didn't have a transfer secured before I left Australia. If you are just starting out looking for work overseas, here is what I would suggest:

1. Use LinkedIn as your primary search engine. Look up who the company recruiter is for the role you're interested in and message them to get their attention and your name on their radar.
2. Connect with an actual field recruiter. A recruiter will work to place you, with many operating on a commission based on the salary they can secure for you.
3. Network. This is important in the US, and one coffee can lead to that person connecting you to the next. Do not underestimate this practice, and remember to treat whomever you are meeting with respect. You may end up moving in the same professional circles.

What advice would you give alumni who live overseas and are looking to establish a community?

In the throw’s of COVID-19, employees had to work from home and New York City was under an 8pm curfew in response to the Black Lives Matter protests. The isolation was incredible. I joined a workout group that would meet outdoors, masked, and with the rule being if you attend you must come to coffee afterwards. As a result I still attend three years later, and have met dear friends and professional contacts as a result.

My advice to others looking to find community is to do something that benefits your life (e.g. health), and that is not a solo activity. This could be a gym class (try to attend the same session or day to build the habit and give yourself the chance to establish relationships), visiting a pottery studio once a week, a book club, fantasy football group (or AU equivalent), monthly poker night, etc.

What was the hardest part of the transition to living and working in the US and how did you overcome that challenge?

Moving countries means your new host country will run everything differently. Housing, banking, public transport, interpersonal customs – and when you are alien to this you should make peace that there will be some issues. However, don’t let this deter you – because everything can be fixed. You will become extremely capable.

There were also aspects of US working culture I initially found challenging. However, I also attribute this to being in the early years of my career. My experience in the first US workplace I was employed was a culture that was proud, and unafraid to discuss personal achievements or what was going well – and this was always met by celebration and congratulations from both superiors and peers. Enter tall poppy syndrome, paired with the lack of self-confidence we are still building in our early careers. Being embarrassed to talk about my wins or successes did absolutely nothing to serve me. Be proud of what is working well, and have confidence in your value. If you have the right people around you they will delight in your success and encourage it.

What key lessons have you learned in your career that you wish you knew earlier?

I would encourage anyone to get in the habit of advocating for yourself. This can only be done if you trust yourself and trust in your integrity. Pretend like you are your own boss – you would want yourself to work hard, be honest, ask for help, and acknowledge your value.

The second lesson is to embrace being out of your comfort zone. When the road feels like it’s changing, it’s almost always a good thing. Saying yes to opportunities, especially when you are starting out, will expose you to things you didn’t know that you enjoy. My career is an example of this – I didn’t study Human Capital at QUT but through meeting different people and trying different things I’m working in a profession that is exciting and purposeful to me.

Paige Wanckel

QUT degree – Bachelor of Creative Industries (Media and Communication,  Fashion) (2017)

Do you have a question for Paige? You can connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at paige.wanckel@gmail.com.