HR Leaders in Focus Series: Jennifer Goldin

👉Spotlighting HR executives who are shaping the future of work, part of CFW Careers’ commitment to excellence in retained executive search, global executive search, and professional coaching.

Welcome to our HR Leaders in Focus blog series, where we feature conversations with HR executives shaping the future of work. These leaders share strategies, lessons learned, and insights on the evolving role HR plays in driving organizational success across industries.

At CFW Careers, we bring together the expertise of global executive search and the personalized guidance of professional coaching. Our dual practice allows us to support organizations in building strong leadership teams while helping individual leaders navigate transitions and accelerate their growth.

Can you start by introducing yourself and sharing a bit about your career journey in HR? What drew you to this field, and what keeps you motivated today?

I have over 20 years of experience in human resources, including 10 years as a Human Resources Business Partner, where I serve as a trusted advocate and strategic partner for the business.

What drew me to Human Resources was my enjoyment of partnering with the business. Each business has unique goals and needs for success. When reviewing a business-to-people strategy, I gain a sense of fulfillment working closely with business leaders. Understanding not just their operations, but also their challenges, allows me to help identify solutions. I get enormous satisfaction from collaborating with leaders, setting up businesses to deliver and meet their commitments, and fostering a happy, healthy employee culture.

How have you seen AI shape HR practices? Are there specific tools or approaches you’ve used that made HR efforts more efficient?

I have used a few in-house built AI tools, and while these tools can play a role in HR strategy, AI still has room to grow. In general, Human Resources professionals need AI to become much more sophisticated to have a meaningful impact on our work.

For example, when using AI for applicant resume screening, it can be effective in identifying keywords, descriptive phrases, or job-specific concepts. However, in my experience, large language models (LLMs) haven’t yet been programmed to fully understand the nuances of open roles or how an applicant’s unique skills might be transferable. Human judgment remains critical in identifying candidates who can succeed in a role, even when their experience isn’t an exact match on paper.

Over your 20+ years in HR, what assessments have you found most impactful for leadership development and improving collaboration?

I have used several assessments over the years to evaluate both current leaders and potential future leaders, including Myers-Briggs, DISC, EQ tests, and Hogan Assessments.

However, what I have found most effective when working directly with leaders is identifying individual strengths over a sustained period. Observing how leaders make decisions across multiple real-life scenarios provides the clearest picture of where emerging leaders fit within an organization.

For example, we hired a very talented engineer.  When she joined the team, her managers noticed she was not only able to carry a project from start to finish, but her peers started to really respect her opinion and ideas.  We started giving her more projects to manage and gradually she was able to move into a role that led  a larger platform with a team reporting into her.  This approach not only improves collaboration but also helps maximize business impact by aligning people with roles where they can excel.

From your perspective, what makes an external search firm a valuable partner to HR leaders? What do you look for when selecting one?

The most successful partnerships I’ve had with search firms are those that truly understand our staffing strategies and work collaboratively with my team.

When selecting a new search firm, I look for firms that have actual talent professionals on their team, not just sales representatives. Often, my main contact is an account manager, but I value having a direct relationship with a talent professional. I observe how their talent professionals work within their own teams and ask detailed questions about their sourcing and assessment strategies. This insight helps me understand whether a search firm can add meaningful value to our hiring process.

Diversity is another area you’re passionate about, what are some of the most meaningful strategies you’ve seen for making DEI efforts stick long term?

The most meaningful strategies I’ve observed involve embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into the core mission and operations of an organization, rather than treating DEI initiatives as standalone projects.

Another critical element is identifying and developing leaders who naturally demonstrate an inclusive approach to management. I directly saw this transformation with one of our international teams.  There were several talented women on this team, but we noticed they weren’t getting the opportunities they had earned. We reorganized the team and moved the female employees to another manager who previously recognized their contributions and was passionate about  elevating their work.  This not only benefited the employees’ careers, but other managers took note and started to change their biases and manage with more presence. 

An organization that has visible, inclusive leadership helps create a culture where employees feel valued and empowered to contribute their unique talents. Sustaining this culture over the long term requires integrating DEI into everyday practices, decision-making, and leadership development.

 How can people connect with you and learn more about your work?

I can be reached via LinkedIn here or via email at jennifergoldin@yahoo.com.

As a firm specializing in retained executive search, we know that placing the right leaders in the right roles creates impact that lasts well beyond the hire. This series reflects our commitment to spotlighting the voices of HR leaders who are advancing the profession and shaping workplaces of the future.