Executive Roundtable Interview Series: Liz D’Aloia, HR Virtuoso –

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As part of our Executive Roundtable Interview Series, we sat down with ISCPO Board Member Liz D’Aloia. Liz is Founder & CEO of HR Virtuoso,  an HR and employment law consulting firm that also helps companies optimize their employment application processes and increase their candidate pool with its proprietary mobile recruiting software system (SaaS). Prior to launching HR Virtuoso, Liz rose through the ranks of transportation, retail, and mortgage companies as a Senior Employment Attorney and VP of HR.

An active ISCPO board member, she provides a unique perspective on the many facets of HR management—from complex project management such as restructurings, compensation plan design and implementation, and staffing models to FLSA compliance strategies,  employee relations training, diversity, and other recruiting strategies to support affirmative action plans. She holds a BA from Hampshire College and a JD from Brooklyn Law School.  She is admitted to practice in Texas, New York, New Jersey, Florida, and Kansas. Liz is a nationally recognized blogger, speaker, and HR practitioner.

Liz D'Aloia
Liz D’Aloia – HR Virtuoso

We asked Liz to share where the industry is going as it related to people resources, dealing with staff shortages, and best practices in advocating the LP profession within organizations.

 

How has the industry evolved since you started out, especially related to the tight labor market within the supply chain domestically?

 
Automation and technology are definitely the two biggest changes since I began working in the logistics industry. Our employees need to be more tech-savvy than ever before, while our leaders need to understand that technology can alleviate, but doesn’t always solve problems.
 
Some things haven’t changed, though. We’ve always had a driver shortage, and great employees are always very hard to find and keep.



Given your expertise what three things can LP leaders implement to create effective LP departments in a retail or eCommerce channel?

  • Since HR and LP are both support roles, I think the best thing that leaders in these areas can do is to understand the business and its goals and to become trusted partners throughout the organization. LP and HR often work very closely in terms of safety and security, but we also need to work closely with finance, legal, and of course, operations.

 

  • LP practitioners often deal with public sector law enforcement and precarious situations that involve criminal activity. On a day-to-day basis, HR gets involved in loss prevention in supporting safe work practices and employee theft investigations. HR and LP must coordinate closely when the heartbreak and tragedy of domestic violence seeps into the workplace in the form of anger issues, restraining orders, and active shooter crises. While all areas of a company share the responsibility for a safe working environment, great communication and collaboration between LP and HR are essential.

 

  • While LP identifies and mitigates risk to employee safety, it’s up to HR to help communicate those risks, and what we’re doing to alleviate them. Building a culture of safety is a responsibility that’s owned by everyone, but HR can definitely help in explaining the “whys” and with other communication initiatives.

 

Why did you participate on the ISCPO board?

 
I spent most of my career in supply chain organizations and worked in a variety of roles that encompassed safety, HR, and legal issues. I think a strong partnership between LP and HR is essential at any company since we work on a lot of complex, and often very emotional issues. At Office Depot, I really enjoyed my partnerships with my loss prevention team, which included Glenn and Wes. So, when they offered me the opportunity to keep working with them in an advisory capacity, I welcomed it. The ISCPO is a visionary organization, and there’s really nothing else like it for LP professionals. I’m very proud to be part of this team.