Based in Westchester County, New York, Caliber Human Resources Manager Kelly Spillane joined the team in June 2022. She sat down with Caliber President Grace Keith Rodriguez to talk about her career in HR, love of horror films and passion for helping others. Read on to learn more about Caliber Human Resources Manager Kelly Spillane in this Staff Spotlight interview.

Grace: Since we’re a work-from-home friendly workplace, tell us about “home” for you!

Kelly: Home for me is in Westchester County, NY, about 35 minutes north of Manhattan. Living in Westchester gives you the best of both worlds—I’m just a stone’s throw away from the bustling city and a short drive north to mountains and farmland. I have a two-year-old rescue pup named Winnie and she and I enjoy long walks together. A favorite walking spot is the Kensico Dam—a great place to walk/run, have a picnic, enjoy some sunshine and marvel at the grandeur of the dam built in the early 1900s.

Grace: What’s something your colleagues don’t know about you?

Kelly: I love horror movies. I always have, ever since childhood. My favorite movies to rent back in the day were Poltergeist, Jaws, Gremlins and Arachnophobia. Some good classics that I still watch every October are Halloween (I and II) and The Exorcist.

Grace: What’s your favorite part of your job?

Kelly: My favorite part of my job is helping our team. It has always been in my nature to want to help find solutions, and my HR career allows me to do this regularly. Whether it’s helping someone with a benefits query, onboarding a new team member or other areas that require troubleshooting, I’m eager to jump in and assist wherever I can. I truly enjoy being a resource for others, so the fact that the word is in my title is fitting!

Grace: What’s one accomplishment from your childhood that you still brag about?

Kelly: When I was about 8 years old, while at a local fair I entered myself into a free raffle without telling anyone, for which the grand prize was a brand new Jeep. Cut to a few weeks later when there’s a knock at the door. My mother answered to find a man asking for her 8-year-old daughter by name. Naturally, she was alarmed at first, but soon learned that I had won that Jeep! Unfortunately, because I wasn’t 18 or older, I couldn’t collect my winnings and because the ticket was in my name, no one else could claim the car on my behalf. I learned an important lesson that day… always read the fine print!

Grace: What’s one thing that amazes you about working in a marketing & communications agency?

Kelly: One thing that has always amazed me about the marketing and communications world is the amount of thought and care that goes into every marketing decision. I have such an appreciation for the various forms of marketing that I come across in my daily life, knowing all the hard work and effort that went into bringing it about and all the people who were involved behind the scenes to make it happen.

Grace: What’s one trend in HR that you have your eye on in 2023?

Kelly: I’m definitely watching trends in learning and development, particularly for a remote workplace like ours. Caliber promotes and prioritizes a learning environment at all levels. Thanks to the great effort of our culture manager, our mentorship program director and human resources, we’re able to provide a wide variety of learning and development opportunities that support our growing remote team. I’m excited to see our learning and development initiatives expand even further in 2023.

Grace: What are you most thankful for coming out of the holiday season?

Kelly: I am most thankful for my family and friends. If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that you cannot take time with family and friends for granted. I am fortunate to have a large extended family and I was able to see a number of them in 2022, so for that I am truly thankful.

Grace: If you had to include one ingredient in every meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Kelly: Is potato an ingredient? If so, I’d have to choose potatoes. They really go with anything and there are so many varieties and ways to prepare them. I’ve never met a potato I didn’t like.