Articles

Member Spotlight on Katie Magoon, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Q: Were you born and raised in the St. Louis area?
A: I was born in Kenosha, WI and raised in the northern suburbs of Chicago. I’ve lived in St. Louis for 26 years.
 
Q: What is your history with SHRM St. Louis?
A: I joined SHRM St. Louis when I started my business in 2016. I always wanted to join the chapter when I was working for Progressive Insurance, but I traveled on a weekly basis and did not have the ability to attend any of the meetings. Joining was one of the first things I did when I left Progressive, and I’ve loved every minute of it!

Q: Why did you decided to focus on employment/human resources?
A: In college I knew I wanted to work in HR. I love employee relations and bringing a strategic approach to the people side of the business. I was a Psychology major when I started college and quickly realized I did not want to go into counseling. I decided to add a degree in Business and combined the two to launch my career in HR.

Q: Please describe your job.
A: For the past 7 years, I’ve been building an HR Consulting firm focused on supporting small to mid-size companies in all aspects of HR. We have an amazing team of HR Consultants and Recruiters. We offer services in HR, Employee Relations, Recruiting, Leadership Development, team development and DEI. As President of the company, I get to spend time developing our business strategy, coaching and developing team members, and supporting the work for our clients.

Q: What is your favorite part of the job?
A: I love coaching and developing my team – they are amazing! I also love developing HR strategies for our clients.
 
Q: What is one example of a positive experience that you’ve had in this field?
A: Wow, narrowing that down to one experience is really tough! Overall, I think I love the fact that this field allows me to make a strategic impact on the organizations we support. I love helping organizations build strategies that allows HR to be a competitive advantage instead of a compliance nightmare!

Q: Who introduced you to SHRM St. Louis? How did you initially become involved?
A: I found the SHRM chapter online as soon as I left Progressive. Once I joined, I reached out to volunteer on the programs committee. My first committee experience was really fun, and I quickly offered to organize the Leadership Conference.

Q: What have you gained thus far through your SHRM St. Louis membership?
A: I’ve gained an amazing network of HR practitioners that always remind me why I love this field of work. Our organization also really leverages all of the learning opportunities that come with membership. We have a wide range of experience on our team and there is something for everyone!

Q: What are your hopes for SHRM St. Louis for 2023?
A: I’m really looking forward to working with this new Board to develop our 3-5-year strategic plan. We have an amazing Board and great volunteers on the committees. I can’t wait to see what we envision for the future of this organization.
 
Q: What non-professional activities do you enjoy in your spare time?
A: I’m an avid runner and love to travel. I started golfing last year and look forward to another Spring on the course!

Q: What is a favorite quote of yours and why?
A: I have 2 that really guide my approach to life:

“Teamwork is not a virtue. It is a choice—and a strategic one.” ― Patrick Lencioni
I firmly believe that every team we work with has to make a choice on how they want to work together. I find this work fascinating and have seen the amazing impact that this work can have on results. From leading in a large corporation to building my own team to working in volunteer teams, it truly resonates every time!

“Leave the world a better place than you found it!”
The business fraternity that I belong to really reinforced this concept for me. I strive every day to make a difference in other’s lives in some way – as a friend, a colleague, a Trusted HR advisor, a coach or a leader.  

Q: Who would you consider to be your mentor and why?
A: My former leader from Progressive Insurance, John Hoppes. John taught me the difference between being a manager and being a leader and coach. He was amazingly strategic and gave me great opportunities to grow! As I’ve started my firm, he’s continued to be a great mentor and coach!