Jennifer Guerra started out at Evans in 2007, right out of high school. She worked on the Value Added team in the Packaging crew, and later on, worked for Evans Resource Solutions as an intern for Value Added. But when she was needed in other areas of the company, Jen was hired on as a receptionist, and shortly thereafter, moved into the HR department. In 2010, she moved into the Payroll Specialist position, and worked with the Accounting Department as well. And as of October 2017, she has been promoted to the Human Resources Manager position.
Many responsibilities come with the HR Manager position—Jen takes care of payroll, helps with onboarding, customer invoices, keeps files and processes in order, and generally prevents potential errors. But the most challenging aspect of her position is trying to change processes—it can be hard to make big changes when specific procedures are already in place.
But Jen enjoys the challenges of her position, and likes the ability to shift methods around and take charge. She prefers to be the person to say, “let’s do this”—and make a change. She credits Patrick Swaney with giving her the support she needed to take on challenges, and accomplish her goals. Having completed a Bachelor’s in Business Management from Wayne State in 2015, Jen uses many ideas she learned in her classes to implement team projects and bring new ideas to the HR department—for example, creating a new employee recognition program.
Jen knew HR was the department for her as soon as she moved in, and her goal has always been to rise up to the challenge and move up. However, she knows her involvement as a team member has shaped her ability to adjust to a leadership role. Without the experience of working with her teammates in the HR department, she would not be where she is today.
For other employees who are interested in moving up in the company, Jen advises, “don’t micromanage, and allow input from your team.” She also adds that demonstrating you’re a team player and able to work well with others is a great way to show that you’re capable of moving up in roles. She adds, one way to make the move toward a new position is to ask for a small role or project that will allow for the development of new skills needed to move forward.
Jen has been employed at Evans for 10 years. As always, Jen takes her role day by day. It’s how she has developed the confidence to move forward, and achieve her goals. In October, Jen will also be joining the strategic team, EPIC. We’re proud of Jen and all that she has accomplished, and anticipate great work from her in the years ahead.
If you’re interested in employment at Evans, check out our Careers page for more information about our employment opportunities.