Are your benefits a benefit? VensureHR delivers scalable HR solutions for growing businesses including robust, Fortune 500-style benefits your team can actually use. From personalized healthcare packages to easy enrollment, offer more for less.
Childcare benefits can be a lifeline for working parents. And while some employers offer these perks to their employees, many still do not.
So, it’s probably no surprise that Denise Reeb, an HR generalist at Sauder Manufacturing, considers securing funding for a childcare subsidy pilot program to be one of her most rewarding achievements.
Reeb is the HR rep for some 150 employees at an Indiana-based plant for the company, which has 500 workers total. The subsidy perk, created in partnership with the Northeast Indiana Early Childhood Coalition, is similar to Michigan’s Tri-Care program, where the organization, Sauder Manufacturing, and the employee each pay one-third of the costs of childcare.
Reeb notes there are some restrictions to the program, like limits on earnings. But despite that, she’s already confirmed interest from at least five employees at her plant alone. If the pilot succeeds, she says the company may be able to roll out the program to more workers.
“We’re one of the first companies that can offer this to our employees. So we’re trying it out, getting funding and budgeting,” she said. “We’re really excited about it. There’s a lot of buzz in the whole area. That’s one of my proudest accomplishments here so far.”
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
What’s the best change you’ve made at a place you’ve worked?
When I started my current job in 2022, we had sky-high turnover and very low morale. They were using temp workers that had no intention of building a good product or staying with the company. When I raised awareness of our employee referral program and started hiring only direct employees, we quickly saw a major improvement in stability, quality, and morale. We are currently at around 2% monthly turnover and employee stay interviews have almost no action items that haven’t already been addressed.
What’s the biggest misconception people might have about your job?
That my job is to hire, discipline, and fire people. That is only a small portion of a generalist’s role.
There’s a lot more. [There’s] the strategic part, working alongside the executives and the other managers here to make sure they’re making the right decisions and being there for advice. [And] taking on these pet projects and making sure that we have a nice, safe, comfortable workplace here. I’m not just here to be a cop, good or bad. There’s just so many things that HR touches, and a lot of people just don’t understand that.
What’s the most fulfilling aspect of your job?
Getting positive feedback from employees about a project or program I’ve set in place. When I see employees that use resources, either here or in their personal lives, that I’ve given them, I get warm and fuzzy. Is that a normal HR feeling? 🙂
What trend in HR are you most optimistic about? Why?
The trend towards more strategic roles. When I started (a long time ago), HR was seen as administrative party planners. Now I get a seat at the table and am asked for input on business and operations matters.
What trend in HR are you least optimistic about? Why?
AI. Although I use AI frequently as a helper, using it as a replacement for tasks without human oversight is very risky. I look forward to a future where AI has boundaries and is more functional. But until then, its use should be kept to a minimum.
