How POWER’s People Division is Turning Traditional HR on its Head

Culture

Historically, Human Resources (HR) has gotten a bad wrap. It’s viewed as administrative, boring, and its portrayal in pop culture has been anything but positive. Think lifeless, mopey Toby in HR from The Office that no one likes.

But POWER’s HR division is the antithesis of Toby. We have not just an HR team, but an entire “People” business unit that is fostering fun, providing growth opportunity, and supporting employees’ wellbeing, unlike Toby. And data shows it’s working — 96% of POWER employees agree this is a great place to work.

But how exactly have we achieved this? We’re diving into how POWER’s People division is changing not only their name, but the HR game as we know it — especially what you’d expect from a home remodeling company.

Our Approach to People

POWER employees laugh during a team building exercise. — *_{Working at POWER is a unique experience — one that bonds you closer to your teammates and fosters fun and camaraderie.}*

Before we dive into who the People business is and what they do, it’s important to understand the unique approach they take when building a culture for all.

At the helm of the people business unit, is Chief People Officer, Hollie Delaney. She sets the vision for what the workplace looks like at POWER, and the mindset that guides her and her team.

“POWER views the employee experience from many different angles. We imagine each of our employees as a unique mosaic. They are composed of countless, intricate pieces. Like personal experiences, aspirations, challenges and responsibilities. To make our vision of true employee happiness come to life, we must see each person, not just as an employee but as a complex whole person with diverse and interconnected lives. So this means that we cannot isolate someone’s professional life from mental health, their past traumas, their family dynamics or their educational needs. And just as every piece of a mosaic contributes to its beauty and its unity, every aspect of our employees’ lives is influenced from their wellbeing and happiness at POWER.”

People Dedicated to People

To build a great workplace, you have to have a strong team of architects to build, maintain, and evolve it. In 2024, we started to transform the organizational structure of our people-facing departments like Talent Acquisition, People Experience, and Human Resources so they could work better together to serve all of our 4,500 employees and counting.

_{VP of People Resources, Noelle Salley, SVP of People, Ty Peltzman, and VP of People Experience, Chelsea Sullivan, share more about the People Business Unit during POWER’s monthly company-wide Town Hall.}

As POWER’s Chief People Officer Hollie Delaney, puts it, “Creating a People business unit helps us rebrand what typical HR is known as. We’re showing the rest of the business — and other companies — that People departments are not cost centers. In fact, they can be revenue and growth accelerators. When you create a workplace where people feel happy, valued, and fulfilled, they’re going to show up for each other and your customers ten fold.”

POWER’s People business unit is a team of teams. From the moment a candidate clicks ‘apply’ to your 20th year on the job (yes, we have employees that have been here that long), these departments work together to curate the best experience possible for our people:

People Recruitment // This team is responsible for hiring across the business, and serving as the first welcome point for all candidates. Formerly known as Talent Acquisition, POWER’s SVP of People, Ty Peltzman, explains why the name shift is about so much more. “Rather than just focusing on talent or experience, People Recruitment is dedicated to finding individuals who embody POWER’s culture and values.”

People Resources // Formerly known as Human Resources, this team handles much more than just benefits or workplace issues. People Resources helps employees stay engaged, supported, and aligned with the company’s goals, especially across our distributed workforce.

Members of POWER’s affinity group dedicated to the Black community clean up a Philly neighborhood as part of their belonging event during Black History Month to welcome newer members into the group, and give back to their community. — _{BERG — which is POWER’s affinity group dedicated to the Black community — hosted a belonging event during Black History Month to welcome newer members into the group, and give back to their community with a beautification project in partnership with The Urban League of Philadelphia.}

People Experience // Events are a critical piece of POWER’s culture (yes, we have more events here than days in the year!), but as the company grows, this division has evolved into much more than that. They now serve as the hub for event services, employee engagement, employee travel, and community impact. POWER’s culture is fun, engaging, and fulfilling because of this team.

People Development // To ensure POWER offers an environment where employees feel a sense of belonging and can build a thriving career, we created the People Development team. Whether it’s skills training, mentorship, leadership development or our belonging initiatives, this division ensures that every employee has the tools to reach their full potential.

People Systems // While People Development helps to elevate growth, People Systems is helping to boost efficiency. This team focuses on technology, data-driven insights, and operational efficiency, equipping employees with the resources they need to make informed decisions and maximize productivity.

So what guides our People Business Unit in building a true workplace community? We’re sharing a few principles below:

Purpose Beyond a Paycheck

Two POWER employees donating their time for the benefit of the larger community. — *_{There are many organized volunteer opportunities throughout the year at POWER. Last Pride Month, our LGBTQ+ affinity group helped restore a Queer youth camp in Denver.}*

We spend a majority of our time at work, so why not make it more meaningful? Our employees value giving back to their communities, so we empower them to do just that. POWER for Good is a set of initiatives that place POWER people at the center of philanthropy, giving employees a voice and choice in where funding goes to impact causes they care about.

Through employee-guided grants, local partnerships, and volunteer time, we empower our people to be the torchbearers of POWER’s values and purpose.

Tools for Learning and Development

POWER female employee participates in company's leadership Combine event by problem-solving a scenario on a white board. — *_{Remodeling Consultant Mentor, London Tilghman, participates in Combine — an event part of POWER’s leadership development program that helps to identify future leaders within the business.}*

One of the differences between a job and career is the growth opportunity available to employees. Do they have the training and mentorship needed to excel in their role? Are the paths to advancement clearly defined and laid out?

A formalized leadership development programming, training camps, an in-field shadow program, a Learning Dojo with courses for continued learning, and much more are available to support the professional development and career advancement of our employees.

We’re Serious About Fun

Stage shot of Quest with fireworks. — *_{POWER’s annual Quest music festival and retreat in Mexico is just one of the ways we show our appreciation for our people, and have fun while doing it.}*

Our people work hard and they deserve to play hard too, so we take fun at work to the next level as another way to show our appreciation for them and create a great place to work.

Some of that fun includes three-day music festival and wellness retreat in Mexico, or a hike in the Colorado Rockies, or a hockey tournament in Lake Tahoe, or going up against former NBA players in a game of basketball, or a Spartan race in the middle of the Arizona desert.

But the fun we have is also in the smaller gestures too, like impromptu candy desk drops during Halloween or Valentine’s Day, surprise office entertainment like live music or mentalists, or office scavenger hunts. 97% of POWER employees agree that this is a fun place to work.

Well-being is a Workplace Priority

Employees participate in morning meditation at PowerCamp event. — *_{At many of POWER’s events, we make time for wellness activities like guided yoga and workouts, journaling sessions, or meditation so employees can recharge and focus on themselves.}*

Health benefits come standard at most companies. POWER takes it a step further to support our people through many different stages of life and experiences. Here are just a few ways we’re taking care of our people holistically:

Through our EAP (Employee assistance program), Personal Assistance Services, employees have access to six free counseling sessions per situation, even if you are not enrolled in POWER’s healthcare plan.

We also offer a suite of benefits to support our employees as they expand their families, from parental leave, to adoption and surrogacy reimbursement, to subsidized child care.

Should our employees ever encounter a life event or hardship, we have a program called PowerAid. This is an employee relief and assistance fund available for those who need financial assistance to recover more quickly from specific life events.

This doesn’t even scratch the surface when it comes to the opportunities available to our POWER community. If you’re interested to learn more, check out open positions on our Careers page.

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