Molly Webb, SHRM-SCP, earned degrees in psychology and criminal justice while in college, thinking she would become a social worker or a psychologist after graduation. But when her first job included human resource duties, she discovered she liked the combination of helping employees and advocating for business. After a brief stint as a social worker, she returned to school to earn her MBA and focus on a career in HR.
“It’s a nice blend of working on legal issues and helping people,” she says.
After holding a range of HR positions, she began working for Bristol Bay Shared Services LLC in Anchorage, Alaska, right before the pandemic shut down most businesses. The company, based in Huntsville, Ala., provides HR and other back-office functions for government contractors owned by the Bristol Bay Native Corp., an Alaska Native corporation.
Webb enjoys delving into legal affairs in her volunteer work as legislative director for the Alaska State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and as a SHRM Advocacy Team member. She’s a past president of the Anchorage Society for Human Resource Management.
What’s your work philosophy?
I believe it is important that a company recognizes its best assets are its employees and strives to do what is best for everyone. I choose the companies I work for based on that philosophy.
What was your greatest challenge?
My first full-time HR job was with the same company that my husband worked for. The organization went through several rounds of layoffs. It was stressful, but I wasn’t able to come home and discuss it with my husband. I built a great support network outside of home through other HR professionals.
What is your greatest accomplishment to date?
I’m proud that I’ve had the opportunity to speak with our federal legislators on Capitol Hill about HR issues such as paid leave and student loan repayment. I enjoy having an opportunity to influence or change something that directly impacts my job before it is enacted.
Photograph by Leslie Sarten for HR Magazine.
An organization run by AI is not a futuristic concept. Such technology is already a part of many workplaces and will continue to shape the labor market and HR. Here's how employers and employees can successfully manage generative AI and other AI-powered systems.
Related Content
HR must always include human intelligence and oversight of AI in decision-making in hiring and firing, a legal expert said at SHRM24. She added that HR can ensure compliance by meeting the strictest AI standards, which will be in Colorado’s upcoming AI law.
The proliferation of artificial intelligence in the workplace, and the ensuing expected increase in productivity and efficiency, could help usher in the four-day workweek, some experts predict.
Learn how Marsh McLennan successfully boosts staff well-being with digital tools, improving productivity and work satisfaction for more than 20,000 employees.