JP Morgan Chase [NYSE: JPM]

Kristin Coleman

Kristin Coleman is the Head of Inclusive Partnerships, Diversity Opportunity and Inclusion within the Human Resources Department at JPMorganChase (NYSE: JPM). Coleman has held multiple talent acquisition roles in her more than two decades with the firm. Her efforts and vision in inclusive hiring and adapting to the next generation is inspirational.

Coleman shared her expert insights in the upcoming edition of Manage HR. She offered valuable thoughts on best practices for hiring from students to professionals. 

Two Decades of Multifaceted Role

My journey with JPMorganChase began 22 years ago when I was a college sophomore at Arizona State University. I was the first in my family to work in corporate America. I spent 15 years in Human Resources across talent acquisition and recruiting leadership. For the past five years, I have led careers and skills programs and strategies supporting our Global Diversity, Opportunity and Inclusion (DOI) organization. My experience blends HR expertise with cultural awareness, community engagement and strategic partnerships, with my current role representing the culmination of both.

My daily activities include supporting my team managing talent partnerships, sponsoring events, and attending large conferences. I act as the bridge between our Global DOI organization and recruiting teams, ensuring that we optimize the performance, experience and outcomes to drive talent and business value for the firm.

Fostering Life Values through the Firm’s Approach

My values align well with the five core values of the firm: Heart, Service, Excellence, Curiosity and Courage. I love these values because each one allows us me to feel confident to bring my diverse perspective and experiences to work each day and help build out our talent ecosystem. All my roles at JPMorganChase have felt very service oriented, providing individuals with access to purpose-filled employment, career opportunities, professional development and a sense of belonging. Heart is at the core of what we do and as an HR professional, having empathy and appreciation for the uniqueness of all individuals is what allows us to serve one another best.  Coming from a humble, first generation upbringing the intersection of these with family, cultural values absolutely shaped why it’s so important for me to work for an organization with these shared values. 

Moments Shaping the Leadership Philosophy

I have a keen eye for spotting and developing talent, especially among younger generations and the ones that stand out and demonstrate a level of drive, grit and have the motivation to do remarkable work.

“Every job today is a tech job, which means you must keep learning, growing, and refining skills”

It is beautiful to see the growth and leadership of the individuals I have hired or mentored over the years, students and professionals/executives at all levels thriving and growing into even more impactful roles than I could have ever imagined. It’s been especially gratifying to be a part of  the  career journeys of countless students through our fellowship program and internship programs. Aside from sharing a background similar to my own, their experiences provided learning for med as a leader in multi-generational workforce, and often times reminds me the value of constant technical skills refresh throughout every stage in our careers, myself included. I always ask for feedback on their experience at the firm I think it’s important to make sure that every voice is heard from entry level to mid or senior management.  

Expanding Skills, Expanding Careers

The firm has ten Business Resource Groups (BRGs) and three Affinity Groups (AGs) and I always encourage new joiners to get involved, expand their network and consider how they can make their job bigger through being a volunteer or leader in one of our many BRG or AG roles. Those willing to flex the muscles, experiences and skills outside of their day job are indicators to leadership of those to watch, emerging talent. Those who can find the business element in the these volunteer opportunities tend to thrive the most at the firm. I’ve witnessed several leaders in many programs I oversaw go on to lead national teams or major firm wide initiatives by putting in that extra work and being visible at the right moments. And in fact, that’s what led me to my role today. As a Latina HR professional that was involved in multiple BRGs, programs and HR sponsor to such initiatives, my journey and the idea of taking your side passion and making it your day job is how my diversity role began five years ago and set me on my current course.

Future of the Industry

An inclusive business and talent strategy is not new to JPMorganChase. For attracting talent, I’ve always emphasized that it comes down to behaviors. If you intentionally invest and widen your sources of talent, diversity happens organically. While organizations, including JPMorganChase have changed the names of teams, councils or programs, the work continues and can withstand those small adjustments in the current environment. Recruiting inclusively enables diverse outcomes. The company views it as a holistic framework that connects inclusive culture, business, careers, skills and community, recognizing how these areas are interconnected and how they collectively drive business growth and revenue, especially in diverse market segments. Its infrastructure to support for years in an evolving landscape makes this simple. It is adapting to changes and sharing best practices with other organizations. I’m confident that we have built a structure that will last and have the leadership to look back on that.

Ladder to Success

I learned early on that you have to do what scares you and step boldly into new spaces. Courage and authenticity are key to challenging the status quo.

For young professionals, finding community is vital. At JPMorganChase, it is easy to connect through shared interests with our BRGs and AGs, but it is just as important to open doors for others, that might be a bit different from you. If you are the first in a space for any variety of reason, make sure you are not the last. You are never too young or inexperienced to be a mentor to others

My advice is simple: be ready, stay ready and never stop learning – refining your skills often is imperative at every stage of your career. Keep learning to refine your skills Careers are not linear, so own your path, embrace opportunities to be open to where the journey leads you.