In this episode of Who Hired This Person?, host Kaitlyn Randall sits down with Makaylah Reyes, Human Resources Generalist at Manhard Consulting, an engineering and consulting firm known for its collaborative, people-first culture.

Makaylah opens up about the realities of being an HR generalist—balancing empathy with accountability, managing complex feedback loops, and creating processes that support both people and the business. She shares how her team at Manhard fosters a culture of open communication, what she’s learned from employee advocacy wins (like implementing a lactation accommodation policy), and how empathy can transform even the toughest HR moments.

From improving manager feedback to navigating performance challenges and decoding background check results with compassion, Makaylah’s perspective offers HR leaders and hiring managers alike a real-world look at what it means to take a truly human approach to people management.

Key Lessons Covered in This Episode

🔹 The Human Approach to HR: Why leading with empathy, grace, and open communication creates stronger teams and better outcomes.

🔹 The Art of Feedback: How tailoring feedback to different communication styles helps employees grow—and keeps high-potential talent engaged.

🔹 Balancing Policy and People: The power of transparency when navigating layoffs, documentation, and regulatory nuances.

🔹 Advocacy in Action: How Makaylah championed a lactation accommodation policy in a male-dominated industry—and why it was the right call for everyone involved.

🔹 Grace in Difficult Moments: How supporting employees through illness, loss, or personal challenges can redefine workplace culture.

🔹 Smarter Background Checks: Why interpreting context, timing, and honesty matters more than a report’s surface-level results.

Key Takeaways

✅ HR isn’t just about compliance—it’s about compassion, support, and helping people perform their best.

✅ Great feedback requires creativity; not everyone receives information the same way.

✅ Open communication and transparency can prevent most policy and performance issues.

✅ Documentation isn’t just protection—it’s a tool for accountability and clarity.

✅ Empathy and understanding during personal hardship strengthen trust across the organization.

✅ Effective HR leadership means seeing people as more than their performance metrics.

Links & Resources

🔗 Connect with Makaylah Reyes on LinkedIn.

🔗 Learn more about Manhard Consulting at manhard.com.

🔗 Follow Atwell on LinkedIn to explore upcoming career opportunities at Atwell.com as the companies merge.