In February the Indianapolis Business Journal named FlashPoint co-founder and principal Krista Skidmore as one of its “Forty under 40”—forty “up-and-comers in central Indiana’s business community.” The recognition is one of the top honors bestowed in the community, and we felt it presented an ideal opportunity to talk to Krista about her philosophy on starting a business, building strong HR programs, and planning for the future.

The IBJ named you as one of its “Forty under 40” in part because of the work you’ve done at FlashPoint. What’s been the most rewarding part of starting and running an HR consulting company?

The most rewarding part of starting a consulting firm has been taking the seed of an idea and seeing it grow and evolve over the years. It is the purest of creative pursuits—a pursuit that has shown me the importance of having clear values and principles right from the start and knowing how to make these values work in an ever-changing business and economic climate.

What I like best about actually running the business is, first, having an ever-increasing impact on businesses not only in Indiana but all across the Midwest and, second, attracting and retaining our talented team and creating a rewarding and enriching experience for them.  

You’ve been consulting in HR and organizational development for well over a decade now. Based on your experience and the knowledge you’ve gained, what advice would you offer someone when it comes to their HR programs?

At FlashPoint I have the opportunity to help many HR professionals develop their skills and become more strategic in their approach, and one of the things I tell them is to keep diving deeper and deeper to know and understand what their organization needs. If you’re in HR, it’s important to be curious. Have regular conversations with your leaders and ask them about the operations and their goals for the business. Tap into your curiosity so you have better insight about how your people need to work so that they help the business achieve its objectives. 

On top of this, keep evolving. Understand that what worked for you a year ago may not be right in the current environment and context. The pace of change continues to quicken, and it’s likely that you already need to reevaluate (and perhaps update) the HR programs you put in place last year.

Finally, keep looking to integrate your HR programs. Find opportunities to connect all that you do to the business. Weave the story of the employee experience into the overall fabric of the business. Employees who feel fully engaged will do a better job of serving customers, and this will help the organization fulfill its mission, whether it’s driving revenue or providing community outreach. 

Looking ahead to the next decade, what trends do you see in HR? Where should HR professionals focus their attention so they stay on top of things?

I’ll point out three trends that I see.

First, the labor market is shifting. Because of various demographic and cultural changes, finding and convincing top talent to be a part of your business will become increasingly hard. (If you find that it isn’t difficult, then you’re probably hiring mediocre talent.) It’s important to take steps now to mitigate this. If you don’t have an employer brand, create one. Make sure prospective employees understand the value of working at your company and identify you as an employer of choice. Meanwhile, make sure that you have an effective recruiting process in place to proactively draw the top candidates to your organization, hire them, and bring them onboard.

Second, we will face continued dissatisfaction from our customers if we keep building HR programs that are complex and inefficient. For most of us, our human capital is a significant investment, and it has a tremendous impact on our business success. If we can’t manage that capital effectively—if our HR programs are outdated, overwhelming, and burdensome—our employees can’t possibly deliver the results we need. Simplicity, therefore, will rule the next decade.

Finally, employees need to see how they fit in to the greater organization. Even at the lowest level, they have to understand the organization’s mission and the role they play in helping to fulfill it. If they can’t see ahead with a clear line of sight, they can't help move the business forward because they won't be asking “why” and won't be thinking about how they can improve. Businesses that understand this and get this right will lead their counterparts in the next decade. 

What would you tell a young entrepreneur who wants to start a successful business (and who may be looking someday to become one of their community’s “Forty under 40”)?

I’d start by telling the person to be intentional. For me it was important to have a clear plan and to have due diligence—to vet whether my plan had a solid foundation. Not every idea is a good idea, so being able to distinguish good ideas from bad through focus and discipline is what makes all the difference. 

In addition, be self-aware. Know who you are, what you’re good at, and what you’re not good at. Knowing myself has helped me to be true to my values, has helped me bring around me a team with complementary skill sets, and has helped me to avoid some of the pitfalls that my weaknesses would have surely led me into.

Last, be self-assured. Being an entrepreneur requires you to keep moving forward. For me, it has been important to have confidence because it has allowed me to pursue my interests, take calculated risks, and lead my team as we take steps together toward success. 

To learn more about Krista’s “Forty under 40” award and to watch video of another conversation with her, visit the IBJ’s website.