Family owned winery enlists HR support for the first time

Since working in hospitality in high school, Samin has had a profound appreciation for workers in the service industry and is happy to support them through her role at Empowered. Samin began her human resources career as a college intern with a Swedish construction company, where an initial three-month internship turned into a two-year HR journey that inspired her to focus her career there. Later earning a master’s in human resource management from Rutgers, she then began a people operations role at Unilever, finding her passion in HR technology, operations, and employee experience. While working in corporate environment was a tremendous learning experience, Samin's compulsion to rejoin the hospitality industry was strong (and fortunate). Samin’s strengths lie not only in HR generalist expertise, but also in HR technology, process improvement and making HR operations simple, automated, and efficient.

Ideal Restaurant Experience

My ideal restaurant experience is a place where the lights are dimmed, the noise level is low with a bit of light background music, and the atmosphere is warm and cozy; almost as if the restaurant wants to romance you while you dine. The more intimate the experience, the more I can focus my attention on my meal and my company.

What does creating workplaces where people thrive mean to you?

Creating a workplace where people can thrive means building a place of trust, support and safety. We spend majority of our time at work, and I believe it should be a place where you can be your authentic self. Where you can rely on your team and where you feel safe, physically, and psychologically. A place where you feel safe and supported to be your true self is the best place for you to be challenged, expressive and successful.

Growing up in an Italian household filled with heaping bowls of casual home cooking and endless hours gathered around the kitchen table, Kristyn knew from a very young age that no matter what she did for a living, it would involve food. She has never strayed from that mentality. After moving to New York City on a whim, Kristyn began private cooking for families, then fell into restaurant marketing and eventually hospitality recruiting. Throughout Kristyn's career, she gained experience with high volume hourly recruiting, career site development, and all things marketing - from overseeing and managing job ad spend and performance, managing media platforms, supporting new restaurant openings, and managing employer brands. In addition to being an all-star recruiter and marketing authority, Kristyn is a food marketing graduate of Saint Joseph’s University and also has a culinary certification from Le Cordon Bleu London.

Ideal Restaurant Experience

This is tough! Most recently, my favorite restaurant experience was at Madre in Greenpoint. I love any seat with a view of the kitchen, but more importantly – it was almost as if the staff was psychic. For example, as soon as we finished a bowl of pasta, they dropped piping hot bread at the table to mop it up instead of just clearing the plate. The food and cocktails were spectacular. I can’t wait to go back.

What does creating workplaces where people thrive mean to you?

I think a big part of this overall is transparency. In addition, creating an environment that encourages people to show up as their authentic selves, and one that celebrates our wins but also sees the positive in our disappointments (this is how we learn right?). An environment that not only promotes growth, but also welcomes new ideas and allows individuals to carve their own paths.