Meet Bright Horizons CHRO Maribeth Bearfield

Bright Horizons CHRO
About three months ago when I joined Bright Horizons as CHRO, our President Stephen Kramer asked me what he should include about my family on my bio. I was kind of stunned. Nobody had ever asked me that before. "Around here," Stephen told me, "you start with family."

I thought...wow. In some places, you just don't talk about your life. But Bright Horizons is one of those companies that gets it...that understands work is a part of life.

"Around Here You Start with Family"

I am so excited to have landed in a company that's so committed to all of its employees. People truly bring their whole selves to work here.

Not every company is like that. And it made me take stock of the clients we have and the HR practices I really believe in. In my first official blog for Bright Horizons, I'd like to share just a few.

Make your values accessible

I came from companies with eight or more disconnected proficiencies; I remembered maybe three. Bright Horizons HEART principles (Honesty, Excellence, Accountability, Respect, Teamwork), on the other hand, spell it out. People remember them.

Keep it simple

Treat employees the way you want to be treated...and plan your benefits accordingly.

Feelings are good

I was always the one saying, "It's a good thing to feel things. It means you brought your heart to work."  I still say that.

It's all about retention

Everything you do is for the goal of keeping people.  We have unbelievable retention here. It says a lot.

Benefits matter

Remember...they're called benefits for a reason. They're supposed to help people.

Fun is good

There's nothing wrong with a fun workplace. If you love your job, you're more likely to do it well. And if you look like you're having fun, other people will want to join you.

I love HR. I just love it. How lucky am I? I love being in a place that understands Dream Companies; I love working on really positive things we want to find solutions for; I love working with companies that put people first; and I love that we approach every problem with the question, "How is it going to be different?" and not, "Who broke it?"

It's only been three months but it feels like a lifetime.

I look forward to sharing the news, industry insights, accomplishments, and success stories of all of our clients and friends with you in coming posts.
Bright Horizons
About the Author
Bright Horizons
Bright Horizons
In 1986, our founders saw that child care was an enormous obstacle for working parents. On-site centers became one way we responded to help employees – and organizations -- work better. Today we offer child care, elder care, and help for education and careers -- tools used by more than 1,000 of the world’s top employers and that power many of the world's best brands
Bright Horizons CHRO

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