Louella J. was recently featured as an HR Rising Star of 2019 by Sage People. We sat down with her to find out more about her career path, her experience at Enterprise, and her advice for someone starting their career at the company.
What is your current role? How long have you been with Enterprise?
I’m a Regional Talent Acquisition Manager in Fort Worth, TX. I was recently promoted to this role. I’ve been at Enterprise for 9 years.
How did you first learn about Enterprise as an employer?
I went to Sweden to get my Master of Arts in innovation and business creation. When I came back I heard that Enterprise was looking for applicants. Once I saw how quickly you could move your career forward at Enterprise, I decided to apply. I found that a career at Enterprise was exactly what I was looking for: I’ve been promoted 10 times since I started.
What keeps you at Enterprise?
Growth opportunities. I tell people they are endless, and it’s true. I love being challenged, and I love the people I work with. I enjoy coming to work, because it’s a fun environment. I love having something to work towards. It’s not difficult to stay motivated when you’re helping people develop their careers.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
Being able to train and develop people. I love to help employees see how far they can go and how to get past hurdles. Our promote-from-within philosophy makes it easy for me to mentor employees working in the rental branches, because I’ve been there myself.
What has surprised you most about working at Enterprise?
Starting at Enterprise right out of college, I was surprised about how involved I was in all aspects of the business. It’s so different from college life. It was extremely challenging at first, but there are also so many people to guide you, and it becomes easier.
In your opinion, what sets Enterprise apart from other employers?
The people, the training and the growth opportunities. Other people are with companies for 5 years and still waiting for those promotions. Here, you’re always working towards the next step, and advancement is based on your performance.
Tell us about your Diversity & Inclusion efforts on behalf of Enterprise.
I started a female leadership council for females to network, talk about challenges they are facing and have fun together.
We put on an interviewing workshop to help overcome the lack of confidence many women were experiencing going into an interview for a promotion. We also highlight different Branch Managers and invite them to speak about their career paths: where they started, and how being open to opportunities has opened doors for their careers.
I have also organized Diversity and Inclusion workshops where we read articles on topics like everyday bias. We then have lunch and a discussion about how the topic applies to the workplace, and what attendees can take back to their branches.
What career tips would you offer to someone starting out at Enterprise?
- Learn something new every day.
- Don’t expect someone to take the initiative – do it yourself.
- Ask questions.
- Find people that can be your mentor. Don’t be shy about reaching out to high performers.