1. 60 | workspan october 2016
profiles in
career
excellence
Evelyn Johnston’s Drive and
Focus Advance Her Career
In terms of your career, what
was the No. 1 element you
felt helped propel you?
Personal drive. It’s manifested in my
ability to visualize something better
and then reverse-engineer the path
forward to build it. This is generated
by my natural curiosity and strong
desire to improve things. I’ve stayed
focused and have a discerning heart,
trusting my plan after having gath-
ered perspectives.
Explain the role that
professional development
has played in your career.
Professional development has had a
tremendous impact in my career. I’ve
learned so much about myself and
my sense of purpose. I’ve developed
a great appreciation for discovering
my blind spots and rounding out my
capabilities. I’ve also learned that
strengths overused become a weak-
ness. I now focus on developing my
whole self — both personally and
professionally — as it’s my whole self
that I bring to work. As I’ve grown
in my career, I’ve also developed as
a leader. In the end, it’s not about
changing my DNA, it’s about having
the best of me shine through to try
new things and adapt to changing
circumstances.
How has the use of analytics evolved
during the past 10 years? What
impact has it had on your career?
Analytics is transforming a rear-
view-mirror perspective into more
predictive. With more user-friendly
systems available, it’s easier than
ever to analyze information across
multiple dimensions. At the same
time, the complexity of inquiries has
become more sophisticated. This has
been fueled by the growth of the HR
function to that of a strategic player,
leading to the establishment of core
analytics. This didn’t exist a decade
ago or if it did, it was sparsely used.
Providing this level of insights has not
only enabled the company to make
better informed decisions, but has
given me greater exposure to senior
leaders and contributed enormously
to my career growth.
Why are adaptability and flexibility
important characteristics for
rewards professionals in today’s
business environment?
With an ever-changing external
environment and the rapid pace of
technology advances, it’s critical
to be flexible and adapt. I used to
review policies, programs and tools
on a three-year cycle. Now, it’s annu-
ally, some semiannually. I’m also
continuously on the lookout for
emerging tools and systems. This is
heightened by the need to compete
with a modern total rewards offering.
In the past, leaders were reticent to
make too many changes because of
the employee disruption. This has
taken a 180-degree turn. All genera-
tions in today’s workforce have come
to expect innovation. It’s wonderful
that disruption is now a strategic
differentiator.
What are the qualities organizations
are looking for when they want
professionals with strategic
business understanding?
Vision, mission, simplicity and
drive. Vision to look ahead and set a
course. Mission to do your life’s best
work and set a game plan. Simplicity
to create a call to action and gain
greater focus. And drive to get things
done, an evangelist for change and
the perseverance to see things to the
end knowing there will be obstacles.
Energized by possibilities, I found
Evelyn Johnston,
CCP
Head of Total Rewards,
Pinterest
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2. | 61october 2016 workspan
profiles in career excellence
WorldatWork Career Excellence Model
for Total Rewards ProfessionalsTM
Analytical Skills
Attention to Detail
Strategic Business
Understanding
Communication
Connection
Technical Mastery
Adaptability
Flexibility
Passion
Proactivity
Continuous
Learning
Development
Support System
myself included in strategy and
planning meetings as a key player.
What does continuous learning
for a rewards professional
look like? Why is it important
to an organization?
Socrates said that “Wisdom begins
with wonder.” If I’m not exploring
continuously and learning, then
I’m really not growing. One of
the easiest ways I add value to
my company is to learn something
new and then apply it in a novel
way. Not everything learned is the
latest gadget or concept. Often it’s
been about perfecting the basics.
I also take the best from other
functions and look to incorporate
their expertise.
If you could name a characteristic
or skill set that would set a total
rewards professional above
the rest, what would it be?
Simply, and perhaps surprisingly,
logic. I’ve been able to use logic
to do two things: influence and
communicate. People understand
logic. It provides for a fact-based,
perspectives-building debate. It’s
the precursor to change and at the
heart of communicating it. It has a
sense of honesty and conviction.
Logic for me is an understated
area that, combined with my other
characteristics, has had incredible
traction in my career.