Meet Our VP of Performance Acceleration
By Shelley Osborne
Up next in our team introductions is our VP of Performance Acceleration, Mark Kluchky.
Mark started out in HR in part by accident, and in part by aptitude. Asked to step in as the interim manager during a time of transition, Mark wondered how you would manage a position like that on an ongoing basis. The opportunity motivated Mark to go to b-school and pursue an MBA. He made quite an impression in his time there, and was invited to join the faculty. Mark spent four years molding the minds of today’s business leaders before joining his first gaming studio, BioWare. A perfect introduction to the complex world of tech startups, he was instrumental in helping the company grow by over 500%.
Mark’s seen it all, and had his hand in just about every HR pie there is. A natural leader, Mark is the guy you always wanted your boss to be: thoughtful, creative and easygoing. He’s also the one that keeps us all laughing, and it isn’t a normal day if Mark hasn’t tried to infuse a Star Trek reference, quote or plot line into the conversation!
Mark is based up in Canada, and keeps us all keenly aware of the temperature differences. He leads our charge to revolutionize Performance Management, something we prefer to call Talent Acceleration. A true “thought leader”, Mark has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to employee engagement.
Learn more about Mark in our Q & A:
Nickname: Number One
Why are you so passionate about changing the face of HR?
HR is definitely moving away from the traditional view of personnel and HR is also so much more than event planning and making the workplace fun. HR’s real value comes from enhancing the relationship between employee and manager. HR’s job is to enable managers to become the best accelerators of talent within the organization and create the best environment for the people that compose it.
What is so different about Farside from all the other tools?
It isn’t just about the tracking of data to ensure compliance with policies and to allow HR to police managers. Farside is about making managers the best they can be in terms of accelerating people’s performance. Farside helps people focus on what is important to employee motivation and from a bigger picture perspective — ensure that teams are meeting business objectives and that the business is being managed better than it was before; better, stronger, faster… (oh wait…)
Biggest pain point?
Completing spreadsheets that I know in the end won’t be utilized or reviewed with the same level of effort that went into completing them.
Typical workday?
Thinking of better ways of doing things and turning that into something that people can use in their day to day work lives.
Favorite Quote?
Don’t do something because you can. Do something because it is the right thing to do.
Also: Have fun! (I say it all the time)
Who was your best manager?
Derek (our co-founder)— but don’t tell him I said that. He has been the best manager at igniting my excitement and passion for HR.
Favorite place to visit?
The Rocky Mountains.
If you could live anywhere in the world?
Maui — it is laid back and warm — just like me!
Guilty Pleasures?
Popcorn and potato chips.
Fun fact?
I like Star Trek (my kids are named after characters or actors) and science fiction in general. It fills me with excitement when I think about what we will be able to achieve in the future.
