“She Says” with Elizabeth Evans

Many people have suspicions and misconceptions when it comes to human resources (HR). Some feel going to HR is scary, or that they may not have your best interest at heart. And some think HR’s only role is to hire and fire. But Elizabeth Evans, Human Resource Associate at Children’s Legal Center (CLC), is here to debunk every myth, and to show what a resource HR can be to employees. Following her own negative workplace experience, she is on a mission to reshape what people think of HR and show people that HR is there to make work easier. In her role, she is not only tasked with making her colleagues’ work lives better, but also alleviating their fears by ensuring that their needs are met.

This is especially important given the work that CLC does and the groups they serve. As an immigration firm, their clients, many of whom have endured trauma and abuse, are now facing possible deportations at the hands of the current administration. But they are prepared for the work ahead by showing up. With the help of a series of trainings from WE Consulting, CLC is creating safe spaces for both staff and clients.

In this month’s “She Says,” we talk with Elizabeth Evans about her purpose in HR, how the current administration is impacting CLC’s clients, and what people need to know about WE Consulting.

Tell me about yourself.

I work in HR at the nonprofit immigration firm, Children’s Legal Center (CLC). I’m an immigrant, so that’s largely why the mission resonates so much with me. I received a degree in Sociology from the University of Illinois Chicago in May of 2020, which motivated my interest in human resources and the nonprofit sector. After witnessing the lack of accountability in an unhealthy corporate environment, I wanted to be more involved in the process of potentially easing some of the fears people have when thinking about HR.

How has that experience shaped how you approach your work and the people you work with?

I learned the importance of speaking up and encouraging others to do so. At CLC, we work with unaccompanied minors and families trying to immigrate. Frankly, right now is a really tough time for us because of the administration and everything that is going on there. But the main thing that I lead with at CLC, is being candid. I know people don’t like HR. I know there are a lot of negative connotations around it, but I have made it very clear that my sole purpose, my main intention, with everything that I do there, is to make it easier for people to show up to work.

There are certain things that people associate with HR that do not fall under my purview. I can’t do anything if someone just doesn’t like another team member’s personality, which we run into, but I can do something if they’re telling me that something is impeding their work, or that they don’t feel comfortable with someone. I will always work with them. I like policy. I like structure. Those things are important to me, but at the end of the day, the reason that I show up is because I know they have to show up, and I want to make that easier in any way, shape, or form.

How is this administration impacting the work that CLC is doing, and what is you all’s response to it?

It’s tough and it makes me emotional. Our clients are incredible people who every one of us would go to bat for. We don’t need to be convinced that people have a right to safety and the pursuit of a happy and healthy life. We will never stop fighting for that.

A lot of the people who work in our office are very young 20 somethings. This is their first big kid job. A lot of them are interested in law through school and some are law students actively pursuing a degree. They are all incredibly hard working, but this type of stress, this type of commitment to this type of work, particularly one that includes listening to traumas experienced by children and adults, is something that takes a huge toll on a person and their energy levels.

I think a lot of people like to think we can leave it at the door when we leave and when we come back, we can pick it back up. But the reality is that we don’t get to just walk away from it. We’re not talking about strangers. We’re not talking about some boogeyman under the bed. We’re talking about children. We’re talking about families. So, I think that that’s the toughest part of this administration.

I’m adopted from Guatemala. The only reason that I have citizenship is because I was adopted by a family who was capable of doing that for me. That is privilege-based, but that should not be the only reason that I get to be in this country. That does not make sense. It is not these children’s fault for being brought to a place where they’re being told they can be safe and pursue a life that’s worth living and have it taken away.

With this administration, I know that they don’t believe in what they’re doing. I know it’s incendiary, and it’s to get people to talk. The loudest voices in the room are so often ones that don’t operate from logic and don’t operate from a place of understanding. And as easy as it is to say I just don’t want to do this anymore, the reality is that I, like many other immigrants don’t get to not choose this identity.

So, at the very least, all we can do is continue to show up. That’s what this new administration needs to understand. As loud and stubborn and incendiary as they can be, we are just as steadfast. We are just as confident in our community. They will come and go, and we will still be here. We always have been, and we always will be.

Let’s talk about your relationship with Women Employed (WE). How were you introduced to WE?

My boss, Laura Hoover, met WE’s Director of Development, Ibie Hart, at a networking event. Because of Laura’s schedule, I was able to connect with Ibie and coordinate a series of three different trainings. The first was with our managers to equip them in knowing how to respond to sexual harassment and create a protocol for it. Then, we did a Safe and Brave Space training to help our people understand what was coming, which started conversations that were desperately needed. We also had a managers’ training and finished with an all-employee comprehensive sexual harassment training.

A lot of our clients have experienced sexual violence, sexual harassment, and several things. The children we work with have been trafficked and exploited. They are vulnerable to predatory people during their immigration journey, as they are designated unaccompanied at the time of their border crossing. Meaning, they are not with their parents, but rather by themselves or any number of other people depending on their experience. In addition to our work with children, we have a Violent Crime Victim Assistance (VCVA) Program. The adults in that program have experienced heinous things that nobody should ever have to experience.

Laura felt that it was important for staff who are handling this type of information and interacting with people who experience this type of victimization to create a safer space in the office for them. She wanted to beef up our comprehensive sexual harassment protocols, rather than just tell everyone not to harass each other.

How has WE Consulting helped to shape how you all approach sexual harassment in the workplace?

It was interesting hearing someone else reinforce the importance of speaking up about uncomfortable situations and understanding that harassment isn’t just someone saying something sexually explicit to you. It’s any type of unwarranted, uninvited interaction, particularly after asking [that person] to stop. Quite a few conversations have started amongst my colleagues, with many expressing that they realized they’ve had those kinds of experiences and didn’t feel confident to speak up, or didn’t even know if that was something they were supposed to speak up about.

For me, from an HR perspective, it was nice not only to be reaffirmed but also to feel like my other managers understood and would be able to confidently respond in situations that I’m not able to be there for or if I was to leave. When I joined CLC, there was no HR. I was the first HR individual that they’ve ever had on the team. So, I was, unfortunately, building with nothing, which is tough to sell others on. But having Ibie and the other trainers come in and express that these are not things that I’m making up just to punish people, but rather saying this is the standard or the bare minimum to operate in a way that sees accountability and safety in the workplace.

What do you want people to know about WE Consulting and our sexual harassment training?

Sexual harassment trainings don’t have to be scary. I think there’s a feeling that you all would come in and hear what’s going on and have some judgment. But the intention behind each training is to equip us with information that can help us and start some of the discourse.

Women Employed is very easy to work with. Everyone who came was very pleasant. And no one said or did anything to make me and my colleagues afraid to open up. Based on the feedback that I received from Ibie, my team was a lot more talkative than I anticipated. That was exciting because they’re very often the group that has very few questions, but they were very engaged, so that was lovely.

I want people to know that there are a lot of benefits in doing a series of trainings versus one. When there is a consistent team member who comes each time, like Ibie in this scenario, that makes the series a lot easier and empowers staff to speak candidly in their final training. It’s also good to know that I’ve said a lot of what was mentioned in the training. However, it doesn’t always resonate when hearing the same voice, saying the same things every day. But introducing that secondary and sometimes third voice, helps to get certain things across better.

How are you all centering the voices of women and the needs of women given everything that’s going on?

The people who we have working with our children and the women in the VCVA program have been described as a “warm hug.” We will continue to do any and everything in our power to meet the needs of our clients. CLC is a little different than other practices because it’s our intention and our practice to always do what the client wants. Other firms will submit things based on what makes the most sense, and what their legal advice is. But for CLC, it’s always going to be client-centric.

We will always do what is requested of us, regardless of our personal thoughts or feelings. We will always petition for and show up for what the individual wants, particularly in the context of people we are asking to relive and rehash trauma that you wouldn’t wish upon your worst enemy. And make sure that as we’re always approaching our clients, particularly the women who have experienced heinous violence, that we are constantly doing everything and anything that we can to make sure we’re as trauma-informed as possible in our practices, and that we always champion the voice of the client versus the voice of their legal representation.

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Are you a decisionmaker in your company or organization? Want to advance diversity and inclusion in your workplace? Reach out to Women Employed’s Director of Business Development, Ibie Hart at ihart@womenemployed.org. We can provide a tailored approach that addresses your unique needs to include trainings, workshops, and more consultative custom services to help you build a more inclusive and welcoming work environment.