Faces of HR: Julie Anderson on Unifying a Multi-Brand Workforce

Julie Anderson, Senior Vice President of Talent Strategy and Organizational Development at Wrench Group, specializes in unifying fragmented organizations. Her role is centered on building the sophisticated, integrated talent systems required to fuel the growth of the company’s diverse portfolio of brands.

From Retail Training to Recruiting Pioneer

Anderson’s career foundation was laid early, starting in a learning and development role at Macy’s right out of college in the 1990s. This experience cemented her focus on talent acquisition and employee growth.

The true pivot came when she transitioned to a telecommunications-focused staffing startup. There, she moved quickly from leading broad recruitment strategies to immersing herself in the detailed, daily work of finding and developing high-quality talent.

The Challenge of Unifying 27 Brands

When Wrench Group approached Anderson, she faced a complex, yet exciting challenge:

“They had 27 brands operating without a unified approach to hiring,” she shared. “Recruiting relied mostly on word-of-mouth and family connections.”

While this grassroots method worked historically, it couldn’t sustain a modern, growing workforce. Over the past four years, Anderson and her leadership team have successfully transformed that informal, decentralized process into a comprehensive, centralized recruitment operation that now serves all Wrench Group brands. Her work demonstrates how strategic HR leadership is essential for scaling a complex business.

In our latest Faces, meet Julie Anderson.

Who is/was your biggest influence in the industry? 

J. David Schiener, President of Macy’s Florida, was the single most influential person in shaping who I am as a leader today. He challenged me to think beyond my functional lane and truly grasp the full scope of the business, reminding me that seeing the broader business landscape isn’t optional for leaders—it’s essential. He taught me to fiercely advocate for my people and my work, to innovate with courage, and to never expect others to execute what I wasn’t willing to roll up my sleeves and do myself.

One of his most powerful lessons was about humanity in leadership: how you treat people becomes dinner-table conversation, and you decide what story they tell. That has stayed with me in every role. Most importantly, he instilled a truth that anchors my career: HR and Talent Acquisition aren’t support functions—they are revenue drivers, business multipliers, and essential contributors to organizational success.

What’s your best mistake and what did you learn from it?

One of my biggest learning experiences happened when I tried to encourage more movement across our different brands. I assumed that since we’re all part of Wrench Group, employees would naturally want to explore opportunities across our 27 companies. What I discovered is that employees often feel connected to their specific brand’s culture and community, so asking them to consider a role at another brand could feel, to them, like asking them to leave their family for a completely different company.

This experience taught me that successful talent strategies need to work with people’s natural loyalties rather than against them. Now the focus is to understand what makes each brand special and how we can create pathways that honor those connections while still opening growth opportunities. It’s about meeting people where they are, not where we think they should be.

What’s your favorite part about working in the industry? What’s your least favorite part, and how would you change it?

What I love most about this work is watching people uncover capabilities they never knew they had. Through our training academies and development programs, I get to see individuals with entry-level skills and strong work ethics transform into confident professionals and eventually into leaders. There’s something rewarding about being part of someone’s journey from uncertainty to expertise.

However, the biggest hardship I face is the ongoing challenge of helping skilled field employees transition into leadership roles. Many of our top technicians are excellent in the field, but leadership requires a completely different skill set: managing people, understanding financials, making strategic decisions. Historically, the trades industry hasn’t traditionally provided clear pathways or training for this transition.

That’s why we created Wrench University, designed to develop those leadership capabilities through targeted learning modules. Our long-term goal is to systematically prepare our technical experts for management roles by giving them the business skills and emotional intelligence they need to succeed as leaders.

How can HR most effectively demonstrate its value to the leadership team?

The key is speaking the language of business impact rather than relying on traditional HR metrics. Instead of just reporting on hiring numbers, I focus on showing how our talent strategies directly support revenue growth, operational efficiency, and cost management. For example, when we can demonstrate that our academy programs significantly reduce the cost of turnover, which can be up to 80% of a technical worker’s salary, leadership more clearly sees the financial value.

We’ve shifted the talent team from being reactive to proactive. Rather than waiting for hiring needs to become urgent, our talent acquisition teams continuously analyze workforce trends and build talent pipelines before we need them. This positions talent acquisition as a strategic partner that helps the business stay ahead of challenges rather than just responding to them. The goal is to be seen as a talent organization who understands where the business is going and ensures we have the right people in place to get there.

Where do you see the industry heading in five years? What current trends are you seeing?

We’re in the midst of an exciting transformation in the skilled trades. Young people are increasingly choosing skilled trades over traditional four-year college paths. University enrollment has dropped by 2 million students since 2011, and nearly half of Gen Z workers are either in trades or considering them.

This generation is bringing new expectations to the industry. They want structured career development, mentorship, and clear advancement opportunities. In response, companies are shifting away from relying solely on experienced hires and instead investing in developing their own talent through comprehensive training programs.

I believe that within five years, company-based academy-style training will become the industry standard as these programs can attract potential talent who may have minimal skills but possess the right attitude to start a trade career.  Companies that can effectively grow their own workforce will gain a significant competitive advantage. At the same time, the role of talent acquisition is evolving, from transactional hiring to strategic workforce planning, where recruiters become business advisors who understand market dynamics and can influence long-term strategy.

Further, I think that in an era where AI is transforming talent acquisition, servant leadership will become increasingly essential for HR leaders to practice. While AI can automate sourcing, scheduling, and assessments, it cannot replace genuine connection or grow human potential. Looking ahead, I see the future belonging to organizations that invest in both—leveraging technology as a tool rather than a replacement while leading by serving first. The companies who win won’t be those adopting AI the fastest, but those whose leaders practice radical transparency, advise rather than just execute, and humanize every interaction. As machines get smarter and everything else speeds up, servant leadership becomes our ultimate differentiator, ensuring we add that human layer of care and treat every candidate and employee with empathy and respect, even when the answer is “no.”

Do you have any advice for people entering the profession?

For anyone entering this profession, remember that great talent work starts with seeing people for who they can become—not just the resume. Experience matters, but qualities like curiosity, communication, problem-solving, and genuine interest often tell you far more about their professional trajectory.

And hiring is only the beginning. The real impact comes from how you are “growing the people who grow the business.” The most successful companies invest in the whole person—technical excellence and the professional skills that build confidence, credibility, and connection. When you help someone strengthen their communication, decision-making, time management, and customer focus, you’re not just developing an employee, you’re shaping a culture and building your next generation of leaders.

Finally, approach every interaction as the beginning of a long-term relationship. Talent acquisition and learning & development are human disciplines before anything else. Even if someone isn’t the right fit today, the respect and clarity you offer them can influence future opportunities, referrals, and how they experience your brand. The leaders who excel in this field are the ones who genuinely invest in others and create pathways for people to grow—because when people grow, the business grows with them.

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