Liberty Mutual

Chris Sanchez

Kayla Wheaton

Human Resources Associate in the Corporate Human Resources Department

First impressions can go a long way, and Kayla Wheaton’s first impression of Liberty Mutual was of its commitment to community service. In January 2010, Wheaton took part in the Liberty Mutual Responsible Scholars Community Project and volunteered in communities affected by wildfires in Southern California. Stories of the company’s work environment and the challenges and rewards of working in the insurance industry stayed with her, leading her to apply to the Human Resources Development Program, a two-year rotation program through the company’s HR functions.

How did you hear about the job at Liberty Mutual?
I heard about it from one of the women on the community service project who talked about her experience at Liberty Mutual and in the insurance industry. She knew I was majoring in management, so she gave me some information about the Human Resources Development Program, and I found out more about it on the company’s website.

Why do you think you got this job?
I would say because of my skills in interpersonal communication and the level of confidence I had in myself. In this job, it’s really important to be personable and to effectively communicate with management and your peers as you handle different cases from other employees.

What surprised you the most when you started?
I remember, during my first week, looking at what the HR associate job description encompasses. You have to handle all kinds of different cases—short-term unemployment, workers compensation, medical leave—and I saw how much detail goes into every case. It surprised me, but it also excited me.

What are you most proud of in your work?
I’m most proud of being able to take on the previous associate’s role. She was such a great asset to the team, and I wondered, will I be able to measure up? In this program, you have to rotate out and replace someone else in that role. I have a lot of responsibilities, and I feel proud when I get things done.

What is your advice to students who want to work in this industry?
Always be yourself during the interview process. In this job, you want to be easy to talk to and outgoing, not standoffish, and you’ll have to answer questions from all different kinds of people. Also, it is a fairly conservative business, so you definitely want to know what kind of culture a company has and abide by that.

What’s the most fun thing you’ve done since starting this job?
About a month into the program, the HR department took us all bowling for a department appreciation night. They made sure people from different units were on the same team, and we were able to break out and meet supervisors and people who are in the same program.