Bob Nogueira, chief people officer, Colorado

Can you describe your role?

Instead of just calling it the human resources director, it’s really putting people front and center and saying this is the person who’s going to lead the people initiatives for our organization, just like we have someone who leads the security initiatives and technology and applications. I think the term human resources is viewed not as positively as perhaps a lot of human resources professionals would want it to be. When we put the word “people,” and then put people themselves front and center, it reminds us that the reason a human resources function exists is to make sure that people are inspired and engaged and motivated.

What do you love most about your job?

What I love most about the work that I get to do every day is that people count on us. The work that the Office of Information Technology does touches every state employee, every state agency and really does connect to what Coloradans rely on government for. And that work doesn’t happen unless the people running that technology feel inspired, feel engaged and feel cared for themselves. My team and I are super committed to that mission of always being focused on the business but first being focused on the people that deliver for the business.

What lesson will you take with you from the pandemic?

In addition to managing work from home, you also had the intimacy, if you will, of being invited into everyone’s homes. We now know the names of everyone’s children and spouses and pets. And we know the spot in your home that you’re working. So there’s this real intimacy of being invited into the homes of your employees. I think with that intimacy comes a responsibility to bring more empathy and more leadership into what it is you need, and what support looks like.