Emre Altun

▶0:01HostWelcome to the Built by People podcast, where we share the stories and insights of the world's top HR leaders. Join us as we dive deep into the minds of HR executives, uncovering their strategies, challenges, and triumphs in shaping today's workforce. I'm excited to welcome Emery to the Built By People podcast. Thank you so much for joining us. And as a starting question, I always love to ask if you could tell us a little bit more about your career journey.

▶0:57GuestUh, first of all, thank you, Dave, for having me. It's a pleasure to be here. Um, my career journey, uh, has been a unique blend of engineering, education, and human resources. I earned my bachelor's degree in electrical and electronics engineering, uh, where I developed a love for systems thinking, problem solving, and data analysis. However, education has always been a passion for me. So as a first-generation immigrant, I wanted to give back to the community that gave me so much. So I began my professional journey teaching middle school math at Harmony Public Schools. It's a Texas-based charter school system with more than 60 campuses across the state. So that transition from engineering to education, I can say, was the most transformative experience of my life because it taught me the value of human impact. Beyond numbers and systems. So during that time, I also earned a master's degree in gifted and talented education from the University of Houston. And over time, I moved into leadership roles within the same school system, first in campus leadership and then at the central office, where I served as director of special programs and then director of human resources. And today Chief Human Resources Officer. So my focus has always been on creating systems that support people in achieving their full potentials. Yeah, it's a career path I never expected, but one I'm— that I'm incredibly grateful for.

▶2:33HostAnd how has your engineering background shaped your approach to designing and implementing HR systems, particularly in data-driven decision-making and process optimization?

▶2:47GuestOh, it's a great question. My engineering background has been very helpful in shaping the way I design and implement HR systems. Engineering is not just about understanding machinery or circuits, right? It's about understanding how moving parts of a system work together to achieve a larger goal. So as an engineer, you're trained to approach problems systematically and rely on data for decision-making, right? But in my opinion, that same logic applies to HR. Like for example, when designing HR systems, we use frameworks to break down complex processes into manageable parts. We leverage data analytics to inform decisions, whether it's compensation planning, recruitment, or retention strategies. So, so such a structured approach has ensured that HR systems remain scalable and adaptable as Harmony continues to grow its network of 60 campuses across the state of Texas.

▶3:49HostAnd in what ways does your technical training enhance your understanding of the metrics and analytics involved in things like performance management or compensation planning?

▶4:02GuestWell, my technical training taught me that tells a story, and in HR, it's the story of our people, right? Metrics in performance management and compensation planning are just, are not just numbers. They are indicators of engagement. They're indicators of growth. They are also indicators of like organizational health. So they also help us to ensure that financial incentives are aligned with organizational priorities. For instance, when developing compensation models at Harmony, we look beyond surface-level metrics. We analyze trends over time, we look at the correlations between student growth and teacher performance, and even outliers that might signal areas for improvement. So this deeper dive ensures our decisions are equitable and align with our broader goals of fostering innovation, and rewarding meaningful contributions.

▶5:01HostWhen creating a performance-based compensation plan, how do you determine the right metrics to reward things like innovation while aligning with the company goals?

▶5:15GuestA good question. So we understand that like compensation is a critical priority for our employees. I mean, for everyone. So that's why at Harmony, we're constantly exploring innovative ways to bring new financial opportunities for our team members. We know that developing a performance-based compensation plan in education can be quite challenging because it's not a common practice in the field of education. So these challenges include the risk of dissatisfaction among employees who may not meet bonus eligibility criteria. Right? We have more losers than winners when it comes to compensation. However, implementing such a system can also be a very strategic move because it helps us to incentivize and retain high-performing staff, especially when financial resources are limited, which most of the time is the case in education, unfortunately. So when creating performance bonuses, Uh, the goal should be to identify metrics that are meaningful, that are measurable, and also directly aligned with organizational goals. At Harmony Public Schools, uh, innovation and collaboration are our key priorities, and the metrics we used in our compensation plan reflect these values. So our system rewards educators, uh, not only for their individual achievements, like such as student growth, but also for their contributions to school-wide initiatives and targets. In addition, our performance-based compensation model in Harmony has qualified us to participate in Texas's Teacher Incentive Allotment Program. Through this program, teachers can potentially earn six-figure salaries by receiving one of the three distinguished designations from the state. Recognized teacher, exemplary teacher, or master teacher. So as one of the program's early adopters, nearly 1,000 Harmony teachers qualify for this bonus, so making it one of the largest compensation packages offered by any school system in the state, or maybe in the nation.

▶7:26HostAnd how do you approach balancing individual and team-based performance metrics to ensure fair and motivating compensation. You talked about this, uh, ability for teachers to, you know, qualify for higher pay should they acquire a series of, uh, accreditations or certificates. Any other approaches that you're taking to, you know, drive fair and motivating compensation in the organization?

▶7:56GuestSure. So finding the right balance between individual and team-based performance metrics is important, right? Uh, for creating an equitable and motivating compensation system. So individual metrics encourage accountability and reward personal efforts. On the other hand, team metrics emphasize collaboration and shared success. So at Harmony, for instance, teacher leaders and campus instructional coaches, they are evaluated on both their direct impact on student growth, and also their contributions to broader school-wide goals. So this type of dual approach motivates our employees to collaborate while making sure that their unique efforts are also recognized.

▶8:43HostCan you share an example where your engineering perspective helped solve a specific HR challenge?

▶8:53GuestAbsolutely. A challenge we faced was an unintended consequence of the, the teacher incentive allotment program that I mentioned. The TIA program, the teacher incentive allotment program, was designed to keep high-performing teachers in the classroom by offering the chance to earn six-figure salaries, right? And it worked. Teachers loved the program and they did not want to leave the classroom. But here's the challenge. So many of these exceptional teachers became less interested in being campus leaders. So in some cases, teachers were making more than their assistant principals or even their principals. So they wondered like, why moving to leadership if I'm already earning more and doing what I love, right? So to tackle this problem, we took a step back. We gathered extensive data and analyzed the situation.. And from there, we created a performance-based compensation system for campus leaders, giving them the chance to earn extra bonuses if their campus met certain criteria. So to fund this initiative, we applied for and we were granted, awarded a $27 million grant from the US Department of Education called Teacher and School Leader Program. So designing this system wasn't so easy, so we had to make sure it aligned with all of our organizational priorities, but we made it work. Now we are investing hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. Already seen the positive impact, better campus performance, higher retention, and stronger interest in leadership roles.

▶10:27HostWhat a great example. Thank you for sharing that. Emre, any parting advice that you'd like to share with our listeners? Sure.

▶10:37GuestI would say always stay curious and don't shy away from bringing your unique background into your work. Whether it's engineering, finance, or another field, those skills can add tremendous value to HR. Also, use data, seek clarity, and never stop refining your systems. After all, like, the better the system, the greater its impact on the people it serves.

▶11:05HostEmre, thank you so much for joining us on the Built by People podcast. It was a pleasure having you involved.

▶11:10GuestThank you again, Dave. Thanks for the opportunity. It's a pleasure.