Kevin Henry
Executive VP & Chief People Officer
PulteGroup
Episode 169
Ignite Employee Engagement: Discover the 'Why' Behind Human-Centric HR
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleMay 29, 2025 · 15:37
Thesis
“Effective HR leadership is rooted in humanity, empowering employees through clear communication and strategic recognition, and embracing innovative thinking to drive both business performance and a thriving organizational culture.”
Show notes
Kevin Henry has a line that captures his entire leadership philosophy in a sentence: “To unimportant people, you simply tell what. To important people, you explain why.” In Kevin’s world, everyone is an important person.
Now Executive VP and Chief People Officer at PulteGroup, Kevin has led people functions at some of the most operationally intense organizations in America — including Extended Stay America Hotels during COVID, when his team had to keep essential workers safe, engaged, and operational while the hospitality industry collapsed around them. His response wasn’t a playbook. It was humanity first, innovation always, and a bias toward action summed up in a phrase he’s carried across every role: “If it isn’t illegal, if it’s not unethical, and if nobody’s gonna get hurt, let’s give it a shot.”
Kevin also renamed his HR function — “we are the artists formerly known as human resources, like Prince was” — introducing the People and Culture Team with a brand promise built on three A’s: able, accessible, and accountable. The rename wasn’t cosmetic. It was a commitment. And it came with a portfolio of initiatives that consistently drove measurable results: voter registration drives for hotel guests, frontline bonus programs tied directly to operating performance, and packaging innovations at Coca-Cola Consolidated that created a new consumer category. Kevin’s through-line is not the initiatives themselves but the mindset behind them — bold, human, and grounded in the conviction that leadership is a privilege you earn, not a title you hold.
- Leading with humanity during crisis — how Kevin kept Extended Stay America’s essential workers cared for and engaged through the pandemic
- The “give it a shot” innovation culture — and why a simple three-part ethical check unlocks organizational boldness
- The “Big Blue Bonus” program — how tying frontline bonuses to operating performance drove discretionary effort and measurable results
- Rebranding HR as People and Culture — the strategic case for renaming your function and the brand promise that gives it teeth
- Explaining the “why” at scale — why building followership requires communicating purpose, not just directives
- Leadership as earned privilege — Kevin’s parting advice on stewardship, boldness, and the joy of helping others grow
Previ is a private pricing network, free for companies to launch and maintain, that saves employees $2,200/year on essentials like cell phone and auto insurance. Learn more here.
What you'll take away
- 1Lead with humanity, especially during challenging times, by prioritizing employee care and support to enable them to serve customers effectively.
- 2Cultivate a culture of innovation by embracing a 'give it a shot' mentality for ideas that are legal, ethical, and won't cause harm, fostering breakthrough performance.
- 3Drive employee engagement and discretionary effort by clearly communicating the 'why' behind initiatives, building followership rather than dictating tasks.
- 4Redefine and rebrand the HR function (e.g., 'People and Culture Team') to align with its core purpose and establish a clear brand promise like 'able, accessible, and accountable'.
- 5Focus on capability, capacity, and culture as key drivers to achieve sustained superior performance within the organization.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Pushes against a risk-averse mindset: "If it isn't illegal, if it's not unethical, and if nobody's gonna get hurt, let's give it a shot."
- •Challenges traditional HR nomenclature by changing the department name from 'human resources' to the 'people and culture team' to explicitly state its core purpose.
- •Advocates for 'doing through people, not to people' by emphasizing explaining the 'why' to 'important people,' countering a purely directive management style.
In Kevin's words
“The importance of humanity and leading with humanity, particularly during troubling times.”
This quote encapsulates his core philosophy of compassionate leadership during crises.
“If it isn't illegal, if it's not unethical, and if nobody's gonna get hurt, let's give it a shot.”
This highlights his pragmatic and innovative approach to problem-solving and risk-taking.
“I have a strong conviction around the importance of doing through people and not to people. To unimportant people, you simply tell what. To important people, you explain why.”
This quote explains his belief in empowering employees by providing context and rationale for initiatives.
“We are the artists formerly known as human resources, like Prince was. One of the things that I did shortly after joining the organization is I introduced my 3 A's—able, accessible, and accountable—and then changed the name of my department from human resources to the people and culture team.”
This demonstrates a bold, strategic move to redefine the HR function's identity and focus.
“Be joyful in earning the right to lead other people. You know, this is a fabulous vocation. Leadership, a wonderful privilege that you earn through interactions and being able to activate the willingness of others to allow you to lead.”
This offers profound advice on the nature of leadership as a privilege earned through service and influence.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Maintaining business solvency and employee protection during unforeseen crises (e.g., pandemic operations for an essential business).
- •Engaging and recognizing frontline employees effectively to motivate discretionary effort and align with performance goals.
- •Overcoming stakeholder resistance and building followership for significant organizational change initiatives.
- •Increasing product consumption and customer convenience through packaging innovation.
- •Shifting organizational mindset from risk aversion to strategic risk-taking and innovation for market advantage.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
I'm glad to have you with me. It's a real joy and a privilege to be with
In the Elevator With Steve Jobs
Kevin, when was a time you faced a significant challenge in the field of HR
Challenging the HR Field
Kevin, could you tell us about a project or an initiative that you worked on
Exploring the Big Blue Bonus
How do you approach building a successful team or culture in your work environment
Building a Successful Team and Culture
Kevin Martin: Coca-Cola introduced a packaging innovation called the fridge pack
Coca-Cola's FridgeVac
Kevin Miller shares some advice on leadership with the Built by People community
A Few Words of Encouragement for Leaders
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
Expand transcript (0 words)
Transcript is not available yet.