Kristin Lewandowski
VP Global Talent Engagement & Recruiting
Quantum Metric
Episode 60
Unlock HR Superpowers: Authenticity, Empathy, and Culture in Hypergrowth
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleSeptember 5, 2025 · 11:12
Thesis
“Authenticity, empathy, and genuine belief in a company's culture are foundational superpowers for HR leaders, enabling them to build strong relationships, navigate hypergrowth, and create fulfilling employee experiences while prioritizing self-awareness and personal well-being.”
Show notes
Episode SummaryWhat happens when a burned-out social worker becomes a people-first HR leader at a fast-scaling tech company? In this episode of Built By People, host Dave D’Angelo sits down with Kristin Lewandowski, VP of Talent and Recruiting at Quantum Metric, to explore her unconventional journey from clinical psychology to building a talent strategy that helped scale a company from 40 employees to over 200 — and become a unicorn.
Kristin opens up about her early career in Medicaid services, her exploration through entrepreneurship and wine sales, and how those diverse experiences led her to find her true calling in recruiting. She shares a powerful career-defining moment that shifted her perspective on leadership, as well as the challenges of serving as interim Chief People Officer during a pivotal time for the company.
Whether you're navigating burnout, leading through hypergrowth, or wondering how to leave a meaningful legacy in HR, this episode offers real, reflective insights from someone who's been in the trenches — and is still building.
Key Timestamps
[00:52] – Kristin's career journey: from clinical psychology to tech recruiting
[01:49] – Landing at Quantum Metric and scaling the team during hypergrowth
[04:17] – A defining moment at a company kickoff that changed everything
[06:36] – Expanding her role: building culture beyond hiring
[07:27] – Serving as interim Chief People Officer and the lessons learned
[09:16] – The legacy she hopes to leave and what it means to be seen
[10:23] – Why emotional resilience is key for HR professionals
Takeaways
Follow curiosity, not just credentials — your “career tour” can lead to surprising clarity
Recognize when a stretch role is a growth opportunity—and when it's time to realign
Authenticity and empathy are leadership superpowers in talent and recruiting
People-first HR starts with taking care of your own emotional bandwidth
The best recruiters are believers — stay where you truly believe in the mission
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What you'll take away
- 1Embrace non-linear career paths and explorations to find true professional joy and alignment, as evidenced by moving from social work to recruiting.
- 2During periods of hypergrowth, HR leaders have an immense responsibility to ensure a positive employee experience, actively delivering on the promises made during the hiring process.
- 3Cultivate authenticity and empathy as core leadership traits; these are 'superpowers' for building strong relationships and making employees feel seen and heard.
- 4Practice self-awareness in career progression, recognizing when a role (e.g., interim CPO) might be a 'someday goal' rather than a 'today goal' and being comfortable specializing where joy is found.
- 5Prioritize self-care and create space to 'carry the load' in HR, acknowledging the emotional and often confidential nature of the work, which can lead to loneliness.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Kristin challenges the conventional wisdom of continuous upward mobility by discussing the 'Peter Principle' in the context of her interim CPO role, suggesting that being promoted into a role that doesn't bring joy or leverage one's core strengths can be less effective and fulfilling than specializing.
In Kristin's words
“I walked in the room and there were, like, 200 people there, and it hit me that I was really responsible for bringing so many of them into the company.”
This quote highlights the profound personal responsibility felt by an HR leader during rapid organizational growth.
“The adage of like HR stands for Hardly Recognized kind of went out the window. It was like, wow, like this happened. All this work that I was so in the trench just doing the thing that I hadn't taken the time to turn around and realize what was being built while the work was being done.”
It captures a career-defining moment of overcoming imposter syndrome and recognizing the significant impact of her contributions during hypergrowth.
“I think authenticity is a superpower. Empathy is a superpower.”
This is a concise statement of her core philosophy on essential qualities for effective HR leadership.
“If you're a recruiter and you can't sell opportunities or be an ambassador, if you don't believe in the company or the culture or the people, then you really should not be there.”
This quote powerfully connects a recruiter's personal belief and authenticity to their effectiveness as an employer ambassador.
“The mental, emotional, personal work is, it can be similar to social work... there can be like a loneliness, right? Because you're dealing with some really sensitive issues... So, you have to make sure you're giving yourself the space. To carry the load.”
This offers a candid and empathetic insight into the often-unseen emotional burden of HR work and the critical need for self-care.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Scaling culture and employee experience rapidly: The challenge of maintaining a great employee experience and recognizing individual contributions as a company grows from ~40 to 200+ employees in a short period.
- •Navigating career transitions and leadership stretch roles: The difficulty in stepping into broader executive HR roles (e.g., interim CPO) when primary expertise is in a specialized area like recruiting, highlighting potential for burnout or misalignment.
- •Emotional labor and isolation in HR: The confidential and sensitive nature of 'classic HR' issues can lead to loneliness and emotional burden for HR professionals, underscoring the need for personal coping strategies.
- •Investing in employer branding and benefits: Making a compelling argument to invest in areas beyond core hiring, such as rewards programs and benefits, especially during early growth phases.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
Kristin is currently the VP of Talent and Recruiting at Quantummetric
How to Start a Startup With a Second Career
Curious if you could tell us about a career-defining moment in HR
Curious if you could tell us about a career-defining
Kristin served as interim chief people officer here for a year
Kristin, can you talk about a challenge that you faced in
What's a legacy you hope to leave as an HR leader
What's a legacy to leave as an HR leader?
Kristin shares advice on dealing with sensitive issues in HR
Kristin McHugh on her last day at HR
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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