HCSG Director of Operations Shares Unexpected Career Path

In 2014, Heather Hull found herself back in her home state of Washington, searching for a new role within the healthcare industry that would allow her to care for people. Heather had been working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in California for 10 years in home care, responsible for taking care of individuals in their homes. When she realized she had to re-apply for her CNA certification because of the differentiating state regulations, she was open to all options available to her.

When an opportunity for a housekeeping position with HCSG arose, Heather jumped on it, eager for her first step back into the healthcare community. About six months into her role as a Housekeeper, a District Manager noticed Heather’s dedication and ambition and encouraged her to apply for HCSG’s Manager-in-Training (MIT) program, where she would be exposed to hands-on training and education to eventually progress to a management role.

It was then that Heather took a step back and thought, “Do I want to pursue home care as a CNA or do I want to experience career growth with HCSG?” Heather realized that moving forward with HCSG would allow her to be able to help others on a larger scale. She emphasized, “That was a big decision factor for me. There were going to be more people in my day-to-day life that I would be able to help, whether it was residents or team members.”

Once she graduated from the MIT program, Heather became an Account Manager, where she excelled in establishing a high-performing housekeeping department. She would later be transferred to various locations to continue building efficient departments. Heather had managed five different departments when HCSG started to expand dining services into the West Coast in 2018.

At the time, District Manager (DM) Tim Geraghty, noticed Heather’s on her hands and knees scrubbing the corners and edges of the floors of the first facility where she was an MIT. He asked her if she ever considered transferring to dietary services. Heather responded, “As a type one diabetic, nutrition has always been important to me my entire life. I felt like I could take my passion for food and use that as my motivation to learn everything I needed to understand about dietary services.”

With the mentorship of HCSG leaders and client partners, Heather flourished and transitioned to a District Manager overseeing Dining Services. Today, Heather is a Director of Operations overseeing dining operations in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. From managing accounts, to ensuring payroll and purchasing is in line, to communicating with clients, her daily responsibilities change often. She said, “With my current role, I can teach what I’ve learned to my fellow team members going through similar experiences that I went through. At the end of the day, I want to make sure that I’m inspiring someone to want to continue to do their job again tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that.”

With regard to clients, Heather understands the common goal of providing the best possible care to residents is just as important to us as it is to them. Heather instills that mindset to each of her team members. She said, “I want clients to feel like they are our only client. Each client that we speak to and work with must feel seen and heard.”

When it comes to mentoring team members, Heather has formed relationships with quite a few people. One that comes to mind for her is Michelle Connery. Michelle began as a Cook, participated in the MIT program to later become a Dietary Manager, and is now a District Manager. Heather saw a drive in Michelle that reminded her of herself. She did everything she could to support Michelle, along with other District Managers. Heather mentioned, “This isn’t a typical job. Our job is to care for people, so why not care for the people that are doing the job? We can support whatever path you’re on.”

Throughout her managerial roles, Heather has realized that every team member is motivated differently. She explains, “You have to get to know your team and learn what motivates each person. One of my DM’s needs direct constructive criticism while another needs positive reinforcement. Acknowledging those differences and really digging into how everyone operates has been successful for me.”

When asked where she wants to be in five years, Heather responded, “I’m more of a go-with-the-flow type of person, but I definitely still see myself with HCSG. I want to keep growing and would love to help integrate as much engagement as possible into our company culture.”

At HCSG, the opportunities to experience a flourishing career are endless. Heather concluded, “My advice to folks that are thinking about joining HCSG would be to ask yourself if you want a job or an actual career path. Both options are possible and we will make it happen.”

If you’re searching for exceptional career growth opportunities or find yourself on a similar path like Heather’s, visit HCSG.com/Careers to explore your options today.

Related Articles —

---