Personalizing Employee Engagement with Rose Ann Garza

In episode 219, Coffey talks with Rose Ann Garza about strategies to personalize employee engagement. They discuss defining engagement as safety and appreciation rather than superficial perks; using the Great Game of Business approach to financial transparency and employee involvement; reducing turnover through cultural changes; prioritizing practical benefits over traditional perks; creating special interest groups beyond typical affinity programs; sourcing engagement ideas through HR office hours and direct employee feedback; addressing soft skills gaps in the emerging workforce; and the importance of trust-building through hands-on leadership presence. Check out Episode 112 of Good Morning, HR featuring Monica Guzmán, author of I Never Thought of It That Way. Her insights on the value of curiosity and conversation when engaging with opposing viewpoints are especially relevant today. Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com. If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com. About our Guest: Rose Ann Garza, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is the Chief Human Resources Officer for Kerbey Lane. During her time at Kerbey Lane the organization has more than doubled in size and has won several prestigious awards related to their impact within the community and on their team members. Prior to joining Kerbey Lane, Rose Ann built her career in the restaurant and hospitality industry working with Destination Hotel and Resorts and Brinker International. A member of Kerbey Lane’s Executive Team, she leads the execution of Kerbey Lane’s people strategy as well as builds organizational capability and team member culture to further enable Kerbey Lane’s growth and impact. She also serves as the strategic business advisor to senior leadership and the Managing Partners of each location regarding key organizational and management issues. In addition to her role at Kerbey Lane, Rose Ann serves on the SHRM Membership Advisory Council (2025-2026) representing the Southwest Central Region and over 50,000 SHRM Members across ten states. She also serves on the Texas SHRM Board of Directors Executive Council as the Immediate Past State Director. Rose Ann previously served Texas SHRM in the roles of State Director, State Director Elect, Assistant State Director- District Directors and Core Leadership Area Directors, District Director and as the Workforce Readiness Director. Rose Ann has also served her local SHRM chapter, Austin SHRM, as President, President Elect, and Vice President of Programs. In 2024 Rose Ann was named the HR Executive of the Year by Austin SHRM and recently, in June 2025, Rose Ann was honored as the inaugural recipient of the Austin Business Journal’s HR Impact Award. Rose Ann received a Bachelor of Arts from Texas State University and a Master of Fine Arts from The University of Texas at Austin. Rose Ann Garza can be reached at https://kerbeylanecafe.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/roseanngarza About Mike Coffey: Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher. In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business. Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies. Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association. Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community. Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year. Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee. Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week. Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth. Learning Objectives: 1. Implement transparent financial sharing and employee involvement in business decisions to create ownership mentality, teaching financial literacy that benefits both company performance and personal employee development. 2. Design engagement benefits that address actual employee needs rather than assumed preferences, focusing on practical support like meal allowances for families instead of traditional corporate perks. 3. Establish regular face-to-face contact with frontline employees through scheduled office hours and hands-on work experience to build trust and gather authentic feedback for engagement initiatives.