For Christine DiRienzo, a career in Human Resources wasn’t necessarily part of the plan. But looking back, she can see how the pieces fell into place. Christine studied psychology in college but knew she didn’t want to pursue a career in the field. After graduation, she took a seasonal position at Lord & Taylor in Westfield, and when the holiday season ended, an opportunity opened up in the store’s Human Resources department. She decided to give it a try and before long she realized she had found her place.
Even her psychology background turned out to be more relevant than she initially realized. Christine remembers taking an industrial psychology course in college that touched on many of the concepts she would later encounter in HR. And the broader lessons of psychology — understanding how people and personalities interact — have continued to serve her throughout her career.
After spending some time out of the workforce, Christine knew that when she returned, she wanted something different from the corporate environment. The nonprofit world appealed to her, and The Arc of Essex County’s mission had a personal connection. Christine has a cousin with autism, and she had seen firsthand the difference the right services and support could make in his life.
She joined The Arc as an HR Coordinator and soon discovered that the agency offered an interesting new dimension to the work she already enjoyed. She was drawn to the onboarding side of Human Resources and the structure involved in making sure requirements were met. When an opportunity arose to focus more closely on onboarding, a colleague recognized those strengths in Christine and encouraged her to pursue it.
Today, as Assistant Director of Human Resources Onboarding, Christine helps guide new employees through their first steps with The Arc. She works with new hires, rehires, and some employees transitioning into new positions, ensuring they complete the necessary requirements and have what they need to get started successfully. “I like getting people started and meeting them when they first come on,” she says.
For Christine, onboarding is about more than paperwork and requirements. She also checks in with employees at designated points after they begin, making sure they know HR remains a resource long after their first day. “We’re here,” she says. “HR is not just here for when there’s a problem.”
That emphasis on connection extends beyond onboarding. Christine enjoys being part of the HR team’s employee engagement efforts, including the recent DSP Recognition Week. She especially appreciates the opportunity to help deliver treats and gifts to programs throughout the agency, giving her a chance to get out of the main office and connect directly with employees.
She also enjoys finding ways to bring some fun into training and professional development. During a recent Managers Training, Christine helped with a Family Feud-style activity that mixed managers into teams and gave newer and long-time leaders an opportunity to interact in a different way.
Those activities reflect one of Christine’s favorite things about working at The Arc: the people. She describes the HR department as a positive, collaborative team that works well together, and she sees that same spirit of support throughout the agency. “I feel like everybody here is very accessible,” Christine says. “We have our values, and we really try to live up to those values.”
That culture of teamwork has made The Arc a place where she feels supported while she, in turn, helps make sure new employees feel supported from the moment they arrive. For someone whose role is centered on welcoming people to The Arc, that sense of connection is especially meaningful. Christine gets to be one of the first people many employees meet as they begin their journey with the agency, and she hopes to make sure they understand from the start that they are joining a workplace where people are there for one another.