Learning and Development: All Roads Lead to Haydon
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
When Haydon’s Director of Learning and Development was a kid, her mom would often find her standing at a chalkboard or clacking away at a keyboard pretending to teach to a classroom of students. “Teaching was always in my blood,” Jessica said. She has gone on to spend time as a music teacher, art teacher, coach at her church, and even mentors Haydon interns.
And if Jessica has a superpower, it’s learning. She loves learning new things which is evident in her renaissance-like list of activities including playing piano, guitar, embroidery and painting. She earned her undergraduate degree from Grand Canyon University in business management and her masters degree from ASU in organizational leadership.
Starting as a temp at Haydon five years ago, Jessica fell in love with the company, culture and people. She worked closely with Katie Haydon which inspired her passion for connecting with Haydon’s people, and kickstarted her career working on projects like establishing the onboarding program, hosting the company’s weekly Huddle meeting, improving employee milestone experiences, managing Haydon High Five’s (Haydon’s peer-to-peer recognition program), and coordinating the annual Town Hall meeting.
During her time at Haydon, Jessica grew into a culture quarterback, working alongside leadership to reinvent the company’s values and enhance the culture. With the need for a more formal learning and development program to meet the company’s growing needs and diverse skill sets, Jessica stepped in to lead the charge in that role and fulfill her passion for supporting people in their growth.
“I am passionate about finding ways to help people feel like they belong and empowering them with the tools they need to be successful,” Jessica shared. “I love the underdog stories, stories of people who defy the odds to achieve their goals. This industry is full of people that are gritty and determined to grow. Helping them is my why.”
As Haydon continues to grow, so do its unique learning and development needs. Jessica focuses on creating new training programs and strategies that align with Haydon’s business strategy and its performance management program. “With our growth and unique needs, the sky’s the limit for learning and development.”
Looking at where she is today, combined with her childhood dreams and passion for learning and teaching, it all comes full circle. Jessica is right where she’s meant to be.
