Optimistic About the Future

PROVO, Utah – Feb 09, 2022 – Developing others and watching them grow is Joe Hardie’s favorite aspect of human resources. His love for the field formed during his time in the human resource management (HRM) program at the BYU Marriott School of Business and while he worked as a student on campus. Now, Hardie lives his passion every day as an HR leader for Walmart.

When Hardie was an undergraduate at BYU, he was initially unsure which major to pursue. Originally a pre-med student, he discovered a career in medicine was not what he was looking for. At the time he was pondering his options, Hardie worked for the human resources department at the Harold B. Lee Library at BYU. Because he enjoyed his job so much, he decided to pursue the HRM program at BYU Marriott.

“Taking that job at the library ended up being the most influential decision I made at BYU,” Hardie says. “I was guided through some of the tricky things HR practitioners deal with every day. I also led trainings and helped develop other employees at BYU, which was fun.”

In addition to gaining valuable expertise through his student job, Hardie developed his skills through the opportunities available to him at BYU Marriott. “The HRM faculty members were awesome,” he adds. “My professors took time to help me think about my career and goals.” In addition to being mentored himself, Hardie served as a mentor and leader for other HRM students as president of the school’s chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management.

After graduating in 2010, Hardie continued to rely on BYU Marriott’s resources. Fellow HRM alumnus Paul McKinnon was the head of human resources for Citibank and recruited BYU Marriott students to apply for a job at the company's New York City office. Hardie’s subsequent employment at Citibank increased his exposure to using data to better understand various HR problems, which he continues to use to this day. “I’ve used what I learned at Citibank in every other position I’ve had. My passion for human resources grew in that job and has had a resounding impact down the road in my career,” he says.

Hardie left Citibank to further his education, graduating from Cornell University in 2014 with a master’s degree in industrial and labor relations. “I was well prepared for Cornell because of the rigor of my undergraduate HRM classes,” he explains. “BYU Marriott did a wonderful job of preparing me for the future with résumé skills, practice interviews, and a network. All of those tools came in handy as I entered the next phase of my education.”

Throughout his career, Hardie has held a variety of leadership positions. He spent seven years with Amazon, where he was promoted to senior HR business partner for Amazon Web Services. In July 2021 he moved with his family to Bentonville, Arkansas, where he is currently an HR leader with Walmart. In his new role, Hardie helps executives with companywide projects. One project he currently works on is aligning compensation with updated employee roles.

Looking ahead, Hardie is optimistic. He loves working at Walmart because of his opportunities for internal progression and the role he plays in helping the company incorporate technology more thoroughly into its business model. “Using technology as a strategic advantage entails several organizational and systems changes, along with a different type of thought leadership from HR practitioners. Being part of that change is exciting,” Hardie says. Long term, he hopes to one day be the head of human resources at a company.

In addition to thinking about the future of his career, Hardie relishes the opportunity to grow with his family. “For the first time in over 10 years, I live near my extended family,” he explains. “My immediate life goal is to strengthen my relationships with people I love and care about. I want to think more about my family members living in this area and start focusing on my relationships with them.”