Employee Spotlight: Mary Jo Cabanes-Book

April sees us proudly shining a spotlight on Mary Jo Cabanes-Book, a respected leader within Publisher Collective and our HR Director.

Mary Jo’s  professionalism, expertise, and commitment make a meaningful impact across our business and her dedication to supporting our people, strengthening our culture is truly evident! Find out more about her below...

When thinking about a typical day here at Publisher Collective, what’s it all looking like for you? 

Like a lot of people it starts with emails, and catching up with slack messages. From there I typically have meetings with managers on a whole range of topics, it could be about supporting a manager with a people-related query, onboarding a new employee, preparing and attending interviews. 

I also have quite a few recurring projects and tasks throughout the year such as performance reviews, employee engagement surveys and pay reviews so I usually dedicate time daily to checking in on these projects.

‍

Do you have a favorite part of your role and if so, what is it?

I’m going to say the cliche thing, I enjoy being able to make a difference in our people’s work life, if I can make it just a little easier or happier this is very satisfying. 

To move away from the obvious though, I enjoy building a strategic plan for the year’s HR activities and gradually working towards completing it. At the start it can feel a little overwhelming, but as the year goes on you prove to yourself that you can execute it and make a difference to the company. 

How has your career path evolved? Was this industry always the goal or has it been a journey?

I’ve had a varied set of work experiences and it wasn’t a given that I would go into HR, in fact, I swore I wouldn’t because my Mum also works in HR. 

It was in the middle of a business graduate scheme at a manufacturing company that I realised that HR would be a good path for me, but I also had a sales path open to me too. 

In the end the CEO at the time chose HR for me and this is the career that I have stuck with and grown. 

‍

Thinking about inspirations, what inspires you professionally or generally? 

I have a contact called Sarah who really inspires me both professionally and in general. 

She is an absolute inspiration. Sarah does a lot of community work and runs my local HR community forum. She is such a busy person but will always have really genuine interactions with me and everyone else around her. 

Her network in Bath is humongous but she manages to find time for everyone. She is also an excellent coach and public speaker. Whenever I see her lead a group meeting, I think I need to be more like Sarah!

‍

As you’re part of Leadership here at Publisher Collective, is there a skill, habit, or mindset that you think is essential to have?

Listening. It’s a skill no one really thinks about but is so essential for everyone, especially leaders. 

I believe that it is an underrated skill. If you can truly listen, you can truly connect with others and empathise with them. This is powerful in leadership to be able to build trust and lead through tough times.

‍

If you had to give a piece of advice to someone considering a career in your field, what would it be?

Be prepared to deal with ambiguity in the job. In my early career I could be quite black and white about things but have realised that in HR everything is a shade of grey.

Humans are complex and although a process might be in place, you can’t always just treat everyone as a one size fits all. Also, a lot of HR involves balancing what the business needs, with what is best for employees and trying to marry the two.  It is a challenge, but a rewarding career.

‍

What’s one common misconception people have about HR, and what’s the reality?

The first thing people say when I say I am in HR is that people must be scared of me. People think HR basically just disciplines and dismissals. This is so far from what we do. 

Firstly, we don’t actually do the disciplining, we support managers to manage our people’s performance effectively and proactively. If we’re constantly doing disciplinaries, something has gone very wrong. 

I very much focus my efforts on creating practices in the company that support people in performing to the best of their abilities. This could be making sure there’s an optimum organisational structure, or making sure people have opportunities to get feedback and improve.

‍

Is there a personal accomplishment that you’re most proud of? 

Sounds silly but I still marvel at the fact that I can drive a car. It did take me three times to pass which is maybe what makes me so proud of it as an accomplishment. 

‍

Finally, we 've chatted about work and your role...What’s your down time look like? 

Like many of us, I try to keep fit, I “enjoy” doing Peloton workouts, so you’ll find me on the bike quite a lot. 

I also volunteer for the Cinnamon Trust which is a charity that helps elderly people and those with disabilities still be able to have and keep dogs despite them no longer being able to walk them. An army of volunteers like me walk the dogs for them. I walk a Beagle called Bella, I love getting out and about with her and also dropping in on her owners, Ben and Linda. 

‍

Thanks to Mary Jo for sharing her career journey, insights, and the experiences that have shaped her both professionally and personally. 

From championing people and culture in the workplace to giving back through volunteering in her spare time, it's a reflection of thoughtful leadership, and genuine care for others. Thanks MJ!

‍