Elizabeth Gartner, B.B.A.'10

B.B.A.'10, Making a Difference in the Workday at Microsoft

With a strong will to learn and encouragement from Haworth College of Business professors, Elizabeth Gartner, B.B.A.'10, continued her education at the graduate level at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she pursued a master’s of human resources and industrial relations. The summer before completing her master’s, she acquired an internship at Microsoft in their HR Trax program where she worked with Finance Learning and Development, creating a communication plan, revitalizing the department SharePoint and conducting needs assessments. Her creative yet professional demeanor and work ethic suited the company’s culture, and she was invited back to Redmond, Wash., to work full time for Microsoft beginning in June 2012.

The HR Trax program rotates employees through three assignments within the company to build skills and expertise and help employees gain a strong understanding of several Microsoft HR functions and environments. Gartner is eager to begin her full-time opportunity providing support and resources to fellow Microsoft employees and making their time at the company more efficient and enjoyable. “I believe that the key to a profitable business is people. Adults spend the majority of their lives in their workplace, and we can provide something to make a workday better. Human resources can impact lives.”

To achieve success in her career, Gartner knows she will pull knowledge from both the graduate and undergraduate programs she completed. “My success in graduate courses is due to the preparation from my undergrad coursework. The combination of theory and practice has been beneficial in interviews and on-the-job application,” she comments, and fondly recalls the constant challenges, high expectations, opportunities, support and advice she received during her time at the Haworth College of Business. When asked about a specific piece of knowledge that she leans on routinely, she quickly answers, “Acronyms! I continue to look at the study packets for HR Games, which I participated in with WMU’s department of management.”

Outside of working, the free-spirited Gartner enriches her life by playing sports, seeing live music and embracing “her love of all things outdoors,” including horseback riding, hiking and camping at Tubb’s Island.