An expert in human performance, Jayne Phillips knows what it takes to manage talent, drive performance, and run an effective organization. After years of working with one of the largest homebuilders in the United States, she took her wealth of knowledge and started her own consulting business. Now she’s brought her talents to work for AVID Ratings as a lead advisor to homebuilders on human resource and operational management issues.

Before launching her consulting business in 2008 and joining AVID Ratings in January 2009, Jayne was the human resources director for Pulte Homes’ Arizona and New Mexico operations. Previously, she served on the senior leadership team of Pulte Homes’ information technology department, overseeing organizational effectiveness and human capital programs.

“Whether we’re looking at customer service, business processes, sales, etc. — every area of home building has components that delve into human resources,” Jayne says. “Though I have managed all aspects of HR, I prefer to work on the organizational and performance side, because that’s where builders can reap the largest benefits. And that’s what I get to do when advising AVID’s clients.”

In addition to real estate and construction, Jayne has worked in a variety of industries, including information technology and telecommunications. She has also consulted for businesses in real estate development, healthcare, hospitality, and banking, as well as government agencies.

“I help companies define work and select the right people to do that work. But I take it a step further to help organizations figure out how they’re treating people and what they can do to make it more appealing for good employees to want to work with them,” Jayne says.

As the home-building industry works its way through the housing slump, human resources will play a key role in every homebuilder’s success. “More than ever, it’s important that builders put in place the right people, with the right training, with the right processes to make things happen,” Jayne says. “It can be a challenge, but it’s also a huge opportunity for companies willing to reengineer their processes and become more efficient. Now is a good time to do that.”

AVID’s strength, she says, is its ability to evaluate how builders are doing business and then to advise them on ways to do things better. “AVID does it in a way that is sustainable,” Jayne adds. “A lot of consultants can come in and recommend changes, but it’s rarely something clients can sustain on their own. AVID’s methods educate and empower clients to create their own success.”

Jayne earned her Senior Professional Human Resources certification in 2008 and is an active member of the Society of Human Resources Management and the Arizona Human Resources Executive Forum. She is also a volunteer career coach and workshop presenter for Fresh Start Women’s Resource Center in Phoenix, Ariz.

Though her talents can be applied to any industry, she particular likes working with homebuilders because the end product plays such an important role in consumers’ lives. “Everyone sees their home as their own personal sanctuary,” she explains. “By working in this industry, I know I’m contributing to something meaningful.”

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