Canadian HR Expert Series: Andrea Bartlett

We launched this series to celebrate Canadian HR leaders, the people doing some of the hardest work in business. HR is often misunderstood. It’s the force shaping company culture, leadership, and performance.

Meet Andrea Bartlett

Andrea Bartlett is the VP, People & Organization Development at Lillio, a tech platform dedicated to empowering early childhood educators. With extensive experience spanning multiple industries, Andrea’s HR career and MBA have uniquely positioned her to tackle complex organizational challenges, balancing strategic business objectives with thoughtful people management. Her proven approach emphasizes clarity, empathy, and practical problem-solving.

A career built on adaptability

Andrea initially resisted the idea of a career in HR. “I was adamantly opposed to going into HR,” she laughs, recalling the twist of fate that led her to a surprise job interview, launching her into the field. 

Her journey began in commodity trading, where she closely collaborated with finance teams, providing an early lesson in the crucial integration of HR and finance.

Andrea soon transitioned into the private equity space, where she honed her ability to rapidly understand new businesses and build strong relationships. Whether stepping in as the first HR hire or leading established teams, her focus has always been clear: deeply understand the business objectives first, and then align the people strategy accordingly.

"To have a real impact in HR, you need to know exactly what the business is aiming to achieve. From there, you can align your people to drive those outcomes."

Navigating complexity in tech

Over the last six years, Andrea has been leading teams in the tech industry, navigating its unique challenges, including the unprecedented disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic and changing economic conditions. 

Currently, at Lillio, Andrea manages a workforce distributed across Canada and the U.S., facing the complexities of a highly regulated early childhood education sector.

“Early childhood education is one of the most regulated fields I’ve worked in. Managing cross-border teams and ensuring compliance has required creativity, adaptability, and constant learning,” Andrea explains.

She emphasizes the importance of balancing aggressive growth with strategic foresight, reflecting on her experience at Lillio where staffing preceded revenue growth. "We took risks that taught us valuable lessons about market expansion, regulatory landscapes, and operational agility."

Embracing the human element

One of Andrea’s core insights about HR is recognizing the unpredictable nature of people. “You can have the most carefully crafted plan, but people will always surprise you,” she notes. 

This unpredictability underscores the emotional demands of the role, which Andrea candidly describes as both rewarding and draining.

"A pivotal lesson for me was learning to ‘care without carrying’. Early in my career, I absorbed employees’ anxieties and stresses, which impacted my own mental health significantly. Learning to establish emotional boundaries has been critical."

Andrea advocates the value of establishing routines, particularly for remote workers, to help manage the mental load of HR responsibilities. "Simulating a morning and evening commute, even something as simple as a short walk helps create necessary separation between work and personal life."

Shifting HR misconceptions

Andrea is passionate about correcting common misbeliefs about HR, especially the outdated notion that HR’s sole purpose is to protect company interests. She stresses that effective HR leadership exists within a delicate balance: safeguarding both organizational health and employee welfare.

"Too often, HR is mistakenly viewed as a department responsible solely for compliance or protecting the company. In reality, HR must balance protecting the business and supporting employees. Striking that balance is essential."

She also stresses the misconception around HR's role in managing people issues directly. "HR should empower managers to handle difficult conversations and lead effectively, not act as their substitute or enforcer. Good HR builds managerial capabilities, it doesn’t replace them."

Tackling engagement and community building

Andrea identifies employee engagement and community building as pressing concerns, particularly in today’s remote and hybrid work environments. She explains that traditional engagement methods no longer suffice, given the changing workplace dynamics and widespread employee fatigue.

"Turning employee apathy into genuine engagement is one of our biggest challenges right now," Andrea notes. "Employees are tired and the usual strategies aren't enough anymore. We need innovative approaches informed by accurate, meaningful data."

Andrea stresses the importance of differentiating between satisfaction and true engagement. "Employees might be satisfied with their benefits and compensation, yet still feel disconnected or unmotivated. True engagement is deeper. It’s about feeling valued, connected, and purposeful."

Effective communication in difficult times

Throughout her career, Andrea has discovered the importance of clear, kind, and honest communication, particularly in challenging situations. 

"Early on, I relied too heavily on formal processes and scripted conversations, which often failed to resonate. I've learned that straightforward, compassionate communication can significantly ease difficult discussions. People appreciate being treated as people."

She credits mentors and past experiences for helping her refine this skill. "The principles of clarity and kindness became fundamental to my approach. Employees deserve honesty and respect, even in hard moments."

The future of HR

Andrea believes the future of HR hinges on rebuilding engagement and community in the wake of massive workplace change. At Lillio, a fully remote company, that challenge is front and centre.

"Our business actually got rid of our office space, we’ve always been remote, but now we’re fully remote," Andrea said. "As an HR professional, that can be tough. You lose those informal touchpoints that help build connection."

She emphasized that in hybrid and remote environments, traditional methods of community-building don’t always apply. "When companies are fully in-office or fully remote, there’s more clarity. It's easier to understand the employee pulse, and easier to lean into the workforce that you're trying to manage. But hybrid can make it really hard to understand your people and build cohesion."

For Andrea, the key to navigating this isn’t giving employees everything they ask for, it’s understanding what they need, what’s within the company’s control, and where clarity is lacking. 

"Start with the data. Use it to identify what’s missing, what’s already working, and what’s realistic to build. And most importantly, explain the why."

She adds that every workforce is different, and HR leaders need to throw out the idea of a one-size-fits-all playbook. 

"The strategy I used when I joined Lillio wouldn’t work today. Our team has changed. The business has changed. HR needs to evolve with it."

Seeing HR differently

Andrea’s hope is that perceptions of HR continue to evolve positively, recognizing HR professionals' complexity and humanity. 

"HR doesn't need to be your best friend," she concludes thoughtfully, "but it certainly isn’t your enemy. Understanding and mutual respect can significantly enhance workplace relationships and outcomes."

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