To find the best candidates for a highly technical company like Brewer Science, an HR department has to be proactive, intentional, and able to effectively recruit talent on a worldwide basis.
Those are among the reasons Julie Littrell, BSI’s Director of Talent Management and Engagement, has been so successful. She’s made a point of expanding the company’s intern program, closely tracking employee progress, and developing her global sourcing expertise since joining the company twelve years ago.
“My passion is finding the talent and seeing their career take flight at Brewer Science,” she noted. “And working with people around the world is rewarding. I’m thankful for the opportunity to work for a global company that is truly Of The People.”
Interestingly enough, she says she’s assisted in her work by a “selective photographic memory,” which enables her to memorize resumes and key people.
She embarked on a now-22-year career in human resources, working in HR for the state of Missouri before joining BSI.
Her goals these days not only include ensuring the right talent is sourced and selected during the recruitment process, but that all employees are set on a path for success from “hire to retire.” Currently, Littrell is leading the Talent Development Team, which will include a Talent Development/Management Program that encompasses identifying future leaders (internally and externally) and places them on a path to be developed as successful leaders within Brewer Science. Her greatest challenges? “Mediating employee issues, making hard decisions and implementing wishes.”
Littrell’s typical day might involve forecasting workforce needs, sourcing new employees, handling worker issues, budgeting and/or gathering analytics that help with strategic HR decisions.
She also is responsible for the development of the company’s highly regarded intern, co-op, and post-doc programs. Since being given free rein to make improvements four years ago, she’s effectively integrated interns into company culture so they can live Brewer Science’s vision, values and mission, while ensuring they receive hands-on experience for their future career choice.
Selling the value of that to Brewer Science leaders was initially a challenge, she said, but now the program has outpaced the industry in terms of eligible interns regularly transitioning to full-time positions at BSI. It’s also well respected by universities worldwide, several of which now have strong ties to Brewer Science.
To fuel all that, Littrell believes strongly in supporting local Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) curricula at the K-12 level, participating in events in not only Missouri, but also Arkansas and currently working with a school in Montana. She has involved Brewer Science interns with this cause by helping raise $10,000 over the last three years to assist with classroom science curricula in Belle and Vienna, Missouri. She is a member of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) STEM Committee; consults on HR issues for global industry association Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI); and is active in the American Chemical Society (mostly recently a guest speaker in Boston for the ACS Leadership 50th Anniversary Celebration).
“I consider myself an employee who supports the company’s success,” she said. “It’s a blessing to work here, and there are endless opportunities.”
A fun fact about Littrell to ponder: she’s a lifetime baseball fan who favors now-retired Mets’ player Darryl Strawberry.
Check out our career’s page to see how you can help Julie support Brewer Science’s success.