Rodrigo Tajonar Talks Less and Listens More

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Someone once told Rodrigo Tajonar a simple, yet profound truth that underscores the way he approaches his role as chief human resources officer (CHRO) at Boston Globe Media: Talk less. Listen more.

“You have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Since day one, my focus has been to listen to my senior leadership colleagues, our managers, our employees, and the great HR team I have the pleasure to lead, while asking, ‘What’s working well and what isn’t?’” Tajonar says. “To make the greatest impact, you have to listen to the experts, and the experts are the people sitting in each one of the daily meetings, reporting in the field, and working in our printing facilities.”

He continues: “Once you have an idea in place, it’s helpful to partner with colleagues to understand if it could work and, after implementing the new program, gather data and feedback from stakeholders to see if it’s working effectively. Don’t go one hundred miles an hour for an idea you haven’t tested or gotten feedback on.”

Since stepping into the CHRO role in 2022, Tajonar’s mentality has aided a cultural transformation at the company, which produces award-winning news, entertainment, and commentary across fifteen brands. He and his colleagues have realigned the organization around new HR centers of excellence, including a focus on career progression, talent, performance management (including live feedback), diversity and inclusion, employee engagement, recognition, labor relations, total rewards—which includes partnering with outstanding benefits vendors—and more.

The impact? The senior leadership team and manager’s commitment to this transformation saw that 96 percent of eligible employees had annual goals compared to less than five percent in the year before.

“Are we perfect? Of course not. But we’re creating a positive impact in the organization, while focusing to comply with our mission, vision, and exceed our company goals,” Tajonar says.

“We’re creating a positive impact in the organization, while focusing to comply with our mission, vision, and exceed our company goals.”

Rodrigo Tajonar

Tajonar believes that success can be attributed to an ability to tailor the goals to the unique needs of each employee and to make the goals challenging yet achievable and clear-cut.

“It’s important to allow managers and employees to have a clear and open conversation about how they are doing, to re-assess as needed, and to discuss their career and development opportunities,” Tajonar says. “So, as part of our process, we’ve focused on defining what the company needs as a collective and are translating that to each individual in the company. I like to think of making those goals SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.”

In addition to enhanced communication and transparency processes, another cultural lever has been the ‘Lets Connect’ initiative. The idea has been to foster collaboration and unity among team members companywide through experiences that expose them to different sides of the business.

“We have worked to pinpoint projects and actions that foster collaboration across our businesses,” Tajonar says. “At least once a month we host an event for the company that is inclusive for employees across functions, including, in most cases, for those working remote.”

The Boston Globe HR team is transforming culture with opportunities for employees to connect outside of normal work, from team sporting activities to printing press tours to holiday celebrations with culture in mind.

“From the feedback we have received, the employees appreciate that we are taking them into consideration, especially ones that weren’t used to being mentioned or showcased in the past. They appreciate that we’re listening and calling on everyone to participate,” Tajonar says.

Before becoming a HR leader with over two decades of experience, Tajonar studied industrial and systems engineering at the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey. He then started his career at American multinational chemical company DuPont as a compensation benefits analyst, where he fell in love with the intersection of data, analysis, and people-centered programs. From there, he went on to serve in a wide range of leadership roles at DuPont, Axalta Coating Systems, and ILC Dover.

In 2022, he had an opportunity to make a career-long dream come true: to serve as chief people officer.

“It’s a privilege to work with outstanding managers and a senior leadership team that wants to enact important changes for employees,” Tajonar says. “We want to offer them better experiences, so they can focus on their unique talents, which bring tremendous value to the organization.”

As a leader, Tajonar focuses on empowering young professionals and offering advice for their benefit. He often reminds them that they are in the driver’s seat on their career journeys.

“I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve received, and I have been blessed—but I want people to know that we as leaders and managers are here to help our employees succeed. However, it’s up to you to make your path,” Tajonar says. His message to other professionals: “Learning and development never ends. Continue assessing and taking risks and challenges.”

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