Our Enviri Women employee resource group fosters a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with our organizational mission, values, goals, business practices and objectives.
We proudly feature Cynthia Wang, who has been a tremendous asset to Harsco Environmental and authentically reflects our ‘be performance driven’ value. This value demonstrates the ability to act passionately about delivering thoughtful results to our community, internally and externally.
How did your career start, and what has your work experience been?
I have over 24 years of experience in the Human Resources function. I began my career with PepsiCo as a management trainee and continued my journey through different companies, such as Danaher, UTC and Chrysler. Prior to becoming an external Human Resources Consultant for Harsco Environmental in 2022, I was Director of HR, Asia Pacific Region in the Access Division of Oshkosh.
Tell us a little bit about your current role at Harsco Environmental. What is a misconception people may have about your position?
Some people think that Human Resources is all about administration and policies with no creativity involved. I’ve always found this to be a misconception. There’s so much more to HR than that, as it oversees the entire employee lifecycle. HR is responsible for supporting a specific business strategy with how talent is sourced, hired and developed, while simultaneously supporting the company’s mission and goals to lead success. Due to the continuous change happening in the economy and a developed culture of flexible work options, HR often stems from creativity and thinking outside of the box to support innovative improvements and solutions.
What has been the most rewarding moment of your career so far?
I feel privileged to have worked as a coach to support team members in successfully building their career paths. It keeps me motivated that while I work with different groups of teams, I can allow them to find a space for inspiring each other.
Do you have any fun facts about yourself?
I always like to try different things and challenge myself. I have been skydiving before and immediately loved the feeling of flying. I am also a certified diver. Not just scuba diving, but cave diving, free diving and mermaid performance as well.
How do you enjoy your time outside of work? Do you have any specific routines or habits that keep you going?
Being able to travel and experience different cultures is very rewarding. As far as any routines, I always carry the motto “keep smiling and enjoy today” close to me!
How do you empower other women in our industry?
Building a healthy working environment is fundamental to the empowerment of women. It is meaningful to constitute a plan within the workplace that includes mentoring and shadowing programs for women employees to grow confidence within their specific industry.
How do you think we should encourage the younger generation of women to join the waste industry?
To attract the younger generation of women, we need to understand what they are looking for within their professional development journey and target individuals who carry the same goals and values as the company. It could be beneficial to start in the early stages such as high school or college and offer internship opportunities to present them with an experience that dives beneath the surface of the industry.
What can be done to further improve the participation and progression of women in the recycling and waste industry?
There are many misconceptions about the environmental solutions industry, so I feel that if fulfilling, creative jobs were more visible, then women might be more attracted. Educating women on the various types of roles they could hold in the industry would help to improve their participation.