CareerXroads and ACE at the USA Today Top Workplaces Awards

������Ƶ (ACE) Chief Human Resources (HR) Officer KK Byland joined Chris Hoyt, President of the CareerXroads Recruiting (CXR) Community Podcast, for a special episode from the USA Today Top Workplaces Awards held in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2025. CXR is for talent acquisition leaders to discover industry news, trends and continuous improvements in HR.

Byland and Hoyt discussed ACE’s unique approach to employee relations within a fully remote workplace culture and how it contributes to being a fourth-consecutive Top Workplaces USA award winner. The award reflects employee satisfaction and feedback, unlike many that focus on high-level, company-wide performance metrics.

How Engagement and Data Build the ACE Culture

A healthy work environment stems from intentionality, especially when it comes to receiving employee feedback and taking it seriously. In the interview, Byland reflected on our most recent employee engagement survey process and how the ACE HR department took a detailed look at the data in order to get ahead of potential challenges. By doing so, they identified trends that indicated areas of opportunity and addressed them before they had too great an impact on organizational health.

Byland said, “Not only did we focus on those glaring areas of opportunity, where scores were lower, but we took a look at scores that were 3 to 5% lower than the previous year… We’re taking a look because those scores went down three to five points in some areas, and we want to get in front of it before it becomes a problem.”

Data-driven HR engagement generates precision in targeting potential issues. Building an award-winning work culture involves approaching areas of opportunity with dedicated and solution-focused strategies. Declining trends in the data inform decisions and invite us to dig deeper and discover why scores have lowered.

Byland and the ACE HR team transform valuable insights from within the organization into proactive employee engagement and focused action. This swift and thoughtful response nips potential challenges in the bud to cultivate a strong company culture that positively impacts employees and leaders. In turn, we better serve stakeholders and meet business objectives.

Enhancing Workplaces With Artificial Intelligence

Hoyt asked Byland about ACE’s innovative addition to its arsenal of healthy workplace tools, Humantelligence. With innovation as one of our core values, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into our processes to create more efficient, effective and collaborative communication strategies.

Working remotely impacts team members’ ability to pop into the office or gather quickly in a boardroom. The software’s capabilities encourage employees to create profiles and discover how to best communicate with one another based on individual preferences, personalities and work styles.

“We’re using the tool to better get to know one another, but more importantly, to move our business forward,” Byland added.

To introduce Humantelligence, ACE’s Organizational Development and Training team hosted an ‘Empower Hour’ webinar. Feedback came in from employees and leaders who experienced the benefits of the tool, including enhanced communication, adaptable leadership and team meeting productivity. Such benefits can lead to process improvements and meeting business goals.

When employees feel understood, it builds trust, creates a sense of belonging and can contribute to retaining top talent, reducing turnover rates and long-term success.

Closing the interview, Hoyt asked Byland, “If you were in charge of USA Today for the day and they let you write the headline above the fold of the paper, what would your headline be?”

Byland responded, “Top Workplaces: Great Cultures, Better Success.”

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Join a company culture of commitment and deep values we strive to meet each day. Learn more about position openings at ACE.

Human resources comprehensively encompasses the human capital affiliated with an organization, including both the employees and the human resources department itself. This unique department is a dynamic team of HR professionals with the pivotal and core responsibility for an extensive array of employee relations duties and human resources functions, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program prepares you for such by equipping you with key skills including but not limited to:

• Problem-solving through the lens of business operations
• Operating and leading organizational processes
• Creating a human-centered work experience for employees
• Making effective and appropriate organizational decisions

To be a leader in human resources, professionals must develop and maintain strong knowledge bases that generate effective competencies to oversee an organization’s people. An MBA provides key leadership and management skills for individuals to progress into higher responsibility roles. This blog is your unique guide to how an MBA can help you reach your career goals in HR!

How Does an MBA Align With an HR Career?

An MBA is a credible graduate-level business degree that equips students with generalized business acumen while also focusing on key strategic human resource management areas like organizational behavior, employee management and engagement, strategic HR, and more. Human resources professionals utilize these problem-solving and strategic skills to accomplish key responsibilities like job recruitment, policy development and implementation and overall employee relations.

Ultimately, graduates of MBA programs are prepared for human resources manager and senior roles through coursework that generates skills that are immediately applicable at all types of organizations. Candidates who bring these skills to the table are ready to advance their human resources careers.

Career Opportunities and Salaries for HR Professionals with an MBA

While a bachelor’s degree is a great way to start, an MBA opens up more opportunities. Corporate sectors, technology firms, healthcare, manufacturing and consulting industries are particularly interested in MBA graduates – especially those seeking to serve in data-driven HR roles, HR management and global HR. Emerging roles include people analytics specialist and HR consultant positions.

MBA degree programs are optimal pathways for those seeking increased income. With an MBA, salaries will reflect that of an HR manager, which according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics . Entry-level roles like HR specialists have a . Note that these salaries are based on collected data and are not guaranteed.

Among the are:

• Chief HR officer
• Chief people officer
• Chief talent officer
• Vice president of HR
• Vice president of talent acquisition
• Change management director
• Compensation director
• Compensation and benefits manager
• Global HR manager

Is an MBA Worth It for HR Professionals?

An MBA is undoubtedly beneficial for HR professionals, but whether it’s the right pathway for you primarily depends on your return on investment and long-term career goals.

To calculate the ROI of your MBA, you’ll want to compare tuition costs with your anticipated salary increase and career growth. The cost of your program can depend on several variables like course delivery (fully online or in person) and whether you’re available for full-time or part-time schedules. It’s also worth considering how long you believe it’ll take to receive your return on investment.

If you see yourself advancing into management, senior and executive HR roles one day, MBA programs offer invaluable skills and knowledge. No matter what level you’d like to reach, you’ll want to consider HR-related credentials like those offered by the SHRM and HRCI®.

How an MBA From ACE is Different

Countless higher education institutions offer MBA programs that vary in length, cost and course delivery (online or in person). Online course delivery is due to its flexibility and often more affordable costs in comparison with an in-person program. That’s where the fully online MBA program at ACE proves itself a worthwhile choice.

Offered at an industry-low cost of $8,675, graduates get an affordable and flexible opportunity that doesn’t sacrifice quality. The MBA takes a skills-based approach and focuses on equipping graduates with skills that immediately apply to the workforce, and this includes those in or seeking HR roles.

Graduates gain skills in key areas including leadership, accounting, management, organizational behavior and more. These courses all apply to HR roles, and the program also includes a human resources management course for more specificity. Additionally, the program can be completed in as little as 12 months for students needing their credential quickly.¹

¹This is an estimated time to completion. Actual completion time may vary depending on the number of transfer credits applied, availability of courses, a satisfactory pace, successful course completion and meeting program milestones as required.