Isaak Kifle

Describe your roles and responsibilities. 

I am the Human Resources Manager for J-PAL North America. J-PAL North America is a regional office of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, a research center based in MIT’s economics department that works to reduce poverty by ensuring policy is informed by scientific evidence. I’m primarily responsible for managing the HR function for our staff, including recruitment, onboarding/offboarding and our performance review process. I also support J-PAL’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group and several of the projects underway to make J-PAL a more inclusive workplace. During college, I worked in career development, which aims to help students get into organizations. Now, my job is to help them once they’re inside.

How long have you worked at MIT? 

I’ve been at MIT since September 2019, so it will be five years this fall!

What’s the best thing about your job? 

J-PAL North America is genuinely committed to its diversity, equity, and inclusion work, both internally among staff and externally within the field of economics. My role supporting J-PAL’s DEI work has taken different forms throughout my time here. Early on, I coordinated projects with consultants to review our recruitment and performance management processes through a DEI lens; in the upcoming fiscal year, I will be leading a committee responsible for surveying our workplace climate and working on various special projects. I’m excited for the continued impact J-PAL will have in this critical work. Our world is becoming more diverse. Different  perspectives can make organizations more effective.  Given J-PAL’s mission to reduce poverty, working with and learning  from diverse populations can better inform our work and increase our impact.

What advice would you offer someone interested in doing what you do?

I didn’t plan to work in the field I am in now, so I’d start by telling them to keep an open mind about the opportunities that come your way and understand that careers are not always linear. I’ve often described human resources as the intersection of psychology and business, so I would add that, regardless of what you studied in school, make sure you gain an understanding of people in the workplace, and the organizations where you’d like to work. People and organizations both have values, complexities and challenges to navigate, and it’s in that space that HR can demonstrate the most value.

What are your hobbies and interests outside of work?

I enjoy running and hiking; I’ve spent a lot of time in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, though I haven’t been able to do that as much lately. I also enjoy traveling and I’m hoping to cover more cities, like Montreal, over the next year.