Founder Interview With Jannah Bachrouche, HERC HR
Photo Credit: HERC HR
Jannah Bachrouche is the Founder of HERC HR, a Queer and Arab-owned holistic Human Resources and People Ops consulting and fractional services company. HERC HR specializes in helping companies of all sizes address challenges related to employee retention, engagement, growth, communication, and inclusivity. Whether you’re a 10-person organization looking to lay scalable foundations or a 100+ person company wanting to improve these aspects, HERC HR offers strategic and executional support.
During our interview, Jannah shared her transition from her initial dreams of becoming a psychologist or professional athlete to her impactful work in HR. She spoke candidly about her experiences navigating toxic work environments and the lack of support for marginalized communities, which fueled her commitment to creating inclusive, supportive workplaces. Jannah also emphasized the importance of community along with the profound challenges she faces in advocating for critical issues, including the genocide in Palestine. Let’s jump right in.
Can you walk us through your professional journey and how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Detroit to a Dutch mother and a Lebanese father, just ten minutes away from Dearborn, which has the largest Lebanese population outside of Lebanon. In college, I aspired to be a psychologist or a professional basketball player. I majored in behavioral psychology with a minor in comparative religion while playing on the basketball team. However, after suffering four concussions within three months, my team doctor warned that continuing to play could result in being brain dead by age 45. Ending my basketball career was one of the toughest decisions of my life and turned my world upside down. So after graduation, I joined Disney's college internship program and later worked in their Consumer Insights department. The intersection of psychology and business fascinated me, and I had the time of my life, especially after losing my identity as an athlete. Unfortunately, Disney implemented a strict hiring freeze, and my mentors suggested that I leave, gain more experience, and then return.
I entered the startup world, joining Yelp right before their IPO. Although my official role was in Customer Success and Account Management, I took on a de facto HR/People role. Yelp was the most toxic work environment I've ever encountered. Everyone's mental health suffered, and the company didn't care about its employees. My manager's hands were tied, and the leadership team was only focused on the IPO. We were forced to stay on calls with abusive clients, and I felt isolated as one of the only Muslims in the Chicago office. The Customer Success department crumbled, and a lot of the employees started going to therapy due to the toxicity of the workplace. I became the department "therapist" while barely functioning due to my 7th concussion. When Yelp's HR team did nothing, I gathered information from my team and took it to the Director, and later to the VP of Customer Success. Both of them applied beautiful band-aids to the issue, but as band-aids do, they eventually bled through.
At that point, I left and entered the VC space in recruiting. I had never done recruiting before, but my background impressed my new employer. I ended up being really good at it and loved the responsibility of building teams in the early stages of a startup. Towards the end of my time with this company, I began consulting in recruiting for a small B2B SaaS startup and I noticed many cultural/HR/People issues. The co-founders asked me to implement my recommendations, and I immediately said yes! With 75% of the company in Europe, mainly in Germany, I had to quickly learn German/EU employment law. This was a rollercoaster experience involving tough change management and deep cultural issues in a white, cis, straight, male-dominated environment. Over the next 3+ years, I built a company where employees, by the time of acquisition, felt it was the best culture they had ever experienced. They also gained a new understanding of effective HR. This was the most fulfilling part of my job, as people felt safe despite business challenges.
I then thought to myself, how can I help companies on a larger scale? How do I "infiltrate" the minds of co-founders/CEOs to adopt this upcoming way of HR/People? So I decided to start my own consulting company named after my pup, Hercules (who has since passed but changed my life).
What inspired you to offer the services you provide?
A lot of my lived experiences have made me realize the profound importance of helping people feel seen and safe. Throughout my career, I've often found myself in industries that are very white, cis, straight, and male-dominated. Being a queer, Arab, Muslim cis woman in these fields is uncommon, and it was often isolating to be one of the only Muslims in the office. For example, while working at the Yelp Chicago office, I was one of the only Muslims having to use PTO days for holidays I observed, but the mainstream didn't, and my manager made me feel terrible for requesting the time off.
“I also struggled with my sexuality while growing up in a Middle Eastern, Muslim household. The challenges I faced personally and professionally, being Muslim and queer in environments that didn't understand or support my identity, have deeply shaped my commitment to creating inclusive, supportive workplaces. These experiences have inspired me to offer services that prioritize diversity, inclusion, and the well-being of all employees, ensuring that everyone feels valued and respected regardless of their background or identity.”
Photo Credit: HERC HR
What is one of the biggest challenges you have faced in your journey as a service provider, and how did you overcome it?
One of the biggest challenges has been finding people within my industry that speak out about the genocide in Palestine. This struggle isn't about finding support from other Arabs, Palestinians, or Muslims, but rather from people outside these communities who remain silent on the issue.
“Growing up, I was acutely aware of belonging to a group that many people don't want to exist. So it has been extremely disheartening to see professionals I’m connected with and organizations that I’m a part of not speaking up about Palestine. I’ve had battles with members of the LGBTQ+ community over this, receiving hate, harassment, and violent words on social media. I have even lost potential clients who found out I am Lebanese, and I know it will likely continue to affect me.”
If you could give one piece of advice to future LGBTQ+ service providers within your field, what would it be?
Sometimes being a part of the LGBTQ+ community (and other intersectionalities) in certain fields can feel isolating. Seek community, work on seeing yourself, and find others you can see yourself in. I am still reminding myself of this every day.
When you’re searching for community, trust your gut. You'll feel whether it's the right community or people to be around. Tactically, Google is your best friend. Start with your interests because you're likely to find a common experience, like dogs—everyone loves bonding over dogs. In the workplace, find out if there are any Employee Resource Groups available. If you can't find one, start it yourself if you feel comfortable and empowered to do so.
Photo Credit: HERC HR
How does being openly queer inspire or impact your business?
It's a part of my core and reminds me to show up for myself and others daily. Leading with empathy and being open about my experiences allows me to connect with others in a much quicker way.
What brands or services by LGBTQ+ founders are your go-to's and why?
Michelle MiJung Kim. She is the only person in the LGBTQ+ community in tech to speak out about the genocide in Palestine
Who is your favorite LGBTQ+ celebrity, and why?
A few of my favorites are Kehlani, Fletcher, Frank Ocean, Bella Ramsey.
Can you share one fun fact about yourself?
I can tell what a car's make (and sometimes model) is at night from a far distance based on its tail lights. I grew up in Detroit (the Motor City) and my dad has worked for GM for over 30 years. It's in my blood! : )
