Kim Pollok’s ascent from a December 31 call-center layoff to CEO of SWBC Payroll & HR offers a case study in resilience and adaptability amid rapid workplace changes. In Episode 79 of the Rock Solid: Round Rock Business Leaders Podcast, hosted by Bryan Eisenberg and published June 23, 2026, Pollok discusses how she navigated hybrid work, multigenerational teams, and the integration of AI into HR and payroll systems—all without a college degree.
Pollok’s career pivot began when her previous employer, a call center with over 2,000 workers, gave staff the choice to relocate to El Paso or be laid off. SWBC ran the closing job fair, and Pollok accepted an entry-level benefits coordinator role at $10,000 less than her HR-manager salary—a decision she made that same afternoon. Over 16 years, she rose through the ranks, including through SWBC’s PEO acquisition, which initially left the team unsure what a PEO was. Her willingness to say “yes” and seek mentors—including SWBC Mortgage CEO Susan Stewart and FI division CEO Mark Hine—proved pivotal.
One mentor lesson that reshaped her leadership: “Stop letting people give you dead birds. Don’t allow people to just give you their problem and then you are taking on everybody’s problem without some solutions, because you’re collecting everyone’s dead birds and you can’t do anything with it,” Pollok recounted, crediting Stewart. She now uses this framing with her own team, alongside a second mandate: “You have a seat at the table, you’ve earned a seat at the table, use your voice.”
Today, SWBC Payroll & HR serves clients ranging from five to 7,000 employees across roughly 42 states, with typical clients between 40 and 300 workers in industries from hospitals and construction to pig farms and train-car refurbishers. As a privately held company by Charlie Amato and Gary Dudley, it positions itself as an essential back-office partner for small and mid-sized businesses, offering over 70 specialists at a cost-effective rate.
Pollok also addressed modern challenges: managing baby boomers, Gen X, and Gen Z under one roof without abandoning fairness, and implementing a secure, private AI system for research and workflows that protects client and financial data. She noted SWBC’s sponsorship of the Round Rock Chamber’s Women Who Mean Business event featuring Olympian Cat Osterman as part of its community focus.
The episode arrives as employers wrestle with hybrid work and the breakneck arrival of AI inside HR and payroll systems. Pollok’s practitioner-first voice provides a candid guide for leaders on developing talent, keeping clients, and ensuring compliance. The full conversation is available wherever podcasts are heard, offering insights for anyone navigating today’s shifting workplace landscape.
