The Many Faces at Allied Universal - Karla De Los Reyes

Karla De Los Reyes, Director of Operations — San Diego

For Karla Reyes, workplace diversity today is not only about “where” and “how” the work is done, it’s about the people who are doing the work. “It’s a candidate’s market,” she said. “And people choose employers who care about their employees as people.”

Karla started her Allied Universal® career in 2016 as a Billing & Invoicing Coordinator in Downtown Los Angeles. While keeping an open mind, listening to all sides of a story, remaining open to fresh perspectives and taking a mindful approach to her interactions with clients and team members, Karla has moved up the career ladder quickly by utilizing these skills — and putting in lots of hard work.

From 2017 through 2021, Karla earned promotions to Account Manager, Operations Manager and Client Manager, taking on increasing responsibilities with more clients and team members. In 2022, she earned her latest promotion to Director of Operations. In this role, Karla oversees 55,000 hours, the biggest book of business in the Southwest Region for a Director of Operations along with 30 managers reporting directly to her.

One way she helps create an inclusive environment for her team is delivering meeting agendas well in advance of a meeting and inviting input. This ensures all team members can voice their ideas and concerns, even if they don’t naturally feel comfortable speaking up or don’t do their best thinking on the spot.

During team meetings, Karla remains mindful of who is speaking up and whose ideas are getting heard. When necessary, she’ll redirect the conversation to make sure each person is included in the process and feels good about the next steps.

“To be truly successful, organizations must fully understand their workforce, starting with their employees’ diverse backgrounds and identities,” Karla said. “By understanding your underrepresented groups of people, consciously recruiting them, celebrating their heritage and investing in their growth, we’ll work our way toward a workforce with equal representation.”