Spectrum In The News

What does your company do?
 Spectrum HR Solutions is a Human Resources advisory practice that does three things: 1. Create and develop human resources operations for new or growing businesses. 2. Improve HR operations for existing departments. 3. Take on human resources projects, such as market-based compensation plans, government compliance and training for supervisors. We help companies that want to get to the next level of HR accountability and leadership. We step in as “helping hands” when companies can not afford to add the extra headcount.

What is your company’s competitive advantage and how do you use that to measure your success?
We know and understand the human resources functions and how critical efficiency and effectiveness is to most businesses. We complete the ‘tactical’ processes, while reinforcing the strategy behind the action – bringing together HR support systems and people for sustaining viable business growth. We also know those in the role cannot do it all. So, our company’s competitive advantage is our superior customer service and the creative approaches we take to ensure the needs of the customer are met. This success is measured by the fact that nearly 87 percent of our business is referral. We measure how long our customers stay with us, as well as repeat business.

Another competitive advantage is the Spectrum team of HR experts. Each team member has lived and succeeded a human resources professional. We live our values of quality service, skilled expertise, trust, confidentiality, communication, teamwork and creativity. They are encouraged and supported to continue professional development because the HR world is ever-changing due to the business climate and constant legislative and regulatory initiatives.

Name something most people would be surprised to know about you.
I think most people would be surprised to know that I am an avid horse enthusiast and perform with a well-known classical concert chorus. I am passionate about my duty to give back. Extending time and effort to the surrounding community on many levels – from board member to booth worker - fulfills my purpose. I realize it might read a bit too altruistic - but, it’s genuine.

What keeps you up at night?
What keeps me up at night is maintaining line-of-sight with my business plan; constantly thinking of ways to help organizations truly understand how to ‘connect the dots’ between people and profit when the balance sheet doesn’t necessarily reveal the hidden productivity that was driven by intangibles, such as high morale.


Baltimore, MD, July 20, 2010 –SPECTRUM HR SOLUTIONS announced today its CEO, Brenda McChriston, has received a Baltimore SmartCEO 2010 BRAVA! Women Business Achievement Award, which recognizes 25 female CEOs making unprecedented strides in business, building a stronger community both financially, philanthropically and most importantly, through leadership.

This year also marks a significant milestone in the history of the program. The 2010 awardees will join past BRAVA! recipients to form the BRAVA! 100 – an elite group of the first 100 female entrepreneurs recognized in the program. SmartCEO is proud to acknowledge their success at the July awards event, celebrating What 100 Women Can Do.

The 25 award recipients of the fourth annual BRAVA! Awards will be celebrated at SmartCEO’s BRAVA! Awards luncheon event on Friday, July 23, 2010, from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at the American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Highway, Baltimore, MD 21230.

The BRAVA! winners are profiled in the July issue of SmartCEO, which is read by more than 30,000 business owners in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan area. Each winner is also featured in the digital edition of the magazine. The winners are selected by an independent panel of business leaders.

“To say this award is an honor is an understatement. I am deeply humbled and grateful by this prestigious recognition. I believe we are all important contributors to our global economy, as well as to our local communities. Extending time and effort on many levels to help others is what brings joy to daily living.”

This year’s winners lead 4,300 individuals, generate $562 million in revenue, and support more than 100 nonprofit organizations and charities across the Greater Baltimore region.

“BRAVA! Women Business Achievement award recipients are not only selected and honored for their success in growing a company, but also for demonstrating leadership throughout the Greater Baltimore community. This unique combination of attributes is fit to be admired by any CEO. We are honored to recognize Brenda McChriston as one of Greater Baltimore’s most influential leaders,” said Craig Burris, publisher and co-founder of SmartCEO.

SmartCEO magazine is a regional publication specifically designed to deliver innovative ideas, guiding advice and forward-thinking insight about the daily challenges of running a “growing company.” SmartCEO believes that a growing company is determined by the spirit, drive and dynamics of a company's owners and managers, rather than by the size of its building, the number of its employees, or its sales volume. Each month more than 30,000 business leaders in the Baltimore and Washington metropolitan markets turn to the pages of SmartCEO for features, case-study advice and trend analysis, all with a uniquely local flavor.


January 7, 2011 – Baltimore SmartCEO magazine, in partnership with the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel, announced today its list of Baltimore’s fastest-growing companies – the recipients of the publication’s seventh-annual Future 50 awards. These dynamic companies, which collectively employ 11,000 people and generate over $3.6 billion in revenue, were profiled in the January 2011 issue of Baltimore SmartCEO.

As an Emerging Growth winner, Brenda McChriston, CEO and Principal at Spectrum HR Solutions says “I am deeply honored to stand among the most prestigious and successful organizations in the region; I am both proud and humbled by this distinction”.

Future 50 is SmartCEO’s largest and most highly anticipated program of the year, recognizing 50 local companies and 10 emerging growth companies based on their revenue and employee growth over a three-year period. These companies represent the future of the region’s economy and are exemplary leaders in business.

“Each Future 50 and Emerging Growth winner has effectively translated their passion and innovation into tremendous growth and success,” says Craig Burris, publisher of SmartCEO magazine. “We are honored to recognize the 60 fastest-growing companies in Greater Baltimore.”

Winners were recognized at the Baltimore SmartCEO Future 50 event on Jan. 6, 2011, at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel.


Baltimore, MD (11/03/2008) – Spectrum HR Solutions is proud to announce that Brenda McChriston has received the prestigious Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise Award. This program is designed to acknowledge and pay tribute to outstanding women and minority business owners in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. The awards ceremony will took place at the Inn and Conference Center at University of Maryland University College in Adelphi, Maryland on Thursday, November 6th.

“Spectrum HR Solutions is proud to be recognized as a Top 100 minority business,” said Brenda McChriston, President of Spectrum HR Solutions. “With many years of service to the Baltimore and Washington, D.C region, Spectrum HR Solutions is committed to providing continued top-notch services to our clients through strategic and innovative human resources practices.”

Spectrum HR Solutions, a Howard County-based human resources consulting firm with an office in Baltimore, is focused on helping organizations develop change management strategies that allows them to profitably grow within their given industries. Our primary goal is to help companies improve the effectiveness of their human resources operations. Spectrum HR Solutions specializes in HR operations improvement, training and development, compensation and benefits.

A panel of distinguished judges chose finalists based on entrepreneurs that demonstrated outstanding achievement in four key areas: eligibility, entrepreneurship, professionalism and community contributions. This year’s ceremony host organizations were the University of Maryland University College, Southwest Airlines, the Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs and the Maryland Department of Transportation.

“Spectrum HR Solutions represents the best of what our region’s minority business community has to offer,” said Sharon R. Pinder, founder of the Top 100 MBE Awards Ceremony. “This award is the culmination of sacrifice, dedication and hard work and will inspire future minority business entrepreneurs to strive for the same level of success.”