Leadership in Title: Emily Kain
A Holistic and Feedback-Driven Approach to the Employee Experience are Setting Stewart Apart as a Workplace
Our commitment to being the premier title services company starts with one thing: exceptional people. In this new Insights series, Leadership in Title, we are highlighting the leaders helping set our company apart—not just as a title and real estate services provider, but as an innovative, people-first workplace. Over the last year Stewart has been recognized as a U.S. News and World Report Best Places to Work 2024-2025 winner and a USA TODAY 2025 Top Workplace and was recently recognized with four 2025 Culture Excellence awards: Leadership, Innovation, Work-Life Flexibility and Purpose & Values.
Chief Human Resources Officer, Emily Kain and her teams have used employee feedback to shape Stewart’s employee value proposition while providing thought leadership and support across our various business units and departments. From improved health benefits to wellness programs, enhanced time off offerings and employee-driven charitable donations, Emily oversees programs and initiatives that are focused on expanding our commitment to creating a better home, and workplace, for all. We sat down with her to learn more about her role, her approach to leadership and what inspires her teams’ continued success.
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in the real estate title industry and/or human resources?
A: I fell into the title industry a little over 10 years ago and quickly realized it was a place I knew I wanted to stay awhile. As for HR, even though my education and first job were in accounting, I always knew supporting and guiding people was my true passion and took the first opportunity I could to get into HR – a university relations/campus recruiting role.
Q: What has changed the most in recruitment or company culture since you started your career?
A: Today’s talent strategy must go beyond simply matching the right people with the right skills to the right roles, though that remains essential. Equally critical is a company’s commitment to delivering a world-class employee experience across the entire lifecycle, from hire to retire and everything in between. This includes thoughtful onboarding, celebrating milestones such as service anniversaries and promotions, and supporting employees through key life events.
A thriving culture grounded in inclusion, belonging and purpose, aligned with clear organizational values, is not a differentiator anymore; it’s an expectation across all generations of the workforce. Employees today seek continuous learning, defined career paths and meaningful development opportunities. And above all, flexibility has become a universal standard. Companies that embrace this holistic approach to the employee experience will be best positioned to attract, retain and grow top talent.
Q: Finish this sentence: Success is built on _________________.
A: Grit.
Q: The real estate market has faced challenges in the last few years. How has that affected Stewart’s recruitment efforts?
A: The volatility in the real estate market has undoubtedly created headwinds across the industry, and recruitment is no exception. In a more cautious economic climate, candidates are more discerning, not just about compensation, but about the overall value proposition of joining a company. That’s why our focus on delivering a world-class employee experience, from the very first interaction, is more important than ever.
We’ve seen that top talent is looking for more than job security; they want clarity around growth opportunities, alignment with company values and a culture where they feel they belong. Our ability to clearly communicate our employee value proposition and purpose, provide flexibility, and demonstrate a strong commitment to development and inclusion has helped us remain competitive, even as market dynamics fluctuate. Recruitment is no longer just about filling roles – it’s about presenting a compelling, holistic reason to join and to stay.
Q: What is the most rewarding aspect of your leadership role at Stewart?
A: I feel a deep personal responsibility to our 7,200+ employees around the world. Every day, we strive to make their lives easier and better, and we take great pride in that mission. Knowing that the teams I lead play a meaningful role in that effort is truly something special.
Q: Stewart was recently recognized as a Top Workplace and U.S. News and World Report Best Places to Work winner. What makes our company a unique workplace?
A: It’s an honor to be recognized. We’ve worked really hard to turn our employees’ honest feedback into action. We heard that we needed to improve our benefits offerings and training for employees, so we set out on a multi-year commitment to enhance our employee health benefits, inclusive U.S. paid time off program including time off to volunteer, employee learning and development courses and much more. And our work is not done. These accolades have certainly helped our recruitment efforts. People want to know what’s going on at Stewart. We’ve got a great story to tell!
Q: And one last question, what’s your coffee order or morning drink of choice?
A: I make mine at home every morning – drip coffee with frothed milk, lavender syrup and a dash of cinnamon.
We thank Emily for sharing about her teams’ strategy and focus on how Stewart has been leaning into feedback to enhance our employee proposition. We are proud to be recognized as a Top Workplace and Best Companies to Work For winner. Our people continue to drive our success. If you’re interested in learning more about working at Stewart, visit stewart.com/careers.
Stay tuned for more Q&As for our Leadership in Title Insights series and make sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram for more real estate and title industry updates and resources.
Interested in reading more of our Leadership in Title series? Check out our other Q&As:
Leadership in Title: Wyomia Clifton, Group SVP, Direct Operations
Leadership in Title: Sean Stoner, Group SVP of M&A/Corporate Development