career paths
What do you like most about your job?
AL: The value the company places on a
sound HR strategy. Being involved at a leadership
level and having operations as part of
the role allows for great variety. The people
are fantastic and love to have fun, too!
What does a typical day at
work for you look like?
AL: It really does depend, but we can use a
Wednesday as an example. I start my day at
8:00 a.m. on Skype with a weekly call to my
office manager in India. We work on global
studio operations and HR initiatives. After
the call, there are usually employee relations
to handle and then checking in with local
operations – our studio manager and my
HR coordinator. I have regular meetings
with my local team where we work on a lot
of initiatives together. I also help run our
internal committees – social, charity and
sustainability – and then spend the balance
of my day on more strategic initiatives.
What are some of the challenges you
experience on a day-to-day basis?
AL: Different cultures and time zones, an
evolving business model for a couple of the
businesses, wide-ranging skills sets and personalities
within the business and a very
creative CEO/owner who likes to change
things on a very regular basis… just to
name a few!
What skills do you possess that make
you a great fit for your position?
AL: While grounded in strong business
and management training, I try to be flexible
and adaptable to handle things as they
come, which is a necessity. I like to have a lot
of fun so the creative and “work hard, play
hard” culture works well for me.
What are your ultimate career goals?
AL: I strive for ongoing progression and
change so being stagnant is not an option
for me in any part of my life. I want to continue
to learn new skills, work with great
people and spend my time working in a
great environment. I ultimately want to be
in a role and environment where I am surrounded
by great people and where people
look to me as someone they can learn from
and enjoy having on the team.
What advice do you have for
others interested in pursuing a
career in HR and operations, and
for those already in the field?
AL: Keep learning and understanding the
industry and world you are working in, as
you need to adapt your thinking and approach
to be relevant for the changing needs
of HR. Cultivating a sound base for yourself
in business management is essential as
you want to ensure you are able to create effective
HR strategies that make sense for
the business you are working in.
Where do you see the future of
the HR industry in Canada and
globally over the next few years?
AL: There are many factors at play in
Canada and globally with the changing
workforce, global market, technology, etc.,
so I feel flexibility and adaptability is essential.
Specifically, I believe that flexible
staffing models – in a lot of businesses –
is an effective HR approach that will allow
you to find the best talent and create a tailored
solution that best meets the needs of
the business. n
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Board of
Canadian
Registered
Safety
Professionals
40 ❚ SEPTEMBER 2015 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL
