I like how everyone is friendly and willing to help one another. If you are happy and helping others, then other employees are willing to do that too.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Fuel Clerk
October 2018 • Farmington, UT
What I liked
Nice management and flexible hours
What I wish was different
Advice
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Human Resources Manager
September 2004 • Cedar City, UT
What I liked
What I wish was different
Advice
I love being the HR for Smith's. I get to meet a lot of really neat people, especially students. I come in contact with many different personalities, and I get to help make the place I work a better place to be because of it!
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Human Resource Specialist Intern/Backup
January 2018 • Payson, UT
What I liked
I shadowed Lindsay McKay; Human Resource Specialist, for the Smith's in Payson Utah. I was given many opportunities to develop not only my basic skills in: writing, scheduling, interviewing, etc during this internship; I was also able to garner a deeper understanding of the role of Human Resources in a company and how others (i.e. employees, management, customers, etc) perceived those in the department.
My favorite aspect of this experience was getting to know our team and figuring out what motivated them. I held numerous daily get together's to give updates on successes, goal progress, and to uplift morale.
It was very fulfilling knowing that I was making a difference, not only behind the scenes, but with our employees daily lives as well.
What I wish was different
It is very easy to focus on what you wish were different in Human Resources. I wish I was able to give people better wages, more vacation time, etc. What I wished were different more than any of these desires is the way people view Human Resources in general.
Those who are familiar with the t.v. series The Office remember that Michael Scott (manager of the Scranton branch in a paper company called Dunder Mifflin) was constantly rallying around his employees. He did not care how quirky his actions came across; he was always complimenting the employees successes. This was true for everyone with one exception. Toby, the Human Resources personnel. There are deeper reasons Michael did not like this character, but for this purpose I will use his dislike as an example. It can be hard for someone in Human Resources to know they are held in dis-favorable regards solely for that individuals job description.
When people are asked what the role of the Human Resource department is, the most common answer I got was to "hire and fire people". It was always disheartening to hear that people were not aware and often did not want to become aware of the other aspects of Human Resource's work.
The most joy I found in my job was when I was giving counseling/advice, uplifting employees throughout the day, advocating for my team, and simply giving others a sense of belonging and that they are cared for. I wish more people knew what Human Resources does.
Advice
People expect a lot out of people in Human Resources. You need: to be professional and personable, to be dependable and flexible, to be transparent and confidential, etc. There is a lot of pressure on your shoulders. My advice is to keep your head up, smile, and be adaptable. You are invaluable and what you bring to your company and its employees is irreplaceable. It is easy to be discouraged in this position. Just remember, most people don't learn to appreciate their parents until they experience what it's like to be an adult a parent themselves. Don't be afraid to be who you are with everyone you meet and to let your team know what you do each day for them.
