Introducing… a human resources operations associate

Francys Alonso is a human resources (HR) operations associate in the corporate office of Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS). She has been with HHS for two and half years, where she advises and supports all staff.

What do you love most about your job/role?

The people. My role is client-facing, which allows me the privilege to interact and help many employees on a daily basis. Since starting my career at HHS, I have developed sincere relationships with many of my colleagues. These interactions give me a greater sense of connection to the organization as a whole.

I have the opportunity to stay connected with employees, and in turn, our patients through supporting our staff.

What do you find challenging about your role?

Working at a non-clinical site can be a challenge. I would love to visit our hospital sites more often and connect with our staff in person. With that said, I have the opportunity to stay connected with employees, and in turn, our patients through my ability to support staff.

Describe a typical day in your role.

A typical day often consists of conducting employee transactions in our human resources operations system, called myHR. As an HR associate, I am the first point of contact for all HR-related employee inquiries from across the organization. These transactions and inquiries span the employee life cycle, from onboarding to retirement, and everything in between.

It’s gratifying to be a resource for employees.

Tell us about your most gratifying experience at HHS.

It is gratifying to be a resource for employees by providing solutions, advice and information when they need help, like assisting new moms with questions about benefits. I also take pleasure solving all kinds of problems when employees come to me with questions and concerns.

What’s one thing people would be surprised to learn about your role?

I think people would be surprised by the breadth of knowledge required to be successful in this role. To effectively advise employees and conduct system changes, we need to be well versed in a number of areas such as HHS policies, collective agreements, HR processes and general employment legislation.