The HR Mentor

The statistics are shocking: according to UN Women Data, at the pace we are going it is still going to take 130 years to reach global gender equality in the highest positions of power. According to other research, women continue to be outnumbered, outranked and out-earned by men in the Canadian public service and we all know that this is much worse for Black women, Indigenous women and women of co...

At the start of 2021, I set an intention that reflected how I was going to show up in the world. It boiled down to one word, Focus. I set this intention because it aligned with my values and it supported the goals I want to accomplish in 2021.   As I live this intention each and every day and I reflect on the progress I am making I have come to realize that there is another critical element that d...

The other day, my daughter, who is in grade 11, asked me what I wanted to do for a career when I was her age. And for the life of me I couldn’t remember, but it certainly wasn’t HR. I’m not even sure I knew what HR was when I was sixteen years old, in fact I’m certain I didn’t. So, how did I know that HR was the right career for me? The short answer is, I didn’t. In many ways, HR found me.   If yo...

Welcome to my first interview of Season 2! In this episode, I have an engaging conversation with an amazing emerging HR Professional, Ivana Borojevic .   Ivana is an HR Specialist with Insight , a global technology company that was just named one of Fortune's 2021 Most Admired Companies. She is also the co-founder of an exciting new non-profit organization called mentorWIT , which is an Edmonton b...

Welcome to the first episode of Season 2 of The HR Mentor and 2021!   In this show, I am helping you kick off the new year with a brand new practice that can change your life and improve your chances at success! Intention setting is powerful and can result in lasting behavioural change.   I encourage you to consider how this practice can dramatically improve your life and your success as I explain...

Welcome to the finale for season one of The HR Mentor!   In this final episode of season one I answer four listener questions related to your job search. I also share a number of resources to support you through the entire process.   Here are the four questions I answer today as well as links to related episodes and resources.   1. If you were given fifteen seconds to introduce yourself what would...

It's hard to believe we are almost at the end of season one! It has been an incredible journey and I am so thankful to all of you for listening and engaging with me. As promised this episode is all about you and your questions. Today I am answering three questions sent in by listeners just like you. I hope you enjoy it!   Here are the three questions I answer in this episode: How would you build r...

Often, we avoid having difficult conversations with people because we don't know what to say, we fear their reaction and we worry it will affect our relationship. But as HR Professionals and leaders we often need to have these types of conversations. The good news is there are things you can do to make it easier! In this episode, I am sharing my three favourite strategies to help you tackle your m...

Most high achieving professionals have experienced bouts of self-doubt or what is often referred to as imposter syndrome. People who, despite external recognition and even accolades from others, they doubt their own abilities and success. This can not only hold them back from taking on new goals, but it can also cause a lot of anxiety, stress, guilt and low self-esteem. In this episode I share som...

As an HR professional, you may have never considered the important role that trust plays in your role. But I believe it can mean the difference between succeeding and simply banging your head against the wall in frustration. You see when you develop trust with the managers you support, they will not only listen to the advice and guidance you give them, but they will seek it and you out. And that w...

What a treat! My friend and colleague Joel joined me a few days after our first conversation to continue talking all things recruitment. Joel is the Founder and Managing Director of Arbutus Search Group and a recruitment and selection expert.   In this episode, Joel explains the benefits of working with a recruitment agency and what he believes are the most important elements of a successful searc...

I am so thrilled that my good friend and colleague Joel Peterson agreed to sit down with me and talk about recruitment. Joel is the Founder and Managing Director of Arbutus Search Group and an expert in all things recruitment.   In this episode, Joel and I talk about the COVID-19 pandemic and how it is affecting the job market and what will most likely be different in the future. Joel also shares...

There are many different paths to an HR career and as such not all HR professionals are created equal. There are also some people working in HR roles that do not understand the purpose of their role. In this episode, I explain my perspective on the vital function we provide and how you, as an HR professional can align yourself with that purpose, regardless of your position on the org chart.   I be...

Perhaps you've heard the saying, "curiosity killed the cat," which implies that somehow being curious is a bad thing. In my home curiosity only seems to get the cats (and our dog) more attention, but the saying has stood the test of time. In this episode, I flip that saying on its head and show you four ways that the ability to stay curious can help you become a more effective HR professional.   T...

Today Melanie is taking you on a journey through some key moments in her career and life with the hopes of inspiring you to carve your own unique path, regardless of whether or not it seems right to others or the easiest road to travel.     These are her key messages: Your career is not going to be a straight upwards line Follow what interests and excites you Be willing to start anywhere You are n...

In this episode, Melanie continues her conversation with her former student Dean. He talks about his first HR role and what he has already learned about his new profession in only two weeks. The insights he has are impressive!   Dean explains how his new place of employment is very busy and his HR Lead does not have time to sit and train him on his role. So, he is learning by following her through...

In this episode, Melanie has a wonderful conversation with a former student and TRU HR graduate who recently secured his first HR role. Dean Lemphers graduated in the spring of 2020 with a BBA with a major in Human Resource Management. This episode is part one of our conversation and in it, he shares the key factors that made him successful in securing his first HR job just months after graduation...

You've heard the saying, 'it's not what you know, it's who you know' right? Even if you don't agree with the saying in all circumstances, making personal connections is a critical component of a successful job search. In this week's episode, Melanie explains why this true and gives you four straightforward ways that you can increase the number of connections you have in your network so you can imp...

In this episode we are celebrating all our listeners who have secured their first HR role, professional job or a promotion. It is an incredible milestone to kick-off or advance your HR career. In recognition of this accomplishment, today we are talking about how to make a positive impact in the first 90-days so you can knock the socks off your new employer. Melanie covers three main categories of...

At some point in your job search you will face rejection. This is a normal part of the process. But for some of you this may feel devastating and cause you to give up or get down on yourself. In this episode, Melanie offers five suggestions on how you can deal with the inevitable rejection you will face in your job search and share a personal rejection story and what she learned from it.   Here ar...

You can't always control what the Universe throws at you, but when it comes to your job search, one of the things you can control is how well-prepared you are for your interview. The interview remains the most heavily weighted selection method for most organizations and in some cases, the only method, so it's even more important that you are ready to shine when the opportunity comes.   In this epi...

In this episode, Melanie discusses strategies to help market yourself as a candidate for roles that are aligned with your values and your strengths, experiences and accomplishments. She introduces you to the idea that you are the "product" of your job search and that viewing your job search from a marketing perspective can improve your results.   To help you translate these ideas into action, Mela...

In this episode, Melanie talks about your core values and how knowing and understanding these guiding beliefs can assist you in your career and job search.   Melanie shares a definition of values and provide examples of how values might impact your decision making. She also walks you through a short exercise to help you identify your values and wraps up with a list of four ways your values can hel...

June 24, 2020   In this episode, Melanie explains what limiting beliefs are and how your limiting beliefs could be affecting your success with your job search or career transition.   You will learn 3 easy steps to help you shift your limiting beliefs and improve your chance or achieving your goals. Not only with your job search, but also in any area of your life you would like to improve.   Here i...

In this introductory episode, Melanie explains why she started this podcast and what you can expect as a listener. She also shares what she believes is both exciting and challenging about an HR Career. Love the HR Mentor? Become a super fan and get access to exclusive monthly content and help keep the podcast ad free. Sign up today! JOIN THE HR MENTOR FAN CLUB!