Staff News
18 August
I’ve always had an interest in understanding how organisations work, how people come together to make things happen and how the organisation’s Leadership influences these outcomes. For some reason, I was particularly interested in the stories my parents shared of their work places, and I learnt early on that organisations and the leaders who worked for them had a reasonable level of influence over their employee’s sense of fulfilment and self-worth, which in turn had an effect on home life for their families. Believe it or not, I saw the connection between good employers and the social and emotional welfare of families and the communities they lived in. I wanted to play my part in influencing better outcomes for all concerned.
I completed a Bachelor of Business at Ballarat University (now Fed Uni) with majors in Human Resources (HR)/Information Systems Management, then a Graduate Diploma in Industrial Relations at RMIT. I’ve worked across a number of industries including Local Government in Melbourne’s Outer East, Petroleum and Resources, Media and Communications, and then at Catholic Education Melbourne prior to commencing at Damascus College in 2018. An HR Manager in one organisation can be very different to that role in another organisation, but they are all about ‘People’ and optimising this number one resource.
I enjoy connecting the right people with the right roles and teams, and being part of the magic when all this aligns and produces amazing outcomes! When you add cleverly developed and implemented organisational strategy to this mix - its the best! In my early career days of traveling to various parts of Australia, visiting regional and head offices I built strong relationships with project teams and supported Leaders with significant programs of change and service delivery. A career highlight was working with an incredibly talented HR team at Sensis where we implemented a powerful strategically-linked and informed National ‘People Strategy’ underpinned by the Service-Profit Chain/Employee Engagement model. When strategy works, it really works!
Lynda's favourite quote: “We do not see through our eyes alone”
Dave Ulrich, HR and Management Educator & Guru
A HR Manager can spend their time working on really varied activities, including Recruitment and Selection (job design, advertising, candidate engagement, interviewing, reference checking, contract preparation and appointment), Onboarding and Engagement, Growth and Performance Planning and Development, Remuneration-Reward-Recognition Programs, Employee Relations (Industrial Agreement, Policy and Practice development and implementation), just to name a few. It is a challenge balancing operational and strategic levels of activities, and levels of demand. That has been particularly true in these times of navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic.
When asked what I enjoy most about working at Damascus, I refer to the level of passion and sense of pride in a job well done that is very evident across the College. I hear how the students are supported in various ways, and I know that every effort is being made by all areas of Damascus to continually optimise the learning opportunities for Damascus Students. That’s an organisation you want to be part of, and those are the teams and people you want to support.
Outside of work and being a ‘HR-nerd’ I do enjoy debating with my three teenage children and lately I’ve discovered my talents in teaching my son to drive, at night, during winter! I enjoy indulging in fine food and wine, and can’t wait for the time when travel plans can be made again without hesitation!!