December 15th, 2010

December consisted of a lot of catching up work from the previous hectic month of November. This included recruitment, follow-up with lawyers regarding investigations, and research, research, research!

It was surprising to note how much follow-up work was actually required with the recruitment process. Offer letters were sent out, rejection phone calls were made, sign on’s/paperwork/explanation of benefits, insurance, union rights, etc were carried out. I must admit that no matter how many times I do it, calling somebody to let them know that they were not a successful candidate is a pretty difficult task.

Due to the fact that we were having problems with recruiting HD Mechanics, we went through an agency to help us out. We were fortunate enough to find four HD Mechanics from Jamaica whom were more than qualified for the job. Currently, I am conducting research on immigration and sponsorship to understand the steps that we will need to take in order to help our Jamaican friends achieve a permanent resident status. I am also conducting research to note how effective incorporating Career Builder to our company would be.

Another task that kept me busy this month was the opportunity to head the lenal project. Our site is incorporating a new system and gate where all employees will eventually require a swipe card for access. I was put in charge for taking the pictures of our employees and compiling a list of employees that need to be placed into the system. It was a very interesting and fun task as I got to meet a lot of new people and put some faces onto names that I knew.

Overall, I am learning a lot at Teck. They are providing me with a lot of opportunity to experience and lots of room to explore. In the new year, I hope to be more involved in more projects and have the opportunity to complete jobs from the beginning to the end.

November 12th, 2010

In the last few weeks, the pace in the office seemed to have suddenly picked up as I became involved with a whole new array of responsibilities and tasks.

Apprenticeships testing were finally all completed as interviews and meetings housed much discussion and decisions on who the top candidates would be. It was definitely an eye opening experience to witness the process, to understand what the superintendents were looking for, to be involved with the interview process, sit in on the discussions that went on behind closed doors, and to listen to different opinions and how these opinions were resolved as a team.

November was a crazy month for recruitment. We had requisitions signed off for 2 LPO’s, 8 HD Mechanics, 1 Electrician, 1 Mechanic, and 22 Haul Truck Drivers. I became responsible for scheduling, setting up interviews, organizing medicals and reference checks to be done, and initiating a feedback session for the LPO’s and Haul Truck Drivers. I also got to sit in on the interviews and was involved in asking questions. While it was all under a whole lot of pressure as these positions were pushed to be filled in a very short time, I felt a sense accomplishment and satisfaction after it was all completed. It was very nice to be involved in a project where I was able to witness and do a lot of the work from the beginning to the end.

A harassment investigation also took place this month as I was involved with the interviewing of multiple parties in order to fully understand the details of the situation. I was responsible for compiling documents, taking down minutes and updating summaries to keep superintendents in the loop. Being able to just witness the process, the events that unfolded, and how the HR department dealt with a complaint and investigation was definitely a educational experience.

Lastly, I have become more heavily involved with labor relation cases. Not only has my role in communicating with the Union increased, I have also been more exposed to the collective agreement between the mine and the Union. It was very interesting to work with the Union as my understanding behind the nuts and bolts of being unionized continues to grow. Not only was I expected to review letters of agreement that were to be placed in the collective agreement, I was also given the opportunity to do a lot of background work for arbitrations and appeals. For the arbitration cases, I have been involved with compiling a lot of background information as I research and look for complications. I have been taught that for every complication, we have to work to build a case, to interpret it to our own cause and to have everything documented. Finding information can at times be very difficult here at the mine, especially information that are dated very early in time. When this happens, it makes me appreciate the good job that we are currently doing with organizing our information so that things can be found and done in an efficient manner.

October 19th, 2010

The month of October seemed to have passed by very quickly. While I have still been in the process of trying to compile and organize a wide array of different information, I was assigned with new tasks as well as mini projects that I was responsible for heading or co-heading. The first project was to do up new job descriptions for newly created positions. I was surprised to find the approval process for a simple job description to not only be complicated but also a long and challenging procedure that can take up to a few months to officialize. Another project that I was assigned to co-head was the Apprenticeships project where I was responsible for preparing, organizing, administering and recording the results of the competency based apprenticeship test to aid senior staff members select suitable apprenticeship candidates for the year. This pushed me to utilize proper problem solving, communication, and critical thinking skills to successfully organize the project in a short period of time.

A huge project that I am currently working on is the task of updating the mine’s Physical Demands Analysis for all of our hourly staffs. A Physical Demand Analysis outlines all aspects of a position including job description, critical job demands, typical work day processes, etc. An updated physical demand analysis is beneficial when companies want to orientate new employees, assess if injured employees are able to return to work, determine appropriate rehabilitation programs, etc. I am finding this task to be extremely challenging as the original analysis is very outdated. Not only has there been an array of new job positions, many job functions have been greatly modified. This project will definitely sharpen my critical thinking and analytical skills as I am looking forward to the process of establishing an updated document and better understand the different positions, equipments, and risks associated with each of our positions.

Aside from my projects, I have also been recently involved in witnessing the hiring process for our LPO vacancy. I was also exposed to our new HR database called the Hiredesk as I am excited to be increasingly exposed to this for the recruitment purposes. Because Hiredesk is a fairly new application for Cardinal Rivers too, it will be interesting to observe how we will be transforming from a more manual approach of recruiting where everything is recorded and documented in physical file folders, to a more digitalized format where information will be easier to organize, found, reviewed, and shared. I am excited by all the things that I am learning in only a short two months time span. Upcoming projects that  I cannot wait to be exposed to include the opportunity to be involved in a appeal that will be considered the first of its kind to be appealed in Canada, as well as the possibility of being involved in heading a new training program that needs to be developed. Experience is a necessity for knowledge. I would like to continue to take initiative to perform to the best of my ability and to learn as much as I possibly can!

September 24th, 2010

It has almost been a month since I first arrived to Cardinal Rivers and I am continuing to learn something new every day. I am starting to settle into the routine of waking up early, inhaling the strong scent that the pulp mill emits as I walk out of my apartment each morning, and heading to work while the sky is still dark. I have also grown accustomed to our weekly departmental meetings with the safety coordinator and training officers. These meetings give me an opportunity to improve on both my teamwork and cooperation skills as we all work together to attain a common goal. It also helps me understand what everybody else is doing and how I am fitting into the department.

I am currently assigned a wide array of organizational projects. Some of my projects include creating a chronological binder for company meeting notes and correspondences with the union, organizing an appeal file for my supervisor to go to court with next month, and also to organize the HR S: Drive so that everything can be located easier. As I go through all the information and understand the context to organize everything, I realized that such organizational duties really does teach you a lot about what goes on in the company, how problems are resolved, and the processes that goes on unseen behind everything. Tasks that may seem tedious at first may actually serve as important resources!

September 17th, 2010

Aside from receiving more in depth training on an assortment of things, I had the opportunity to fill out my first claim with WCB this week. I had also worked on a biannual project with one of my coworkers, and had sat in on my first Return to Work Plan meeting with one of the employees, my supervisor, a medical adjudicator, and the union. During the meeting, we discussed the job demands of the employer’s job and the possibility of putting him on modified duties due to his injuries. I had the opportunity to follow the medical adjudicator’s tour as we observed and analyzed the employee’s injuries and his workspace. This not only allowed me to explore the details of specific job requirements, it had also introduced me to the dynamics in the parties that were involved when dealing with an employee that required special attention. Another opportunity that I was involved with was being assigned with the task of taking minutes for the Occupational Health and Safety Meeting. Teck places a serious importance with safety as safety topics and concerns are always encouraged to be highlighted and discussed all the time. This practice has influenced me to take the topic of safety more seriously as I have become more aware and cautious of the potential hazards around me. It is really all about using your common sense and being aware of your surroundings. The highlight of my week, however, has definitely been my very first termination! I was given the opportunity to write my very first termination and discipline letter. It was very exciting for me as I had finally gotten the opportunity to exercise some power. =)

September 10th, 2010

This week, I was finally able to complete all my computer training, and resume my position with the Employee Relations Department at the “Taj Mahal” (the name of the building that other people liked to refer us as…because I guess it is nicer and cleaner than the other areas surrounding us). The week consisted of much filling, organizational duties, handling of emails and phones, as well as small projects. While organizational duties and filing was deemed to be a tedious task at first, I realize the benefits of doing a really good job of it as it does help to enhance the workflow and efficiency of the department. It has also helped me better understand the system that the department uses to ensure that things are done effectively. I now understand where “staff” and “hourly staff” personnel folders are, as well as what WCB files, Grievance Files are, along with certain popular individuals within those files that the HR department deals with consistently. Being able to complete more and more of such tasks in such a busy and fast paced environment will not only train my ability to multitask but also challenge my ability to prioritize, pick out important details, and manage time in a proficient manner. All “newbies” coming into a new job must start somewhere. And while many people in my position, co-op student or not, may complain about the amount of filling and organizational work that must be done at first; I suggest to complete all tasks, important or not, efficiently and to the best of your ability. I believe that it is important to prove to employers that one is responsible enough to be able to handle the basic work. Eventually, one’s potential will shine through as employers are able to develop the confidence to entrust one with more important tasks!

September 3rd, 2010

My first week at Teck had been both fascinating and overwhelming. After our sign-on on our first day, we were immediately immersed in five days worth of computer training. While the information was both fascinating and informative, I had struggled to get use to the nine hour workdays along with the one hour commute to and from work each day (this meant I had to wake up as early as at 4:30 am in order to catch the bus!). Other than that, I had found the mine to be very much different from what I had anticipated as I absorbed a wide array of useful resources concerning safety, the operations of Cardinal Rivers, Teck as a company, as well as the Mining Industry. I had even completed and received a certificate for the Construction Safety Training System! It had contained a wide range of safety topics that were relevant to being on site. It included topics such as worksite and law, personal care and conduct, personal protective equipment, workplace hazards, WHIMIS, environmental factors, defensive driving, and more. These were definitely good common sense tips to have, especially when working in an environment where the chances for accidents are high.

My favorite part of the whole week was our site tour of the mine. It was fascinating to see how all the different operations, equipment, and people worked together in order to accomplish the finished product. Cardinal River Operations produces hard coking coal that are high in carbon and low in moisture which are the perfect combination for steel. After much time spent exploring, planning, assessing, and approving; drilling and blasting takes place to break rocks. As rocks are pushed off seams, large equipments such as the loaders are filled with coal and rocks as they are hauled to the plant for processing. Supporting departments such as operations, maintenance, processing, engineering, purchasing, information systems, finance, and health and safety all aid in ensuring that the process runs smoothly. Environmental concerns and sustainability also plays a large role in the process as I am surprised to find beautifully reclaimed land that are very popular among the animals in and around the site area. As a Human Resource student with the opportunity to work in almost any industry, I am finding this a truly worthwhile experience to be placed here at the mine. Being physically here and having readily available access to information and people really gives me the advantage of understanding what is going on with our employers. This, I feel, is an advantage that the HR department working in the head office in Vancouver will never have. Plus, it’s also all about the experience! =)

August 28th, 2010

It was only a short year ago when I had made my decision to go back to school at the University of Lethbridge and pursue my second diploma in Human Resources and minor in Social Responsibility. I had only just completed my four year diploma program at the University of Calgary majoring in International Relations; a topic that I was very much passionate about. Upon graduation however, I had decided that I had wanted to incorporate a more business oriented perspective to the way I saw things. This, combined with my natural interest in dealing with people, as well as my confidence in the growing field, had led me to decide that the field of Human Resources would be the perfect route for me to take.

When I was offered my Co-op internship with the Employee Relations department at Teck Coal Cardinal Rivers Operation back in June, I had immediately taken the offer. There was nothing more educational, than hands on experience itself. The fact that I was going to be living in a small town, six hours from home, and work all the way up in the mountains at a mine site, had only made me more curious, and intrigued about the whole idea.

As I am sitting here alone working on this blog, a part of me is unsure, as I wonder what everybody is doing back home in Calgary. Another part of me, however, is also filled with excitement and anticipation. The opportunity to be immersed in an environment where I can gain experience in my field will be both rewarding and challenging. I know that I am prepared to challenge myself as I venture out of my realm of comfort and become vulnerable to unknown tasks and problems. I want to take this opportunity to learn as much as I can as I discover a little more about myself and what my own strengths, weaknesses, and passions are.