Kelsey is the Team Lead for Workplace Planning and has been working in various HR roles throughout Hydro since 2014. Kelsey works hard to support employees across our company and is passionate about making employee experiences as great as possible.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m originally from Bonavista – so a small town girl at heart. I moved to St. John’s in 2007 where I completed my Bachelor of Commerce (Co-op) and, later, my Masters of Employment Relations from Memorial University. In 2020, I pursued a job opportunity in Churchill Falls and currently live here with my husband Ches, son Howie and our dog Charley. I recently accepted a Board of Director position with Women in Resource Development Corporation (WRDC) so I’m eager to offer my experience and support to such a fantastic organization. In my (little) spare time, I enjoy outdoor activities, puzzles, spending time with my family, and I can play a few tunes on the accordion!

Describe your role at Hydro.

My current role is Team Lead for Workforce Planning – a new role to the organization that will bring a strategic lens to how human resources can partner with our operations teams. Having a focus on workplace planning will allow our company to continue our sustainable approach, ensuring we minimize any gaps in our resource modelling for the future.

What made you want to come to work at Hydro?

I started at Hydro in 2014 as a Graduate Intern in Human Resources (HR) and as a newer grad, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I will always be grateful for! I was able to experience all aspects of HR very early in my career, from collective bargaining to organizational effectiveness and pension and benefits. I landed my dream job and it allowed me to build a solid foundation of HR knowledge that I’ve continued to use over the years in many HR roles throughout Hydro.

What does an average day look like for you?

There’s never a dull moment which is the part of my job that keeps me so interested in what I do. In my current role, I am so excited to be supporting the Major Projects team. There is a lot of great work on our company’s horizon and it’s been a fantastic experience working with this group. More broadly, I also support managers and supervisors as they look at potential redesigns for their teams, build reports/collect data and lend my expertise to those within the business, however I can. It’s an exciting time to be working at Hydro!

What’s something about your job that you think people may not know?

In my experience, I’ve found that HR is a field that a lot of people are familiar with but don’t really recognize the full scope of the services we provide. HR impacts people very personally – we deal with your compensation, we see you in your time of need, and we sometimes have to get involved in very personal matters. I often work with employees during times of great stress and if I can help them find their way through our policies, procedures, or supports, I know I did my job. My commitment to everyone I deal with is to remain confidential, open, honest and respectful.

What role do you play in ensuring Hydro can provide safe, reliable power to our customers?

When working in a support role like HR, it can sometimes be hard to see how our work influences supplying power to our customers. After I moved to Churchill Falls and became more familiar with our operations, I gained a new sense of admiration for what our employees and front line management do everyday to ensure our plants and transmission lines are running effectively so our customers can receive power. The biggest way I contribute is by ensuring those folks are supported. Whether it’s an employee that has questions on their benefits or a front line supervisor looking for support with their team, I want to be able to make their employment experience as great as possible. We all have an important part to play and supporting employees across Hydro is how I’m best able to contribute.