HR Analyst
- Location: Houston, Texas, USA
- University: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
- Studied: Industrial and Labor Relations
- Joined Shell: February 2002
Why did you join Shell?
There were three different reasons why I joined Shell. First, the website described various role opportunities available as an HR professional including: HR specialist, union involvement in the field, international opportunities and business specific areas. Second, the HR rotational program was very attractive, since I was new to HR and needed more experience to be effective, and it offered the opportunity to stay in one place for three years.
The program provided experience in staffing, policy & benefits, diversity and Equal Opportunity to better prepare me for an HR generalist role. Third, the diversity of the people that I met, how friendly they were and how open they were during the recruitment and interview process, impressed me - during my interview the people I spoke with were genuinely interested in me and took the time to speak with me at length.
How would you describe your role at Shell?
Primarily, my role is learning as much as possible during these three years to become a valuable member of the HR team. I aim to add value by bringing a new perspective to each project that I am involved in.
I am currently involved in a process analysis project where I look at different processes to streamline them and find areas for improvement. From an HR perspective, this means taking each of the HR processes and discovering what processes people use, how they're implemented, write a process manual, and capture areas for improvement. I also review efficiency in areas with changes that have occurred recently, as well as being involved in compensation and finance projects.
What do you like most about the job?
In my current role, I am involved in two different areas: Shell Expatriate Employment U.S. (SEEUS) and Expatriate Services & Compensation. SEEUS facilitates hires and transfers of U.S. employees overseas. So, I am getting an in-depth understanding of HR expatriate policies/benefits and procedures including taxes, laws, and cultural aspects that make up various compensation packages.
Few HR generalists get the opportunity to be exposed to this type of specialty this early in their career. The Expatriate Services & Compensation organization handles expatriate pay administration for U.S. employees on overseas assignments and overseas employees on U.S. assignments. My previous rotational role with recruitment gave me a good foundation for interviewing/staffing and representing Shell to external customers. I love that I work on various projects in multiple areas.
What are your future career plans?
My next role will be in policy and benefits. Eventually, I hope to join a HR team in a manufacturing environment to be exposed to industrial labor relations at another site location within the U.S. and, of course, have the opportunity to work overseas.
