Jolie Wist, CHRP, heads up the Professional Development and CHRP Portfolio on the BC HRMA Vancouver Island Advisory Council and was the top scorer on the National Professional Practice Assessment (NPPA) exam in Fall 2007.  She currently works as an HR consultant with the University of Victoria.  Jolie’s HR passion lies in the area of Learning and Development and she successfully developed a number of Learning and Development programs while working with UVic. Jolie has recently accepted a leadership position at a college in northern Alberta.  

Jolie recently sat down with BC HRMA volunteer Elaine Smith to discuss learning. 

In your current role, you design and deliver learning and development opportunities for staff.  What do you feel has been your most rewarding learning and development delivery you have experienced and why?
Learning and development is a passion of mine and I have done so many sessions at UVic over my eight year career with them that it is hard to choose one as being more rewarding than another. To me, the reward comes when I deliver a session and I see the light go on in someone, knowing they are considering something they never did before. I love to facilitate the process that gets people to think in a different way because of the new knowledge they have gained or connections they have made.

Many of the programs I develop and deliver focus on helping people develop their skills in dealing with people and relationships, which in turn supports positive work environments.  One session that stands out for me is the “Recognizing Others” course, which focuses on how to let others know they are valued. The program is very different from a labour relations focus, which is what much of my day-to-day work is, as it focuses on positive and preventative people interactions with a goal to prevent conflict or performance issues.

In your opinion, what do you feel organizations can do to promote a learning and professional development culture?
Make learning and professional development an expectation for people and a value of the organization. Build it into all aspects of the employment relationship from hiring practices to Performance Plan Reviews to succession planning and beyond.  Make it easy for people to take part in.

You consider the mentorship program you created and led at UVic to be your greatest achievement in the HR field.  Tell us about the program.
This program is my legacy at UVic. The program’s primary purpose is to promote professional and personal development by establishing a relationship between two staff members that provides informal guidance, coaching, knowledge-sharing, and enhanced understanding of the University of Victoria environment.

I designed the program with uncommon hallmarks, based on feedback from stakeholders.  Participation in the program is by application only for mentees and invitation only for mentors. During intake, time is spent finding out what the mentee is looking for in a mentor. Then I go out and find a mentor to match those specific criteria. The program formally runs over a six month period, but it is not unusual for matches to continue beyond that period on their own. The mentee, rather than the mentor, is expected to lead the process and this gives the mentee control of their learning and development opportunity.

The program features structured and unstructured events. Structured events include a monthly group lunch with topics to discuss and opportunities for pairs to connect with other pairs and learn from each other.  Unstructured events are left up to each of the pairs to decide on their own, based on their specific needs and availability. The program is open to all levels of staff and has included workers from janitorial supervisors  to those in senior management positions. The program has brought together some interesting combinations of pairs, such as the senior staff mentee who asked for a younger mentor to help her gain a better understanding of her younger staff.  The program has been known to create learning opportunities for both mentees and mentors, as many mentors say they have learned as much from the mentees.

In comparison to the huge success of the program, the administration and cost to run and organize the program is minimal. A committee of past participants chooses the next group of mentees and I work with others in the organization to help find the mentors. To date we have had 40 pairs since the program started four years ago.

What experience in your career do you feel provided you with the greatest development and learning as an HR professional?
My traveling experience has provided me with the greatest development and I have been able to apply to it to my work in HR. The world is my university. Travel creates real experiences and it forces a person to open their mind to different ways of thinking and to be curious. Travel has helped me to get an understanding of myself in terms of how I react in and to other cultures. It has enhanced my ability to problem solve and to build relationships, which are essential abilities needed to work in the HR field.

You are relocating to Fort McMurray.  Tell us about your new opportunity and why you chose it.
I have accepted the position of human resources manager at Keyano College. I will be leading an HR team and my mandate will be to move the team from transactional to strategic. I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to take on this role, as strategic people practices are what I have focused on in my role at UVic over the last eight years. Keyano College will also be supporting me as I work toward my Master’s Degree.  This opportunity is a big adventure I look forward to.

I understand there are many employment opportunities in the North. Is that the same for the HR profession?
From my experience, yes, as I started my HR career in smaller northern and remote communities.  The opportunities provided to me in these environments enabled me to learn a lot quickly and this has helped me to progress my career to where it is today.

Do you see more individuals looking for professional opportunities in the North?
If HR professionals are trying to advance their careers quickly, going North will certainly help provide that opportunity. This will help to place them in a better position to apply for senior level HR positions which there are likely to be more available as the demographics change and the baby boomers start to retire.

What will your next career experience be?
After I achieve my Master’s Degree, I hope to take my career international. This will allow me to combine my career and my love of travel, as well as help round out my overall experience.

Note: We thank Jolie for sharing her HR experience and wisdom with us.  Jolie will be missed on the Vancouver Island Advisory Council and is wished the best in her new adventure.