This award recognizes an entry level HR professional who is new to the profession, (i.e., typically less than five (5) years of experience in the HR field at the non-EX level) and has provided strong contributions to the HR function in their organization.
Recipient
Caroline Duda
Strategic Recruitment Advisor, Resourcing Centre of Expertise, Atlantic Region
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
Caroline Duda joined the CRA as a graduate in the spring of 2021 and after spending time as an HR Assistant, she quickly made her way into the CRA HR Development Program, taking on the role of Strategic Recruitment Advisor in Atlantic Regional HR Operations. Caroline has shown initiative, determination and leadership in taking this role to new heights.
Staffing in the Atlantic Region has benefitted from her dedication and professionalism. She has been an integral part of the region’s Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EED&I) initiatives. Her efforts have led to a reduction in regional EE gaps, establishing relationships with external EED&I organizations and recruiting talent to respond to the agency’s current and future needs. She has ably led the region in adopting a new recruitment strategy that is better suited to the realities of the current labour market.
Caroline has a keen ability to safely push boundaries to build upon previous accomplishments and determine what can be done moving forward. She has built collaborative relationships with hiring managers and clients alike. She understands CRA’s direction and needs, while serving her clients with the utmost respect. Her initiative, creativity and ability to build relationships are just some of the skills that have led to her early successes.
“Caroline exemplifies excellence and positivity in all that she does, in addition to an incredible commitment to the CRA.”
Finalists
Ahmed Guérinik
Second Language Instructor
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
Ahmed is a highly valued teacher and assessor at the Official Languages Centre (OLC), where he has worked since December 2016. He has made a significant contribution to the teaching team through his development of numerous pedagogical documents for each of the three second language levels. Ahmed has written a French A & B manual and is currently finalizing an A & B manual and a C-level manual for learning English. All together, these manuals, comprise almost 1,000 pages of exercises, grammar concepts and learning activities, and have become the cornerstone of the organization’s various language training programs.
Ahmed is highly regarded for his efforts to facilitate candidates’ work and for his commitment to sharing his findings with colleagues. He has also set up initiatives to improve the tools and services offered by the OLC, such as training programs for employees. He has established relationships with external partners to provide additional professional development opportunities for employees, and has also identified areas where teachers need improvement. He has received several awards in recognition of his efforts. In short, Ahmed has shown effective and innovative leadership in language teaching management.
“He works in a manner that reflects a commitment to service excellence, that always actively contributes to workplace well-being and to a safe, healthy and respectful working environment, that supports and values diversity and bilingualism, and that acts with transparency and fairness.”
Fabrice Ndizihiwe
Project and Monitoring Officer
Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC)
Since starting with VAC in September 2022, Fabrice has made a significant impact in a very short amount of time. He has successfully taken on a number of high-impact projects, including: the development of a new tool that will considerably speed up the process of drafting of letters of offer for the HR staffing team; the development of a Veteran and Casual Recruitment Portal that will greatly improve the experience of both candidates and hiring managers when recruiting new talent into the department; and, the completion of a case study on difficult-to-staff positions for VAC’s Field Operations division.
Fabrice’s incredible skillset has proven to be a source of inspiration and innovation within VAC’s HR division. He is working part-time while completing his undergraduate studies, but this has not prevented him from dedicating himself to his projects. In his day-to-day work he demonstrates a mastery of technology, graphic design, communications, problem solving, research and more. His interpersonal skills also shine through in his interactions with colleagues and clients. He works collaboratively and demonstrates the power of agile work through his dedication to making incremental improvements. Fabrice is a model example of a young public servant with exponential potential!
“His curiosity, experimental nature, dedication to helping people
and positive attitude prove him to be an exemplary public servant, and
demonstrate that he is a future leader of HR in the Government of Canada.”
Notable Nominees
Sean Edwards
Junior Human Resources Analyst, HR Reporting and Analysis
Health Canada (HC)
Sean joined the HR Reporting and Analysis team in November 2021, after having completed his master’s degree. He quickly progressed from data entry, to data request resolution, to becoming a research and analysis “go-to resource” for senior management. In his role, Sean has tackled two types of reports, including legacy reports such as the Corporate Dashboard and Absence Management Report; it’s in the second report type where Sean has shown his exceptional value. He is currently working on a longitudinal, quantitative research project on recourse and grievance mechanisms, as well as a profile of epidemiologists in the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) – the heart of disease tracking at PHAC.
While his years of service would indicate that he is a new HR talent, his work output shows maturity and an advanced level of understanding of key HR issues at play. As Sean gains more experience, the scope and depth of his contribution grows. He is well on his way to becoming a key HR resource for the department.
Andrew Hoult
Advisor, Values and Ethics, Office of Values and Ethics
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
Andrew was initially hired within the ESDC, Office of Values and Ethics (OVE) as a casual Project Officer in March 2020, to conduct a research study on best practices in values and ethics service delivery for the public sector. Since joining the OVE as a Support Officer in July 2020, Andrew has become an invaluable member of the team and exemplifies the values of the public service. His care for people and passion for ethics translates in all that he undertakes.
In his short time with ESDC, Andrew is recognized for his outstanding performance and numerous contributions in assisting his team with delivering its core business, supporting management with decision-making and providing guidance to clients, partners and stakeholders on various values and ethics related matters and disclosures of wrongdoing. Despite facing many new challenges and an increased workload due to limited staffing resources, Andrew always remains professional and positive, while continuously striving for service excellence.
Leah Lynt
Staffing Advisor, National Staffing Operations
Department of National Defence (DND)
Leah Lynt has been working as a staffing advisor within National Staffing Operations in the HR Branch at DND for over four years. Her role consists of supporting the staffing and recruitment requirements for her clients within the Military Personnel Command organization, which consists of over 4,000 clients across Canada. During her time as a staffing advisor, her senior leadership team has received an abundance of positive feedback from her clients for her professionalism and client service excellence. In addition, she was awarded a military coin – one of the highest honours that a civilian can receive from military counterparts.
Leah has an exceptional work ethic, a passion for human resources and is always looking for creative ways to enhance the delivery of HR services. She is held in high regard by her cross-disciplinary peers, clients and senior leadership alike; she is seen as a “go-to” due to her staffing knowledge and far-reaching engagement with clients and colleagues across HR disciplines.
Michael (Mike) Potvin
Human Resources Advisor, Executive Group Services
Health Canada (HC)
Mike Potvin is a breath of fresh air to the HR community at HC and he is on the rise to stardom! He consistently demonstrates characteristics of a skilled, competent and trusted HR professional. Mike joined HC in November 2020, supporting the executive (EX) resourcing requirements for two complex organizations during the height of the pandemic response. He provided outstanding client service and timely advice, guidance and support to senior management on complex and sensitive EX staffing strategies. Mike has mastered the art of building and maintaining positive working relationships with a range of individuals, which allows him to provide staffing options and solutions tailored to unique needs and organizational priorities. He strives for client excellence and produces top-quality work, requiring minimal supervision.
As a self-declared person with a disability, Mike does not allow his impairment to impede on the quality of his work. At the young age of 20, Mike lost his sight and has had to adapt his whole environment to this new reality. As he persists in his career, he truly defines the meaning of talent: a bright and confident professional with a natural aptitude to “do what’s right and do it right”. Mike’s contributions in this short period have allowed HC and PHAC to deliver on their mandates and acquire EX talent, ensuring strong leadership within both organizations.
Karina Rivest
Staffing Advisor Human Resources Development Program, National Staffing Operations
Department of National Defence (DND)
Karina Rivest embarked on her journey with DND as a highly successful student within the Assistant Deputy Minister (Human Resources – Civilian) (ADM (HR-CIV)) in 2019. In a remarkably short span, she advanced her career, starting as an HR assistant (HRA) and swiftly ascending to the position of staffing coordinator. In this role, she took charge of an expanding team of HRAs. Her most recent achievement includes a promotion to the ADM (HR-CIV) Human Resources Development Program as a staffing advisor. As part of a new service delivery model, Karina was a key contributor to the success of a major workload allocation trial for HRAs, which entailed combining several large teams to streamline complex administration under one manager. Karina’s leadership in this transformation brought significant value to the way work was allocated, ensuring workloads were manageable and ultimately prioritized the health and well-being of the team.
Karina has also brought her ideas and creativity to various project groups to improve processes and information. She values diversity and inclusion in all that she does, this was evident in an interactive session she delivered to a large team on Defence Ethics. Karina can always be found passionately immersed in her work, building strong client partnerships and supporting her colleagues.
Taelor Smith
Acting Senior Leadership Development Advisor, Character-Based Leadership (CBL) Centre of Expertise
Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
Taelor Smith is a Senior Leadership Development Advisor at CBSA and is a Certified Leader Character Practitioner. Since joining the CBSA in 2019, she has made significant contributions in human resources. She leads the ongoing integration of Character-Based Leadership (CBL) into the agency’s HR programs, practices and processes; this work includes the design, development and facilitation of workshops exploring the 11 dimensions of Leader Character.
Taelor is guided by a person-centered, human-first approach in all that she does, stemming from a professional healthcare background in Speech-Language Pathology (MHSc). She is passionate about mental health, advocating for communication disorders, cultivating meaningful connections in the workplace, embracing vulnerability as a strength, learning from others’ lived experiences, and empathetic, compassionate, and inclusive leadership. She has solidified many partnerships in various communities, program areas and regions by steadily building a solid foundation of mutual understanding and trust, while looking for ways to add value to each other’s work.
Yasmine Touijer
Human Resources Advisor
Public Service Commission (PSC)
Yasmine began her career with the PSC as an administrative assistant in January 2022, but quickly demonstrated her skills and interest in human resources through proactive support and collaboration within the team. She arrived with a contagious cheerfulness, a desire to help her colleagues and a progressive vision that radiated throughout the division. This fall, we welcomed her as an HR advisor, with a view to helping her develop to her full potential.
Her impact was truly felt within the management team, as she was involved in numerous initiatives, including the Charity Campaign as an ambassador, her involvement in a promotional video for a collective CR-05 and AS-01 process where she was at the forefront of the project, and even the Employee Forum where she presented and facilitated the meeting in front of all the organization’s employees. Not only does Yasmine have the team’s well-being at heart, she also aims to support management’s priorities. Her contributions bring a breath of fresh air, and her positive attitude, willingness to help and desire to make a difference are a definite asset to the organization.
