Finding the balance in HR

Over 12 years ago, Kayren Sanghera embarked on a career path that some might consider unconventional. Initially pursuing fitness training, she soon realized it wasn't her true calling.

“I was on that path and quickly realized that maybe this isn't for me, so I went back to the drawing board and was doing a search online, looking for a job, but also looking at different academic programs I could consider."

That search led her to a job posting on Craigslist for a six-month contract at a staffing agency, she says.

“Having no formal business education or corporate experience, I had no idea what that meant, which was funny, and so I went for the interview — and really, it all started there."

The temporary contract went on to become permanent.

"I ended up being there for over three years and I learned all about onboarding, I learned all about recruiting, I learned all about payroll. And my role was very much immersed in those areas of the employee life cycle,” says Sanghera.

And it was a rejection for an internal payroll position that solidified her HR path.

"The hiring manager had [asked], ‘Are you sure you want to be in payroll? Because… you're lighting up when you're talking about interacting with people and working with people and helping people with solutions. And when you're in payroll, you're working with people, but it's just us, it's your payroll team. You're not interacting with the employees that much,”” she says.

“It was through the rejection of that job that I realized that maybe my path was somewhere else. And that's how it all started."

Signing on with Spence Diamonds

After working at I.T.S. Staffing Solutions, Sanghera went on to become an HR generalist at Dali Wireless and then Hothead Games, before joining Spence Diamonds in early 2020.

The well-known Canadian brand has been around for nearly 50 years, with four outlets in Ontario, two in Alberta and two in B.C.

“My heart still lights up when I think about that moment of getting the call to join. It was and continues to be a really exciting opportunity to support a Canadian-founded brand, first and foremost,” she says.

The company’s brand really comes to life for customers at the stores, says Sanghera, who knows that experience firsthand, having got engaged two years ago with a ring from Spence.

 “I look at my ring and what… I see is every single person that was involved in building it — the craftsmanship, the attention, the detail, our quality protocols — it's truly inspiring.”

That aligns with Sanghera’s belief that being an HR leader is about building and maintaining experiences both for customers and internal customers – meaning employees.

HR as customer service for employees

HR is a function that exists to serve employees, she says, recalling comments that she heard in a recent podcast.

"There's so many different ways you can think of HR and its purpose and its function in an organization, but ultimately, it is customer service for employees. And I've said this from the get-go, and I think it is [because of] starting my career in an agency setting, where employees, though they were placed in other organizations, they were our customers,” says Sanghera.

“That's been ingrained with me throughout my entire career, that the employee is the internal customer, so it's the service mentality."

She also sees HR as playing a key role in business success.

"As I've grown my career, I think it just starts to become clearer and clearer that people contribute to outcomes and for the business. And I've always been really intrigued by that and in admiration of that. And so, it's just been [about] falling more and more in love with how I can support people who support the organization and its success."

Supporting employees at Spence Diamonds

At Spence Diamonds, Sanghera is focused on training and leadership development.

"One thing that has really shifted and is really exciting — and this is happening across the board and in the HR industry — is empowering leaders to take ownership of the employee life cycle in really acting as that business partner and supporting them with the resources and tools and support that they need to effectively run their business."

As a result, training is both a massive opportunity and a priority at the company, she says.

“It's about ensuring that all of our leaders understand that the employee life cycle starts the second you respond to a resume, and every step along the way is really important and… [has an] impact on the experience that that individual will have working at Spence — all the way up to ensuring a smooth and good exit experience."

Balancing employer and employee needs

When Sanghera joined Spence Diamonds, it was her first real role leading an HR function independently. And she admits that finding the balance between leadership and employee support can be tricky.

“What's made managing that balance — I don't want to say easy, but — effective and work well, is having that transparency and communication amongst the leadership team and then the workforce."

It’s also about educating employees on how each function of the business fits together, she says, in confirming: “We're all here to deliver an experience for our customers, and here is how every single function behind the scenes is going to support you, the frontline leaders, in achieving that."

This transparency helps maintain the balance, says Sanghera.

"That's been a really helpful way of navigating [and] managing that balance of representing the business and protecting the business while also being an advocate for employees and ensuring that our employees have everything they need to be successful in their positions."

Formal versus informal training for HR

Like many HR professionals, Sanghera does not have a formal HR degree but she did take courses in the HR diploma program at BCIT after several years of work, and has also taken Mental Health First Aid Canada certification. So, does she feel the need for more formal education in HR?

"I think it's [about] a combination of both. I think it's really important to have education around employment laws, especially because they're changing all the time. And Canada is, provincially, there's different regulations, and so it's really important to have that foundational education and knowledge."

However, she also believes that experience plays a crucial role.

"When I'm in those courses, I excelled because a lot of the curriculum I have learned in the field, and so… I don't discredit the value of academics and certifications that are out there, and programs — I'm definitely interested in learning more and going back to school and all of that — but I think there's a balance that's really powerful with a role like HR."

For Sanghera, a key factor in her success has been a quest for constant learning – and mentorship is a big part of that, she says, “whether that's been through individuals who I've reported to, or even individuals I've been put in touch with, through people within my network."

Sanghera says she is always on the lookout for people to thought partner with or seek input from.

“I think there's so many talented people around us and there's a real beauty in building community when it comes to that."