From Org to Home: A Human Resources Department Spotlight

The Ateneo Association for Communications Technology Management (ACTM) serves as the home organization for CTM Majors but, you might be wondering who exactly is responsible for making the members feel at home? What exactly are the things they do in order to achieve this? Don’t worry! These are just some of the questions that I’ll be answering in this department spotlight article featuring the Human Resources (HR) Department.

What made you choose to take up a leadership position in this department?

Honestly, HR wasn’t the first department I had in mind–it was actually the Project Management (PM) department. I began my ACTM journey in PM, and when sophomore year came, I found myself contemplating if I should go for a position there. As I was having individual consultations with my friends, all of them told me to go for it– all except one, who told me that she actually sees me more fit to be in HR alongside her reasons. I found myself intrigued, so I contemplated for quite some time about it. After a while, I decided not to push through with the application and instead, tried to immerse myself more in HR-related opportunities that school year. By the end of sophomore year, I became one of the Talent Managers for the Volleyball Pool, a Prepcourse Facilitator, and an HR Mentor.

I found myself deeply in love with the work they do in HR and the reason why they do these things, which is why I decided to apply as the AVP for Member Development. I saw ACTM somewhat like a team–they handle a unique and different set of people every year and they always work towards becoming a certain type of ACTM every year. At the end of it all, I really think it was my collective experience that made me want to be in this department, and it is what pushed me, alongside my desire to give back to the organization, to take action and apply for the position.

What makes your department special/stand out from the others?

The HR Department has always been known to be in-charge of making sure that the members feel at home here in ACTM through the birthday posts and core team acknowledgements. Apart from that, it is also our responsibility to provide the members with various opportunities that will help develop both their soft and technical skills. One of the ways we do this is through the Talent Pools that we have–namely the Music, Dance, Hosts, Influencers, and Sports Pool. The Talent Pools exist so that members who possess any of these talents may continue to improve further and so that members who do not possess any knowledge but are interested in learning any of these talents may develop them soon. Another way we do this is by offering opportunities such as being an HR Mentor, Facilitator, HR Deputy, and HR Initiative Head. There are numerous things that members get to develop here, but at the end of it all, what truly makes the HR department stand out from the others is that everything we do here is done for the members by the members.

Are there any activities, initiatives, or events that your department has held so far in this school year?

The first HR Initiative that took place this year was the October Initiative,better known as Happy Heylloween–a synchronous event that allowed our members to show their creativity through their wonderful costumes, feel the spooky vibes through the movie screening, and lastly, have fun and get to know their fellow ACTM members through a series of fun, interactive, and competitive games.

During the month of November, all five Talent Pools had their own Welcoming Workshop where members of the different talent pools were able to meet their Talent Managers and fellow pool members, find out what they can expect from the talent pools this school year, and give a preview of their talents through the various exercises their Talent Managers had planned out for them.

And just recently, the December Initiative Heads (Manu Dumayas from 2-X3 and Mads Bernardo from 1-X) found a way to make the holidays feel festive despite it being online by posting a Christmas-themed music video featuring different members of ACTM lip-syncing to the song Santa Tell Me by Ariana Grande.

These are just some of what HR has executed this school year and we, the department heads alongside the HR Initiative heads and the Talent Managers, can’t wait to show what else we have in store for you guys. Watch out for those this second semester!

What unique learning opportunities can your department offer to its members?

In line with what has been mentioned earlier, learning how to take care of members, or people in general, can be found at the core of the HR Department. We teach our members modules about managing conflict, planning and executing initiatives, facilitating, and more! All these help in making sure that members feel heard, appreciated, and taken care of among many more. Overall, I think it can be said that the department’s efforts to provide avenues for holistic development help make it easier for us to make the members feel at home.

__________

All credits for the elements in the banner go to the rightful owners. Photos from Pinterest.