Meet the Buffalo #HRCommunity! COVID-19 has no doubt been a challenging time for most HR professionals to navigate. I am so grateful to the amazing HR Community for showing up for each other and offering information and support. You all are the best! I want to introduce my network to some of my connections who rock and who are rocks for their organizations! Stay tuned for multiple posts in this series – all from HR pros practicing in different industries. If there’s anything I can help you with, please send me a message on LinkedIn or through the contact me area here on my blog.
Meet Alaina! I met Alaina in 2017 when I had the good fortune to attend Remedy Intelligent Staffing’s Women in Leadership networking group. I then obtained my role with Remedy and was so lucky I got to work with Alaina more! Alaina is a true recruiting expert and leader in the community. Her energy and enthusiasm is contagious, and her work with local causes such as Make a Wish Foundation WNY and Say Yes to Education Buffalo is inspiring. Be sure to connect with her and learn more below!
Introduce yourself
My name is Alaina Bonner. I am a proud Buffalo transplant. I grew up mostly overseas in Seoul, Korea, and moved back to the U.S in 2011. My HR career began 4 ½ years ago and I fell in love with the industry and the ability to connect and develop relationships with people from all different backgrounds. I love learning about self-care and wellness and have a passion for helping others with their personal and professional development.
Describe your current position and in what industry do you work
I am a Client Partnership Manager for Remedy Intelligent Staffing. In my role, I lead the company’s Cheektowaga office operations in motivating, developing, and inspiring my team every day. I oversee all aspects of branch operations such as recruitment, placement, and account management and we have the privilege of assisting people with finding their next employment. Our company has a strong manufacturing focus and we strive to provide full vertical integration for our client’s facilities which means we can fill contract, temp to hire, or direct hire positions as well as assist with safety programs and other employment related needs. We provide a wide range of HR services such as recruitment, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, on-site service support, payroll, and benefits just to name a few.
How has COVID-19 impacted you the most?
It’s hard to think of one thing that has impacted me the most from COVID-19 because Buffalo as a community has had to make a GIANT adjustment to this “new normal” we are in now. For the first time, our teams are providing services virtually to all employees and accounts. It has been a huge adjustment for us, especially because we are so used to working together in the office and are used to a constant flow of traffic throughout the day. As an organization we’ve continued to collaborate on best practices to ensure teams are being motivated and supported during this “Age of WFH”. Some of this includes multiple virtual meetings, 1-on-1 meetings with individual team members, new recruitment methods, and amazing communication from our leadership team on market trends and updates as an organization. Through all these adjustments we are also able to provide a high level of support to employees, clients, and community partnerships.
What’s 1 thing you wished someone outside of HR understood about your job during this time?
One thing I wish people to know and understand is the high level of policy, procedure, and operational changes that are occurring during this time. We have all truly become change agents and are constantly learning and implementing new changes based off new laws and CDC recommendations to ensure employees are being protected and safe. We are doing the best we can to provide as much support and resources in a timely fashion and I appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding through all of this!
What are you doing to practice self-care?
Prior to COVID-19, I would work out at Spar Defense! They have amazing programs if you are into kickboxing, boxing, or HIIT classes. Since the shutdown, I am trying to continue to stay motivated and do home workouts. I also love doing skin care routines like face masks, rollers, and undereye masks. Putting on a face mask is super relaxing after a stressful day!
What has been your favorite part of your HR career?
I truly love being able to meet people from different backgrounds, develop relationships, and help people in any way I can with their development. Working in HR allows me the opportunity to help people in so many ways and I feel lucky that I get to do this every day!
What is a word of advice or encouragement you’d give to other HR pros?
Sometimes when difficult situations arise, extraordinary innovation has the opportunity to shine through, and as HR pros we are able to provide new and amazing solutions. Hang in there and continue to share words of encouragement to people you know, we will all get through this!
What can the HR community do to support/help you?
I love seeing videos/blogs/postings on various social media platforms where members of the HR community are sharing positive stories and best practices. Now more than ever, we all need to continue to share stories and keep our community motivated during these difficult times.
Share something fun about yourself
I love to travel and make it a point to go somewhere I have never been once a year. Some of the amazing places I have been to over the past few years have been Hawaii, Brazil, Peru, and Iceland. I also LOVE spicy food and have a slight addition to Tabasco sauce. I know…I know I live in Buffalo and “Franks is better”.
Claire is Coaching 