Her Story
About Uilani
I've been in the HR payroll field for about 15 years, and I've been in my project management position for 3 years now. Before that, I worked as an Implementation Consultant. My most notable professional achievement is that right now, I am the first and only project manager at this moment implementing on a new platform and handling multiple clients at the same time. The key responsibilities that I handle are making sure that I am a liaison between sales and my direct team, and then also making sure that I implement clients' accounts based off the timeline expectations. What inspired me to get into this field was that I was presented the opportunity, and as I continued to grow when I was introduced to it, I saw that there was more opportunities, there was bigger growth, and it was a career path that looked like something I wanted to do so I can use it as a daily living as well as help others. It was something that was very foreseeable at the moment, and at this time, I'm here and I've still been hanging in there, and I love it.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Uilani
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to helping others, making sure others have a good understanding of the HR compliance and payroll, and how everything works from a streamlined way. It's about making sure everyone stays in that client setting and ensuring they have the knowledge and support they need to succeed.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received was when someone asked me where do I see myself and what do I want to gain from it. When I answered that I wanted to see myself on that growth path and able to help others, they asked how does that look and how do I protect myself from burnout. The best advice was: you can only do one thing at a time. Take your time, one foot in front of the other, and set your boundaries. That really helped me understand the importance of pacing myself and maintaining healthy boundaries while pursuing my goals.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The advice I would give to other women entering this field is to ask yourself what do you want to see yourself doing and why do you want this. Come with an open mindset, come with ideas and questions and answers. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid of the no. Don't be afraid of the whys. Just come as you with an open mind. Have your open mindset and be willing to learn and grow.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in the HR field is balancing employee needs, leadership expectations, and compliance. We deal with a lot of conflicts, hours, wage and hour laws, taxes, and policies. You have to be very sensitive and very mindful, walking that line of making sure you don't make mistakes because it's a sensitive situation. You don't want to jeopardize anything or hurt anyone. It's not what you say, it's how things need to be said, how it's perceived, and how it's received. Another challenge is keeping your peers motivated and committed and keeping that morale up.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me in my work life are integrity and respect. When I say that I'm going to do something, I want to make sure it is done, and just being consistent. On a personal level, I want to make sure that it creates stability and respect in relationships, both personal relationships and work relationships. I focus on keeping boundaries, honoring my peers and my loved ones with healthy boundaries, making sure we can speak to each other in a mutual, respectful way. At work, it's about professional communication, and in personal life, it's about maintaining those healthy boundaries and mutual respect.
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