People of SFU: Meet Kami Grovue, VPFA HR total compensation consultant

Meet Kami Grovue, total compensation consultant for the VPFA’s Human Resources (HR) department. We asked Kami to tell us about a typical workday at SFU. Here’s what she had to say.

Before I share my typical workday, you may ask, “What is a compensation consultant?” I just so happen to have the answer to that! Compensation consultants are responsible for providing expertise and support in job evaluation and compensation services, programs and projects across the university. We ensure standards of diversity, equity and inclusion are met in SFU’s job descriptions, along with adhering to SFU’s governing bodies and policies. We also provide consultation, support and advice to leaders during phases of organizational design and re-design, support the development of compensation strategies and work closely with your strategic business partners to serve you!

Starting my day:

After I say goodbye to my family, I head to my workspace in the HR offices at Strand Hall on Burnaby campus.

As soon as I arrive, I say a quick hello to my team members on MS Teams (it’s amazing how much we use Teams, even when in the office together!), check my calendar and task list in OneNote, then start to dig into my day.

My morning:

The first half of my day quickly fills up with meetings, be they 1:1’s, team, departmental, project or client based.

Today, I’m meeting with my colleagues in HR, as well as various staff and leaders, to work on tools and resources that will help support the launch of the Total Compensation Learning Series.

This includes Canvas work and in-person training sessions for employees and leaders who want to update their job descriptions (JDs) to design more efficient and effective teams. I’ve also had the opportunity to create an infographic outlining the Total Rewards package, so am getting in my creativity quotient today too!

Next, I meet with HR and VPFA Communications folks to continue to improve the HR Website. We’ve added valuable JD toolkits, info sheets and infographics, along with building out the website content to better serve employees and leaders across SFU. Stay tuned for more information to come.

This morning also has a meeting about performance development program (PDP) resources on the books. As we align with Public Sector Employers’ Council (PSEC) and carry out our president’s vision of what performance development looks like at SFU, I have the pleasure of chairing a PDP/salary progression working group that is focused on updating our program by listening and incorporating leader feedback into SFU’s practices.

My afternoon:

I tend to eat lunch at my desk most days, but on nice days like today, I’m getting outside for a walk so I can listen to an audiobook and give my eyes a break from the screens.

After lunch, it’s back to meetings and project work.

I’m tackling some interesting initiatives this afternoon, one of which is a meeting with the public sector compensation leadership working group to collaborate and learn about compensation strategic and problem-solving as a group. This ensures our SFU practices are in alignment with the external market. Today, I’m facilitating a discussion with this external leadership group.

Another meeting and another interesting topic, this time with the strategic business partner (SBP) team where I get to support the President’s Office as an SBP. I love being able to use my past experience as an HR manager to work directly with our SFU community.

Next, I meet with my HR colleagues to discuss staff engagement initiatives that we’re working on together to enhance our culture and recognition at SFU.

I start to wrap up my afternoon by catching up with employees and leaders on current matters related to salary, job evaluations, JD writing, etc. We’ve really worked hard to improve our compensation customer service and delivery times over the few years, drastically improving our service times.

Wrapping up:

As I think about leaving for the day, I contemplate what I like best about my work and realize there isn’t just one thing.

I love that I have a leader (Tanya Morrison) who provides me with autonomy and the ability to exercise my creativity on a daily basis.

Much of my work currently is project work focused on helping employees and leaders understand what we do in the land of total compensation. I love how every day is different and how the work we do is making a difference to the SFU community (better-designed teams are more effective and efficient!). 

I feel grateful that I get to wake up in the morning and be excited by the work I get to do and the team I get to work with – so much talent and innovation happening.

I’m very proud to be an SFU employee and feel lucky to have Joy Johnson at the helm. We truly are a learning organization. Once all my work is in a good place for the day, I switch gears and put my mom hat on. Time to cook dinner.

Thanks to Kami Grovue for sharing a brief glimpse into her typical workday world as part of the VPFA’s Human Resources department. The VPFA provides leadership in foundational, day-to-day operational and administrative support services to meet the needs of SFU’s students, staff, faculty and wider community across all three campuses. Learn more by visiting the VPFA website: www.sfu.ca/vpfa.