If it’s your first day at CMiC, Lorena is the friendly face you’ll meet during onboarding. She’s sweet and soft-spoken—but don’t underestimate this powerhouse! Lorena has her perfectly polished fingers in all things HR, from recruitment to employee benefits, so you’ll want to be in her good books. She knows talent when she sees it (because it takes one to know one ).
When did you join CMiC and why?
I joined in November 2017. Before CMiC, I was a technical recruiter for a recruiting firm. I saw the CMiC job posting on Indeed and felt the role would be a good fit for my skillset and career goals. The hiring process was quick, and I appreciated that I knew exactly where I stood during the entire process.
What is your role at CMiC?
I am the HR Manager at CMiC. Because we are a lean team, you can find me working on all functions of HR like recruitment, employee relations, attendance and vacation, employee inquiries, and benefits. If you work at CMiC, then you have most definitely worked with me one-on-one during training and onboarding! A big part of my role includes spearheading training initiatives to make sure new and existing employees are on the same page.
I’m also on the Social Committee, which is a group of CMiC employees responsible for planning events for the company. We organize fun activities to help with team building and getting to know your peers.
Do you read cover letters?
We don’t require cover letters in an application, but we do read them if they’re included. They’re useful if I can’t gather enough details from the resume, and I’ll look to the cover letter to (hopefully) answer my question. For most of our technical roles, having enough detail on your resume is sufficient; however, for any writing or creative roles, I would say the cover letter is very important!
Share with me your best CMiC memory.
Any of the social events. It always makes me happy to see the new faces at our company come out and mingle. I also like seeing how quickly our social events are growing—it means that I’m doing a good job!
Where is the best lunch spot?
Banh Mi Boys. My go-to order is the ‘5 Spice Pork Belly’ sandwich.
In the office, I’m guilty of eating at my desk. It’s not that I don’t enjoy socializing, but I can’t ‘just eat’ because I have to always be doing something. My desk is in a central area, so I find a lot of people drop by to say ‘hello’ anyway.
What do you listen to on your morning commute?
I listen to the radio because I need music on my drive in to the office. I know millennials love their podcasts, but I can’t listen to talking when I’m driving! Plus, my commute is only 15 minutes (on a good day with no traffic), so it doesn’t give me enough time to get through an entire podcast.
Go-to CMiC office snack?
Clementines! I usually bring my own fruit from home anyway, but Clementines are a nice supplement to my daily apple and banana.
What is your favourite part of the day?
Office yoga on Wednesdays. It not only provides a nice break in the day but gives me a reason to get up and stretch. You don’t realize how taxing sitting all day is on the body until you start doing warrior pose! Our company yoga instructor is the best. She shows no mercy with those lunges.
Any tips for someone looking to join the CMiC team?
I would say the ideal candidate will have a willingness to learn and grow. Having a good attitude and good communication skills are also key skills to have because you will be working with so many different teams, no matter which department you’re a part of.
If you’re prepping for an interview with us, I would advise looking into the company. Be sure to ask questions during the interview because it tells me that you’re interested in the role and CMiC. Pssst, bringing a pen and paper to jot notes will earn you extra brownie points!
What does the perfect resume look like to you?
Having those details in there, especially if you’re in a technical role. This means making sure you list the technology that you’ve used clearly on your resume. Another tip is to be detailed and be clear—this includes adding any relevant dates! But, be sure not to clutter your resume with information I won’t need (you would be surprised by how many birthdays and even SIN numbers I’ve seen). I’m going to say it one more time: list your tech!!!