Huyen-Nga Tran: Serving Employees Is the Heart of My HR Role
Learn how Huyen-Nga Tran supports the R.S. Hughes team every day and why supporting employees is her favorite part of being a Senior HR Business Partner.
Contributed by Huyen-Nga Tran, Senior HR Business Partner, 1 year, 7 months
I’ve been with R.S. Hughes for a little over a year and a half, and it has been such a rewarding journey so far. I’m proud to be part of a growing HR team that’s helping strengthen the way we support our employees and managers every day.
Building Better Systems and Stronger Connections
Although I joined R.S. Hughes at the tail end of the implementation of UKG, a human resource and workforce management tool, I was glad to be part of that journey. Since then, I’ve helped launch the Recruiting Gateway and Onboarding Gateway for UKG, which have made our hiring and onboarding processes smoother and more efficient for the company and applicants.
In my day-to-day, I most enjoy helping people find solutions. HR is all about providing guidance and support when employees have questions or concerns. We’ve been working hard to build trust and visibility across the company. Seeing more employees coming to us for help is one of the most rewarding parts of my job.
A typical day for me includes checking pending offers, conducting background checks and onboarding tasks. I also manage HR tickets in FreshDesk. Employee questions can range from job and compensation changes to UKG issues, timecard questions and policy clarifications. I work with the team to assign items to the right people and support employee relations and leave-of-absence cases. Every day brings something new, which keeps things interesting.
Redesigning the Employee Handbook
One of the biggest projects I’ve taken on recently is updating our employee handbook. The current version has served us well for many years, but it was time for a refresh. Some practices no longer fit with how we work today. We also saw an opportunity for greater clarity and for sharing key employee information.
Our goal is to make the new handbook a strong, easy-to-use reference tool that helps all employees find accurate answers quickly.
Exploring the World
Outside of work, I love traveling and learning about different cultures. I try to avoid sticking only to tourist areas because I enjoy discovering the everyday rhythm of the places I visit. People are often surprised by how adventurous I can be, especially when the media portrays some destinations as unsafe. My curiosity often outweighs my hesitation.
At the top of my travel bucket list is visiting every country in North America and the Caribbean, as well as traveling to Norway to see the Northern Lights and to Egypt to explore the Giza Plateau. One of my favorite destinations is Laguna de los Siete Colores in Bacalar, Mexico. The lagoon’s stunning shades of blue are mesmerizing, and the calm atmosphere makes it a perfect place to relax and reflect.
At home, I enjoy reading about ancient history and extraterrestrial topics. I also love spending time with my husband and our two orange tabby cats, Orange and Grapefruit. And when it comes to food, Vietnamese cuisine will always be my comfort food, though I’m open to trying new dishes when I travel.
What’s Next
My time at R.S. Hughes has been full of learning, collaboration and growth. Every day is a new opportunity to make a positive impact and help create better experiences for our employees. I’m grateful to be part of a team that values both people and progress, and I’m excited for what’s ahead.