Michele Coraluzzi works within Quotient Sciences’ US People Team supporting both our Philly and Miami sites. She discusses her career with the company and what she enjoys most about her role.
I get a great sense of purpose from my role as I know I’m not just supporting people on my team but also supporting colleagues going through difficult times.
– Michele Coraluzzi
What does a HR Operations Specialist do at Quotient Sciences?
As an HR Operations Specialist, I am responsible for maintaining and improving our HRIS (Dayforce), administering benefits, and overseeing leaves of absence. I also work to automate our People processes related to payroll, benefits, recruitment, onboarding, and compensation to improve the way the People Team works as well as make a more seamless experience for colleagues interacting with our HR systems.
Describe a typical day in the People Function.
My day-to-day work is a mixture of administrative work and bigger picture projects. I assist employees with questions and paperwork for medical leaves of absence and changes to their benefits, work with our broker and benefit carriers, and work with our US People Team to help wherever I can. I also work on bigger projects related to Dayforce including data management, open enrollment, onboarding and new hire experience, and reporting.
How has your career progressed since joining us?
Over the last two years, I’ve held multiple different roles within the People Function. I started working at Quotient Sciences in 2022 as an HR Intern where I wrote job descriptions for almost all Philadelphia roles. I then moved into a regional HR role where I was the Project Coordinator, implementing all modules of Dayforce (or what we at Quotient Sciences call People@Q) which allowed us to fully stand-up employment on our own. Since our implementation has been completed, I have now stepped into my current position as an HR Operations Specialist where I am working on continuous improvement, further automation and system maintenance, and benefits and leave administration.
What experience did you have before you worked at Quotient Sciences?
Before joining Quotient Sciences, I was a college student! I was taking courses and had learned about HR in my classes. I had also worked in retail management throughout college where I learned some of the foundations of HR including hiring, performance management, training and onboarding, and employee relations, but Quotient Sciences taught me the real-life application of what it’s like to work in HR.
Did you require any qualifications for the role you applied for?
After completing my HR internship with Quotient Sciences, I had officially graduated from Penn State University with my Bachelor’s in Business Management and Marketing with a minor in Psychology. My degree, along with my relationship with Quotient Sciences and the People Team, allowed me to feel prepared and competent in my role after college.
What learning or qualifications have you gained in this role?
Quotient Sciences has taught me almost everything I know about HR! I’ve been fortunate to work with people who I consider mentors and have invested in my growth as an HR professional and in my career at Quotient Sciences. I would say because of the work I did with our system implementation; I was able to learn multiple aspects of HR on a fast-track. After my first year with Quotient Sciences, I looked back in amazement at how much I had learned in a short amount of time.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
My favorite part of my job is the collaboration that I do with my team in both the US and the UK. I get to work with SMEs in both countries who are really talented at what they do. When we come together to build a new module in our HR system or improve one of our processes, it ends up being a huge accomplishment that changes the way we do things for the better across multiple departments.
What aspects do you find most challenging?
The most challenging part of my job has been learning multiple new skills at once. I have been learning about HR and all the US laws and regulations that surround it, and at the same time, I am learning about system configuration. We’ve had strict deadlines and significant challenges, and so my team and I have had to work through finding solutions and problem solving frequently. While I find it challenging, it’s also really rewarding as I’m kickstarting my career. I appreciate all the opportunities and challenges as it makes me a more well-rounded HR professional.
What’s the team like?
My immediate team as well as the teams I work with in cross-functional departments have all been really supportive and encouraging! Because we are a small team, everyone becomes an expert in what they do and we all know each other really well. We’re all really good at getting involved with each other’s projects, helping where we can, jumping on calls or meetings to answer questions, and also supporting each other personally, calling just to check in, and making genuine connections with each other.
What advice would you give to someone applying for a role in your team?
When you’re considering a role working on the People Team, know that you are joining a great group of people who genuinely care for each other. We work in a small group where each one of us is responsible for different things, so your knowledge and contributions are extremely important and valued! You have to be willing to take responsibility for your portion of what makes our team successful while also providing support and guidance to the rest of the team and you will feel the same level of support returned to you!
What do you like most about working at Quotient Sciences?
I enjoy collaborating with my team, but I also enjoy working for a greater good. I get a great sense of purpose from my role as I know I’m not just supporting people on my team but also supporting colleagues going through difficult times. Ultimately, I am supporting the work that we do at Quotient Sciences, benefiting the patients that we serve and lives that are being changed through our products.
