Abena: "We thrive on mutual respect, which is a value engrained in our culture"

This episode of Inside Cadana features our very own People Associate, Abena Frimpong. We delve into her personal experience as she shares her journey so far as an HR personnel.

For anyone looking to thrive in a fast-paced work environment and make a meaningful impact on their team and organization; Abena Frimpong shares advice on interpersonal skills, the importance of adaptability, purpose, mutual respect, creativity, and collaboration in achieving success in any role.

So, how long have you been working with Cadana?

I've been with Cadana for a little over a year now.

Can you please tell us more about your role and background?

I joined Cadana as a people associate but my role has grown into something more multi-faceted. I collaborate with both compliance and marketing teams to contribute to projects. I have been in HR in the telecom and petroleum industries right out of university.

I love working behind the scenes for the most part, helping people to shine in any way I can. I feel that this role allows me to do just that. However, I have also ventured a bit into other fields and soaked up some knowledge there as well.

Wow! Interesting! What does a typical day look like in this multi-faceted role 😅?

That depends on the period. From performing routine administrative tasks to undertaking specific projects, there's almost always something different happening, especially since we're a start-up.

How long have you been working remotely? What were the most challenging and surprising things when you first started?

About as long as I've been with Cadana (little over a year). After commuting to physical offices for years, I must say it's been a refreshing change.

One challenge that easily comes to mind is transitioning from Microsoft Office tools, which I had used for years, to tools I had either not used extensively or at all.

There were times when I found myself sitting at my desk, laughing so hard because I couldn't find where to insert a shape on Google Docs or easily sort dates by month. There's always a learning curve when dealing with something new, no matter where you go. That was a fun challenge, albeit downright frustrating in times of urgency.

However, the goal/result-driven approach to attendance, rather than a more traditional one, was an interesting surprise.

Can you summarize the part of your role which is most Energizing, Draining, and Purposeful?

Implementing programs that positively impact employee experience captures the first two adjectives. Seeing and hearing that people loved something my team did is quite rewarding and spurs me on to the next thing.

I guess that ties quite well into “purposeful”. Also knowing that the work that I do directly or indirectly impacts the broader mission of the company gives me a sense of purpose.

When do you thrive the most; when you collaborate with other team members or have time alone?

I'd say a good mix of both. Being predominantly introverted, I enjoy the alone time if that's what I have to work with. I'm also perfectly okay collaborating with others so long as they're the right people or have the right mindset for the job because if not, it can get exhausting.

What's the one thing you wish you knew before joining Canada?

I guess exactly how fast-paced the environment would be. I was told before I joined that it would be, but that didn't prepare me for the reality.

Have you ever handled conflicts among team members? If yes, kindly share one example if you can.

I haven't. We're peaceful people ☺️. We thrive on mutual respect here which is a value engrained in our culture. We're humans so fundamentally we will disagree on certain things but it doesn't translate into conflicts.

Great! I guess we can end here with a piece of advice 🥹. What do you think could make a person successful in your position?

Definitely being able to adapt quickly to change, really good interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, and loads of creativity.