Cherie Sintes, a human resource specialist, gives employees and employers the tools to successfully work with federal, state and personal issues. (Jennifer M. Howell/News-Sentinel)

Lodi human resource specialist Chérie Sintes labors to help employees be more successful in jobs

There is a common view among employees of the world that a company's human resources department is staffed by snarling, vicious ogres who live only to do the bidding of their heartless taskmasters.

However, Chérie Sintes, a physician liaison and human resource specialist with Delta Radiology in Lodi, says that is simply not the case. In fact, she says, HR people are just as human and caring as any other employee.

For eight years, the energetic Sintes has been laboring to provide both employees and employers the proper information to effectively do their jobs. But her career entails more than being an information conduit. Sintes also wants to see all the employees she works with be successful.

"People either have really good or really horrorible stories about their HR experiences," Sintes said. "The truth is, Human Resources is there for the benefit of employers and employees as well."

Recently Sintes, who has been with Delta Radiology for just over a year, earned her Professional Human Resources (PHR) certification, though it wasn't easy. She had to take a four-hour test comprised of 225 situational questions. How she would react in each situation determines how she would fare in the HR world, and thus receive certification.

Sintes points out that, in order to be an effective human resources specialist, people need to be knowledgeable in state and federal policies, but they also need to find a balance.

"It's working with different people with different backgrounds," Sintes said.

And when it comes to terminating someone's employment?

"You have to care about people, but not take these things personally."

Sintes says any HR specialist that's going to be a success doesn't want to fire people. Their ultimate goal is to always see the problems — existing or potential — and work with the employee to correct their actions.

On the flip side of that, an HR specialist will look for ideal candidates to bring into a company's employment. People who are skilled, have certifications and licensing, are responsible, personable, balanced and accountable make for great employees, according to Sintes.

But it's not just about hiring and firing. It's about providing solutions and information that employees and other HR specialists may not know is available.

For example, Sintes says that in the state of California, under the California Family Rights Act, employees have the right to take time off from work for specified family or medical reasons. However, employees don't get paid for that time away from their job, though their job is protected during the period of absence.

There is a federal act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, that basically provides the same protection, but HR specialists in California have to abide by the CFRA policy.

Not only is Sintes passionate about helping people understand the role of Human Resources (she admits she can talk about it all day long), she's also passionate about getting HR specialists the resources they need to do an effective job.

Sintes belongs to the San Joaquin Human Resources Assocation, a chapter of the national Society for Human Resource Management. Both organizations exist solely to provide people in the HR field with the tools to do the best job possible.

Each organization provides a Web site for members to interact, find state and federal policies, be informed on labor law updates and prepare for certification.

"Our main goal (for SJHRA and SHRM) is to get the word out that we're out there, how many HR professionals know we exist," said Sintes.

Though she continues to work hard for employees and employers alike, there will still be the task of taking the most reasonable avenue possible in any workplace situation.

"That's the trick to Human Resources," Sintes said. "You have to do what's reasonable, what's in the employee's best interest."

Contact Business Editor Marc Lutz at marcl@lodinews.com.