Joubert discusses leadership, planting positive workplace culture one person at a time

Editor’s note: In celebration of Black History Month (Feb. 1 - March 1), UTHealth Houston is featuring outstanding members of our community.

Each Monday, Syrine Joubert leads new employee orientation.

She welcomes new employees to their first day during orientation to introduce them to UTHealth Houston. From that first day forward, Joubert begins a journey with them that blends research data with employee engagement and leadership best practices to follow each new hire through their first year.

“People are the heart of an institution,” Joubert said. “I work in human resources, and we provide valuable resources, but we never lose the ‘human’ side of what we do. That includes creating a culture where we treat people with empathy, and continuing to help them in their work journey.”

Joubert is the organizational development and engagement consultant on the Organizational and Talent Development team within the Human Resources department. In her role, she develops strategies and oversees implementation of internal employee communication plans for employee engagement, onboarding, and promoting organizational values, culture, and employee performance. She is also a certified employee engagement specialist.

“I have the opportunity to help people acclimate into the institution,” Joubert said. “We have all been there. The first day is super overwhelming. I want to convey the message that new employees are welcome here, and they are valued and appreciated — and I want to do that starting on day one of their journey.”

Everyone is important to the university’s overall mission.

“Employees may think they only impact a single department, but they impact the entire institution and community. Creating a culture of awareness by showing them their work is valued and reaches beyond what they can see is so important. On that first day, I try to create awareness that their UTHealth Houston journey may include challenges, but I encourage them to remember their value and what they bring to their role because it is important to the work we do here.”

Each year, the human resources department sends out an employee survey to check in with all employees on how they feel about their work. Since 2014, Joubert has been charged with managing the development, administration, and analysis of the survey to identify organizational key performance indicators.

“People are very open in the surveys,” Joubert said. “I think that employees are so open because they know someone is paying attention to the information and their voices are being heard. I help compile and analyze the information for common themes that help to drive organizational initiatives.”

The surveys have led to new programs including the UTHealth Houston Leadership Institutes, Management Development Academy, and LinkedIn Learning. It has also identified when programs may need to be updated to help employees navigate the evolving work environment. Most recently, various data points showed the Management Development Academy curriculum needed to be refreshed to include more discussion and tools on how to navigate an increased remote work environment. Joubert is spearheading the program.

“It’s so important to allow people to have the platform to say how they are feeling and what their work environment is like,” she said. “The questions are crafted to be actionable, and the responses will tell you the story.

“The ultimate goal is employee retention. We have the best talent working here. We all made a choice to work here, and for those who choose to exercise their talents and passions at UTHealth Houston, we strive to create the best possible employee experience for them.”

Joubert is also passionate about helping others discover their strengths.

“People sometimes focus on their weaknesses and forget to recognize their strengths, or what other talents they have and aren’t utilizing,” she said. “I’m a firm believer that your talents and gifts will make room for you. Helping people during their self-discovery path to find emerging talents and watching them thrive as they apply those within their work environment brings me so much joy.”

Joubert came to UTHealth Houston seven years ago as a human resources reporting analyst.

“I have a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, and what I love about numbers is their ability to tell a story,” Joubert said. “I like seeing the patterns, and creating a vision with numbers. There is always a story to tell. In my current role, I still review data to create strategies from a larger perspective that helps to improve the entire scope of the employee experience.”

Joubert credits her departmental leadership for giving her opportunities to learn and grow into her current role.

She holds a Master of Science in instructional technology from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and is currently enrolled in a PhD program in industrial organizational psychology from Northcentral University. The program focuses on the science and behaviors of the workplace.

“I have a love for human development and coaching people to help them realize the best within themselves and how to leverage giving their best in any moment,” she said. “Their best can always change, but striving for professional and personal growth to achieve your best is at the heart of harnessing any employee’s talents and passion.”

More information about UTHealth Houston Leadership Institutes and LinkedIn Learning can be found online. If you would like to submit someone to be considered for a future employee spotlight, please submit an online form.