Connections: Henriette and Renee

Henriette Mazloum works in Spectrum’s Aged Care team as the Workforce Coordinator. In the opposite wing of our Dallas office, her daughter Renee works as the Manager of the Migration team. By supporting each other’s professional and personal goals, Henriette and Renee are taking the concept of ‘work family’ to the next level.

HENRIETTE: I will have been at Spectrum two years in September. Renee had told me that a position had come up as a rostering position and I was doing pretty much the same at a Residential Aged Care organisation for eight years. I applied for the role but was unsuccessful and after that I decided to volunteer at Spectrum as a Receptionist. I did that for about three months, and I thought, I’m just going to wait because Renee spoke so highly about Spectrum. Another position came up; I reapplied, and I was accepted. I did rostering for about a year and half and then a position came up for a Workforce Coordinator. I applied for it and now I oversee about 115 Support Workers.

We work in two different departments, so our work doesn’t cross at all. It’s good we both work at Spectrum. She tells me how her day went – at least if she speaks about a colleague or something that happened at work, I can relate to it.

When she comes home and tells me how many visas were granted for migrants and refugees, it makes me feel so good. And then she asks me “what did you do today” and I tell her we have recruited new support workers to care for the elderly. We share the stories of our day, and we can relate, because we share the same values.

What I admire most about Renee is that when she sets a goal, she works so hard to get it – and she does in the end. Especially in her work, she aimed to be promoted and she achieves that. It makes me proud.

Everyone in the Migration side knows I am Renee’s mum. They say how good a manager she is – they all love her – and it makes me feel proud.

Recently, Renee was nominated for the Hume City Excellence Award. I was so happy to be a part of it. Just being there and seeing that made me feel so proud and happy.

But I think my proudest moment was when she gave birth to her first daughter – my first grandchild!

RENEE: I started at Spectrum first, in September 2019. I applied for the Team Leader of Migration Services, and I was successful.

Before Mum came to Spectrum, we used to compare our work and I would see that she used to be anxious to call in sick even if she was really, really sick. I used to say “wow, Spectrum encourages us not to come to work if we were sick.”

She could see the culture of the organisation through me, and she didn’t apply for any other jobs. She just waited for something to be available here.

For me, Henriette working in the Aged Team has brought me closer to that side of the business. I understand what they do; I understand the importance of their work. Their wins are my wins, and my wins are their wins.

Because her team all love her, every time they see me, they want to compliment me on my Mum. So it’s kind of built my relationships and everyone’s like, “that’s Henriette’s daughter” so people say hello to me whereas before there was a division between the two departments.

There is one negative for me about working together. When she was working at the other organisation, she used to finish early so she could handle my kids. She finished at 2.30 which was just in time for her to pick them up, bathe them, feed them – whereas now I have to do that!

Mum is strong; she’s always someone you can rely on. Just last week, I had meetings back-to-back and my daughter had a fever. I called mum and she was able to ask her team leader so she could look after her. Watching the relationship grow between my mum and daughter has been really special.

People have this view that you can’t mix your personal life with your professional life, but it has worked for us, and it’s worked for a lot of people. Because Spectrum has a real ‘family’ culture; it works really well.

Find out more about our Migration program and our Aged Care Services.

Want to join the Spectrum team? Visit our Careers page.