HR officer and avid reader Sandy Hill.

Praised for her customer service ethic, human resources officer Sandy Hill has been named this week's Five-Star Staffer.

Hill was nominated by Faculty of Health Sciences deputy dean Associate Professor Gonda Perez and senior HR advisor to the faculty Miriam Hoosain.

According to Hoosain, Hill has provided an excellent service to the faculty.

"Sandy has done a brilliant job of holding the fort and supporting the faculty during a very hectic time when many HR processes needed to be rolled out. She always manages to strike a balance between the clients' needs and HR best practice.

Hoosain added that Hill was very open, honest and easy to work with.

"Sandy is not afraid to speak her mind but she does so in a way that is constructive. She deals with the issues at hand and is able to look at things objectively."

Hill, a UCT employee for the past nine years, says she is energised by the wonderful people she works with in the faculty.

"In HR you should never lose sight of the fact you are working with human beings. And because of this you have deal with people's emotional and personal problems as well. It's all about caring for people as individuals. I find people challenging and interesting.

"I'm privileged to work in an environment where management appreciate their staff and are willing to offer acknowledgement where it is due."

For Hill, further acknowledgement and job satisfaction comes in the form of being part of people's development.

"My reward is seeing people develop emotionally and in terms of their jobs. Sometimes I get frustrated though, because the paperwork and processes bog you down and I feel I can't help or give people all they need."

Hill's administrative secrets of success include "an old fashioned, paper-folder filing system" and prioritising urgent issues.

"Multitasking is a big part of my job. I have to deal with crises when they arise - it's the nature of working with people - but I also have to remain focused on the bigger picture."

As a single mom of two children aged six and 10, Hill's multitasking capabilities continue after hours. "They keep me very busy," she notes. "But I make time for reading and photography. I just love the world of enlightenment and creativity that opens up to me in books. I am also studying part-time towards a degree in industrial psychology. This is also a huge part of my life after hours."