HR & People Operations Professional

Sophie Vijayasinkam

HR that runs quietly, accurately, and a little faster every month.

Here is what that looks like in practice.

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Open-plan office
01 · Where I've been

Nine years in HR, seven of them running it end to end.

HR and People Operations professional with nine years' experience, including seven running the full employee lifecycle for a fast-growing technology company handling recruitment, onboarding, payroll data, absence and employee relations. Progressed from HR Administrator to HR Officer, reporting directly to the executive team. Now completing the CIPD Level 5 Diploma and applying AI and automation to HR administration, with confidential data handled properly.

9 yrsin HR and people operations
7 yrsrunning HR end-to-end at a scaling tech company
CIPD L5Associate Diploma in progress
People insights dashboard and notes
02 · Proof, not promises

The numbers I'd want to see if I were hiring.

12→3manual onboarding steps after automating the new-starter journey
0payroll change errors over the last 24 monthly cycles
< 1 daytypical turnaround on contracts, letters and HR queries
Sophie built the HR function from nothing and kept it running through every stage of growth. Calm, precise, and completely trustworthy with sensitive matters.
— Former executive team member, Aidrivers
03 · What I build

Small tools that remove repeatable admin.

Each one started as a real bottleneck. Each one keeps personal data out of public tools.

HR Policy Assistant screenshot placeholder

HR Policy Assistant

Private Q&A over a sample employee handbook; answers cite the clause and route personal questions to HR.

  • AI
  • Policy
  • Privacy
Read the case study · demo
  • AI
  • Policy
  • Privacy
Problem

Managers asked the same handbook questions every week, and the answers varied depending on who replied.

What I built

A private question-and-answer assistant over a sample handbook. Every answer quotes the clause it came from and links to it.

Guardrails

Runs only on sample policy text. Any question about a named person or a personal situation is routed to HR rather than answered.

Result

Consistent answers with a citation, and fewer interruptions for routine policy questions. (Placeholder result — confirm figures.)

Live demoSample data onlyOpen in new tab ↗
Onboarding flow screenshot placeholder

Onboarding automation

Forms + Power Automate new-starter journey: documents, IT access, 30/60/90-day check-ins.

  • Power Automate
  • Forms
  • Onboarding
Read the case study · demo
  • Power Automate
  • Forms
  • Onboarding
Problem

Twelve manual steps between a signed offer and a new starter's first day, spread across HR, IT and the hiring manager.

What I built

A Microsoft Forms intake feeding a Power Automate flow: document pack, IT access request, calendar invites and 30/60/90-day check-in reminders.

Guardrails

Runs inside the company tenant. No data leaves Microsoft 365. Each step has a human owner who can pause it.

Result

Three steps for HR instead of twelve, and no missed IT access requests. (Placeholder result — confirm figures.)

Live demoSample data onlyOpen in new tab ↗
AI screening pilot screenshot placeholder

AI screening pilot

Scorecard-based evidence summaries compared with manual review to test consistency and bias.

  • Recruitment
  • Fairness
  • Pilot
Read the case study · demo
  • Recruitment
  • Fairness
  • Pilot
Problem

Screening for engineering roles took hours per batch and depended heavily on who did it.

What I built

A scorecard-driven summary of each application's evidence against the role criteria, produced alongside, never instead of, a manual review.

Guardrails

Anonymised applications, sample data only in the pilot, and every summary compared with a human score to check for drift and bias.

Result

Consistent scoring across reviewers and a clear view of where the summaries disagreed with people. (Placeholder result — confirm figures.)

Live demoSample data onlyOpen in new tab ↗
Working quietly at a laptop
04 · How I work with AI

Drafts, not decisions.

  1. Drafts, not decisions

    AI produces a first draft. A person reads it, changes it and owns it. Nothing about an individual is decided by a model.

  2. No personal data in public tools

    Employee and candidate data stays in systems the company controls. Public assistants get sample data or nothing.

  3. Fairness checked

    Anything that touches screening or performance is compared with a manual review for consistency and bias before it is trusted.

  4. Automate the repeatable

    Checklists, reminders, document packs and reporting are automated. Conversations, judgement and difficult news are not.

Bright desk by the window
05 · Picture this

Imagine a Monday morning where HR simply runs.

A new starter's contract, IT access and first-week plan went out on Friday without anyone chasing. Payroll changes are already with Finance, checked twice. The one manager with a difficult conversation ahead has a clear note and a calm plan.

That is the job I want to do for you: quietly, accurately, and a little faster every month.

06 · Experience

Where the work happened.

Aidrivers Ltd

London, UK · Aug 2018 – May 2025

HR OfficerJan 2021 – May 2025
  • Led the HR function as the company scaled, reporting directly to the executive team on headcount, people risk and employment matters.
  • Owned the full employee lifecycle from offer to exit, contracts, onboarding and induction, probation, changes, absence and return-to-work, performance processes and leavers.
  • Ran recruitment coordination end-to-end for engineering and operational roles: agency, linkedin campaigns and direct sourcing, interview scheduling, candidate communication, offers and right-to-work checks.
  • Supported managers through disciplinary, grievance and capability processes with investigation notes, documentation, timelines and policy guidance, ensuring fair and consistent handling.
  • Administered monthly payroll changes and benefits with Payroll and Finance, so starters, leavers, salary changes and absence were reflected accurately and on time.
  • Drafted and maintained policies, the staff handbook, employment documentation and formal letters, keeping them current with UK employment law.
  • Provided first-line HR advice to executives, managers and employees, handled sensitive matters with judgement and discretion, and produced the headcount, absence and recruitment reporting that senior management used for planning and audit.
HR AdministratorAug 2018 – Dec 2020
  • Established HR administration for a start-up that had none: employee records, contract and letter templates, onboarding packs, absence and probation trackers.
  • Coordinated interview scheduling, candidate correspondence and new-starter induction across a growing hiring pipeline.
  • Maintained payroll and benefits data and prepared monthly changes for Finance.
  • Handled employee queries and routine HR correspondence, escalating where judgement was needed. Supported the leadership team with office and operations administration.

Digirobotics Ltd

London, UK · Sep 2016 – Jul 2018

Marketing Assistant & AdminSep 2016 – Jul 2018
  • Ran diary, correspondence and deadlines for the PR Executive and supported the leadership team's external engagements, acting as first point of contact for partners and agencies.
  • Coordinated the company's presence at international trade shows including TOC Europe and GITEX, stand logistics, attendee scheduling, briefing packs and on-the-day support and represented the company to visitors and prospects.
  • Produced presentations, reports and stakeholder communications to a standard used directly with customers, partners and investors.
  • Managed vendor and agency relationships for campaigns and events, from briefing through to delivery and invoicing.
  • Built and maintained the contact and document records that gave the marketing and executive teams one reliable source of truth.

Affinity Global

Toronto, Canada · Oct 2013 – Oct 2016

Collection Agent → Senior Collection AgentOct 2013 – Oct 2016
  • Managed a portfolio of delinquent consumer accounts end-to-end: investigated disputes, verified balances and negotiated repayment plans within regulatory limits and company policy.
  • Acted as escalation point for complex and contested accounts, resolving customer concerns while protecting the relationship and the recovery outcome.
  • Consistently met or exceeded monthly recovery and quality targets, with audited accuracy of records, notes and payment documentation.
  • Handled personal and financial data under strict confidentiality and compliance requirements [The discipline later applied to HR records].
  • Supported and coached newer agents on negotiation approach and compliant call handling.

Education

  • CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in People Management
    Avado Learning (online) · Jun 2026 – Present · expected 2027
  • B.A. Politics & Governance
    Toronto Metropolitan University · 2011 – 2015

Courses

  • AI Applications in People Management
  • Google AI Essentials
  • LinkedIn Learning

Skills

  • Employee lifecycle
  • Recruitment & onboarding
  • Payroll & benefits
  • Absence & performance
  • Employee relations
  • Policy & documentation
  • HRIS & reporting
  • AI-assisted HR admin

Tools

  • Microsoft 365
  • BambooHR
  • ChatGPT / Copilot / Claude
  • LinkedIn Recruiter
  • Sage payroll
07 · Next step

Let's talk about your people operations.

Open to HR Officer / People Ops roles, London or hybrid.

London, United Kingdom