Inside Thomson Reuters

An intern's experience: HR strategy and planning

Hi everyone! My name is Olivia Rao and I am an intern on the Legal HR Strategy and Planning Team. In the fall, I will be a junior at the University of Minnesota where I’m majoring in Human Resources & Industrial Relations and Spanish, and minoring in Business Law.

Why did you choose an internship at Thomson Reuters? 

After interviewing for several internship opportunities for this summer, I chose to intern at TR because of the wide variety of projects that I would be exposed to in my role. As an intern on the Strategy and Planning Team, I get to work on projects in areas like compensation, talent acquisition, and organizational effectiveness. I wanted to have an internship where I could see the many facets of Human Resources and where I could work on projects that would give me a well-rounded HR background for the future. I’m really excited about the personal and professional development that will come about as a result of this internship in my field of study.

What were some of the projects that you worked on?

One project I have been involved with during my first couple of weeks has been a compensation analysis on factors like pay grades, position titles, and market standards. Working on the compensation analysis has strengthened my data analysis skills and has shown me that using data makes for a strong business case. I’ve enjoyed this project because it’s given me a holistic view of how the business is structured and how HR supports business decisions.

Also, another project that I am really energized about is helping the Talent Acquisition team to create a unified campus recruiting strategy. As a college student, I am able to apply my own personal experiences and share those insights with the team to make a more robust recruitment program.

What surprised you about the culture at Thomson Reuters? 

Since starting my internship in early May, a highlight of my experience has been seeing the culture at TR. The idea of “Happy at TR” really resonates with me – I love that the company recognizes that we spend a good portion of our time at work, so leaders do everything in their power to make sure employees are satisfied with the working environment. The culture here is so welcoming, and I was surprised at how much it is integrated into the day-to-day activities at TR. The constant reminders encourage me to reflect on if I’m being present at work and if I’m doing my part in making an inclusive culture.

What have you enjoyed about your time so far? 

My favorite part during my internship so far has been being involved in the HR department and getting to know my team better. Whether it’s being invited to informal coffee/lunch chats or being asked to join the Bachelorette Fantasy League with my other co-workers, it has been really fun coming to work every day in an area where people have integrated me as a member of the team and have made me feel like an equal (especially as an intern!). Also, I enjoy learning about the different roles within the function and hearing about what projects my colleagues are working on. One of my co-workers is involved in People Analytics at TR, and it has been great shadowing her and learning about this new trend in the HR field. I have been considering potentially specializing in this area of HR, and I really enjoy that I get the chance to work with someone that is so knowledgeable in this area. I’m looking forward to the experiences I am going to have over the next 12 weeks here at TR, and adding them to this list!

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About Olivia

Olivia Rao is a junior at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, majoring in Human Resources & Industrial Relations (HRIR) and Spanish, with a minor in Business Analytics. Her undergraduate experience has shaped her passions in advancing business through strong human capital and analyzing how different cultures impact firms in the corporate world.