Training with Purpose

As an employee development specialist with Human Resource's Training & Development Unit, Raul Hernandez has accumulated years of experience, making his ability to connect with employees in a learning environment strong.

“Training has been in my blood since I was 18 years old,” Hernandez said. “I started as a teacher in Catholic schools. But, at Disney in Orlando is where I recognized my calling. The many different jobs I was able to try while there made it easier for me to relate to everyone.”

His very first assignment there was as the character Tigger from Winnie the Pooh. He was able to work in housekeeping, engineering, sales, security and even worked in groundskeeping where he made the beautiful tree sculptures seen across Disney Parks.

“A great attitude is magic at Disney. They appreciated my energy and provided me with an opportunity to grow. I was able to present their Diversity Program to employees and eventually left there to manage a Franklin Covey store in Orlando,” Hernandez explained.

“After that, I broadened my training experience and worked all over the state of Florida teaching employees in establishments selling alcohol about those laws and regulations. The work challenged me and further grew my interest in training. My next training stop was hotel management at the Intercontinental Doral and the Palm Hotel and Spa on Miami Beach.”

“Developing training for our employees allows me to be creative and challenges me to find the best way to share important required information and knowledge,” Hernandez added. “I also feel I gain knowledge too from those who participate in the training experience.” Joining the Training and Development Unit at Miami-Dade County, Hernandez has pushed upward and forward to show employees the importance of their roles in the community.

“Our service excellence training program is top-notch,” Hernandez said. “Our workforce is incredible and providing them with good training is mission critical. They need to feel supported with access to knowledge about County services beyond their immediate area of assignment. Empowering them to better serve our community shows we care about them.”

“We show employees they have to be solution-oriented and show customers they care. As ambassadors of County services, they can impact results.”

“Training allows me to tap into my positivity and gives me purpose,” Hernandez said. “It’s a great feeling when I run into someone who has attended a training course and they take time to acknowledge they had a positive experience and have been able to bring what they learned back into their lives and work.” “Employees are also members of this community. The word unity is there. We have to work together; show we care and serve people as people.”

“One of my favorite quotes said 'Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you handle what happens to you.' Hopefully, I am able to encourage and build our employees through our training programs so that they can manage things better and deliver their best always.”

A graduate of St. Thomas University, Hernandez has been a Florida resident since he was four years old. Most of that time he has been in the Miami area. “I’m happy to be part of a great team here in HR,” he added. “In keeping with our tagline, HR Matters, we have training courses that will benefit employees throughout their career and County service.”