Mandy Woulfe

When news broke that Hawaii ranked as best for work environments in the country, Human Resources Manager Mandy Woulfe expressed excitement. “It all goes back to doing the work you enjoy doing,” Woulfe said about why our state may have scored an overall 71.1 in a recent Gallup Poll. “People here look for the positive side. … They’re happy to have a job. They feel blessed and they want to do the best they can at their job,” said Woulfe, a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources and president of the Society for Human Resource Management Maui Chapter.

Gallup Poll announced this spring that Hawaii had earned No. 1 for highest overall well-being in the nation. The state also scored the highest for emotional health with a positive score of 83.6, life evaluation with a score of 57.2 and work environment with a score of 54.1. Woulfe, who works at Honua Kai Resort & Spa and has 15 years in the field of human resources, said she believes Hawaiian values and overall positive attitudes by Maui employees contribute significantly to positive work environment ratings. Managers, in return, share and value their employees’ attitudes and efforts, and together the two take pride in their work. She said employee turnover, which is low in many Hawaii companies, affects job stability and security and results in an overall pleasant atmosphere at the workplace. “When you’re in an organization that doesn’t have a lot of turnover, you tend to really like where you work and it shows in what you do.”

The Society for Human Resource Management is the world’s largest association devoted to human resources. SHRM Maui represents more than 100 HR professionals on island. The group’s next program, which is open to the public, is set for 9-11:30 a.m. April 30 at the Kahili Golf Course Nahele Ballroom. For more information, go to www.shrmhawaii.org or contact Woulfe at mwoulfe@honuakai.com