Hispanic Heritage Month with Jennifer Flores, Human Resources Administrator at Amplify CU

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage month with us! We asked our Hispanic and Latino team members to reflect on their careers, accomplishments, and what Hispanic Heritage month means to them. Throughout September and October, we’ll be highlighting their answers on our blog and social media channels.

Jennifer Flores joined Amplify in July of 2022 as a Human Resources Administrator. With over eighteen years of management and customer service in the credit union industry, she ultimately transitioned to HR.

Jennifer came to Amplify because of the company culture: one that works for and with employees. As she continues along her career path, her long-term goal is to help as many people as possible to love their jobs. “Everyone should have a great work / life balance. No one should ever feel like their job is the most important part of their life and they should feel valued by their company.”

Work / life balance is more than a buzzword for Jennifer—she loves and values spending time with her two young boys and husband. Whether coaching their sons’ teams or going to Austin FC games, soccer is a huge part of their family life.

We asked Jennifer some questions surrounding her career and her thoughts on Hispanic Heritage Month.

Why did you choose your profession?

I’ve mostly worked in management and the main part I liked about that was being a mentor to others in my field. I loved helping them find their voice and helping them on their journey and figured HR would be the best way to do that. I also love the idea of being a bridge between a business and its employees because to me, HR is there to help both succeed.

What do you love most about what you do?

I love helping people and HR is the direct line to the business, so we answer all kinds of questions and try to solve issues that come up and every day is different.

What do you think is the key for success in a role like yours?

Being empathetic and having the ability to relate to your peers while also maintaining confidentiality. HR professionals know so much about their peers’ personal lives, and we have to be able to separate that from the professional environment.

“I’m so proud to be a part of this industry and to be a part of the change!”

HR is changing in a big (and good!) way and I’m so proud to be a part of this industry and to be a part of the change!

What’s your favorite Mexican restaurant in Austin?

There’s this small family-owned shop in Pflugerville that opened right before the pandemic called Huahuasco and I’m pretty sure we single handedly kept them afloat during the pandemic because we ordered food from there constantly. If you’re in the area, you should definitely check them out or DoorDash them.

Tell us about someone Hispanic you look up to and why.

I’m going to give my age away on this one, but Selena was my childhood icon. She entered an entirely male dominated world and broke all sorts of records and paved the way for Latina women of today. 27 years after her death and she’s still an icon to so many.

What do you wish you could tell your younger self?

It’s ok to be yourself. I struggled a lot with that when I was younger because I lived in two worlds—one where Spanish was dominant in my music and tv watching, and the other where English was dominant. I had a hard time picking a side because I loved both so much and it took me awhile to realize I didn’t need to pick a side because they’re both me.

What is the best career advice you’ve ever received?

If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no.

Any advice to young Hispanics who want to succeed in your field, industry, or just in general?

Don’t be afraid to speak up or take charge on projects or volunteer for something you feel passionate about and don’t be afraid to show pride in your accomplishments. We (Hispanics) tend to work hard and later feel embarrassed when someone congratulates us on our accomplishments. A lot of our families came here for more opportunities and it’s more of a reason to celebrate any and all accomplishments.

Do you see the credit union industry changing in any specific ways?

So much has changed in the credit union industry since I started eighteen years ago! I started off at a small credit union and have worked at two of the biggest credit unions in Austin, and so much of technology is being embraced! COVID forced a lot of hands, but Amplify was already there. I think we’ll continue to be a big contributor to how credit unions handle technology and remote work. So many people use technology to do their banking instead of physically going into a branch, and that was something you didn’t really see 10-15 years ago.

What is your hope for the future of the credit union industry?

I hope more credit unions embrace Amplify’s fee-free philosophy. Since credit unions are member-owned, it seems like a no-brainer—but for some reason, this isn’t the norm. It would be nice to have credit unions eliminating fees while also giving back to their communities in a big way.

What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?

It means a celebration of our languages, cultures, skin tones, music, food, activism, education—Hispanics come in a variety of these things and it’s a way to celebrate us all. We’re not a one size fits all and it’s wonderful to share that within our culture and outside.

Supporting Our Team

Join us over the next few weeks as we continue to celebrate and highlight more of our team members. We invite you to listen, share, and support them!