Ask an HR Executive: ilda Andaluz of Legacy Community Health

In this edition of Ask an HR Executive, we sat down with ilda Andaluz, Chief People and Technology Officer at Legacy Community Health, and discussed her path from psychology student to HR leader. With experience across multiple industries, ilda shares how aligning people and technology, investing in leadership, and embracing AI are reshaping HR. She also highlights the importance of proactive partnerships and elevating both employee and patient experiences.

Share with us a little bit about your HR journey and how you got to where you are today.

I actually didn’t go to school for HR. I studied psychology at McGill University in Montreal, where I’m originally from. My goal at the time was to become a psychologist, and I was fascinated by human behavior and how the brain works. But as I learned more about what that path required, a master’s or a PhD, I started to explore other options.

After graduation, I worked at McGill’s career and placement center (CAPS). Back then, employers would fax job postings, and I’d physically post them in the appropriate university buildings. It was very old school! Students would come to our office to get a copy of the job descriptions and apply.

I started noticing that many students were not making it past their first interviews—some showed up in ripped jeans or pajamas, chewing gum. I pitched the idea of a workshop to help students prepare better, and my boss gave me the green light. What I didn’t know was that an employer was in the back of the room during my presentation. Afterward, he offered me a summer job as a recruiter for a startup call center. I was hesitant at first, this wasn’t the plan! But the salary helped with my student debt, so I gave it a shot. I had to recruit 300 people over the summer. I learned on the fly, reading everything I could and asking lots of questions. We got the call center up and running, and shortly after, I was offered the HR Manager role.

I wasn’t sure if HR was right for me, so I decided to take evening courses while working full-time. That balance, learning theory at night and applying it during the day, was incredibly valuable. I made plenty of mistakes, but I also grew fast. I began attending networking events, and one connection led to an opportunity at Bell Canada, one of the country’s largest telecommunications companies. They were looking for someone to lead campus recruitment, and my background made me a great fit.

At Bell, I rotated through various HR roles and was mentored by two amazing leaders. They challenged me to think about HR through a business lens. One of them even had me read a business book a month and expected me to implement what I learned. That experience taught me the importance of understanding the business itself: how it runs, how it makes money, and how HR can support it strategically.

So, I transitioned into HR unexpectedly, but organically. I’ve continued growing with curiosity, continuous learning, and a business-first mindset.

Have you found that HR skills are transferable across different industries, or is there a slight learning curve when you enter a new industry?

The people issues are almost always the same, regardless of industry. What changes is the business side of things. So yes, there is a learning curve when you enter a new industry, but it’s not in HR itself. It’s in understanding the business model, how the organization makes money, and what drives its success. People get promoted into leadership roles too early; they don’t always have the right leadership training, there are performance issues, learning and development needs, compliance concerns, and benefits questions; those are consistent everywhere. HR is HR. The beauty of it is that the skills are highly transferable across industries.

That said, staying in one industry or organization longer allows you to go deeper and create more impact. Early in my career, I moved around a lot and didn’t always stay long enough to see the impact of my work. Later on, I made it a point to stay in roles longer, five to six years in two different oil and gas companies, and that’s when I really saw the change I was able to drive. Now I’ve shifted to healthcare, which is completely new for me. I’ve been here a year, and while the industry is different, the people challenges are familiar. My role has also evolved, I’m now the Chief People and Technology Officer, overseeing not just HR, but also IT, internal communications, and both patient and employee experiences. That intersection of people and technology is exciting, and I think it shows other HR leaders that we can bring value beyond traditional HR. We can be strategic business partners at the highest levels.

What’s the philosophy at Legacy Community Health around people and technology?

It’s very new. This role has never existed at Legacy before, so I’m in the process of building it from the ground up. I officially stepped into it about four months ago, and part of the work right now is just helping people understand how everything connects. I still have people saying, “Wait, that team reports to you now?” So we’re still bridging gaps and shaping the vision as we go.

What excites me is how naturally HR and IT intersect. On the surface, people often misunderstand both functions. With IT, it’s often reduced to, “The internet’s down, can you fix it?” And with HR, it’s just, “You hire and fire people, right?” But there’s so much more happening behind the scenes in both areas. My goal is to highlight the strategic value of both people and technology, and how they support the entire infrastructure of the organization. I love learning, and I see this as an opportunity to create something meaningful that aligns people strategy with digital capability to drive performance and experience.

Share a little about your role and how it aligns with the company’s business objectives and mission.

My role aligns closely with our organization’s mission because I believe that if we create a great employee experience, we’ll deliver a great patient experience, and ultimately drive strong organizational outcomes. That equation holds true across industries: happy employees lead to happy customers, which leads to revenue and sustainability. In healthcare, it’s the same, just through a different lens.

That’s why it makes perfect sense to me that both employee experience and patient experience fall under my leadership. If our employees are disengaged or unhappy, it will absolutely impact how patients are treated—and whether they return or recommend us. And while we’re a nonprofit, we’re still a business. We still need to keep the lights on and operate effectively, which means financial health matters. Part of my role is helping people see the connection between people, experience, and outcomes, and creating alignment across teams to support both our mission and our business objectives.

What trends are you seeing in HR that have your attention right now?

Right now, everybody’s talking about AI. It’s interesting because you’ve got folks who are early adopters, and then you’ve got others who are saying, “No way.” I’m kind of in between, like an early-ish adopter. I’m trying to help my team see that it’s not about AI taking their jobs. It’s about working smarter. You can write a quick job description in seconds now, or you can spend hours doing it the old way. Of course, we still need to look at it, review it, and tweak it to make sure it’s accurate. I don’t think we’ll ever fully replace that human element, but it definitely helps us be more efficient.

The other trend I’m seeing is the challenge of navigating all the different generations in the workplace. This is the first time we’ve had so many generations working together, and it comes with its own set of challenges. Different generations have different expectations. For example, I look at my son, who’s 24, and sometimes he’d show up to work five or ten minutes late, and there’d be no reprimand, no conversation, nothing. And I’d just shake my head, like, “Oh my gosh.” As an HR professional, it’s surprising. But that’s what society has accepted in some settings. Then, when younger employees move into more traditional business environments, they’re shocked. Like, “Wait, I have to be on time?” And I’m thinking, “Yes, that’s a basic requirement.” So, having those conversations is part of the job now, helping bridge those generational gaps.

What roles are in demand on your team today, or soon will be? 

From the technology side, if we want to stay innovative and future-ready, we need talent that doesn’t just maintain systems but pushes the boundaries of what’s possible. I’m especially focused on roles that blend AI, automation, and data intelligence to drive real-world impact. For example, we’re looking to grow our capabilities in AI-driven analytics, machine learning engineering, and intelligent automation, especially in areas like care coordination, patient engagement, and workforce productivity. These roles help us move from being reactive to predictive.

Cybersecurity remains mission critical. As a healthcare organization, protecting patient data and operational integrity is non-negotiable, and the sophistication of threats continues to evolve. While I have a strong cybersecurity team in place, that’s an area where we can never afford to stand still.

The demand for data roles, especially in business intelligence and analytics, is skyrocketing. Everyone wants access to insights, but what we really need are professionals who can turn data into strategic action. It’s not just about dashboards; it’s about decision-making velocity and precision.

On the HR side, learning and development continues to be a top priority. I can never have enough L&D professionals who understand the nuances of adult learning, digital tools, and leadership development. Internal L&D resources are especially valuable because they’re embedded in our culture and responsive to real-time needs. They can build programs that are both scalable and personal.

Recruitment remains essential, particularly in a competitive healthcare market. But perhaps one of the most pivotal roles we’re doubling down on is the HR Business Partner (HRBP). With over 60 clinics across the Houston area, we’re transitioning from a transactional HR model to a more strategic and embedded one. We need HRBPs who act as coaches and consultants to their internal clients, people who aren’t just in meetings, but in the field, shoulder-to-shoulder with clinic leaders, helping them navigate talent, culture, and performance challenges as they happen. That level of partnership is new for us, but it’s where the future of people leadership is headed.

What’s your team’s biggest challenge today, and how are you addressing it?

One of our biggest challenges is that growth has outpaced structure. We’ve expanded rapidly, and in that kind of momentum, some foundational processes and frameworks haven’t caught up. It’s not just an HR challenge, it’s organizational. We often find ourselves in uncharted territory, asking, “Have we built the right policy for this?” or “Is there a system in place for that?” In those moments, we realize we’re still building the plane while flying it. It requires a high tolerance for ambiguity, but more importantly, it demands intentionality, to slow down just enough to build with purpose, not just speed.

The other major challenge is something I see across industries: a gap in core leadership capability. We have so many bright, capable individuals, subject matter experts, problem-solvers, mission-driven professionals, but leadership requires a completely different skill set. It’s not just about managing people; it’s about creating clarity in complexity, cultivating trust, modeling accountability, and making hard decisions with empathy. That doesn’t happen automatically when someone is promoted. It takes investment.

We’re leaning into learning and development, not as a checkbox activity, but as a strategic differentiator. We’re working to normalize leadership development as part of every leader’s journey, not just for executives, but for clinic managers, emerging leaders, and everyone in between. If we want a culture of ownership and collaboration, we have to teach people how to lead in a way that’s inclusive, courageous, and clear.

What does your hiring process typically look like? How do you go about finding the right candidates?

My approach to hiring, whether internal or through an external agency, starts with deep understanding. When I work with a search firm, I expect them to take the time to understand the business, our operational environment, and especially our culture. In fact, I’ve invited agencies to walk our halls, visit our clinics, and shadow our leaders, so they can genuinely grasp who we are, not just what the job description says.

I don’t want a transactional partner who sends over 25 resumes with no context. That’s not helpful. What I’m looking for is a true extension of our team, someone who can reflect both the complexity of our work and the values we lead with. If you understand our challenges, our mission, and our leadership expectations, then you’re in a better position to help us find the right fit,not just technically, but culturally and relationally.

Today, HR and IT are working more closely than ever, particularly as we explore the use of AI in recruiting, from resume screening to predictive hiring analytics. We’re piloting tools that help us identify not just qualified candidates, but those who are more likely to thrive in our environment based on patterns of past success. We’re also leveraging tech to create a more seamless experience for hiring managers and candidates alike, from scheduling to onboarding.

At the end of the day, though, hiring is still deeply human. You can have all the right tools, but if you don’t understand the hiring manager, or the leadership style of the team, you’re missing the mark. Culture fit, growth potential, and leadership alignment matter. Because people don’t leave companies, they leave managers. And our job is to get that match right, from day one.

What do you want to accomplish in the next couple of years?

Personally, I’m stepping into a new season of sharing my voice more publicly. I’ve always been passionate about leadership, how it shapes culture, unlocks potential, and transforms lives. I read everything I can, I share tools with my team, I experiment with new approaches. For me, leadership isn’t a role, it’s a way of being.

In the next couple of years, I’d love to do more speaking engagements, and yes—one day, a TED Talk would be a dream. I want to speak on the real stories that often go untold: how women navigate executive spaces, how to find your voice when you’ve been told you don’t fit the mold, and how leadership can be quiet, grounded, and still deeply impactful. Early in my career, I was told I’d never make it to the C-suite because I didn’t “look” or “sound” like a leader. That lit a fire in me, not just to prove them wrong, but to redefine what leadership presence actually means.

Recently, I spoke at the Rotary Club to students about a concept I believe deeply: what got you here won’t get you there. In today’s world, success isn’t just about credentials, it’s about adaptability, emotional intelligence, and lifelong learning. I want to inspire young people, especially those who may not see themselves in traditional leadership models, to know that there is space for them, and that their story matters.

If you weren’t doing this job, what would your dream job be?

My answers change all the time, depending on what’s going on. I have so many different interests. I have a few dream jobs, because I’m someone who lives at the intersection of curiosity and connection.

One version of me would be out in the world, traveling, maybe even leading cultural tours or helping others experience new places through language and storytelling. I speak four languages, and I’ve always been fascinated by how people live, think, and lead in different cultures. There’s something magical about seeing the world through someone else’s lens.

Another version of me would create something from scratch: an academy for young people, a space where teenagers could learn real-world leadership and life skills, things like emotional intelligence, budgeting, resilience, communication, and confidence. We teach business acumen at the executive level but imagine the impact if we introduced those principles at 16, not 36. That’s a dream that lights me up, because it blends my love of development, teaching, and social impact.

The common thread in all my dream jobs is simple: I want to help people grow. Whether it’s a global adventure or a classroom full of future leaders, if I’m learning and helping others learn, then I’m right where I’m supposed to be.