21 Applications: PSYC100 Alumni in Human Resources
By Dominique Mielnik, Riley J.T. Bonar, and Meghan E. Norris
In both our Making Connections and Applications series in this book, a core theme is using carefully collected data to inform decision making. Our PSYC100 alumnus featured in this unit is an expert at this in the context of organizations and compensation!
Introducing, Dominique Mielnik!
Dominique Mielnik is a Senior Compensation Specialist who graduated from Queen’s in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology! Dominique’s journey began during her time at Queen’s University; Dominique had the opportunity to take several statistics courses and gain research experience through work as a research assistant and by completing an honours thesis. Those experiences sparked her interest in working with data and analytics. Though Dominique enjoys analyzing data and uncovering insights, she also wanted a role that extended beyond technical analysis. Dominique’s current position provides a great balance between data analysis and business strategy, allowing her to use analytics to inform decisions while contributing to broader organizational goals. A typical day in the life of a Senior Compensation Specialist role may involve analyzing compensation data, conducting market benchmarking, supporting compensation reviews, and partnering with other HR teams on compensation related decisions. The role combines quantitative analysis with strategic thinking, as compensation recommendations need to consider both external market conditions and broader organizational goals.
Psychological science factors into this work through understanding employee behaviour, motivation, and perceptions of fairness. Compensation decisions can influence employee engagement and retention within an organization, making it important to consider both market data and the employee experience when designing and communicating compensation programs.
By taking PSYC 100, you join a vast community that contains members who have graduated and had a variety of experiences! We caught up with Dominique and asked what her favourite memory from PSYC 100 was. Dominique told us that her favourite memory from PSYC100 was attending the weekly labs. They were a great opportunity to connect with other PSYC100 students and discuss different concepts in greater depth. The labs helped make the course feel more interactive and provided a space to engage with the material beyond lectures.
Dominique also offered some advice about careers to students currently taking PSYC 100 and said that psychology is a field that offers many opportunities to develop research and data skills through coursework, research assistant positions, and honours projects. Dominique encourages students to get involved in these experiences, as they can provide a strong foundation for future careers and help build valuable skills that are applicable across a variety of roles!
A theme you will come across as you explore the profiles of alumni is the importance of data and analysis. It is slightly above the level of this course, but if you are interested in learning more about how statistics and methods from psychological science generalize into other fields, we recommend this open access chapter, written for the Canadian context.
References:
Vaughan-Johnston, T. I., Fabrigar, L. R., & Lawrence, K. (2019). Research methods in the psychological sciences. In M. E. Norris (Ed.), The Canadian handbook for careers in psychological science. eCampusOntario. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/psychologycareers/chapter/researchmethods/
How to cite this resource:
Mielnik, D., Bonar, R.J.T., & Norris, M.E. (2026). Applications: PSYC100 Alumni in Human Resources. In PSYC 100: Principles of psychology. eCampusOntario. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/testbookje/chapter/applications-psyc100-alumni-in-human-resources/
