When Larissa Haluszka-Smith reflects on her nearly two-decade journey at Holland Bloorview, one word comes to mind: growth. It’s a summary of a career that has evolved from the pool deck to an organization-wide contribution in people and culture, and a reflection of her dedication to building a more inclusive, welcoming and impactful workplace.
Larissa’s journey at Holland Bloorview began long before she joined the team in 2006. At just eight years old, her grade three class became pen pals with a class at the Bloorview School Authority. A field trip to meet her pen pal in person left a lasting impression on her especially the accessible playground, something she’d never seen at her school.
Years later, that memory came full circle when she saw a posting for a role in Holland Bloorview’s aquatics program. She applied, started as a swim instructor and was fortunate to assume various roles before landing on her current role as senior talent acquisition specialist in 2023.
“I’ve been so fortunate to work in roles that have continuously shaped who I am, personally and professionally,” says Larissa. “I love collaborating with teams across the organization. I’m always learning something new.”
Read on to learn more about Larissa:
Can you share a bit about your journey here at Holland Bloorview?
I began my journey at Holland Bloorview in September 2006 as a lifeguard and swim instructor in the aquatics area, a role I held until 2015. Between 2011 and 2015, I also worked as a program assistant and occupational therapy assistant with the Youth@Work (employment pathways) program. From 2015 to 2023, I served as a volunteer resources coordinator in volunteer resources. Since 2023, I’ve been working as the senior talent acquisition specialist on the people and culture team.
Can you tell us more about your current role and what it entails?
As a senior talent acquisition specialist, I support both the hands-on and strategic aspects of recruitment and selection. This includes activities such as communicating with candidates, crafting compelling job postings, helping to create or refresh recruitment tools, providing training and representing Holland Bloorview at events like job fairs. On a broader level, I contribute to strategic initiatives like the development and implementation of our 2025–2030 recruitment strategy.
What excites you most about this role?
It’s hard to pick just one thing! I love having the opportunity to work with teams across the organization and learning from each experience. I’m especially excited about the launch of our new recruitment strategy and the meaningful initiatives we’ll be rolling out over the next five years to attract top talent who are aligned with our mission and and inspired to contribute to our organizational goals as part of a dedicated, collaborative team.
Holland Bloorview is committed to attracting and retaining diverse staff and fostering a healthy, inclusive work environment. In what ways does your work contribute to this mission and culture?
Ensuring that our recruitment and selection practices are inclusive, accessible and conducive to the success of diverse applicants is very important to me. In the area of disability inclusion, I’m very fortunate to be able to draw on my previous work with the Youth@Work program and my experience and learnings from being part of the team that supported the launch of Project SEARCH at Holland Bloorview. Over the past year, I’ve also been involved with the Inspire, Hire, Train, Retain (IHTR) project as a pilot facilitator for internal and province-wide training sessions for people leaders in the health-care sector.
What drives you to do the work that you do at Holland Bloorview?
Over my 19 years, I’ve seen firsthand the profound impact our programs have on clients, families and the community. The work has also had an enormous impact on me! I’m so fortunate to work for an organization that has supported my professional growth and development in the way that Holland Bloorview has, and I am 100 per cent truthful when I tell candidates that this is a fantastic place to do good, meaningful work and build a great career.
What has been the most rewarding part of your work at Holland Bloorview?
I have absolutely loved seeing the ongoing journeys of kids who I first met in swimming lessons, and who later come back to Holland Bloorview as volunteers, learners, or staff (or sometimes all three!). Last year I provided a medical school reference for one of my former preschool swimmers who had returned to volunteer here during high school and undergraduate studies. She was accepted into medical school, and I hope that she’ll consider joining our physician team one day!
Do you have any hobbies or passions outside of work?
I sing alto in the East of the Don Chorus, a non-auditioned community choir in Toronto’s east end that welcomes everyone. I am also part of the music selection committee and have served on their board of directors for four years. And with all my years working in aquatics, I still love swimming just for fun!
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