People lead Joylin Vazquez Bonilla helps Walmart associates fall in love with the company and its benefits.
Joylin Vazquez Bonilla is a ball of energy with endless passion for Walmart! And you can’t help catching some of it when you meet her — making her an extraordinary people lead at Walmart Store 1847 in Ocala, Florida.
“The most important part of my position is taking care of my associates!” Joylin shares. And that goes double on orientation days. “Nobody can interrupt me when I’m doing an orientation,” she says with a smile. “I say, ‘Leave me with my new babies! Let me dedicate the time for them.’”
Her goal? “To help associates fall in love with Walmart and its benefits.”
So what does Joylin hope to teach new associates in orientation (and every day)? Let’s start with these seven tips:
1. Take advantage of Walmart’s benefits. Joylin especially loves sharing details about Walmart’s many benefits and perks — from Live Better U and the Associate Discount Center to our health and wellness benefits. “The reasons I want to stay with Walmart is first, I love what I do, and second, all the benefits. I want my associates to know everything that is available to them!”
2. Start with yes, because anything is possible at Walmart. Joylin believes you can grow into any role you want by working hard and learning from others. As a people lead, she says, “I make sure associates get the training and mentorship they need to grow their careers.”
3. Stay curious. When Joylin joined Walmart four years ago, she wasn’t sure how the Live Better U benefit worked. To find out, she signed up for a Project Management Professional Certification. She liked that classes were online, and she could fit the program around her work schedule. She shares those details about her own experience with associates who ask about LBU.
4. Lead by example. Joylin makes it a priority to keep the lounge, common areas and her office clean. She also holds herself to a high standard on dress code, attendance and being on time. Why? “Because I’m not going to ask my associates to do something that I’m not doing first,” she explains.
5. Work hard and good things will happen. Joylin was thrilled to be nominated to attend Associates Week 2023: “It was the best experience in my life. Ever!” she exclaims. She brought back 300 pins from Walmart associates in Brazil, Nicaragua, Chile, Mexico and China. The pins are a visible reminder of her message to associates: “If there is an experience you want to have — like going to Associates Week — work toward it!”
6. Walmart is family. Joylin loves to connect with her Walmart family and create unique ways to engage associates. “When I hear associates laughing together, it’s priceless” she says. “I feel like I'm spending that time working without working!”
7. Make it a special day, every day. Joylin makes every new associate’s orientation memorable. “You can be with the company for 25 years or more, but you never forget your first day,” she shares. She also strives to celebrate her team every day. Whether it’s a team lunch in the lounge or wearing sports jerseys at work for Children’s Miracle Network fundraiser, Joylin encourages associates to join in and enjoy.
“At Walmart, we work hard, and we have fun doing it,” she says. Her work-hard, play-hard mentality is another contagious quality. “Walmart is my happy place!”
