HRD 7.02

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Gloria Pakravan Toronto Police Service

Soula Courlas KPMG Canada

Cheryl Kerrigan

Mona Shah

BlueCat

Kellogg Canada

Nicole Desloges LifeLabs Medical Laboratory Services

THE FUTURE OF WORK Top Canadian HR leaders reveal how they’re navigating a rapidly changing workplace

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ISSUE 7.02

CONNECT WITH US Got a story or suggestion, or just want to find out some more information?

CONTENTS

@HRD_Canada facebook.com/HRDCanada

UPFRONT 02 Editorial

Preparing for a new era

04 Head to head

26

Are dress codes still necessary in the modern workplace?

06 Statistics

FEATURES

14

THREE MYTHS ABOUT DIVERSE HIRING

Is one of these misconceptions keeping you from building a truly diverse workforce?

How are Canada’s top HR professionals addressing issues like automation, change management and the gig economy?

HRDC sat down with a few key HR leaders to find out

Schneider Electric CHRO Olivier Blum outlines some of the groundbreaking people strategies he’s spearheaded

08

Collaboration between generations is the key to building an adaptable workforce

FEATURES Why access to a registered social worker should be part of your organization’s mental health approach

THE CHANGING FACE OF WORK

GLOBAL HR LEADER

11 Opinion

28 Helping employees perform to their best

SPECIAL REPORT

PEOPLE

The world of HR is changing – but not all HR leaders are on board

FEATURES

34

BRINGING IN THE SUITS

Expert advice to help you determine when it’s time to call in legal counsel

30 Coming together to create success

The Queen’s IRC team reflects on a year of phenomenal growth

32 Time to pay attention to health and wellness

Tips for creating an employee wellness program that goes beyond just preventing illness and injuries

PEOPLE 38 Career path

Agility and a willingness to learn propelled Norma Kraay to the top HR post at Deloitte Canada

36

40 Other life

Life is sweet for beekeeper and compensation advisor Steven Osiel

FEATURES

CONNECTING THE DOTS

How can HR make the most of vast amounts of unstructured data?

HRMONLINE.CA CHECK IT OUT ONLINE

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UPFRONT

EDITORIAL www.hrmonline.ca

The dawn of a new era

T

o quote the legendary Ozzy Osbourne: We’re going though changes. The

HR function is undergoing a seismic shift in identity from a back-office personnel role to a strategic, tech-savvy business partner.

And HRD Canada is evolving with it. This year, Key Media, publishers of HRDC, acquired Canadian HR Reporter and affiliated media brands and titles from Thomson Reuters Media Solutions through its subsidiary, HAB Press.

This exciting opportunity heralds a new age for our HR portfolio as we continue to deliver the most in-depth, innovative and ground-breaking interviews and commentary in the people management space.

How can HR prepare for an uncertain future by helping employees embrace change rather than fear it? The answer lies in clear communication and a far-reaching people strategy Embracing the new and adapting to change is an inherent theme in HR. In this issue of HRDC, the magazine’s annual roundtable features a panel of industry leaders debating the agile nature of the HR sector and the changing face of work. It’s a pressing topic: A recent report from PwC found that 37% of workers are worried about automation putting their roles at risk, while 60% believe that “few people will have stable, long-term employment in the future.”

How can HR prepare for this uncertain future by helping employees embrace change rather than fear it? The answer lies in clear communication and a far-reaching people strategy.

It’s time to stand up and face the music.

SUMMER 2019 EDITORIAL

SALES & MARKETING

Managing Editor Emily Douglas

National Sales Executive Samantha Hickey

Writers John Hilton Libby MacDonald Joe Rosengarten Nurhuda Syed

Director, Client Strategy Dane Taylor

Copy Editor Clare Alexander

CONTRIBUTORS Norma Kraay Lorenzo Lisi

ART & PRODUCTION Designer Marla Morelos Production Manager Alicia Chin Advertising Coordinator Ella Dayandante

National Account Manager Andrew Cowan Vice President, Sales John MacKenzie Global Head of Communications Lisa Narroway Project Coordinator Jessica Duce

CORPORATE President & CEO Tim Duce Office/Traffic Manager Marni Parker Events and Conference Manager Chris Davis

EDITORIAL INQUIRIES

emily.douglas@keymedia.com

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES

samantha.hickey@keymedia.com

SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES

subscriptions@kmimedia.ca tel: 416 644 8740 • fax: 416 203 8940

KMI Publishing 312 Adelaide Street West, Suite 800 Toronto, Ontario M5V 1R2 www.kmimedia.ca Offices in Toronto, Denver, London, Sydney, Auckland, Manila, Singapore, Seoul

The team at Human Resources Director Canada

Human Resources Director Canada is part of an international family of B2B publications, websites and events for the human resources industry HRD CANADA hrmonline.ca HRD ASIA hrdmag.com.sg HRD AUSTRALIA hcamag.com HRD NEW ZEALAND hrmonline.co.nz

Copyright is reserved throughout. No part of this publication can be reproduced in whole or part without the express permission of the editor. Contributions are invited, but copies of work should be kept, as the magazine can accept no responsibility for loss.

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16/05/2019 10:47:34 PM

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16/05/2019 10:16:26 PM

UPFRONT

HEAD TO HEAD

Should workplace dress codes be banned?

Are formal dress codes still relevant in today’s workplace, or are they outdated rulings that need to be overturned?

Mitch Gudgeon

Naomi Titleman Colla

Daneal Charney

Co-founder and CEO TalentFit

Founder Collaborativity Leadership Advisory

Director of talent MaRS Discovery District

“HR should introduce flexible dress codes that promote inclusion by allowing employees to express themselves, yet also align with the company’s brand and culture. They should provide guidelines but let employees make their own dress choices to build trust.

There are some exceptions, of course.

For roles where physical safety is a concern, HR should have rigorous dress standards in place to prevent workplace injuries. And if companies do choose to enforce a strict dress code, they should be explicit and transparent during the hiring process so that new hires know what to expect when joining the team.”

“In many corporate environments, dress codes can have negative effects on culture, diversity and inclusion, and worker sentiment. Workers may feel demeaned and unable to bring their full selves to work – a very important component of diversity and inclusion and driver of engagement.

Placing such importance on conforming distracts from actually getting work done.

Creating and enforcing these policies shifts focus from the value-added work leaders and HR should be doing.

I believe in a ‘dress for your day’ message, not a policy. In this new world of work, a dress code policy isn’t worth the effort.”

“Dress codes are unnecessary, with the exceptions of protecting workers or clients.

A few years ago, I joined the executive team of a tech company and broke the two-page dress code in week one. It was extremely prescriptive and outdated compared to competitors. It turned off younger employees, stifled new employees’ selfexpression and was nonsensical to most.

The best companies have a highfreedom/responsibility culture and incent staff to make good decisions that serve the company, including how to represent the brand. You don’t need rules to tell people how to dress because you trust that 99% will get it.”

DRESSING FOR SUCCESS According to a survey from staffing firm Office Team, more than 60% of workers prefer to wear more relaxed work clothing. However, 40% said their company dress code is unclear as to what is appropriate clothing to wear to work – and nearly a third said they’d prefer to be compelled into a uniform, thus side-stepping any ambiguity. Surprisingly, those aged under 34 were the most likely to hanker for a formal dress code and were also most enthusiastic about wearing a uniform. At the other end of the scale, one in eight employees told Stormline that they had considered leaving their current company solely due to the dress code.

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UPFRONT

STATISTICS

Mixed feelings about change

NOT EVERYONE’S ON BOARD While two-thirds of HR executives agree that HR has undergone or is undergoing a digital transformation or say they recognize that workplace transformation is necessary, the number of those who actually have a plan in place to achieve this is much smaller.

HR leaders have conflicting attitudes when it comes to the pressure to adapt to a changing world THE DIGITAL economy is beginning to overhaul the traditional HR function – and there’s a sizeable gap between those HR leaders taking action and those succumbing to inertia.

While forward-looking HR leaders are embracing the resources needed to redraw the conventional HR model through new strategies and the implementation of technology such as analytics, digital labour and artificial intelligence, a significant cohort has

42%

of HR leaders said AI is the biggest challenge HR will face in the next five years

60%

believe AI will eliminate more jobs than it creates

demonstrated that they’re in no hurry to meet such changes head-on.

“Those who ‘get it’ are acting decisively, viewing HR as a new value driver,” says Robert Bolton, a partner at KPMG in the UK and head of its People and Change Centre of Excellence. “The rest are either limiting themselves to changes that show some progress ... or simply clinging to a static approach that’s perilous.”

50%

aren’t prepared to respond strategically to AI and machine learning

88%

of those who have invested in AI say the investment was worthwhile

Source: The Future of HR 2019: In the Know or in the No, KPMG International

WHERE IS THE MONEY GOING? The two areas that have seen the greatest recent technology investment are human capital management software and cloud capabilities.

A QUESTION OF CONFIDENCE While 76% of HR leaders say they are “confident” or “very confident” about their ability to transform the workforce and HR itself, almost a quarter lack that confidence and are struggling to adapt to the digital era.

ANTICIPATING CHANGE

37%

TOP TECH INVESTMENTS MADE BY HR EXECUTIVES IN THE PAST TWO YEARS

of HR leaders are “very confident” in their ability to transform the workforce

RESPONDING TO CHANGE

49%

are “confident” in their ability to transform the workforce

IGNORING CHANGE

24%

32% HCM software

Cloud capabilities

Source: The Future of HR 2019: In the Know or in the No, KPMG International

6

39% are “not confident” in their ability to transform the workforce

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Source: The Future of HR 2019: In the Know or in the No, KPMG International

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70% recognize the need for

2/3 of HR executives agree that HR

workforce transformation

has undergone or is undergoing a digital transformation

37% feel “very confident” about HR’s ability to

40% say they have a digital

transform and move the organization forward via key capabilities such as analytics and AI

workplace at the enterprise or HR level

20% of HR leaders believe analytics will be a primary HR initiative over the next year or two

12% cite analytics as a top management concern

Source: The Future of HR 2019: In the Know or in the No, KPMG International

WHAT’S HOLDING HR BACK?

SLOW UPTAKE OF AI

HR leaders identified capability and capacity as the top barriers to getting past the initial phases of a digital transformation. Culture was also identified as a potential impediment to an organization’s ability to transform; 35% of HR executives surveyed said their current culture is more task-oriented than innovative or experimental.

The HR leaders who have already embraced AI and machine learning are still in the minority. Of those who have adopted the technology, however, 88% say it has been a worthwhile investment.

36%

51% Capability

43% Capacity

41%

Workplace culture Source: The Future of HR 2019: In the Know or in the No, KPMG International

14% Have started to introduce AI

Have invested in AI in the last two years

Source: The Future of HR 2019: In the Know or in the No, KPMG International

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PEOPLE

GLOBAL HR LEADER

LEADING HR’S TRANSFORMATION HRDC spoke to Olivier Blum, global CHRO at Schneider Electric, about HR’s role in driving the evolution of people management

OLIVIER BLUM, global chief human resources officer at Schneider Electric, has set the tone for an organization that believes every employee should have the same opportunities for success, no matter their gender, nationality or location. HRDC caught up with Blum to uncover what makes his people operations tick.

HRDC: How did your career in HR begin?

Olivier Blum: I came to HR through an unconventional path, having started my career as a marketing engineer. I’ve been fortunate to see the positive impact people can have on organizations, which is why being chiefly responsible for our people at Schneider Electric has been so rewarding for me.

My career at Schneider Electric began in 1993 as a marketing engineer. Over the next two decades, I held various positions throughout the company in engineering, sales, strategy and marketing, and in different countries, including France, China and India.

In 2014, I took on my current role as chief human resources officer.

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Over the past 10 to 15 years, Schneider Electric has undergone a massive transformation from a traditional components manufacturer to a global leader in energy management and automation, dedicated to creating a more sustainable future for everyone.

We put significant energy into this evolu-

people and without good people.

Great leadership attracts great people, but becoming a great leader requires constant learning. You learn how to delegate, how to hire, how to work with and motivate others, but most importantly, you learn that while part of your job is managing business growth,

“We believe it’s our people that make us a great company … This trust in our people is one of the fundamental ways we motivate our employees to be and to do their best” tion as a business, but realized we needed to do more to ensure our people management practices evolved at the same rate. This was, and continues to be, my fundamental task.

HRDC: What’s a life lesson you learned along the way that’s shaped you as an HR leader?

OB: I firmly believe that you don’t achieve anything in business without help from other

people are central to your organization’s success. This is true for every leader, from the CEO to the CHRO to the CIO. At Schneider Electric, we believe it’s our people that make us a great company. I hear this reinforced by our employees when I visit our locations around the world. They feel that our company believes in them and supports their success. This trust in our people is one of the fundamental ways we motivate our

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PROFILE Name: Olivier Blum Company: Schneider Electric Role: Global CHRO HR experience: Five years Schneider Electric’s HR awards: »»Listed on the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index »»Forbes Best Employer for Diversity, 2019 »»Canada’s Top Employer for Young People, 2018

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PEOPLE

GLOBAL HR LEADER

employees to be and to do their best.

The roles I’ve held throughout this company over the past 25 years have reinforced my strong belief that Schneider Electric wouldn’t be where we are today – and I wouldn’t be where I am today – without the great people we work with.

HRDC: Schneider Electric has won countless awards and accolades.

Which one are you most proud of?

OB: Over the last few years, we’ve dedicated ourselves to shifting how we understand diversity and inclusion and creating policies that support it. We have a mission to be the most diverse, inclusive and equitable company globally, and we’ve received a lot of recognition for the steps we’ve taken on our path towards that mission.

One of the accolades I’m most proud of came two years ago, when we were selected by the United Nations to be part of its HeForShe program. As a UN Women HeForShe Corporate IMPACT Champion, we have pledged to make gender equality an institutional priority through bold commitments: to increase the representation of women across the pipeline, to reach 95% of our global workforce with a worldwide pay equity process by the end of 2020, and to establish dedicated executive-level groups to drive towards gender parity across our organization.

Most importantly, being selected as a HeForShe Corporate IMPACT Champion is recognition of something much greater than the work we’ve been doing to date. It marks our commitment to continuing to promote diversity and inclusion in both internal and external channels. It reinforces our unwavering commitment to be a diverse, inclusive and equitable organization.

HRDC: What sorts of initiatives are you currently working on?

OB: We are always committed to our central

10

mission of being a diverse, inclusive and equitable company, and our initiatives reflect this. A core Schneider Electric belief is that access to energy is a fundamental human right, and this extends to our D&I philosophy as well. We seek to offer equal opportunities to everyone, everywhere, and we want our employees – no matter who they are or where in the world they live – to feel uniquely valued and safe to contribute their best at work.

This philosophy has led to several initiatives. We recently launched a Flexibility @ Work policy to foster better work-life integration, and we developed frameworks to establish workplace gender equity. In 2018, we

and the ones we’re continuing to build upon, reflect our goal to be the best place to work so the best people choose us and stay with us.

HRDC: What do you believe is the future of the HR function?

OB: The role of HR has changed significantly over time and will continue to shift as the relationship between the employee and the employer evolves.

If we look back 20 years, there was an unbalanced relationship in which employers held the upper hand. We’re now seeing greater balance in that relationship. In fact, in a strong labour market, employees have more say about where they want to work and

“We seek to offer equal opportunities to everyone, everywhere, and we want our employees – no matter who they are or where in the world they live – to feel uniquely valued and safe to contribute their best at work” refreshed our people vision to re-establish our commitment to inclusion. ‘Embrace different’ is now one of our five core values – a belief that different is beautiful and drives our success.

In 2018, we also launched our global family leave policy, the first of its kind globally in our industry. This policy is an important commitment from Schneider Electric to our people. It provides fully paid parental leave, family care and bereavement, with minimum standards for all our employees across the globe. We have actively chosen to define ‘leave’ and ‘family’ in an inclusive way when designing this policy, recognizing that the definitions of family, life and work are changing every day.

The initiatives we have recently launched,

what they want their workplace experience to be like.

This shift is forcing companies to think differently about how they want to engage with their employees and to re-evaluate culture, leadership style and the workplace experience in order to be an attractive employer to the new generation of workers.

It’s why I believe we should be focused on a people strategy over an HR strategy.

HR plays a critical role in this transformation. HR must take the lead, because if HR doesn’t, no one else will. This shift in organizational mentality has created positive pressure on companies and is forcing us to reinvent where and how we lead our businesses to create a better future with better outcomes for all.

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UPFRONT

OPINION

GOT AN OPINION THAT COUNTS? Email editor@hrmonline.ca

The secret for success It lies in combining the fresh perspectives of youth with the expertise of seasoned employees, writes Norma Kraay WE OFTEN see headlines – especially in the HR world – referring to a wave of millennials, and now centennials, taking over the workforce, and how businesses need to change and adapt to ensure they continue to thrive when it happens. As a gen x-er, I too have reflected and produced thought leadership on this topic; however, after my discussions and experiences with youth, leaders and clients, my thinking around successful strategies to enable our future workforce to excel has evolved.

As these new leaders advance their careers, they recognize that understanding the organizational context and engaging talent of all ages when designing solutions to business issues is a key enabler for them to thrive. I believe that organizations encouraging a culture of inter-generational collaboration to evolve with the workforce, rather than preparing to adapt for it, will accelerate their journey towards success. Truthfully, it is less about bracing for change and more about swiftly transforming into agile ways of working together.

Similar to the generations before them, millennials and centennials are simply looking for opportunities to contribute, engage and take the lead in generating ideas and designing solutions. They grew up being encouraged to share their thoughts and opinions openly, and are accustomed to gathering feedback to make those ideas even more impactful.

Providing our people with opportunities to lead at every level includes giving younger team members the chance to spearhead projects with support and guidance from seasoned team members. Our client engagements require both expertise and fresh

approaches to form solutions, and teams are typically composed of individuals from at least two generations who work and interact with the client together.

Beyond these experiences, we also seek inter-generational collaboration to solve challenges in our own offices. In fact, some recent advances have come from working with highschool students. Last summer in our Toronto office, a trio of high school interns built Handshake, our digital receptionist app. In addition to streamlining the guest registration

decision-making today. Engaging them will enable experienced team members to accelerate and evolve their thinking for differentiated impact and innovative solutions.

One of my favourite stories around reverse mentoring comes from our Deloitte tax practice, where I spent more than 20 years of my career. During a career development conversation with her leader, a younger team member shared her goal to lead our blockchain tax practice one day. Although we had clients who focused on blockchain, many of our seasoned practitioners had not yet experienced this sector at the time.

This, however, did not stop her. She went in-depth into the field, including networking with the ecosystem, and became our resident industry expert. In just two years, with the hard work and collaboration of the team, our blockchain tax practice has grown into a group of more than 30 practitioners. This individual continues to be an advisor and expert for blockchain, including training others at the firm and speaking at conferences to get people engaged and excited about the technology.

While experienced professionals rely on knowledge, varied points of reference and an

We facilitate ‘reverse mentoring’ within our offices: listening to youth and giving them a voice in decision-making today and sign-in process – in a quite memorable way – Handshake helps keep meeting requests updated with accurate information via a dedicated email address connected to the invite.

With direction from one of our consultants, the group was fully engaged with the project from start to finish and worked collaboratively with individuals from across our enabling areas (e.g.

IT, security, digital) to bring Handshake to life.

Passing on our years of experience as baby boomers and gen x-ers will certainly help the younger generations prepare to make an impact in both Canada’s future workforce and globally.

This impact can only be amplified if we facilitate ‘reverse mentoring’ within our offices. As important as it is for us to share what we have learned over the years, it is equally important to listen to youth and give them a voice in

expertise-based network developed over years, young professionals bring fresh perspectives to the table anchored by technology, adaptability to rapid change, and a collaborative approach enriched by broad-based feedback and sourced from digital networks.

The reality is that each generation contributes knowledge in different ways to enable a growth mindset on both sides. When focused on the same goal, this collaboration produces inter-generational solutions that are simply superior.

Norma Kraay is Deloitte Canada’s managing partner of talent and an advisor to select clients. She is passionate about building highperforming teams and tackling challenges to deliver exceptional client results.

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The New Normal It’s a new day for HR. Roles are evolving, priorities are shifting, and HR professionals are taking a more critical seat at the strategic table.

Staying ahead means shaping a workforce with the skills, attitudes, and flexibility to keep pace with change, and never before has HR been more critical to that goal. Transformation is rarely simple, but today it’s a fact of life.

It's time to adapt to the “new normal.” Find out more about KPMG’s People & Change Advisory group at home.kpmg/ca/peopleandchange We believe you are ready.

Let’s do this.

Contact Soula Courlas National Lead, People & Change KPMG in Canada scourlas@kpmg.ca linkedin.com/in/soulacourlas © 2019 KPMG LLP,a Canadian limited liability partnership and a memberfirm of the KPMG network of independentmember firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity.

All rights reserved. The KPMG name and logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of KPMG International.

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Workforce 4.0 The future of work is not all about machines.

CEOs must brace for the impacts of automation and artificial intelligence on their workforce but they must also foster talent who can drive and sustain the resulting transformations.

Certainly, as intelligent machines and advanced algorithms continue to replace traditional human roles, industries will be challenged to develop teams with uniquely human skill sets that cannot be easily coded.

The fact that 44 percent of Canadian CEOs plan to upskill more than 50 percent of their workforce in digital capabilities demonstrates that it’s not as much about bracing for the rise of the machines; but enabling the rise of humans and creating an agile, collaborative, and digital mindset for a tech enabled world.

Source: *All statistics result from the 2019 KPMG Canadian CEO Survey.

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SPECIAL REPORT

HR LEADERS ROUNDTABLE

Cheryl Kerrigan BlueCat

Soula Courlas KPMG Canada

THE CHANGING FACE OF WORK HRDC invited a collection of HR leaders to a roundtable at the Spoke Club on Toronto’s King Street West to discuss the changing face of work for organizations in 2019. What will this new world look like, and how can HR best navigate the impending disruption?

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Gloria Pakravan

Mona Shah

Toronto Police Service

Kellogg Canada

Nicole Desloges LifeLabs Medical Laboratory Services

ABOUT THE SPONSOR KPMG Canada’s People and Change practice advances our clients’ business performance by helping to shape and navigate the important people dynamics related to the transformation of work, capabilities and behaviours. Our practice has tripled in size in a few short years to support clients from Halifax to Vancouver with leading and analyst-recognized global methods and approaches. From developing agile organization strategies and leading sustainable transformational change to advising on process automation that leverages AI/cognitive solutions and Big Data, we bring insights and practical solutions to our clients across the public and private sectors.

Our team helps our clients achieve strategic goals through the optimization of people, culture and organization agendas through five core value propositions: yy Strategic organization alignment: Driving line of sight between organization design and architecture with strategy, including board/executive/leadership alignment and accountability yy People analytics and the future of work: Shaping the future workforce and future of work through comprehensive people analytics and assessing the impact of disruptive technologies yy Change readiness and capability building: Enabling sustainable change agendas by developing stakeholder-centric approaches to managing change and capability-building solutions yy Digital HR transformation: Designing the future of HR enabled by digital solutions, AI and advanced analytics, including strategy, operating model design and HCM system selection yy Workplace dynamics, culture and employee experience: Leveraging the dynamics shaping today’s workplace, including culture, employee experience, inclusion and diversity, wellness, and teaming

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SPECIAL REPORT

HR LEADERS ROUNDTABLE

ROUNDTABLE PARTICIPANTS

Mona Shah Chief legal and HR officer Kellogg Canada

Gloria Pakravan Head of people strategy and performance Toronto Police Service

CURRENT HR PRIORITIES Soula Courlas: Good morning to all of you, thanks so much for being here. To start, please introduce yourselves and give a brief summary of the main priorities in your organizations this year.

Nicole Desloges: LifeLabs is Canada’s leading provider of laboratory diagnostic information and digital health connectivity systems. As with most organizations today, one of our biggest priorities is developing a long-term strategy that encompasses and addresses the constant change going on around us. This is in terms of both the changing market dynamics driven by industry

and customer demands, as well as the evolving culture required to attract the type of talent we as an organization need to be successful.

Mona Shah: One of my current priorities is ensuring we have a long-term, strategic view of succession planning. We’re very lucky to have long tenured employees, which is wonderful, but at some point, we know that they will opt to retire. These team members have a lot of institutional and industry knowledge and have fostered really strong relationships that we value. So, we need to make sure that we are building the talent pipeline so we have the right people with the right skills, experiences and knowledge ready and able to help fill those big shoes when needed.

Gloria Pakravan: I own the performance, talent management, people strategy and HR analytics portfolio at the Toronto Police

Cheryl Kerrigan Vice president, people BlueCat

Nicole Desloges SVP, people LifeLabs Medical Laboratory Services

MODERATOR Soula Courlas Partner, national lead, people and change services KPMG Canada

“As HR leaders, we need to figure out where the separation is between personal and professional lives – or, indeed, if that’s even a possibility nowadays” Cheryl Kerrigan, BlueCat

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MARKET TRENDS THAT PRESENT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES

3 2 1

Rapid growth of new technology

Demand for speed and efficiency

New competitors with disruptive models

4

Retailers creating their own products

5

Competition from platform companies

6

25% 25% 24% 28% 24%

31%

23%

Shifting demographics and expectations

7

Covergence of industry sectors

Source: 2018 Top of Mind Survey, KPMG International

Service. The Toronto Police Service is one of the largest municipal policing services in North America – we’re considered a leader in policing. One of the challenges we’re having right now is that the organization is undergoing a transformation, and the HR function is as well.

Essentially, it’s like we’re building the ship and sailing it all at the same time. At the Toronto Police Service, HR is moving from a transactional HR team to one that has business partners, a seat at the table and really listens to the voice of both our employees and our leaders. We’re looking at how best to prioritize these changes over the next few years.

Cheryl Kerrigan: BlueCat is a software company with our head office in Toronto, and offices and employees and customers all over the world. We help customers with digital transformation, helping them gain visibility control and automation of their internal network. One of the biggest challenges we’re facing is the sheer pace of change. Right now, we’re in a war for talent, especially tech talent, which is increasingly difficult to find. We’re looking at how best to attract talent and retain our employees and create a fantastic employee experience.

COUNTERING PHENOMENAL CHANGE SC: As an industry, we’re experiencing disruption at an unprecedented scale as technology changes the way work is performed. Over 25% of all jobs across every job category will be disrupted due to automation in the next few years. In this new, changing face of work, how is ‘work’ actually changing in your organization?

ND: Healthcare is transforming how it delivers services, and we anticipate disruption to the industry, given the technological advances being made in healthcare. Our government partners are looking to us as the industry leader in lab diagnostics to develop innovative new models for support that will create additional value for customers. To be successful, we need to wrap our services around customers in a way that addresses the needs, wants and expectations our customers are demanding. Technology plays a significant role and will impact the type of organization

we’ll become and the new roles required to support this change. The challenge lies in how quickly we’re able to bring those soft and hard skills up in a way that aligns our timing to meet the needs of the organizations as a whole.

CK: I think that the pace of change, even in the last five years, has been so demanding on our employees. We’re all constantly switched on to our devices. Keeping up with all of the changes, not only in their work environment but also in their personal lives, is tricky to balance. As HR leaders, we need to figure out where the separation is between personal and professional lives – or, indeed, if that’s even a possibility nowadays.

STAYING AHEAD OF THE CURVE SC: Workplaces aren’t what they used to be anymore. What skills do you believe will be needed to keep your organizations competitive?

GP: Similar to LifeLabs, it’s all about that mindset shift. Policing, as well as the public sector in general, is incredibly risk averse by its

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SPECIAL REPORT

HR LEADERS ROUNDTABLE

“The organization is undergoing a transformation, and the HR function is as well. Essentially, it’s like we’re building the ship and sailing it all at the same time” Gloria Pakravan, Toronto Police Service competitive advantage. These skills will be even more important as the rate of change continues to increase.

HOW COMPANIES ARE PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE OF WORK

52%

Identifying the gap between current and required skills supply Developing a future-focused people strategy

51%

Adapting skill requirements to new technologies and business objectives

48%

Revising the workforce plan to close skills gaps

45%

Identifying how employees might support or disrupt changes

45% 43%

Redesigning jobs None of the above

1% Source: Global Talent Trends Study 2019, Mercer

nature. But now we’re asking our employees to be forward-thinking, to be innovative, and yet balance it with risk mitigation.

In the past, we looked at other policing services, and maybe we’d foray into other public-sector organizations for best practice.

At Toronto Police, we’re still looking at those organizations, but also including privatesector firms to see how the best-in-class

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organizations do things. That shift in approach is key for us to continue to be a leader in our industry.

MS: Two skills that are critical to the success of individuals and organizations are agility and resilience. Having the confidence to try new experiences, adapt to things that come your way and then learn from those experiences will help organizations gain a

REALIGNING TALENT SC: The ability to adapt to change is critical to an organization’s success.

What are some ways your organization is embracing change? What strategies are you employing today to prepare for tomorrow?

MS: Change is hard, and technology changes everything. Some people thrive during periods of change; they embrace it and are excited by it, while others find it terrifying. Our priority at Kellogg is to ensure people have the skills to thrive during times of change. We intentionally build capabilities and develop crucial skills like resilience and critical thinking. That way, when changes do occur or we’re driving change, our people feel better equipped to deal with change and have the skills to adapt quickly and thrive.

CK: It starts with the culture. If you are embracing change, you show people it’s OK to fail – just make sure they fail fast. That’s how you learn.

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This is really embedded into our culture at BlueCat. We wanted to create a sense of safety, but also belonging – because when people feel like they’ve had a say in the change, they’re more likely to be invested in it. About a year ago, we asked employees what sort of company they wanted to work at, what values they identify with and what our customers should expect from us.

As a smaller organization, we’re able to bring all our employees physically together at our annual kick-off. One of the themes that came from this was building our culture code.

It took us some time, but it allowed our people to give their insights. Listening to the voice of your employees means it’s less of a top-down approach – and makes it less intimidating.

Each of us has talked about change, resilience and innovation in each of our very different sectors – it’s all still people. How do people embrace that change? By feeling like they’re a part of it.

SC: As leaders, all of us are in a multi-generational workforce dilemma – no one strategy fits all.

What’s your advice as HR leaders to help us solve this dilemma? Can you share any examples of how you’ve addressed this in your organization?

MS: We have different generations in our workplace, but I don’t consider having multiple generations to be a dilemma. Our strategy recognizes that everyone is unique, regardless of generation. We make a concerted effort to have benefits and policies that are flexible enough to meet the needs of our diverse employee population.

For example, when we launched a new flexible work program, we solicited feedback from across the organization, and the feedback varied greatly. Some wanted mandatory remote working, and others wanted to be in the office. In the end, we launched a program and policy that was flexible enough to accommodate different work styles and preferences.

It made people feel heard and was valuable, regardless of your working style. That’s what

“Whether it’s working from home or flexible benefits plans, technology is helping us to be more responsive and provide different solutions for our people” Nicole Desloges, LifeLabs Medical Laboratory Services we want: for our people to feel valued, regardless of their generation.

SC: When you think about talent challenges and what’s top of mind for you, how are you working towards reimagining your future workforce?

GP: We too, at Toronto Police Service, aren’t necessarily looking at the generational aspect – we’re creating personas of our employees. These personas are basically groups of employees who have comparable behaviours and motivations. With these personas, we can more effectively tailor our initiatives. Through building personas, we know what’s important to our employees as we mandate change. It’s not the generations that are different; it’s the different personas that are helping us build more customized programs and communications.

ND: I think technology has allowed us that

individual response and flexibility. Whether it’s working from home or flexible benefits plans, technology is helping us to be more responsive and provide different solutions for our people. Scarcity of talent in certain fields will require us to continue being creative and proactive to attract and retain the individuals essential to our success.

ROBOTICS AND THE GIG ECONOMY SC: It’s predicted that 40% of jobs will be filled by gig workers in the coming years. How is that playing out in your organization, and how are you preparing for this seismic shift?

ND: I think we’re already there. From casual workers to flexible schedules, contracting and

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SPECIAL REPORT

HR LEADERS ROUNDTABLE

Work negotiated by individual Work assigned and processed by platform

Type of gig platform

THE FOUR TRIBES OF GIG ECONOMY WORKERS

The Digital Nomad Example: Web developer on Upwork

The Fly-In Expert Example: Interim manager on Twago Enterprise

The Autonomous Clickworker Example: Moonlighter on Amazon Mechanical Turk

The Digital Valet Example: Uber driver, TaskRabbit handyman

Separate

Integrated

Degree of task integration with client’s workflow

Source: The New Freelancers: Tapping Talent in the Gig Economy, BCG

consulting, we’re presenting that variety of options. We moved in mindset from adhering to how things were previously done to being more creative in our approach to benefits and programs. This really addresses the evolving needs of the business as a result of the evolving needs of our customers. Because of technology’s impact on the gig economy, employees can work remotely easily, even if they’re in a different country.

SC: According to a recent study by Forrester called “The Future of Jobs, 2027: Working Side by Side with Robots,” jobs as we know them will be significantly altered by automation, with a projection that almost twothirds of job tasks will have changed by the end of 2019. From your experience, what types of roles and work

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activities have been more susceptible to automation?

CK: Talking to other HR leaders, I think it comes down to those repetitive tasks. These are the actions that take up a lot of time, which can easily be automated. One example of this is the onboarding experience. Looking back to the start of my career as an HR professional, you’d have to spend so many hours just collecting paperwork. Now it’s all done before an employee even walks through the door. In our firm, or more broadly in the technology sector, it’s about knowledge sharing. The idea that you don’t have to approach a person anymore, but that there will be a way to interact with a chatbot, is coming out.

When I think about the role of robots, I think more of AI. How do you answer questions in a smart way? I’ve seen apps that are self-learning. They build upon the informa-

tion an employee enters and eventually come to predict what a new hire needs. That means you don’t have to spend time hunting down benefits forms or applying for insurance.

The sky really is the limit here. We as HR leaders need to understand what tasks we can offload onto AI and what skills we need to develop going forward in this age of automation. As we become more reliant on AI, one aspect we have to be aware of is teaching empathy. I see this, for example, in my children right now – they understand how to text, but when the phone rings, they don’t know what to do!

GP: We’re very early on in our organizational HR transformation. One of my roles is to think of the art of the possible. Right now, we’re thinking about if and when we can use AI in our shared services model. This could help us answer those questions that our employees

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keep asking repeatedly – the ones that don’t require the human interaction element.

Secondly, we’re looking at the possibility in the future of AI in our talent acquisition system.

This includes anything from scheduling interview sessions to offloading the low-value work to an algorithm – so that when we’re meeting with potential new hires, the time is spent on truly understanding who the interviewee is and if they’re a good fit for the role.

KEEPING HUMANS RELEVANT SC: Most organizations are in some stage of digital transformation – what are you experiencing in your organization? What are the key lessons or ‘a-ha’s that are emerging?

“Transformational processes are ongoing, so you’re never really ‘done.’ You move from one transformational process to the next as you learn and adapt” Mona Shah, Kellogg Canada ND: At LifeLabs, we’re in the early stages of our transformation. Fundamentally, we’re trying to determine if we’re a healthcare company that uses technology or a technology company in the healthcare sector. On one side, we have a core business geared around precision, governance and quality controls. On the flip side, digital transformation offers exponential opportunities for new ways of doing things. We’re trying to find our

place while leveraging some of the key skills and assets we already have. Our customers have shown us they want more modern-day conveniences. Part of our reflection looks at how we as an organization can adapt and further evolve in the digital space to meet customer expectations and how we can help our employees be more agile and resilient in a time of transformational change.

MS: One key lesson is that transforma-

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SPECIAL REPORT

HR LEADERS ROUNDTABLE

“We as HR leaders need to understand what tasks we can offload onto AI and what skills we need to develop going forward in this age of automation” Cheryl Kerrigan, BlueCat people about this and many other benefits of that transformation.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE IS HR TRULY READY FOR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION?

67%

of HR executives who believe HR has a strategic role in their business are likely to be pursuing digital transformation

48%

Only of HR executives who view HR’s role as unchanged are pursuing digital transformation

50%

of HR leaders admit they are “not at all prepared” to respond strategically to emerging AI and machine learning opportunities Source: The Future of HR 2019: In the Know or in the No, KPMG International

tional processes are ongoing, so you’re never really ‘done.’ You move from one transformational process to the next as you learn and adapt. Successful transformations require resources, focus and great ideas that can come from anywhere.

It’s also important to celebrate the successful transformations. For example,

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having already gone through several HR transformations, our managers are spending less time on the administrative side of onboarding and are using that time to develop onboarding plans so new hires get the information and introductions they need to be successful. As we move to our next transformational process, we’ll remind

SC: The new talent entering the workforce brings a style of thinking and working that is a melding of right brain (creative) and left brain (analytics) capability. Put another way, how do you see the other, less ‘shaped’ definition of diversity unfolding in the years to come – that includes work style (selective hours), personal style (piercings and tattoos) or office style (open and emotive)?

MS: It’s an exciting time. People are now bringing their whole self to their organization, as opposed to having cookie-cutter employees across the board. It’s certainly different from what we’ve had in the past, but it’s also a great opportunity for our organization to think about reflecting what our customers are looking for. How can we really do that without mirroring it within our organization? You cannot understand the external environment if you’re implementing a system that doesn’t reflect it.

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Embrace it. From there, your policies and your ways of working will evolve, too. For an organization like Kellogg’s, which truly believes in inclusion, diversity and leveraging values, this change in talent isn’t a dilemma.

It’s actually a great place to be.

SC: In a recent KPMG survey, we found that almost two-thirds of CEOs would rather disrupt than be disrupted. In fact, 50% of leaders say that their organizations don’t necessarily have the innovative processes to respond to that rapid disruption. We believe a CHRO needs to consider how to be that disruptor. How is this playing out in your workplace?

GP: Toronto Police is transforming. Our chief of police, Mark Saunders, started this advent of modernization because he didn’t want the disruption to happen to us. He wanted us, as an organization, to get in front of it. He has, throughout the past four years, challenged his leadership team to have conversations that will lead to us achieving things that no other policing service has done yet.

We’re now analyzing our culture in order to leverage it and make us more successful overall. When we built our core values and

THE ELEMENTS OF MODERN HR

HR strategy Process orientation

HR core

Digitization

HR admin Radical simplification

Automation

Lean

Agile

Focused

Efficiency and speed

Flexibility

Customer orientation

Source: Global Talent Trends Study 2019 , Mercer

competencies, we decided to engage our community in order to build these values in alignment with the people we serve. This represents how we are doing things differently and engaging with our stakeholders to bring them along with us.

SC: Finally, from your experience and perspectives on the evolving role of HR, what do you think HR will look like in 2025? What emerging trends do you think will come to fruition?

ND: I’ve been reading a lot about block-

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SPECIAL REPORT

HR LEADERS ROUNDTABLE

HOW CEOs ARE DRIVING TRANSFORMATION

96%

are disrupting their sector and view disruption as an opportunity

84%

are personally prepared to lead major transformations

“People are now bringing their whole self to their organization ... it’s a great opportunity for our organization to think about reflecting what our customers are looking for” Mona Shah, Kellogg Canada

86%

expect significant returns on digital transformation

96% are piloting or have implemented AI for specific processes

chain. I believe it will become much more mainstream in the future. The concept behind blockchain comes down to owning your own data and finding some way to solve the privacy issues around data. Blockchain will provide new ways of storing employee information, which has been evolving over the past few years. This is a trend I’d like to better understand in order to open my eyes to the possibilities and solutions blockchain can bring.

MS: Over the years, HR has become far more strategic. We’re no longer completing manual tasks; rather, we’re thinking strategically about the role of people and their capabilities. In 2025, HR will continue to have a seat at the table, and we’ll be focusing

on the long-term design of the organization and strategic imperatives because automation and other changes will pick up the more tactical and traditional tasks.

GP: HR in general needs to go back to basics. With automation, technology is changing the face of how we work. As such, we’re going to have to ask leaders in all types of organizations and industries, be it private or public sectors, to improve their soft skills and competencies, such as empathetic behaviour.

HR’s work isn’t going to be predicting the next big piece of technology – that’s already happened and will continue to happen at a pace we have not seen before. But to be successful, we need to get back to leadership

Source: 2018 Canadian CEO Outlook Report, KPMG International

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WHAT EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES ARE HR LEADERS PLANNING TO INVEST IN?

60%

Predictive analytics

53%

Enhanced process automation

47% Artificial intelligence

Source: The Future of HR 2019: In the Know or in the No, KPMG International

being leaders – back to human basics.

CK: The traditional ways of working are quickly being disrupted. Workspaces are no longer physical – everyone’s a remote worker, and you can hire talent from all across the world. I know of at least a handful of companies that have no bricks and mortar. And so we need to think about how to connect that global audience, attracting and developing talent in an organization without traditional real estate.

As the world becomes more populated, the price of property rises and the war for talent rages on, all organizations will become technology firms. It’ll no longer be sectored as it is today – we’re all eventually going to be looking for the same types of talent because of this disruption. We have to figure out how work gets done in this new digital age.

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16/05/2019 10:20:45 PM

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Three myths about diverse hiring Don’t let these common misconceptions stop you from tapping into a pool of highly educated and under-hired applicants SINCE THE introduction of the federal Employment Equity Act in 1986, Canada has seen an increase in the number of women, underrepresented groups, people with disabilities and Indigenous people in the workforce. But even after three successful decades of active and mindful inclusion strategies, there are still lingering concerns

cation software, SAP Labs Canada employs 2,700 employees across four locations (Vancouver, Waterloo, Toronto and Montreal).

SAP prides itself on a culturally diverse workforce and was recognized this year by Great Place to Work as a Best Workplace for Inclusion and by Mediacorp Canada as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and Top

“You need to be clear on what your organization is hoping to achieve through diversity and inclusion and then build a strategy around it” Kirsten Sutton, SAP Labs Canada around what it takes to implement a diversified recruitment approach.

That’s why HRDC asked Kirsten Sutton, vice-president and managing director at SAP Labs Canada, to help myth-bust the most pervasive misconceptions about diverse hiring. A leading developer of enterprise appli-

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Employers for Young People.

Globally, SAP has a comprehensive diversity and inclusion strategy that consists of four key pillars: culture and identity, gender intelligence, cross-generational intelligence, and differently abled people. Each pillar is designed to promote considerations for

untapped talent pools with unique skill sets and perspectives.

SAP has also taken strides to promote inclusion in other ways. Its Vancouver office was Accessibility Certified Gold by the Rick Hansen Foundation, which evaluates the meaningful access to buildings and sites for individuals with disabilities. Sutton hopes that new renovations to SAP’s Waterloo office will soon earn certification as well.

She firmly believes that these organizational values promote a more positive and innovative company culture. “To be innovative, you have to have diverse opinions at the table; diverse abilities, skills and thought processes; diversity in how you manage your time,” she says. “The more diverse a team is, the more likely you are to come up with a breakthrough innovation.”

Companies need to know that this is well within their reach. Sutton believes there are many misconceptions about taking on a diversity and inclusion strategy, but there are three that she thinks stand out. Are any of these myths holding your organization back?

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Myth 1: It’s difficult

There are hundreds of different organizational structures, but all structures, over time, can become rigid and skeptical of change. Diversity and inclusion require in-depth and detailed strategies, making it easy for some organizations to view accessible hiring as a problem instead of an opportunity.

But these strategies don’t have to be complicated, at least at the beginning. They just need to be intentional and consistent so the message is clear to potential hires.

“Intentionality is key,” Sutton says. “You need to be clear on what your organization is hoping to achieve through diversity and inclusion and then build a strategy around it.

Leaders need to be bought in on that strategy and prepared to talk about it.”

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Myth 3: You’re in it alone

Implementing a diverse hiring strategy might seem like a daunting task. The good news is that your organization doesn’t have to face this task alone. Sutton says this is a common misconception, giving some people the idea that you must be a big company to make it happen. “It’s not true,” she says.

“Anybody can and should do it.”

There’s a wide variety of support systems to help you start making changes, including government funding to offset costs associated with creating accessible workplaces and hiring/ training differently abled employees. There are also numerous support groups and online resources to help you discover best practices for developing more inclusive hiring strategies.

So what does it take to let applicants know you celebrate diversity? Start small: Adding a line of text to a job description, indicating you are interested in all applicants, can make a big difference.

When it comes to diversity of skills, Sutton says that SAP looks for the right candidate based on more criteria than just academic background, whether it’s a full-time or shortterm hire. “Many jobs like data analysis, communications, IT, hardware and marketing are currently filled by people not in tech programs,” she says. “Most of the co-op roles on my team are filled by non-tech students.”

By simply appealing to a broader applicant pool and encouraging diverse applicants, you can start building a team that brings new and innovative ideas to the table.

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Myth 2: It’s expensive

Yes, there can be costs associated with having a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Individuals on the autism spectrum, for example, may need noise-cancelling headphones, quiet rooms and extra time to brainstorm and problem-solve without interruption.

SAP’s Autism at Work program is one of the company’s diversity and inclusion efforts that’s yielding tremendous results. “When it comes to the price of accommodation, most of the things you would do for people on the autism spectrum are good for everybody,” Sutton says. “Those accommodations may seem expensive, but if you factor them in right away, everybody can use them.”

The initial costs of accommodation have lucrative benefits that can save significant amounts in the long run. Research shows that organizations that hire people with disabilities tend to have a lower turnover rate, thereby reducing hiring and training costs.

And a 2017 report by Canada’s Ministry of Economic Development and Growth showed that 86% of people with disabilities had on-par or better attendance than their colleagues without disabilities.

Consider new accommodations as positive inclusions to motivate everyone you employ – especially in open workspaces. Look at the bigger picture and think critically about how accessible changes can have a positive impact on your entire team.

The benefit of diverse hires Diverse inclusion strategies should not just be an extension of what you’re already doing. The real push behind diverse hiring should be to strengthen your ability to innovate.

By integrating individual needs into your daily workplace activities, you’re providing job access to qualified applicants you might not have previously considered. Tap into a vast and expansive talent pool by offering barrierfree employment. You never know who’s going to be instrumental in leading your organization to achieve its full potential.

For hiring managers who are developing their own diversity inclusion strategy, Sutton advises looking for unique abilities in every interview session. Getting to the crux of what each candidate can bring to the table, and the positive impact that could have on your business, is fundamental.

“I learn as much in a day from the young talent in our office as I do from my colleagues of 25 years,” Sutton says. “The more diverse our teams are, the more they reflect the world that we’re building software for, the more likely we are to have a breakthrough.”

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

MENTAL HEALTH

Helping employees perform to their best By including access to registered social workers in employer group benefit plans, HR can provide the kind of comprehensive, professional mental health care all employees deserve

STRESS HAS long been viewed as a minor irritant all workers simply have to deal with, but now it’s being seen for what it really is: a legitimate, widespread health issue that can trigger both addictions and debilitating psychological issues.

Mental health conditions and addictions have been shown to have a devastating impact on overall health, productivity and quality of life. The Mental Health Commission of Canada estimates that every week, 500,000 Canadians miss work due to mental illness, costing the economy close to $51 billion a year.

A successful business needs to recognize, respect and help reduce the invisible burdens their employees are working under, from employees who bring stress with them to work, such as those caring for children or elderly parents, to those who take it home with them at the end of the day. Providing access to registered social workers [RSWs] in employer group benefit plans is a necessary first step.

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RSWs can help employees work through a number of diverse issues – from anxiety and depression to relationship issues or PTSD – in a timely, affordable and accessible way. They have also proven to be a sound investment for businesses, as illustrated by the increasing willingness of major insurance companies such as Manulife, Sun Life and Great-West Life to provide enhanced access to mental health benefits for their employees. Even Starbucks Canada provides its employees with $5,000 in coverage for mental health services provided by social workers.

According to Joan MacKenzie Davies, CEO of the Ontario Association of Social Workers, RSWs are ideally equipped to deal with the issues facing the modern employee.

“Social workers are unique among mental health providers because they look at people’s problems within the context of their families, workplace and communities,” she says.

“Social workers help identify the source of

stress or problems, strengthen coping skills, find needed resources and facilitate solutions to help get plan members’ lives back on track.”

Davies explains that the sheer number of RSWs across the country – there are more than 18,000 in Ontario alone, making them the largest regulated profession providing psychotherapy and counselling services in the province – ensures that employees can receive the assistance they need, when and where they need it.

“RSWs are highly accessible mental health providers, particularly for plan members who live outside of urban centres where difficulties exist in accessing mental health service,” Davies says.

Another crucial advantage of aligning with RSWs is that the fees involved are typically lower than those charged by psychologists. “That means more visits to an RSW are possible under annual caps for mental health coverage,” Davies says.

The thin shell of convenience we live in has proven no match for the constant bombardment of the stressors of modern life. Anxieties will inevitably grow more pronounced, and inner conflicts will be exacerbated. For employees to remain productive, happy and healthy, they’ll need access to mental health professionals whose advice they can trust. Registered social workers provide that and more.

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HRA19

ESTABLISHED. PRESTIGIOUS. INDEPENDENT. The standard for excellence in the HR profession in Canada!

COMING SOON: YOUR 2019 FINALISTS REVEALED You nominated in huge numbers for the 6th annual Canadian HR Awards – and we’d like to thank each and every one of you for making your voice heard.

We’re currently putting together the shortlist of the best workplaces and the brightest HR teams and professionals in the nation. The massive reaction to our call for nominations is testament to a thriving HR profession and the impact of people-centric leadership in Canada.

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LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT INSIGHT

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Coming together to create success HRDC sat down with Stephanie Noel, the new director of the Queen’s University Industrial Relations Centre, to find out how her team achieved a record-breaking year

THE TEAM at the Queen’s University Industrial Relations Centre [IRC] might not be the biggest, but it could be one of the strongest.

And the results it produces are game-changing for the individuals and organizations that enrol on its programs. Based within the Faculty of Arts & Science, Queen’s IRC delivers experiential professional development training to professionals working in labour relations, human resources and organizational development. Its team of highly trained coaches, facilitators and teachers delivers a broad array of programs to individuals and organizations across Canada and the world.

It’s been an exciting period for the IRC team. In 2018, Stephanie Noel was named director of the centre, taking over from Paul Juniper, who remains director emeritus and a mentor to Noel. She describes being appointed the new director as “very exciting” and says Juniper was “instrumental in helping me get to this position.”

Noel is not new to the IRC. She’s been with the centre for 15 years, working in progressively senior roles. Noel is excited to take the helm and continue Juniper’s work of building the IRC to be as successful as it possibly can be, but she’s aware that this means pushing her team to pursue their own professional development.

“We help other organizations engage their

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cultures and build their people’s knowledge, but we also recognize that it’s important to have IRC team members exposed to some of the courses we offer,” Noel says. “We can relate to the challenges that organizations and leaders are facing every day because we have the same challenges. Understanding the new competencies that people need to develop and go further nowadays not only makes the organizations that we help better – it improves us, too.”

wellness – not just in the workplace, but the overall sense and being of wellness,” Noel says.

“The engagement is built through really understanding collaboration – interdisciplinary and cross-functional collaboration.

Technology has connected us in a way like never before, so it’s not just about the person next door anymore. Workers have to be able to connect from a global perspective and across numerous disciplinary areas.”

Equipping individuals with the skills to

“We can relate to the challenges that organizations and leaders are facing every day because we have the same challenges” Stephanie Noel, Queen’s IRC Relaunching and renewing research projects has been a top priority for Noel in her first few months in the role. The research aims to get accurate snapshots of organizations’ needs and approaches to their professional development and skill attainment.

“We want to help organizations increase team engagement, and we know that one of the most prominent pieces in engagement is

build meaningful and trusting relationships both internally and externally is another key objective for the IRC team. The world of work is changing, and the soft skills needed to push organizations forward are more important than ever before. Technology is creating a level playing field – everyone has it – so a company’s competitive advantage must come from leveraging its people and their skills to deliver the

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execution. That is done through leadership.

“Individuals need to be taught the skills to bring this competitive advantage to life; there is an increased need for creativity,” Noel says.

“It’s something that needs to be groomed, exercised and expanded, and we do that in many ways. People often need to learn how to be adaptable and supportive of diverse individuals and perspectives. Those soft skills that people need to interact effectively are really important.”

Queen’s IRC recently celebrated its busiest year ever, recording 30% growth year-overyear. The growth was driven by an increase in open enrolment programs and a record number of custom programs, which are tailored specifically to an organization’s needs.

During the fall 2017 and spring 2018 program seasons, the IRC team delivered more than 80 open and custom programs and supported over 1,600 people in almost 400 different companies across every province.

The IRC team was recently recognized for its efforts with a Queen’s University Special

Recognition for Staff Award (Team), which is awarded to individuals and teams for consistently providing outstanding contributions to the learning and working environment at Queen’s.

“The IRC team thrives because we work

together to execute at the highest level of service,” Noel says. “Our sales and marketing staff work creatively to identify and recruit new clients and expand our services to existing ones. Our program professionals carefully plan and organize content and workshop logistics, while our financial and IT staff manage complex internal systems to handle the growth in our customer base. All of this occurs while two or more programs are running each week. This level of planning and organization requires nimbleness and cooperation to ensure that what we deliver meets our clients’ expectations, but also upholds the reputation of Queen’s as a leader in education.”

The IRC team works closely with the speakers, coaches and facilitators for its programs. Developing those partnerships with industry consultants and leaders in the human resources, labour relations and organizational development fields has been a key driver of the IRC’s success in recent years.

“These are busy people at the top of their game,” Noel says, “and the IRC team has developed processes to ensure they have everything they need to work with us, from developing marketing and presentation materials to being onsite at the programs as a support network.”

ABOUT QUEEN’S IRC The Queen’s University Industrial Relations Centre [IRC], a professional development unit within the Faculty of Arts & Science, delivers programs in labour relations, human resources and organizational development, based on 80 years of experience and research. Our programs are led by industry leaders and designed for busy practitioners who want to directly apply their knowledge to their work environment.

Human resources: Learn how to build and engage teams in multi-disciplinary environments, manage change, and transform key HR data into business strategy.

Labour relations: Develop the skills to effectively handle disputes and negotiations, build trust, and manage unionized environments.

Organizational development: Diagnose organizational challenges, explore design issues and develop robust solutions. Choose from twoto five-day open enrolment programs delivered across Canada or customized on-site training solutions that address your organization’s specific needs. We also offer certificate programs in advanced human resources, organizational development, labour relations and advanced labour relations for professionals who want to continue to develop their skills and contribute to their organization’s success.

Why Queen’s IRC? • Opportunities to network with high-level colleagues from across the country • Coaching from internationally renowned facilitators with real-world experience • Experiential programming to test theories and ideas • Skills and strategies that directly apply to work environments • Mentoring beyond classroom sessions Learn more at irc.queensu.ca

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Time to pay attention to health and wellness Matt Donnelly, leader of strategic insights at Venngo, explains why companies need to do more than just prevent illnesses and injuries

IT’S LITTLE surprise that increasing numbers of forward-thinking organizations are making the health and wellness of their staff a top organizational priority. According to the World Health Organization, the concept of a health-promoting workplace is becoming increasingly relevant as more organizations recognize that future success in a globalizing marketplace can only be achieved by a healthy, qualified and motivated workforce.

According to Health Canada, most people spend almost two-thirds of their waking hours at work, making the workplace an important determinant of health and health-related behaviour. The workplace has a significant impact on employees’ health, which in turn impacts how productive they are.

When promoting health and wellness in the workplace, organizations should strive to not just prevent illnesses, injuries and accidents, but also make serious attempts to help employees increase their levels of physical activity.

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“Studies show that increased physical activity has a positive influence on motivation and happiness, and we know that happier employees make more productive employees,” says Matt Donnelly, leader of strategic insights at Venngo. “Physically active employees also miss less work due to illness.”

Employers who don’t take their employees’ health and wellness seriously will incur greater organizational costs related to absenteeism, high stress levels, turnover, workers’ compensation and medical claims. Some studies suggest that inactive employees cost as much as $600 per year more than active employees.

“We also know that physical wellness has strong ties to happiness, which is strongly tied to employee productivity,” Donnelly says.

“With that in mind, organizations that don’t take this seriously are missing an opportunity to strengthen their most important resource: the people.”

Health and wellness means something different to everyone. To some, a healthy lifestyle involves gym memberships, personal

training or yoga. For others, it’s following a nutrition plan or a mindfulness practice.

Whichever wellness programs an organization chooses to implement, Donnelly stresses the need for flexibility.

“Make sure you implement wellness programs that allow employees to find something that works for them and keeps costs down,” he says. “Reducing costs can go a long way towards getting employees more active.”

Donnelly also believes it’s important for organizations to make an effort to ensure any wellness programs are accessible, easy to understand and top of mind for employees.

Aside from the bottom-line financial benefits, increasing health and wellness and physical activity are also key components of positive workplace culture.

“They are very closely related,” he says. “An

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9 STEPS TO CREATING AN EFFECTIVE HEALTH AND WELLNESS PLAN 1. Bring management, workers and union representatives together to agree that this is an important area that needs to be addressed properly and requires solutions, resources and attention.

2. Establish a Health and Wellness in the Workplace committee, and allow it to develop policies and, with appropriate approvals, implement those policies.

3. Designate a wellness coordinator to implement action plans.

4. Create and allocate a sufficient budget that will support health and wellness activities.

5. Conduct a stress audit to identify problem areas.

6. Develop a stress action plan and policies to tackle problems.

“A culture that does not place value on employee wellness is missing an opportunity to help employees grow” Matt Donnelly, Venngo organizational culture tied to health and wellness can enhance employee engagement and promote an energetic workplace. A culture that does not place value on employee wellness is missing an opportunity to help employees grow.”

To start building a healthy organizational culture, Donnelly advises employers to invest in programs that encourage healthy habits and to organize company retreats or team-building events that involve outdoor activities.

For HR leaders who recognize the need to make a change in their organization but aren’t sure how to start building a culture that supports employees’ health and wellness, Donnelly has some advice: “Make it easier and less expensive for employees to focus on their health by investing in programs that encourage healthy habits and have options for everyone. Once you have established these programs, regularly communicate with staff to keep wellness top of mind.”

7. Develop and/or improve workplace practices and policies around communication, attendance management, time off for personal wellness and/or responsibilities (children, family, etc.), employee training and mentoring, improved supervision and leadership development, employee appraisal and development, and return to work/rehabilitation for people with illnesses or disabilities (including necessary supports). Also investigate potential for job sharing with flexible days and hours to suit the individual needs of employees (episodic disabilities, special family situations, etc.).

8. Create effective and open grievance procedures.

9. Create health and wellness programs for workplace activities to promote physical fitness such as bicycle/walk/run to work, lunch hour fitness activities, company sports teams or the provision of exercise equipment.

Provide bicycle racks and changing facilities to accommodate people who cycle to work.

Source: Mood Disorders Society of Canada

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

EMPLOYMENT LAW

Bringing in the suits Lorenzo Lisi of Aird & Berlis tackles the question that all HR leaders need to have the answer to: When is it time to call the lawyer?

HUMAN RESOURCE professionals are often in a bind. On the one hand, they’re tasked with keeping the cost of HR administration within the budget and expectations of the company. On the other hand, they’re expected to make sure that everything is done right to avoid legal liability. And this is all within the context of higher demands on HR and ever-changing legislation, which holds the promise of greater liability if something goes wrong.

It’s no secret that lawyers can be expensive. And if they’re in-house, they often have limited resources in terms of dealing with issues on a day-to-day basis. So whether they charge hourly or on the basis of a different fee arrangement, or it’s a matter of trying to get in-house counsel to address an issue, there is a clear cost associated with obtaining advice.

The goal is to become a sophisticated consumer of legal services, allowing you to assess the need for legal advice while creating a framework to control costs and manage time. Here are a few (non-exhaustive) guidelines when considering when and how to bring in the lawyers.

Who’s your lawyer?

Most HR professionals have established rela-

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tionships with specific lawyers, whether it’s someone they have traditionally used or a firm/individual that’s on retainer with the company. It’s important that you understand this lawyer’s style and how they communicate so that there are no misunderstandings.

Getting to know counsel (whether in-house or external) is an important part of the

address with senior management any holes in the system that might reduce the responsiveness of the HR department to deal with legal issues if the approval system is too archaic or restrictive.

At all times, it’s a question of managing expectations and shielding the organization from liability. Assessing the best way to do this within the confines of your corporate culture is critical.

What type of advice do you need?

When determining the need for legal advice, you’ll need to assess the situation. Is it a follow-up on something you’ve discussed previously? Something new? An emergency?

Threatened litigation? Conducting a ‘triage’ prior to calling a lawyer will help you decide not only if you should call, but what questions to ask. Here are a few categories to consider:

Quick advice. For the most part, the majority of HR interactions with legal

The one thing most lawyers will tell you is that the better prepared you are, the easier it is to absorb the facts and provide advice process. The relationship should be fluid and economical, but also open and honest. And don’t be afraid to ask to meet them, just to get to know who you’re dealing with. It helps more than you might think.

What’s your corporate culture?

If your workplace frowns upon seeking advice from in-house or external counsel too often, then determining the best time and place to seek that advice is very important.

Understand the budget and the manner in which legal spending is approved. And

counsel involve an established relationship with what we characterize as day-to-day advice: interpretation of legislation, advice on accommodation, assessment of risk. These kinds of calls are usually relatively straightforward and involve a quick question, either via email or phone, and a quick, albeit more general, answer.

But even with this type of communication, if there are facts the lawyer should know, try to include them in a brief email with some background in advance of the call. It will make the call more efficient, less time-

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ilege that may be asserted down the road.

In an emergency situation, make sure that in communicating with counsel, they understand the nature of the emergency and what needs to be done. Make the timelines clear.

This will allow counsel to apply the appropriate resource to the issue and provide immediate advice. While texting and emailing is helpful, the quicker you can have a direct chat, the better the immediate flow of information.

What can you do to prepare?

consuming and allow the lawyer to think in advance as to how he or she will address the issue (or answer the questions).

A gathering storm. Lawyers are most useful when they can be proactive rather than reactive. That means having a lawyer assist in identifying legal issues, setting out the obstacles and providing a practical overview or roadmap of how you may want to proceed.

In these situations, it’s important that counsel know and understand all of the background, including any documents that may be relevant to assist in their understanding.

Don’t leave anything out, even if it seems inconsequential. And if there are documents, send them ahead of time. It will make for a much more efficient conversation.

Imminent or threatened litigation. If there’s a demand letter or threatened litigation, what is the culture of the workplace? Does HR deal with it until it is ‘unresolvable,’ or do the letters immediately go to counsel? There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but if there are timelines (filing a defence, for example), put your lawyer on notice, at the very least. If it’s simply a demand, determine if you think the case is close enough to allow you to settle without litigation.

Emergencies. This can involve a sudden charge or allegation or a workplace accident – something that needs to be responded to right away. In this case, counsel can be of great assistance by not only providing advice, but also creating a framework of priv-

The one thing most lawyers will tell you is that the better prepared you are, the easier it is to absorb the facts and provide advice. For years, I have told clients that if there’s a particularly litigious file that they want advice on (or that may be headed to litigation), having the documents in chronological order laid out for review, to the extent possible, is the best thing they can provide for me to assess the matter and save time in trying to organize once received.

This allows the lawyer to identify what pieces are missing in the file or what is particularly relevant, which in turn can make for clearer and more cost-effective advice.

Never underestimate the importance of an organized file. It can make all the difference.

The decision on when to engage the assistance of a lawyer depends on a lot of things, including your corporate culture and the manner in which you interact with counsel.

By being consistent and understanding the benefits (cost and otherwise) of bringing in a lawyer to assist you in reaching a result or solution, the decision becomes more predictable and leads to better results.

Lorenzo Lisi is a partner and practice group leader in the workplace law group at Aird & Berlis LLP.

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

DATA

Connecting the dots Ultimate Software’s Erik Darby explains how the ability to pull meaningful insights from unstructured data can spell the difference between a business that treads water and one that sails into the future

STRUCTURED DATA was once an HR director’s best friend. It was simple (“rate your experience from 1 to 10”), allowed for quick processing and made employees feel, on some level at least, as if their voices were being heard.

But simple questions generate simple answers. You might know, for example, that 67% of your employees don’t approve of your company’s onboarding methods, but until

nature of unstructured data – gathered, for example, from engagement surveys, performance reviews, call logs, comments shared on employee social networks, etc. – allows businesses to generate reams of information that can help improve the employee experience.

But processing and synthesizing such nuanced, subjective knowledge can be a time-consuming and frustrating process – one

“[Unstructured data] is where the answers live – how people are feeling, what they care about, what the organization can learn from its employees” Erik Darby, Ultimate Software you know the reasons why, you’re still lacking an answer that can improve how your business operates.

Therefore, it’s no wonder that the HR universe is tilting heavily toward unstructured data as a means of gaining concrete insight into a business’s operations. The personal

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sales and alliances at Ultimate Software, 80% of the data collected by enterprise companies is unstructured. And the amount of that data is doubling every three months, leaving many companies struggling to not only keep up with the flow of data, but also to continually put it to its best purposes.

“That’s where we see the great promise and opportunity – in being able to understand this data and provide full transparency of how employees are feeling and why that matters within an organization,” Darby says.

Part of the appeal of unstructured data is its depth and richness. Because it’s often provided in open-ended circumstances, unstructured data is generally more revealing than data collected through more traditional and formal means.

“It’s where the answers live – how people are feeling, what they care about, what the organization can learn from its employees,” Darby says. “Where scalar data is flat, qualitative data is rich and flavourful. Unstructured data is really where employee understanding happens.”

And employee understanding is what the game is all about. By allowing employees to truly speak their minds, an enterprise company demonstrates the value it places on their input.

And the sooner a business offers that kind of invitation to its workers, the better.

“When organizations become latent, that’s when they run the risk of employees becoming disengaged or leaving for an organization that will listen to them and provide a better employee experience,” Darby says. “I think the challenge, and the opportunity, is really about context. Are organizations communicating in a way that is genuine and authentic, and in a manner that feels personal to the employee?”

Making sense of it all not all companies are equipped for. Finding the right data partner can help a business unlock the insights hiding just under the surface of its unstructured data.

The Ultimate solution According to Erik Darby, senior director of

Stringing together thousands of disparate, personalized data points into an edifying narrative is no small task. But new developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning have allowed Ultimate Software to translate enterprise companies’ unstructured data into something actionable.

“It comes down to natural language

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processing, machine learning and deep learning,” Darby says. “These core subtechnologies all fall under the banner of artificial intelligence as it’s being applied to HR.” Ultimate Software’s UltiPro Perception, for example, has models that reliably and quickly process each piece of text, automatically identifying themes and the emotions behind them.

Ultimate worked with several industry-leading HR groups to fine-tune its workplace-specific theme models, resulting in UltiPro Perception’s ability to recognize 140 different themes, from everyday workplace topics such as benefits and compensation to a plethora of performance competencies and skill sets. Built using research from Stanford University’s computational linguistics department, UltiPro Perception’s models can identify more than 100 emotions.

Despite the sophistication of Ultimate Software’s technology, Darby says its data collection processes feel natural, like an ongoing discussion that begins during onboarding and continues until an employee’s last day.

“It needs to feel more human than machine,” he says. “And that’s where we have a competitive advantage – in creating a peoplefirst AI technology.”

Armed with the ability to continuously learn about a company’s employees, Ultimate Software’s AI provides an agile response to an organization’s ongoing linguistic changes – new acronyms, new terminologies. And its sensitivity to tone and intent allows each employee’s personality and distinct needs to shine through. “That’s previously been impossible to do, simply because of the scale of data,” Darby says.

Employee expectations are changing; when they speak, they are expecting to be heard.

That’s why Darby feels now is the time for enterprise companies to take a more effective approach to their unstructured data. Modern technology can provide the ability to listen in new ways, allowing companies to be more aware of, and more responsive to, the experience they’re providing employees.

“There’s a lot of data out there that organizations are looking to unlock and better understand,” Darby says, “because we know that the experience organizations provide their employees is highly correlated to the business outcomes they achieve.”

For more information about Ultimate Software’s artificial intelligence and UltiPro Perception, visit ultimatesoftware.com.

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PEOPLE

CAREER PATH

ALERT TO OPPORTUNITIES Norma Kraay lives by the credo that no matter how much you know, there’s always more to learn Freshly graduated from university in her native Mexico, Kraay’s first job at an advertising firm taught her valuable lessons.

“I learned a lot about how to run a business: how to make a pitch, to build relationships, the importance of fulfilling promises; a lot of those skills are still with me. You have to have the mentality of an owner – that allows you to be a genuine leader and carry your brand.”

1989

LEARNS BUSINESS LESSONS

1991

FINDS HER VOICE

1993

STUDIES AT HARVARD A course of study through Harvard Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School resulted in a critical connection for Kraay.

“I wanted a broader perspective so I could elevate my contribution. I heard about a scholarship opportunity, and that was how it all came together. It was a crossroads decision-making moment: That was the moment where I could stay or I could change – and that was where I met my husband.”

2003

HOLDS HER FIRST TALENT POSITION Kraay encountered a turning point when she was tasked with identifying top talent to drive an outside practice.

“I was employee number four of a department that grew, and which I ultimately led – and which ultimately became a national practice of over 70 people. Leading the team is a talent job. I started recruiting people, so I had to understand how to attract and grow talent, and realized how much of a lever people are in the growth of the business.”

2018

JOINS THE C SUITE Kraay drew on many aspects of her experience when she became the CHRO of Deloitte Canada, and she expects her story of agility in her career to continue as a leader in a diverse, evolving business.

“Talent is a lever for business: The objective and mission might be different between them, but cannot be executed in isolation. We think of our clients, our people and our partners as the core of everything. The common thread is how talent makes an impact in the business.”

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When Kraay joined the Ministry of Finance, she found herself leading a team that was more senior to her in both experience and age.

“I had to realize how to use my voice. It is important when building a relationship to understand what is in it for them – you can only lead if people have buy-in.”

1997

JOINS DELOITTE CANADA In the midst of a discussion with a classmate over a coffee, Kraay got wind of an opportunity that ultimately led to her being offered a position on Deloitte’s tax transfer team.

“I was in the process of looking, and Deloitte had so many diverse offerings and services. Deloitte was a global firm, and I was global-minded. I always say my career was in so many ways accidental; I was in the right place at the right time sometimes, and also open-minded about opportunities.”

2008

HAS AN ‘A-HA’ MOMENT Kraay had a personal ‘a-ha’ moment when she realized how intertwined her skills and personal brand were.

“The tools of the trade that you learn from becoming a leader are very much exportable, but your brand is the intangible that will follow you no matter what. If you are known for being trustworthy and getting things done, those things stay with you regardless”

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PEOPLE

OTHER LIFE

TELL US ABOUT YOUR OTHER LIFE Email editor@hrmonline.ca

Osiel spends roughly one day a week maintaining his hives during the su mmer a nd one day a month the rest of the year

8

Number of hives in Osiel’s bee yard

200

Pounds of honey Osiel typically yields each summer

1,000

Jars needed to contain the summer’s honey yield

BUSY AS A BEE For Toronto-based strategic total compensation advisor Steven Osiel, caring for his hives is the bee’s knees

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LAST SUMMER was only Steven Osiel’s second season as a recreational beekeeper, but the strategic total compensation advisor and “chief bee officer” has already started selling some of the bounty from his cottage’s bee yard at the St. Lawrence Market, the Toronto foodie temple.

Osiel’s honey crop was so volu­ minous that he estimates he’s also given away 100 jars to friends and to clients as an icebreaker – and so far, he’s had a universally welcoming response.

“People are so interested in it,” he says. “I feel very privileged to be an ambassador for beekeeping; it’s a wonderful story to tell.”

There’s more to Osiel’s passion than a sweet harvest, however. “I want a reason to go out into the forest and play,” he says. “I also love learning about something very different to what I do every day. Beekeeping is challenging, and that keeps me coming back. And the honey is a wonderful reward.”

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Let Queen’s IRC take you and your organization to the next level.

At Queen’s IRC, our one to five-day professional development programs in human resources, labour relations, and organizational development are led by industry leaders with real-world expertise, and based on over 80 years of experience and best practices that bring results.

Now is the time to invest in your career. Find out more today at: irc.queensu.ca

“I’ve taken many Queen’s IRC programs in the last 10+ years and their high-quality content offers enormous value. The IRC definitely sets the standard of excellence for HR training in Canada!”

Stuart MacMillan President Stuart HR Consulting Inc.

Toll free: 1-888-858-7838 Email: irc@queensu.ca Website: irc.queensu.ca

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