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Meet 22 of Canada’s most promising young HR professionals BETTER COACHING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY Artificial intelligence takes executive coaching to the next level

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BEYOND THE D&I STATUS QUO A tech giant is pioneering a new approach to diversity by throwing out the usual rules

ANALYTICS AND DATA PRIVACY How HR can gather meaningful data without crossing the line

6/11/2018 6:03:44 AM

Retention

96%

80

Performance

89%

70

73%

60 50 40 30

Data has a face.

20 10 0

10 YR

Tenure

1 YR With all employee data unified onto a single platform, HR technology starts to look a lot more like the people it’s made for. Make people-friendly decisions with an HR solution that not only helps you understand them, but puts them first.

HR | Payroll | Talent Management UltimateSoftware.com

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3/29/18 6/11/2018 6:05:22 AM10:25 AM

ISSUE 6.04

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

CONTENTS

@HRD_Canada facebook.com/HRDCanada

Canadian HR Awards 2018 winners revealed, p30

UPFRONT 02 Editorial

Fully embracing technology will require overcoming some common fears

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04 Head to head

Assessing the feasibility of the four-day workweek

06 Statistics

FEATURES

5 KEYS TO LASTING SUCCESS

22

How HR can help organizations thrive, not just survive

GLOBAL HR LEADER

Atlassian’s Aubrey Blanche is using her background as a social science researcher to change the way her company thinks about diversity

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9/18 10:25 AMIFC-01_Contents-SUBBED.indd

How to balance an effective people analytics strategy with data privacy concerns What is HR’s legal recourse for correcting critical typos on an employee contract?

RISING STARS 2018

PEOPLE

08 News analysis

10 Employment law update

SPECIAL REPORT

Meet 22 young superstars who are rewriting the future of the HR function

LGBT+ inclusivity makes good business sense – but are employers doing enough?

FEATURES

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INTRODUCING YOUR AI EXECUTIVE COACH Rotman University’s AI-powered lab provides an objective way to pinpoint communications strengths and weaknesses

12 Rewards and benefits update

Three crucial questions to ask at benefits renewal time

14 Opinion

HR holds the key to customer loyalty

20 Learning & development insight A go-to strategy for sensitively handling workplace conflict

PEOPLE 63 Career path

A chance job at Intel set Daneal Charney on a path of managing HR for tech startups

64 Other life

On the run with parkrunner Bronwin Freke

60 FEATURES

TACKLE WORKPLACE INJURIES

Five ways to slash expenses and lost time by reducing workplace injuries

HRMONLINE.CA CHECK IT OUT ONLINE

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6/11/2018 6:05:57 AM

UPFRONT

EDITORIAL www.hrmonline.ca

Embrace change without fear

T

his has been a year of cataclysmic change. Empowerment movements

such as #MeToo have shifted the zeitgeist, and the rate of evolution of robotics continues to gather pace. But where does HR sit in this new world order? How can executives ensure they’re really leading through change, not just riding on coattails?

According to Matthew Burns, CHRO at Danish retail chain JYSK and host of HRDC’s HR Leaders Summit Calgary on December 8, it’s all about not shying away from the new. “Embrace technology,” Burns advises. “I think, as a profession, historically we’ve been somewhat reluctant to embrace it.”

And he’s right. The HR sector is leading the way in so many fields, from championing emotional intelligence to adopting empathetic workplace cultures, so why are we still scared of technology? Well, it’s human nature to be apprehensive of the new. As Fyodor Dostoevsky said, “Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what [people] fear most.” But is that really a viable excuse anymore – especially in a disruptive world?

It’s human nature to be apprehensive of the new ... But is that really a viable excuse anymore – especially in a disruptive world?

Let’s face it – most HR professionals didn’t join the sector to spend six hours a day working on spreadsheets or pushing paper back and forth. They wanted to help people. Technology today has the power to automate all those repetitive tasks we hate, yet HR seems reluctant to put it in place.

One main reason for this is a fear of the unknown, driven by anxiety over data privacy. In light of GDPR and the Facebook scandal earlier this year, it’s understandable that employees are cautious about how HR is handling their information. Gaining employee buy-in can be an arduous process, but it’s one that people seem to be overcomplicating. Essentially, as with most things in HR, the key is communication.

It’s human nature to fear the unknown, but HR has put off embracing technology for too long. Now’s the time to start implementing those tech tools or risk being left behind.

The team at Human Resources Director Canada

WINTER 2018 EDITORIAL

SALES & MARKETING

Managing Editor Emily Douglas

National Sales Executive Samantha Hickey

Writers Hannah Go Tom Goodwin John Hilton Libby MacDonald Joe Rosengarten

Director, Client Strategy Dane Taylor

Copy Editor Clare Alexander

CONTRIBUTORS Karen Gately Norma Kraay Farah Huq

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

National Account Manager Andrew Cowan Vice President, Sales John MacKenzie Marketing and Communications Manager Melissa Christopoulos Project Coordinator Jessica Duce

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

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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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6/11/2018 6:08:21 AM

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6/11/2018 6:08:23 AM

UPFRONT

HEAD TO HEAD

Would you implement a four-day workweek?

Is reducing working time with no commensurate decrease in salary a winning strategy?

Phoebe Aitken

Janet Wood

Ashley Winnett

Senior human resources specialist Voices.com

Global HR, office of the CEO SAP

Director, global talent acquisition General Motors

“Since our platform serves half a million registered users in 160 countries, and our users rely on us to be available during their workdays, it would be difficult to implement a four-day workweek.

Sometimes our salespeople have to work beyond normal office hours.

To ensure work-life balance, we’ve implemented flex time. This allows anyone working outside of their normal hours to take time in lieu. For example, working late on a project Tuesday night could then mean starting the weekend early on Friday.

This arrangement ensures our users are well taken care of, while our employees still have free time.”

“Today’s workforce has dynamic expec­ tations for when, where and how they work. At SAP, we recognize that to drive innovation that benefits our customers and to be a world-class employer and a magnet for top talent, flexible work arrangements are crucial for our workplace strategy. For example, after launching in Canada, we now offer full-time benefits for employees across North America who work at least 24 hours a week.

Four-day workweeks can be beneficial for the company and the employee, but it’s not for everyone. That’s why we provide options for flexible work schedules to accommodate employees’ needs while still meeting the needs of the business.”

“No. In my experience, work isn’t only about work – it’s about social connections, teamwork, interactions, ideas, stories, conversations and friendships forged by working together in teams committed to a common vision.

It’s what makes us engaged, driven and ultimately human.

Recently a New Zealand business established a baseline for individual output by allowing employees to decide what to eliminate to provide the exact or greater output across four days for the same pay. It was human interaction that was sacrificed. I’d prefer to work at a business where I didn’t need to sacrifice being human to achieve a day off.”

FITTING FIVE DAYS INTO FOUR Trimming work hours without a drop in pay has been trialled or mandated in many corners of the globe. One recent high-profile example is New Zealand-based wills and trust manager Perpetual Guardian, which reported that its four-day workweek experiment earlier this year culminated in increased productivity. The firm used outside researchers to monitor the effect the 32-hour week had on the company’s staff of 240; the results included a 24% improvement in employees’ work-life balance and a greater propensity to return to work feeling energized. “Supervisors said staff were more creative, their attendance was better, they were on time, and they didn’t leave early or take long breaks,” says Jarrod Haar, HR professor at Auckland University of Technology. “Their actual job performance didn’t change when doing it over four days instead of five.”

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www.deloitte.ca Š Deloitte LLP and affiliated entities.

6/11/2018 6:08:49 AM

UPFRONT

STATISTICS

Over the rainbow

STILL A LONG WAY TO GO ON EQUALITY An encouraging 86% of respondents to the PwC/OutNEXT survey reported that their organization “creates a diverse, inclusive work environment,” and 94% would recommend their employer to an LGBT+ friend. The bad news: 35% of those surveyed felt that their organization merely pays lip service to diversity rather than truly providing equal opportunities for all, and 39% said their organization isn’t doing enough to encourage LGBT+ diversity in the workplace.

LGBT+ inclusion will reward employers with a wider pool of talent and an expanded consumer audience

AMONG THE virtues of inclusion is a strong business case: LGBT+ employees who feel they might not be able to realize their full potential within an organization are likely to take their talents elsewhere – and pass the message to their friends and family, which could have a detrimental effect on a brand.

Happily, a recent survey by PwC and

80%+

Millennials who are attracted by an employer’s policies on diversity, equality and workplace inclusion

OutNEXT found that more 80% of LGBT+ employees feel comfortable at work.

Nonetheless, fewer than one in 10 businesses reported having programs in place specifically geared toward the retention, development and progression of LGBT+ talent – and even those LGBT+ employees who do have access to such programs often aren’t aware that they exist.

35%

Employees who believe their companies leverage LGBT+ inclusion for business advantage

$5 trillion Estimated global spending power of LGBT+ consumers

78%

Percentage of LGBT+ people, family and friends who would switch to brands that are LGBT+ friendly

Sources: PwC; PwC/OutNEXT, Out to Succeed: Realizing the Full Potential of LGBT+ Talent, 2018; LGBT Capital, Estimated LGBT Purchasing Power: LGBT-GDP, May 2016; Community Marketing & Insights

NOT OUT YET

INCLUSIVITY GOOD FOR BUSINESS

Many LGBT+ employees continue to mask their identities at work, particularly during the hiring process. Almost two in three LGBT+ respondents worldwide said they were not out while applying and interviewing for their current jobs.

Employers largely agree that an openly supportive approach to LGBT+ employees has brought better access to talent and has improved creativity, customer service and their organization’s place in the market.

41% Yes

Employees

Employers

100

96%

80 60

84%

96% 83%

93% 81%

89% 67%

40

Were you out during your interview and application process?

59% No

Source: PwC/OutNEXT, Out to Succeed: Realizing the Full Potential of LGBT+ Talent, 2018

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20 0

Having an openly supportive focus on LGBT+ has provided my organization with a wider access to the best talent

Having an openly supportive focus on LGBT+ has improved my organization’s place in the market

Having a supportive focus on LGBT+ has improved creativity by bringing together diversity of experience and thought

Having a supportive focus on LGBT+ has given my organization a better understanding of customers’ wants and needs

Source: PwC/OutNEXT, Out to Succeed: Realizing the Full Potential of LGBT+ Talent, 2018

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6/11/2018 6:09:19 AM

EMPLOYEES’ PERSPECTIVES ON DIVERSITY IN THEIR ORGANIZATIONS My organization talks about LGBT+ diversity

46%

39%

11% 4%

47%

12%

My organization creates a diverse, inclusive work environment

39%

2%

My organization has LGBT+ programs and policies

49%

34%

10% 7%

My organization talks about LGBT+ diversity, but I do not feel opportunities are really equal for all

8%

27%

52%

13%

My organization is not doing enough to encourage LGBT+ diversity in the workplace

Strongly agree

15%

Agree

24%

48%

13%

I would recommend working at my place of employment to an LGBT+ friend

Disagree

43%

Strongly disagree

51%

4% 1%

Source: PwC/OutNEXT, Out to Succeed: Realizing the Full Potential of LGBT+ Talent, 2018

CEO SUPPORT A PRIORITY

WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT TO LGBT+ EMPLOYEES? When it comes to the attributes most likely to make an organization attractive to LGBT+ employees, opportunities for career progression topped the list, but an organization’s reputation for inclusivity wasn’t far behind.

ATTRIBUTES OF AN EMPLOYER THAT ARE MOST ATTRACTIVE TO LGBT+ TALENT

Ninety-eight per cent of respondents agreed that an employer’s commitment to LGBT+ programs and policies was important in creating an inclusive culture, but almost as many regarded visible role models and a CEO ally as important.

Opportunities for career progression

100%

Competitive wages and other financial incentives

99%

Reputation as a fair and equal employer (e.g. known for being LGBT+ friendly)

99%

WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT IN CREATING AN INCLUSIVE CULTURE FOR LGBT+ EMPLOYEES?

Flexible working arrangements and a culture of work-life balance

97%

Employer commitment to LGBT+ programs and policies

98%

Policies and programs supporting LGBT+ employees

97%

CEO visibility as an LGBT+ ally

Reputation as an employer of the best and brightest people

97%

97% 97%

An organizational purpose that is meaningful and affords the opportunity to make a difference

93%

The employer brand

90%

The organization has visible LGBT+ senior leaders

88%

The organization has an LGBT+ ally program

83%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Source: PwC/OutNEXT, Out to Succeed: Realizing the Full Potential of LGBT+ Talent, 2018

Visible LGBT+ role models Employee resource/ network groups Sponsorship of LGBT+ organizations An ally program Advertising/marketing to the LGBT+ community

95% 87% 84% 78%

Source: PwC/OutNEXT, Out to Succeed: Realizing the Full Potential of LGBT+ Talent, 2018

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6/11/2018 6:09:22 AM

UPFRONT

NEWS ANALYSIS

The power of data insights Are Orwellian nightmares keeping your employees up at night? Maybe it’s time to start opening up about how you use their data, as the benefits of an authentic people analytics strategy can’t be ignored

AS THE WAY we work changes, there’s one area of HR that continues to make headlines across the globe: people analytics. HR seems to be caught in a battle between wanting to harness the power of this invaluable data and balancing the ethics around employee DNA. But, despite the distinctive Orwellian overtones, one thing is clear: HR practitioners overlook these advancements at their peril.

According to Deloitte’s 2018 Global Human Capital Trends survey, 84% of employers said that people analytics is important or very important. Furthermore, 70% of survey respondents claimed their businesses were in the process of analyzing how to integrate data into their overall decision-making strategy.

startup Silver and a keynote speaker at HRDC’s National HR Leaders Summit in Toronto. “We are complicated beasts. Workforce issues like retaining, hiring and rewarding professionals have always required a gentle touch. However, if you look under the hood of most HR organizations, some of the most wicked problems are related to data – things like disparate HR systems, lack of consolidated reporting and understanding how people are truly feeling.

“The ultimate benefits of people analytics are about sensing what’s going to happen before it happens,” he adds. “It’s not rocket science, but if you have better analytics, then you will fundamentally make better and faster decisions. In turn, HR could be way more

“Businesses need to have open and continuous education about how and where they use people’s data” Shawn Kanungo, Silver So what exactly are the overarching benefits of people analytics that so many organizations seem to be buying into?

“At the surface, HR has always been focused on humans,” says Shawn Kanungo, an innovation strategist, founder of voice technology

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of a strategic player within an organization.

Instead, many HR groups are perceived as the good folks keeping everyone happy.”

The notion that HR could begin to work pre-emptively, rather than curatively, in relation to real-time issues is a revelation to the

sector. As the model of HR shifts and evolves, HR leaders are increasingly at the heart of organizational strategy, being consulted on the big-picture issues rather than just the personnel side.

Kanungo believes the next logical step in this digital revolution is to focus on overall integration.

“The next evolution of the workplace is about integrating all the beautiful technologies that we already use in our actual lives – instant messaging, productivity apps, social media, voice and automation – in order to create a more connected, seamless work environment,” he says. “I’m bullish on two things: artificial intelligence and voice. No one starts a business because they said, ‘I can’t wait to write emails all day’ or ‘I want to spend all my time reporting’ or ‘I can’t get enough of copying and pasting into systems’ and ‘Oh boy, do I love meetings and repeating myself all day.’ The reason why we start businesses is to delight the humans we

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7 WAYS COMPANIES ARE USING PEOPLE ANALYTICS To source top talent To measure ongoing performance To monitor engagement To improve wellness packages To enhance retention To prepare for succession planning To strengthen culture

serve, and hopefully make money.

“Artificial intelligence and voice technology are all about speed and efficiency,” he continues. “As a result, they are two important technologies that will help us double down on the things that actually matter, like our customers. AI and voice will remove the inefficiencies of our workplace.”

In the face of such impressive emerging

then measure that impact,” David Green, founder of Zandel, said at HRDC’s recent HR Tech Summit in Toronto. “There are so many companies out there that invest in people analytics, get the insights and then forget to measure the actual impact. It’s important to tie analytics to business performance – the challenge with HR is looking to see if this alone has a direct impact or if there have been

“There are so many companies that invest in people analytics, get the insights and then forget to measure the actual impact” David Green, Zandel technology, the question on many HR leaders’ minds is how to actually measure the ROI of people analytics.

“You have to start working on the right business problems, the challenges that will have a huge impact on the company, and

other factors at play.”

This new evolution of the people function is exactly what makes 2018 an exciting time to be in HR. Tools such as people analytics present endless possibilities. And yet employees are still envisioning a ‘Big Brother’

scenario – so what can HR do to ameliorate these concerns?

Deloitte’s report found that only 64% of organizations are managing any legal liability when it comes to their employee data, and more than half of respondents said they were concerned about how their staff perceived their personal data being used.

“Today, in business, you need analytics,” Kanungo says. “It’s imperative. And yes, that requires you to track some of your employees’ data. Having great cybersecurity, controls and data security policies is status quo. However, I think it’s all about engagement. Businesses need to have open and continuous education about how and where they use people’s data.

“You will always have people who don’t care about how you use their data,” he adds, “and others who may be deathly afraid of getting a smartphone because they don’t want someone tracking them. Different groups require different engagement strategies. Be prepared with a good communication plan.”

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6/11/2018 6:11:58 AM

UPFRONT

EMPLOYMENT LAW UPDATE NEWS BRIEFS Individuals can be liable for sexual harassment on the job Sixty per cent of women have been victims of sexual harassment, and nearly threequarters of these assaults took place at work. The impact of abuse doesn’t stop in the workplace, though. Any employee who chooses to flaunt harassment legislation could be exposed to personal liability if the individual brings a direct complaint against them to the Human Rights Tribunal.

“People are now deciding not only to sue the employer, but also sue the individual personal who subjected them to the inappropriate behaviour in the first place,” explained Alix Herber, a partner at Fasken LLP. “Essentially, the perpetrator could be on the hook themselves for money, not just their employer.”

Does HR have the right to discipline dishevelled workers?

Presenting the best version of yourself is important at work – but is it enforceable?

“If you have a dress code that has certain expectations around grooming and appearance, and an employee flaunts those rules, then that could constitute a form of discipline,” said Daryl Cukierman, partner at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. “However, there are a few issues HR leaders should bear in mind. You really need to view the individual cases in their full context.” Cukierman recommends being cautious of gender discrimination and disability concerns before disciplining an employee for his or her appearance.

What can be done about employees with poor hygiene?

Working alongside a foul-smelling colleague is not an ideal situation, but what rights do employers have when it comes to disciplining an employee over

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body odour? According to Shana French, a lawyer at Sherrard Kuzz, poor personal hygiene is an issue HR should approach with caution. She advocates not jumping to conclusions and uncovering if there’s a disability at play that could be contributing to the smell. “Respect the worker’s dignity,” French advised. “Ensure that you’re dealing with things in private and you’re not allowing the employee to be harassed.”

How employers can prepare for Ontario’s Pay Transparency Act Ontario’s Pay Transparency Act will go into effect on January 1, prohibiting organizations from asking job candidates about their salary history, mandating salary information for public job postings and requiring organizations with at least 100 employees to produce a pay transparency report. Jennifer Hodgins, senior associate at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada, advises business to “start looking at the compensation within your organization. Identify if there are any issues that the company might want to address. Be proactive with this.”

A closer look at the legalities behind swearing at work Profanities have long been an issue of debate – should HR confront the employee or let it go? “In my opinion, in most workplaces, swearing under your breath, as most employees do at some point, likely wouldn’t justify disciplinary action,” explained Maria Gergin, senior associate at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. “However, most employers will have policies regarding workplace harassment and workplace violence embedded within their workplace policies and codes of conduct. These policies should set out the do’s and don’ts in terms of how workers should interact in the office.”

Typos on your employee contract?

Does an employer legally have to honour a mistake on a worker’s employment contract?

It’s a situation that could give any HR practitioner cold chills: You’ve hired a great new employee, they’ve signed on the dotted line – and then you suddenly realize you made an error in their benefits plan or salary or annual leave allowance.

If you make a mistake in an employment contract, do you legally have to honour it?

“It really depends on what the mistake is, the overall significance of it and when the error was discovered,” says Maria Gergin, senior associate at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. “For instance, if a contract states an employee would receive five weeks of annual leave but in reality they should only be getting four, you should assess what the insinuation was when they agreed to take the job.”

If the employee and their manager sat down when signing the contract and both parties were aware that the annual leave should be four weeks, and this is clearly a typo, and it shouldn’t be an issue.

“I would advise that the employer sit down with the worker as soon as possible and explain the mistake so that both parties can commit it to writing,” Gergin says. “A fresh copy [of the contract] should then be provided to the employee, having been signed by both parties. I would say that if this is still in the context of offering an employee a role, and there’s no disagreement between the two over the amount of annual leave, then that’s rather straightforward.”

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6/11/2018 6:12:36 AM

However, if you’re looking at a situation where an error is discovered a year down the road and there are some questions as to whether both parties agreed on the terms, the legal principle changes.

“If an employer is going to be making any changes to a legal contract once the employee has commenced working, they must offer ‘fresh

“I would advise that the employer sit down with the worker as soon as possible and explain the mistake” consideration’ to make that change,” Gergin explains, adding that ‘fresh consideration’ means the employee has to get something in return for acquiescing to the alteration.

“This is the reason we always advise an employer who wants new hires to agree to additional requests, separate from their basic contract, that they should detail them in the employment letter, Gergin says. “All conditions need to be agreed upon at the start, because if the employer doesn’t do this, the employee can validly argue that they agreed to the role purely because of what was in their original contract.”

Q&A

Matthew Certosimo Partner BORDEN LADNER GERVAIS LLP

Years in the industry 26+ Fun fact Certosimo and his fellow Dalhousie alumni are working to set up a fund to help law students pay off student debt

Defining just cause in the workplace The legalese surrounding difficult employees can be tricky to decipher. HRD Canada recently caught up with Matthew Certosimo, partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, who talked us through the notion of just cause in the workplace, an issue he analyzes in depth in his best-selling book, Just Cause: The Law of Summary Dismissal in Canada.

What constitutes just cause in the workplace?

In our book, Just Cause: The Law of Summary Dismissal in Canada – which, coincidentally, is currently undergoing its 20th annual review – we really dig into this question, from soup to nuts. But, simply put, if an employee is guilty of conduct that repudiates the employment contract or evinces an intention to no longer live up to their end of the bargain, the employee may be summarily dismissed.

How difficult is it for an employer to prove just cause?

Because it amounts to the “capital punishment of the employment relationship,” just cause is not an easy standard to meet. Our supreme court has said that the contextual approach must be taken and that the principle of proportionality should be applied. So we have to ask, “Is this employee’s termination the appropriate level of discipline, all things considered?”

Is there a reason why employers often fail to satisfy the standard of just cause?

Essentially, it comes down to acting too hastily. Aside from very serious wrongdoing, such as theft, employers are typically expected to provide a warning, most often multiple warnings, and give the employee a chance to rectify the problem. Too often, employers skip all or part of this progressive discipline, to their detriment.

What advice would you offer to employers dealing with issues of just cause?

I think employers should act with haste, but not hastily. Start by getting the facts straight. Preserve the evidence. Remember to ask the accused wrongdoer for their side of the story.

And, depending on the nature of the allegations, an internal investigation, at least initially, may suffice.

Then assess any wrongdoing in context – for example, length of service, disciplinary record, employee duties, workplace norms. And lastly, consider whether discipline short of summary dismissal would be the proportional response, particularly when dealing with an isolated incident.

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6/11/2018 6:12:38 AM

UPFRONT

REWARDS AND BENEFITS UPDATE

What to ask at benefits renewal time A benefits consultant outlines three questions HR should ask to get the most out of a benefits plan

with data on their benefits spending, HR managers should create a road map for their organization’s benefits plan. “Basically, what you want from all that information is a plan of action to either modify the plan to reach those benefits, or modify the plan to be more preventative so that you can avoid these types of costly claims,” Galati says. “On the flip side, if the claims are lower, the question is why as

The important thing is for companies to understand clearly what their employees actually need well. There’s a pretty good number of reasons as to why claims are a lot lower than they’ve been in the past. Then it becomes a question of, well, what do we do with those savings that we’re expecting to get at renewal?”

More than half of Canadians aren’t that happy when it comes to their health benefits coverage, according to Sanofi’s 2017 healthcare survey. The renewal process, however, provides HR professionals a chance to reassess their benefits strategy.

Before going into negotiations with your employee benefits broker, it’s important to ask yourself a few vital questions, says Robert Galati, a consultant for digital health platform League. Galati suggests HR practitioners start with these three questions:

NEWS BRIEFS

How much will the benefits coverage cost and why? HR managers need to have an estimate of the financial costs or an idea of where they’re trending in terms of claims, Galati says. “Once they have that answer – or a pretty good assumption of what that is – the next question is why,” he says. “If the increase is bigger than what they’ve handled, then what kinds of claims are driving that increase?”

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How do I improve coverage? Equipped

Top companies for working parents revealed

US-based magazine Working Mother recently named the top organizations worldwide for gender-neutral parental perks. The top 10 companies recognized were AbbVie, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, McKinsey & Company, Moody’s, Procter & Gamble, Unilever and WellStar Health System. All of the top 10 performers provide an average of 15 weeks of paid maternity leave, phaseback programs for new mothers returning to work and special arrangements for remote work.

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Are benefits still relevant, fair and reasonable? Benefits have been changing over the past three to five years, Galati says, so it’s a good idea to take a look at what leading organizations are doing. The important thing is for companies to understand clearly what their employees actually need. This is where the top companies excel in terms of keeping employees engaged, Galati says, adding that if people are unhappy with their coverage, then your investment might not be as effective as it should be.

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Young workers demand better wellness benefits The secret to attracting younger talent might lie in health and wellness benefits, according to a new survey commissioned by beverage company Lucozade Ribena Suntory. Four in 10 employees aged 18 to 24 said they consider a company’s health and wellness benefits package “very important” when deciding whether to take a job. However, 61% of workers in this age category also felt their work had a negative impact on their health and well-being, and only about a third felt they were responsible for their own health.

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Q&A

Jean-Michel Lavoie

The future of benefits laid bare

AVP, group benefits SUN LIFE FINANCIAL

Years in the industry 5 Fun fact In his spare time, Lavoie loves to bake and makes a delicious lemon meringue pie

The future of benefits is bright, as organizations are finally beginning to see the importance of a flexible, hyper-personalized plan. HRD Canada spoke to Sun Life Financial’s Jean-Michel Lavoie to hear more on the future of perk plans.

What’s the secret to creating an inclusive benefits plan?

If you take a look at the most recent Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey, one of the aspects that’s come to light around the secret to a good plan is ensuring the benefits match the culture within the organization.

Of course, depending on the size of the employer, the benefits should match their policies, their work arrangement and their overall culture.

What else do employers need to keep in mind with regard to benefits plans?

Another important point to consider is communication.

A lot of sponsors offer fabulous benefits plans, but employees simply do not understand them – they don’t know what they have access to.

I’ve noticed in the past few years that the design of the plan is mattering less and less. Employers just have to make sure employees are aware of what they can access. The biggest concern for organizations is not making changes to their existing plan, which is interesting.

Flexible work options can boost performance

Compressing work over fewer days per week could be good for business, according to a new survey on productivity from staffing firm The Creative Group.

Forty percent of hiring decision-makers in advertising and marketing said working four 10-hour days each week – instead of the typical five eight-hour days – boosts productivity. Also, more than two-thirds of respondents said they would support employees who perform tasks unrelated to work during their shift, as they believe the flexibility can bolster overall performance.

What influenced Sun Life’s decision to include medical marijuana in its plans?

Frankly, it came from client feedback and requests.

A couple of years ago, a sponsor asked for a reimbursement for medical cannabis. A handful of clients then approached us to have their plans customized to include not only marijuana under the health spending account, but as a benefit. The eventual volume of these customization requests led to us building a standardized model to go to market with – this allowed sponsors to opt in and add their personal customization to the new standard.

The feedback has been great so far. There’s certainly been lots of interest around the new benefits.

There’s been a steady pick-up of the product – sponsors normally don’t make changes outside of the benefits cycles. I just think this will continue to increase, especially when employers get around to renewing their plans.

What’s the future of benefits, in your opinion?

Referring back to Sanofi, this is a question asked every year. Some of the employers’ top concerns revolve around drug plans, dental plans and absence. Not surprising, then, in the future of benefits plans, these three concerns will come to the fore. From a benefits perceptive, that means lots of changes in the alcohol and drugs initiatives.

Starbucks gives back to selfless employees

Starbucks has kicked off a new employee engagement program designed to foster a culture of philanthropy. The coffee chain has selected 36 employees in 13 US cities who will devote half of their workweek to a charity under the Starbucks Service Fellows program; the employees will be paid for the hours they spend doing community service. “The program powers [employees’ passion for service] through philanthropy and partnerships to have the greatest impact,” said the Starbucks Foundation’s Virginia Tenpenny.

Indeed names top 25 workplaces in Canada

International job site Indeed has announced its 25 Top-Rated Workplaces in Canada, based on hundreds of thousands of reviews on its site. The top spot went to hotel chain Fairmont, whose employees named its company culture as one of the best around. Ledcor, American Express, Suncor and TD Bank rounded out the top five. “The organizations on our list … have worked hard to listen to the specific needs of their employees to provide an outstanding experience,” said Indeed’s Jodi Kasten.

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6/11/2018 6:13:29 AM

UPFRONT

OPINION

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

Customer loyalty starts with HR An organization’s culture has a direct impact on the customer experience, writes Karen Gately, and HR has a leading role to play in shaping better outcomes HR HAS a critically important role to play in enabling any organization to win the confidence of customers and keep them for the long term. The simple reality is that customer loyalty is directly tied to the depth of talent your team offers and ultimately how they choose to behave.

Reflect for a moment on how often as a customer have you been left doubting the sincerity of an organization’s efforts to serve you faithfully. Have you wondered whether some people care at all about doing business with you again in the future? Reflect also on the perceptions you hold of any business, and how the people you’ve interacted with have influenced your confidence and desire to keep going back.

The culture of an organization has the greatest influence on the quality of customer experience provided and, in turn, the depth of loyalty earned. Of course, skill and knowledge are important, but no matter how capable your people are, if they behave badly, your customers are unlikely to keep coming back.

Fundamentally, you need your staff to approach their work in ways that are consistent with the promises you have made to your customers about what they can expect from your company.

HR plays an essential role in supporting leaders’ efforts to build teams of people who bring both the depth of talent and strength of

14

behaviour that will not only win customers, but keep them. The following are the most important things HR can do to bring your customer experience vision to life.

Define what success looks like. Leverage your organization’s values to clearly articulate the behaviours needed from every member of

likely to undermine customer loyalty, it’s not worth having them on the team.

Build awareness. Don’t assume your people understand the things that have the greatest impact on customer engagement.

Invest in your own understanding of the touchpoints between your customers and the business, and the opportunities people have on each occasion to make a positive difference.

Leverage your onboarding process to ensure that every new team member understands not only who your customers are, but also why they come to you and what they expect. Ensure they understand both the role they are expected to play and also how other members of the team contribute to delivering the best possible customer experience outcomes. Whether members of the team have direct contact with your customers or not, what they do and how they go about it matters.

Take action. All too often, organizations espouse values but do little to hold people accountable for behaving in line with them. If you observe poor behaviour that is a threat to customer experience or relationships, do something about it. If your team is feeling the

“HR plays an essential role in building teams of people who bring both the depth of talent and strength of behaviour that will not only win customers, but keep them” the team in order to create desirable customer experiences. Work with leaders across your business to build a clear view of what customer service excellence means and how the team can collectively deliver on those outcomes.

Help leaders to see their current reality and what aspects of staff capability or behaviours need to be improved.

Get it right from the start. Recruitment is undeniably the backbone of HR strategy.

Reflect on how often you have observed leaders hiring people for their technical strengths, despite their inability to behave in ways that are needed.

The reality is, it doesn’t matter how clever or qualified someone is; if their approach is

undesirable consequences of a colleague’s approach, your customers are likely to be feeling it, too.

Take, for example, the team that complained to their employer about bullying from a senior colleague. The issue was trivialized or ignored until the same team member behaved like a bully when dealing with an elderly customer.

Only then was the urgency needed in dealing with the issue understood.

Karen Gately is the founder of Ryan Gately and a leadership and people management specialist who works with leaders and HR teams to drive business results through the talent and energy of people.

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6/11/2018 6:14:15 AM

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6/11/2018 6:14:17 AM

PEOPLE

GLOBAL HR LEADER

THE SCIENCE OF BELONGING As global head of diversity and belonging at Atlassian, Aubrey Blanche is changing the definition of diversity

SOFTWARE GIANT Atlassian is making a name for itself – not only for its emerging technologies, but also for its overwhelming commitment to equality. That’s largely due to Aubrey Blanche, Atlassian’s head of diversity and belonging.

“If I had my way, my title would be a little different,” Blanche says. “I’m on a onewoman crusade to get rid of the word ‘diversity.’ Our 2018 State of Diversity report showed that people were more likely to associate under-represented employees with the word ‘diverse.’

“There’s this assumption that diversity doesn’t include folks from majority groups,” she continues. “You’ll hear people make remarks like, ‘Oh, I had a diverse candidate in here,’ when there’s no such thing as a ‘diverse’ person. You can be under-represented as an individual but not diverse – only teams are diverse. Instead, we talk about balance and belonging. A lot of companies are focused on the concept of inclusion, but at Atlassian, we simply don’t think ‘inclusion’ is good enough.”

Blanche likens the phrase to being invited to a party just because other guests have dropped out.

“That’s not the party I want to hang out at,” she says. “Let’s focus more on belonging.

Everyone can sympathize with that dread of

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not being part of something, of feeling unconnected. Compare that to a moment when you’ve felt a part of a team, when you know your colleagues have your back. What’s more, when people feel that way, their different perspectives influence not only the work they’re doing, but also the products evolving out of it.”

‘culture fit’, which is essentially just an intractable method of unconscious bias. We also broadened our outsourcing to contact more communities. This alone helped us to increase the representation of women, people of colour and older candidates in the last three years.

“Some of our best progress has centred

“We talk about balance and belonging. A lot of companies are focused on the concept of inclusion, but at Atlassian, we simply don’t think ‘inclusion’ is good enough” Getting the message out Blanche works with teams across the business to communicate the idea of belonging.

“I’ve been here about three years now, and thus far I’ve been working closely with all departments to change the way we think about top talent,” she says. “Some of the earliest work we did involved looking at our recruitment practices and finding that we weren’t actually connecting to all the best people we could. We overhauled the way we assessed potential hires, moving to standardized interviews and away from this notion of

around our graduate program,” Blanche adds.

“This year, 43% of our technical graduates across the globe identified as female ... We’re seeing similar growth patterns in our hiring of under-represented people across all experience levels.”

Blanche’s enthusiasm for this ‘science of belonging’ is infectious. Her own background helped shape the path she’s on to help Atlassian embrace the shifting zeitgeist.

“I always say I’m a quadruple minority – an LGBT Latino woman with multiple disabilities,” she says. “When you’re

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PROFILE Name: Aubrey Blanche Title: Global head of diversity and belonging Company: Atlassian Based in: Menlo Park, California Years in the industry: 10+ Fun fact: Blanche was once an amateur opera singer

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PEOPLE

GLOBAL HR LEADER

under-represented yourself, there’s a real passion there. I’ve been so incredibly lucky in my life to get a good education, to travel, to work at incredible companies.”

Prior to joining Atlassian, Blanche took an academic route; her entry into the tech industry came about rather unexpectedly.

“I began as a journalist and ended up as an academic researcher,” she says. “I was studying political science while also researching social science and international securities. I left the graduate program and accidentally wandered into the technology industry. And I fell in love with this emerging sector.”

However, she says, she felt “incredibly

while promoting an equal workplace is the right thing to do to, costs do need to be factored in, especially when measuring ROI. “Doing direct causal identification isn’t always possible,” Blanche says. “We don’t know that one investment led to one particular dollar that Atlassian made. But what we do know is that building more balanced teams is a catalyst for greater innovation. “[Social scientist] Scott Page showed that diverse or balanced teams are more likely to find the solutions to prevalent problems, and the individual members of those teams actually become smarter in the process. For example, we recently went through a big brand overhaul. The team that worked on the

“We want everyone to imagine themselves as building the future. The best way to do this is to show them who’s a part of it right now – which isn’t just one type of person” isolated” at first. “As a Latino woman in tech – well, quite frankly, there just aren’t enough of us. I found myself asking why everyone around me seemed to match. People would say, ‘We’re a meritocracy; we don’t want to lower the bar.’ But coming from my social science background, I knew this wasn’t true.

It’s mathematically impossible for the tech industry to be a meritocracy. Balanced teams are the outcomes of having equal assessments of talent.

“I became really interested in the problem and was lucky enough to be with a company that allowed me to run a few of my own experiments on my hypotheses. I started optimizing recruitment processes within the company to ensure they were hiring the right folks.”

Maximizing ROI This commitment to investing in diversity doesn’t come cheap, Blanche admits. And

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illustrations and images was incredibly diverse. And now, for the first time, our brand reflects the diversity of our global customers.”

While Blanche is optimistic about the state of belonging at Atlassian, there’s no denying that the tech sector as a whole has a long way to go.

“Some of the biggest issues in the technology sector stem from the underlying beliefs the industry has around talent,” she says. “This makes them so much less likely to appreciate and value the contributions from candidates coming from these underrepresented backgrounds.”

Blanche points out that researchers at MIT have found that when organizations believe they’re a meritocracy, like many tech companies do, they’re actually more likely to make biased or discriminatory decisions.

“The sector overall has a very fixed mindset,” she says. “Studies have found that

KEY FINDINGS OF ATLASSIAN’S STATE OF DIVERSITY STUDY 80% of employees agree that diversity and inclusion is important More than 40% believe their companies’ inclusion initiatives need no improvement Less than 30% of under-represented groups feel a sense of belonging at work 71% of executives believe inclusion is important to their company 33% of employees believe individuals have the most impact on improving diversity and inclusion companies that exhibit a strongly fixed mindset have significantly less representation of women, ethnic minorities and older workers. So, because the industry believes you’ve got to be a savant in engineering, when engineering is a skill that can be learned just like any other, they undervalue diverse candidates. The technology culture is very exclusive and unpleasant for a lot of people who don’t match the tech stereotype.”

Atlassian, on the other hand, encourages under-represented people to contribute “because we want everyone to imagine themselves as building the future,” Blanche says.

“The best way to do this is to show them who’s a part of it right now – which isn’t just one type of person.

“For us, it always comes back to our values,” she adds. “Before I joined, I thought it was corporate spiel, but I’ve been amazed to hear the values being cited day in, day out.

We want our employees to go out of their way to help the people around them while also having fun. Having a respectful, positive environment in a culture is something the industry needs to be mindful about.”

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6/11/2018 6:15:00 AM

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6/11/2018 6:15:02 AMPM 2018-09-11 4:11

LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT INSIGHT

WORKPLACE CONFLICT

The best way to handle workplace conflict Knowing how to effectively tackle conflict is crucial for any HR leader who wants to make a difference in their organization

ALL EXPERIENCED HR leaders know that workplace conflict isn’t something that can be completely avoided or prevented. It’s natural that whenever people spend a lot of time together – whether it’s a family or at work – disagreements are inevitable. People approach situations with different life experiences, backgrounds and personalities that form their viewpoints, so it’s human nature for conflict to occur.

It’s important for HR and organizational leaders to not ignore conflict or pretend that their organization operates in complete harmony. Once that foundation is established, an organization needs to work out ways to make conflict a healthy thing and not something that will tear it apart.

“Research shows that when conflict is not handled properly, it costs organizations a huge amount,” says Kari Boyle, a conflict engagement practitioner and facilitator of the Strategies for Workplace Conflicts program at the Queen’s University Industrial Relations Centre. “A workplace where people don’t get along becomes toxic. There is an impact on productivity, well-being and the longevity of staff at the organization. Overall, there is a massive bottom-line impact on the organization if conflict is not recognized and then handled well.”

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Before HR leaders even consider intervening in a conflict, they need to first gain a solid grasp of the issue in question and its intricacies. If a line manager comes to HR with a problem related to a conflict, it’s likely they’ve tried everything they can to solve the problem already.

“There are many types of conflict – some are overt, such as the office bully, but other

Being able to help a line manager take a step back and identify the root cause of the conflict is an important strategy for HR. Is it a conflict between two individuals, or is it more systemic – something that is structural within the organization? Or are there rules or policies getting in the way and causing unnecessary stress?

“For HR leaders to become effective in

“Understanding how we ourselves respond to conflict and knowing that we all come with hidden biases and mental models that we use to manage the world is so important. As HR leaders, we have to develop self-awareness around that” Kari Boyle, Queen’s IRC things go under the radar and are more complex,” Boyle says. “It could be people gossipping about a colleague or a situation being created where people don’t feel safe to share their own opinions or information.

There are different levels and areas of conflict that HR leaders need to be sensitive to.”

developing conflict strategies, self-awareness is an important quality,” Boyle says.

“Understanding how we ourselves respond to conflict and knowing that we all come with hidden biases and mental models that we use to manage the world is so important. As HR leaders, we have to develop self-awareness

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Brought to you by

around that.”

Understanding that most conflicts are driven by the emotions of those involved is another important factor for HR leaders to understand. In many cases, the first stage of tackling conflict is addressing the parties’ emotions in a constructive way that helps them to feel heard. Yet this step is often neglected because of the HR leader’s inability to identify and handle emotions.

“It’s hard to crack that nut of a conflict until you acknowledge what is happening emotionally for the people involved,” explains Joan Sabott, facilitator for the Queen’s IRC Strategies for Workplace Conflicts program.

“That doesn’t mean agreeing with them – it just means recognizing what they are experiencing and what they are presenting. If we don’t get that nugget, we miss an opportunity for them to be heard and to come to a resolution that makes them feel better. If you don’t recognize the emotion but you get an outcome that is positive for everyone involved, you got really lucky.”

The skills needed to identify emotions and communicate effectively on psychological responses can be learned. Sabott explains that an HR leader who learns these skills is much better equipped to help people move beyond a conflict. Sabott has taught courses

on leadership and conflict for many years and is a firm believer that any leader who is not conflict-savvy is unable to lead a team as effectively as possible.

“Most of us are not born with these skills and need to learn them,” she says. “It’s all about developing the skills in how you interact with people. There is a real benefit to practicing these things every day and being able to nuance them with the person in front of you.

By practicing these skills, you start to see how different approaches might work with

different people. When you practice the skills and methods every day, you get better at them, just like any activity.”

In many situations, it’s not necessary for HR to intervene in a conflict. As Sabott explains, coaching others to handle conflict themselves is an important skill for any leader to develop. Training business leaders and line managers on conflict resolution and hoping it trickles down through the organization is not a realistic strategy. Every employee should have some level of conflict training.

“Rather than supporting them or advocating on others’ behalf, leaders can help people to be empowered and develop the necessary skills to handle conflict themselves,” Sabott says. “Therefore, leaders with sophisticated conflict skills can have broad impact on their organization’s ability to handle conflict.”

Spreading these skills and empowering staff members to deal with conflict themselves helps build trust in teams. Offering help but enabling the employee to take control has many benefits.

“There are some cases where coaching is not appropriate, where intervention from leaders is needed,” Sabott says. “But for most day-to-day conflicts and conflicts around projects, it’s a good idea to coach someone through the problem rather than taking control.”

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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6/11/2018 6:16:07 AM

SPECIAL REPORT

RISING STARS 2018

HRDC spotlights 22 up-and-coming professionals who are poised to become the ext great leaders of the HR function

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EINSTEIN ONCE said that imagination is more important than knowledge – but in a sector like HR, you really do need both.

Dominated by disruption and ruled by constant change, HR leaders have to learn fast in order to get ahead. HRDC’s annual Rising Stars list spotlights 22 young HR professionals who have done just that.

After receiving a vast list of nominees, the HRDC team whittled the nominations down to those who we believe represent the most promising new HR talent in Canada this year.

It’s no secret that in today’s competitive market, younger employees are rising through the ranks more quickly than ever before. From navigating new hires to future-proofing their business plans, these Rising Stars are taking on responsibilities that belie their relatively limited experience. Recognizing HR professionals from a wide variety of sub-sections, HRDC’s 2018 Rising Stars list is as inclusive as it is diverse, indicating that the future of HR in Canada is in very good hands.

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6/11/2018 6:17:53 AM

DELOFANTE ATKINS

LISA GRAVELLE Human resource business partner

Senior manager, learning and inclusion

Shoppers Drug Mart

Matrix360

Boasting more than eight years of solid experience in employee relations, recruitment and policy design, Delofante Atkins is an invaluable asset to Matrix360 and has continually represented HR at its highest level. Among other things, Atkins is responsible for leading Matrix360’s Elevate Mentorship program for the real estate industry and is also involved in the Talent Connectivity Project, a formalized internship program for diverse professionals in real estate.

“Delofante is an outstanding leader of people,” says Matrix360 managing partner Chandran Fernando. “She continues to progressively empower employees and companies with her intelligence, openness and care in human resources strategy and consulting.”

A strong proponent for diversity in corporate Canada, Atkins partners with members of the private and public sector to achieve gender parity and regularly participates in panel discussions across the country to speak about the future of work.

As HR business partner at Shoppers Drug Mart, Lisa Gravelle supports all aspects of HR work for more than 120 stores in the northern GTA, from executing annual retail HR objectives and tactics to providing training for people leaders and offering counsel on concerns such as engagement and employee relations.

Gravelle is involved in various HR work streams, including revamping the employee recognition program, adopting a standardized approach to the health and safety program, and offering guidance on a workplace violence and harassment training project as a subject-matter expert.

Her efforts in improving associate relationships have resulted in a 20% increase in approval ratings, based on the company’s annual survey of associates. To optimize engagement, Gravelle ensures that all engagement survey results are communicated by management to their teams. She meets with low-engagement store teams to recommend action plans and form engagement committees to help stores gain a holistic perspective on the results.

RISING STARS INDEX NAME

COMPANY

Ansari, Jahanzaib

Knockri

Atkins, Delofante

PAGE

NAME

COMPANY

PAGE

26

Mohammed, Natalie

Prodigy Labs

24

Matrix360

23

Parekh, Tia

Plenary Group

25

Cohen, Gil

HighVail Systems Inc.

29

Rana, Priya

Teknion

25

Diabo, Joni

Accenture

27

Schiffmacher, Stephanie Nature's Path

28

Dutka, Travis

360insights

24

Scongack, Tim

D2L

24

Gravelle, Lisa

Shoppers Drug Mart

23

Sultmanis, Kristine

Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services

24

Gupta, Garima

Deloitte

29

Tran, Jacqueline

Kinross Gold Corporation

26

Hadley, ZJ

Tulip

27

Trasolini, Diana

Paladin Security

27

Hall, Alexandra

You.i TV

28

Udvari, Melissa

Tulip Retail

26

Hoobanoff, Jamie

The Leadership Agency

29

Whish, Julie

Uberflip

29

MacGregor, Caitlin

Plum

28

Zayler, Zoya

Accenture

25

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SPECIAL REPORT

RISING STARS 2018 NATALIE MOHAMMED Head of HR Prodigy Labs

In 2017, Natalie Mohammed went from being a senior HR generalist at Solutions 2 GO to becoming HR manager at Juice Mobile, taking over the entire function and managing eight sites across Canada and the US. Earlier this year, Mohammed was recruited by Prodigy Labs to be head of HR, and she now manages a growing team while supporting employees at 10 sites. In the short time that she’s been with Prodigy, Mohammed has successfully supported the hiring of many new team members, been involved in negotiations and an office move, re-enforced HR processes and procedures, and led new programs.

Mohammed is currently working to complete her HR designation and is actively involved in the HRPA mentoring program.

TIM SCONGACK Data and reporting specialist D2L

In just a year and a half at D2L, Tim Scongack has already significantly impacted two general areas for HR – process improvements/efficiencies and the use of data for improving decision-making and business impacts. Specifically, Scongack has introduced automated reports to decrease administrative tasks, conducted comprehensive evaluations of process and efficiency improvement vendors, and introduced a monthly people and culture dashboard.

Setting an example for cross-boundary collaboration, Scongack works with employees of different functions, always keeping his eyes and ears open for opportunities to improve processes and data usage. Coupled with his commitment to L&D and self-improvement, Scongack is on the fast track to becoming an invaluable player in the industry.

KRISTINE SULTMANIS Human resources assistant Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services

Kristine Sultmanis’ skills as a communicator and passion for learning are evident throughout her work. One notable achievement that highlights her skill as an HR professional is her effective bridging of the gap between HR managers on the Canadian Forces base. For many months, Sultmanis was the only HR resource, which required her to manage complex and challenging deliverables with minimal support and often outside of regular office hours. As the base’s go-to resource person, Sultmanis is always looking out for clients’ best interests and ensuring they meet critical payroll/HR timelines that affect their operations. She has been recognized with an organizational award of merit for her dedication and commitment to quality work.

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TRAVIS DUTKA Culture curator 360insights

Travis Dutka became part of the people and culture team at 360insights during a time of rapid growth for the company, which has expanded from 60 team members to almost 400 today. Jumping from marketing to talent acquisition, Dutka helped recruit more than 120 people in two years before moving into his current role as culture curator. In addition, Dutka was instrumental in helping 360insights top the Great Place to Work Canada list for companies under 1,000 employees since 2013.

Following two acquisitions over the last six months, Dutka has built and executed a culture integration strategy that includes onboarding, workshops, team-building and launching a Culture Ambassador team in the newly acquired US office. Dutka played a vital role in sharing and nurturing the 360insights values and culture in the new offices.

He was also the driving force behind the company’s recent purchase of a new HCM system. After lobbying for over a year, Dutka completed the groundwork for a new employee portal, e-learning modules and a new approach to attendance management. He then presented a solid business case and a proposal showing the ROI for the new system, which resulted in sign-off from 360insights’ CFO and executives.

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6/11/2018 6:17:57 AM

TIA PAREKH Head of HR Plenary Group

ZOYA ZAYLER Inclusion & diversity lead Accenture

Earlier this year, Zoya Zayler became inclusion & diversity lead for Accenture Canada and has been responsible for influencing senior business leaders to embrace Accenture’s I&D commitments.

After designing a rollout strategy for unconscious bias training, Zayler personally delivered content to hundreds of employees in Canada, including the Canada Diversity Council, which comprises the most senior business leaders and the president of Accenture Canada.

As a thought leader on I&D matters, Zayler continues to advise business units on innovative ways to attract, retain and advance diverse talent. She has forged several new partnerships between Accenture and external organizations, which have led to new development opportunities for employees while reaffirming Accenture’s commitment to I&D. As a result, the Canada team surpassed its I&D goals for fiscal 2018.

Prior to joining Accenture’s Canada HR team, Zayler was part of the global inclusion & diversity centre of expertise, where she led the global Pride at Accenture program. While in this role, she created a global strategy for advocacy on LGBT issues and advanced same-sex partner and transgender health benefits across dozens of countries, among other achievements.

Since 2013, Tia Parekh has built a diversified HR background by taking on a number of progressive roles with notable companies. Parekh began her HR career as a talent acquisition specialist at Softchoice; she was promoted within a year to spearhead the talent acquisition strategic analytics function, where she worked on implementing PeopleInsight, a tool for optimizing the HR function and enabling leadership to make people decisions using science and analytics.

After two years, Parekh went on to join Scotiabank, then Baxter Pharmaceuticals, before finally joining the Plenary Group to oversee its North American HR operations.

Parekh’s recent accomplishments include implementing Collage, a cloud-based HR platform that automates tracking of employee time off, engagement and feedback; monitoring of company-wide/team-based training; and reporting and analytics for the leadership team. She also worked on succession planning by applying the nine-box talent grid to enable the leadership team to establish long-term development plans. Additionally, Parekh implemented a mentorship program and a high-potential leadership program with tailored plans that combine several learning methods, including experiential learning, courses, workshops and one-on-one coaching.

PRIYA RANA Talent acquisition specialist Teknion

Priya Rana joined Teknion as talent acquisition specialist in 2017. Shortly after coming on board, she helped to revamp the recruiting process by formalizing a recruitment tracker, cutting costs spent on recruiting agencies by extending reach on social media, and being resourceful to find employees who were the right fit for the company. Her efforts resulted in an impressive recruitment scorecard that was presented to the executive team.

Currently, Rana is responsible for conducting head office orientation sessions, and she has worked diligently to streamline the process and enhance the employee experience.

She developed a new hire survey that gathers insights to improve the recruitment process.

She also took the initiative to learn the software used for the employee portal in order to regularly update it with relevant content.

In terms of L&D, Rana implemented a new Lunch Break Learning program and successfully facilitated some of the sessions while looking after her own development needs by attending company-sponsored training sessions. More recently, she has taken on selected tasks related to an HRBP role, demonstrating a level of professionalism and confidence that makes her a promising candidate for HR leadership.

“Priya is open to new ideas and takes on projects with a positive, can-do attitude,” says a senior manager. “Her role and contributions far exceed her title as talent acquisition specialist.”

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SPECIAL REPORT

RISING STARS 2018 JAHANZAIB ANSARI Co-founder and CEO Knockri

JACQUELINE TRAN Total Rewards partner Kinross Gold Corporation

Jacqueline Tran has been in HR for six years, which she describes as “a journey filled with great learnings, supportive leaders and teams, and interesting work in various industries that have collectively led me to where I am today.”

At Kinross Gold, Tran oversees the compensation program for the US region, which consists of four mine sites and more than 2,000 employees. She also assists with global pension and benefit programs in other regions. Tran has been able to build and maintain relationships with local HR teams, educate global leads on local business challenges and legislative requirements, and work closely with the global rewards team to share best practices.

In 2017, Tran was part of a small group of HR professionals who were tasked with consolidating best HR practices for M&As and producing a go-to resource for the HR teams. Tran developed a project plan tool that produced timelines for each team’s initiatives and action items, as well as templates for offer letters, presentations and other communication materials for employees.

To continue growing her expertise in HR, Tran has been working towards her Certified Compensation Professional and Global Remuneration Professional designations from WorldatWork.

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During the early days of his career, Jahanzaib Ansari experienced discrimination while applying to client-facing roles. As an experiment, he changed his name on his resumé to Jason or Jay and ended up receiving eight times more replies from the same recruiters. After speaking with industry experts and learning that many qualified candidates are often overlooked due to their name, gender and ethnicity, he created Knockri, an AI-based video soft skill assessment tool that diminishes unconscious bias to facilitate the hiring of a more diverse workforce. The tool merges computer vision, AI and industrialorganizational psychology to come up with an objective short list of the best candidates.

Ansari works with Fortune 500 companies to help transform their talent acquisition function into a competitive advantage. To date, Knockri has assessed over 20,000 candidates, reduced time to fill by 69%, and increased racial and gender diversity of short-listed candidates by 23%. Ansari speaks at conferences to raise awareness about unconscious bias in recruitment and the steps an organization can take to eliminate it.

In March 2018, Ansari received Ascend’s Innovator of the Year Award. In addition, he was recently named to the Forbes Technology Council, and Knockri has been featured in numerous media outlets, including Forbes, Bloomberg, CBC, Tech Crunch, Huffington Post, Business Insider and The Globe and Mail.

MELISSA UDVARI Director, people & culture Tulip Retail

Having been promoted five times in five years, Melissa Udvari has steadily worked her way up the corporate HR ladder, starting out as HR coordinator and office administrator and now overseeing the people & culture function at Tulip Retail. Udvari is in charge of designing various people strategies and leading all people development activities, from compensation planning to performance, career and personal development.

Within the past year, Udvari has overseen the implementation of WorkTango, a multipurpose platform that allows employees to share their feedback in a safe and anonymous way and provides Tulip’s leaders with detailed data on teams’ engagement to enable them to make better decisions. Udvari was able to gain buy-in from the executive team, work the software into a tight HR systems budget, and train employees and managers on how to use it. She also ensures that the data collected from the platform is referenced in weekly meetings with the senior leadership team and quarterly meetings with the board.

Udvari has also been involved in is improving gender diversity, helping Tulip become the first company to pilot Bridge, a free developer school for women, agender and non-binary people. As an HR leader, Udvari provides mentorship to colleagues in the field and career guidance for peers in the tech community. Outside of her responsibilities at Tulip, Udvari creates webinars and speaks on panels and at conferences on the topics of HR systems, wellness and employee engagement.

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6/11/2018 6:18:01 AM

ZJ HADLEY Co-founder The People People Group

An HR business partner by day and co-founder of a 300-plus-member HR community by night, ZJ Hadley is passionate about building a diverse community by fostering engaging company cultures. Hadley co-founded The People People Group [TPPG] as a safe place for HR professionals and recruiters to share ideas, openly discuss struggles and ask questions. Rather than competing for talent, members work together to help their respective organizations become better, sharing jobs and applicants to create stronger matches. TPPG also hosts events that focus on career growth and D&I, the most recent of which focused on Indigenous inclusion and territory acknowledgements.

Hadley attributes her passion for D&I to her own life experience, having grown up with few opportunities and many adversities, which allowed her to develop a unique understanding of how opportunity affects career progression, especially for traditionally marginalized groups. “The positive feedback I get from the individuals I work with fills me with joy and assures me I am doing the right work,” she says. “I can’t imagine doing anything other than HR, because our career requires intuition, passion and authentically caring about people.”

DIANA TRASOLINI Vice-president of people and culture Paladin Security Group

Diana Trasolini was instrumental in managing HR processes throughout Paladin Security Group’s acquisition of one of its largest competitors. As a result, she was promoted to regional director of HR, overseeing 17 HR professionals who provide support for more than 3,200 employees in five branches.

Trasolini was able to drive a positive corporate culture during a period of significant change while creating HR best practices, including conducting gap analyses and rolling out company-wide initiatives. Trasolini then became part of the executive team as senior director for people and culture, overseeing HR processes and strategy for 13,000 employees across North America.

Within the last year, Trasolini has conducted research on the organization’s current performance management process to assess gaps resulting from 16 acquisitions in the past 10 years. She proposed three key recommendations with an implementation plan in mind: performance score and compensation transparency, competency-based job descriptions and performance templates linked to KPIs, and changing compensation structure by linking performance scores directly to compensation. This resulted in a new bonus structure that was more formalized and objective, taking into consideration individual, branch and overall company performance. Trasolini was able to drive this initiative across the country by presenting the new process at HR summits and training the leadership group. In recognition of her efforts, Trasolini was named Rising Star of the Year at the 2018 Canadian HR Awards.

JONI DIABO Canada technology supply demand lead Accenture

Since starting out as an HR intern six years ago, Joni Diabo has held various talent supply chain roles while working with Accenture’s technology platforms, going from team member to team lead in a short period of time. Within the last 18 months, Diabo was promoted to associate manager and then became technology supply demand lead for Canada.

In her current role, she leads a team of seven employees located across North and South America, who support more than 1,400 employees across Accenture Technology Canada. Responsible for aligning key talent investments and plans with the business and recruiting teams, Diabo works closely with the technology leadership to ensure delivery on key metrics and has managed to standardize the required reporting metrics. Having established solid relationships with business leads, Diabo manages large recruitment plans needed for rapid growth, high demand and large project ramp-ups, niche skills, and investment areas.

Having joined Accenture through a diversity program, Diabo is committed to furthering Indigenous awareness and representation within the company through Indigenous-focused hiring measures and expansion of the Aboriginal internship program.

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SPECIAL REPORT

RISING STARS 2018 STEPHANIE SCHIFFMACHER People & culture generalist Nature’s Path

When Stephanie Schiffmacher joined Nature’s Path as an HR coordinator, she noticed a disconnect between team members and HR, which she immediately focused on rectifying. Shortly after, she was promoted to HR generalist, which put her in a position to make more significant changes and improve the trust in HR programs at Nature’s Path.

After taking over talent acquisition for the head office and global sales team, Schiffmacher began reviewing past hiring successes and identifying their cultural and team fits. She used this information to develop a program that facilitates more consultation with hiring managers while looking for an even stronger culture fit. In addition, Schiffmacher made sure she was present at all interviews across North America to support managers through the challenging process of adding new long-term hires.

Schiffmacher also examined the performance management program at Nature’s Path and worked to simplify the process to allow performance management to support the work of team members. A strong component of her analysis was a drive to increase education around the program’s value, use and benefits. She made changes to the program to clarify the goal-setting process and tie in additional incentives for those who consistently exceed expectations.

CAITLIN MACGREGOR Co-founder and CEO Plum

It wasn’t until Caitlin MacGregor built two businesses that she realized the need to revolutionize talent processes to prepare businesses for the future of work. In 2012, MacGregor co-founded Plum, which combines industrialorganizational psychology and artificial intelligence to offer companies the benefit of predictability and diversity through a talent recommendation engine. MacGregor is passionate about equipping business leaders with the talent data they need to get the right people in the right seats as the workforce shifts in the age of automation.

In 2013, Plum was one of 10 women-led businesses selected by Springboard Enterprises NYC to become part of its mytech program.

Within the past year, MacGregor has identified a shift in preference for talent based on the insights of Plum’s analysts and customers. “There’s been a rejection of making talent decisions based on skills and knowledge – i.e. where someone went to school or whether they’re proficient in a particular hard skill – and a craving for talents such as innovation, adaptability and communication,” she says. As a result, MacGregor and her team realized the need to extend the talent data Plum offers beyond the talent acquisition stage to include other stages of the employee journey, “including hiring, professional development, high-potential selection, internal mobility and more.”

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ALEXANDRA HALL People operations specialist You.i TV

Since joining You.i TV, Alexandra Hall has been involved in a number of benefit and well-being initiatives. Over the past year, Hall has assisted with the implementation of a new paid time off policy, which allows every employee to take six weeks of paid time off each year. She also helped address administrative inefficiencies resulting from different types of time off and the potential liability from vacation carryovers through effective employee communications, policy creation and change management measures.

To drive home the need for well-being, Hall organized an employee wellness fair, arranging for vendors from around the community – from chiropractors and physiotherapists to nutritionists and financial advisors – to visit the office and consult with employees. She also organized workshops on reducing stress in the workplace and helped secure various employee discounts. In addition, Hall took over the health and safety committee, revamped the emergency evacuation plan, and worked to ensure that the company was in compliance with legal requirements.

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6/11/2018 6:18:06 AM

GIL COHEN Director, employee experience HighVail Systems

Considered the first true HR person at HighVail Systems, Gil Cohen joined the company during a difficult period marked by a mismatch of roles and cultural values among employees. Through his background in organizational behaviour, Cohen was able to help the leadership reestablish the company’s core values and carefully facilitate the departure of employees who weren’t culturally fit for the company.

Following this, Cohen launched a strategic planning initiative that enabled the senior team to define the business vision and draft criteria for more formal strategy planning.

Cohen also came up with behavioural profiles for the senior leadership team to better understand themselves and their leadership style, and developed career planning exercises for the technical and sales staff. Cohen also initiated several internal programs geared toward improving employee morale and participation.

JULIE WHISH Culture specialist Uberflip

As culture specialist at Uberflip, Julie Whish primarily focuses on the happiness and well-being index of the whole team, which involves looking into all the little details that contribute to a positive work environment.

From planning events to rolling out wellness initiatives and arranging volunteer activities, Whish does her best to ensure that employees not only enjoy their time at work, but also clearly see the value their employer brings.

In the past year, Whish has rolled out several diversity and inclusion initiatives at Uberflip, from starting an ally group to sponsoring and supporting Toronto Pride and leading a session at Venture Out, an LGBTQ+ conference for the tech sector. Whish also created an inclusivity resource hub to help people get started on similar programs, and she helped Uberflip increase the number of women in the organization from 30% to 42%.

GARIMA GUPTA Recruitment advisor Deloitte

Garima Gupta joined Deloitte in April 2018; within just a few months, she became the subject-matter expert for Deloitte’s internal HRIS, responsible for training new hires and conducting demos to support a partner organization on improving the transition of disabled people in the workforce. Gupta is also involved in developing training material to educate the national team on different recruitment strategies.

Prior to Deloitte, Gupta was with Tech Mahindra Canada, where she was responsible for a change management initiative to improve management awareness about HR regulations in Canada. She is also an active member of the HRPA York Region, where she volunteers with the education and mentoring committee.

JAMIE HOOBANOFF Founder The Leadership Agency

Committed to disrupting the recruitment process, Jamie Hoobanoff founded The Leadership Agency with the purpose of helping companies hire the best leadership talent to take them to the top of their industries. Armed with the latest recruitment technology and a team of highly skilled experts, Hoobanoff has represented over 300 brands across North America, interviewed more than 10,000 people and placed over 3,000 people in the Canadian workforce – representing roughly $175 million in annual salaries in the Canadian market. She has also hired and trained more than 20 professional recruiters, led teams of recruitment directors and created an award-winning company-wide training program.

Prior to starting The Leadership Agency, Hoobanoff played an integral recruitment role for two major IPOs and was the youngest and first leader for Canada’s largest sales recruitment agency. She understands that the key to success starts with people, and her own talents and skills include putting the right people together, forging genuine connections, asking the right questions and seeing innovative solutions that others miss.

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6/11/2018 7:18:56 AM

AN I D A CAN

WINNERS REVEALED

2018

A record number of nominations flooded in for this year’s Canadian HR Awards. On the following pages, HRDC spotlights all the winners across 25 categories

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6/11/2018 7:08:59 AM

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

NOW MORE than ever before, it’s essential to recognize the vital role HR practitioners play in the overall organizational mission of Canadian brands. In times of tumultuous change – from navigating emerging technology to preparing for the impending fourth Industrial Revolution – companies are increasingly looking to the people function to lead the way.

Currently in its fifth year, the Canadian HR Awards has become the biggest and most prestigious showcase of excellence in the Canadian human resources industry. Both large and small companies were recognized across 25 organizational and individual award categories. HR leaders from across the nation gathered to celebrate the best and brightest in the sector at Toronto’s Liberty Grand as the top performers in each category took home the coveted prizes.

Sponsored by Ultimate Software and hosted by Jessi Cruickshank, this world-class event included the ADP Canada Award for HR Rising Star of the Year, the Xref Award for Most Innovative Use of HR Technology and the KPMG in Canada Award for HR Leader of the Year.

In this special commemorative guide, HRDC looks back at all the highlights of the event. With exclusive interviews from the winners, as well as some insights from the awards’ sponsors, this guide perfectly sums up the best Canadian HR Awards to date.

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6/11/2018 7:08:55 AM

N ADIA CAN

2018

THE HRDC READERS’ CHOICE AWARD FOR

BEST SERVICE PROVIDER (FEWER THAN 100 STAFF) WINNER KLF Group

FINALISTS /N SPRO 7Geese Clear HR Consulting The Leadership Agency

THE FIRST AWARD of the night – the HRDC Readers’ Choice Award for Best Service Provider (Fewer than 100 Staff) – went to KLF Group, which is dedicated to helping customers build highly engaged workforces and loyal client bases. Supporting organizations such as the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation and La Tablée des Chefs, which feeds families in need, KLF Group is clearly about more than just business – this is a company that’s truly dedicated to giving back to its local community.

“We feel incredibly humbled and blessed to have won this award,” KLF Group’s François Fortier told HRDC. “We’re super eager to show to the world the software we have.”

“We feel incredibly humbled and blessed to have won this award.

We’re super eager to show to the world the software we have”

Sandro Mezzacappa KLF Group

FRANÇOIS FORTIER KLF Group

François Fortier KLF Group PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Human Resources Director Canada concentrates on the real issues and challenges facing HR professionals, with in-depth features and analysis of what really matters. HRDC features high-level case studies, international and local profiles, and interviews with HR directors and industry leaders from around the globe. HRDC has positioned itself as the magazine of choice for the country’s most influential HR decision-makers.

For more information, visit hrmonline.ca

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY

THE HRDC READERS’ CHOICE AWARD

BEST SERVICE PROVIDER (100 STAFF OR MORE) WINNER MaRS Discovery District

FINALISTS ADP Canada Globoforce IBM Canada WilsonHCG

Daneal Charney MaRS Discovery District

LOCATED IN the heart of Canada’s largest city, MaRS Discovery District is uniquely placed to lead change by bringing together educators, researchers, social scientists, entrepreneurs and business experts. Startups flock to MaRS, whose main goal is to help them accelerate by providing expert advice, market intelligence and access to capital, as well as connections to talent and customers.

“It’s all so exciting. We work with startups within the innovation economy, so we really love helping them invest in HR early on” DANEAL CHARNEY MaRS Discovery District Talent Services

“It’s all so exciting,” said Daneal Charney, director of talent for MaRS Discovery District. “We work with startups within the innovation economy, so we really love helping them invest in HR early on.

We’re a small but mighty team here. We serve around 500 to 600 startups that really drive our economy. We climb mountains with our clients.”

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Human Resources Director Canada concentrates on the real issues and challenges facing HR professionals, with in-depth features and analysis of what really matters. HRDC features high-level case studies, international and local profiles, and interviews with HR directors and industry leaders from around the globe. HRDC has positioned itself as the magazine of choice for the country’s most influential HR decision-makers.

For more information, visit hrmonline.ca

Manda Cuthbertson MaRS Discovery District www.hrmonline.ca www.australasianlawyer.com.au

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N ADIA CAN

2018

THE ACCOMPASS AWARD FOR

CANADIAN HR TEAM OF THE YEAR (500 EMPLOYEES OR MORE) WINNER

WINNER OF Canadian HR Team of the Year (500 Employees or More), Ubisoft boasts the largest in-house game development staff in the world, with over 40,000 team members spread across more than 40 studios. The organization’s Toronto branch is committed to building a culture of learning and supporting the development of the Ubisoft team, and investing in employees is a large part of the HR team’s overall mission to grow together.

Ubisoft Toronto

FINALISTS Bank of Canada Canopy Growth Corporation CIMA+

“Our team has worked so hard in trying to bring the unique employee experience to Ubisoft Toronto”

Corus Entertainment La Coop Fédérée – Agri-business Division Marine Harvest

POONAM TEWARI

Nav Canada

Ubisoft Toronto

WinSport

“For us, clients and their people are our business,” said Sarah Beech, president of award sponsor Accompass. “So sharing this with excellent people who look after their employees in such a remarkable way is tied to our business, too. We love to support the industry and great companies like this. One of the biggest benefits is creating an amazing employee experience from the beginning throughout their career.”

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Accompass began in 1997 when a small group of like-minded professionals came together. From the beginning, we strived to take a more hands-on, personal, proactive approach to our clients and their businesses. In 2002, we began advising on investment and retirement programs; in 2007, we launched our compensation and incentives practice. Today, we address the full range of strategic, financial and regulatory issues surrounding clients’ programs.

For more information, visit accompass.com

Poonam Tewari Ubisoft Toronto 34 34

The Ubisoft Toronto HR team

Sarah Beech Accompass

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6/11/2018 7:09:02 AM

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

THE TALENTEGG AWARD FOR

BEST EMPLOYER BRANDING WINNER McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada

FINALISTS Adobe Systems Canada Colliers International Manulife Nav Canada Reynolds and Reynolds Sun Life Financial Traction on Demand

RENOWNED ACROSS the globe for its delicious burgers, McDonald’s has an equally satisfying HR practice. The restaurant chain’s Canadian arm recently launched Ourlounge, a highly impressive employee app that allows crew and management to create a social community within their restaurants.

Mary Barroll, president of award sponsor TalentEgg, highlighted the need for innovation like this in attracting that all-important

“We always knew we had a great story to tell as an employer, but we really needed to get it out to the public” AMELIE VILLENEUVE McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

hatching student & grad careers

TalentEgg has been a go-to career resource for students and new graduates since its inception in 2008, and nine years later, we are committed to the continued innovation of campus recruitment. We focus on meaningful, careerlaunching internships, co-op positions and entry-level jobs, and provide free career resources created specifically for students and recent grads. We have an average of 250,000 visitors to our site each month, thousands of jobs and event listings, and have worked with several hundred employers over the years, including the City of Toronto, Apple, IBM, CFLA, Xerox, P&G, Labatt, BMO, Rogers, Bell and TJX. As the most popular online resource for students and grads looking for meaningful, career-launching opportunities, there’s no better place to share your recruitment message and job opportunities to reach top Gen Y and Z talent.

For more information, visit talentegg.ca

millennial audience. “We’re very proud of McDonald’s,” she said.

“We know how difficult it can be to engage young people – you have to be innovative and use the right kind of social media to connect with them. So clearly they’ve done a fantastic job. When it comes to branding, you have to be on the right channels. Younger talent sees social media differently than their older brothers and sisters or their parents do. You have to get the right message across.”

Melanie Courtois McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada

Amelie Villeneuve McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada

Mary Barroll TalentEgg www.hrmonline.ca www.australasianlawyer.com.au

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2018

LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT LAW BOUTIQUE FIRM OF THE YEAR WINNER Williams HR Law

FINALISTS Kent Employment Law MacLeod Law Firm Minken Employment Lawyers Monkhouse Law Rodney Employment Law Sherrard Kuzz LLP Whitten & Lublin

PROVIDING LABOUR and employment law services to employers

across the Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario, Williams HR Law is committed to aiding organizations of all sizes with flexible and cost-effective advice. Williams HR Law is all about building collaborative and enduring relationships with the employers it serves. The company’s legal professionals and support staff view themselves as an extension to the companies they help, always abiding by the motto: “We understand that reputations are earned – and it’s a fact we never take for granted.”

“I’ve been doing this for over 27 years, and I’m thrilled there’s a bit of groundswell when it comes to the attention businesses are putting on their people” LAURA WILLIAMS Williams HR Law

“HR people very often sit in the background, letting others take the stage,” said David Creelman, CEO of Creelman Research and one of the judges of the Canadian HR Awards. “That’s why it’s so wonderful for them to be recognized for all the work they’re doing.

It’s very exciting for people to get to an event like this – there’s really nothing else like it in Canada.”

Laura Williams and the Williams HR Law team

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6/11/2018 7:09:11 AM

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

BEST CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY STRATEGY WINNER

ONE OF the pioneers of the organic movement and a fiercely independent, family-owned firm, Nature’s Path believes in conscience and customers, and strives to make decisions that uphold the company’s strong central values. In 2009, Nature’s Path helped to establish the Sustainable Food Trade Association and was one of the first companies to sign the Food Trade Sustainability Leadership Association’s Declaration of Sustainability – so it’s little surprise that

Nature’s Path

FINALISTS Aird & Berlis LLP Bell L'Oreal Canada

“Our philosophy as a department is to build the social sustainability aspect into everything we do, including our HR department”

Purolator Tata Consultancy Services Canada The Travel Corporation

JODI BAINS Nature’s Path

Talene Palvetzian Ontario Public Service Jodi Bains Nature’s Path

the award for Best Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy went to this standout leader in the field.

Talene Palvetzian of Ontario Public Services, who judged and presented the award, highlighted the importance of social responsibility. “The Ontario Public Services are a huge believer in corporate social responsibility,” she said. “In fact, we have our own initiative that’s been helping at-risk youth to successfully graduate high school and earn money for the last 12 years; 1,500 kids have stayed in school and excelled as a result of this. This really is the perfect fit for us. It’s essential we use our influence as HR practitioners to improve society.”

Stephanie Schiffmacher Nature’s Path

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6/11/2018 7:09:08 AM

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2018

THE MERCER AWARD FOR

EXCELLENCE IN DIVERSITY & INCLUSION WINNER

AS A LEADING financial services group, Manulife knows the

Manulife

importance of committing to diversity in the workplace. Boasting one of the most impressive diversity agendas around, Manulife is committed to supporting LGBTQ communities and recently celebrated global Pride with flag-raising ceremonies across the world.

FINALISTS Accenture

“We’re really excited to have won the award – it’s great to be recognized for all the work we’re doing to create an inclusive culture in our organization”

Ceridian Jazz Aviation Norton Rose Fulbright Scotiabank Tolko Industries Ultimate Software

SANDEEP TATLA Manulife

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

At Mercer, we make a difference in the lives of more than 110 million people every day by advancing their health, wealth and careers. We’re in the business of creating more secure and rewarding futures for our clients and their employees, whether we’re designing affordable health plans, assuring income for retirement or aligning workers with workforce needs. Using analysis and insights as catalysts for change, we anticipate and understand the individual impact of business decisions, now and in the future. We see people’s current and future needs through a lens of innovation, and our holistic view, specialized expertise and deep analytical rigour underpin each and every idea and solution we offer. For more than 70 years, we’ve turned our insights into actions, enabling people around the globe to live, work and retire well. At Mercer, we say we make tomorrow, today.

For more information, visit mercer.ca.

Its focus on diversity has made Manulife a huge draw for candidates looking to be part of an authentic company culture.

Louis Gagnon, CEO of award sponsor Mercer Canada, commended Manulife’s efforts and highlighted his company’s own commitment to diversity. “We also help our clients with diversity to help foster innovation while adding a better employee value proposition,” he said. “These are true Canadian values – supporting D&I. We have to be proud of our roots.”

Lisa Ryan Manulife

Sandeep Tatla Manulife

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6/11/2018 7:09:20 AM

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

CANADIAN HR TEAM OF THE YEAR (RETAIL OR HOSPITALITY) WINNER JYSK Canada

FINALISTS Best Buy Canada

IF THERE’S one company that has truly transformed itself over the

past few years, it has to be JYSK. A consummate leader in the world of HR, JYSK knows the importance of moving with the times. The company’s CHRO, Matt Burns, has always been vocal about how the people function needs to embrace emerging technologies in order to get ahead.

Giant Tiger Stores Sleep Country Canada TouchBistro Tulip Retail Walmart Canada

“We’re blown away. Last year we were so fortunate to have won an award for the Most Innovative Use of HR Tech, so this is the icing on the cake” MATTHEW BURNS JYSK

Matthew Burns and the JYSK Canada HR team

A consummate expert in the rise of HR tech and a featured speaker at the HR Leaders Summit Calgary in December, Burns had some choice words for companies that continue to ignore the digital revolution. “It’s not easy to keep up with HR tech,” he said. “But we don’t have a choice anymore. Technology is the new game, and as an organization, we use it to automate all those manual, repetitive administrative tasks so we can allocate our limited resources to things that actually make a difference.”

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2018

CANADIAN HR TEAM OF THE YEAR (FINANCE OR INSURANCE) WINNER Peoples Group/Peoples Trust

FINALISTS Coinsquare Intact Financial Corporation Paysafe Questrade Royal Bank of Canada Western Financial Group

PROVIDING EXCEPTIONAL customer service backed by exten-

sive product knowledge and experience, Peoples Group is as committed to its employees as it is to clients. Due to its smaller size, the organization recognizes it cannot be all things to all people. Instead, Peoples Group focuses its resources on a specific set of products and services.

“We’ve transformed so much in our organization over the past two years, so to see the recognition that comes from this is overwhelming” ANN MCDOW Peoples Group/Peoples Trust

Ann McDow and the Peoples Group/ Peoples Trust HR team

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As for its internal culture, Peoples Group strives to provide a dynamic and rewarding work environment with a strong emphasis on teamwork and team play. The company recognizes that satisfied employees contribute significantly to its ongoing growth and success.

“This puts truth to everything we’ve done so far,” vice-president of people & culture Ann McDow told HRD Canada. “It’s incredible. When we first joined, that very traditional HR environment still existed of ‘we only want a transaction process that ensures people get paid.’ Of course, that’s important, but we want to be people and culture.”

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6/11/2018 7:09:19 AM

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

THE SENECA AWARD FOR

BEST LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY WINNER Royal Bank of Canada

FINALISTS Bell and BCE Best Buy Canada Challenger Motor Freight D2L Corporation Fidelity Canada G Adventures LoyaltyOne Sienna Senior Living WilsonHCG

THERE AREN’T many Canadian brands more iconic than the Royal Bank of Canada, which serves more than 16 million clients and has 80,000 employees worldwide. With roots dating back to 1864, the organization enjoys a rich and vibrant history, but RBC’s continued commitment to evolving its development strategies is what really sets the bank above its competition.

“I’m over the moon,” said Tristan Cammaert, RBC’s vice-president of learning & development, upon winning the award for Best Learning & Development Strategy. “I’m so blessed on behalf of this team. It’s honestly amazing. The number-one thing that’s clinched

“The number-one thing that’s clinched this is being given the freedom by our leaders to have the space to make mistakes” TRISTAN CAMMAERT

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Seneca has campuses in Toronto, York Region and Peterborough, offering degrees, diplomas, certificates and graduate programs renowned for their quality and respected by employers. It is one of the largest comprehensive colleges in Canada, offering nearly 300 full-time, part-time and online programs.

By combining the highest academic standards with work-integrated and applied learning, expert teaching faculty, and the latest technology, Seneca ensures that graduates are career-ready.

Royal Bank of Canada

this is being given the freedom by our leaders to have the space to make mistakes, to try crazy things and to innovate. That’s what’s allowed us to be creative.”

Mary Vaughan, dean at award sponsor Seneca Business, added: “Seneca is really founded in innovation, creativity and excellence.

This is what the award optimizes. All of the nominations were aligned to that commitment to creativity.”

Tristan Cammaert and the RBC HR team

Mary Vaughan Seneca Business

For more information, visit senecacollege.ca

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2018

THE VENNGO AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR

FINANCIAL, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELLNESS WINNER ATB Financial

FINALISTS D2L Corporation Jazz Aviation Niagara Casinos SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health Sklar Wilton & Associates Sleep Country Canada

ATB FINANCIAL has been in operation for more than 75 years. In

that time, the organization has blossomed from a small treasury branch to the largest financial institution based in Alberta. Boasting assets of more than $51.9 billion, the firm has changed how people view their local banking services. ATB has also supported more than 250 charities, raising $1.3 million and donating another $4.8 million to nonprofit organizations. With 5,300 team members and 300 locations, ATB is a force to be reckoned with.

“It’s amazing just to have been nominated and to be here. But it’s something else entirely to be recognized by your peers” LOUIS MARTYRES

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Venngo provides world-class group discount programs with a focus on financial and physical well-being. Our programs integrate seamlessly to support other elements of total compensation, including medical/dental benefits, EAP and employee wellness programs.

For more information, visit venngo.com

ATB Financial

“This award really allows us to recognize those awesome companies that respect all types of wellness,” said John Moore, president of award sponsor Venngo. “It’s a value we have in our own company that we try to improve upon every day. The solutions we bring to market essentially capture that.”

John Moore Venngo

Louis Martyres ATB Financial

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6/11/2018 7:09:27 AM

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

THE IVEY ACADEMY AWARD FOR

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE HR INDUSTRY WINNER Lorne Rubis PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Ivey Business School at Western University offers a range of executive education programs from its three campuses in London, Toronto and Hong Kong.

For more information, visit ivey.uwo.ca/executive

THE WINNER of this year’s coveted Lifetime Achievement Award is Lorne Rubis. Having enjoyed a rich history in the HR industry, including a stint with the LA Kings hockey team as VP of business operations and six years as chief people officer and chief evangelist at ATB Financial, Rubis really is a titan in the world of HR.

“Lorne is abundant. Often when you work with someone in a consultancy capacity, you help them to change. But working with him really changed me” LYNETTE TURNER Business transformation practitioner and facilitator

Mark Healy The Ivey Academy at The Ivey Business School

Unfortunately, Rubis couldn’t make the ceremony itself, but he recorded a message of gratitude: “A real heartfelt thank you to you all,” he said. “I believe that the highest purpose of HR is advancing people and organizations towards a greater good. I’ve been blessed in my 40 years of work of being able to focus on that aim. Today, more than ever, the world is calling on all of us in the HR community to accelerate that cause. The massive disruption going on in every industry requires us to reinvent platforms for better workplaces and safer, more inclusive environments.”

Mark Healey, executive director at award sponsor Ivey Academy, added: “Just look at Lorne’s list of accomplishments – I literally had to stop reading them, there were so many! He’s contributed so much to the profession over time. We always talk about HR as being a true business partner – Lorne really understands that.”

Lynette Turner, business transformation practitioner and facilitator, accepted the award on behalf of Lorne Rubis

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2018 CANADIAN HR TEAM OF THE YEAR (FEWER THAN 500 EMPLOYEES) WINNER Intelex

FINALISTS

FOUNDED IN 1992, Intelex has a strong history of trailblazing. The marker

of a great company can be measured in how it treats employees, and Intelex’s commitment to managerial integrity and sustainability makes it one of the most exciting places to work in Canada.

Freshii

“We have such an amazing culture, working hard and having fun”

Kira Systems

FAITH TULL

Coast Mental Health

Parks Canada Agency SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health Stryker Thalmic Labs Wave

Intelex

Faith Tull and the Intelex HR team

“Intelex is a very innovative, progressive company that showed a lot of resilience and positivity in how they dealt with their employees,” noted awards judge Nan Oldroyd.

Nan Oldroyd Art Gallery of Ontario

CANADIAN HR CHAMPION (CEO) WINNER Carol Leaman Axonify

FINALISTS David Bowden Colliers International

David Ossip Ceridian

Joe Dietrich

CAROL LEAMAN has an impressive track record of successfully leading tech companies. A celebrated entrepreneur and trailblazer, she now leads the executive team at Axonify, a platform dedicated to enhancing employees’ skill sets that is a definitive leader in the microlearning space.

“I truly didn’t expect this ... There were some amazing people nominated” CAROL LEAMAN Axonify

Trillium Mutual Insurance Company

Kirk Simpson Wave

Laurie Schultz ACL

Sam Sebastian Pelmorex (The Weather Network)

“When it comes to HR champions, it begins from the top down,” said HRDC director of client strategy Dane Taylor. “To be able to hand this award out to a CEO like Carol, who’s really trailblazing from an HR perspective – that’s the exact ethos that HRDC wants to align itself with.”

Carol Leaman Axonify

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6/11/2018 7:09:42 AM

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

THE ADP CANADA AWARD FOR

HR RISING STAR OF THE YEAR WINNER Diana Trasolini

Paladin Security Group

FINALISTS Alexandra Hall You.i TV

Garima Gupta Deloitte

Izzie Egan Blankslate Partners

Jacqueline Tran Kinross Gold Corporation

Keyur Jani Royal Bank of Canada

Ludivine Beltramelli

DIANA TRASOLINI, VP of people and culture at Paladin Security Group, won this year’s award for HR Rising Star of the Year. Trasolini began her HR career as a generalist before quickly rising through the ranks at Paladin.

“When HR strategy is linked directly to business goals, it is easy to demonstrate direct positive impact and improvement for both employees and the organization,” Trasolini told HRDC. “Be passionate about what you do; listen, ask questions, and seek out continuous learning and growth opportunities; aim high, work hard, and always look for ways to drive and create best practice.”

“My approach focuses on driving HR as a strategic business partner, which really elevates the level of impact that HR has on the business”

KBS

DIANA TRASOLINI

Melissa Udvari

Paladin Security Group

Tulip Retail

Stephanie Schiffmacher Nature's Path

Victor Sei ICE Currency Services

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

ADP is one of the world’s largest providers of business outsourcing and human capital management solutions, serving more than 620,000 businesses of all types and sizes in more than 125 countries. In Canada, ADP pays one in four working Canadians and is the leading provider of payroll and HCM solutions.

For more information, visit adp.ca

ADP gives organizations of every size the tools to help their people thrive, making the company a natural fit to sponsor this award.

“We’re always on the lookout for new talent – and if you don’t start searching when they’re starting out, you’ll be missing out on what they could be doing in the future,” said Holger Kormann, president of ADP Canada. “To be a Rising Star in HR, you need to have perseverance, innovation and passion.”

Holger Kormann ADP Canada

Diana Trasolini Paladin Security Group

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2018

THE ULTIMATE SOFTWARE AWARD FOR

BEST WORKPLACE CULTURE WINNER AstraZeneca Canada

FINALISTS ACL Axonify Doctors of BC Kinaxis Left Mindful Snacks Paysafe Thalmic Labs TJX Canada

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Ultimate Software’s cloud-based UltiPro helps simplify and improve work experiences for everyone. With UltiPro, you can deliver personalized recruiting and onboarding experiences, guide employees through important benefits choices, simplify complex payroll computations, efficiently manage time and attendance, support continuous performance management and development, and build proactive succession plans for the future.

BOASTING MORE THAN 59,000 employees worldwide, pharma-

ceutical company AstraZeneca puts people and culture at the heart of everything it does. The company’s mission is to push the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines, something it achieves by fostering inclusive and all-encompassing values.

“AstraZeneca is committed to helping employees be at their best; as a result, we’ve got a phenomenal culture where people continue to push themselves every day” GENA RESTIVO AstraZeneca Canada

“For me, when I go home at the end of the day and I can’t wait to tell people where I work and why I work there – I think that’s the marker of a great culture,” said Brett Chestly, director of sales for Canada at award sponsor Ultimate Software. “I’m so proud to be where I am – it’s the people that make it so amazing. The secret to creating a standout workplace culture? Simple – hire good people.”

Brett Chestley Ultimate Software

Gena Restivo and the AstraZeneca Canada HR team

For more information, visit ultimatesoftware.com

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6/11/2018 7:09:50 AM

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

THE DENTSU AEGIS NETWORK AWARD FOR

BEST HR COMMUNICATION STRATEGY WINNER

AS NORTH AMERICA’S largest independent Salesforce consulting and application development firm, Traction on Demand knows a thing or two about communicating. Labelling itself a ‘dedicated cloud evangelist,’ the company is all about hiring individuals who are enthusiastic about using emerging technologies.

Traction on Demand

FINALISTS AstraZeneca Canada CAA Club Group CIBC Hydro Ottawa Tata Consultancy Services Canada

“It’s pretty cool to get an award for being disruptive in the space. We like to take whatever HR does and do the complete opposite” MANU VARMA Traction on Demand

“It’s pretty cool to get an award for being disruptive in the space,” said Manu Varma, Traction on Demand’s head of people & culture.

“We like to take whatever HR does and do the complete opposite.

This allows for creativity – looking at HR as part of the business as opposed to a separate function.”

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Manu Varma Traction on Demand

Dentsu Aegis Network is innovating the way brands are built by helping our clients’ brands win in a changing world. This means doing things differently – and better – by embracing the positive potential of disruption. Our spirit of collaboration helps us inspire brands to connect with consumers in more engaging ways. Dentsu Aegis Network is made up of 10 global brands, as well as several specialist/multi-market brands and offers high-performance services across media, digital and creative communications. Our team of 38,000 – including 1,500 in Canada – delivers first-class talent and leading-edge capabilities to clients to drive stronger performance and brand growth.

For more information, visit dentsuaegisnetwork.com

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2018

THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO AWARD FOR

BEST NEXT-GENERATION EMPLOYMENT INNOVATION WINNER Labatt Breweries of Canada

FINALISTS Axonify Bell BlueCat Networks Dentsu Aegis Network Fidelity Canada Freshii IBM Jazz Aviation Procter & Gamble

A BELGIAN-OWNED brewery headquartered in Canada, Labatt is something of an institution. Founded in 1847 in Ontario, the organization grew to become the largest brewery in Canada. Home to 3,400 employees, more than 60 beers and nine breweries from coast to coast, Labatt is as Canadian as they come. The company’s commitment empowering younger workers is astounding; Labatt has been named as one of the Top 100 Employers for Young People.

“We’ve spent a couple of years trying to recruit students, so it’s great to recognized for that. It’s been an evolution, for sure” DYLAN MCLEOD Labatt Breweries of Canada

Ubisoft Toronto

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

This award really focuses on the future – something that excites Domenica De Billo, director of employee relations at the University of Waterloo. “The University of Waterloo is Canada’s most innovative university,” De Billo said. “We have some of the brightest students with the most creative minds, and so it’s just fitting that we’d sponsor this award. Being surrounded by all of these employers this evening and listening to their stories and how they’re fostering creativity in their own talent pools, it’s amazing. The fact they’re hiring our students is so exciting. “

Discover what University of Waterloo students can do for your talent needs. Canada’s most innovative university offers work-ready co-op, graduating students and alumni from more than 120 accredited programs who can adapt to your unique business needs and make a strong contribution to your organization’s success. Students alternate between academic terms and work terms, which means they will bring the most cutting-edge industry trends to your organization.

For more information, visit uwaterloo.ca

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Dylan McLeod Labatt Breweries of Canada

Domenica De Bilio University of Waterloo

Nicole Goldberg Labatt Breweries of Canada

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6/11/2018 7:10:03 AM

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

THE XREF AWARD FOR

MOST INNOVATIVE USE OF HR TECHNOLOGY WINNER

OFFERING TOURS that take 200,000 travelers a year around 160

G Adventures

countries, G Adventures knows the importance of keeping up to date with technology. Launched in 1990, the company believes that all travelers should share journeys in a responsible and sustainable manner. This strong belief in its founding values has only served to deepen the organization’s commitment to authenticity and helped the company grow and develop into a world-class leader.

FINALISTS Bank of Canada Hydro Ottawa Kinaxis

“We’ve always been about innovating the way people see the world ... And now we do it through technology”

Left McDonald's Restaurants of Canada PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

TIM WINSKELL G Adventures

Xref is an online workflow tool that automates the candidate referencing process via an easy to use, mobile-ready, fully reportable, cloud-based platform. Xref addresses one of the biggest challenges in the recruitment and onboarding process – the way candidate references are collected. Reference feedback is collected online, saving time and money for employers. It also protect companies from breaches in privacy, discrimination and potential reference fraud.

Derek Smith, GM of North America for award sponsor Xref, noted how closely linked his organization is to the message behind this award. “If you think about what Xref ’s really all about, it’s innovation in the HR tech world and referencing. So to be able to present an award about this is near and dear to our hearts.”

So what does it take to make progress in the area of HR tech? “It’s all about listening to what the HR folks need in order to evolve,” Smith said. “It’s a profession that’s been stuck with tech – now the big issue is on what to choose.”

For more information, visit xref.com

The G Adventures HR team

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2018

THE GLOBOFORCE AWARD FOR

BEST REWARD & RECOGNITION STRATEGY WINNER Doctors of BC

FINALISTS Accenture ADP Canada Aecon BDC McCarthy Tetrault Moneris Solutions Stryker

DOCTORS OF BC is a voluntary association of 14,000 physicians, residents and med students in British Columbia. Dedicated to making a meaningful difference for the medical profession, the institution was founded in 1900 as the British Columbia Medical Association and has a long history of working for members, improving patient care and influencing healthcare policy.

“Recognition is such an important part of a good culture. We’ve put so much work into this at Doctors of BC, so we’re beyond thrilled to have this award” AMANDA CORCORAN Doctors of BC

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Sylvain Bergeron, country manager at award sponsor Globoforce, noted that a good recognition program “needs to recognize those employees going above and beyond on a daily basis. Our organization is really passionate about enabling companies and customers to recognize their employees’ best work. Doing this really delivers key business results, so we couldn’t be happier to partner with Key Media to present this super important award.”

Pioneer of the WorkHuman® movement, Globoforce helps make work more human for millions of people and organizations worldwide. Its cloud-based social recognition software helps build award-winning cultures where employees feel more appreciated and socially connected at work, driving a sense of belonging and inspiring the entire organization to reach its full potential and achieve business success. Founded in 1999, the company is headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts, and Dublin, Ireland.

The Doctors of BC HR team

For more information, visit globoforce.com

Sylvain Bergeron Globoforce

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6/11/2018 7:10:17 AM

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

BEST TALENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY WINNER DHL Supply Chain

FINALISTS Acclaim Ability Management FL Fuller Landau LoyaltyOne Seneca College Tata Consultancy Services Canada Wave

DHL SUPPLY CHAIN’S commitment to employee development stems from a core set of values: to foster openness, to set and follow clear priorities, to be entrepreneurial, and to be socially responsible and act with integrity. Billing itself as “a family of closely-knit business divisions all working together to meet our customers’ needs,” it’s clear that DHL was well deserving of such an all-encompassing accolade.

“From a talent perspective it’s essential to look at all of your employees’ skills holistically,” said Prompta Consulting Group’s Tim Morton, who helped judge the Canadian HR Awards. “From there, you can stand back and see the true power of diversity and inclusion. When you allow everyone to bring their whole selves work, the improvements speak for themselves.”

The DHL Supply Chain HR team

Tim Morton Prompta Consulting Group

BEST EMPLOYMENT & LABOUR LAWYER (WITHIN A PRACTICE) WINNER S. Margot Blight Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

FINALISTS Andrew Monkhouse Monkhouse Law

Benjamin Kranc Kranc Associates

MARGOT BLIGHT is a partner in the Toronto office of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, a collective hive of talented legal professionals, each striving to

“In order to add value to what we do, we lawyers always need to be one step ahead of the trend” S. MARGOT BLIGHT

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

James D. Kondopulos Roper Greyell LLP

Laura Williams Williams HR Law

Lorenzo Lisi Aird & Berlis LLP

Nancy F. Barteaux Barteaux Durnford

provide the best support they can to both their clients and their colleagues. Blight practices in a variety of administrative law disciplines, including education, human rights and constitutional law. She advises and represents private- and public-sector employers in all aspects of labour and employment law before courts and administrative tribunals. She also acts as a neutral adjudicator.

S. Margot Blight Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

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2018

THE LEADERSHIP AGENCY AWARD FOR

WOMAN OF DISTINCTION WINNER Heidi Hauver

Keynote Group

FINALISTS Colleen Bailey Moffit Enercare

HEIDI HAUVER is a transformational HR leader who’s passionate about business and HR. With a wealth of experience in both the private and nonprofit sectors, Hauver focuses on balancing a company’s drive for success with the needs of employees. An inspiration for women in business all over the world, Hauver was a natural selection for 2018’s Woman of Distinction Award.

Bromelin HR Consulting

“It really was an incredible group of women nominated for this award.

My interests lay in inspiring the next generation – we need to pay it forward”

Stephanie Hollingshead

HEIDI HAUVER

Marni Johnson

BlueShore Financial

Paula Knight

Cancer Care Ontario

Shelley Brown

Sierra Systems

Tanya Wick

Tolko Industries

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Keynote Group

Jamie Hoobanoff, founder of award sponsor The Leadership Agency, told HRDC why it’s so essential to recognize women in business. “We have the privilege of working with thousands of HR professionals, so we see that distinct difference between women who inspire others and the direct impact it has on our day-to-day life. Inspirational people help build the most impressive companies of our generations, and we think it’s critical to recognize that.”

The Leadership Agency specializes in leadership and sales recruitment, backed by a decade of experience interviewing more than 10,000 candidates and placing over 3,000 people in the North American workforce to date. Using a proprietary and strategic approach to recruiting leaders, The Leadership Agency launches each search within an hour, and candidates are presented within three business days. The result is an 80% conversion rate from candidate to employee, 300% higher than the industry average.

Clients include startups, scale-ups and market leaders across a variety of industries, including Coinsquare, TouchBistro, Ritual, Soula Thomson Reuters, Just-Eat, O2E, 7shifts, League, StackAdapt, Courlas eCompliance and others.

Heidi Hauver Keynote Group Jamie Hoobanoff The Leadership Agency

For more information, visit leadershipagency.com

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6/11/2018 7:10:34 AM

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

THE MAXSYS STAFFING & CONSULTING AWARD FOR

MOST EFFECTIVE RECRUITMENT STRATEGY WINNER

GOLD PRODUCER producer Agnico Eagle has gone from strength to strength in recent years. Defined by the core values of trust, respect, equality, family and responsibility, Agnico Eagle boasts an impressive recruitment program. Offering graduate, co-op and internship positions to a wide range of talented students, Agnico Eagle encourages hard work through collaboration with colleagues.

Agnico Eagle

FINALISTS BlueCat Networks Kinaxis KUBRA La Coop Fédérée – Agri-business Division Ubisoft Toronto Ultimate Software

“We’ve done a lot of work trying to recruit local and Inuit people, which we feel is a real achievement.

It’s so important to hire that new generation of miners in the North” LOUISE GRONDIN Agnico Eagle

Bryan Brulotte MaxSys Staffing & Consulting

“This is award represents everything that’s in our core mission and core mandate,” said Bryan Brulotte, CEO and chairman of award sponsor MaxSys Staffing & Consulting. “Therefore, it’s something we feel very strongly about. We also have 25 years of experience executing this. A good recruitment strategy, in my opinion, stems from having a solid plan established ahead of time, knowing what you want and knowing how you get there.”

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Louise Grondin Agnico Eagle

MaxSys Staffing & Consulting is a national staffing and consulting leader with operations in 12 cities across Canada. Since 1993, we have been providing quality contract and temporary help services to the private and public sector. We offer all the experience, quality and professionalism that you have come to expect from a national firm.

For more information, visit maxsys.ca

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2018

THE KPMG IN CANADA AWARD FOR

HR LEADER OF THE YEAR WINNER

POTENTIALLY THE most coveted award of the night, HR Leader

Alexis Corbett Bank of Canada

FINALISTS Agnes Garaba SAP Canada

Arielle Meloul Wechsler Air Canada

of the Year went to Alexis Corbett, managing director and CHRO at the Bank of Canada. Responsible for providing BoC employees and pensioners with quality HR services from point of hire through their career cycles, Corbett also helps her managers to attract, engage and retain quality staff. Boasting an MBA from the University of Ottawa and a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Western Ontario, Corbett’s achievements speak for themselves.

“We’ve been through an incredible transformation, led by the optimism and team spirit that Alexis enabled”

Cheryl Fullerton

Corus Entertainment

Emma Horgan Questrade

Janet Hughes

Vancouver Film School

GILLIAN BROUSE Bank of Canada

Jason Fleming MedReleaf

Jennifer Vantuil

Platinum Investments

Larissa Holmes Borrowell

“A good leader is someone who’s authentic,” said Soula Courlas, partner and national leader of people and change services at award sponsor KPMG. “It’s someone who understands their own strengths and contributions they want to be able to make and is steadfast in that. Leaders shouldn’t be afraid of making mistakes, and they shouldn’t fear taking risks – a great leader truly respects everyone around them.”

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Soula Courlas KPMG in Canada Christine Tassé Bank of Canada

KPMG has offices in 33 locations across the country, where more than 700 partners and 5,600 employees provide crucial services to many of the public and private business, not-for-profit, and public-sector organizations in Canada. KPMG provides audit, tax and advisory services. We work closely with our clients, helping them to mitigate risks and grasp opportunities. KPMG LLP is the Canadian member firm of KPMG International. KPMG International’s member firms have 155,000 employees working in 155 countries and territories around the world.

For more information, visit kpmg.com

Gillian Brouse, Bank of Canada, accepted the award on behalf of Alexis Corbett 54 www.australasian54 www.hrmonline.ca lawyer.com.au

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6/11/2018 7:10:55 AM

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

LEADERSHIP

5 keys to achieving lasting success HR leaders have a pivotal role to play in helping their organizations realize lasting success. Norma Kraay and Farah Huq of Deloitte Canada outline five ways HR can help keep things moving forward in an environment of constant change

CANADIAN COMPANIES aren’t acting fast enough to adapt to change. Despite infinite opportunity for success, complacency is holding Canadian organizations back. It’s a situation that demands new ways of thinking – and HR leaders can play a key role in moving their organizations forward.

These were the findings of a new Deloitte report, which sheds light on the fact that longevity and lasting success are not the same thing. Canada is home to many longlived companies, but not enough of them are truly thriving. Far too many simply exist.

These businesses are stuck in neutral; they are not growing, but they’re not exiting the market, either.

Unfortunately for Canada’s economy, these organizations draw talent and financial capital away from other, more productive firms and make it harder for Canada’s more dynamic businesses to gain the footing they need to grow.

More than half of Canadian companies don’t even realize there is a problem. While 55% of the Canadian companies Deloitte surveyed believe they are positioned for lasting

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success, the reality is that few truly are. Why? We believe that it’s because many organizations do not recognize that it’s not just business that is changing – what it takes to succeed in business is also changing. Businesses cannot simply rely on what made them so successful in the past. New approaches are needed.

Based on our understanding of how the business landscape is changing, together with our conversations with more than 50 promi-

stone in moments of crisis and be a critical filter for decision-making.

Take action: Help the C-suite communicate the firm’s values and purpose clearly and

Many organizations do not recognize that it’s not just business that is changing – what it takes to succeed in business is also changing nent Canadian business leaders, Deloitte has identified five key behaviours that we believe will be critical for companies to practice to achieve sustained success in years to come.

1

Drive purpose and impact

Leaders need to instill a sense of purpose throughout their organization. This purpose can serve as an important touch-

regularly, and ensure your HR strategies are deeply rooted in your organization’s larger purpose and employee value proposition.

Develop a plan that enables you to get the HR basics right while pushing the organization forward strategically.

2

Disrupt with resilience The most successful companies will be

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example, people remain the key differentiator.

Yet the hotel chain invests in technology (such as an omnichannel chat function that translates into 100-plus languages) that enables its people to connect with customers in innovative, high-tech and high-touch ways.

Take action: Make sure your HR teams are nimble enough to enable, mobilize and support new business models that encourage team members’ growth while also providing interesting and challenging opportunities.

Cultivate a work culture and environment that allows people to bring their authentic selves to work, feel motivated to take charge of situations and add value as they see fit.

And invest in technology to help your HR teams serve their clients better.

5

those that combine resilience and disruptive capacity to become agile, forward-looking businesses that see change as an opportunity to experiment, learn and grow.

Take action: Leverage your people’s diverse backgrounds, perspectives and ways of thinking to move beyond the status quo.

And be deliberate about it. Help establish a workplace culture that encourages innovation and experimentation. Embrace ideas from across the organization through hackathons or similar means. Align recognition and rewards to highlight disruption and innovation, and work with your broader HR team and executive leaders to develop their own capacity to spark and embrace disruption and change.

3

Pursue tough decisions Navigating a faster-paced, more competi-

tive environment will require businesses to find ways to combat the uncertainty that comes along with making tough decisions.

Take action: Ensure current and future leaders throughout the organization have the experiences, opportunities and learning required to lead through uncertainty and can make the fast, often difficult, decisions required in a dynamic business climate. That includes HR’s own leaders, too – show the company how it’s done.

4

Nurture your roots

Businesses need to develop roots that are strong and deep enough to sustain robust growth and withstand constant challenge.

Companies must not only nurture their connection to customers, but also mobilize their people and technology.

At Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, for

Assert global leadership

As global competition heats up, Canadian companies will need to get out on the global stage at the highest levels, or Canada will be left behind.

Take action: Look beyond Canada’s borders to find new thinking, approaches and best practices that you can bring to your own organization. Share your own ideas and best practices internationally to demonstrate Canadian leadership in this critical area. Help your organization capitalize on Canada’s highly diverse local talent pool to support global business ambitions and bring Canadian ways of doing business to the world.

Business is changing fast – make sure your organization is not left behind. Canadian companies need to embrace new attitudes and behaviours to remain relevant and achieve lasting success in a fast-changing world, because what worked yesterday – or even today – might no longer matter tomorrow. It’s abundantly clear that HR leaders will find themselves at the centre of these vital changes.

Norma Kraay is managing partner of talent at Deloitte Canada. Farah Huq is director of the Future of Canada Centre at Deloitte Canada.

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Introducing your AI executive coach The future of career development is here – and it’s a robotic human hybrid.

HRDC spoke to Stephanie Hodnett at the Rotman School of Management to learn more

THE WORLD of artificial intelligence is evolving at such a rapid pace that researchers are constantly discovering new ways to harness these abilities and use them to educate future leaders. The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto has pioneered a powerful new way to take advantage of AI in its leadership development programs.

“We’re in the business of executive education and delivering leadership insights to the wider world, all based on the research done at the Rotman School of Management,” says Stephanie Hodnett, executive director of the school’s executive education department.

“We’re always adding to our state-of-the-art programs to help seasoned professionals express themselves better as leaders.”

Rotman’s core mission is to help guide and support the development of future leaders within their firms. The school’s newest venture aims to help leaders with the trickiest of all topics: communication.

“There’s a gap between what you think you’re communicating and what people actually hear,” Hodnett explains. “Even with the best media training in the world, there’s still room for misconception during the delivery.”

That’s where Rotman’s new Executive Communications Lab comes in. The lab allows executives to take their communication skills to a whole new level. The powerful AI-based social intelligence used in the lab

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allows participants to analyze and assess every aspect of their personal communication style. This includes vocal intonations and rhythms, body movements that reveal feelings, the message coming across, and the emotional expressions with which the message is delivered and received.

“This allows participants to take a step back and analyze how they’re coming across to an audience,” Hodnett says. “How does their face look? What parts of their stance do

training is that it’s still filtered through individual biases, which can affect the accuracy and effectiveness of the feedback being provided. The idea of the Executive Communications Lab is that it is less reliant on subjective personal responses.”

Armed with precise data, participants can then target specific areas for improvement in their communication performance – imagine an AI executive coach that can offer a powerful boost to leaders.

“The problem with a lot of career-based training is that it’s still filtered through individual biases … The idea of the Executive Communications Lab is that it is less reliant on subjective personal responses” Stephanie Hodnett, Rotman School of Management they need to work on? Where during their speech did they begin to lose the concentration of their audience?”

Cameras are hooked up to proprietary technology in the lab that records every second of the participant’s speech. The AI uses these recordings to provide feedback data that is unfiltered by human bias.

“The problem with a lot of career-based

The mastermind behind the lab is Mihnea Moldoveanu, a vice dean at Rotman.

Moldoveanu holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from MIT, a doctorate in business administration and also happens to be an accomplished concert pianist. He is proud of the team he has assembled, who work together to help executives improve their communication skills.

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The intense nature of this course means that Rotman has rather strict entry requirements. The Executive Communications Lab requires all participants to have at least 10 years of experience in their field. Hodnett believes that while anyone can benefit from the tool, the executive classes work best when they comprise people with shared experience and backgrounds.

“Communication is something everyone always talks about wanting to improve,” she says. “However, until now, there hasn’t been a way to empirically measure how well people are performing. The key differentiator between this lab and other courses is that you’re being coached based on an algorithm that compares you with thousands of other

images in the database.”

Hodnett is keen to stress the importance of the human side of the lab. The AI tool offers unfiltered data, but the executives who take part also benefit from having that data interpreted by a human coach.

“You simply cannot have one without the other – it doesn’t work,” she says. “If you were just to receive a readout of how you performed, it would be interesting, but you need to know what to do with that information and how to improve. It gives people the confidence that the feedback they’re receiving is real and actionable.”

The Self-Development Lab at the Rotman School of Management, which uses the same technological tools, has been a wildly popular

part of the MBA program. Unfettered access to the AI career coaching lab is a huge draw for tech-savvy leaders. The future of career development is a unique blend of AI-enabled technological and human interaction, and Rotman’s Executive Communications Lab lets executives experience what that looks like today.

“The feedback has been very exciting so far,” Hodnett says. “Even some skeptics have been totally won over. You can see people’s eyes lighting up at that mix between an AI-enabled tool and the personalized feedback from a coach – it’s invaluable.”

For more information on the Rotman School of Management’s Executive Communications Lab, please visit rotmanexecutive.com

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

WORKPLACE INJURIES

Tackle workplace injuries HRDC caught up with researchers at the University of Waterloo to find out how Canadian organizations can save lost time by reducing injuries in the workplace

AS THE SAYING goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Kinesiology researchers at the University of Waterloo have taken this adage to heart. The growth of the knowledge industry has given rise to sedentary work environments, but by adopting a few simple, pragmatic measures necessary for a healthy, productive workplace, organizations can help prevent injuries.

“Many injuries related to poor ergonomics fall under the musculoskeletal disorders [MSDs] umbrella, which, in addition to causing pain and suffering to thousands of workers, costs Canadian employers hundreds of millions of dollars in absenteeism and lost productivity each year,” explains Steven Fischer, associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Waterloo. “In fact, MSDs are a leading cause of work-related lost-time claims reported to the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board [WSIB] in Ontario.”

Recognize hazards in your workplace MSDs can be caused or aggravated by various hazards or risk factors in the workplace. Some common workplace MSD hazards include

60

force, fixed or awkward posture, repetition, contact stress, vibration, temperature, work organization, and work method. The most common targets for ergonomic injuries are the back, shoulders, wrists, neck, knees and elbows.

“Implementing MSD prevention strategies can play a pivotal role in enabling organizations to reduce their number of reported MSDs and, in turn, make some significant dollar savings,” Fischer says. An organization that does not make efforts to actively mitigate MSDs faces an array of other risks and costs.

These can include damage to reputation, compromised quality of service/product and a negative impact on staff morale.

Preventing MSDs has myriad benefits for an organization in any sector and should be a central part of any health and safety program.

Proactive prevention begins with developing the skills to recognize, assess and control hazards in the workplace, just as an employer would with any other risk.

“Being vigilant and keeping an eye on employees for any warning signs is an effective way for employers to spot any potential issues,” Fischer says. Leaders should take note of employees who stop work periodically to rub

muscles, joints, or bones or flex fingers, wrists, or ankles. Employers should listen to employees who complain, show signs of ongoing fatigue or rearrange work spaces to create a more comfortable, supportive environment. Asking workers to fill out a discomfort survey is another effective way to gather information that can help to identify any areas that need attention.

Encourage a proactive approach to safety Employees should be encouraged to proactively safeguard their own musculoskeletal health.

That means reporting MSD hazards and concerns to their supervisors, taking scheduled breaks and relaxing muscles by moving around and periodically changing positions.

“In order to create a culture in which MSD prevention techniques have the best possible chance of succeeding, employers should encourage open and active communication on MSD prevention and the reporting of injury

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hazards,” Fischer says. “Ensuring that all employees take part in honest and open discussions gives the prevention program a real chance of making a difference. It also lets employees know that the senior leadership team really does care, which will improve morale and engagement.”

Look for ways to improve work stations “Ergonomics has a pivotal role to play in reducing musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace,” Fischer says. For office-based organizations, furniture is generally a good first place to look for improvements. Seating, keyboard supports, monitor arms and lighting are crucial and can significantly increase comfort and reduce injuries when designed and used with ergonomic principles in mind.

Ergonomics is becoming a central focus for office furniture manufacturers, so there is plenty of choice for any company that sees the value in updating their equipment.

Invest in an ergonomic audit Ensuring a healthy workplace is also a legal requirement. The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to ensure that workers are made aware of the hazards associated with their jobs and workplaces, implement controls to reduce the risk of injury, and take every reasonable precaution in the circumstances to protect a worker.

If an employer has attempted to optimize their environment but is not seeing a reduction in workplace injury, it’s probably time to sign up for an ergonomic assessment or audit. The audit will examine all aspects of an organization’s setup and the ergonomic design of its work stations. Introducing a new piece of furniture and educating employees about ergonomics might be the key to correcting ongoing ergonomic problems and preventing injuries.

Consider co-op students to manage day-to-day strategies

sorial level by Fischer and his team, co-op students enrolled in the University of Waterloo’s kinesiology program are also playing their part in reducing the impact and occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders.

One example is former Waterloo co-op student Mack Gingerich, who conducted ergonomic tests on a new production line for Canadian auto parts manufacturer Linamar.

His aim was to identify changes that would increase workers’ efficiency, comfort and safety.

Gingerich used the Linamar Ergonomic Screening Tool [LEST] to evaluate the company’s new production line. His testing involved assessing a few key factors of the job and then using LEST to determine an approximate level of ergonomic risk. When his co-op term was complete, Gingerich left the engineers a list of recommendations, which they used to improve the line and proactively ensure the safety of workers.

“It takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes for Mack to complete ergonomic screening on a job, compared to a full day or more to complete a Physical Demands Description in the event of an injured worker and send documentation to WSIB,” says Melissa Gould, Gingerich’s co-op supervisor.

Time to make a change Organizations that are serious about reducing workplace injuries and that take a proactive approach to injury prevention will reap the benefits in a number of ways. Making a concerted effort to assess and then improve workplace environments is a smart move that will lead to increased productivity, a drop in absenteeism and improved workplace morale. Each year, a higher proportion of the workforce is made up of people in sedentary work environments, and organizations that ignore the risks will be hit where it hurts most: the bottom line.

University of Waterloo co-op students are available for hire year-round. Our team is based across Canada and is ready to provide on-the-ground support for your hiring needs. To post a job or learn more about our hiring process, contact us at hire.talent@uwaterloo.ca.

Alongside the work being done on the profes-

www.hrmonline.ca

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PEOPLE

CAREER PATH

COMPANY BUILDER Daneal Charney is driven by a desire to design better, more diverse companies Growing up in South Africa under the shadow of apartheid had a lasting impact on Charney. Her family’s relocation to Toronto was driven in large part by her parents’ desire for their children to be raised in a diverse society “Diversity is our strength – that motto has always been important to me. Toronto has always felt like home; it feels very comfortable with its diversity”

1981

LEAVES SOUTH AFRICA

1997

JOINS INTEL On the final day of her master’s program, a friend asked Charney, “Have you ever heard of a company called Intel?” A connection to the head of HR for the APAC region followed, and Charney impressed with her HR knowledge and ability to speak Chinese. The company created a role for her in Shanghai and Beijing, where she was charged with building out a leadership development program for local managers

2011

HAS AN EPIPHANY A desire for security drove Charney to multinational insurer Aviva, but she soon realized it wasn’t the best fit

“I realized the way big companies work is not about failing fast; it’s about delivering. I’m a builder; I want to innovate; I am not afraid of disruption. I’m like a design architect – I have to have white space to work in” 2018

EARNS RECOGNITION Two years after joining Toronto’s MaRS Discovery District, which serves more than 400 high-growth companies, Charney and her team won the Canadian HR Award for Best Service Provider “I’m now working with hundreds of startups that can change the world. We‘ve created an extension of our team with a curated HR marketplace; it’s exciting to see the impact. It’s the best of all worlds –we’re a consultancy, but within a company that is the world’s biggest urban innovation hub”

1993

VOLUNTEERS IN CHINA Post-university, Charney spent a year teaching English in China, where the experience of being a very visibly different minority furthered her interest in diversity, ultimately leading her to undertake a master’s degree in cross-cultural international management with a minor in HR “China was very closed then; people would fall off their bike when they saw me.

It strengthened my interest in the idea of identity”

2005

GOES OUT ON HER OWN Indoctrinated with a love of startups, Charney opened a consultancy focused on the sector “I come from a long line of people who question the status quo and who would rather lead then be led. [Being a consultant] gave me the opportunity to learn how to pitch clients, close offers, manage financials – and it gave me the ability to work with the clients that I wanted to, smaller startups. I loved the fact that startups are on an adventure – it energized me”

2014

HEADS BACK TO TECH Returning to the tech world with a contract role at InteraXon reminded Charney how much she loved the sector and led to her next post at NexJ “It was a decision I made to head back to tech. I did my own research to refine the areas I was most interested in and the companies that most interested me – I did my own due diligence to find the companies I wanted to work with”

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PEOPLE

OTHER LIFE

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

While kids ca n start participating in parkru ns at age 4, “I’ve seen toddlers ju mp out of the pra m, ru n a nd then ju mp back in,” Freke says

200

Typical number of runners in Freke’s local parkrun

35–40

Average number of minutes Freke spends on the parkrun course

1,029

Number of parkrun events across Canada

RUN THE WORLD On Saturday mornings, HR manager Bronwin Freke can most likely be found at parkrun – as both a participant and a volunteer PARKRUN HOLDS a very special place in Bronwin Freke’s life. It was one of the HR manager’s first dates with her now husband, and it remains a standing date for the couple, followed by brunch. Their infant daughter has even taken part as a passenger when she was just six weeks old.

Held in parks around the globe every

64

Saturday, the weekly 5k run is open to all – and it was the egalitarian nature of parkrun that initially appealed to Freke.

“It caters to everybody,” she says.

“They’re average people out there giving it a go every week, and everyone is so encouraging. People cheer you on; the vibe is good.”

When a parkrun sprang up five minutes from Freke’s house, volunteering also became part of her weekend. She even acted as an event ambassador, supporting parkrun’s local event teams, while she was on maternity leave.

“The more I’ve enjoyed it, the more I’ve wanted to get involved,” she says.

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