Canadian HR Reporter

Get interactive with HR technology and learn from those who are leading the industry! Back by popular demand, this hands-on, highly interactive event gets you up close with some of the most revolutionary tech companies who are changing how HR is practiced today, and tomorrow. This event SOLD OUT in 2018, so register today to future-proof both yourself and your employer. CPHRBC.CA/TechSymposium Register today! HR TECHNOLOGY Symposium + Showcase OC T OBER 2 1, 20 19 WE AS KE D, YO U AN SWE R E D. . . "How do you create momentum for your real-time HR efforts?" Tanaya Marsel, cphr candidate HR Manager, AVP Finance & Operations UBC, Okanagan Campus Kelowna, BC In our field of work there is a constant desire to see growth within our people and our businesses, both of which correlate with one another. Even though we experience small successes, such as implementing a new policy at work, or an efficacious training day for employees, our most difficult challenge can be to maintain that and we often experience complacency over time from employees. The question then becomes: when things are going well, what do we do as HR professionals to ensure they stay that way and keep that momentum alive going forward? In a growing, competitive world where companies struggle more and more to retain good people, it is no longer all about concentrating on what the employee can offer the business, but the other way around. Revamping customary recruitment strategies, encouraging career development opportunities, creating creative and engaging ongoing training, regular performance feedback and fun company perks: all can ensure that creating and maintaining momentum is made a priority throughout the employment relationship. Kayla Kapelari, cphr HR Coordinator, Copper Mountain Mine Princeton, BC As HR professionals we are very aware that right now it is a candidates' market when it comes to the talent search. Gone are the days of a large pool of talent that meets every criteria on the checklist; employers are now in a very different role and having to sell the opportunity to the candidate. In order to fill the roles with the best candidates, employers need to increa- singly think outside the box and change their mindset—and often it is HR profes- sionals who lead this shift. By focusing on areas such as the ability to learn, attitude and reliability, we can develop our talent with candidates who can easily take on the challenges of learning a new role and bringing the values that we want to foster in our organizations—including looking within. An example of this is offering appren- ticeships to grow talent rather than competing in the search for the talent already in demand. Yetunde Adeniyi, cphr HR Advisor, Reporting & Analytics WorkSafe BC Vancouver, BC A career in HR can seem like a mara- thon. Juggling different things and constantly ensuring one doesn't drop off — while at the same time providing the best support to employees — can seem overwhelming. However, the quest for personal excellence and the opportunity to make a difference in an organization and challenge myself are why I embrace a few strategies for creating momentum. I stay motivated by looking for an opportunity to make a difference either in my ability to resolve problems for employees and make them happy or being able to come up with an idea that would impact employee engagement. For instance, the commitment to improving myself enables me to view problems as treasures. I approach the challenges I face in my role as a learning opportunity to provide me a pathway to future improvement. I approach the challenges I encounter daily with a can-do attitude—and my mistakes as an opportunity for growth. Taylor Acton, cphr Recruitment Advisor, Fairmont Empress Victoria, BC Working in recruitment, and in HR in general, can be repetitive, task-oriented and tedious at times. You can start to feel bogged down by the day-to-day functions and lose motiva- tion if you don't stay focused on the strategic impact of your work. For me, creating and sustaining momentum in my real-time HR efforts requires a goal-oriented mindset. I've made the effort to get clear on organizational and departmental goals, set aligned personal goals for myself and created to-do lists to ensure my daily activities are supporting these goals. Personally, I feel motivated when I'm making progress towards my objectives and growing as an HR professional, so I prioritize making time for professional development activities, performing strategic reviews of my work and celebrating the small wins that contribute to overall strategy. Maintaining a positive mindset and focusing on big picture strategy has really helped me spark momentum and keep it going. Continued from previous page 5. When implementing programs, consider any groups that might be excluded or adversely affected. For example, in an open concept office designed to encourage collaboration, recognize that introverts may need quiet spaces in order to do deep thinking — and build this into the plan. Prior to a meeting, distribute the agenda in advance, in recognition that some employees need time to gather their thoughts. Proactively invite more quiet participants to share their thoughts. If you lead teams in different time zones, consider alter- nating schedules so that one team doesn't always get the "undesirable" time for a conference call. 6. Demonstrate respect for employees both inside and outside of work, through practices that support work-life balance, such as flexible work hours or remote working. ASSESS YOUR PROGRESS Surveys can be valuable in assessing employees' feelings of inclusion. For example, do employees feel they can be themselves at work, or do they need to suppress or hide part of themselves? Do employees feel their opinions are valued? Do they feel their colleagues "have their back"? Diversity and inclusion have never been more important to an organization's success. High levels of both can lead to engaged employees who bring their whole selves to work to give an organization a competitive advantage and strong results — a true win for all. Marni Johnson, CPHR is the Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Corporate Affairs at BlueShore Financial.

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