Canadian HR Reporter

20 www.hrreporter.com F E A T U R E S We're way beyond formal training — we need to rethink the way we skill people." Regardless of the challenges faced by the HR profession, Poirier is optimistic due to a continued interest from universities and young people that is contributing to increased membership. "The impact HR has on an organization is becoming more recognized," she says. "The credibility of the profession is more recognized, so it attracts interest from the younger generation, which is good news for our profession." The COVID-19 pandemic significantly changed 2020's complexion for Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (CPHR) Nova Scotia, but the association's focus on members and hard work by its staff allowed it to follow through with a good chunk of its plan for the year, says Layla Khalil, chair of the board of directors for CPHR Nova Scotia. The 852-member association quickly provided online resources for members related to the pandemic, including articles, best practices and webinars featuring experts. It also upped its social media game on platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook, increasing engagement with members as they sought more online learning opportunities and virtual connections while they worked from home. CPHR NS was also able to move forward with two initiatives that came about through collaborations with the other HR associations in Atlantic Canada — a new magazine called PROMPTU and an online career centre for HR professionals in the region, she says. Launched in July, the magazine was mailed to members of the HR associations in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador and is posted online twice per year — it focuses on a different topic in each issue and engages HR professionals to contribute. The magazine is a "great opportunity to enhance value proposition for members in Atlantic Canada," says Khalil. The career centre has become very popular and offers HR professionals services such as resumé building tools, career coaching and interview preparation while allowing them to post anonymous resumés. "Providing our members with opportunities for professional development and career growth are core to our mission to serve the HR profession," she says. The focus on virtual services and remote work is likely to continue in the future, both as the pandemic continues and afterwards, and CPHR NS plans to support its membership in positioning HR as a key cog in the digital transformation of organizations, says Khalil. "A s the foc us on digital and practical applications of artificial intelligence continues to grow, HR will continue to play a key role in supporting organizations in their digital transformation," she says. "The advancement of technology will change the way some work is done and will impact employees in various industries." The winds of change are coming to Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (CPHR) New Brunswick. President Jodi McMackin's term finishes in February and finding a replacement is a big challenge in the short term, says CEO Luc Page, adding that the association is also hunting for a new treasurer. "These are two important positions we need to fill," says Page. The CPHR Canada board has appointed a new representative, Lori Orchard, who will fill in at the national level until a new president is found. The association held its first-ever virtual all general meeting (AGM) in November and is looking to do an online strategic planning session with its nearly 900 members to ensure the association's committees are aligned with its mission. CPHRNB connected with its members mostly online rather than in person as the pandemic hit. While the association was able to shift from face-to-face professional development by individual chapters to online webinars — mostly run with partners and offered free to members — the big project was the CPHRNB biannual conference. Originally scheduled for May 2020 as an in-person event, the association initially postponed it to December with the hope that they could still run it as is. After the extent of the pandemic became evident, the association decided to go fully virtual and the conference is now scheduled for February 2021. Another move that helped the association weather the crisis in 2020 was amalgamating the finances of the various chapters into one operational account and streamlining the operational budget for professional development and administration. "It was a good move for us because we decided to unite our forces and strengths to offer webinars throughout the province to our members, trying to find a common format," says Page. "Financial restructuring within the organization means less administrative work and more efficiency to do an operational budget, like a lot of provinces in our region and throughout Canada as well." CPHRNB is also looking at stepping away from conventional professional development practices and changing the format so that members can acquire experience and a certificate in an HR area that applies to their workplace, while claiming professional development hours toward maintaining their designation. All of this depends on hard work within the association, says Page. "We have a good team behind us and some good volunteers for committees," he says. "That's why we're fortunate here in New Brunswick to work with such great people who are so passionate and dedicated to their association." In 2020, Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (CPHR) Prince Edward Island remained focused on its objectives to support members with learning opportunities and to promote the HR profession in the province. Despite challenges presented by the global pandemic, the association and its leadership were able to adjust quickly to COVID-19 protocols and use virtual means to stay connected with its membership — which grew slightly to 84 active members, says Kelly Drummond, chair of the board for CPHR PEI. A key initiative toward both learning and promotion of the HR profession was the establishment of the first CPHR- accredited program designated in P.E.I. at Holland College, the provincial community college in Charlottetown. "We are so pleased to have this partnership and are excited for island businesses to have access to a greater pool of qualified HR professionals," says Drummond. The association remains focused on developing more initiatives that help members further their credentials with a variety of options that suit members' needs, whatever the landscape looks like in the near future, she says. "We need to continue identifying creative ways to provide professional development and networking opportunities for membership," says Drummond. "Virtual options are great, but they don't meet the "It's amazing to see how willing HR professionals are to share their expertise and their experience and their resources." Louise Taylor Green, HRPA COLLABORATIVE VENTURES A HIGHLIGHT FOR NOVA SCOTIA CHANGE OF LEADERSHIP IN NEW BRUNSWICK FIRST ACCREDITED CPHR PROGRAM IN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

• Cover