Canadian HR Reporter

32 www.hrreporter.com S P O N S O R E D electricity sector in Canada is changing. Older workers are retiring. New technologies are constantly evolving — and bringing with them new skill and competency requirements. It's a demographic shift that looks set to transform the whole industry. T he impac t of the COVID -19 pandemic is also not one that can be understated. Following big shifts in the way we work, finding the right talent to accommodate this new world is essen- tial. Issues such as safety knowledge and experience, diversity and inclusion, and remote work are going to require more important skillsets for future genera- tions of employees. Employers that spend the time now to analyze and define critical roles and their related competencies will be in a better position to drive business when the need for those roles is fully realized. If we're to make sure that critical posi- tions are not left vacant tomorrow, the whole industry needs to take action today. We need to set out steps to iden- tify and develop key talent in ways that will pay off significantly down the road. Succession planning lacking This would seem to be easier said than done. The topic of such succession planning should be discussed more broadly and in more contexts than it is currently. In a 2017 labour market intelligence study from Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC), it was revealed that while 69 per cent of Canadian electricity employers had succession plans in place for management, less than half had succession plans for other occupational groups including engineers and With significant demographic changes ahead for the electricity sector, employers need to ensure the right talent with the right skills is in place — before it's too late. That means effective succession planning should start today, says Electricity Human Resources Canada WHY SUCCESSION PLANNING MATTERS MORE THAN EVER Senior-level managers often find it difficult to hand over years of hard- earned knowledge and "get out of the way" of the process. If they feel they are losing the recognition and respect they have earned for their many contributions, they may resist or resent succession planning and development initiatives — and this will really put the brakes on bringing incumbents on board. According to Nicole Patey, Director, Talent Strategies & HR Business Partnering, at ENMAX, "Other barriers to a good succession plan could include a lack of interest in or awareness of existing successor information, a lack of processes or tools, or an overemphasis on short- term issues, meaning the organization lacks the data or insights to develop an effective longer-term talent plan." engineering technologists (48 per cent), trades (43 per cent), information and communications technologists (32 per cent), and renewable occupations (26 per cent). This could be particularly damaging for the electricity sector, where industry trends such as automation, digitization, artificial intelligence and remote process control will soon bring about new jobs that were not even conceivable just a few years ago — thereby changing the skills and competencies that are needed. T h e s e e v o l v i n g c o m p e t e n c y requirements will affect not only frontline technical specialist positions, but middle and senior management positions that will also feel the brunt of the impact. Digitization management and automation strategies, for instance, are already becoming critical process management skills that are required by companies in the energy utilities and resources industries. What's more, these are skillsets already in high demand and low supply in other areas of the economy, which will mean increased competition for talent. Just as innovative new technologies will transform how the sector generates, distributes and manages the use of electricity, demand for workers across and within occupational groups will also change. Barriers to succession planning This state of urgency begs the question: Why exactly isn't succession planning at the forefront of every HR profession- al's mind? There are a number of reasons. Most competency gaps become visible only when an employer encounters unexpected problems — and the returns that come with facilitating and implementing a deliberate approach to succession planning are usually not visible in the short term. It's all too easy for a sense of complacency to take root. People retiring or leaving a company achieve a level of "unconscious competency" and do not realize that they need to share information with less experienced employees. Those with relatively stable, formalized operational processes may find it difficult to capture and transfer the tacit or implicit knowledge that has taken them years to acquire. It all boils down to human dynamics. Employers that spend the time now to analyze and define critical roles and their related competencies will be in a better position to drive business when the need for those roles is fully realized. THE

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