Canadian HR Reporter

2021 30 www.hrawards.ca people," she explained. "A strategically linked communication plan helps everyone understand the direction, values and priorities of the company and demonstrates a higher level of care and commitment by including people in the conversation. Done consistently well, these communications can build the clarity, trust and engagement necessary for achieving the company vison and goals." Safeguarding mental wellbeing According to Willis Towers Watson, 68% of leaders claim that their employees' levels of anxiety have skyrocketed throughout the pandemic. Canadians in particular reported higher levels of depression and feelings of isolation through the seemingly endless lockdowns. The advent of hybrid work will go some way in helping to bridge this mental health gap — but make no mistake, once the pandemic ends, HR leaders will still have a lot of work to do to improve employee psychological health. Nancy Brickwood, SVP of HR at BGRS — one of our Excel- lence Award winners for The Venngo Award of Excellence for Financial, Physical & Mental Wellness — added that for them, mental wellbeing and financial health has taken centre stage since the pandemic, and will continue to do so in the years to come. "This past year has accentuated the importance and prioritization of wellness in workplaces," she told HRD. "As HR professionals, we must continue to drive this as a strategic priority in our businesses for the health of Canadian workers." By reaffirming your commitment to individual's mental, physical and financial health, you're really investing in the future health of your organization as a whole. After all, a company is only as good as their people – so looking after yours, even when the pandemic subsides, should be a key component of your business strategy. A culture of caring and trust One of the more unforeseen reactionary effects of the pandemic was its impact on company culture — specifically in remote work. Companies that once enjoyed regular one-on-one catch ups and watercooler moments as core components of their culture were suddenly left stranded. HR leaders had to work overtime in moving their organizational values online — using technology to help aid the tricky process. One of the ways this was made possible was through cultivating a culture of trust and care between employer and employee. A recent report from The Workforce Institute at UKG found that 64% of employees say that trust has a direct impact on their sense of belonging at work — something which filters through to employee engagement and morale. Speaking to HRD, Dr. Jarik Conrad, senior director, human insights & HCM evangelism at UKG — sponsor of The UKG Award for Best Workplace Culture — revealed that, in his opinion, employee engagement in a WFH set-up was one of the more pressing challenges of COVID. "Workplace culture and employee engagement are probably the most important challenges that organizations are confronting, particularly as we try to work our way out of this pandemic," he explained. "There is a reciprocal relationship between having a positive workplace culture and high levels of employee engage- ment — they feed off each other. Culture is heavily influenced from the top through vision, mission and core values that articulate what the company cares about and its expected behaviors. Culture is reinforced through policies, procedures and practices that dictate what gets done and how those things get done. All of this has a significant influence on the degree of employee engagement, which, in turn, strengthens the culture." Looking to 2022 and beyond If we can take one golden nugget away from the chaos of 2021, it's that the key to organizational success lies in your people. While HR has always touted that people are their purpose, it's really been tested over the past few months. What's clear is that companies that already invested authentically in their people pre- pandemic were able to better navigate the issues around COVID. A uniting thread throughout this year's Canadian HR Awards was our winners' dedication to their teams. Each and every 2021 winner went the extra mile throughout the pandemic to not only ensure that their people were safe, but that they had everything they needed to thrive through the disruption. Read on to find out more about the winners and excellence awardees of the 2021 Canadian HR Awards. Key Media, HRD Canada and Canadian HR Reporter, along with our esteemed award sponsors, would like to congratulate all of this year's winners and nominees, who truly exemplify excellence in the Canadian HR profession. Panel recordings from the September 15 virtual event are available on-demand at www.hcamag.com/ca/resources.

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