Canadian HR Strategy

04/CANADIAN HR STRATEGY EDITOR'S NOTE Todd Humber HR'S BEST KEPT SECRET: IT EXISTS TO MAKE YOU MONEY. A LOT OF MONEY W elcome to Canadian HR Strategy. This is the premiere issue of Canadian HR Reporter's revamped magazine de- signed to educate senior leaders like you about critical issues affecting hu- man capital management. Previously known as Executive Series Digest, we've improved this publication by adding more original and focused content from our team of journalists. They have more experience covering the workplace than any other publication in the country. This makeover is far more than a simple facelift or name change. This magazine recognizes the grow- ing importance of getting human resources strategy right, and the enormous challenges created for orga- nizations that get it wrong. You won't find a business leader who doesn't agree that people are an organization's most important as- set. But when times get tough, that message is too often forgotten — as a result, HR programs are often the first to disappear in a classic case of short-term gain for long-term pain. The mandate of this publication is to shed light on solid HR practices the C-suite may not be aware of, to end the view that HR is nothing more than an expensive cost centre to be trimmed when the waters get slightly choppy. But we also need to be blunt — not every HR department is up to the task, or has the experience, to add value. Good CHROs are not only experts in what makes people tick and solid HR practices, they also know the business in- side out and can go toe-to-toe with any other execu- tive at the table. Human resources is not there to cause your com- pany headaches, to be the dispensers of red tape or the fun police. If you have the right HR leadership in place, if your firm stands by the CHRO, human resources will make your company money. A lot of money. And when they're not making you money, they're probably saving you cash too. A lot of cash. Just look at employment law. The pages of Ca- nadian HR Reporter are filled with stories of or- ganizations being fined or charged for violating employment standards or other workplace legisla- tion — or being hit with high-profile human rights damage awards that hurt not just the corporate pocketbook, but also tarnish the brand. There's also sexual harassment, bullying and wrongful dis- missal cases galore. Firms with good HR don't usu- ally hit those roadbumps. Or look at recruitment, one of HR's foundational roles — and the bane of many hiring managers. Too many front-line managers fall into the trap of spend- ing one per cent of their time recruiting and 99 per cent of their time managing the poor employees they got as a result. That leads to high turnover, low engagement and productivity issues, which is just about the worst recipe for an organization's bottom line, not to mention its stock price. And yes, you're going to hear about engage- ment — even if you're sick of it. That's because, if anything, the message about its importance is understated. Engagement levels are tied inextri- cably to profits. If you care about the long-term success of your organization, you have to care about engagement. Simply put, Canadian HR Strategy magazine is about people and the critical role they play in your business. We hope you like it. And special kudos to art director Brianna Freitag on the amazing redesign, and thanks to Dave Es- cuadro and Bill Hunter for their work in making this magazine look as good as it does. We have a very talented production team at Carswell Media. @hrreporter Join the Canadian HR Reporter group

• Cover