Canadian HR Reporter

British Columbia looking to gain competitive edge Strategic workforce planning imperative to deal with province's changing economy: Report BY SARAH DOBSON BRITISH COLUMBIA is at a turning point when it comes to the labour market, as it shifts from a resource-based economy to a diversified, knowledge-based economy driven largely by small business. But the condition of the prov- ince's human capital stock is lack- ing, according to a report pub- lished by Canada's Public Policy Forum (CPPF) in partnership with the Human Resources Manage- ment Association (HRMA). "In light of global trends, strate- gic workforce planning in British Columbia has become imperative as the province seeks to benefit from increasing economic diver- sification, emerging development prospects and growing trade with new markets," said the white paper Ahead of the Talent Curve: Ensur- ing B.C. 's Competitive Edge, based on roundtable discussions with leaders and HR practitioners. "While the economic outlook appears promising, the province needs to address labour shortages, skills gaps and the underutiliza- tion of talent to fully prepare for and take advantage of new growth opportunities." Strong economy B.C. essentially has eight distinct regions, with some represented as agricultural centres while oth- ers are booming as a result of oil and gas exploration, according to Anthony Ariganello, president and CEO of HRMA in Vancouver. "B.C.'s economy is constantly evolving — the province is de- veloping its liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector and is attracting in- ternational investment to several major projects. Strengthening ties with countries in Asia are making B.C. an important North Ameri- can hub for transportation and trade," he said, adding other areas of strength include clean technol- ogies, biotechnology, life sciences, aerospace, real estate and com- mercial developments along with technology and digital media. Clearly, B.C. is doing relatively well, said Bryan Yu, senior econo- mist at Central 1 Credit Union in Vancouver. "When we look at all the indica- tors, everything from the consum- er spending is high, retail sales are very strong, leading the country right now. "We've also seen that uplift in tourism, a little bit more of exports as well, and I think it's gearing off of that low Canadian dollar that we're seeing, as well as the U.S. economy picking up." B.C. is doing surprisingly well, according to Jock Finlayson, ex- ecutive vice-president and chief policy officer at the Business Council of British Columbia in Vancouver. "We're looking for economic PM40065782 RO9496 November 2, 2015 INSIDE HEAD TO HEAD Ensuring efficient, effective knowledge transfer between employees That winning look Plastic surgery is both popular and a possible career booster page 2 Diabetes dilemma Roundtable looks at costs, legal requirements page 8 HR leaders We talk to 5 about the challenges of M&As page 11 page 15 The CANADIAN OUTPLACEMENT COMPANY Since 1981 Prime minister-designate Justin Trudeau launches his election campaign during an event in Vancouver on Aug. 2. The province is at a turning point when it comes to the labour market, says a report. Credit: Ben Nelms (Reuters) Deloitte UK tries 'contextualized' recruitment System meant to combat discrimination, boost diversity BY SARAH DOBSON ISSUES around bias have always been a challenge when it comes to recruitment. Whether it's about people's "foreign-sounding " names, gender concerns or a per- son's appearance, prejudice inevi- tably creeps in. ere can even be preconcep- tions around a person's school- ing, which is why Deloitte UK has decided to try "contextualized" recruitment. is involves recruit- ers being given a range of data on candidates' economic background and personal circumstances so they can make more informed choices by considering the context in which academic achievements are achieved. e move is part of a "Social ANONYMITY > pg. 10 Working alone preferred by many employees: Survey Are collaboration, teamwork always the best approaches? BY LIZ BERNIER THERE are all kinds of woes that come up when employees work to- gether in tight quarters, under tight deadlines. At the same time, HR es- pouses the value of teamwork and collaboration. But what if employees don't want to play nice? A majority of employees — 80 per cent — would prefer to work alone because of unhelpful, nega- tive or hostile work environments, according to a North American survey of 2,000 people. Yet, personality issues or hostil- ity in the work environment often flies under the radar, according to Neale Harrison, CEO of Talent Matters in Toronto. "Where you've got organiza- tions pulling together various human capital with different ca- pabilities, sometimes there's not enough attention paid to: What are the personality types, the per- sonal dynamics that one needs to be cognizant of as you build teams? Because that does come into play," he said. "Some leaders may not be as sensitive to the human dynamic. We are all emotional beings and we look at life different ways and we bring our experiences and our baggage sometimes into these ex- periences. And effective leaders and effective organizations pay attention to this and take some proactive steps." Collaboration and teamwork are critical because organizations do their best work when people collaborate and work as a team, said Janet Salopek, partner and senior consultant at Salopek & Associates in Calgary. RESPECTFUL > pg. 7 SMALLER > pg. 6

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