Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER September 18, 2017 INSIGHT 19 Brian Kreissl TOUgHeSt HR QUeStiON 'If you love your work, you will be successful' A 70-year employee, Bob Bellamy has never taken a sick day or arrived late Loyal, curious and dedicated. ese are three attributes that describe Robert (Bob) Bellamy, a passionate construction manager based out of Guelph, Ont. Bob started his career at construction fi rm Armel when he was 16 years old. is fall, he is turning 86 and has just cel- ebrated his 70th work anniversary with the company — a milestone few have accomplished. Beginning his career After becoming close friends with Mel Wolfond in high school, Bob took a part-time position work- ing construction at Mel's father's company, Wolfond Construction. Bob was responsible for scrapyard tasks, while helping to build com- mercial and residential properties across Guelph and elsewhere. "I was in high school and need- ed a job, so I had to start some- where," says Bellamy. "All of my family worked in the construction fi eld and it was always my desire to do the same." Wolfond Construction transi- tioned to Armel in 1978. Today, Armel has grown into a leading residential and commercial prop- erty developer that has developed more than 20,000 residential units and 1.5 million square feet of shopping centres and commercial space. Armel has contributed sig- nifi cantly to the growth of Guelph, and Bob has led or participated in many residential and commercial development projects over the years. "Armel made it easy to stick around for as long as I have. From the start, the company valued itself as a family-run business that was in it for the long haul — a vision that I respected and have stood by for all of these years," he says. Mel's son Greg Wolfond re- members Bob fondly for helping him grow within the company. "He has been quite a presence in our family's lives and is a big part of the company's history," says Greg. Managing properties roughout his years at Armel, Bob transitioned from day-to-day construction — where he would often travel in and out of town as a superintendent on construction sites — to property management. Today, he is focused on managing properties in Guelph. "Bob's attitude and work ethic is remarkable," says Mel. "He is truly fi rst class. From the time he started with the company until now, if someone suggested a task that needed to be completed, Bob would get it done with a smile on his face. His work is critical to helping projects move forward at Armel — there is nothing in the construction industry that Bob can't do." In his current property man- agement role, Bob handles a wide range of tasks, including hiring contractors, installing pipes in subdivisions, cutting large parcels of grass and assisting tenants with their day-to-day needs. Bob is now managing many of the plazas he helped build throughout his career, including the West Hills Shopping Centre. "We don't get much time in life to do the things we want to, so we need to take advantage of the time we do have," says Bob. "In addition to the properties I manage, I have built many properties on my own time. It is testament to my love for the construction industry and the great opportunities I have been provided with throughout my career." Looking ahead Despite the 70 years, retirement isn't on Bob's mind. He is certain he won't retire until he gets old and, right now, he says he is "still a young boy." Recently, Bob made a visit to the doctor — at his children's wishes — and found out he was perfectly healthy. The doctor's parting message — "Keep doing what you're doing" — speaks volumes to Bob's life mission; in his 70 years at the company, he has never taken a sick day, never shown up late and is always work- ing hard. "When I was young, my mother told me 'A rolling stone does not get moss,' which is the reason I am still holding on today," says Bob. "I have always looked at the business as if it were my own company. I wake up each day knowing I have to be there in order for everything to get done." " e secret to success is hon- esty," he says. "I encourage every- one to be honest in everything they do." "Put your mind to it and do what your mind tells you to do. If you love your work and foster a relationship of mutual respect with your employer, you will be successful in everything you do." Mandy Scully is president of Armel in Guelph, Ont. For more information, visit www.armelcorporation.com. Mandy Scully GUeSt COMMeNtary Recruiting 'boomerang' employees Tips and strategies for bringing former employees back into the workplace Question: We have heard that former or so-called "boomerang" employees often make great job candidates. What types of policies and programs can we put into place to attract former employees and ultimately rehire them? Answer: Very few employers these days think of departing or former employees as "traitors." People leave organizations for all kinds of reasons, and many em- ployers now welcome back for- mer employees with open arms. This is particularly important where there are skills shortages or where specifi c industry, tech- nical or organizational knowledge is advantageous. Whether they leave to further their careers and pursue promo- tional or development opportuni- ties not available with their former employers, or due to family or spousal relocation, better com- pensation or simply a change of scenery, former employees often make great candidates. Because they are known com- modities and are familiar with the organization's structure, jobs, tools, policies, norms, culture, vi- sion, mission and values, they can often be recruited, onboarded, trained and socialized into the or- ganization much faster than other new hires. It is also generally easier to ob- tain honest and candid references and determine suitability and organizational fi t — particularly with individuals who left the or- ganization relatively recently and on good terms. Former managers are likely to be honest and provide a more complete picture of a can- didate when contacted by another manager within the organization. Potential challenges, solutions Having said that, there can be problems with hiring former em- ployees. For one thing, employ- ers are unlikely to want to rehire mediocre or poor performers into the organization. This can create an awkward situation — particularly where the person's performance wasn't bad enough to justify termination and the individual is listed as recom- mended for rehire in the organi- zation's HR management system (HRMS). Secondly, boomerang employ- ees could have changed and out- grown the organization, or may not realize how much the organi- zation has changed, and try to op- erate under the assumption things are just the way they were when they left when it comes to culture, tools, processes, rules, norms and people. Another potential issue is man- agers and former co-workers may assume the boomerang employee hasn't changed, developed or grown by treating her as if she is incapable of doing more. ere is often a tendency to think of people as they once were, forgetting that someone could have learned and acquired new skills and abilities. Best practices But assuming the organization is aware of these potential challeng- es and has taken steps to mitigate the risks, there are a number of ways an employer can facilitate the recruitment and hiring of for- mer employees. First of all, employers need to treat departing employees with dignity and respect, regardless of whether or not they are leaving on their own accord. Secondly, recruitment policies and practices should be examined to ensure they are more friendly towards rehires. For example, the organization may wish to take previous senior- ity into consideration and tweak policies to ensure the recruitment of previous employees is specifi - cally dealt with. It may also be a good idea to create recruitment advertising designed to appeal to former employees and seek to change at- titudes among hiring managers regarding departing or former employees — particularly if the organization has had a history of treating employees who left the company as pariahs. One of the best ways to help recruit former employees is to establish a formal alumni net- work among people who left the company. is can be done through alum- ni pages on social media, putting together mailing lists for former employees so they can maintain their contact information, hav- ing gatherings and social events for former employees, creating a newsletter for company alumni to provide them with news about the organization and notifying former employees of changes in the organization as well as special projects, philanthropic endeav- ours, new appointments or job vacancies. e overall message promoted by such a network could be some- thing like: "You may have left the company, but you will always be part of the XYZ family." at way, they never feel like they truly left the organization. And even if they aren't inter- ested in a specifi c vacancy, they may actually know someone who would be an excellent fi t (compa- ny referrals are also great sources of candidates, and there is no rea- son why former employees can- not also refer candidates). Even if they don't end up return- ing to the organization, employee alumni can be valuable sources of information, tips, suggestions and best practices. For this rea- son, two-way communication is absolutely essential. As a bonus, employee alumni may eventually become purchas- ers of the fi rm's services, and will often promote and advocate on behalf of the organization. Brian Kreissl is the product develop- ment manager for omson Reuters Legal Canada's human resources, OH&S, payroll and records retention products and solutions. He can be reached at brian.kreissl@tr.com. Try to change the attitudes among hiring managers regarding former employees, particularly if they've been treated as pariahs in the past. Bob Bellamy celebrates with Armel founders Mel and Art Wolfond (right). Credit: Armel

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