3 Canadian HR leaders talk about their priorities for the new year
With 2024, the pandemic is firmly in the rearview mirror. And yet the repercussions continue, in areas such as workplace flexibility, employee experience and mental health.
Of course, newer tools such as generative AI are also challenging HR in causing disruption at work, both good and bad.
To find out more, Canadian HR Reporter reached out to three Canadian HR leaders to hear their thoughts about the year ahead and what’s on the agenda for human resources, along with their individual employers.
Post-pandemic repercussions
The new year “signals a return to true normalcy since pre-pandemic times,” says Kirk Merrett, director of HR and administration at Hyundai Canada, citing improved inventory levels and supply chain issues.
“That said, we’re on a path to not just retain talent but also attract talent to Hyundai with our company culture,” he says, adding that job candidates are “researching employers like never before.”
Throughout the pandemic, people were constantly reevaluating what was important and reorganizing priorities, says Peter Pontone, vice president of human resources at Ricoh Canada. It was all about agility, especially in 2023 with the war for talent along with the great resignation and then downsizing, he says.
“Looking forward, I think we have to learn to be agile, adaptable, and really partner with the business and really stay close to the business as we're evolving, because I don't remember this level of change in my career... it is an aggressive level of changes, to say the least.”
As HR leaders, it’s about envisioning where you want to go, and being adaptable, says Pontone.
“I think it's very critical to earn that seat at the table early on, and partner with the business to really drive the strategy, so we're not always behind, catching up. We're there and we're able to put things in place early on.”
New norms, new values in new year
People had to navigate the pandemic both individually and collectively, says Anika Holder, vice president of human resources at Penguin Random House Canada, “and many of us still haven’t recovered – that’s something that we need to acknowledge,” she says.
So, for 2024, it’s about establishing and creating new norms as part of a “reset” in the workplace.
“[It's about] coming back together, and what are the cultural norms and the ways of working and how we make a connection?” says Holder.
“[It’s] an opportunity to go back to those values that have been talked about and established previously, and really looking at an opportunity to reset: What does that look like now? What do people need that supports their ways of working, that support building enhanced connections in the way that we work today, and into the future?”
That might mean a change in values, she says, “because values actually set a pathway for how people behave, what we can expect from each other. So it's a really important time to do that.”
‘Vigilant’ about company culture
While proud of the Hyundai culture, Merrett says there are several factors that could alter the culture at any given time so they “need to be vigilant” in protecting the atmosphere and practices — and reinforcing them at every opportunity.
“As we know, organizational culture stems from the top,” he says, citing the company’s executive team in supporting the HR vision of providing employees with an exemplary experience.
As an example, Hyundai launched a few career development activities in 2023 that include more structured career development plans for all levels and a new mentorship program, says Merrett.
“We will continue to execute these initiatives to enhance employee engagement overall. Across industries, career development is the number one reason people are leaving organizations.”
Employee experience in hybrid environment
As part of a spotlight on employee experience, Pontone says the flexibility of the hybrid model is important.
“It's not the same for everybody. And we're trying to find that right mix of what that means for everybody on how to move forward.”
But Pontone says he’s not a proponent of a one-size-fits-all model.
“There's diverse needs within different groups, and some groups need to be in the office more and others don't… to me, what feels right and healthy is that two to three days a week in the office.”
As a culture, society has taken a step back in not seeing people face to face during the pandemic, he says.
“I'm looking forward to being able to really combine the benefits of regular remote work — that flexibility that you give people I think as a new currency in today's role — but also to build on the collaboration opportunities of in-person work. So really just finding that balance.”
Mental health and wellbeing
Also a big focus in 2024? Wellbeing. That’s an area that’s always been a big priority at Ricoh Canada, says Pontone, and it should include mental, physical and especially financial wellness.
“It’s really [about a] multi-pronged approach to attacking the mental health side of things, which has got to be at the top of everybody's radar.”
Among employees, there's a real desire for retirement planning and saving strategies — anything that can help in today's economic conditions, he says.
“To me, the secret sauce is communicate; we communicate and educate so we continually tell people these resources are available.”
Ricoh Canada has also increased coverage for mental health services and boosted the number of practitioners, says Pontone.
Belonging and inclusion with DEI
Another important area for HR in 2024? “Doubling down” on energy and efforts around belonging and inclusion, and creating psychological safety, says Holder.
“You may have increased representation but are you really working on ensuring that the work experience of all of your colleagues, however they identify, is one that is equitable, or one that’s actually focused on ensuring that people have a sense of belonging?”
That experience and work should be informed by the people that you're trying to ensure have a sense of belonging — not just literature, she says.
“There's a lot of literature out there that's helpful, but a lot of it is not focused on Canadian research and people in the workplace.”
Hyundai Canada is making real progress in its DEI journey, says Merrett, and has “taken big strides” in developing existing staff while attracting a more diverse talent pool. “Now, we are putting our focus on the ‘I’ in DEI: inclusion.”
In addition, the Employee Resource Groups have had “great success” in fostering a culture where people from all backgrounds and life experiences feel welcome and understood, he says.
“We will continue to learn from our team members and bring in guest speakers representing minority groups to share stories and experiences with our staff, and we will also continue to come together to celebrate various cultures in the spirit of inclusion and education.”
Tech disruption in 2024
Last but not least, technology — always an important area for HR, with new tools such as AI presenting both benefits and challenges.
Disruption in technology will always be on the horizon, always emerging, but it’s important to prepare people so they’re ready for the new tools, says Holder, “whether it's by supporting skill development, by encouraging a culture of experimentation, and openness, helping people to see tech disruptions as opportunities versus problematic… to see this as an insertion, rather than as a replacement.”
That will include AI, of course, and if that’s not on people’s radar, she says, “then they’re probably not considering the competitive advantages of it.”
As part of workforce planning and “digital” talent, it’s important to look both internally and externally, says Pontone.
“As we move into AI and some other aspects of evolving trends, I think we're going to need some skill sets that you can both develop in-house, but also have to go out and attract.”
AI ‘both concern and point of learning’
When it comes to generative AI, there’s both concern and excitement, he says.
“What we're trying to do is break it down into palatable pieces, start small, one step at a time. AI is not new; I think what's happening is it's advancing so quickly and being adopted so many ways, and you're hearing so much about it, [so what] we're trying to do is take that information, not be pressured by the momentum, but also balance that caution with excitement.”
Like many HR professionals, Merrett says he is watching the use and evolution of artificial intelligence.
“I’m curious to see how HR leaders will establish reasonable guidelines that do not stifle creativity while also protecting the company’s best interests.
“Artificial intelligence is both a concern and a point of learning, so I’m looking forward to seeing this evolve. For small and mid-size employers, most AI technology is not yet attainable, but the potential for productivity and efficiency improvements in HR operations are huge.”
