Winners at Canadian HR Awards gala event highlight need for recognition of HR teams
The Canadian HR Awards returned to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre once again last week, drawing hundreds of HR professionals from across Canada for an evening of recognition and celebration.
The event celebrated outstanding achievements and innovation in the HR sector, shining a spotlight on the individuals and organizations setting new standards for excellence.
Hosted by the Sonia Manga, the evening was a showcase of both inspiration and entertainment. Attendees were treated to performances by Soulfire, aerial duo Alexandra LeGendre and Eman Hillawi (Lollipop Lyra), and circus artist Bella Magic.
An impressive 24 winners crossed the stage to accept their award: the full list can be found here.
We spoke with some of the HR winners to get their take on the gala event — and the importance of recognizing HR:
HR Team of the Year (fewer than 500 employees)
Kirk Merritt, director of HR and Administration at Hyundai Canada, said the Canadian HR Award represents the effort and the passion that his team brings to supporting employees and the organization: “The organization has had a lot of success and this team is the backbone of that.”
His advice for HR professionals was succinct: “Hire amazing people to your team and they'll make amazing things happen.”
HR Team of the Year (more than 500 employees)
Lori Schick, executive vice president of Human Resources at Aurora Cannabis, spoke about the significance of the award in recognizing her “amazing team” who work so hard.
“We don't, in HR, get a lot of recognition. We do what we do because it's the right thing to do and it's a hard thing to do. So, a moment like this is really special.”
Schick said her team is smart and courageous.
“They push the leaders to think differently, to challenge them… they're not afraid to use their voices, they're great business leaders as well,” she said, encouraging others in HR to do the same.
HR Leader of the Year
The award for HR Leader of the Year is a “testimony to HR leadership and what the company stands for: people are the heart of the organization,” said recipient Diana Valler, CHRO at TravelBrands.
She attributed her success to listening and communication.
“When I started my career in this organization, I started doing one-on-one with every single person in the organization to see exactly how they feel. I asked them three simple questions: ‘What's working, what's not working, and how do you think we can work?’ and that's why the culture got transformed.”
The Medcan Award for Excellence in Financial, Physical and Mental Wellness
Joanna Mara, director of wellness at the CAA Club Group of Companies, said it’s important to be recognized for the work they do in the wellness space.
“It's so critical to make sure that the health and wellness of our employees is top of mind. And so it's incredible to be recognized,” she said.
Mara highlighted two areas of focus at the company: chronic disease management and mental health support.
“It’s really looking at getting to the deep root of the issue, so looking at what is going to impact our employee long term… and how can we help them get better?”
Healthy people are the heart of every organization, said Tara Warren, Director of Growth at MedCan, speaking at the event.
“We wanted to celebrate leaders and teams that set the standard for recognizing healthy programming into 2025 and beyond. And we wanted to address those organizations that focus on not only reactive challenges, but proactively designing a healthy workplace.”
The ADP Canada Award for HR Rising Star of the Year
Trang Diep, senior HR generalist at MTU Maintenance Canada, reflected on the importance of being recognized as a rising star: “Growing up, I always wanted to be... that middle person, to be the voice of the employees, to bring it up to management so that we can make any changes to increase the values of the culture.”
She cited the importance of internships, having gained valuable HR experience at her company over eight years.
Heather Haslam, Vice President of Marketing for ADP Canada, cited the importance of sponsoring this award.
“This is an award that captures the moment of when somebody's early on in their career but already killing it. That's challenging the status quo, that's not listening to that voice inside their head, they don't have imposter syndrome, they're forcing what... the evolution and the future of HR can be.”
The dentsu Canada Award for HR champion (CEO)
In winning her award, Sujata Connors, CEO of Menno Place, reflected on her three years at the company. The HR director was retiring so Connors needed to act quickly to fill the top HR role.
“I wanted a team that [would] really support people, the people that work there, and put that first. So, we shifted the title, so now the title is People and Culture. And I hired an executive director… specifically to develop a strategy,” she said.
“It’s really about taking everything that we can do to support and create incentives for people to be there and just love working there.
And then they can do better at serving the residents that we serve.”
The O.C. Tanner Award for Lifetime Achievement in the HR Industry
Nicole Desloges, former SVP, People at Lifelabs where she worked for seven years, said she felt “so fortunate” to be given this award because many other people are not given the same kind of recognition.
“I share this award with them and all of the colleagues that have worked with me in the past. Whether they were cheerleaders or naysayers, I think that we learned from all those interactions,” she said.
“Everybody has had an impact on my journey and I hope to be able to continue helping others in their journey.”
When employees feel great about what they're doing and feel cared for at work, it allows them to show care outside of work, said Ed Galasso, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at OC Tanner Canada, at the awards.
“So, it's important to us to... continue to invest in the Canadian HR community so that they can continue to do the great work they do and touch as many lives as they do.”
The Payworks Award for Best Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy
Award winner Hootsuite sees the value of giving back to its communities, according to Yvette Lai, social impact specialist. She highlighted the company’s champion program, where local bosses in several cities help them do volunteer work and organize donations.
“One of our guiding principles is neighbours and allies, and so I’m just really proud to be recognized for this space.”
It’s critical today that organizations think beyond their own teams to the communities in which they work, said Matt Sachkiw, Regional Vice President of Payworks, at the event.
“Recognizing organizations that really prioritize being not just a good but a great corporate citizen is really important especially in this day and age. We all are in this together, and it's really important that people have a broader, more global view of how they impact not just everyone in your local community, but in the broader either city, province or country.”
The Queen’s University IRC Award for Best Learning & Development Strategy
IAMGold has spent roughly five years focusing on how to prepare for the jobs and skills of the future, according to award winner Julia Gavin-Williams, manager of talent development.
“We take a lot of pride in really starting people off in their careers and then they stay with us for many, many years because there's so much opportunity for growth, and we make that space for people to really excel in what they do.”
Kashish Jain, talent specialist at IAMGold, added that learning and development is about helping people find what they're best at, “and supporting them with all the resources they need to get to that level… because mining is so dynamic and it keeps changing and there's so many more skills, they want to adapt to those skills.”
The University of Waterloo Award for Next Generational Employment Innovation
Karen Haslam, vice president of people and culture at Starlight Investments, described the company’s award-winning commitment to its summer student program.
“We spend pretty much our entire year working on this program,” she said.
Haslam noted the importance of these programs for youth, especially those affected by the pandemic.
“They didn't get that life experience, they lost out for a bit of time so having them come into the workforce and giving them that hands-on experience, I think it's going to help them.”
For the full list of winners, be sure to check here.
