Best and brightest professionals recognized by BC HRMA’s provincial awards
The British Columbia Human Resources Management Association (BC HRMA) recently held its provincial awards where one nominee noted wryly: “Let’s face it, not a lot of people go to HR because they’ve got good news. It’s a tough job.”
This year’s winners are HR professionals who have met the challenge with respect, innovation and an ability to make tough decisions when necessary, according to Quinne Davey, BC HRMA’s business development project manager.
“The goal of the awards is not only to showcase HR as a profession, but also to take the time to recognize people,” she said.
BC HRMA didn’t get a huge number of entries for the awards, but what it did get were all quality, said Davey.
“We pride ourselves on the fact that the nomination process is quite rigorous, which may deter some people,” she said. “We maybe don’t get 20 to 40 people in each category but the people that we do get make it difficult for the committee and judges to decide.”
And the winners are…
Award of Excellence – HR Professional of the Year: Diane Sullivan, vice-president of human resources at BC Safety Authority. Sullivan joined the BC Safety Authority in 2004 at a time when the former arm of the provincial government was transforming into an independent, not-for-profit organization based on a more entrepreneurial model.
Working with the executive team, Sullivan led a culture-change initiative and spearheaded the redesign of all primary HR processes, including occupational health and safety, compensation and benefits, awards, training and skills development and the performance-appraisal system.
She also forged a strong co-operative relationship with the BC Government Employees Union and management, which now work together to find business solutions.
“This highly integrated approach creates strong labour relations, builds on a sense of ownership and gives people a strong way to participate in defining and shaping the organization,” she said.
Sullivan introduced employee feedback and involvement forums, and maintained a strong open door policy. Under her leadership, there’s been a strong increase in employee satisfaction. Her nominees wrote that whether mentoring in-house or through BC HRMA’s mentoring program, Sullivan’s “personal philosophy of dignity, respect and fairness for all” has been her trademark.
She credited her non-traditional background in banking and sales management.
“This helped me understand the importance of achieving alignment between a person’s daily work and the strategic objectives of the organization.”
Some of Sullivan’s proudest moments have come “when employees tell me they have an opportunity to grow and take on new challenges that they never believed possible,” she said.
As for the award? “I’m tickled pink,” she said.
Award of Excellence – Innovation: BC Hydro. Innovation is a relatively new category to BC HRMA. This year’s winner, BC Hydro, was nominated for a study it undertook called Generational Diversity at BC Hydro: Culture and Workplace. It gave the company insight into employee engagement among the different generations, and made a business case for managing generational diversity in the same way as diversity generally, said Karen Green, manager of learning and development.
“In order to get the best out of each generation, we must foster a workplace culture of teamwork, productivity and inclusion amongst the generations of today and tomorrow,” she said.
Each of BC Hydro’s corporate and operational business groups is composed of employees from all four generations. The company has also redesigned external recruiting material to target a broader scope of employees. The new slogans read: “We don’t just have employees of the month. We have employees of the planet” and “Generations A – Z are counting on you.”
The company is also evolving its marketing by exploring social media and relying more on the Internet.
On another front, BC Hydro has introduced changes to its benefits plan as a result of the study. “Total rewards snapshots” packages are tailored to different age demographics for HR services related to health and wellness, pension planning, career development and gain sharing.
The generational diversity report has also served as a catalyst for how BC Hydro will advance the use of technology in the workplace.
“It will help balance and scale the introduction of new technology with the different needs and experiences of the legacy workforce and inform relevant training and change management activities for the business moving forward,” said Green.
Other key players were Ashley Bennington (HR advisor for workforce planning), Rick Milone (manager of total rewards) and Agnes Terebka (HR advisor for recruitment).
Rising Star Award: Rene McComber, Vancouver Aquarium. As an HR advisor at the Vancouver Aquarium until recently, McComber said she has tried to live by her favourite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
During her tenure there, she led the effort to improve the aquarium’s safety program, achieving a score of 86 per cent on a core audit the first year and 99 per cent the second. Her work saved the company 15 per cent on annual WorkSafeBC fees.
McComber also acted as the company’s sole HR professional for one month during peak staffing levels and co-managed the HR department for six months pending the hire of a new vice-president.
For someone who only moved into an HR role four years ago, she has made significant contributions, said Davey.
“This year, we really recognized Rene for more of a leadership role, doing a lot of stuff for somebody at a young age. She handled a lot of changes in her organization,” she said. “She was there throughout the whole thing and not only survived but thrived.”
McComber was also responsible for the aquarium’s applicant tracking system and much of the recruitment branding, which has improved recruitment metrics and the return on investment for recruitment sources. Her initiatives also created an easier system both for hiring managers and the HR department.
McComber has been a mentor and a mentee, as well as a coach to managers and employees. That has had a tremendous impact on her work as an HR practitioner, said McComber.
“HR is not black and white, and your HR team may be small or you may be a sole practitioner,” she said. “I have greatly enjoyed knowing that my mentor is there when needed, and will not only be my supporter but will challenge me with opposing views and push me to grow, which is what I try to pass on to those I mentor.”
Danielle Harder is a Brooklin, Ont.-based freelance writer.
Outstanding contribution
3 new Fellow CHRPs named
The British Columbia Human Resources Management Association bestowed the title of Fellow Certified Human Resources Professional (FCHRP) on three HR professionals at the recent BC HRMA conference: Joan Harrison, Catherine Richardson and Les Waldie.
The FCHRP is a prestigious title that aims to recognize the most exceptional CHRPs in Canada who have made outstanding contributions to the HR profession and their communities.
