Readers' Choice winner 2025: ADP Canada

Sarah Dobson  00:00:00

Sarah, Hi there. I'm Sarah Dobson, Managing Editor at Canadian HR Reporter, and today we're speaking with Alison Darling, Director of Professional Programs at Queen's University IRC, a winner of the Reader's Choice 2025 so welcome Alison, and congratulations once again.

Alison Darling  00:00:27

Thank you so much, Sarah. It's great to be here. Thank you.

Sarah Dobson  00:00:29

Yeah. So let's get started. Lots to lots to hear about. First off, can you talk about why the Reader's Choice Award is important for Queens IRC?

Alison Darling  00:00:39

Yeah, absolutely. So I'm delighted to say that we've won in four categories again this year, all four categories that kind of relate into the professional development and leadership development areas. So yeah, this is the second year in a row we we've won in all four categories, and we are thrilled about this. It really means a lot to us. These awards are very prestigious, and it really shows the quality of the education that we're providing and gives us a good standing in the industry. So Queen's IRC has been doing what we do for 88 years now. So we have a very, very solid foundation. We are always looking to innovate, but things at the Reader's Choice Awards just really validate all of the hard work that we're doing.

Sarah Dobson  00:01:24

Sounds great. Well, of course, I know you want the programming to be, you know, topical and relevant. What are some of the more notable HR trends that you're seeing that you're incorporating into your programs?

Alison Darling  00:01:36

Yeah, absolutely. So this year, actually, we came out with our report on the 2025 HR Trends report. So this was based on research that we completed last year, and we are just currently in the process of researching for next year's trends as well. So we are always wanting to stay on top of what is happening in the industry, what is most important to HR professionals, LR professionals and other leaders in the space as well, and so that's that gives a lot of insights, coupled with a lot of the program development that we have been doing over the past several years. So obviously it won't come as any surprise, but AI is is really on everybody's minds right now. So we started embedding that, first of all, into our organizational transformation program, really seeing the fit there, and now we are bringing that into other programming as well. You know, sometimes, you know, in higher education, in the HR industry, we tend not to be so much early adopters, a little bit risk averse, but we're really at the stage now where AI is is critically important, and we all know, we all need to know what we can do to to integrate it into our work. And so we are expanding that out, looking to see which other programs we can bring the AI topic into, especially on the on the HR side of our programming. So we've already started rolling that out, and we'll continue to do that this year. Other key topics that were born out of the HR trends. And again, what we're seeing across workplaces is really engagement in in the in the workplace, in creating a workplace that is safe and equitable to everyone, so Equity Diversity and Inclusion is big in our programs as well. We launched a program in workplace Equity and Diversity last fall, so that remains a key topic for everyone, coupled with succession planning, leadership planning and then another one of our programs that has had a significant overhaul is our HR metrics and analytics programs. So again, really looking out, what are the key metrics and analytics that you need to be looking at. But then beyond that as well, how you then using this data to tell a story? So I think many of us will work with data. We tend to get caught in on the data and think, Well, the numbers are going to speak for themselves. That's not always the case. So again, it's what do I need to know? And then how do I need to to translate that to my audiences so that I really can start making an impact?

Sarah Dobson  00:04:16

Yeah, for sure, definitely an important, important area of HR. Well, I noticed also you have a new program that you launched just in April, building and leading teams. Can you talk more about that?

Alison Darling  00:04:26

Yeah, absolutely. So this program was actually born out of a webinar that we ran last year that was so successful, and we really saw the magic in it that we worked with our facilitators to create this new program. So building and leading teams is looking at both the legal and the people aspects of managing and leading in today's environment. You know, we have people working remotely. We have people working hybrid. We have employees that are maybe permanently based in the office. So it's really looking at how. I engage my team so that they are not only productive, but feel valued no matter where they are based. And like I said, it really was, was kind of originally looking at the legal aspects around hybrid and remote work, but it's going beyond that and really looking at leadership development. And how do I engage my team? How do I create a team that is going to feel supported and is going to be successful. We know the demands in the workplace today are greater than they've ever been. And you know, sometimes it can be really hard to balance all of the pieces that we're dealing with, and it almost seems like a daily bombardment of things that we have to do. So yeah, the program has been very successful. We launched it in Toronto this year. We will be running it in our virtual classroom later in the year. So yeah, we are delighted with with the new program. And I would say the magic. And I say magic because the two facilitators that we have work wonderfully together and really bring, I think, a very holistic view of of managing in today's environment.

Sarah Dobson  00:06:05

Well, of course, a big part of the success of any rooming program is the facilitators. So can you talk about the impressive group you have at Queen's IRC?

Alison Darling  00:06:15

Yeah, absolutely. So obviously, Queen's IRC is part of Queen's University. We are, you know, very, very grateful to be a part of the institution. What people are looking for when they come to our programs is really not just the theory, but what does this mean in actuality, how am I going to implement this in my workplace? What skills can you teach me so that I can make a difference when I get back? So all of our programs are designed with adult education principles in mind, and the people that we bring in to lead our programs are leading experts from across the country. We have a Forbes Council coach in leading a number of our leadership and coaching programs. We have, you know, leading arbitrators, lawyers and labor relations professionals that are all leading up our labor relations programs. We have a lead negotiator who was involved in negotiating First Nations treaties across Canada at the federal level. So we bring in leading experts and authorities from across Canada. Obviously, we're based in Ontario. Our facilitator complement runs across the country, because we deliver our programs across the country and in our virtual classroom. So we are very intentional about the people that we bring in to lead our programs, and they are all leading experts in their fields. So it's wonderful to be able to collaborate with these thought leaders and and learn from them and know that our participants are learning the most up to date and important skills that they possibly can.

Sarah Dobson  00:07:49

Yeah, for sure, very impressive. Okay, well, that's great. Thank you so much for sharing your your insights. Sounds like some you know, wonderful programming as usual, and obviously understandable why you are winning these awards. So thank you again.

Alison Darling  00:08:06

Yeah. Thank you so much, Sarah and again, thank you for this recognition. It is something that truly means so much to us and really validates, like I've said, all of the work that we're doing. So thank you so much for the opportunity to connect, and we're delighted to be winners.

Sarah Dobson  00:08:20

Great well and for more great video content, be sure to check out hrreporter.com you.