The HR Hub

Cybersecurity isn't typically an HR thing... but go for it! This is a big ideas episode and you'll learn a lot.     Dennis Hill, Ph. D, an HR and information management specialist, talks about a lot of ideas here.  You'll learn about cybersecurity for HR but  ALSO a little about ransomeware, 5g, and blockchain and how these apply to the security of employee data.  Sometimes it's not employee data...

What is people analytics and how is it different than what HR has always  done?   I looked at my 4-year old HR textbook and people analytics was not  mentioned anywhere (nor was 'workforce analytics' or just 'analytics').  My guest, Allen Hornung, thinks this is because it is a quickly emerging  element of HR.    This episode goes into the basics of people analytics - what it is and  how it differ...

What are the collective bargaining basics?  Some things covered in this  video include the steps in bargaining, bargaining in good faith,  communication during bargaining (what's allowed and how to do it), the  roles that are 'at the table' and why it's an attractive thing to do -  if you can handle the late nights and pressure!    Jody Fraser has negotiated many collective agreements and sits on...

How can you go about managing the cost of benefits in your organization?  This and making the most of what you spend on benefits were the focus  of this episode.  Because employee benefits are not cheap!    Shannon Hughes is a benefits broker and helps her clients get complete  benefits packages that meet their needs.   Find Shannon at https://www.captivatebenefits.com/

Do you have a workplace vaccination policy or are you thinking about it?   As I learned in this video, mandatory vaccine policies are rarely  mandatory and it may depend on the nature of the work.  But I learned a  lot about what is meant by the discussion and how employers (and their  HR) might approach a vaccine policy.     Stuart Rudner is a lawyer specializing in employment law.  He talks  abo...

What is typical for employee benefits in Canada?   Benefits are confusing - even for people in HR.  Like, what services are  covered?  What percentage of those services?  What is a paramedical  anyhow?    And benefits are COSTLY so it is to the employer's advantage to make  sure that employees know what's covered, are using the services, and  appreciate the value.   Typically HR is the leader in t...

Bullying and harassment are thrown about and sometimes as jokes - but  what do those words really mean?  How do you know if some behaviour  really is bullying or harassment in the workplace?  What if you are in  HR and it's your job to investigate!!?   A bully is not someone who is miserable.  A bully is someone who is nice  to some people but picks on an individual or group with the intent of  un...

What does an employee benefits broker do?  They help companies secure  benefits for their employees.  I have been a little skeptical because I  thought they wanted money.  Well, they get paid by the insurer so mostly they just want business.     You could go straight to the insurers to get benefits for your employees, but do you really want to do all that work?  And will you get a quote  from each...

This intro to project management for HR gets into the steps of project  management in some detail.  It's also general enough to be useful to  people outside HR! HR manages many projects  - we just may not see it  that way.  We develop and implement policy, programs, and sometimes  systems.     This video explores the phases of project management and where you are  most likely to be tripped up.  HR...

Sourcing is not traditional recruitment. But what is sourcing and how  does it work? When should you use sourcing versus traditional  recruitment? Tips and timing?   With sourcing you take control and get passive talent to become actively  interested in your organization.   Sébastien Savard started out doing  this for Cirque du Soleil and has since formed a company with a sourcing  specialty.  He...

What goes into collective bargaining preparation?  Lots - and a lot  sooner than you might think.  We talk about what 'collective bargaining'  means, the steps in preparing for bargaining, who is on the bargaining  team, preparing proposals and more.   I speak with Jody Fraser who is a Director of Labour Relations and has  negotiated many agreements.  She describes two main types of bargaining:  t...

What are some examples and pitfalls of incentive compensation? And how  do you get incentive compensation right?  Communication, referring to  your compensation philosophy, and letting your bonus program fulfill its  purpose are just some of the things we discuss in this episode.     There are definitely incentive compensation challenges to avoid too,  which we also discuss like favouritism and al...

Where do you start when improving the employee experience (EX)? And what  impact is it likely to have on organizational success anyhow?  Well,  start with the biggest gap and do some journey mapping!  Easy right?  I talk to Gil Cohen about these big questions and how and why to focus  on the employee experience. We don't know of anyone who can measure the  excitement or dread that someone feels on...

Project management in HRM?  It could be so useful RIGHT?  We implement  systems, policies, and programs in response to business needs and  legislative changes.  Having done project management myself, I know how  helpful it can be.  Other guests on the show have also said that it's  important!    Steve Lemmex is a project management professional who has had a long  career in project management.  He...

How to grow in your HR career?  Think laterally not just vertically!  Take ownership! Know your values.  Run when you aren't respected.  These  are just some of the tips from this episode.   Steve Brierley has been in HR for a 20+ years and has done many HR  things.  He has also thought about it a lot and coached HR  professionals. I honestly wish I had had this conversation years ago.   Let me kn...

What is the employee experience (EX)?  Why is this an important idea in  HR?  Employers can use the EX to achieve their business goals while  making the workplace a better place to be.  It's related to culture and  engagement. It will help employees be happier but, of course, not  perfectly.    Gil Cohen has built his career around the employee experience and shares  his insights with us. http://w...

Looking for change management tips?  I talk to an expert about change  management models, change management process, the role of leadership,  and what to do about resistance. Her favourite model is ADKAR and she  walks us through each step of that model.  Cyndi Manuel is a Director of Change Management and she really helps  make sense of a vague process. Prosci: https://www.prosci.com/  Kotter: ht...

What is base salary (also known as base compensation)?  And what is  compensation philosophy and structure?  In this episode we talk about  that and also about market value and how to balance internal and  external equity - among other things.     This episode is packed with insight as I talk with David Pan who  understands the nuances of compensation and also some of the  practicalities - like wh...

If you wonder about 'talent management' look no further.  This is talent management explained! Considering HR is about people, talent management may be seen as a new name for HR.  And sometimes it is; however Steve Brierley has had a career in talent management and he sees it as most aspects of HR outside of general advisory support.  And it is definitely more than recruitment!

How does HR and change management fit together?  Like a glove!  HR is  often as the centre of organizational change and we should know, at  minimum, the basics.   In this episode I talk to Cyndi Manuel - a prosci-certified, change  management director.  We talk about what change management is and how it  differs from project management.  We talk about where change management  sits in an organizati...

How do you know when you should be creating culture change in an organization?  We talk about culture in many different ways e.g. safety culture and innovation culture and a culture of respect etc.  It's important to identify when it is working for the organization or against it.  And it's important to root out toxic culture because it has a tendency to spread.   I spoke with Lorne Rubis, culture...

What is a better recruitment process?  How can you be more creative in  seeking the best talent and stop doing the same old thing - especially  when it doesn't work that well?     In this episode we talk about how to break out of bad recruitment habits  e.g. put out inaccurate and out of date job postings, use job boards  (only) hoping for the best, conduct inefficient and pointless reference  che...

So what is employee value proposition (EVP)?  It is a relatively recent  concept in HR around an employer's unique set of offerings that may  attract and keep employees.     This is what I talk to Vered Levant about in this episode. She is a  small business HR consultant and it's an important concept in helping  her address the talent needs of her clients. Authenticity is key -  otherwise it's jus...

How do you go about managing organizational culture?  It is a nebulous  concept, hard to measure and difficult to change, but Lorne Rubis,  culture guru, has insight to share.     You should be intentional about your culture and put some thought and  resources into ensuring it helps your organization achieve its goals.   But how?  Lorne has some specific advice for that too i.e. where to  start in...

In this video we talk about equity, diversity and inclusion in the  workplace with an HR lens.  Sometimes HR is tasked with this - but is  that the right approach?  Marcie Hawranik of Canadian Equality  Consulting says HR plays a critical role and can help get it set up  right including ensuring leadership from the top and accountability -  but then make sure that the organization knows and accept...