Innovate Work Conference

Taking a Risk and be the new HR

Have you frequently heard HR referred to as the Police, the Cops and an overhead, not driving any revenue? We could all consider, instead being the new HR.  Imagine if HR stopped being risk adverse, stopped being so stringent and just policy and rules orientated and adapted with the information they have at hand. 

Get out of the bubble and into the business

Christine Song, Coinsquare

HR is more than just policies and procedures.  We are collaborators, sounding boards, people who understand others and, more importantly, understand how to help them achieve success! 

Get your head out of the policies

Christine Song, Coinsquare

The Behavior Equation – Why Focusing on Behavior Matters

There is both an art and a scientific side to HR.  HR’s major function should be to drive better business results through harmonious behaviors. 

Lewins’ Formula B=f (p, e)

Lewin said that Employee Engagement is the function of both personality and the environment and we know that personality is supremely static so we have to focus on what we can control, which is the environment in which they perform. 

The environment is created as a result of the behaviors so lets look at this like a story (Great analogies here!)  there is always a Villain, Superheroes and Impostors. 

You can put in a new system, but it sill won’t help guide people to do the right thing

Chuck Fornell, Pizza Pizza

All conversations from HR, and in the workplace as a whole, should make the person better in the end. 

Retention of the Next Generation

We need to attract and engage the youth coming into the workplace.  In order to gain them, their top three lists of wants were:

A Healthy Workplace – Time To Myself – Networking & Mentoring

Remembering, these millennial’s have a choice coming out of skill on where to work. 

This new generation are aware that they don’t know, what they don’t know

Brien Convery, RBC

Do you have a listening strategy – what are your co-op’s, student interns talking about, thinking? 

This new generation are tired of receiving old information from old people

Brien Convery, RBC

The Infinite Game

The higher up you go, the further away that you are from the customer

Stephen Shedletzky, Brand Voice

Let’s talk leadership – HR needs to focus on the will/motivation and their resources to stay in the game.  Its important for us to remember that Leaders serve the People who serve the End Customer

Let’s strive to make the people around you better

Stephen Shedletzky, Brand Voice

We need to have the courage to lead – constantly making value based decisions that put the people first.

Managers are directing Complexity, Leaders are creating Simplicity

Stephen Shedletzky, Brand Voice

An environment needs to be created in organizations where people can feel safe to be who they are.

The topics were presented by:  Brien Convery, Early Talent Acquisition, Attraction and Engagement – RBC.  Christine Song, Chief People Officer, Coinsquare.  Chuck Farrell, VP Human Resources, Pizza Pizza Limited, Stephen Shedletzky, Head of Brand Voice. 

Is Culture Fit Dead?

The fabulous Panel discussion was led by Josh Levine, Author of Great Mondays where we gained some great insights into culture in organizations. 

Culture is continuing to eat strategy for breakfast, leaders need to share the shifting mindset.  The challenge lies in convincing the leaders to make smart decisions based on their people.

If you want to innovate, we have to take the chance and bring in something and some people who are new.  What do our new staff bring that will disrupt, can they think in our vision or only survive where we are.  Lets get specific with the way we recruit. 

If people were to sit in the lobby of your organization, what would they see and hear?

Anna Petoso, The Weather Network

We need to lose the “bobblehead” employees, the culture needs to pivot within organizations.  Diversity of thought needs to be recognized and discussed, not just Diversity of Culture.

What a great Conference Work Tango! Thanks for all the insights.

The Panel included:  Anna Petosa, VP People, The Weather Network.  Kris Tierney, VP People & Culture, Dealer-FX.  Denine Das, Sr Director, People 7 Culture, TIFF (Toronto Internaitonal Film FestivaL), Paul Dodd, Head Canadian Engagement WilsonHCG

---