Laurie Glasser, CHRP
principal,
Kelowna Human Resources Consulting

As principal of Kelowna HR, Laurie Glasser, CHRP, PIC offers human resources, career transition and professional resume services.  She assists corporate clients establish best HR practices, and helps candidates identify and promote their value in the employment market.  “People—that’s what the HR profession is all about, and that’s what floats my boat.  Helping organizations and people integrate their competitive advantages is very rewarding.” Laurie has been a member of the HRMA Southern Interior Advisory Council for several years.

Strong HR leadership can have a powerful impact on an organization by increasing value through its people. In today’s challenging and ever-changing business world, HR needs to efficiently deliver functional services, but as leaders they should also act as internal consultants to provide advice and solutions that support corporate growth and address change-oriented challenges.  HR leaders must be a key driver of change management because change always impacts people.

In order to be a trusted leader and advisor, HR needs to develop – and draw from – a blend of people skills, process skills, analytical skills, and business leadership skills.  HR must assess and align their workforce through the lens of the organization’s objectives and strategies.  In order for the organization to sustain viability they need to ask the question:  “Do we have the right number of people with the right skills and in the right places to achieve and deliver the desired results?”

Kim A. McCavney, CHRP
co-founder,
Staroaks Safety Consulting Ltd.

Kim A. McCaveney, CHRP worked as a senior HR consultant in the B.C. healthcare industry for 15 years and as manager of HR for School District #27 for five years. For the past six years, she and her partner have operated Staroaks Safety Consulting Ltd., providing electrical safety instruction for first responders and trades workers, as well as consulting to businesses regarding the entire HR function in Central, Northern and Northwest BC.

If a simple definition of leaders is that they are people who know how to achieve goals and inspire and/or empower people on their journey, then the strongest area of impact for HR is the ability to do this from a moral, ethical and consistent practice base.

The sphere of influence, from CEO to contract workers, must be able to rely upon not only the  knowledge of the HR leadership team regarding the “nuts and bolts” of the HR function (correct and consistent policy, collective agreement, legal, etc. interpretation and implementation), but also operate with the knowledge that decisions/input/guidance are first and foremost coming from a solid base of ethical practice.

Too often, in the headiness and urgency of corporate initiatives, shortcuts to looking after the human element in our companies are contemplated. The HR leadership team’s ability to guide and influence ethical corporate human resources is, for me, the strongest area of impact on an organization.

Francyne Joe
community liaison,
All Nations Trust/All Nations Insurance Brokers Inc.

Over the past 10 years, Francyne Joe has worked in a variety of sectors including non-profit and federal but enjoys working with Aboriginal communities and organizations the most. Currently, she provides general HR advisory services to clients and organizations while working in Benefits and Pension. Francyne is passionate about educating people in the realm of First Nations human resource management including human rights. She has been a member of the Central Interior Advisory Council in Kamloops, BC.

Today’s First Nations leaders, the chief, councillors and administrators, work in an environment much larger in scale and more complex than ever. In fact, many First Nation communities oversee multi-million dollar administrative operations that deliver a variety of community services such as social services, housing, economic development, education, health, public works, recreation, etc.—all of which need effective and efficient administrations.

With this in mind, our leaders recognize a need to develop an effective, professional and highly skilled pool of qualified candidates – additionally, these candidates need to be culturally-aware as well as engaged with the community.

And while our First Nations post-secondary graduates are increasing, there remains a shortage of skilled First Nations people to effectively fill many of the necessary positions. As a result, human resources planning and the management of the existing pool of First Nation staff resources, are high priorities for many First Nations leaders.

Debbie Bortolussi, CHRP
president,
PHR Resources Ltd.

Debbie Bortolussi,MBA, CHRP is the president of PHR Resources Ltd., founded in 1994, a company specializing in human resources, marketing, and operations management. Drawing upon a career in large, mid-sized and small businesses, she is a dynamic executive leader with a proven record for creating and implementing business strategies and programs that make a difference. In addition, Bortulussi is an adjunct professor at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT Vancouver & New York)  and a faculty member of Acsenda School of Management, Kwantlen University.

The answer is “change”. Strong HR leaders are “change agents.”  HR leadership most strongly impacts an organization when it is “transformational” and encompasses an environment where innovation is part of the work place psyche.  If you look at successful companies both internationally and locally, it is all based on leaders who are adept at these skills.

Innovation is the one constant area of an organization that we must keep alive.  I believe the companies that thrive in an environment characterized by uncertainty and unpredictability find themselves demanding constant adaption.  In these environments HR must being an effective leader to guide their teams through changes that are likely to become difficult for the organization.

With change, every organization must transform, if only to beat their competition.  Strong HR leaders know they need more than incremental changes—companies need transformation in order to stay relevant and reinvent themselves.

Lee Vincent, CHRP
principal/consultant,
Visionary Seeds

Lee Vincent, CHRP, MBA is a Yukon-based consultant, certified executive coach and facilitator that has extensive experience working with organizations in the field of organizational development and human resources. All of her work is focused on moving individuals and organizations forward towards higher performance through humanistic cultures.

She has over 20 years in senior executive roles and brings this breadth of knowledge and expertise to her work with her clients – from executive coaching engagements through to strategic consulting roles with organizations small to large.

All organizations run on people, through people, by people for people. In a competitive global environment, skilled employees are an organizations most significant competitive advantage.

HR leadership can have the biggest impact by helping CEO’s and the rest of their executive teams remember this. Just as organizations strive to look at their products, services and processes through their customers perspective they should also take this same view from their employees perspective.

HR leadership helps keep this top of mind and can act as the voice of the employee base at the executive table, bringing forward opportunities and challenging non-employee oriented business decisions. It is consistently demonstrated that engaged employees create satisfied customers, which drive sustainable financial results, resulting in happy shareholders or stakeholders.