In every issue of PeopleTalk magazine, we ask CPHR BC & Yukon members from all across B.C. and the Yukon a question and get them to give us a brief answer. 

Today’s question: How do you create momentum for your “real-time” HR efforts?

Here are five insights on how to create momentum for “real-time” HR efforts?

Unnati Jhaveri
HR Consultant
Vancouver, B.C.

Here are seven steps to create momentum resulting in better productivity and efficiency: 

1. Lead by example: It starts from You. If you expect someone to behave a certain way, it must be reflected in your behaviour first. It’s one thing to say it and another to truly practice it. Momentum is created through leading by example. 
2. Inspire your team: Team huddles to build positivity. Share inspiring quotes and reading material to motivate them so they are confident to achieve results. 
3. Small = big: Achieve goals by setting smaller and achievable targets daily; when achieved, it will drive them to work harder and move to the next step.
4. Be a student: Always be open to learning.
5. Trust: Trust yourself. Respect others by trusting them.
6. Keep things light: A sense of humor is the best way to move through a stressful situation.
7. Appreciate and celebrate wins: Mistakes and victories go hand in hand. Be sure to acknowledge a task well done, no matter how small.

Unnati Jhaveri has been an HR professional for the last six years, as well as a life coach for the past two, with the end goal of becoming an HR consultant. Unnati has taken up various contract roles in different industries to gain diverse experience and believes HR is one of the most crucial functions in any organization as it bridges the gap between the company and the employees.

Tanaya Marsel, CPHR Candidate
HR Manager, AVP Finance & Operations
UBC, Okanagan Campus
Kelowna, B.C.

In our field of work there is a constant desire to see growth within our people and our businesses, both of which correlate with one another. Even though we experience small successes, such as implementing a new policy at work, or an efficacious training day for employees, our most difficult challenge can be to maintain that and we often experience complacency over time from employees. The question then becomes: when things are going well, what do we do as HR professionals to ensure they stay that way and keep that momentum alive going forward?

In a growing, competitive world where companies struggle more and more to retain good people, it is no longer all about concentrating on what the employee can offer the business, but the other way around. Revamping customary recruitment strategies, encouraging career development opportunities, creating creative and engaging on-going training, regular performance feedback and fun company perks: all can ensure that creating and maintaining momentum is made a priority throughout the employment relationship.

Tanaya Marsel, CPHR candidate, is the HR manager, AVP finance and operations for the UBC, Okanagan Campus. She is also a member of the CPHR BC & Yukon Southern Advisory Council on the post-secondary portfolio connecting students to opportunities outside of the traditional classroom. Tanaya recently finished her BBA with a specialization in HR, and is working towards her CPHR designation.

Kayla Kapelari, CPHR
HR Co-ordinator
Copper Mountain Mine
Princeton, B.C. 

As HR professionals we are very aware that right now it is a candidates’ market when it comes to the talent search. Gone are the days of a large pool of talent that meet every criteria on the checklist; employers are now in the role of seller and having to sell the opportunity to the candidate.

In order to fill the roles with the best candidate employers need to increasingly think outside the box and change our mindset, and often it is HR professionals who lead this shift.

By focusing on areas such as the ability to learn, attitude and reliability, we can develop our talent with candidates who can easily take on the challenges of learning a new role and bring the values that we want to foster in our organizations. An example of this is offering apprenticeships to grow talent rather than searching for an in demand qualified tradesperson.

Kayla Kapelari, CPHR is the human resources coordinator at Copper Mountain Mine in Princeton, B.C where is enjoys her role as a true HR generalist. The diversity in her day, as well as in the mining industry means there are always interesting challenges. She holds a BA from Thompson Rivers University and is a Certified Executive Coach through Royal Roads.  She currently is on the CPHR BC & YK Advisory Council for the Central Interior.  

Yetunde Adeniyi, CPHR
HR Advisor, Reporting and Analytics
WorkSafe BC
Vancouver, B.C.

A career in HR can seem like a marathon. Juggling different things and constantly ensuring one doesn’t drop off—while at the same time providing the best support to employees—can seem overwhelming. However, the the quest for personal excellence and the opportunity to make a difference in an organization and challenge myself are why I embrace a few strategies for creating momentum.

I stay motivated by looking for an opportunity to make a difference either in my ability to resolve problems for employees and make them happy or being able to come up with an idea that would impact employee engagement.

For instance, the commitment to improving myself enables me to view problems as treasures. I approach the challenges I face in my role as a learning opportunity to provide me a pathway to future improvement. I approach the challenges I encounter daily with a can-do attitude and my mistakes as an opportunity for growth.

Currently an HR advisor, reporting and analytics for WorkSafe BC, Yetunde Adeniyi, CPHR has been an HR professional for over eight years in various industries including retail, technology, financial services and the public sector. Passionate about using data to solve organizational challenges and implement quality people programs that attract, engage, and unlock the full potential of talent, Yetunde has been engaged in various HR reporting and analytics projects related to workforce planning, attrition, retention and employee engagement.

Taylor Acton, CPHR
recruitment advisor,
Fairmont Empress,
Victoria, B.C.

Working in recruitment, and HR in general, can be repetitive, task-oriented and tedious at times. You can start to feel bogged down by the day-to-day functions and lose motivation if you don’t stay focused on the strategic impact of your work.

For me, creating and sustaining momentum in my real-time HR efforts requires a goal-oriented mindset. I’ve made the effort to get clear on organizational and departmental goals, set aligned personal goals for myself and create to-do lists to ensure my daily activities are supporting these goals. Personally, I feel motivated when I’m making progress towards my objectives and growing as an HR professional, so I prioritize making time for professional development activities, performing strategic reviews of my work and celebrating the small wins that contribute to overall strategy.

Maintaining a positive mindset and focusing on big picture strategy has really helped me spark momentum and keep it going.   

With eight years of experience in human resources, Taylor Acton worked as an HR manager for over five years and is currently in the position of recruitment advisor at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, BC. Taylor has been a member of CPHR BC & Yukon since 2016 and received her CPHR designation in 2018. She has an undergraduate degree in English Honours from the University of Victoria and a Human Resources Management certificate from Simon Fraser University.

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