If you are a regulated CPHR or CPHR Candidate, your credentials carry even more weight – and of course along with that weight comes added responsibility. So, what exactly will be different?

We will collectively and individually be legally accountable to protect the public at work.

Individually, we are each required to uphold the standards of practice of our profession. People will have the right to register complaints and have them heard. And as part of our public accountability, decisions from Inquiry Committee will now be published.

The benefit is that the CPHR designation will increasingly stand for trust and accountability, which can only continue to increase our credibility and our value to the communities we serve.

A bit of homework:

By June 1, 2025, CPHR Manitoba is required to maintain a public registry containing all active members including your name, member type, professional address and registration date. 

Please log in and update your profile information before June 1. An address must be provided and cannot be left blank.

An invitation:

While this is a professional and legal change of status, it is also a reason to celebrate!

On June 4 we will be hosting a celebration event at Manitoba Club. We’re hoping for a great turnout to commemorate this once-in-a-career event.

Event details

Date: Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Time: 4:30pm-6:30pm

Location: Manitoba Club

Registration is required. 

To register, click here. 

Collectively, we’ve been operating largely as a self-regulated entity, in preparation. We have had public representatives on the board and certain committees, and much work has been done behind the scenes to prepare:

• The updated bylaws completed at last year’s AGM will come into effect June 1

• Three new committees have been struck with updated Terms of Reference:

•  The former Complaints & Investigations Committee becomes the Complaints Committee.
•  The former Discipline Committee becomes the Inquiry Committee.
•  And there is a new Registration Committee.

•  We’ve also update the complaints process to better align with the act and administrative law.

This new structure ensures that we will be able to assess complaints and address them thoughtfully and with the appropriate accountability, to continue to earn the trust of all involved.

We’ve been working for 12 years toward the self-regulation of CPHRs in Manitoba, because we see this as the future of the HR profession here, and across Canada.

We have long understood the value that your work brings to employers and employees alike. Now, that value is recognized with the legal authority to protect the public. CPHRs have always worked hard to create better workplaces and better communities – creating safety, stability and opportunity for hundreds of thousands of our fellow Manitobans.

This is a recognition of trust that you have earned and a responsibility we will proudly, collectively uphold.

Click here for more information about the Act.

Sincerely,

CPHR Manitoba

Pay Equity Plan: a new webinar

The Pay Equity Unit has recorded a webinar to guide employers through the key steps of creating a plan. Based on a case study – a small fictional airline organization – the 43-minute webinar is now available on the Pay Equity website in both official languages and is hosted on Adobe Connect.

Pay Equity Technical Briefings

HR professionals and their organizations may be interested in receiving a technical briefing. These briefings offer an opportunity for workplace parties to strengthen their knowledge of the Pay Equity Act and ask questions. They can be a valuable tool for pay equity committees since everyone hears the same information at the same time. Anyone interested can fill out a Request for Information Form and choose “Engagement” as the subject of their request.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Key timelines

To learn more about timelines for all of the employer obligations related to the pay equity process, see this page on the Pay Equity Unit website.

Pay Equity Unit on LinkedIn

The Pay Equity Unit is now active on LinkedIn. You can follow it here: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pay-equity-ca/about/.

Have questions?

The best way to reach the Pay Equity Unit is through the same Request for Information Form. You can also contact them by phone through the National Call Centre:

Toll Free: 1-888-214-1090
TTY: 1-800-465-7735
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)

The goals of the study are:

• to holistically assess the status quo of topics that are the most urgent in terms of improving HR departments' capabilities around the globe.
• to provide in-depth perspectives and best practice on key topics for the HR function.
• to enable HR leaders to drive future business success.

WINNIPEG – On June 1, 2025, the 2,000 Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (CPHRs) in Manitoba will become self-regulated, aligning HR practitioners with other business advisory professionals and recognizing the strategic role that HR plays in protecting people at work, and employers.

“Dedication and excellence in the field of human resources is fundamental to the continued growth and success of our province,” said Finance Minister Adrien Sala. “Building one Manitoba starts with taking care of our most valuable asset, and that’s the people who make this province great.”

“This is a great milestone for the practice of HR in Manitoba,” says Alison Crozier, CPHR, Chair, CPHR Manitoba. “CPHR Manitoba has been working toward self-regulation for 12 years. We have long seen this as the future of our profession.”

Bill 233 does not require HR practitioners to join CPHR Manitoba or to become CPHRs and it does not require employers to hire CPHRs. Self-regulation does require CPHR Manitoba take on a public protection mandate to ensure that all their members uphold the standards of professional practice and code of ethics. The organization has been preparing for self-regulation by updating their complaints and disciplinary committee structure, and adding a registration committee. The complaints process has also been updated to better align with the act and administrative law.

“For our members who are CPHR designated, this is a validation of the strategic expertise they provide to employers,” says Ron Gauthier, CEO and Registrar, CPHR Manitoba. “If we have learned anything in recent years, it is the incredible value that strong HR systems bring to employers and employees. It is the skills and knowledge of HR professionals who have supported the historic workforce changes that have taken place.”

The business community has welcomed the change. “Strong HR practices create a stronger business environment in Manitoba,” says Chuck Davidson, President and CEO, Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. “For employers and business owners, the self-regulation of CPHR members provides them with the confidence that the people they rely on for strategic HR counsel are upholding the highest standards of ethics and professional practice in the country. For employees, it means that they can expect the best in HR practice, supporting them in successful careers.”

To become a CPHR, association members must complete a degree, diploma or certificate from an accredited educational institution or equivalent education requirement; they must successfully complete the National Knowledge Exam; and achieve a baseline of experience in the field. To keep their designation current, they must meet annual continuing professional development requirements; adhere to the CPHR Manitoba Code of Ethics and Rules of Professional Conduct and maintain their membership with CPHR Manitoba.

“This isn’t just a legislative milestone—it’s a recognition of the heart and hard work we’ve poured into elevating our profession,” says Janice Harper, Executive Vice President People and Culture at NFI Group Inc. “It means our voices were heard, our values affirmed, and our future as trusted, self-regulated professionals secured. I’m excited for what this means for the next generation of HR leaders.”

about CPHR Manitoba

to see Bill 233, click here

The Spring 2021 study was conducted by Insights West on behalf of CPHR British Columbia & Yukon, CPHR Alberta, CPHR Saskatchewan and CPHR Manitoba. The survey was conducted from November 23 to December 17, 2020 and combines selected standard questions that have been tracked over previous waves as well as builds on the most recent survey gauging the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This article summarizes a couple areas of the Manitoba and Western Canada HR Trends reports.

Manitoba:

• For Manitoba organizations, improving employee engagement (51%) and improving professional development (44%) are the top HR priorities for 2021.
  • Rounding out the top 5 list are transforming organizational culture (35%), improving ability to attract/retain employees (35%), and safeguarding the health and safety of employees (33%)
• Employee engagement tops the list for human capital challenges in the next 12 months (55%), followed by COVID -19 related concerns:
  • Managing employees’ concerns and fears over COVID -19 (50%), managing a more remote workforce (36%), complying with public health guidelines (31%) and staffing level uncertainty due to self-isolation requirements (29%).
• In the next 3 -5 years, the top 2 human capital challenges are employee engagement (49%) and leadership capacity (42%).
• Close to 3-in-5 Manitoba organizations are worried about the ability to recruit talent in the next 6 months, while just over half are worried about the ability to retain talent

Western Canada:

• The top HR priorities and human capital concerns for 2021 are varied, but the impact of the pandemic can be seen in certain items that have taken priority:
  • Improving employee engagement (45%) and safeguarding the health and safety of employees (40%) are the top two HR priorities, followed by improving ability to attract/retain talent, transforming organizational culture, and improving inclusion and diversity (especially among large organizations).
  • For Western Canadian organizations, employee engagement tops the list for human capital challenges both in the next 12 months (49%) and the next 3 -5 years (42%).
• Over half of Western Canadian organizations are worried about both recruiting and retaining talent in the next 6 months.
  • Organizations in the healthcare/social assistance (59%), manufacturing (59%), and professional/scientific/technical services (57%) sectors are more likely to be worried about retaining talent.

Click here for more information on both the Manitoba HR Trends Report and Western Canada HR Trends Report. 

organizations of all sizes by taking a public stand on work‑related social issues in order to

become an authoritative voice for government, employers and stakeholders.

The four briefing papers contained in this document continue in the path of offering first‑hand, high quality, evidence‑based information and reporting that is timely and relevant.

The papers were created in collaboration with l’Ordre des CRHA which, through its regulated mandate to protect the public, has been a strong advocate to enable each individual to thrive in a healthy, collaborative and innovative work environment and propel organizations through digital and societal transformation.

CPHR Canada believes strongly that the health of workplaces and the efficiency of labour markets in Canada are critical not just for the success of our economy, but are fundamental to the quality of life of all Canadians. Simply put, steps to address the issues we are raising can improve Canadians’ financial, physical and emotional well‑being.

The papers focus on psychological health and safety in the workplace and issues relating to diversity and inclusion. They also addressing issues of importance to all Canadians and Canadian businesses by looking at labour market flexibility and skills shortages.

CPHR Canada is looking to governments and specifically the federal government for leadership in addressing the issues raised in these papers.

Click here to read the four papers.

This is the first time ever these global HR leaders have met online to discuss how HR professionals will play key roles in the recovery from this pandemic both at the corporate and social levels.

Two main areas that were addressed:

1. What is needed to ensure workplaces recover from the pandemic and set the course for healthy, thriving workforce?
2. How as a profession can we ensure all organizations are in the best situation to start up again?
3.  

Click here to listen, learn, and share the conversation with your co-workers, peers, and members.

Moving forward, it is HR’s responsibility to focus on communication, empathy, resilience, agility, and leadership.

The Spring 2020 study was conducted by Insights West on behalf of CPHR British Columbia & Yukon, CPHR Alberta, CPHR Saskatchewan and CPHR Manitoba. The survey was conducted from November 25 to December 16, 2019, so should be interpreted with caution as they reflect HR priorities prior to COVID-19.

This article summarizes a couple areas of the Manitoba and Western Canada HR Trends reports.

Human Resources Priorities:

• Improving employee engagement (46%) stands out as Manitoba organizations’ most common human resources priority for 2020, followed by succession planning (37%).
• Western Canadian organizations most commonly include improving employee engagement (40%) among their top human resources priorities for 2020, followed by improving ability to attract and retain employees with the right skills (33%).
• Looking toward the next three to five years, Manitoba organizations are most concerned about leadership capacity (38%), followed by capacity to respond to rapid change (28%).
• Western Canadian organizations are also most concerned about leadership capacity in the next few years (35%).

The fact that Manitobans indicated they are concerned by their capacity to respond to rapid change is notable given this survey was conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic. Western Canada also ranked this as a concern but at a lesser percentage. It will be interesting to see research about how organizations feel about theirs and others’ response to the pandemic when it’s over.

Talent Retention:

• Just over half (54%) of Manitoba HR Professionals are worried about their ability to retain key talent over the next twelve months. This result is also seen in Western Canada (52%). Two-in-five Manitoba HR Professionals (42%) say they are not worried.

This statistic stood out because other research conducted in Manitoba (around the same time frame) showed the business community is very concerned with finding and retaining talent. According to the 2019 Manitoba Chambers of Commerce Business Outlook Survey, 66% of respondents indicated they do not anticipate hiring additional staff in the year ahead. Respondents overwhelmingly cited retaining good staff or hiring qualified, skilled staff as the top barrier to business growth in the coming year (41%). These numbers were all reported before the effects were seen to the economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so it will be interesting to see future research surrounding this topic.

For more information on both the Manitoba HR Trends Report and Western Canada HR Trends Report (Spring 2020 and past editions), visit https://www.cphrmb.ca/page/HRTrends. 

Leaders need to stay on top of the current trends influencing their industry and their employees to stay ahead of the game. As the workforce changes and progresses, so does the way we lead our people. Here are the Top Five Leadership Trends.

1.     Relationships in employee engagement

Engagement boils down to your employee’s willingness and ability to contribute to a company’s success. It’s how hard they want to work while they’re in the office. As a leader, you need to ensure that your employees are passionate about their jobs and that they are eager and enthusiastic at work. A huge part of promoting employee engagement is getting to know each of your employees as individuals. Ask for their feedback, meet with them one-on-one, set specific goals and mentor them as often as possible. A people-focused culture starts with the leaders in the workplace.

2.     Invest in your people

Besides having a business mindset with your employees, it’s important to have a personal one. Humans are social beings; we especially want to feel needed and respected at work.  Leaders need to focus on particular soft skills, such as emotional intelligence and people skills – because when employees feel comfortable toward someone who’s able to relate to their concerns, sentiments or challenges, they work harder and stay at their jobs longer. Show gratitude to your employees, encourage collaboration and build authentic relationships with your people to keep them content at their profession.

3.     Improved training and coaching

The first step in developing your people is through training and coaching. The point of coaching isn’t to make your employee feel bad about their quality of work, but to enhance their work and hopefully move them forward. Proper development requires encouragement, empowerment and patience. Everyone improves at different speeds. Be mindful and learn how to guide your employee through your training.

4.     Making use of technology

Having both talented people and advanced technology to serve customers is fast becoming the norm. If your business isn’t comfortable with technology, it’s time to get familiar. Technology lets employees interact in new ways. The days of being limited by face-to-face meetings and impersonal conference calls are long gone. Today’s teams can work remotely and across wide distances, not just in the office.  

5.     Learning to lead several generations

2019 will see a major flood of workers from Generation Z (individuals born in the late 1990s and early 2000s) entering the workforce. Managing and motivating a diverse workforce can be challenging at times. As the youngest generation enters the workforce and works alongside the senior employees, a one-size-fits-all management style simply does not exist anymore. While there are a lot of differences between the age groups, there are a lot of similarities as well. Overall, remember that your employees want to be heard and need a safe space to do so. They want opportunities to develop and advance in their workplace. Don’t dwell on the differences of your employees, instead brainstorm how you can bring them together and what they mutually share. 

Remember to register for our next webinar on Unlocking Happiness at Work with Jennifer Moss on November 6 at 12:00 p.m. (CDT) 

Unlocking Happiness at Work

Join us for our second “This is HR” webinar series by CPHR Canada with keynote speaker Jennifer Moss and host Richard Cloutier.

Format: Online – Live Webinar

Date: November 6, 2019

Time: 12:00 p.m. CDT (central time zone)

After two decades of research, it is proven that there is a direct correlation between a healthy, productive workplace culture and a company’s bottom line.

We used to think IQ was the best determinant of a person’s likelihood for success. Now, we have scientific evidence that proves otherwise. As we understand more about emotional intelligence and how it plays into the cultural makeup of some of the most innovative companies, it’s impossible to ignore its relevance.

When your team builds up their psychological fitness, it can give them the edge to outpace competitors through increased innovation, improved engagement, and higher productivity. This talk will explore how to unlock happiness in the workplace to rally organizational metrics while sustaining, or even reigniting, our passion for work.

In this presentation, you will learn:

-       The Happiness Economy

-       How to foster workplace happiness

-       The mechanisms for tracking your organizational success

-       Adaptive frameworks to implement within your organization

Keynote Speaker:

Jennifer Moss is an international public speaker, author, and workplace expert. She is the award-winning author of “Unlocking Happiness at Work” and frequent writer for Harvard Business Review and Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). She is the co-founder and Board Member at Plasticity Labs, a workplace insights and consultancy firm. 

Jennifer is also a member of the United Nations Global Happiness Council – a small group of leading scientists and economists that analyze and report on the happiest and the least happy countries. Jennifer contributes annually to the workplace chapter of the Global Happiness Policy Report.

Jennifer is a recipient of the International Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award, named a Canadian Innovator of the Year and was honoured with the Public Service Award from the Office of President Obama.

 Please join us for an educational and insightful conversation. See you soon!

Addressing Diversity and Inclusivity in the Workplace Webinar Recap

“We don’t have to pretend as though we are not trying to do something brand new. It’s okay to say that you’re moving into a space you haven’t been in before.”

That’s one of the key takeaways from Kim Katrin around the topic of diversity and inclusion. Her webinar was held on September 26, with host Richard Cloutier, senior reporter for Global News Winnipeg and the co-host of 680 CJOB. Together they discussed a range of topics; pronouns, gender-neutral bathrooms, tips for a healthy and diverse office and languages in the workplace. 

“When we make decisions around diversity or inclusivity, it creates more open space that overall benefits people. However, every single person isn’t going to have the same experience,” said Kim.

Kim has travelled around the world speaking to people about justice, equity, inclusion and human rights. During the webinar, Kim shares a twist to the “golden rule”.

The golden rule suggests that we should treat other people the way that we want to be treated. That might seem simple enough, but it assumes that there is a standard for other people’s experiences. Instead, she encouraged webinar viewers to treat people the way they want to be treated, which means we have to ask.

 Kim noted that creating a diverse and inclusive workplace takes time. “Allyship, inclusivity and diversity are a process. It’s not a place or an identity.” 

Above all, you need to want to create a diverse and inclusive workplace. 

“It’s so important to want to do the work. If you aren’t interested in it and you feel like it’s a chore, everyone else is going to feel like it’s a chore,” said Kim. “So, before you start any initiative, be sure that you are ready, and you want to do it.”

Don’t miss your chance to view Kim Katrin webinar on: Addressing Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace. Click here to watch!

Addressing Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

The first in CPHR Canada’s ‘This is HR’ webinar series, with keynote speaker Kim Katrin and hosted by Richard Cloutier, co-host of the News on 680 CJOB, 4 to 7 p.m. weekdays and senior reporter for Global News Winnipeg.

Format: Online – Live Webinar

Date: September 26, 2019 

Time: 12:00 p.m. CDT (central time zone) 

In 2019, the workplace continues to closely reflect our actual population demographics. Diversity and inclusion are becoming even more important to learn about and understand.

At the end of the day, creating a diverse team isn’t about finding a bunch of different people and expecting them all to do everything the same, but rather to value the fact that everyone’s differences make your team stronger as a whole. 

It’s obvious that greater diversity in the workforce results in greater profitability and creativity, but do you have all the tools needed to succeed when it comes to diversity and inclusion?

In this presentation, you will learn:

Amplifying Ethical Leadership, including themes such as:

- Examining prejudice

- Equity

- Intersectionality

- Mentorship

- Possibility models

- Allyship

- Legacy

- Learning & Leveraging Privilege

Keynote Speaker:

Kim Katrin Milan is passionately dedicated to intersectionality and invested in arousing a sense of curiosity and empathy with heraudience. She uniquely weaves together the historical context, statistical analysis, as well as current events. She is a dynamic speaker, invested in tough issues and inspiring in her approach to solutions. By focusing on small meaningful actions and choices, she makes creating large scale change accessible.

A public researcher, consultant and human rights educator, she has shared hundreds of unique resources and presentations around issues including race, ability and gender.

Please join us for educational and insightful conversation. See you soon!

Recognizing and rewarding people can be a strategic advantage – helping you keep your best, demonstrating your commitment to people and your commitment to achieving your organization’s goals.

But if recognition and reward are not undertaken purposefully and thoughtfully, it can backfire, creating jealousy and dissension.

Everyone likes to be recognized and rewarded – some publicly, some personally. People also have an inherent sense of fairness, against which many things are measured. So how do you create a recognition and reward system that pleases people and meets your objectives? Like everything else worthwhile, it takes time and the expertise of an HR professional. 

But here are some ideas to consider before you begin:  

1. Link total rewards to performance management

Almost all recognition and reward is nice to receive. But recognition that isn’t tied to a person’s key performance areas doesn’t serve you, or the recipient. If you only recognize and reward your payroll administrator for their great work on planning the golf day, you’re demonstrating where you feel their value lies and encouraging what you want them to focus on in the future.

2. Define and set your expectations

What are the behaviours and the metrics that you want to achieve? Consider the key one or two priorities you want to achieve this year to move closer to your vision. Then consider both the actual behaviours that will get you there and the desired outcomes those behaviours will produce. Select your incentive points from there.

3. Don’t be underinvested

Underinvested employers place high expectations on individuals but offer low levels of inducements – causing high performers to question why they bother. An unrealistic expectation can rally a person or a team in an exceptional circumstance. Consistent unrealistic expectations are demoralizing.

4. Don’t be overinvested

Overinvested employers offer high levels of inducements attached to little performance expectation. This creates golden handcuffs, where good and poor performing employees alike have little reason to improve things, and no desire to leave. So for your increased investment, you’ve bought stagnation.

5. Use all the tools you have available

Inducements and investments (reward programs) include training, pay rates, benefits, job security and procedures. 

Employer expectations (performance programs) include individual pay for performance systems, as well as employee monitoring and performance appraisals with the goals of raising overall performance levels and sorting the workforce based on performance levels.    

6. Create a high-performance culture

Studies have proven that high performers want to work in a high-performance culture. They want to contribute, be productive and to stay challenged in a culture that rewards them for meeting high expectations. Recognition doesn’t always have to come from you. In high-performance cultures people recognize each other’s contributions, creating a positive spiral.

On the flip side of the coin, low performers tend to voluntarily leave these types of cultures. 

7. Strike your unique balance

“The Culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behaviour the leader is willing to tolerate.”

What are you putting up with, or turning a blind eye to?

Culture is a critical factor in business today. A company’s culture is made up of its values, beliefs and attitudes shared by employees within an organization.

People want to work for an organization that lines up with their personal core values, and they’ll turn down contracts with companies that don’t. At the end of the day, if you have a strong company culture, you’ll likely have more people wanting to work for you.

Acquiring and retaining top talent definitely helps your business succeed. In fact, a recent study found that companies with a strong company culture in place saw four times increase in revenue growth and employees stayed twice as long as their counterparts.

Company Culture can be described as “the way we do things around here”.

At times, culture can be a different concept to understand because it’s an unwritten directive. You can’t write your culture goals into your employee manuals. It’s the dynamic between your staff and is influenced by your company as a whole.

So, what kind of culture does your company currently have? Do you know?

1.     Team Culture

Team-oriented companies usually hire based on culture fit first, skills and experience second. Often times this culture is rooted in collaborations. Employees are often encouraged to share and explore new ideas with others. Additionally, this culture often offers flexibility and independence with their employees. The happiness of their employees tends to be the focus. Team cultures believe that productive and cheerful workers lead to stronger work.

2.     Elite Culture

Elite corporate culture hires the strongest due to the desire to break forward and take the lead in their business. This culture type is often referred to as a performance-driven culture. Its leaders are driven and demanding of their employees, but the entire organization is united by the common objective to succeed. Elite culture offices encourage employees to think outside the box and push the boundaries of the status quo on a daily basis.

3.     Conventional Culture

Sometimes known as the traditional company culture, this is one of the original cultures set up in businesses. They have defined hierarchies and usually have a goal mindset throughout the company. Also known as customer-focused culture, this culture type seeks to excel at providing high-quality service to whomever their consumer is. Often times, this culture is formal and has proper procedures in place for guidance.

4.     Progressive Culture

Progressive culture is rapidly growing in recent years. Similar to team culture, progressive culture focuses heavily on people who bring a positive and confident attitude to the workplace. These organizations favour progress, change and improvement within their company. Progressive organizations no longer focus solely on increasing sales or meeting one goal at a time. They want to build experiences for their customers, which starts with a positive experience for employees.

Your company culture can either energize or drain your employees. Make sure your culture is a healthy one that lines up with your company values. Remember that companies receive greater earnings and ideas from employees that are engaged and passionate about their work.

Create the conditions where people are excited to come work in the morning.

If you are looking to develop a culture of engagement, the formula is simple:

• Help people continually expand their expertise at what they do.

• Once they know, give them the authority and responsibility to decide how things should get done.

• Give them something meaningful to work on.

Happiness is not the absence of problems, it’s the ability to solve them.

When smart, confident people can use their unique skills and experience to solve problems that are meaningful, there is no stopping them.

Here’s how HR can help:

1.     Experts in Human Resources are uniquely trained and skilled in developing people’s skills and expertise, through formalized professional development, on the job training programs and feedback systems designed to encourage learning in a safe environment.

2.     Your HR team can build job descriptions with defined responsibilities and accountabilities that give people the freedom to make decisions about how best to get things done, within parameters that are clear and widely understood.

3.     As members of the strategic leadership team, HR can translate the organization’s vision and purpose into meaningful daily application.

Why is it important?

1.     Engaged employees boost productivity

Employees who are engaged and invested in their roles are 21 per cent more productive at work than those who aren’t. Disconnected employees work less, cost money and demotivate others.

2.     Engaged employees are less likely to quit

Unwanted turnover is expensive and difficult. If your employees are invested in your workplace and they’re happy in their role, they’re far less likely to leave.

3.     Engaged employees are positive

Negative feedback surfaces more than positive, which is why it’s important to engage with employees and give them a reason to feel proud and significant at work. At the end of the day, the employee experience will translate to the customer experience.

4.     Engaged employees are more creative

Creativity is not about coming up with an idea no one thought of before. It’s improving on an existing solution, or putting a series of ideas together in a new way. Employees who are engaged tend to feel more comfortable taking risks. Creative problem solving breathes new possibilities into work.

Ultimately, engagement leads to a healthier and more creative workplace, where innovative people want to contribute meaningfully to the best possible outcomes.

Strategy isn’t a set it and forget it thing.

It evolves, it moves, it adapts to circumstances. So, the best way to stay strategic is to hire strategy-minded people and let them do their thing. 

But a recent survey by CEB Global reports that one-third of star performers feel disengaged from their employer. In other words, some of the people whose energy and insight you really need have already checked out and are looking for their next job.

You need a strategy to keep your strategic thinkers happy (and strategic thinkers can be found at all levels of the organization). Creating this environment doesn’t happen overnight. The good news is that you have complete control over the things that keep the best people engaged and contributing.

1. Define your company vision

You, as the leader, should be able to define the vision in 100 words. This statement should answer key questions that drive your business: Why does your company exist? Where is your company headed? What do you want your company to be? If your employees truly buy in to the vision, they will look for opportunities to advance it and identify potential threats.

2. Show them the big picture

 Set the vision in the context of its surroundings. Share what achieving the vision means to them and others. Most of your top people genuinely care about mastering their work and making a difference. As a leader, clearly define your company’s true purpose (think beyond the bottom line) and demonstrate it wherever possible.

3. Balance being professional with being human

 Compassion is empathy and caring in action. How many companies truly demonstrate compassion? Show that your people mean more than their eight-hour work output. Celebrate their wins, empathize when they need support, and challenge them when they need a nudge.

4. Give rewards and recognition

 Top performers won’t accept being ignored. Set high, bit achievable expectations and reward performance appropriately. This doesn’t have to be complex or costly, but it should always be credible. Earned financial rewards and perks are important, but so is a sincere mention in a staff meeting, or a personal note of thanks.

5. Establish strong performance management

 Don’t reward or ignore underperformance. Remember that unsatisfactory work and a bad attitude can spread through an office like wildfire, if not stopped. It demoralizes the top performers and encourages underperformers to stay. Managers sometimes turn a blind eye to underperformers or give them endless chances to redeem themselves. Encourage and support tough, but fair decisions.

6. Strengthen individuals and teams

 Provide opportunities for personal development and access to the tools needed to advance their careers. Your job as an efficient leader is to help your employees discover their concealed talents and develop them. Encourage them to grow as a team, welcoming projects that allow collaboration and play a direct role in your company’s success. Even small steps such as delegating will have a big payoff. Delegation is a great opportunity that allows employees to take ownership of something and gain confidence in their abilities.

7. Most importantly, elevate your HR function

 Despite the growing importance and complexity of managing people, many businesses treat HR as if it were just a necessary administrative function. But HR can lead the way on several fronts, including the six steps above – which are not quick fixes. They are long-term strategies that should be aligned to your unique market and your culture. They require thoughtful establishment and ongoing management to deliver the dividends that will set you apart.

The process of strategic planning can be as important to an organization as the results. Maximize your investment in talent and make sure to keep them satisfied.

For more strategic tips and guidelines, sign up for our upcoming webinar.   

The best leaders create leaders, not followers.

While each person’s leadership style is distinct, true leaders stand by their own sincere, clearly defined sense of purpose.

Becoming and staying a sound leader doesn’t happen overnight, it takes practice and determination. Check your leadership habits against the following ten key points:

1.     Lead by example

People look to you for guidance and strength, especially in difficult times. Your values, commitment, energy and attitude are contagious, just make sure that’s a good thing. When you stand by your principles, your team will, too.

2.     Communicate

Effective communication is leadership. Talking is not the same as communicating. When your employees come to you with an idea or issue, make sure you actively listen to them and think before you react. Be authentic, be credible, be trustworthy.

3.     Collaborate

Look for opportunities to get other people involved in projects at work. Bring new employees together to get new results. There is immense value in bringing your team together. Collaboration challenges people to think and articulate their visions, often  generating new approaches and richer ideas.

4.     Delegate

Leaders don’t try to be everywhere at once. Let your employees take on new things and free up space on your desk so you can focus on the tasks only a leader can do. It also shows trust and confidence in other people’s abilities.

5.     Never stop learning

Knowledge is power. Aside from keeping things fresh to sustain your professional creativity and passion, learning also keeps you relevant in our dynamic and ever-changing world. Leaders ask questions and they listen everywhere, bringing each person’s unique perspective to the table.

6.     Build trust

Show your employees that you have their back. Demonstrate that you have the competence and the character to be trusted. As Covey says, ‘business moves at the speed of trust.’

7.     Be passionate

Passion constantly inspires others and is a trait you can’t fake. Talk about why the work has meaning. Put the purpose before your personality. People want their work to contribute to something meaningful. Show them what that is.

8.     Know your limits

We all want to succeed, so we push our limits. But strong leaders know their limits and in honouring them, give others permission to do the same. As a leader, if you’re burning yourself out, you’re probably burning others out, too.

9.     Motivate

Motivation has three components, mastery, autonomy and purpose. Help people become masters at their trade. As they do, give them the authority to make appropriate decisions and apply this to meaningful work. If you get this right, they will rush into work in the morning.

10.  Prioritize your immediate team

Invest one-on-one time with your employees to build individual relationships and make sure they feel heard and understood. Your people are your responsibility, and their success is your success. Remember, leaders get the employees they deserve.

In the end, successful leaders achieve because they understand themselves and others. True leadership is not about perfection, it’s about credibility, character, communication, consistency and purpose.  

These reports are divided into six key areas - Labour Market Forecast, Employee Development & Employee Turnover, Performance Management andTruth and Reconciliation – that benchmark industry issues and trends that human resources professionals can reference when making future talent management decisions.

This article summarizes and compares each area of the Manitoba and Western Canada HR Trends reports.

Labour Market Forecast

After a three-year downward trend, the hiring confidence index in Western Canada was rebounded; meanwhile, Manitoba’s hiring confidence continues to increase despite any negatives occurring in the other Western provinces.

 In Manitoba, two in five (41%) of organizations expect their headcount to grow in the first half of 2019 and 43% expect their number of employees to remain the same. Only 6% are predicting a net decrease in staff.

 The most common reasons for employers to lose staff are Resignation for a better opportunity and Resignation for personal reasons. This is a sign of strong economies and health labour markets in Manitoba and Western Canada because professionals are presented with better opportunities and employers can afford to hire them.

Employee Development and Turnover

Two-thirds of organizations in Western Canada are aware of what percentage of their budgeted expenses are allocated for learning and professional development; In Manitoba, one-in-five (19%) allocate at least 5% of their budget towards learning and development. Two-in-five (43%) expect to see an increase in their human resources budget for next year – including one-in-20, who expect to see an increase of 7% or more.

 For employee turnover, Manitoba organizations saw an average of 16.5% over the past year; the average voluntary turnover (12.9%) was higher than involuntary (9%).

 Nine-in-ten (89%) Manitoba organizations took one or more actions to reduce employee turnover. Better onboarding (53%) continues to be the most popular action and has increased from the same period last year. Other common actions include reviewing the organizational culture (38%), higher wages (33%), and flexible work arrangements (31%).

Performance Management

A strong majority (84%) of Western Canadian organizations have a formal performance review program; In Manitoba, nine-in-ten (88%) organizations have a formal performance review program.

 Throughout Manitoba and Western Canada, there is room for improvement in the effectiveness of management programs; In Manitoba, although two-thirds (66%) agree that their organization’s management program is effective, only 7% completely agree with this statement while 34% somewhat agree. 30% disagree with this statement as it applies to their organization.

Truth and Reconciliation

44% of Manitoba HR professionals consider themselves familiar with the fact that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report included specific Calls to Action for the business community; Less than one-quarter 23% work for an organization that acknowledges the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action – child welfare, education, language and culture, health, justice and equality.

 24% of Manitoba organizations currently have an Indigenous strategy for recruitment and an additional 11% are currently developing one. One-in-five either currently have or are developing Indigenous strategies for employee retention (19%) and professional development (19%) and/or engagement (18%).

HR Ratio

In Manitoba, organizations have an average of 142 employees for one HR professional.

• 21% of organizations have one HR professional for 200 employees
• 34%  for one HR professional per 100 employees
• 24% for one HR professional to 50 employees
• 20% for one HR professional to until 50 employees

The Spring 2019 study was conducted by Insights West on behalf of CPHR British Columbia & Yukon, CPHR Alberta, CPHR Saskatchewan and CPHR Manitoba. The survey was conducted between November 26 to December 23, 2018. Members under each provincial association were invited to take part via email – resulting in 1,106 responses. Respondents ranged in what sector, size of workplace and professional title they represented.

For more information on both the Manitoba HR Trends Report and Western Canada HR Trends Report (Spring 2019 and past editions), visit https://www.cphrmb.ca/page/HRTrends. 

that the role of Human Resources is critical to what used to be known as ‘the soft side’ of business, that is increasingly impacting the bottom line, at times even threatening a business’s survival.

Loren Remillard, CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce is seeing the effects firsthand. “Many of the topics that keep our members up at night revolve around HR issues, from promoting safe and respectful workplaces to managing the impact of legalized cannabis.”

The proposed provincial legislation on self-regulation would give CPHRs the authority and the responsibility to uphold the highest standards of HR practice in Canada, much like a CPA or a lawyer. It would hold CPHRs legally responsible for the reasonable protection of the public. It would require CPHRs to meet the standards as set forth for professional development and ethical conduct in order to maintain their designation and it provides a forum for the public to register complaints.

Passing self-regulation legislation is seen by many in the business community as a practical and appropriate response to the issues of the day. “Strengthening the responsibility and authority of CPHRs to address issues like these effectively allows

our business leaders to stay focused on the task at hand,” adds Remillard.

And the task at hand is great. Like much of Canada, Manitoba’s economy is growing and evolving. While it has always been very diverse, industries that had been steady and stable for decades are seeing spikes and growth and/or challenging disruptions.

In some cases, local companies are the disruptors, like Skip the Dishes, who have grown their digital restaurant delivery service into a national brand, and New Flyer Industries, whose unprecedented growth CEO Paul Soubry attributes exclusively to people and purpose.

“Our success is based entirely on the success of our people,” says Soubry, another strong supporter of the legislation. “Self-regulation will give all CPHRs the authority they need to more fully protect people and companies in Manitoba. “Self-regulation will better support Manitoba employers by protecting them from exposure to unnecessary risks — everything from ensuring workplaces are inclusive, safe, and free from abuse, to responding appropriately to changing times, like the legalization of marijuana.

But risk is only half the equation.

Helping attract and keep the talent required; connecting business goals to job performance; and enhancing leadership skills at all levels are the factors that support continuous growth and improvement.

“It’s long been clear that solid HR practices are of great benefit to employees,” add Ron Gauthier, CEO, CPHR Manitoba, “What is increasingly obvious, even unavoidable, is that the success or failure of businesses today is highly reliant on sound culture and fair practice, this is where CPHRs offer their unique expertise.”

The self-regulation of the HR profession is not a new concept in Canada, Ontario and Quebec both have self-regulation. Alberta and Saskatchewan are in conversation with their respective governments, as is Manitoba.

CPHR Manitoba is seeking title protection, which legislates the role of designated CPHRs and strengthens the value of CPHR members, who are held to the National standards of practice and code of ethics. But it doesn’t require HR practitioners to become designated or join the association to practice.

“We are a young profession and we are evolving as the industry evolves.” adds Gauthier. “It’s important that we continually raise the bar of HR practice in two ways, by encouraging HR practitioners to seek the designation and by supporting non-designated members in delivering according to our national standards.”

At the time of printing, self-regulation legislation in Manitoba is making its way through the halls of the Legislature.

“We have had some encouraging conversations with legislators of late,” adds Gauthier. “We look forward to more of this important dialogue over the coming months.”

These reports are divided into six key areas - Labour Market Forecast, Labour Market Statistics, Compensation & Benefits, Employee Engagement, Politics, Harassment & Substance Abuse and Trends in HR – that benchmark industry issues and trends that human resources professionals can reference when making future talent management decisions.

This article summarizes and compares each area of the Manitoba and Western Canada HR Trends reports.

Labour Market Forecast

In Western Canada, hiring confidence is down in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan; meanwhile, Manitoba’s hiring confidence is up – bucking the ongoing trend in hiring. The sectors with the highest measured hiring rates are construction, retail, public administration and government, and education; the manufacturing sector suffers with the lowest hiring levels.

In Manitoba, large organizations were the driving force behind the high increase in hires; small organizations also saw an increase in the number of hires but medium-sized organizations remained stagnant. 35% of organizations expect their number of employees to raise in the next six months – in favour of small and medium-sized businesses.

The most common reasons for employers to lose staff are Resignation for a better opportunity and Resignation for personal reasons. This is a sign of strong economies and health labour markets in Manitoba and Western Canada because professionals are presented with better opportunities and employers can afford to hire them.

Labour Market Statistics

45% of organizations are reporting a net increase in employment across Western Canada. This significant percentage is driven by high numbers in British Columbia (57%), medium-sized organizations (51%), and in the construction (56%), retail (48%), and professional services (48%) sectors; meanwhile, 43% of organizations in Manitoba saw an increase in growth in all areas, especially from medium-sized organizations (51%).

In Manitoba and Western Canada, the increase of employment numbers is due to an increase in contractors – to lower financial and benefits-associated costs. In Manitoba, the biggest increase of contractors versus employees is in medium-sized organizations at net +7.6%.

Since Resignation for a better opportunity is the most common reason for all job categories – managers, professionals, tradespersons or journeypersons, administrative or support staff – except executives, whose most common reason for leaving a job is Retirement.

For the HR profession, large organizations in Manitoba have the highest ratio of 272 regular employees to one HR staff person in comparison to all other provinces; Saskatchewan had the lowest at 148:1.

Compensation and Benefits

In Western Canada, 71% of organizations have a compensation philosophy; however, in Manitoba, only 65% of organizations do – a number that has decreased by four points since last year. About one in five all respondents expect to see a change their compensation philosophy next year and over two-thirds don’t expect to see a change. Despite the large proportion of organizations that have a compensation philosophy, only a few HR professionals believe their employees understand the basis of which their compensation is determined.

Employee Engagement

Three-quarter of all respondents agree that employee engagement is important to the senior leadership of the organization. Manitoba ranked the highest amount of organizations (76%) in agreement for employment engagement.

Manitoba also ranked the highest percentage of employees (59%) who are engaged in their work and have a profound connection to their company.

Politics, Harassment and Substance Abuse

Workplaces in Manitoba/Western Canada generally don’t rank themselves as being “political” but the most common messages used in the workplace are focused on change (50%/49%), neutral of tone (44%/47%), respectful (38%/34%), focused on policy debates (35%/36%) and civil (32%).

The #MeToo Movement triggered many organizations to take action with respect to their workplace policies related to bullying and harassment. Manitoba ranked the highest at 62% for the amount of organizations that took affirmative action.

Meanwhile, the legalization of marijuana presented new challenges for organizations in Western Canada. In Manitoba, two in five respondents (39%) say their organizations have a drug and alcohol policy that is sufficient to address marijuana and another 41% are actively working on having a policy in place within a year.

HR in Manitoba

HR professionals in Manitoba say that they spend almost half (45%) of their time working on a strategic or performing at a leadership function.

The trends that HR professionals commonly face in Manitoba and Western Canada include employment standards by government, NAFTA uncertainty, minimum wage and legalization of marijuana. The biggest challenges that HR professionals in Manitoba face are unsupportive/micro-managing management; lack of time, strategic direction or communication; turnover and finding the right candidate.

The online survey for the HR Trends was conducted between June 19 and July 10, 2018, by CPHR British Columbia & Yukon, CPHR Alberta, CPHR Saskatchewan and CPHR Manitoba. Members under each provincial association were invited to take part via email – resulting in 2,912 responses. Respondents ranged in what sector, size of workplace and professional title they represented.

For more information on both the Manitoba HR Trends Report and Western Canada HR Trends Report (Fall 2018 and past editions), visit https://www.cphrmb.ca/page/HRTrends. 

THE 6 MONTH OUTLOOK - Expectation for the biggest reason to lose staff
The biggest change from the last report is the jump from 9% to 14% of Termination without cause. It is still one of the least common reasons, but its increase could be a warning sign for the economy. In comparison, the Western Canada HR Trends report saw a decrease of three points for Termination without cause which is now at 15% for western provinces. 

CURRENT TRENDS
About a third of organizations (34%) saw their numbers of employees grow over the last six months (5% drop from the previous report). Small organizations saw the biggest change. Medium-organizations are still seeing growth, as only 14% report losing employees. Only 22% of large organizations reported growth. 

TERMINATION CAUSES
Retirement is now the most common reason for staff loss. Resignation for a better opportunity and Resignation for personal reasons both became significantly less common. This coupled with a slight increase in the Termination without cause could be a warning of a softening of Manitoba's job market. As noted in the last report, Manitoba continues to cite retirement as the most common reason for leaving which is well ahead of the Western Provinces.

HR TEAM RATIO
Respondents were asked to provide an approximate ratio of HR employees to overall employees in their organizations. The ratio grows with the size of the organization. Small organizations have 34 regular employees for each HR staff member, the ratio is 124:1 for medium-sized organizations and 249:1 for large organizations.

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
On average, organizations are investing 4.1% of their total budget towards learning and development. This is an increase from six months ago (up 0.4%) and restores budgets to where they were in 2016. 

DEVELOPING HIGH PERFORMERS AND LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL
Respondents rated flexible working arrangements and stretch assignments as the most effective at motivating high performers. Both of them were rated as very effective or effective by at least 89% of organizations. Employee recognition programs and pay-for-performance, while still seen as effective by a clear majority were rated as the least effective overall. This is very relevant because these two methods are also the most commonly used methods by organizations in Manitoba.

A majority of respondents say that overall their organizations are effective at motivating high performers (53%). Only small numbers say they are either very effective (5%) or very ineffective (4%) at motivating those employees.

IDENTIFYING LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL
In almost every organization in Manitoba, HR is involved in the process of identifying higher leadership potential employees. That said in only 20% of cases does HR lead the formal process. HR being equally involved as management happens about a third of the time (28%), though this is more common in small organizations. In another 39% of organizations, HR plays only an advisory role.

The most common method used by organizations in Manitoba to develop high leadership potential employees is to make additional professional development and learning opportunities available to them. About two in five organizations offer mentoring (40%) and specialized leadership development tracks (41%). Other methods that organizations use to develop high leadership potential employees include informal coaching and individual development plans.

COMBATTING HARASSMENT
Respondents were asked to rank up to six tools or actions used to reduce harassment and bullying in the workplace. The most highly ranked tools were training around identifying harassment and prevention training. This makes sense as these two tools are focused on identifying harassment early or preventing it before it begins. The lowest ranked tools were resources for documenting cases of harassment and resources to assists in evaluating an existing program's effectiveness at reducing harassment and bullying. These two tools are more focused on handling harassment properly as opposed to preventing it from happening in the first place, so it stands to reason they would be seen as less useful.

MANITOBA’S CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDARD
Only 28% of organizations are fully compliant with the Customer Service Standard under the Accessibility for Manitobans Act (this rises to 42% among large organizations). Another 18% are currently designing their programs to be compliant (29% with large organizations) and about the same number (17%) are currently reviewing programs to figure out what is needed to be compliant. Five percent of organizations are struggling with compliance and one in ten (10%) have not even started a review of current programs and policies (this is 17% among small organizations).

TRENDS IN HR
Respondents were also asked to identify trends impacting their work in HR including government policies. While there were too many to enumerate, here are the most popular and significant:

• Bill 28
• Budget cuts
• Cannabis 

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Scores of more than 50 mean that HR professionals are more confident that concerned about hiring. The index is made up of both an expectation of hiring levels over the next six months and the confidence respondents have in finding the right people to fill vacancies. 

The full results of the survey will be released shortly. 

Scores of more than 50 mean that HR professionals are more confident that concerned about hiring. The index is made up of both an expectation of hiring levels over the next six months and the confidence respondents have in finding the right people to fill vacancies. 

Summary of results

85% of Manitoba employers expected to maintain their current staffing levels or see a net increase, which is higher than the average for all Western provinces. 

Since we began the Western Canada HR Trends survey in 2016, there has been a steady decline in the Hiring Confidence Index in Manitoba. 

The Healthcare and Manufacturing industries are most worried sectors among the Western provinces. 

The full results of the survey will be released shortly. 

These partnerships are exceptional alignments for CPHR Canada, says Anthony Ariganello, CPHR, CEO, CPHR Canada. Globalization is having tremendous impacts on jobs, workplaces and economies all over the world. It¹s more important than ever that the human resource profession creates these international alliances, to identify trends and challenges and position our members to better serve employers and employees in these transitions.

The MoUs define the nature of the partnerships and the areas in which the organizations will inter-relate. Within both organizations, we will be looking for opportunities to partner on international agenda items, to share resources and compare industry trends, adds Shannon Railton Chair of CPHR Canada. 

Established in 1965, SHRI has been instrumental in building the HR brand in Singapore and beyond, in tandem with Singapore¹s nation-building efforts since its independence in the same year. As the leading professional HR body, SHRI has been the trendsetter, creating benchmarks in standards of best HR practices with core initiatives such as: Singapore¹s first HR Accreditation Framework, The Singapore HR Awards, Singapore HR Congress & Business-Connect Exposition and The Singapore HR Challenge for post-secondary and tertiary institutions. SHRI also works closely with national HR associations worldwide, such as the World Federation of People Management Associations (WFPMA) and the Asia Pacific Federation of Human Resource Management (APFHRM), to bring global best HR practices, insights and services to HR professionals in Singapore and the region.