HR Inside Out

Originally from Lagos, Nigeria Ayo Owodunni immigrated to Canada in 2016 as an Economic Migrant. His initial experiences were not positive ones. He learned from these and now works with both businesses and individuals to change this. Canada needs the 500,000 immigrants scheduled to make Canada their new home per year. Ayo shares what we as their colleagues, and they as new immigrants can and should be doing differently to make this better for everyone.

Join host Susan Ney and her guest Cheryl Brewster as Cheryl talks about finding and living the power of joy in our lives and of her journey to modelling this, repurposing her work - rebranding as the good pirate - and encouraging “following your creativity into your zone of genius”. Aye matey!!!!

In my last podcast, I talked about saying yes to opportunities; that these can take us to experiences and places we could not have ever imaged. Something we often don’t say “yes” to, is taking breaks. I have been the person who, fully focused on what I was doing, didn’t stop what I was doing to grab that morning coffee, or at times, lunch. As a leader I always encouraged that team members ensure that they take their breaks, but I often didn’t model my words, and therefore, likely left team members confused at what I really meant. This alone wasn’t healthy. Not taking much needed breaks for my mind to focus elsewhere wasn’t healthy, and … although I guess I have always known it internally, getting outside to enjoy some truly fresh air, also wasn’t healthy. And may explain why I was frequently going home so exhausted. I just finished reading the book The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative, by Florence Williams. I felt it important to share some of what I learned. I know that I always feel better when I have taken a few moments to step outside, to breathe fresh air, especially when this involves even a small walk. It was interesting to learn that there has been significant research conducted on the very positive benefits to our health – both physical and psychological. So, today’s podcast is about just that. It will hopefully encourage you to change any bad habits that you might be currently engaged in…. Hope you will join me!

I’m back! I said “yes” and created a whole lot of interesting new experiences in my life, including meeting a number of my zoom colleagues in my travels to Stirling, Scotland. When was the last time you did something that wasn’t necessarily comfortable for you? You are encouraged to say “yes” when opportunities present themselves, especially when they stretch your comfort zone. You never know what might come of the experience. It is all a part of “daring to soar”. Hope you will join me!

Our work teams are comprised of multi generations. And research indicates that each generation tends to have specific preferences and characteristics. I am delighted to introduce you to my work colleague, Amal Anup, to chat about one of these – Gen Z. Amal works as an HR Associate in Classification and Compensation at Capilano University in North Vancouver, British Columbia. He is originally from Kochi, Karala, India. And he speaks passionately about changes we could be making to our education systems and our organizations to better engage this newest generation to our work environments. We hope you will join us!

The other day I got asked the question “What is a grievance? As this podcast is all about demystifying the HR “stuff”, I thought, hey, maybe a podcast to provide an overview of this area of HR might be helpful to you… so, here goes! Hope you will join me!

Retirement is a topic becoming of significantly more importance and interest to individuals of my generation. It is also something that those just wishing for those “golden years” should start giving thought to. Although it might not feel so at the time, the years pass quickly. And more importantly, once you are finally there, thanks in large part to our better health care, there are also many years ahead of us. For those of you who have been going at warp speed for decades, the sudden stop can feel like heading into a collision with a brick wall. It doesn’t need to be that way, with a little planning. We are all different and will yearn for different things in our next chapter. Hope you will join me to learn more!

I met Brian when he was working as the Business Manager for the West Vancouver Municipal Employees Union. I was working as the Director of Human Resources and Payroll Services with the District of West Vancouver. We both eventually moved on from those positions. Brian, to work with the BCGEU – the BC Government and Services Employees Union - as, amongst other responsibilities, their pension expert. Brian recently retired from, what ended up being over ten years with the BCGEU, building expertise on the public sector pension plans in BC. He sat on pension boards, assisted with a myriad of questions and is probably one of the most knowledgeable individuals around when it comes to this stuff. Brian joins us on today’s podcast to share some of this knowledge and to address questions that we have both been asked in our respective positions over the years. And, he asked me to stress this is a general overview as plans and their specific details and information including design details will vary and the pension plans themselves should be relied upon for the specifics. The websites for the specific pension plans have been included below. *EDIT NOTE: The new flat accrual rate on the MPP. is not 1.85% (which was the PSPP number before moving to 1.95% Jan 1 this year). The MPP rate as of Jan 1, 2021 is a flat rate of 1.90%.

Today we are going to talk about intentions, given that it is the beginning of a new year, and a great opportunity to start fresh. Like the rain gently washing away the snow where I live. It helped me realize that I don’t like living in a world of black and white. Colour is important to me. I have noticed the absence of colour with white blanketing everything. So, I pep up my day by choosing brighter colours from my wardrobe. What is important to you? And how are you able to bring that into your life? We delve into the question “What do you want”? And what are the baby steps that will help get you there as we set intention for 2022?

When you’re in the middle of everything, you are a boss. You have a boss. Being in the thick of it at work, dealing with change imposed from above and leading your team through it, can feel difficult and exhausting. It can also be rewarding Gwyn’s book In the Thick Of It: Mastering the Art of Leading From the Middle takes you on a journey of awareness, growth, and purpose to help you master the art of leadership, to become the kind of leader that delivers results while valuing every human being, engendering trust and loyalty, and bringing out the best in others. Gwyn provides the map for you to successfully navigate the waters of planned and unplanned change, and coaches you on how to incorporate autonomy, mastery, purpose, innovation, and creativity into your leadership toolkit.

Marc published his first book Heroic HR in May 2012 - "A little book with BIG ideas" - presenting his passion and philosophy of the need for HR to align itself with the business of the company in which it works; to present strategic, value-added information to all stakeholders and to move from "data management to information craftsmanship". His most recent book, The Death of HR: Who Killed H. (Harriet) R. (Rose) Job? is a cautionary tale and a detective story which provides further insights and actions for all members within the HR workforce. HR Technology, Human Capital Management (HCM) strategies, workforce cyber awareness - all leveraging technology to position HR as a strategic partner - remain a passion for Marc that he teaches, consults, and speaks on. He joins us in today’s podcast to share his “why”, his experience working in this field, and … to let us in on “why the trench coat Marc?”. Hope you will join us.

It’s the holiday season, with all its busyness. We are already stressed out with the uncertainty of the impact of a new covid variant, our work environments still figuring out what a “hybrid” is supposed to look like, the intensity and impact of what are being called “atmospheric rivers” on many of us, especially if you live on the west or east coasts of Canada. And then you add a holiday season… The “good girl” in me feels obliged to bake, entertain and shop… So, a podcast on some gentle reminders, or perhaps prods, on remembering and finding that delicious, sometimes what feels completely unattainable life balance seemed appropriate. Wishing each of you peace, good health and the very best always! Hope you will join me!

Barb Ashcroft is a mentor, an encourager, and a thought changer. On the journey of your life, Barb can help with a mid-course correction to multiply the chances for improvement in all areas of your life, whether personal, physical, or your career. She is always looking for individuals with a desire to grow, to change their current ‘normal’. She asks, “Are you ready for some self-development and confidence building?” As a natural leader, she has learned a great deal about mindset, attitude, and positive thinking. With a desire to raise people up to their full potential, she helps shift people’s belief in themselves. She asks “Are you ready to lose your frustrations and fears? As Barb says, “Your mind is your biggest barrier to an optimum life.” Through programs, events, and workshops, she helps her clients unearth what might be holding them back from a more fulfilled, vibrant, and healthy life.

I am not going to bore you with all the statistics on the importance of fun and play in our work environments. I would be just telling you the obvious. I believe these would help with the engagement (or disengagement) dilemma and create a much-needed spark our organizations desperately need right now. When I reflect over the years and my employment at the various organizations I have worked within, what I’ve cherished most - the memories that bring a lovely feeling of warmth within me - are the moments of fun. Although I worked hard and it wasn’t always easy, it is the times of play and laughter that I continue to cherish. Now, given that much of my career involved working in the public sector, expenditure of public funds in play activities was certainly questioned. Working towards attainment of exotic prizes and retreats at expensive spas were never going to be part of anything that could be considered; activities often available to private sector firms just weren’t doable. This fueled the creativity button. Therefore, what could we do to bring fun and play to work without much, if any cost? And, for our listeners working for non-profits, for those of you working for small companies and for you entrepreneurs, hopefully you will gain some ideas that might work for you. Hope you will join us!

Today we are going to talk about mentoring–both the formal and informal versions–and our experiences with these. Over the years of her career, Carolyn Cooper-McOuatt has been very involved in setting up mentoring programs through her role as trainer, advisor and coordinator at a local college. These have been quite structured. My personal experiences have been with the more laissez-faire ones and those that just simply came about because... well they just seemed meant to. In this era of so much brain drain, engaging that wisdom and experience as one way to pay-it-forward is something that we are certainly encouraging. And the reverse works. I would cherish the opportunity to be mentored in the areas I struggle... technology perhaps... by those the skills come to more naturally–the generations following behind me in our work worlds.