with the right skills and 75% saying the accelerated pace of digital transformation will not be sustainable without addressing burnout among their workforce. “We’re seeing this play out in Manitoba, as employees shop around for better pay and more flexibility, while employers work to keep long-term costs in line and cash on hand to deal with uncertainties,” adds Gauthier. “The solutions here are predominantly HR led: obviously recruitment, retention and negotiation; but also supporting people to reduce or eliminate burnout; creating structure around flexibility; and helping people find more meaning in their work.” The past few years have also increased awareness among investors, business leaders, employees and consumers around the increased role of organizations on societal challenges such as racial and gender equality and climate change. Fully 78% of business leaders report having increased their commitment to make a difference on social and environmental issues, with 90% saying their workforce should reflect the diverse community they serve. “We’re seeing more and more organizations putting people and purpose on the same footing as profit, not as an add-on, but as the strategic direction that will provide them with the fundamentals they need to operate. This is where HR has the expertise and the experience to deliver.” “People who saw HR as a transactional function before the pandemic now see the value in building out the systems and processes that help people manage change and stay engaged.”
The role of business has changed, and people’s perception of how business fits in to their communities and their lives has changed. Canada’s business leaders seem well-positioned to ride the next waves of change – with strategic HR leadership building the systems that make it so. The CPHR designation emphasizes the strategic role of HR management in business and plays an important role in securing HR’s position as an equal business partner at the executive table. “CPHRs are uniquely qualified to help leaders achieve their business goals,” adds Gauthier. “With proven expertise across nine key business metrics, every CPHR has the knowledge and the experience to address the factors that underpin the degree of immediate and long- term business success.” CPHRs advance and expand their professional knowledge and practice across these competency areas throughout their careers, offering business leaders the most current, evidence-based practices and technologies. Business will keep evolving to new ways of working. CPHRs are best equipped, through their education, experience and expertise, to shape the future of work.
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