Registration & breakfast
Keynote Partner Introduction
Heather Lamont
Vice President, Client Success & Loyalty, ADP Canada
Opening keynote: Evolving the employee experience to increase brand connection and retain talent
Learn how McDonald's is innovating new approaches to digital employee experience to increase engagement with its 1.9 million employees.
- Empowering employees with technology solutions that allow for easy access to employment information, provide crew with a voice, and cultivate meaningful connections across the McDonald’s community
- Maintaining security to enable employees to safely communicate in real-time while accessing proprietary information
- Integrating SSO capabilities for easy access to schedules, benefits, paystubs, and training materials, while acknowledging the hundreds of different platforms McDonald’s uses globally
- Ensuring that every new feature is legally compliant, protects the McDonald’s brand, and follows protocols and legislation of every single market’s local jurisdiction
David Burchfield
Global Director of People Strategy, McDonald's
Case study: Is introducing a four-day work week realistic?
The increasing need to deliver employee flexibility and work-life balance has brought the topic of a four-day work week to the table. Employers that have tested a shorter week have experienced increased productivity, making it a viable long-term solution. As CHROs compete for talent, it’s imperative they assess trends that may have a significant impact on the world of work. This session will provide insights into the challenges and benefits of a four-day work week from an organization that has trialled it.
- What needs to be considered when testing the four-day week?
- How to assess the feasibility of changed work schedules and expectations
- The implications for company policies and compensation packages
- Predictions: Will this become a part of work life, and, if so, how can HR leaders prepare for it?
- Overcoming issues around suitability of a four-day week for all job functions
Quinn M. Ross
CEO and 4-day work week champion, The Ross Firm Professional Corporation
Networking coffee break
Single-sponsor session: Future-proofing your employee wellness strategy
HR must lead organizations in taking a flexible approach to meeting employees' wellness needs. This includes optimizing operations for better workflow, assessing overall anxiety levels affecting employees, and developing strategies to address signs of high stress and burnout. Having the correct tools in place to ensure the wellness of staff is crucial to employee satisfaction and the success of your company. This session explores how CHROs can future-proof employee wellness strategies to prevent critical challenges arising around low productivity, absenteeism and loss of talent.
- Identifying innovative wellness resources that support busy professionals
- Creating a supportive work culture from the top down
- Assessing workloads, sick leave and time-off policies to address unnecessary pressures on staff
- What benefits can have a meaningful impact on employees’ circumstances?
- How can CHROs improve their EQ skills in a remote work environment?
Jarik Conrad
VP of Human Insights and HCM Advisory, Executive Director, Equity at Work Council, UKG
Executive discussion tables
Discuss the topics that matter to you most. This session's interactive format enables in-depth peer-to-peer discussions around the CHRO's key challenges, providing real insight and value. These discussions are limited to eight to ten delegates per table.
Lunch networking break
Panel: How to win the race for talent
In the context of the Great Resignation and employees' increased focus on overall happiness and job satisfaction, it’s imperative that CHROs evolve their talent retention strategies to respond to the priorities of their top performers. This session will provide insights into successful retention strategies that not only respond to changing demands but also challenge competitors to do better.
- Aligning your company culture and values to the overall employee experience – from recruitment to exit
- Using employee feedback to support company culture
- Upskilling existing talent: Assessing its impact on retention and recruitment
- Avoiding talent exits: Stay interviews and other proven strategies
- Gaining operational insights through exit interviews
Moderator:
Dorenda McNeil
Senior Vice President - Operation, Brand & Talent, Counsel
Panelists:
Sandra Petosa
Senior Vice President, Talent, Culture and Diversity, Groupe CH
Meghan Stettler
Director, O.C. Tanner Institute
Cheryl Kerrigan
Chief People Officer, BlueCat
Sauvnish Bains
Chief of Staff, Flybits
Panel: Creating impact through workforce planning
CHROs are facing unique challenges in 2022, such as changing vaccine policies, ‘right to disconnect’ laws, and recalling employees to the office. CHROs must adapt to these changes while maintaining the level of normality required for businesses to thrive. Developing a plan to face unknown obstacles ahead while assessing what's not working for your workforce is necessary, but how do you go about this? How do you strategically engage current talent while also pursuing new global candidate pools? This session will provide HR leaders with the tools required for successful, strategic workforce planning to help you thrive in 2022 and beyond.
- Building a strategy to address skills availability and workloads
- Building employee engagement into your organizational strategy to minimize turnover and increase continuity
- Predicting future skills requirements and workforce costs, and how current policies will impact these
- Elevating and upskilling existing talent pools to deal with unforeseen future obstacles
Moderator:
Annabella Tamburro
Sr. Director, HR Transformation, Extendicare
Panelists:
Meghan Kemper
Partnership Manager, intelliHR
Julie Denton
Chief People Officer, Recipe Unlimited Corporation
Cindy McArthur
CHRO, Dexterra Group
Danny Davies
Chief People Officer, Aviva Canada
Networking coffee break
Panel: Disconnecting from work: Aligning company policies with current laws on workplace health
With organizations transitioning to hybrid or fully remote working, it's essential that employees have clear guidance on when work stops and personal life begins. To tackle this challenge, the Ontario government enacted the Working for Workers Act, which requires employers to develop a policy on the 'right to disconnect’ from work. CHROs should be proactive in reviewing potential policy inclusions. Join this panel discussion on one of biggest issues of 2022 for Canadian employers, and learn the impact of this policy on your company and how to position it to retain top talent.
- The 'right to disconnect’: How do organizations ensure this is properly enacted?
- What are the consequences of an employer breach?
- How should employers update appropriate policies?
- How to embed the policy into company culture from the top down?
- Re-evaluating policies around vacation time, out-of-office messages, sick leave and hours of work
Erin Dick
Assistant Vice President, Wellbeing Services, Aon
Kelly Davis
Chief People Officer, Sunwing Travel Group
Marie-Helene Daigle
Vice President Human Resources, Sollio Agriculture
Fireside chat: Returning to the workplace – How to prepare your people
As many companies get ready for the return to the office, it's imperative that CHROs create a clear strategy to address employees' biggest concerns. In this session, hear best practices from an industry leader for a safe and well-organized transition.
- How to create an open environment that involves employee input in the decision-making process
- Determining when and how to implement a phased return to work: How will employees be notified and how much leeway will be given?
- Addressing COVID vaccines and a communication plan for employees
- How should employers respond to an unexpected federal mandate?
Dr. David Satok
Chief Medical Officer, Rogers Communications
Candace DiCresce
Senior Director of Safety & Well-being, Rogers Communications
Niki Da Silva
Chief People Officer Global, Right to Play
Closing remarks & drinks welcome
Alison Darling
Director, Professional Programs, Queen’s University IRC