Corporate

Innovative Concepts for Working Together in a Post-Pandemic World 10 an executive white paper by CEO Health + Safety Leadership Network Create a Well-Defined Employer Brand that Respects the Whole Employee At CSA Group, Mistry says listening, flexibility and respect are essential. "We have to be flexible to accommodate people's working and personal requirements. During the pandemic, we checked in a lot with surveys and conversations to find out how people were doing, what challenges they were facing and to assess their level of confidence. The key is listening and giving the team feedback and respect." She also notes that they have observed greater interest in the organization's purpose, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), and Environmental Sustainability and Governance (ESG) in interviews. People want to know what the total package looks like. "This current workforce is much more informed and interested in the work of our organization, not just what their salary will be. We are amping up how we present ourselves – looking at what we reflect on our website and asking questions like, "Does it show our commitment to DEI?" and "What first impression does it make?" Siemens has a multi-generational workforce with many family members joining the team. However, they had an awakening when they learned that university students and new graduates did not know much about the organization and the work it does. Vuckovic says, "I was on a panel for interns, and they pitched us on how we could market ourselves better because we weren't doing a very good job. We weren't telling our own story in recruitment about DEI and ESG and this is important to them. Students had to do a deep dive to get this information, so many weren't looking at us for co-op opportunities and were going to other organizations that were doing a better job." She says they are paying more attention to their employer brand. They emphasize the benefits of working for Siemens, what the organization stands for, and how they transform everyday for society. Peoples says that, as a charity, MHRC can't match corporate salaries, so they differentiate themselves in other ways to be an attractive employer and desirable place to work. "There are always job opportunities for all of us for better pay so flight risks are real, especially in post pandemic job markets. so creating a workplace culture that is flexible, supportive and mentally healthy is beneficial. Charities offer work that is meaningful and working in a sector with passionate people. But being a flexible, adaptive, empathetic employer and offering remote work has added to that." "People have to be able to bring their authentic selves to work. They've got to be comfortable sharing how we can best set them up for success. As leaders we need to learn to be flexible and empathetic – and we practiced that during the pandemic when everyone was at home. There was no choice. I can't relate directly to my employees who are working from home and managing a family with small children, but I must lead with empathy to understand what those employees' lives are like and how MHRC can support their schedules." To gain a better line of sight and capture employees' ideas, Peoples initiated stay interviews based on a recommendation from her HR consultant. "We do exit interviews and onboarding interviews – why not stay interviews? It was scary at the beginning. I just figured everyone was going to ask for a raise as the way they could be best supported – but not one person mentioned compensation." 2 " Charities offer work that is meaningful and working in a sector with passionate people. But being a flexible, adaptive, empathetic employer and offering remote work has added to that." — Akela Peoples President and CEO Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC)

• Cover
• Introduction
• A Snapshot of the Panelists and Speakers
• Highlights of Panel Discussion
• Building Culture and Creating Mentally Healthy Workplaces from Afar
• Conclusion