CULTURE IS THE FOUNDATION OF CHANGE, AND IT CAN
TRUMP STRATEGY IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE CHANGE STICK.
IF A COMPANY’S CULTURE IS NOT OPEN, READY AND
WILLING TO SEIZE A CHANGE, IT JUST WON’T HAPPEN.
have a talented team of more than 40 HR professionals who support
500-plus locations and more than 33,000 employees.
What do you love about your job?
NO: Loblaw Companies Limited is a great company with a proud
history and a very strong purpose – helping Canadians live life
well. The pace is unbelievably fast and that energizes me! The last
year has been an exciting one, with the Shopper’s Drug Mart acquisition,
international expansion of Joe Fresh and SAP rollout.
The brilliant and collaborative people here are one of the things I
love the most. Helping someone reach their potential or do something
that they didn’t think they could do is hugely fulfilling, so I
take a lot of pride in leading and coaching my colleagues.
What are the challenges you experience in your job?
NO: I don’t view challenges in the conventional sense; I see them
as opportunities, because they are a chance to think about and do
things differently. One of our biggest opportunities is planning for,
managing through and successfully sustaining change. Culture is
the foundation of change, and it can trump strategy in an effort to
make change stick. If a company’s culture is not open, ready and
willing to seize a change, it just won’t happen. At Loblaw, we recognize
that culture is at the core of our business plan.
What’s key to leading HR during a difficult
time for a client organization?
NO: My quick answer is having the belief that one can succeed,
along with resilience and optimism. These characteristics are important
for business leaders and essential for HR. They help you
believe you can weather the storm, stay focused on what must be
achieved, overcome obstacles and be positive while it is happening.
It’s also important to stay well connected to your head and
your heart. When difficult times occur, we often rationalize the
situation, but it is also crucial to recognize and understand the
emotional impact of corporate decisions. A sense of humour is essential
during tough situations, too. You have to be able to laugh at
yourself when appropriate.
What skills are important for success in HR?
NO: An absolutely essential skill for success in HR is being “stractical.”
This means having the ability to generate a strategy, but
also being able to make it practical enough for implementation.
Another one would be business awareness. You must understand
how your business works, why it works that way, who is part of it
and what it needs to deliver to whom. The last thing I will mention
is having a courageous voice. Sometimes, this means having
the courage to stand alone for what’s right. If you are stractical
and know the business, your courageous voice is even stronger and
more convincing when you need to use it.
What tips do you have for new grads or those in entrylevel
HR jobs who want to move up the ladder?
NO: The first thing I would say is that it isn’t so much a ladder
anymore; it is more of a matrix. Organizations are becoming
flatter, and people are looking at multiple career paths based on
transferrable skills. Growth is often about moving across, as well
as moving up. We certainly see that at Loblaw, which is Canada’s
largest employer. There are so many roles and areas of focus to
sink into; it’s become a wonderful place to broaden and grow. So,
think about what interests you and what would round out your
skills. Having a career in HR is as much about height and depth as
it is about breadth of experience! Don’t forget to get your HR degree
or certification. After that, network with other professionals
you know or join the Human Resources Professionals Association
(HRPA) as a way to establish your network. Finally, jump in –
there is no other better learning in HR than to do it!
What’s the future of HR?
NO: As technology continues to shape our businesses, our role
evolves to that of a more proactive strategic partner, a greater critical
change agent and a bigger culture champion – all because of
the insight that Big Data provides. Technology has the power to
turn annual performance reviews into immediate feedback, while
recognition programs can become online platforms. Technology
will also usher in a new era for accessible training that can be taken
anywhere, anytime, in any language; while virtual resumes and
interviews will become the norm. Employees will use apps to find
out about their work, their total rewards, their schedules and
more. I think as HR practitioners, we’re on the path to a new and
thrilling era which will be great, as long as we keep the “human” in
human resources! n
hr influencer
46 ❚ MARCH/APRIL 2015 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL