MEET THE HR INFLUENCERS:
Bruce Fraser, CHRL, CHRE
THINK STRATEGIC, WORK TACTICAL
By Lisa Gordon
Bruce Fraser is a thinker and a doer.
The thing he loves most about human
resources is the opportunity
to plan out a strategy and then roll
up his sleeves and get the job done.
For the past four years, Fraser has been
director of HR for Nestlé Waters Canada
in Guelph, Ont. Water in every form –
from spring to sparkling – is the focus of
the company’s 400 employees, who are located
across the country.
With a solid background in operations
prior to transitioning to human resources,
Fraser was uniquely positioned to
help Nestlé respond to some challenging
times in the summer of 2016, when the
company’s water-taking permits were
squarely in the Southwestern Ontario
spotlight.
He told HR Professional that times like
those call for solid “communication, consistency,
solutions and support” and that
HR can be a leader in fostering employee
engagement through transparency.
When did you decide you wanted a career
in human resources?
Bruce Fraser: When I was an operations
manager at another company in the mid-
1990s, we were in the process of rolling
out self-directed work teams. At the same
time, I decided to go back to university for
business since my background was technical.
The whole notion of being a coach/
facilitator/leader versus being a manager
really inspired me. I realized there was a
whole different way of working with people.
Working through those self-directed
work teams led me to consider HR opportunities
and I haven’t looked back.
What was your first HR job?
BF: I was a recruitment specialist. I was
responsible for all aspects of recruiting:
co-op, production, professional and sales.
It was building a recruitment strategy,
working with the business, and getting
people in. It was an awesome transition –
supporting the business overall instead of
focusing in on production.
Tell me about your current job. What are
your main areas of responsibility?
BF: I’m currently the head of HR for
Nestlé Waters Canada. I support our president.
I have accountability for all aspects
of HR and direct responsibility for things
like compensation, benefits, positive employee
relations, HR as a business partner,
employee communication and change
management. Over the last two years, I’ve
been utilizing our centres of excellence for
activities such as recruitment, health and
wellness and payroll, with joint ownership
on things like organizational development,
expats in training and learning. On
34 ❚ MARCH 2017 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL