Interviews
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By Kim Biggar

Liette Vigneault was recently named to the Top 25 HR Professionals in Canada list for 2016, chosen by Canadian HR Reporter magazine.

This honour recognizes her extensive experience in the HR profession, and the impact she is having at Cogeco Connexion, where she’s worked for the last four years.

Vigneault’s enthusiasm for her work in HR is clear. She is passionate about working with people, guiding them through the changes that have been necessary in a changing industry. She loves that her work is always different, always new. She has made a point of taking on challenges, never saying “no” to an opportunity for career advancement, even when it seemed that she was moving sideways rather than straight ahead. Such moves she has always seen as opportunities to learn.
Now working toward earning an executive MBA at McGill–HEC Montréal, Vigneault continues to seek occasions to expand her learning. Staying on top of developments and trends in the HR industry is one way that Vigneault makes sure she’s prepared to deliver the best-possible service to her colleagues at Cogeco Connexion.

When did you decide you wanted a career in human resources?
Liette Vigneault: First, I wanted to be a lawyer, but I realized that was way too technical for me. I was interested more in social work and business, something with more of a people dimension. I’m from a family of entrepreneurs; customer service is part of my DNA. I changed direction at school – the University of Montreal – joining the Faculty of Arts after my first year. I moved into studying industrial relations, and wanted to explore both options: HR and labour relations.

What was your first HR job?
LV: I began in the manufacturing sector, working at Sport Maska, a sport and hockey equipment manufacturer. I had an HR generalist position. We provided equipment to the Montreal Canadiens, and had an outstanding level of engagement and pride because of that. When the company was acquired by a competitor, I went to Crane Canada, which wasn’t a good fit for me. It closed during my maternity leave.
I decided to move into the retail sector with Réno-Dépôt [which later became RONA, then Lowe’s Canada]; I thought it would be an easy job, a good way to go back to work. I was wrong! It was very fast paced and dynamic. I did project work, opening and staffing stores; it was a great fit for me. Then I jumped into a new challenge: training and development. I developed a training academy and a team of technical trainers. We helped to make sales a strategic function. We also created a strategy to support succession at the franchises and a recognition program. After 12 years, I switched to the operations department to work on a project to define the customer-service experience. That move was part of a strategy for my own development.

I joined Cogeco Connexion, a cable operator in Ontario and Quebec, four years ago. Cogeco Connexion is a very customer-centric organization in an industry that is undergoing a major transformation.

Tell me about your current job. What are your main areas of responsibility?
LV: When I joined the company in 2012, it was to lead reorganization because of the transformation going on in the telecommunications industry. My experience in change management and proactive communications got me here, and has helped me to develop and implement a change management framework for Cogeco Connexion. I became vice president, HR and communications in 2013. I am also responsible for attracting and retaining high-potential talent. I draw on my knowledge of current human capital management practices in this work.

What do you love about your job?
LV: I love that it’s dynamic, constantly changing. I am passionate about change management. Things are never the same. And, each person is unique. There’s nothing routine about my work.

What are the challenges you experience in your job?
LV: Time! Things are always moving very fast.
Finding the right balance between needs and our resources when it comes to budgeting.
Determining the return on investment of our work in HR.
Adapting to change.
Demographic changes and learning how they’ll affect employment and HR practices. We’re certainly facing a change in our workforce; right now, we have about 50 per cent Millennials in our workforce. This will force us to change policies; for example, we’re already making more use of social networks in recruiting, and adjusting what we offer through our benefits program. It’s very interesting. Every two years, we do full surveys to get information about employee engagement, satisfaction levels, opinions and ideas. And we do spot checks every year. We want to know if our programs are meeting employee needs. Then, to add a challenge, we get so much information and have to choose the best-possible responses.
Competing for talent in the market. It’s hard to attract the best, and doing so has an impact on compensation and benefit strategies.

What’s key to leading HR during a difficult time for a client organization?
LV: Communications and transparency are very important. People want to be informed in order to make decisions. They prefer bad news to not knowing what’s going on.
Courage is also key. You need to question your own beliefs.

What skills and qualities are important for success in HR?
LV: You need to love people. Flexibility is important, and the resilience to deal with both change and limited time and resources. You need to be dedicated to serve employees, your colleagues. You must see the company’s business point of view. You must be able to learn from your failures, as well as your successes, to grasp what you could do differently.

What tips do you have for new grads or those in entry-level HR jobs who want to move up the ladder?
LV: First, don’t be afraid, seek opportunities, and always say “yes” to a career move, even if you’re not interested in it at first. You’ll have an opportunity to learn. Forget about having a straight-line career plan… Explore!
Second, know the business you’re working in; understand where it makes money and loses money. Be an HR business partner.

The HR field has been evolving. What changes excite you the most?
LV: Technology is more and more present and it impacts business. HR employees have to be flexible to support people through the changes that brings. Change management adds value to business.
Also, people have more appetite to be in a healthy workplace. The focus now is on more than just health and safety. And a healthy workplace has a positive impact on the bottom line.
Another thing that I find exciting is diversity in the workplace. It has an impact on business strategy. A diverse workforce reflects our customers, and so understands our customers. They can help develop a more-creative, more-innovative company.

What’s the future of HR?
LV: HR will be about creating amazing employee experiences, creating value for the organization. And we’ll increasingly be business people, who understand productivity and efficiency. More HR people will come to the department from operations, and the functions will become blended. Practices will evolve, although we’ll always need the soft side of HR. We’ll have to continue to embrace technology.

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