Empowering employees in a Post-Pandemic world

Julie Foote, Director, Talent Management and Acquisition, Empire Life

Julie Foote is a seasoned HR professional with experience in several industries. She served as the human resource manager at Telemetrics Inc. and supported various business units, including operations, software development, marketing and sales. As a Business HR Partner of General Motors Canada, she supported all non-manufacturing functions across GM Canada. She is currently the Director of Talent Management & HR Operations for Empire Life, Ontario. In an exclusive interview with CIO Review, she talked about her roles and responsibility as Director of Talent Management and HR Operations and the challenges encountered along the way.

What are your key roles and responsibilities as a Talent Management and Acquisition director?

My current role in Talent Management is an extension of business partnering. My job primarily focuses on long[1]time talent finding within the organisation and supporting urgent escalations. This is accompanied by working with the business on long-term workforce planning strategies, skill needs, and development.

What are some of the major challenges you have encountered in the industry?

The COVID Pandemic has significantly impacted the industry as the expectations of employees have greatly changed. Organisations were obliged to implement changes to accommodate ‘virtual works the company will function in the ‘hybrid mode’ for the foreseeable future; we can’t return to the pre-pandemic work model. It is a new world that has engendered changes in how we work, collaborate and communicate. Additionally, there is an impact on the work and employment agreements within the company. Consequently, our primary emphasis has been on establishing clear expectations for employees regarding remote and hybrid work arrangements and guiding them on how to effectively engage with their team members and the broader organisation.

The benefits of in-person contact and collaboration are undeniable, making it necessary to provide meaningful interactions and opportunities to employees when they are in the office. This ensures that in-person work is seen as attractive and interesting, so they are present in the office.

How do you ensure alignment between talent management and acquisition strategies and the overall business objectives of Empire Life?

We work very closely with talent acquisition to ensure that the shared expectations of current employees and new talent are well aligned. We aim to ensure the new talent and tenured employees can harmonise harmoniously.

We are trying to bring in talent prepared to drive organisational growth. It is also important to guarantee the long-term needs of the business. We need to ensure that the new talent has the potential to progress in the organisation from a career standpoint and the development of vital skills, including digital awareness, digital marketing and decision-making.

" We need to provide as an employer to ensure that they (the employees) are set up for success and meet expectations, which ties, of course, with retention. The more they feel connected and have a network within the organisation, the more likely they will remain with it "

These are the skills that are currently important to the organisation. However, the future is also very important, which makes it necessary that we have people who can fit into the roles where these key skills are vital for the business’s success.

As you emphasised the future, what role does technology play in your talent management and leadership skill development space? Are there any specific tools or platforms that you rely upon?

From a data perspective, we are using Power BI and similar technology to make data more accessible in real-time. We are making sure that the data is easily understandable for the business’s decisions now and in the future.

The HR information system is a great example. It helps with transactions, including employee transfers, onboarding and offboarding, and communications throughout their life cycle.

Besides being easy to use, the system should be interactive. This is to ensure that employees are involved in the transactions and processes.

We have to improve and focus on this going forward because if the technology and processes are challenging, simple and efficient, they can lead to unnecessary time consumption. This diverts us from long-term projects, areas, and strategic work.

Is there any specific project you have been working on recently that you can discuss? And could you talk more about the process and technology elements you have leveraged to make it successful?

The post-pandemic remote and hybrid work experience has necessitated a reevaluation of employee onboarding and off boarding processes within our organisation. The onboarding experience for new hires has evolved significantly, requiring us to leverage technology and systems to provide a comprehensive understanding of the organisation and ensure a positive experience.

There is always room for improvement in orienting new employees and exposing them to our organisational culture. It is crucial to facilitate connections and networking opportunities within the company. Furthermore, the expectations of new employees regarding their work experience have shifted. As employers, we are responsible for setting them up for success, meeting their expectations, and improving retention rates. By fostering a sense of connection and providing them with a strong network within the organisation, we can enhance their overall experience and increase the likelihood of long-term commitment.

What would be your advice to fellow peers and colleagues in the industry?

We are coming into challenging years, and in this new kind of world of work, HR has a huge role to play – which is primarily influencing the work culture of the organisation and the approach the organisation takes. These are certainly interesting times with inflation and the present condition of the job market. In this regard, it is more important to focus on retaining employees, and HR again has a major role.

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