Nine ways CPHRs make Canadian Businesses more Competitive.

Canadian business leaders today know that productivity, innovation and finding and keeping world-class talent are critical to staying ahead.

“In this era of a new global competitiveness, how well we train and attract and employ talent is key. We need to better base our competitiveness strategies on capitalizing on our well-educated and pluralistic population and, in our education systems and in our firms, encourage creativity, entrepreneurship, and a global business perspective.” Kevin Lynch, Globe and Mail, 2012

The need is clear, so how do business owners and leaders translate this strategic direction to measurable outcomes? By tapping in to the unique expertise of a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR™).

CPHR™s have proven and current knowledge and expertise in nine critical business competency areas.

1. Strategy. CPHR™s understand the value of strategic leadership. They know leadership when they see it and they know how to maximize its value to achieve results. Strategy includes clean and effective governance, planning, alignment of objectives and change management. If your priorities don’t seem to be gaining traction, a CPHR™ can help.
2. Professional Practice. Making the right decision at the right time at any level in the organization isn’t luck. It’s knowledge, preparation, training and culture. Professional practice is about everyday ethics, everywhere. It is a framework of evidence-based policies and practices and it manages risk through sound decision support. If the grey areas in your business make you uncomfortable, look to a CPHR™.
3. Engagement. People who do only what they need to get by create a vortex where money, imagination and motivation swirl slowly away. Engaged people are motivated by purpose, excellence and creativity. Engaged workplaces are exciting, interesting and fulfilling. If you’re looking to increase the energy level in your organization, talk to a CPHR™.
4. Metrics, Reporting and Financial Management. In most companies, salaries and benefits total about 80% of costs. If you’re looking for a better bottom line, you need HR based financial and operational decision support, you need to understand key HR metrics, and you need performance indicators that matter. A CPHR™ can deliver greater returns on your greatest investment.
5. Workforce Planning and Talent Management. Only people make a business succeed. Keeping talented people in a competitive marketplace is critical, but so is having the right number, of the right people, in the right place. Whether you’re growing, stable or right-sizing, a CPHR™ will ensure you find and keep the best.
6. Total Rewards. Your unique mix of compensation, benefits and pensions works best when it’s fair and consistent and when it aligns to your business outcomes. CPHR™s have the expertise to balance total  rewards with your desired outcomes and your competitive position.
7. Health, Wellness and Safety. Demonstrate that you value people’s health, safety and wellness, save money, and reduce organizational risk. A CPHR™ can do this. What more is there to say?
8. Labour and Employment Relations. If you need expertise in negotiations, or the sound management of collective agreements that build better relations between negotiations; if you want to reduce the likelihood of employee-based litigation and risk; and you prefer to stay on the right side of labour legislation, then you want a CPHR™ on your team.
9. Learning and Development. From the executive suite to the shop floor, people benefit from mentoring, coaching and continuous learning, to keep their competencies relevant and effective and ensure their skills align with the outcomes you need.  If you want to keep people at the top of their game, you need a CPHR™.

Smart business leaders create systems where creativity, entrepreneurship and the global business perspective can flourish - where talented people are encouraged to strive for higher ideals, because their base needs are met and their barriers are removed.

These are the businesses that will lead the country in innovation and productivity.