It’s a revolutionary time in the world of HR right now
It’s a revolutionary time in the world of HR right now, as advancements in Big Data, analytics and real-time reviews have propelled the people management function into the modern day.
Speaking to Sara Cooper, Talent Director at OMERS Ventures, she revealed what developments she’s most excited about.
“For a long time HR was either seen as a necessary evil or a function that didn’t provide much value beyond keeping companies on the right side of employer legislation,” she explained.
“In the past few years I think we’ve seen the reputation of HR evolve and there’s a real understanding of how strategic and impactful it can be with the right people on the team. There also seems to be more of a willingness to invest in people related programs and tools as companies see a bigger return for their dollars thanks to a more data focused approach.”
Cooper will also be featuring on the panel ‘The new frontier: Diversity of thought and the future of the workforce’. We asked her why she believes diversity and inclusion are such relevant topics right now.
“One of the things I often speak to our companies about is the importance of diversity around the table,” added Cooper.
“Having a workforce of people with different lived experiences, skill sets, education, experience, age etc means that you have a better representation of the broader consumer base. All of these individuals will approach the same problem in a slightly different way because their opinions have been shaped by all of their experiences.
“The conversation and ideas that can come out of these groups is far beyond what you’re going to get from a group of people who all think alike and approach problems the same way. From a strictly business perspective, think of the insight to be gained and the potential for innovation. It’s a competitive advantage.”
Cooper will be speaking at HRD Canada’s Diversity & inclusion Masterclass, March 8th 2018. For more information on our speaker line up and agenda, click here.
