Health industry HR leader speaks on the importance of knowledge transfer and how employee experience generates success
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Adam Shaen leads the HR team at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
From an HR career in the healthcare and education sectors, Shaen is passionate about continual development and lifelong learning.
Shaen was a finalist for Canadian HR Rising Star of the Year at the HR Awards in both 2015 and 2016, while his team have been finalists for Best HR Strategic Plan and Best Reward and Recognition Strategy.
He shares his thoughts on the changing world of HR, the issue of knowledge transfer, and why employee experience is crucial to success.
If you could give your younger self, or someone entering HR for the first time, one piece of advice – what would it be?
Legacy is a strong term. I would say I want to be remembered as someone who made the organization a better place to work.
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From an HR career in the healthcare and education sectors, Shaen is passionate about continual development and lifelong learning.
Shaen was a finalist for Canadian HR Rising Star of the Year at the HR Awards in both 2015 and 2016, while his team have been finalists for Best HR Strategic Plan and Best Reward and Recognition Strategy.
He shares his thoughts on the changing world of HR, the issue of knowledge transfer, and why employee experience is crucial to success.
If you could give your younger self, or someone entering HR for the first time, one piece of advice – what would it be?
Learn your business. Unlike many front-line workers, HR professionals enter the workforce without a foundation of knowledge in the core business, whether it is healthcare, education, manufacturing, retail, etc. While we enter the workforce with the expectation of sound HR acumen, understanding how our business operates and creates value for customers is integral in designing HR programs and services to support the overall business objectives and strategy of the organization. Further, it is this integration of HR systems with organizational strategy that will advance our profession to one of a vital strategic partner.
Is there anything exciting in the pipeline for your HR department?
Of course! We are in the midst of enhancing our employee engagement efforts by evaluating our employees’ experience from the recruitment stage, through on-boarding, and into their career tenure. This system assessment will provide us insight as to how we can improve our services to better support employees throughout their career experience with us.
What’s your biggest industry worry or concern right now?
Knowledge transfer. The amount of workers that can exit the workforce over the next five to 10 years is considerable. Of greater concern is the deep knowledge and experience each one of these people have. It is now incumbent upon us to become more deliberate in how we capture this knowledge.
What is the proudest moment or achievement of your HR career so far?
Seeing the meaningful change my team makes each day in improving the staff experience. They are an exceptionally talented and dedicated group.
What the most rewarding thing about being in HR?
Helping people develop and thrive day to day, leading to a strong sense of pride in their roles and organization.
How do you predict the industry will change, if at all, over the next five years?
A shift from HR being perceived as the regulator or police of the organization toward a strategic partner and people coach. While there is, and always will be, a role for us to play with respect to labour compliance, our most effective contributions are made in developing our people and improving their experience at work. This shift has already begun.
What would you like your HR legacy to be?
Related stories:
Employee experience: passing fad or here to stay?
Clarifying accountability between regional HR roles
