With the launch of Tim’s Classrooms, HR exec Meagan East is navigating how to blend camp and classroom workforces
At the start of the year, HR priorities at Tim Hortons Foundation Camps were focused on organizational efficiencies, but eight months later, these priorities have adapted to meet changing business needs.
The shift comes as the Foundation takes on a new business line: Tim’s Classrooms, which adapts the hallmark camp experience into classrooms across Canada and the U.S. For decades, the Foundation operated through its six physical camp locations, providing immersive, overnight experiences for youth.
But the demand has outpaced the capacity of those sites, prompting a new approach that extends programming into classrooms to reach more young people directly in their communities.
For Meagan East, executive officer of human resources, this means rewriting her HR playbook to ensure that staff working in two very different environments remain connected to the Foundation’s mission while navigating a growing organization.
“As the year’s progressed, we’ve moved into implementation,” she says. “So, supporting our teams and our core business through change and collaboration of these dual roles to get both of these programs off the ground.”
Blending workforces while competing for purpose-driven talent
One of the key shifts East has had to make is reimagining talent pipelines and redefining career paths for existing employees to blend these two workforces into one aligned with the Foundation’s core values.
“As we create a new program delivery model, some of our existing staff are saying that they want to understand what this could look like for them in their career versus working on-site at an overnight camp facility,” she says. “We’ve also been able to tap into a new talent pool – those who are from the education sector or are typically in a classroom or community facilitation rather than at an on-site camp.”
However, creating a cohesive workforce has introduced fresh challenges, with the two different industries having different expectations regarding work environment, culture and even compensation.
As a result, HR is tasked with reconciling the mindset of youth development staff who thrive in overnight camp environments with educators drawn to classroom-based delivery.
“We know that we need to continually consider how we define success in these two programs and figure out how we can bring these two workforces together to have the greatest impact” East says.
At the same time, the Foundation is dealing with the same workforce pressures as many employers. Candidates are increasingly making career decisions based on flexibility, growth opportunities and alignment with purpose.
For East, that means ensuring both camp staff and new classroom hires can see themselves building a future within the organization while staying tied to its mission.
“This is really driving a lot of employee decisions in regard to where they want to stay versus where they might want to go,” she says.
Adapting support functions and compliance
Beyond the immediate challenge of recruitment and retention, support functions are also being reshaped to keep up with the new operating model, as expansion into new geographies has created its own set of hurdles.
The Foundation needs not only to source new talent but also to be up to date with the relevant employment legislation and regulatory requirements within these new jurisdictions, East says.
Attraction strategies are being recalibrated in response. The strength of the Tim Hortons name has proven a draw for candidates, but the Foundation is listening closely to what people expect in terms of culture, flexibility, and compensation.
“I think we do have one advantage, which is that the Tim Hortons brand is well known across Canada, and the connection to that really helps us from a talent attraction perspective.”
Balancing new recruitment practices with an unwavering mission
Practical considerations have also had to shift. Recruiting for community-based roles has required different screening processes and more in-person touchpoints.
“We are making sure we have those touch points in person because that’s how the program will be delivered,” East says. “We’ve also tried to be as resource conscious as possible when we’re doing visits to our camp locations and trying to tack on those recruiting meetings or recruiting visits at the same time.”
The mission, however, remains the constant that ties everything together in the wake of these shifts.
“Ultimately more youth are served, but our mission and purpose don’t change,” East says. “It’s all about serving underserved youth to have biggest, best impact.”
