The Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) is a nationally-recognized designation held by more than 26,000 Canadian and 3,000 British Columbian and Yukon business professionals in private and public organizations of all sizes and in all sectors. The CPHR designation creates opportunities for human resource professionals and instills confidence in business owners and decision makers. CPHR BC & Yukon is the sole grantor of the CPHR designation in British Columbia and Yukon.
The CPHR benchmarks the highest level of practice in the HR profession. It is a measure of technical human resource competencies such as labour relations and financial management, and leadership competencies such as systems thinking and cultural transformation. A 2016 salary survey released by Insights West, indicates that CPHRs enjoy several advantages when it comes to career progression and compensation.
Decision-makers trust HR professionals with the CPHR designation to create sound strategies that manage a company’s workforce, its finances and market-driven change.
The CPHR Competency Framework details the pathways to the CPHR designation and outlines 44 professional competencies organized in nine functional areas of knowledge that candidates must know to earn their certification. The Framework also outlines five enabling competencies that complete the professional’s skill set. It also specifies the proficiency level at which each competency is to be demonstrated and how it will be assessed. Read more: Make your mark in business — become a CPHR.
Kevin Howlett led some of the toughest labour relations negotiations in Air Canada’s history, helping the airline survive and ultimately thrive. He accomplished this with 35 years of human resources experience including managing the technical and logistical complexities of air travel, and the ability to balance the needs of 26,000 employees with the tough economic realities of being a global carrier.
As a seasoned Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR), Kevin is responsible for the strategic direction of Air Canada’s regional network — a network that operates 327,000 flights, carries 12 million passengers annually, and supports regional airports coast to coast, as far south as Houston, Texas and as far north as Yellowknife, NWT. “When Air Canada adds service to a region, it boosts the local economy. This is something we are very proud of.”
Is HR your true calling? Watch this video featuring Kevin and the HR profession.
Donna Wilson oversees all aspects of LifeLabs’ human resources operations and strategy which includes 5,400 employees who service 100 million laboratory tests annually to more than 19 million patient visits every year.
To continue LifeLabs’ accelerated growth, Donna put thoughtfully articulated cultural values into place and introduced new orientation and recruitment processes. These systems ensure every employee is living LifeLabs’ values, whether they are in BC or Ontario, union or non-union, a new hire or part of a merger or acquisition. Maintaining a high standard of service in a highly regulated and changing environment is critical to LifeLabs’ success. “LifeLabs’ HR programs ensure we clearly telegraph our company’s brand to clients and investors. These programs are essential to our differentiation and rapid growth in our emerging markets."
Marlene Higgins oversees HR operations of more than 5,400 Kal Tire employees in over 250 Canadian stores, as well as those who are part of Kal Tire’s Mining Tire Group, in 17 countries.
A privately-owned company, Kal Tire is a BC success story. Its global expansion strategy is based on careful acquisitions, which includes Marlene’s assessment of executive and operational team capital. She views her role of integrating existing companies with different languages, cultures and business practices as a unique combination of business anthropologist and HR architect. “Leadership capital isn’t reflected on a balance sheet, yet it’s essential to quantifying the opportunity in new markets,” says Marlene. “When an acquisition becomes part of the Kal Tire family, we provide HR infrastructure so each local company is empowered to grow in their markets, their way.”
Cheryl Pelletier manages HR planning and policy for more than 150 employees of the Nisga’a Lisims Government. The Government serves 7,000 Nisga’a citizens in the four Nisga’a Villages and three Nisga’a Urban Locals.
BC’s first modern treaty, the Nisga’a Treaty recognizes 2,000 square kilometres of Nisga’a Land and the authority to enact Nisga’a laws on matters such as natural resources, financial management, and social programs and services. “Implementing our treaty is a very dynamic process—there are no cookie-cutter solutions,” says Cheryl. “We are focused on learning and efficiency.” She views her role as a communications conduit for change, whether the change is leadership capacity, HR programs or business management. “We’re an ancient, self-governing nation with a young administration. All things are possible.” The right HR strategy is necessary to achieve continued business success with a positive return on investment.”
Dee Sharma provides strategic HR leadership for World Duty Free Group Canada, part of World Duty Free Group which operates over 500 stores in 20 countries around the world.
Charged with developing HR programs to meet the demands of the local market and in alignment with the Global HR strategy, Dee focuses on ‘smart hires’—creative and empowered staff who satisfy rapid growth in Canada while maintaining the brand’s unique commercial experience. “Often, we have only one chance to create a memorable shopping experience for travellers from around the globe,” says Dee. “Every encounter matters.” Dee builds the right systems for talent acquisition, talent development, career progression and knowledge transfer which is essential to the foundation for continued success. This, in turn, builds the capacity essential to the company’s growth. “The employer and employee relationship has experienced a rapid transformation. The right HR strategy is necessary to achieve continued business success with a positive return on investment.”
Thank you for getting to know the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources of British Columbia and Yukon (CPHR BC & Yukon), and for joining the conversation about the HR profession. I am proud of the many roles CPHR BC & Yukon plays in the BC and Yukon business communities and in serving the public interest.
Serving the public interest is important because it underpins our ability to keep people first in the minds of decision makers. After all, we are all part of the larger HR story through media reports, studies and statistics about newsworthy topics such as labour trends, leadership models and the global skills market. It’s the pursuit of every HR leader to interpret the statistics, understand the financial impact and then balance the needs of the bottom line with the needs of a company’s front line — to see the individual in the aggregate. It’s a complex balancing act accomplished by human resource professionals across British Columbia and the Yukon every day.
CPHR BC & Yukon advances the economic interests of business and serves the public interest by promoting the Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) designation, a nationally recognized business credential with a strict Code of Ethics. There are approximately 3,000 CPHRs in BC and Yukon, all of them bound by rules that govern competence, legal requirements, dignity in the workplace, balancing interests, confidentiality and conflict of interest.
Finally, as a professional association, we offer valuable learning and certification opportunities to business and HR professionals. Take a moment to peruse our courses and webinars which are available to members and non-members alike. If you are a human resource practitioner, consider pursuing your CPHR designation. CPHRs move forward faster in their careers and receive higher salaries than non-CHRPs. It’s the mark of today’s HR leaders.
Every business and HR professional has the opportunity to grow as a manager, achieve as a leader and make a difference at every level of a company. CPHR BC & Yukon offers courses, webinars and other resources for members and non-members through the PD-On Demand learning portal.
CPHR holders earn recertification credits by completing courses and attending seminars and roundtables. Whether you are a busy small business owner, HR professional or senior executive, anyone can benefit from CPHR BC & Yukon’s PD On-Demand courses that allow you to learn at your own pace, any time, any where and on the device of your choice.
Visit courses.cphrbc.ca for a full roster of professional development offerings.
