It’s all about people and the year of COVID has driven that home more than ever. It’s added layers of complexity to an already difficult job market and the need for finding, and keeping, good people is paramount.

For Christian Leduc, who managed the RONA Plateau, a big box store in Gatineau, Que., As lockdowns occurred and the cases of COVID grew, he found the personal lives of his staff become more enmeshed than ever in their workplace lives.

“We always said, ‘take care of your employees,’ but under the pandemic last year, we had to be even more attentive about that. We had to be a big family and make sure everyone had good health.”

That holistic effort came both from store management and from head office. Lowe’s Canada provided a series of bonuses for workers in the stores and distribution centres through the worst of the pandemic. Money was also available for staff who needed support at home, whether for themselves or to take care of other family members. “People had money problems,” says Leduc. “We never spent so much time as we did last year to make sure our employees were safe and happy.”

This year, Leduc was transferred to the Réno-Dépôt store nearby and the same issues confront him at this location. Both stores had sales well above budget last year, which meant everyone was working harder than ever, often with a shortage of staff.

“Hiring is tough,” he admits, as he considers the challenges ahead. “I’ll be looking for 45 more associates this spring, for everything from the garden and seasonal departments to night shift workers. While the RONA store was in a power centre and accessible in the city, the Réno-Dépôt is a stand-alone store a little more off the beaten path. This presents an additional problem, as it’s tougher to convince potential hires to make the trek, especially if they rely on public transit. “That’s a challenge we have.”

The notion of leveraging your people may sound cold and calculating, but if done right, it is an important way to help your team feel connected during these difficult times. That’s just what one retail chain set out to do.

Kate Railton is VP people and operations for Mejuri, a chain of jewellery stores with locations in Canada and the U.S. At the recent DX3 conference, she explained how her team worked to understand the needs of staff.

“We started with surveys to determine the pain points and provide guidance and really answer questions for our bosses. We also did quarterly ‘town halls.’”

The surveys helped management understand how to make jobs more engaging for staff. “And for stuff that couldn’t be changed, we could identify what needed to be explained.”

The result was to bring all sides together better. “The process helps to close the gap between what’s happening for the retail staff and what’s happening for the management, so everyone can be working from the same page.”

How to build a case with management to use this approach—and keep staff engaged in the process? Railton says it’s important to share the results of the surveys and other personnel metrics on an ongoing basis. That way, everyone will look forward to participating, so they can see the results themselves and witness the change that is guided by these surveys.

Through it all, her team has played a key role in the process. “Your HR department is your partner across the entire business,” she says.

This month we talk with Walter Pranke, vice president, human resources at Lee Valley Tools, a chain of tool and gift stores based in Ottawa.

Getting the right people for your company means more than matching up work experience and job skills. The values of a potential new hire must align with your company’s.

“It’s very important, first and foremost, for an organization to really define and articulate the values and goals it holds corporately,” says Walter. “You have to ask the question, ‘why do we exist.’ Then, line up what type of person and kind of personality is best suited to fit that.”

In the hiring process, that can mean landing on specific interview topics. For example, says Walter, if your company’s values include a passion for your customers, some of the questions can address the candidate’s own relationship with customers at their current position. If they indicate a similar enthusiasm here, that will be a good sign. If they tend to bring up the challenges of working with customers and dealing with their concerns or complaints, you might consider that a warning sign that this individual’s values won’t align with your company’s—even if they possess the right skills and experience.

Another example, says Walter, may relate to your company’s team environment. If your company embraces a culture that prizes teamwork, there are things to watch for during hiring.

“If the person keeps using ‘I’ to describe their past work experience and achievements, they may lack the capacity to work with others.” You have to ask, ‘Are they more focused on promoting themselves?’

There are ways to proactively stream the interview process to get at the underlying values of a candidate to determine whether they align with yours. “But it all comes down to identifying just what your company’s own culture and values are.”

Vaccination against COVID-19 is not mandatory in Canada, therefore, employers cannot force their workers to get the vaccine. It’s important to consider that some workers may not be able to get the vaccine due to medical reasons, religious beliefs, or a disability. Discriminating against an unvaccinated worker for any of these reasons could result in a human rights claim for the business.

However, employers can strongly encourage workers to get vaccinated, and can provide information and resources to educate them on the benefits of vaccination. Workers that cannot get vaccinated for one of the reasons above must be accommodated. For example, they can be given the option to work from home or given a separate workstation that allows for distancing. Meanwhile, to protect other workers and visitors, the employer can require unvaccinated workers to continue adhering to COVID-19 health and safety measures such as masking and distancing.

If the work environment poses a high risk of COVID-19 transmission, such as in the health care sector, the employer may be able to justify making vaccination a necessary requirement of the workplace. This requirement would need to be clearly explained in a company-wide policy that applies to everyone.

Peninsula is an HR and Health & Safety consulting firm serving over 80,000 small businesses worldwide, including dealers in home improvement. Clients are supported with 24/7 employment advice, updates to legislation changes, HR software, and legal insurance.