In the past two issues, we’ve talked with our favourite executive recruiter, Wolf Gugler. This month, he provides some concrete tips on how to approach, and what to ask, the references on your potential new hire’s resumé.

As the lead at Wolf Gugler Executive Search, Gugler has had plenty of experience tracking down—and sizing up—candidates of all stripes for companies in the hardware industry. First off, he warns his clients against asking for references up front. He recommends leaving reference checks for much later in the process, when you’re about to make your final decisions.

When Gugler calls a reference, first he makes sure they have time for the call to give them time to gather their thoughts and ensure they are engaged in the conversation. Then he gives the reference a description of the opportunity and some of the key requisites the new employer expects from that individual, besides what the new role is and what skills are required. The reference can then answer in a more informed way, and potentially provide additional insights into the candidate’s suitability for the role in question. This helps make the interview more “open and freewheeling”—and not so structured.

This approach is better than just asking the reference to verify the candidate’s job history. As far as their resumé goes, Gugler says you can hire a third party to verify their background, “or just go on LinkedIn and see if it matches up with their resumé. It’s amazing just how many times that doesn’t match up, either.”

In terms of the interview process with the individual giving the reference, don’t be afraid to ask some soft questions that reflect the candidate’s personal life. Ask them about other stuff outside of work, such as charities or hobbies. “What kind of a person are they? What kind of things do they do outside of work? Do you know if they’re involved in any charitable activities or involved in their community, that kind of thing.”

He recommends asking the reference if they can think of anyone else the candidate knows and has worked with whom you could speak with. This gives you the chance to connect with someone who the candidate may not expect you to talk with.

“One of my last questions usually is, would you work with this person again? Would you hire them if the appropriate opportunity came up.” Then wait for the pause, Gugler advises. “That pregnant pause can tell you a lot.” It’s important to read between the lines.

That last response is best interpreted with gut instinct, something Gugler says he’s honed through years of experience (and just one more reason why a pro like Wolf is a good choice when making a hire—your unbiased Editor!).

IKEA Canada organized an in-person event earlier this month to present its IKEA Canada Summary Report 2023. The report highlights the company’s ongoing growth and its commitment to making affordable, quality home furnishings that are accessible to Canadians.

Selwyn Crittendon, IKEA Canada’s CEO and chief sustainability officer, offered some highlights from the report that reflect how the company has grown over the past year in this country. Crittendon told the audience in a downtown Toronto event space about the company’s solid growth, which included a sales increase of 10.9 percent to $2.9 billion for the fiscal year ending Aug. 31, and an increase in national store visits of 6.3 percent to 28.6 million.

Much of Crittendon’s presentation centred around IKEA’s concern for keeping products affordable for Canadian consumers. But he also directed his concern—and his comments—to the wellbeing of his own workforce.

IKEA Canada’s hiring and recruitment efforts have purposely focused on attracting new Canadians, people who have arrived here seeking not just a new job, but a new life. Crittendon shared with pride the many cases of longevity among workers within the company, saying people who have worked for 30 and 40 years at IKEA reflect the commitment the retailer makes to its people. He added that rising costs in recent months have challenged all Canadians, including IKEA employees. The company employs 7,200 people in this country.

Crittendon cited a series of grants that were made available to workers during Covid and through the time of inflation that has plagued the company in recent months. Those grants were worth up to $1,250 per person. “With our co-workers, we’ll always stand beside them in times of need.”

IKEA Canada is about to launch a survey to find out what people want and need in this tough economy. But the survey isn’t going out to customers; it’s being sent to IKEA employees themselves. Crittendon said that the decisions about the company aren’t strictly made at the top only, but require input from the ground level of the company.

“We’re doubling down on our effort to make this the best place to work for our co-workers.”

By HR and health & safety consultancy Peninsula Canada

Handling poor performance in the workplace is a crucial aspect of effective management, requiring a thoughtful and constructive approach that benefits both the employee and the organization.

First, open and clear communication is essential. Managers should initiate a private conversation with the underperforming employee to discuss concerns, gather their perspective, and understand any underlying issues contributing to their sub-par performance. It should be conducted in an empathetic manner, focusing on finding solutions rather than placing blame.

Setting clear expectations and goals is another critical step. Employees should be aware of what is expected of them and how their performance will be measured. Clearly defined objectives provide a roadmap for improvement and serve as a basis for performance evaluations. Moreover, managers should offer constructive feedback regularly, highlighting areas for improvement and acknowledging accomplishments.

Support and training are vital components of addressing poor performance. Sometimes, employees may lack the necessary skills or knowledge to excel in their roles. In such cases, providing training and development opportunities can help them acquire the competencies they need to succeed. Additionally, offering ongoing support and mentorship can boost morale and motivation, facilitating performance improvement.

Implementing a performance improvement plan (PIP) can be an effective strategy. A PIP outlines specific actions, goals, and timelines an employee can follow to enhance their performance. This should be a collaborative effort between the employee and manager, with regular check-ins to track progress. However, it’s important to make the PIP a positive and growth-oriented tool rather than a punitive measure.

In some cases, despite all efforts, poor performance may persist, leading to the need for more decisive action. Termination should be a last resort but may be necessary if the employee is unable or unwilling to improve, as sustained poor performance can negatively impact team morale and overall productivity.

Peninsula is a trusted HR and health and safety advisory company, serving over 6,000 small businesses across Canada. Clients are supported with ongoing updates of their workplace documentation and policies as legislation changes. Additionally, clients benefit from access to a 24/7 employer HR and OHS advice line and coverage on legal through the Peninsula Protect service promise.

Nicole Gallucci is an entrepreneur, transformational and performance coach, and professor. She has developed the Life Blueprint, a process that provides a holistic, actionable plan for building a life that integrates an individual’s dreams, goals, and values. She works extensively with young people, mentoring and preparing them to enter the workforce. This month, we continue our conversation with Gallucci about how to help nurture a new generation of workers, including why being physically in the office can benefit their career development.

“A big challenge coming out of Covid is that there’s great autonomy in working from home,” says Nicole Gallucci. People can work their 40-hour work week and be highly productive, “but the challenge is there’s not the collaboration. There’s not the learning, there’s not the mentoring, there’s not the hallway conversation that is the quick solve for a problem.”

In a previous generation, there was “management by walking around” and learning at the water cooler to share conversation and ideas, something that is lost with a new generation working from home.

“They’re missing the collaboration, but they don’t really know the value of it because they haven’t experienced it,” Gallucci says. “They don’t understand, ‘how’s that actually going to serve me?’ so it’s really tough when we say, ‘you have to come into the office,’ then they see only a handful of people are also there and they feel like it’s a waste of time—and they’re not wrong.”

It may require a leader to mandate certain days when everyone, or even certain teams, will be in at the same time, so they can interact in a meaningful and beneficial way.

“I do think there needs to be a balance,” Gallucci adds. “It’s one thing to want to be typing from a beach seven days a week and post online, but that’s not the reality.”

She encourages leaders to have the conversation with the team and ask them, “How are we going to do this?” The staff need to see the value of coming together, “but they have to come to that realization on their own.”

“They have to say, ‘I get why it’s important for me to come into the office and know what I’ll get out of it personally.’”

This creates a challenge for management to focus on each worker personally. “When we focus on the individual, they are going to be a bigger contributor and more committed to the company, and we’ve always said that. That hasn’t changed.”

The new generation of workers is very mindful and aware, she says. That puts the onus on the employer to prove even more aggressively than in the past the value of working together, tracking goals both personal and professional.

Common challenges working with young people include helping them establish a personal vision, then creating a path to achieve that vision. That includes modifying expectations. “It’s one thing to say you want it, but it’s another thing to have the step-by-step path, plus the discipline and the commitment to get it,” Gallucci notes.

Young people have to understand that, mindfulness aside, there’s still hard work ahead. “We have to put one foot in front of the other every day, but we’re going to get there.”

After wading through a mountain of resumés, the next step in choosing your next hire comes down to the face-to-face meetings. We checked in with recruitment expert Wolf Gugler, president of Wolf Gugler Executive Search, for some tips on how best to manage that process.

Gugler says that first meeting is likely to be a Zoom call—and that’s okay for the first round. But even remotely, you can learn a lot about a person from that meeting, he says, and not just through their conversation. Body language and how they hold themselves are all factors that can be assessed in that inaugural online meeting.

When it comes time to make an offer, Gugler’s advice is straightforward: keep it simple. He cites the case of one candidate for a middle-management position who received a 17-page offer. “We’re taking about someone who’s probably making something in the $60,000 to $80,000 range,” says Gugler. “They’d probably have to get a lawyer to go through that.” Such an offer is simply a waste of time and will only slow down the hiring process even more. He recommends keeping the offer to no more than two pages and, if necessary, include your company’s benefits booklet. “Just try to simplify.”

One no-no that Gugler warns his clients against is asking for references up front. That, he says, is just not cool and can even be insulting to the candidate. So it’s better to wait until you are near the end of your negotiations. “I don’t often get a company that says they want references right up front. That’s almost insulting to a candidate when you ask for that information and, of course, if they’re gainfully employed, maybe it could represent a breach of confidence.”

He recommends leaving reference checks for much later in the process, when you’re about to make your final decisions.

(Next month: Wolf Gugler on how to make the most of the process of checking references.)

One of the things that sets Sundre Home Hardware Building Centre apart is that the business has always treated its staff and customers like family—a big family with 33 full-time staff and six part-timers. Josh Hengen and his sister, Nicole Weatherbee, are the third-generation owners of the family business.

Given that the town of Sundre, Alta., has only 2,600 permanent residents, the store is one of the town’s major employers. Nicole is in charge of the human resources function and her style is a supportive and collaborative one. “Our staff know that we have their backs. And so they’re far more apt to step up and have our backs, too. I often joke that we’re one giant dysfunctional family!”

Being in a small town, the owners care about their staff’s personal lives, keeping invested in them at an individual level. “I think that when you band together, that makes a really big difference in people wanting to stay with us.”

Josh and Nicole try to spend a portion of their time training on the floor with their staff. They offer an RRSP contribution matching program along with a benefits package that includes coverage for dental, vision, prescription medications, and more. The store has six staff who have been there more than 10 years. That longevity is not common in the retail world, Nicole admits, and it all stems for the “community-minded atmosphere” in which the store operates.

Ownership of a job in its entirety matters, too, Josh says. “The more ownership you can give the

staff, the better. One example is with the truck drivers. When you tell them, ‘You are the main driver for this particular truck’—as opposed to just rotating all the drivers through them—you find that the driver keeps it clean and organized.”

By HR and health & safety consultancy Peninsula Canada 

Supporting the wellbeing of employees is crucial and plays a major role in creating a healthy and productive work environment. Not only does it improve the overall health of an employee but can also bring about beneficial business outcomes such as improved job performance, increased productivity, and lower levels of employee burnout.

By supporting employee wellbeing, organizations can help reduce absenteeism and increase on-the-job efficiency. This can lead to a more consistent and productive workflow. Investing in employee wellbeing can result in cost savings for organizations. By reducing turnover, absenteeism, and healthcare costs associated with poor employee health, organizations can save money in the long run.

Here are some strategies and initiatives that employers can implement to support employee wellbeing:

Promote work-life balance. Encourage employees to set boundaries between work and personal life. If feasible, offer flexible work hours or remote work options.

Mental health support. Provide access to mental health resources such as employee assistance programs or counseling services. Promote awareness and reduce the stigma around mental health challenges.

Physical health initiatives. Offer wellness programs that promote physical fitness, healthy eating, and stress management.

Recognition and appreciation. Acknowledge and appreciate employee’s hard work and achievements regularly. Implement peer-to-peer recognition to foster a positive work culture.

Clear communication. Maintain transparent communication about company goals, changes, and expectations.

Professional development opportunities. Invest in the professional development of staff by providing opportunities for training, workshops, and skill-building activities. This shows commitment to their growth and helps them stay engaged and motivated.

When employees feel productive, it leads to enhanced employee morale and job satisfaction. And when employees perceive that their requirements are addressed and their wellbeing is taken into account, they are more inclined to find contentment in their roles, which subsequently fosters heightened loyalty and reduced turnover rates.

Peninsula is a trusted HR and health and safety advisory company, serving over 6,000 small businesses across Canada. Clients are supported with ongoing updates of their workplace documentation and policies as legislation changes. Additionally, clients benefit from access to a 24/7 employer HR and OHS advice line and coverage on legal through the Peninsula Protect service promise. 

Building a business plan, a strategy for your business, is a cost of entry for most companies, says Nicole Gallucci. The roadmap it lays out can help a company plan and measure its growth and successes. But this kind of roadmap is not something that we tend to develop for ourselves personally. And for Gallucci, that’s a big mistake.

While it’s an important strategy for anyone at any age, she specializes in working with young people to help them develop a step-by-step path—along with the discipline to follow that path. She calls it a Life Blueprint.

Mindfulness and awareness are important conversations but they can only go so far. “Buying the lottery ticket doesn’t mean you’re going to win the lottery. So I think you can definitely have the dream, but you have to put the wheels in motion that will take you to that dream.”

Gallucci wants young people to understand that success doesn’t happen overnight. She blames social media for letting people show how ideal their situation is, working from the beach or by a pool every day. “Social media is telling them, ‘Oh, I get out of bed and I look beautiful every morning and I sit on an island and work all day.’ So they’re only seeing the positives. They’re not seeing the real-life stuff.”

These scenarios aren’t real—or sustainable—in most cases. At the same time, situations like remote work deprive young people of access to role models, people who could instill work ethics and values and insights.

In fact, she adds, younger workers, deprived of this wider source of input and modelling, often don’t even realize what they’re missing. People have to build their jobs, day by day, to make them positive and meaningful, because any effort to follow their dream or pursue their dream job will require lots of grunt work, menial undertakings, and late hours. Having role models or guides can help get through those times.

Because she’s not their parent, Gallucci isn’t preaching or harping on this stuff, even though she is likely saying many of the things their parents are telling them. The difference, she says, is that she doesn’t harbour an agenda. So as a coach and mentor, she can offer input from a more objective perspective.

“I do think it’s our responsibility if we’ve walked a path and can help somebody behind walk that path more easily—I think it’s our responsibility to share that.”

“Walmart Canada has announced that it will invest in its staff to help them cover the costs of getting an education. Through its Live Better U (LBU) education program, the giant retailer will lay out $50 million over five years for the program, to “cover the cost of tuition, books, and course fees for associates,” the company said in a release.

The program is part of an effort by Walmart to ensure that its associates have the skills needed for the future.

“We believe there is a path for everyone at Walmart and we want to remove barriers to high quality education,” said AnnMarie Mercer, chief people officer, Walmart Canada.

Walmart says the LBU program offers a path for all associates, whether they’re looking to accelerate their growth, get in-demand credentials, or receive a degree or licensing for a specialized role. The course offerings were selected based on the new and future needs of the business. Some offerings include:

• Growth accelerators such as English as a Second Language, French as a Second Language and GED courses
• In-demand courses and certificates such as project management, data analytics, omni retail, ecommerce, business communications, and strategy
• Degrees and licensing for pharmacy technicians and opticians, with more to come

The retailer wants to ensure associates are trained and equipped with the skills they need for the future so that they stay and grow with Walmart Canada. All eligible permanent part-time, full-time, and salaried Walmart Canada associates can apply to LBU. The program has been available at Walmart in the U.S. for the past five years and this year has been expanded to Canadian associates. It’s been recognized as a way to reduce turnover and build camaraderie among staff. In the U.S., nearly 120,000 Walmart associates have taken advantage of the program to date.

“We’re proud that through LBU, we’re offering our associates a program designed with them in mind,” Mercer added. “LBU meets associates where they are on their educational journey by offering online, flexible programs to help them balance work, life, and school.”

Wolf Gugler is president of Wolf Gugler Executive Search. He specializes in landing roles for hardware companies in Canada and the U.S., especially in sales and marketing. With Canada’s unemployment rate running at 5.5 percent last month, “It’s still a candidate’s market,” he says.

As a result, companies looking to hire can be at a disadvantage. And that means the process of hiring can’t be a long one, Gugler warns. The days of three, four, and even five interviews are over. Nowadays, he’s seeing many candidates receiving multiple job offers. For companies looking to hire, he says, “in many cases, if you don’t move quickly enough, that talent goes by the wayside.”

The effects of timeliness work at different levels. It’s not just a matter of securing the right candidate before someone else does. It can also be indicative of management culture. That means a candidate can evaluate your company based on how long it takes to make the hire.

Gugler says candidates have shared with him their concern about the culture of a company that’s doing the hire. Dragging out the hire may demonstrate to the candidate that your company is indecisive or struggling with too many layers of authority to respond quickly. “The timeliness part is demonstrative of how a company runs their business. So the candidate sees that your hiring process is stretched out or indecisive, or whatever the case might be, so then they relate it to, ‘Is that the way it’s going to be when I’m on board and I need a decision made?’”

His advice to any HR department? “Make sure you have a good relationship with your senior team. Try to do whatever you can to build that line of communication and trust, so when they say, ‘I have a need, here it is, take care of it,’ the HR team can go ahead and take care of what they need to do.” Then, when HR presents the short list of candidates, trust that they’ve brought you strong potential hires.