Event category: Breakout

Artificial intelligence tools are exciting and increasingly inevitable for most organizations, but careful guardrails are needed to ensure that employers are protected.  While AI tools provide great efficiencies, the more they are relied on for decision making or sensitive information processing, the greater the risk profile they create for organizations.  This presentation will discuss the legal risk/reward use case for AI in the workplace, review recent guidance where AI missteps resulted in liability for employers, and outline some practices and processes that employers can take to protect themselves and their information. We will also discuss the risks related to access and misuse of confidential information based on recent BC Court of Appeal cases.  

AI is no longer just a buzzword—it’s a performance accelerator. In this fireside chat, leaders from top tech companies will move beyond the hype and explore how AI is directly improving productivity, collaboration, and decision-making. We’ll start with high-level perspectives on AI’s impact, then dive into practical examples of how tools like ChatGPT and specialized platforms are being used to unlock real performance gains.

In today’s competitive tech landscape, the most successful companies aren’t confined by geography, they’re fueled by global talent.  Learn about the multiple paths to expansion in international markets, building and leading diverse teams across continents. Hear proven strategies for tapping into a worldwide talent pool, from identifying the right markets to integrating cross-cultural teams that accelerate innovation and scalability. You’ll gain practical insights on overcoming operational and regulatory challenges while unlocking the strategic advantages of a truly global workforce.

Today’s talent expects workplace practices that acknowledge “the uniquely human qualities of the workplace”. This session will inspire you to create your own secret sauce for humanizing the employee experience.  Hear from some of Canada’s leading tech culture leaders on how they are navigating corporate growth by focusing on the individual experiences, skills and values of their employees.  You will quickly come to learn that there is no one size fits all.

• How employee experience paints the backdrop for your corporate branding and culture
• Ideas for employee recognition and engagement that will have a significant and measurable impact on building your culture and brand
• Tactics that can be applied to build an effective workplace and create better employee experiences.
• Innovative methods for employee feedback, empowerment and understanding of the meaning of their work and how it contributes to wider organizational goals

Compensation is a scary topic, but everyone knows that the time of keeping silent until a candidate gives you a number is over. Hear how to use this fear to propel you into building a compensation program that’s transparent and flexible by default. Recognize that what employees value most is an understanding of how you pay and how you came to this decision – then give candidates the opportunity to be involved in it too. From internal equity to what growth looks like, there’s too much that can go wrong otherwise.

In this session, we’ll breakdown:

• The journey of building a compensation strategy from scratch
•  What to share to get employee buy-in
• How HR can partner with Recruitment
•  The formula method for compensation

Most people with strong technical skills get promoted because they are good at their job. But these “functional” experts often struggle in their new role as leader. The good news is that it is likely not their fault. They were probably never taught to lead.

In this session, you will learn:

• The top three reasons why great tech talent often struggles to become savvy leaders.
• The key leadership skills that every tech manager needs to learn
• How HR can help managers to develop core leadership skills
• A three-step model to enhance leadership competence and develop even the most reluctant leaders
• A process to implement leadership training that sticks