7:30 – 7:55 Hot Breakfast & Peer Connections

7:55 – 8:20  Pre-conference Workshop

We are living through some of the greatest disruption in history, and Human Resource leaders in the tech sector face increasing pressure. To make the best decisions, you need the best knowledge.  

Join HUB at Tech Talent North for an in-depth look at the latest trends in employee benefits from the tech sector. This presentation will provide valuable data-driven insight from the previous two years and bring you up to date on the emerging priorities. 

• Benefits insight gained from the last two years, and forecasts for the imminent future. 
• Gain actionable insight into current and future benefits trends in the Canadian tech sector so that you can plan for today and tomorrow.  
• Explore strategies to address the dynamic landscape of benefits and balance your recruiting and retention efforts with economic realities. 

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Summary: In the dynamic landscape of modern workplaces, the journey towards DEI requires continuous navigation and adaptation. As senior HR leaders, it’s crucial to explore multifaceted approaches that not only initiate but also sustain momentum in DEI initiatives amidst the backdrop of political and social polarization. This session delves deep into the complexities of maintaining progress, offering actionable insights and practical strategies to fortify organizational commitment. By embracing inclusivity as a cornerstone principle, attendees will uncover innovative tactics to not only navigate challenges but also harness them as opportunities for growth. Join us to discover how to foster a culture of belonging, drive sustainable progress, and champion DEI efforts that resonate with the diverse fabric of our society.

What leaders will learn/practical takeaways:

• Strategic Adaptation: Learn how to dynamically adapt DEI strategies to address the unique challenges posed by political and social polarization, ensuring that initiatives remain relevant and effective in an ever-evolving landscape.
• Engagement Techniques: Explore innovative engagement techniques designed to sustain momentum and commitment across diverse organizational levels, fostering a culture of active participation and inclusivity.
• Navigating Complexity: Gain insights into navigating the complexities of DEI implementation amidst polarization, equipping you with the tools to anticipate and address potential roadblocks while staying true to the overarching goals of equity and inclusion.
• Transformational Leadership: Discover how to cultivate transformational leadership practices that empower HR senior leaders to drive sustainable progress, inspire meaningful change, and champion DEI efforts that resonate deeply within the organization and the broader community.

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We’ll explore how technology can enhance every phase of the employee lifecycle, from employer branding to post offboarding relationship management. By leveraging the right tools and strategies, organizations can improve efficiency, engagement, and effectiveness throughout the employee journey. We’ll cover key technological solutions for each stage, including recruitment, onboarding, development, career pathing, performance management, and exit processes, highlighting practical examples and best practices.

Key Takeaways:

• Streamlined Recruitment with AI and Automation: Discover how AI-powered tools and automated systems can streamline the hiring process, making it faster and more efficient. This includes applicant tracking systems (ATS) that filter candidates, chatbots for initial communication, and predictive analytics to identify the best talent.
• Enhanced Onboarding Experience: Learn about the importance of a seamless onboarding process and the technologies that can facilitate it. Digital onboarding platforms and online/hybrid learning modules ensure new hires are quickly integrated and equipped with necessary knowledge and skills.
• Continuous Development and Performance: Understand how continuous learning and development and performance management platforms can help employees grow and succeed within the company. Tools like Learning Management Systems (LMS), career pathing software, and performance management apps, contribute to ongoing professional development, growth, productivity and effectiveness.
• Efficient Offboarding and Knowledge Retention: Explore methods for managing offboarding processes to ensure smooth transitions and knowledge retention. Technologies such as knowledge management systems, exit interview software, and alumni networks apps can maintain organizational knowledge, help capture departing employees’ insights, and provide a platform for leveraging your alumni relationships.

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Discover powerful leadership habits to help you unleash your team’s hidden potential. Explore the secrets that drive accountability, fuel motivation, alleviate stress, and cultivate a culture where everyone strives for excellence. Be prepared to redefine your leadership and inspire greatness in others by learning how to foster greater accountability through empowering your team members to take more ownership of their work and immediately increase trust within your teams to boost collaboration and minimize friction and stress. In this session you’ll discover how to acquire the moral authority to hold others accountable and equip your team with the tools to cultivate a culture of continuous improvement where innovation and progress are the norm.

Tangible Takeaways:

• Accountability Framework: three fundamental leadership habits that drive accountability and superior results.
• Feedback Culture: Acquire the skills and actionable steps to cultivate a culture of constructive feedback, empowering your team to learn and grow while also addressing performance issues promptly and positively.
• Expert Problem-Solving: Equip your team with a toolkit of strategies to tackle every problem.
• Workbook: Each participant will receive a worksheet to record the actionable strategies they will receive.

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Dive into the intricacies of designing and implementing effective pay transparency practices. This session will guide you through the steps to create transparent salary structures, communicate them clearly to employees, and manage potential challenges. Equip yourself with practical tools and strategies to foster equity, trust, and organizational alignment through transparent pay practices.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn how to design transparent salary structures that align with organizational values and industry benchmarks.
• Understand effective communication strategies for introducing and maintaining pay transparency within your tech teams.
• Gain insights into addressing potential challenges and concerns related to pay transparency, such as privacy concerns and salary negotiations.
• Acquire actionable tips for monitoring and evaluating the impact of pay transparency initiatives to ensure continuous improvement and alignment with organizational goals.

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Join us for a deep dive into the complexities of hybrid team structures and gain practical insights for optimizing team performance in the evolving landscape of remote and in-person work environments. In this session, we will explore the unique challenges and opportunities that arise when managing hybrid teams and provide actionable strategies for HR leaders to enhance collaboration, communication, and productivity.

 Tactical Takeaways:

•  Effective Communication Strategies: Learn how to foster clear and inclusive communication channels within hybrid teams, leveraging technology and best practices to ensure that remote and in-office team members stay connected and engaged.
• Building a Culture of Trust and Accountability: Discover techniques for cultivating trust and accountability among team members, regardless of their physical location. Explore ways to empower employees to take ownership of their work and collaborate effectively in a hybrid setting.
• Balancing Flexibility and Structure: Gain insights into striking the right balance between flexibility and structure in hybrid work arrangements. Explore approaches for setting clear expectations, managing workloads, and promoting work-life balance in a distributed team environment.
• Investing in Team Development: Explore strategies for investing in the professional development and equitable well-being of hybrid team members. Learn how to provide opportunities for skill-building, mentorship, and social connection to foster a sense of belonging and support career growth within the team.

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Explore the pivotal role People Ops can play in driving environmental stewardship within your organization. Hear practical ways HR can cultivate a culture where the environmental values of ESG initiatives are embedded into the company’s DNA and learn how to shape and enforce policies that prioritize environmental responsibility and compliance. By integrating these practices into HR strategies and decision-making processes, companies can not only enhance their environmental performance but also foster a more engaged, responsible, and forward-thinking workforce.

Key Takeaways:

• ESG Awareness: Foster a culture of ESG awareness and engagement by regularly communicating updates, achievements, and challenges related to sustainability, social responsibility, and corporate governance.
• Feedback Mechanisms: Establish channels for employees to provide feedback, ideas, and suggestions on environmental initiatives, fostering a sense of ownership and participation.
• Environmental Policies: Develop and update HR policies, procedures, and guidelines to align with ESG principles and regulatory requirements, ensuring compliance and accountability across the organization.
• Risk Management: Identify, assess, and mitigate ESG-related risks and opportunities, integrating risk management practices into HR strategies and decision-making processes.

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Hear about the practical application of AI within the HR function, the opportunity for AI on strategic initiatives and examples of how to support workforce and leader readiness from the top of some of Canada’s tech giants at Microsoft, EA, and SAP. In addition to learning how Generative AI is being applied to work today, we’ll explore how our tech businesses are thinking about the employee experience and getting people excited about what’s possible, while also staying ahead of challenges and changes in a fast-moving space.

• Practical Application of AI in HR: Understand how AI is enabling work in tech companies, learn where in HR there are already opportunities to enhance work through ‘no code/low code’ tools.
• Building an AI-Ready Organization: Hear about actual examples of leader and employee learning, adoption, and reinforcement methods to upskill and reskill for an AI-supported environment, including personalized learning paths and mentorship programs.
• Ethical Considerations and AI Governance: Gain insights into ethical considerations and best practices for AI governance and learn how HR can play a pivotal role in ensuring employee perspectives are included in design.

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Discover how micro-moments of mindfulness can enhance your performance. Engage in a restorative breathing exercise followed by a brief guided meditation, designed to reset and calm your nervous system. Recharge and refresh your mind and body, preparing you for a productive and invigorating second half of the conference day.

In today’s fast-paced, high-pressure tech environment, burnout and poor mental health are pressing issues affecting the wellbeing and productivity of HR professionals, leaders, and employees alike. However, there are actionable strategies that can make a difference.  In this session, we will explore how prioritizing mental health isn’t just a personal concern—it’s fundamental for organizational success. Discover how fostering a culture that values and supports mental wellbeing not only enhances individual resilience but also cultivates thriving teams and fosters innovation.  Join us as we redefine leadership in the tech industry by placing mental wellbeing at the forefront – and it starts with you! 

Key takeaways include:  

• Recognizing the signs of burnout and mental health challenges in yourself and your team.  
• Learn practical tactics to promote mental wellbeing in the workplace  
• Tips for building a nurturing a culture of psychological safety and support where individuals feel empowered to prioritize their mental health.  

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The masterclass will explore strategies to identify the necessary skills to meet the demands of a changing industry.  Gain valuable insights and practical solutions for organizations seeking to adapt to the future of work and address the challenges faced by employers in finding and retaining skilled professionals in an evolving workplace.

 What you will learn:

• How to build when the skills aren’t readily available to buy on the market because the skillset is so new
• Skills Identification – Discover ways to identify specific skills that are crucial for adapting to fill the positions of the future: data analysis, adaptability, creativity, emotional intelligence, and others.
• Strategies for upskilling and skills development during times of tight budgets

Pre-registration required – register here.

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It’s time to flip the motherhood penalty on its head and create the motherhood opportunity. As a leader within your organization, you have a unique ability to advance equity and better support the experiences of mothers, at work and through the transitions of maternity leave.

We invite you to join Maturn Co-Founders for a workshop that will shed light on the impact of maternity leave in Canada, highlight what mothers in Canada are asking for at work and provide effective strategies to create equitable and inclusive work cultures that help mothers thrive.

Key takeaways:

• Gain a deeper understanding of the motherhood penalty and how it creates barriers to women’s full participation at work in tech
• Learn about Maturn’s National Research Study on what mothers want at work to stay and grow within inclusive work cultures
• Receive concrete tools and resources to bring back to your organization that will create more equity for mothers
• Learn strategies to combat the motherhood penalty and how you and your organization can fully support mothers before, during and after maternity leave

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This session will start with a short overview of best practices for private equity compensation, and then dive into a panel discussion with practical tips and insights – including how to get people to value equity in a down economy.  Our panelists will share practical strategies to communicate the value, potential risks, key issues to consider and implications of private equity incentives to your employees.  Enhance your understanding and optimize your approach to equity compensation in the tech industry as a valuable part of your recruitment and retention plans.

Key Takeaways:

• Quick overview on the types and trends of private equity compensation
• Learn how to communicate the value of equity compensation as part of your total compensation package
• Best practices and practical trends of the ‘who, what, and when’ of equity plan implementation
• Considerations for designing equity value guidelines

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Learn two practical breathing techniques that you can use anytime, anywhere to reset and calm your nervous system. Join us for this mindful break to rejuvenate your mind and body, preparing you for continued success at the conference and beyond.

Join this closing keynote to hear practical insights and tactical strategies for navigating the complex landscape of AI, technology, talent, and culture, on innovation and productivity. As the leaders who are often charged with creating the right structures and guardrails around what ideation to innovation looks like, HR often feel pressure to harmonize control of brand and behaviour with championing innovation. In this closing keynote, Anna Baird will opensource a few ingredients around Google’s innovation approach, her experience in broader tech and how opportunities to innovate can be executed through digestible activities in your environment and empowerment of your people.  Join us as we unlock the secrets to fostering innovation, empowering your people, and navigating the ever-evolving tech landscape with confidence and agility.  

  What you will learn:

• Generative AI for Innovation: Discover how Gen AI is empowering (or supercharging) the way organizations create and learn – harnessing your power to drive meaningful change within your organization
• Agility in the ever-changing hybrid working norms: Learn how to leverage new working norms models to enhance productivity, collaboration leading to employee engagement and happiness. 
• Embracing Data-Driven Decision Making: Explore strategies for data and analytics to inform strategy and drive business growth. 

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