Bill 17 – Family & Business Friendly?

Remember that board game? You know, the one where you get cards that ask if you would keep extra change a cashier handed you, or lie to the police to save a friend. The game that helps us understand if we would do the right or moral thing if no one was watching or if […]

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HR’s Favourite Things

As an HR consultant and generalist, I am confronted with many different issues on a weekly basis. I find that I definitely have areas of HR I enjoy working on more than others, and when it comes to solutions, I also have my “favourites” – my go-tos, my tried and trues. So it got me […]

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Changing Demographics and Succession Planning Today

Our workforce is changing and hopefully the way we are planning for our successors is also changing. What is it about traditional succession planning processes that just don’t work anymore? In my opinion processes are still relevant but the execution is not. Succession plans that are owned by the HR Department and scheduled to be […]

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HR Assessment Checklist

Employment laws are changing. The workforce is shifting. The way we work has evolved. It’s time your HR did too! Human Resources plays an essential role in managing a company’s greatest asset – it’s people! When managed effectively, HR can have a huge impact on productivity, engagement, attraction and retention. Conducting an HR Assessment is […]

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Reference Checks: Will they lead to a happy ending?


I have recently been involved in an unorthodox recruitment, where the employer decided that proceeding with reference checks was an unnecessary step in the process. This experience made me re-examine my thoughts on the value and timing of reference checks for employment purposes. Typically, reference checks are one of the last steps performed before proceeding […]

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2017 Run to Renew Results – Why We Run

Salopek & Associates 2nd Annual Run to Renew was held on June 24th, and as promised, we wanted to share with everyone an update on it’s success in raising funds and awareness for the Calgary Food Bank. For our 2nd year of Run to Renew, our goal was simply to increase the amount raised and […]

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Strategic HR Partner – our role in developing the road map

When was the last time you sat down to plan a trip with your friend, your husband/wife or, your significant other? Do you recall the feeling of great satisfaction when you nailed – the what, the when and the where? Was there a feeling of relief when you realized you could stop worrying about the […]

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Hiring for Values and Culture Fit

A company is only as good as it’s employees. Therefore, it’s important to ensure you hire great people. Goes without saying, right? Of course you want to hire people who are qualified to do the job, but more importantly, you want to hire employees whose beliefs and behaviours are aligned with the company’s core values […]

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The Cost of the Lost

I am fascinated with organizations like law firms and medical practices where lawyers, doctors and nurses are placed in senior management positions. ‘Managing Partner’ and ‘Nurse Manager’ are well known positions that you will find in the majority of legal and medical practices. I am often left to wonder what skills or training these professionals, […]

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Employment Standards Changes: Bill 17 too costly to ignore

Bill 17, the Fair and Family-friendly Workplaces Act, will amend Alberta’s Employment Standards and Labour Relation Codes with many of the changes to Employment Standards being effective January 1, 2018. The new Act will require businesses to update their employment practices and to educate their managers on the changes. Failure to educate managers will place […]

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