Manage HR Magazine: Specials Magazine
The pandemic sparked many new ideas, as businesses scrambled to adapt. The story of KEHOPS, a vendor matching platform, is one of those. Philippe Boivin, CEO and founder of KEHOPS, was once managing a large Nordic spa in Canada when the pandemic hit. With over 120,000 customers annually and ever-changing government health measures, he found himself constantly navigating the tightrope of closing and reopening his business on short notice. Every time, he faced the challenge of rebuilding his team, along with managing the logistics of getting large pools and hot tubs back in operation. With each reopening, he was given just three days to find 100 new employees. Boivin found himself cycling through the same exhausting pattern every time: scrambling for workers, relying on slow-moving job boards, and ultimately choosing recruitment agencies based on gut instinct. Transparency was nonexistent, fees varied wildly and most agencies had little understanding of the distinct staffing challenges of a sprawling spa operation. It was during one of these frantic hiring sprints that a thought struck him: What if finding the right recruiter could be as fast and intuitive as matching on Tinder? What if businesses could swipe their way to HR partners who actually understood their needs without long-term contracts, hidden fees or guesswork? That spark became KEHOPS, a web platform that flips traditional recruitment on its head. Instead of sifting through resumes, businesses use KEHOPS to find specialized HR partners with just a few swipes. It delivers fast, effortless recruitment solutions, matching each organization’s specific needs and streamlining the hiring process for everyone involved.
Recruitment
Groom & Associates is a Canadian recruitment firm recognized for connecting highly skilled professionals with leading organizations in science, technology, engineering, finance, and other knowledge-driven industries. Built on more than thirty years of consistent results and trusted relationships, the company has grown from its roots in Quebec into a national partner for employers who value deep industry insight and a recruitment team that acts as a true brand ambassador. From its early days in Quebec to a nationwide practice today, the firm has stayed focused on what matters most: matching the right talent with the right opportunity while ensuring that both client and candidate feel valued and understood. “Our job is not simply to fill positions,” says founder and CEO Karen Groom. “It is to understand the science behind every role and the people behind every career move. When we listen carefully and act as a true partner the result is always stronger and longer lasting.” Central to that success is Groom & Associates’ longstanding expertise in STEM—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Within these disciplines, the firm regularly recruits scientists in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, software and data professionals in technology and artificial intelligence, and engineers across mechanical, electrical, and civil specialties. The team also places professionals in finance-related areas such as accounting, audit, and financial management. This breadth of specialized knowledge means the recruiters understand the technical demands of each role and can engage with both candidates and hiring managers at a peer level. Karen explains, “When the people guiding a search truly understand the work itself they can speak the same language as the professionals they’re hiring. That builds trust quickly and leads to better matches.” The firm’s focus on quality over quantity has become a hallmark of its service. Instead of pushing large volumes of résumés, the team invests the time to understand a client’s culture and long-term needs before presenting a carefully chosen shortlist. This approach has earned Groom & Associates repeat business from many of Canada’s leading organizations. “We succeed when our clients succeed,” Karen says. “That is why so many of them have been with us for decades and why our candidates often become our clients down the road.”
Talent Management
Psychometric testing brings science, structure, and predictability into hiring and talent development, offering a way to understand how people think, behave, and make decisions. These tools give HR an objective window into cognitive ability, personality, soft skills, values, and job-specific judgment, helping reduce mis-hires and strengthening organizational culture. However, there has always been a gap between applying psychometrics and the everyday reality of HR operations. Most HR teams are not equipped to use psychometrics at scale. They lack in-house experts and do not have time for complex tools. Many solutions on the market are designed for psychologists rather than busy HR professionals who juggle recruiting, employee relations, compliance, and other responsibilities. Developed in collaboration with human resources professionals, academics, and industry partners, HRID offers tools that bridge the gap between psychometrics and HR to help organizations hire smarter, develop talent, and strengthen their culture. The organization provides a comprehensive catalogue of psychometric tests designed to evaluate talent across various contexts, including recruitment, promotion, leadership development, team building, conflict management, and strategic planning. Each test is scientifically validated and written in clear, inclusive language to ensure accessibility and fairness. Julie Thibault, CEO and co-owner, recalls the recurring pattern she observed in the field. “I wanted to give professionals like me the ability to make better people decisions with confidence by using scientific, accessible tools rather than relying on intuition alone,” she says. Driven by this belief, she developed HRID’s practical, web-based assessment solutions that merge scientific accuracy with real-world usability.
Executive Coaching
The Workforce Crisis HR Leaders Can’t Ignore Across Canada and North America, HR directors are facing a perfect storm. Burnout, disengagement, and turnover are at record highs. According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2024, nearly 60 percent of employees are disengaged, costing the global economy $8.9 trillion annually in lost productivity. Closer to home, the Conference Board of Canada estimates voluntary turnover costs organizations $22,000 per employee. And those numbers only tell part of the story. The World Health Organization has classified burnout as an occupational phenomenon, while Statistics Canada (2023) found 35 percent of Canadian workers report high stress levels at work. In Deloitte’s Human Capital Trends 2024, 74 percent of organizations said leadership readiness is their single greatest workforce risk. For HR leaders, this means three urgent realities: Retention risk is bleeding budgets. Recruiting and onboarding replacements is expensive, but losing institutional knowledge and morale costs even more. Mishandled restructures or layoffs can damage reputation of employers. High-potential employees are burning out or leaving, leaving future leadership uncertain. It’s no wonder HR directors are asking: How do we protect our people, our culture, and our bottom line—without relying on surface-level solutions? The Mindful Career Difference Recognized as Canada’s #1 Career Counselling & Coaching Firm, Mindful Career is trusted by Fortune 500 companies and leading employers across North America. Founded by Miriam Groom, an Organizational Therapist, former HR corporate leader and consultant to Fortune 500 companies—Mindful Career was built to bridge a gap Groom experienced first-hand: “In my corporate years, I saw employees leave not because they wanted to, but because their roles and environments weren’t aligned to who they were. That’s why we help HR leaders address people problems at the root, using psychology and strategy together,” says Groom. Over the past decade, Mindful Career has delivered: 100,000+ coaching hours, 6,500 personalized career roadmaps and 10,000+ verified five-star reviews. With offices in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, New York City, Austin and Chicago, the firm blends clinical psychology, organizational consulting and strategic career design to deliver people solutions that protect brands and drive measurable outcomes. Protecting Employer Brand During Change Restructures and layoffs test culture, trust and reputation. Most outplacement services are transactional providing generic resume templates or impersonal portals.
Recruitment
Developing a Strategy to Tackle HR Challenges: Four Best Practices
Marie-Chantal Perreault, Vice-President Human Resources, Quadra Chemicals
Recruitment
Importance of Networking and Professional Relationships in HR
Angela Vanikiotis, Director of Talent Management, Royal Canadian Mint
Recruitment
Executive Recruitment Insights
Diana Valler, Chief Human Resources Officer, TravelBrands
Recruitment
Redefining the Employee Value Proposition
Rose De Luca, Senior Manager, National Human Resources Operations, Amica Senior Lifestyles
Recruitment
Navigating the Changing Real Estate Landscape with Technology
Michelle Boodhoo, Director of Recruitment & Broker, Century 21 Leading Edge Realty Inc
Recruitment
The Art of Attracting a Leading-Edge Technology Team
Tiffany Bliley, Director Talent Acquisition and Patricia Quance, Director, HRBP - Technology, EQ Bank
Recruitment
Balancing AI Tools and Human Touch in Recruitment
Nicholas Pretorius, Manager, Talent Acquisition, High Liner Foods
IN MY OPINION
Recruitment
From Newbie to Navigator, Leading with Curiosity and Open-Mindedness
Melissa Law, CPCC, ACC, Vice President, Culture, Talent, and Organizational Development, Liberty
LAST WORD
Recruitment
Making Change Happen: Strategies for Implementing Change with People in Mind
Leah Pearson, Vice President Human Resources, First Onsite
IN FOCUS
Enhancing Workforce Solutions through Canadian Staffing Expertise
Canadian staffing agencies support workforce growth through regional expertise, job seeker guidance, and employment compliance, helping employers and candidates achieve long-term success across diverse industries.
Smarter Hiring Decisions: Psychometric Testing in Canadian Talent Management
Psychometric testing in Canada strengthens talent management by improving hiring accuracy, supporting fair assessments, predicting performance, and aligning workforce decisions with organizational and regulatory expectations.
EDITORIAL
Redesigning the Talent Ecosystem for a New World of Work
Canada’s talent landscape is undergoing a fundamental reset. As labour shortages persist, roles become more specialized, and career expectations shift, organizations are rethinking how they attract, assess, select and support talent across the entire employment lifecycle. Recruitment, evaluation, decision-making and career development are no longer isolated HR functions. Together, they form an interconnected talent ecosystem that must be both agile and human-centred.
Recruitment and staffing agencies are responding by moving away from transactional hiring toward partnership-driven models. Employers increasingly seek recruiters who understand the technical depth of roles, industry nuance, and long-term workforce planning. Quality, cultural alignment and retention now outweigh speed alone, particularly in knowledge-driven and STEMheavy sectors where misalignment can be costly.
Alongside recruitment, psychometric testing is gaining prominence as a strategic tool rather than a niche assessment. Organizations are turning to scientifically validated, accessible testing frameworks to bring objectivity into hiring and development decisions. These tools help reduce bias, improve role fit, and support leadership development by translating human potential into measurable insight that HR teams can act on confidently.
Procurement within HR is also being redefined. Simplified RFP platforms are introducing transparency and competition into a process once dominated by guesswork and long-term contracts. By enabling organizations to clearly articulate needs and evaluate partners based on expertise, pricing, and responsiveness, these platforms are giving employers greater control and flexibility in how they build external talent partnerships.
At the same time, career counselling and coaching services are evolving to meet the realities of burnout, career pivots and multi-stage professional lives. Science-backed approaches that combine behavioural insight with practical market knowledge are helping individuals gain clarity, resilience and direction. For employers, this translates into healthier transitions, stronger engagement and more sustainable workforce outcomes.
Together, these shifts signal a broader transformation. Talent management in 2026 is less about filling roles and more about designing systems where people and organizations can grow with intention, insight and trust.
