| | JULY- 2023MANAGEHRMAGAZINE.COM8In MyOpinionGENUINE CARE AT THE HEART OF PEOPLE STRATEGYBy Stacey Redford, Head of Human Resources, Syngenta CanadaHR has been impacted by many unforeseen challenges in the last several years ­ from the pandemic and hybrid/remote work to escalating talent shortages, inflationary pressures, and environmental and social change. Quite simply, the work world has been turned upside down and organizations have had to re-evaluate how to attract and retain talent and HR has played a large role in navigating this change. It has acquired a fresh look at how we see people and how we plan for a future that has vastly changed in a short Stacey Redfordperiod of time. The good news is that HR engagement early in business strategy planning discussions with senior leadership has become a pillar for many organizations. While this may not have been a natural occurrence only five short years ago, the talent market has required a much more strategic focus to be placed on people.HR at the Strategy TableAs strategic leader, HR has a larger role to play in the organization outside of the reactionary planning. The opportunity for HR leaders resides in being part of the creation of the business strategy, understanding the challenges and opportunities that the business has in the short, medium, and long term.At Syngenta Canada, HR is at the table for business strategy development, which is an important part of the planning process to drive successful execution. These discussions help to provide context and nuance on the business' unique challenges and help to properly align the people strategy. Recognizing that our business strategy is only as strong as our people strategy and has not only allowed for our continued growth year over year but has also proven to be a key to our success in the marketplace and being able to attract and retain top talent across Canada. Prioritizing PeopleStrategic planning is no easy feat; it requires a committed vision to a future that has not yet been realized. An engaged leadership team and their commitment to the `people vision' is the starting point. Many of us have worked for organizations that don't prioritize care and consideration for people. Earlier in my career, I was led to believe the only way to build a successful organization was to look at people as a `human capital.' I struggle with this notion ­ what a strange way to build a business. It is a reality that we need to account for productivity and people cost as it is usually the largest spend for organizations; the miss is that people are not a commodity, and our people strategy should reflect a lens of people care and consideration. Holistic BenefitsTalent is no longer simply looking for a job and a company with decent pay and benefits, they want to be inspired by an employer. They want to feel pride in the organization they
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