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In the know @ PHO - June 2015

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<strong>In</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>know</strong><br />

@ <strong>PHO</strong><br />

JUNE <strong>2015</strong><br />

WE ARE ‘ONE <strong>PHO</strong>’ PAGE 6<br />

GOTO <strong>PHO</strong>: COMMUNICATE. COLLABORATE.<br />

EXCHANGE. ENGAGE. PAGE 10<br />

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT PROFILE: MOLECULAR<br />

SERVICES AND VIROLOGY PAGE 16<br />

<strong>PHO</strong> WALKS! THE TAKING ACTION WALKING<br />

CHALLENGE PAGE 20<br />

Employee<br />

Engagement<br />

Edition


<strong>In</strong>side<br />

COVER IMAGE:<br />

SCIENCE AND PUBLIC HEALTH<br />

TOWN HALL<br />

Debi Spencer, executive<br />

assistant, HPCDIP, takes part<br />

in <strong>the</strong> SPH Town Hall held at<br />

<strong>the</strong> Michener <strong>In</strong>stitute earlier<br />

this month.<br />

SPECIAL EDITION:<br />

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT<br />

12<br />

EMPLOYEE ENGAGMENT (EE) PROFILE:<br />

ADMINISTRATIVE<br />

PROFESSIONALS<br />

<strong>PHO</strong> RECENTLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE<br />

THE SERVICE OF EMPLOYEES FROM ACROSS THE<br />

ORGANIZATION THROUGH OUR ANNUAL LONG<br />

SERVICE AWARDS. THIS FORMAL RECOGNITION<br />

PROGRAM RECOGNIZES PERMANENT EMPLOYEES<br />

WHO HAVE ACHIEVED 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 AND 40<br />

YEAR SERVICE MILESTONES.<br />

OUR STORIES<br />

Photo credit: Claude Martel<br />

4 IN FOCUS<br />

06<br />

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT<br />

Building a stronger <strong>PHO</strong><br />

ENGAGING EMPLOYEES<br />

ACROSS <strong>PHO</strong><br />

6 WE ARE ‘ONE <strong>PHO</strong>’<br />

Working toge<strong>the</strong>r to build a<br />

shared culture<br />

14<br />

7 IN BRIEF<br />

ENHANCING RECRUITMENT<br />

PRACTICES<br />

Recruiting and retaining<br />

great people<br />

FAMILIAR FACES IN NEW<br />

PLACES<br />

9 SENIOR EXECUTIVES MEET<br />

ONE-TO-ONE WITH NEW<br />

EMPLOYEES<br />

10 COMMUNICATE.<br />

COLLABORATE. EXCHANGE.<br />

ENGAGE.<br />

New GoTo home page<br />

design receives praise<br />

12 OUR PEOPLE<br />

ADMINISTRATIVE<br />

PROFESSIONALS DISCUSS<br />

‘PERSONAL BRAND’<br />

13 ENGAGEMENT CAFÉ<br />

GENERATES IDEAS<br />

FOR ADDRESSING TOP<br />

ENGAGEMENT DRIVERS<br />

SUPPORTING MANAGERS TO<br />

BE MORE EFFECTIVE PEOPLE<br />

LEADERS<br />

14 ENHANCING OUR<br />

APPROACHES TO<br />

RECOGNITION


IN THE KNOW<br />

@ <strong>PHO</strong><br />

A quarterly, internal publication by <strong>the</strong><br />

Communications team<br />

16<br />

EE PROFILE:<br />

MOLECULAR<br />

SERVICES AND<br />

VIROLOGY<br />

18<br />

EE PROFILE:<br />

ENVIRONMENTAL<br />

AND<br />

OCCUPATIONAL<br />

HEALTH<br />

19<br />

EE PROFILE:<br />

HUMAN<br />

RESOURCES<br />

EDITORIAL STAFF<br />

Editor:<br />

Lynn Woods,<br />

HR communications advisor<br />

Assistant Editor:<br />

Kiren Gill,<br />

communications advisor<br />

Layout and design:<br />

Lina Tirilis,<br />

website coordinator<br />

Photography:<br />

Claude Martel,<br />

senior communications advisor<br />

Comments:<br />

communications@oahpp.ca<br />

SEND US YOUR STORIES!<br />

Do you have news to share?<br />

We want to hear from you.<br />

<strong>In</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>know</strong> @ <strong>PHO</strong> is published<br />

quarterly. Please refer to our <strong>2015</strong><br />

Production Schedule for submission<br />

deadlines and publication dates.<br />

14 CREATING A WORK<br />

ENVIRONMENT THAT<br />

PROMOTES GOOD MENTAL<br />

HEALTH<br />

16 GENERATING IDEAS TO<br />

ADVANCE ENGAGEMENT<br />

PRIORITIES<br />

17 GET TO KNOW YOUR<br />

COLLEAGUES THROUGH<br />

PERSONA CARDS<br />

IPAC uses persona cards<br />

to team-build<br />

18 EOH TEAM TAKES DEEPER<br />

DIVE INTO ENGAGEMENT<br />

SURVEY RESULTS<br />

17 20<br />

19 HR TAKES ACTION TO<br />

ADDRESS ENGAGEMENT<br />

SURVEY RESULTS<br />

20 <strong>PHO</strong> WALKS!<br />

Join <strong>PHO</strong> and CCO in <strong>the</strong><br />

Taking Action Walking<br />

Challenge<br />

Suggested topics include<br />

interesting work in progress, projects,<br />

research or reports, department<br />

profiles, events, cross-organizational<br />

initiatives, organizational<br />

announcements, and staff<br />

appointments or accolades.<br />

Submissions should be<br />

approximately 200-300 words long<br />

and can be accompanied by<br />

related images/graphics or links<br />

to documents. Email submissions to<br />

communications@oahpp.ca.<br />

The next regular issue of <strong>In</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>know</strong><br />

@ <strong>PHO</strong> will be in September <strong>2015</strong>.<br />

Deadline for submissions is<br />

August 4, <strong>2015</strong>.


<strong>In</strong> Focus<br />

EMPLOYEE<br />

ENGAGEMENT<br />

Building a Stronger <strong>PHO</strong><br />

What does it mean to be an engaged employee?<br />

Employee engagement goes beyond whe<strong>the</strong>r<br />

or not you show up to work every day. Engaged<br />

employees are happy at work, feel that <strong>the</strong>ir job is<br />

fulfilling, and would recommend working at <strong>PHO</strong> to<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir family and friends.<br />

As you <strong>know</strong>, <strong>PHO</strong>’s Strategic Direction #5 is: Great<br />

people, exceptional teams, building a stronger<br />

<strong>PHO</strong>. While <strong>the</strong>re is no question that we have great<br />

people and exceptional teams, <strong>PHO</strong> has <strong>the</strong> potential<br />

to become even stronger. After listening to your<br />

feedback, we decided to make improving employee<br />

engagement a priority over <strong>the</strong> next few years.<br />

Everybody, from receptionists to lab technicians to<br />

scientists, plays a role in our success. Whe<strong>the</strong>r you<br />

are working behind-<strong>the</strong>-scenes or on <strong>the</strong> front lines,<br />

you make a difference in <strong>the</strong> health and lives of<br />

Ontarians. Sometimes it is easy to lose sight of our<br />

end goal. With improved employee engagement we<br />

want you to feel inspired in <strong>know</strong>ing how your work<br />

contributes to our shared vision and mandate. We<br />

also want to make sure you have opportunities to<br />

learn and grow in your career. <strong>In</strong> short, we want <strong>PHO</strong><br />

to be a great place to work.<br />

Improved employee engagement doesn’t just<br />

happen overnight. As I’ve mentioned before, it takes<br />

time, planning and continuous effort. <strong>In</strong> <strong>the</strong> next few<br />

months you will hear more about “One <strong>PHO</strong>” as we<br />

continue to move forward toge<strong>the</strong>r. We all <strong>know</strong> that<br />

<strong>PHO</strong> as a whole is greater than <strong>the</strong> sum of its parts.<br />

The next step is giving you <strong>the</strong> tools and support to<br />

put this <strong>know</strong>ledge into action.<br />

I firmly believe that with improved employee<br />

engagement, <strong>PHO</strong> can become one of <strong>the</strong> best places<br />

to work in Ontario and toge<strong>the</strong>r, with o<strong>the</strong>rs in this<br />

province, we can help create <strong>the</strong> best public health<br />

system in <strong>the</strong> world.<br />

BY PETER DONNELLY,<br />

CEO AND PRESIDENT<br />

ENGAGING<br />

EMPLOYEES<br />

ACROSS <strong>PHO</strong><br />

A year ago, <strong>PHO</strong> conducted its first ever employee<br />

engagement survey, with more than 500 employees<br />

sharing <strong>the</strong>ir insights into where <strong>PHO</strong> is doing well<br />

as an employer and where it can improve. When<br />

<strong>the</strong> corporate-level results were shared across <strong>the</strong><br />

organization in <strong>the</strong> Fall 2014, it marked <strong>the</strong> first step<br />

towards setting <strong>the</strong> wheels in motion to build a<br />

stronger <strong>PHO</strong>.<br />

Since that time, <strong>PHO</strong> has welcomed a new CEO with<br />

<strong>the</strong> arrival of Peter Donnelly in November 2014,<br />

completed <strong>the</strong> successful move of <strong>the</strong> Toronto<br />

laboratory from 81 Resources Road to 661 University<br />

Avenue, co-located five RICN teams to new offices<br />

in neighbouring <strong>PHO</strong> laboratories, contributed<br />

to ano<strong>the</strong>r well-attended TOPHC event, and<br />

implemented a successful re-organization.<br />

Throughout this busy period, not only have <strong>PHO</strong><br />

staff stepped up to <strong>the</strong> plate to support <strong>the</strong>se<br />

important initiatives, you have excelled at continuing<br />

to maintain client services at <strong>the</strong> level of service<br />

and quality our stakeholders have come to expect.<br />

Even more impressive is that teams across <strong>PHO</strong> have<br />

continued to move forward during this heightened<br />

period of activity with <strong>the</strong>ir respective action plans to<br />

address priority areas for improvement that surfaced<br />

through <strong>the</strong> survey.<br />

<strong>In</strong> preceding issues of <strong>In</strong> <strong>the</strong> Know @ <strong>PHO</strong>, we shared<br />

with you some of <strong>the</strong> various steps different teams<br />

have been taking to address <strong>the</strong>ir department-level<br />

results, and you will see more of those reflected in<br />

this special issue of <strong>In</strong> <strong>the</strong> Know. Equally important<br />

is <strong>PHO</strong>’s Corporate Action Plan to address <strong>the</strong> key<br />

organizational areas for improvement identified by<br />

staff through <strong>the</strong> survey.<br />

<strong>PHO</strong>’s corporate action plan for employee<br />

engagement improvement<br />

We <strong>know</strong>, based on <strong>the</strong> employee engagement<br />

survey results that 37 percent of <strong>PHO</strong> employees<br />

indicated <strong>the</strong>y were fully ‘engaged’. This feedback<br />

opened <strong>the</strong> door for <strong>PHO</strong> to fur<strong>the</strong>r enhance<br />

<strong>the</strong> workplace by focusing on six key areas for<br />

improvement, as identified by employees through<br />

<strong>the</strong> survey. Over <strong>the</strong> past several months, <strong>the</strong>se areas<br />

4 | Return to table of contents


were explored in greater detail by inviting additional input<br />

from senior leaders, managers and staff and by completing an<br />

in-depth assessment of <strong>the</strong> survey results.<br />

This information helped inform <strong>the</strong> development of <strong>PHO</strong>’s<br />

Corporate Employee Engagement Improvement Strategy as<br />

depicted by <strong>the</strong> following graphic:<br />

This strategy represents how <strong>PHO</strong> will move forward as<br />

an organization to address <strong>the</strong> key areas for improvement<br />

and will align nicely with <strong>the</strong> action plans teams have been<br />

working to put in place to address local priorities. It also<br />

aligns with our Strategic Plan, with a particular focus on<br />

Strategic Direction #5: Great people, exceptional teams,<br />

building a stronger <strong>PHO</strong>.<br />

<strong>PHO</strong>’S CORPORATE<br />

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT<br />

IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY<br />

Several initiatives are already underway to address each of<br />

<strong>the</strong> six priority areas depicted in <strong>the</strong> strategy, and we will<br />

continue to enhance or introduce o<strong>the</strong>r initiatives to fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />

advance improvements in <strong>the</strong>se areas. We have highlighted<br />

some of <strong>the</strong>se initiatives in <strong>the</strong> following articles.<br />

It will take time to make <strong>the</strong> changes necessary to improve<br />

<strong>the</strong> employee experience and create a ‘One <strong>PHO</strong>’ culture<br />

that aligns with our vision, but senior leaders share a strong<br />

commitment to working toge<strong>the</strong>r with managers and staff to<br />

improve engagement.<br />

Each of you is an important part of <strong>the</strong> solution. With all<br />

of us working toge<strong>the</strong>r, we can make <strong>PHO</strong> a great place<br />

to work and one of <strong>the</strong> most well respected public health<br />

organizations in <strong>the</strong> industry. Visit <strong>the</strong> Employee Engagement<br />

GoTo <strong>PHO</strong> site for a full copy of <strong>the</strong> Corporate Employee<br />

Engagement Improvement Strategy .<br />

BY DONNA MARAFIOTI,<br />

VICE-PRESIDENT, HUMAN RESOURCES<br />

AND LABORATORIES<br />

Return to table of contents | 5


WE ARE ‘ONE <strong>PHO</strong>’<br />

When you hear <strong>the</strong> term ‘One <strong>PHO</strong>’,<br />

what does it mean to you? It’s a term our<br />

President and CEO Peter Donnelly has<br />

often referenced during his visits to <strong>PHO</strong><br />

sites across <strong>the</strong> province, and one that he<br />

speaks to in this issue of <strong>In</strong> <strong>the</strong> Know @<br />

<strong>PHO</strong>.<br />

We are all ‘One <strong>PHO</strong>’.<br />

One <strong>PHO</strong> is about creating an<br />

organizational culture where we embrace<br />

a shared understanding of our vision,<br />

mission, mandate and values and what it<br />

means to be a <strong>PHO</strong> employee. It’s about<br />

how we want to be perceived by our<br />

clients, partners and <strong>the</strong> general public,<br />

and how committed we are as employees<br />

to achieving <strong>PHO</strong>’s collective objectives.<br />

The following ‘placemat’ was designed<br />

to help us all better understand what it<br />

means to be a part of One <strong>PHO</strong>. It reflects<br />

<strong>the</strong> expected behaviours for all <strong>PHO</strong><br />

employees as we work toge<strong>the</strong>r to build<br />

a shared culture. Aligned with our values<br />

and anchored in our vision, it is our<br />

guidepost for how we are expected<br />

to work with one ano<strong>the</strong>r and with<br />

our partners, clients and o<strong>the</strong>r key<br />

stakeholders. We all have a part to play.<br />

6 | Return to table of contents


<strong>In</strong> Brief<br />

ENHANCING RECRUITMENT PRACTICES<br />

To support career growth<br />

Recruiting and retaining great people positions <strong>PHO</strong> well to realize its vision and fulfill its mandate.<br />

We are committed to providing continued career growth opportunities at <strong>PHO</strong>, evidence of which<br />

can be seen by <strong>the</strong> number of employees who have successfully transitioned to new roles at <strong>PHO</strong><br />

over <strong>the</strong> past several months.<br />

Some of <strong>the</strong> more recent actions <strong>PHO</strong> has taken within <strong>the</strong> past few months include:<br />

• Job postings are now accessible to all <strong>PHO</strong> employees via a job postings quick link on <strong>the</strong> GoTo <strong>PHO</strong> homepage<br />

• <strong>In</strong>ternal candidates are considered first for posted job openings before <strong>PHO</strong> considers external candidates.<br />

BY DENISE RICKETTS, RECRUITMENT SPECIALIST, HUMAN RESOURCES<br />

FAMILIAR FACES IN NEW PLACES<br />

This year, we will continue to focus our efforts on reviewing <strong>PHO</strong>’s recruitment process, exploring career<br />

growth opportunities for staff (e.g., job shadowing, leading committees and task forces, etc.), and enhancing<br />

our onboarding process for new employees to improve engagement.<br />

Tracy Bai recently transitioned from her role<br />

as accounts payable associate to <strong>the</strong> newly<br />

created position of<br />

accounting/finance<br />

coordinator in Finance.<br />

Tracy has been with<br />

<strong>PHO</strong> since 2012.<br />

“<strong>PHO</strong> has a good<br />

organizational culture<br />

in which strengths and<br />

individual achievements are<br />

recognized. It encourages employees to constantly calibrate<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir goals and <strong>the</strong>ir personal development plans. By<br />

providing career growth opportunities, <strong>PHO</strong> creates a great<br />

motivation for employees to realize <strong>the</strong>ir potential and add<br />

value to <strong>the</strong> organization, which is mutually beneficial to<br />

both <strong>PHO</strong> and its employees.”<br />

Tiffany Bartlett recently transitioned to a new<br />

role as manager, Knowledge Mobilization in<br />

Knowledge Services from<br />

her previous role as senior<br />

education specialist.<br />

Prior to that, she was an<br />

education specialist.<br />

“I have taken many opportunities<br />

to grow with my career at<br />

<strong>PHO</strong>, including participating in<br />

learning opportunities offered<br />

through HR, as well as workshops and conferences offered by<br />

<strong>the</strong> field to build new skills. I’m grateful for <strong>the</strong> supportive work<br />

environment which I believe is a result of our workplace values<br />

of <strong>In</strong>tegrity and Collaboration, and for my colleagues who<br />

continuously demonstrate <strong>the</strong>se behaviours . I really appreciate<br />

<strong>the</strong> support and encouragement that <strong>PHO</strong> and its leaders have<br />

provided to help me grow within <strong>the</strong> organization.”<br />

Return to table of contents | 7


Melissa Cheung<br />

recently transitioned<br />

to a new role as<br />

organizational<br />

improvement<br />

coordinator in Human<br />

Resources from her<br />

previous role as HR<br />

programs and services<br />

assistant. Prior to that, she was human resources<br />

administrative coordinator for <strong>the</strong> laboratories.<br />

Melissa joined <strong>PHO</strong> three years ago.<br />

“From supporting <strong>the</strong> team in various HR programs in<br />

an administrative capacity, to being a contributing team<br />

member on a lot of new and exciting initiatives, and<br />

<strong>the</strong>n taking <strong>the</strong> lead on some o<strong>the</strong>r big projects, I have<br />

been able to learn new skills and gain a lot of valuable<br />

experience allowing me to advance into my current role as<br />

organizational improvement coordinator.”<br />

Aaron Furfaro recently<br />

transitioned to <strong>the</strong><br />

role of team lead,<br />

Communications<br />

in Knowledge<br />

Services from his<br />

previous position<br />

as communications<br />

advisor.<br />

“<strong>In</strong> my time at <strong>PHO</strong> I have had many opportunities to<br />

engage in professional development and ongoing<br />

education. This has always been supported by not only my<br />

manager, but <strong>the</strong> organization itself. This has enabled me<br />

to build <strong>the</strong> skills and acquire <strong>the</strong> tools necessary to take<br />

on this new role. <strong>In</strong> my experience <strong>PHO</strong>’s commitment<br />

to learning and development, coupled with a focus on<br />

employee engagement and recognition can result in<br />

exciting opportunities for career growth.”<br />

Ruemona Ganess recently<br />

transitioned to a newly<br />

created position as team<br />

lead, Finance. Prior to that,<br />

Ruemona was a senior<br />

accountant. She has been<br />

with <strong>PHO</strong> since 2009.<br />

“<strong>PHO</strong> is an organization that<br />

is always evolving and that requires <strong>the</strong> ability to adapt to<br />

change. My recent promotion is an indication that employees<br />

at <strong>PHO</strong> are being supported for potential career advancement.<br />

It has been a great journey for me and I am delighted to be<br />

given this opportunity.”<br />

Ruth Herrington recently<br />

transitioned from her role<br />

as administrative assistant,<br />

Finance to <strong>the</strong> position<br />

of contract administrator<br />

in <strong>the</strong> Corporate<br />

Procurement department.<br />

Ruth joined <strong>PHO</strong> in 2010.<br />

“This opportunity means a lot to me as it allows me to utilize<br />

my abilities and learn new skills while growing with <strong>the</strong><br />

agency.”<br />

Tim Westberg recently<br />

transitioned to <strong>the</strong><br />

Research and Ethics<br />

team as research ethics<br />

coordinator from his<br />

previous role as executive<br />

assistant, Knowledge<br />

Services. Tim joined <strong>PHO</strong><br />

in <strong>June</strong> 2011.<br />

“<strong>In</strong> 2011, I was hired to assist with <strong>the</strong> execution of <strong>the</strong> first<br />

TOPHC (The Ontario Public Health Convention) event, and was<br />

subsequently hired as a permanent administrative assistant in<br />

Knowledge Services. I <strong>the</strong>n moved on to working in <strong>the</strong> role of<br />

executive assistant for nearly a year before my recent transition<br />

to research ethics coordinator. Looking back, I feel fortunate<br />

that <strong>PHO</strong> has offered me so many opportunities, and I look<br />

forward to what lies ahead.”<br />

8 | Return to table of contents


SENIOR EXECUTIVES MEET<br />

ONE-TO-ONE WITH NEW<br />

EMPLOYEES<br />

It’s important that all new<br />

employees who come into <strong>the</strong><br />

organization feel welcome and to<br />

understand <strong>the</strong> important roles <strong>the</strong>y<br />

play in helping <strong>PHO</strong> to advance its<br />

mandate and vision. With this in<br />

mind, <strong>PHO</strong> expanded its Employee<br />

Orientation program for permanent<br />

hires in December 2014 to include<br />

one-to-one meetings with <strong>the</strong> CEO.<br />

“Starting a new job is a major life<br />

change and I want to do my part<br />

to make every new employee feel<br />

welcome,” says Peter. “It has been<br />

an absolute pleasure getting to<br />

<strong>know</strong> new staff members and<br />

connecting with <strong>the</strong>m on a personal<br />

level. These meetings have given<br />

me a greater appreciation for <strong>the</strong><br />

talent we have at <strong>PHO</strong> and I hope<br />

that all employees feel comfortable<br />

contacting me or management if<br />

<strong>the</strong>re is anything that needs our<br />

attention.”<br />

Given <strong>PHO</strong>’s multiple sites, new<br />

employees are provided with <strong>the</strong><br />

opportunity to meet with Peter<br />

in person or over <strong>the</strong> telephone.<br />

The meetings provide Peter with<br />

<strong>the</strong> opportunity to learn more<br />

about people coming into <strong>the</strong><br />

organization, hear <strong>the</strong>m reflect on<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir initial impressions of <strong>PHO</strong>, and<br />

establish an immediate connection<br />

between senior executives and staff<br />

across <strong>the</strong> organization.<br />

“I was so surprised after I received<br />

<strong>the</strong> invitation to meet CEO Peter<br />

Donnelly in person. I usually met<br />

CEOs in a big board room with<br />

a lot of o<strong>the</strong>r people from my<br />

previous employments,” says Tony<br />

Liu, business information system<br />

specialist, IMIT. “<strong>PHO</strong> is definitely<br />

on <strong>the</strong> right track, with equal<br />

opportunities for every single<br />

employee.”<br />

The approach has been met with<br />

such great success that it was<br />

expanded earlier this year to include<br />

new contract employees who have<br />

<strong>the</strong> opportunity to meet with <strong>the</strong><br />

senior executive who oversees<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir team, ei<strong>the</strong>r George Pasut,<br />

vice president, Science and Public<br />

Health, Donna Marafioti, vice<br />

president, Human Resources and<br />

Laboratories, or Stephen D’Arcy,<br />

chief financial officer/interim chief<br />

administrative officer, Corporate<br />

Services.<br />

BY LYNN WOODS,<br />

HUMAN RESOURCES<br />

COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR<br />

WHAT EMPLOYEES<br />

HAVE TO SAY<br />

“I appreciate <strong>the</strong> time that Peter took<br />

out of his busy schedule to speak with<br />

me on <strong>the</strong> phone. He was very kind,<br />

asking me about my past experience,<br />

how I am doing and what I am working<br />

on, and left his door open for me to<br />

contact him at any time.”<br />

– Lindsay McKeen, network assistant,<br />

South Western Ontario <strong>In</strong>fection Control<br />

Network<br />

“The experience of talking to Peter<br />

Donnelly, our CEO, made me feel<br />

most welcomed as a new employee.<br />

I think <strong>the</strong> CEO’s way of reaching out<br />

to new employees is a good move to<br />

establish open communication between<br />

employees and <strong>the</strong> administration. He<br />

said, “Feel free to send me an email<br />

whenever you have concerns that you<br />

think will need my attention.” <strong>In</strong> this<br />

way, employees have <strong>the</strong> opportunity to<br />

reach out.”<br />

– Ruben Cudiamat, medical laboratory<br />

technologist, Laboratories<br />

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COMMUNICATE. COLLABORATE.<br />

EXCHANGE. ENGAGE.<br />

New GoTo <strong>PHO</strong> home page design receives praise<br />

The unveiling of a new look and<br />

feel for <strong>the</strong> GoTo <strong>PHO</strong> homepage<br />

last month marked <strong>the</strong> first step in<br />

developing a more robust intranet<br />

site for internal communication,<br />

collaboration, and <strong>know</strong>ledge<br />

exchange.<br />

Feedback to date via <strong>the</strong> GoTo <strong>PHO</strong><br />

Poll has been very positive with<br />

new features like <strong>the</strong> Quick Links and Staff Announcements<br />

identified as user favourites. Those who had responded to <strong>the</strong><br />

poll as of mid-<strong>June</strong> were frequent users of GoTo <strong>PHO</strong> with 86<br />

per cent indicating <strong>the</strong>y visit <strong>the</strong> site daily.<br />

Just as its names suggests, GoTo <strong>PHO</strong> is shaping up to become<br />

your ‘go to’ news from across <strong>the</strong> organization. Earlier this<br />

month, more than 40 people participated in a dedicated Skills<br />

& Tools session to learn more about how to maximize <strong>the</strong> new<br />

features on GoTo <strong>PHO</strong> and make <strong>the</strong> most of <strong>the</strong> intranet site<br />

to support <strong>the</strong> work that <strong>the</strong>y do.<br />

Over <strong>the</strong> next few months we will be adding new<br />

departments/services sites so that everyone has access to<br />

information about <strong>PHO</strong>’s programs and services, including<br />

what each area does, who <strong>the</strong>ir partners/stakeholders are and<br />

what projects <strong>the</strong>y are currently working on.<br />

10 | Return to table of contents


WHAT PEOPLE ARE<br />

SAYING ABOUT GOTO<br />

• 91% say new design makes it easier to<br />

navigate to information I need<br />

• 91% rate <strong>the</strong> new look and feel as Excellent<br />

or Very Good<br />

• 86% visit GoTo <strong>PHO</strong> daily<br />

“Well done – very<br />

attractive, clean and<br />

professional image.”<br />

“The page feels more<br />

intuitive – great work!”<br />

“Love <strong>the</strong> direct links to<br />

frequently accessed content”<br />

CATHY MALLOVE, KNOWLEDGE SERVICES, AND CATHY CHAE, IMIT, HOST<br />

A SKILLS AND TOOLS WORKSHOP ON THE NEW FEATURES OF GOTO <strong>PHO</strong>.<br />

<strong>PHO</strong>TO CREDIT: MELISSA CHEUNG<br />

Several people also provided suggestions for o<strong>the</strong>r ways to continue to<br />

improve <strong>the</strong> site. The GoTo <strong>PHO</strong> Poll is open until <strong>June</strong> 30, <strong>2015</strong>. Share<br />

your thoughts on what you like about <strong>the</strong> new look or where you have<br />

suggestions for fur<strong>the</strong>r refinements.<br />

*from GoTo <strong>PHO</strong> Poll as of <strong>June</strong> 11, <strong>2015</strong><br />

BY CATHY CHAE, PROJECT<br />

BUSINESS ANALYST, IMIT, AND<br />

LYNN WOODS, HR COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR<br />

TOP THREE<br />

NEW FEATURES<br />

• Top 10 Quick Links<br />

• Staff Announcements<br />

• How Do I . . .?<br />

Return to table of contents | 11


LISE BLANCHARD PRESENTS AT THE <strong>2015</strong> ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS FORUM. <strong>PHO</strong>TO CREDIT: CLAUDE MARTEL<br />

Our People<br />

Employee Engagement Profile:<br />

ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS<br />

ADMINISTRATIVE<br />

PROFESSIONALS DISCUSS<br />

‘PERSONAL BRAND’<br />

What is <strong>the</strong> first<br />

thing that comes<br />

to your colleagues’<br />

minds when your name is<br />

mentioned? What do <strong>the</strong>y<br />

say about you when you’re<br />

not in <strong>the</strong> room? What do you<br />

uniquely bring to your work,<br />

activities and relationships? <strong>In</strong><br />

short, what is your personal<br />

brand? And, what can you do<br />

to ensure you’re promoting it<br />

in <strong>the</strong> right way?<br />

These were <strong>the</strong> questions<br />

put to <strong>PHO</strong>’s administrative<br />

staff by keynote speaker<br />

Salima Valji at <strong>the</strong> <strong>2015</strong><br />

Administrative Professionals<br />

Forum (APF) held on May 7,<br />

<strong>2015</strong> at <strong>the</strong> Royal York Hotel in<br />

Toronto. Salima’s talk was but<br />

one way <strong>the</strong> Forum sought<br />

to encourage administrative<br />

professionals to be intentional<br />

about our careers and<br />

engaged in our roles at <strong>PHO</strong>.<br />

After a wonderful breakfast<br />

and welcoming activities, <strong>the</strong><br />

day began with a presentation<br />

on <strong>the</strong> employee engagement<br />

survey results for <strong>the</strong><br />

administrative group, followed<br />

by an open floor Q&A session<br />

with Donna Marafioti, vice<br />

president, Human Resources<br />

and Laboratories.<br />

Rhonda Pollard, senior advisor,<br />

Leadership Development and<br />

Organizational Improvement,<br />

<strong>the</strong>n led <strong>the</strong> group in an<br />

Engagement Café activity<br />

facilitating discussion around<br />

<strong>the</strong> top three engagement<br />

drivers for <strong>the</strong> administrative<br />

group: career development,<br />

recognition, and performance<br />

management. The Café<br />

provoked excellent discussion<br />

and produced action items<br />

which Human Resources and<br />

APF leadership are eager to<br />

tackle in <strong>the</strong> coming year.<br />

The afternoon session kicked<br />

off with Salima’s interactive<br />

and engaging presentation.<br />

This was followed by Donna’s<br />

“Top 10 Career Tips.” The day<br />

ended with an address and<br />

Q&A with President and CEO<br />

Dr. Peter Donnelly.<br />

Thank you to all who came<br />

and participated so fully in <strong>the</strong><br />

day’s activities!<br />

BY MATTHEW ROOT,<br />

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT,<br />

COMMUNICABLE DISEASES<br />

PREVENTION AND CONTROL<br />

12 | Return to table of contents


ENGAGEMENT CAFÉ GENERATES IDEAS FOR ADDRESSING TOP ENGAGEMENT DRIVERS<br />

During <strong>the</strong> Engagement Café activity, administrative staff reflected on what <strong>the</strong>y could do to support each o<strong>the</strong>r’s<br />

engagement in each of <strong>the</strong> three priority areas that emerged from <strong>the</strong>ir engagement survey results. Among <strong>the</strong> many<br />

ideas that flowed that day were <strong>the</strong> following actions for <strong>the</strong> top three engagement drivers:<br />

Recognition<br />

Use <strong>PHO</strong>’s print and electronic thank you cards more often<br />

to recognize each o<strong>the</strong>r’s great work and copy <strong>the</strong> person’s<br />

manager.<br />

Career Development<br />

Share experience and expertise with each o<strong>the</strong>r, both<br />

formally and informally, through <strong>the</strong> quarterly (virtual)<br />

administrative professional forums, <strong>the</strong> Administrative<br />

Professional Forum (APF) GoTo <strong>PHO</strong> collaboration site, or<br />

through job exchanges and job shadowing.<br />

Managing Performance<br />

Develop standard core competencies and best practices for<br />

administrative staff to guide individuals and managers in<br />

setting expectations for performance.<br />

The APF group also came up with ideas for supporting<br />

engagement in <strong>the</strong>se areas at <strong>the</strong> team level and will be<br />

taking action on <strong>the</strong>se in <strong>the</strong> weeks and months to come.<br />

SUPPORTING MANAGERS TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE<br />

PEOPLE LEADERS<br />

We all <strong>know</strong> that manager support<br />

and effectiveness are key drivers of<br />

employee engagement.<br />

<strong>PHO</strong> employees who perceive <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

managers as “highly effective” are<br />

twice as engaged as employees who<br />

rate <strong>the</strong>ir managers as “moderately<br />

effective” and six times more engaged<br />

than staff who rate <strong>the</strong>ir managers’<br />

effectiveness as low. By <strong>the</strong> same<br />

token, managers who feel highly<br />

supported to do <strong>the</strong>ir best in managing staff are three times<br />

more engaged than managers who feel moderately supported<br />

and seven times more engaged than managers who feel <strong>the</strong>y<br />

have a low level of support!<br />

So what are we doing about this? Over <strong>the</strong> past nine months,<br />

<strong>the</strong> organization has been working to provide tools, training<br />

and support to help <strong>PHO</strong>’s managers become more effective<br />

people leaders.<br />

• We provided managers with <strong>the</strong> opportunity to<br />

participate in <strong>the</strong> Mental Health at Work Leadership<br />

Certificate Program (see next page)<br />

• We expanded <strong>the</strong> number of topics covered by<br />

Performance Management Tip Sheets, available in <strong>the</strong><br />

Toolbox for Managers on GoTo <strong>PHO</strong>, including career<br />

conversations, balanced leadership and mentoring<br />

• We enhanced <strong>the</strong> Performance Management Discussion<br />

Template for Managers to emphasize behaviours that<br />

support employee performance and development<br />

• We launched a new <strong>PHO</strong> Management Forum that meets<br />

quarterly to provide managers with a setting for learning<br />

and professional development.<br />

New leadership program<br />

set to launch in <strong>the</strong> fall<br />

<strong>In</strong> <strong>the</strong> Fall <strong>2015</strong>, we will launch a<br />

<strong>PHO</strong> LEADerShip Program, a three<br />

day program based on <strong>the</strong> first three<br />

domains of <strong>the</strong> LEADS Capability<br />

Framework (Lead Self, Engage<br />

O<strong>the</strong>rs, Achieve Results). All <strong>PHO</strong><br />

managers will attend this program<br />

beginning in September <strong>2015</strong>.<br />

Providing support to new managers<br />

<strong>PHO</strong> will also be working on programs for staff who are new<br />

to <strong>the</strong>ir management roles, providing a program to orient new<br />

managers to <strong>PHO</strong>, and offering fundamental management<br />

training on topics ranging from crucial conversations and<br />

coaching skills to managing in a unionized environment.<br />

BY RHONDA POLLARD, SENIOR ADVISOR,<br />

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT<br />

AND ORGANIZATIONAL IMPROVEMENT<br />

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ISABELLE LANGMAN, IPAC SPECIALIST,<br />

(LEFT) RECEIVES A 15 YEAR SERVICE<br />

AWARD FROM PETER DONNELLY (RIGHT)<br />

CREATING A WORK<br />

ENVIRONMENT<br />

THAT PROMOTES<br />

GOOD MENTAL HEALTH<br />

Public Health Ontario is dedicated to protecting<br />

and promoting <strong>the</strong> health of Ontarians; and we are<br />

also committed to providing a safe and healthy work<br />

environment and protecting <strong>the</strong> health and wellbeing of<br />

employees.<br />

<strong>PHO</strong>TO CREDIT: ANDREW RIMKUS<br />

ENHANCING OUR<br />

APPROACHES TO<br />

RECOGNITION<br />

We <strong>know</strong> how important it is for people to be recognized<br />

for <strong>the</strong> contributions <strong>the</strong>y make to <strong>PHO</strong>, whe<strong>the</strong>r it’s for years<br />

of service to <strong>the</strong> organization, for going above and beyond to<br />

deliver on a project, for reaching out to support colleagues who<br />

can use an extra hand to help meet a deadline, for generating<br />

new and innovative solutions, for making a significant<br />

contribution to <strong>the</strong> public health field, or for simply taking<br />

proactive steps to improve a process. Employee recognition is<br />

integral to building and maintaining an engaged workforce.<br />

<strong>PHO</strong> recently had <strong>the</strong> opportunity to celebrate <strong>the</strong> service<br />

of employees from across <strong>the</strong> organization through our<br />

annual Long Service awards. This formal recognition program<br />

recognizes permanent employees who have achieved 5, 10, 15,<br />

20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 year service milestones.<br />

Long service awards were celebrated recently in Corporate<br />

Services, Science and Public Health and at <strong>the</strong> Toronto<br />

laboratory. As this newsletter is going into production, service<br />

award presentations are also underway at regional laboratories<br />

▶<br />

across <strong>the</strong> province. The awards provide leaders across <strong>PHO</strong><br />

<strong>PHO</strong> leaders have demonstrated <strong>the</strong>ir commitment<br />

to creating a mentally healthy workplace through<br />

participation in <strong>the</strong> Mental Health at Work Leadership<br />

Certificate Program earlier this year. The program was<br />

facilitated by our EAP provider, Morneau Shepell, in<br />

collaboration with <strong>the</strong> Faculty of Health Sciences at<br />

Queen’s University.<br />

Nearly all working Canadians<br />

experience mental health<br />

issues that can affect job<br />

performance. When it comes<br />

to mental health in <strong>the</strong><br />

workplace, leaders play a<br />

pivotal role by helping to<br />

create a work environment that<br />

promotes good mental health.<br />

“We all have busy lives and<br />

often deal with varying<br />

amounts of stress. The Mental<br />

Health at Work Leadership<br />

program equips <strong>PHO</strong> management with <strong>the</strong> tools to<br />

recognize and support staff who may be experiencing<br />

mental health challenges,” says Peter Donnelly, president<br />

and CEO. “I want staff to <strong>know</strong> that <strong>the</strong>re are supports<br />

available to <strong>the</strong>m should <strong>the</strong>y need <strong>the</strong>m. Workplace<br />

wellness is a priority and we will continue to explore<br />

programs and initiatives that help build and promote a<br />

healthy work environment.”<br />

BY MELISSA CHEUNG,<br />

ORGANIZATIONAL IMPROVEMENT COORDINATOR<br />

14 | Return to table of contents


FROM TOP: PETER DONNELLY AND GEORGE PASUT<br />

JOIN SCIENCE AND PUBLIC HEALTH 5 YEAR SERVICE<br />

AWARD RECIPIENTS; 10 YEAR SERVICE AWARD<br />

RECIPIENTS, BRANDY KIRCHEN, MARIANNE WALKER,<br />

MICHAEL WHELAN, AND OKSANA ZAPORZAN JOIN<br />

PETER DONNELLY (LEFT) AND GEORGE PASUT<br />

(RIGHT); CORPORATE SERVICES EMPLOYEES WERE<br />

RECOGNIZED WITH SERVICE AWARDS EARLIER<br />

THIS YEAR. <strong>PHO</strong>TO CREDIT: ANDREW RIMKUS AND<br />

CLAUDE MARTEL<br />

▶ with an exceptional opportunity to extend thanks to those<br />

who have dedicated years of service to support <strong>PHO</strong> in fulfilling<br />

its mandate.<br />

Recognition comes in many forms. <strong>In</strong> 2014, <strong>PHO</strong> introduced<br />

eRecognition cards as an informal way for managers and<br />

employees across <strong>PHO</strong> to recognize teams and individuals<br />

for demonstrating one or more of <strong>PHO</strong>’s values through <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

actions. This is but one of many ways people can provide<br />

informal recognition, with face-to-face recognition deemed<br />

by many to be <strong>the</strong> most meaningful, when time and distance<br />

permit.<br />

<strong>PHO</strong> is currently reviewing its recognition program and will<br />

continue to work to enhance <strong>the</strong> way we recognize employees<br />

for <strong>the</strong>ir extraordinary efforts to support <strong>PHO</strong> in fulfilling its<br />

mandate.<br />

NOTE: The September issue of <strong>In</strong> <strong>the</strong> Know will feature<br />

photographs from long service awards across <strong>PHO</strong> as well as<br />

<strong>the</strong> names of all service award recipients.<br />

BY LYNN WOODS,<br />

HUMAN RESOURCES<br />

COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR<br />

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Our People<br />

Employee Engagement Profile:<br />

MOLECULAR SERVICES AND VIROLOGY<br />

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT PROFILE:<br />

GENERATING IDEAS TO<br />

ADVANCE ENGAGEMENT<br />

PRIORITIES<br />

Earlier this year, <strong>the</strong><br />

100 plus staff and<br />

managers in Molecular<br />

Services and Virology at<br />

<strong>the</strong> laboratory in Toronto,<br />

met for <strong>the</strong> first in a<br />

series of sessions to share<br />

and discuss our team’s<br />

employee engagement<br />

survey results. The session<br />

provided <strong>the</strong> opportunity<br />

for head technologists,<br />

operational leads,<br />

laboratory technologists<br />

and laboratory assistants<br />

to hear about and digest<br />

our results, ask questions,<br />

16 | Return to table of contents<br />

and to start thinking about<br />

where we want to focus<br />

our energies in terms of<br />

priority areas of focus for<br />

improvement.<br />

With <strong>the</strong> support of Rhonda<br />

Pollard, senior advisor,<br />

Leadership Development<br />

and Organizational<br />

Improvement, who helped<br />

facilitate our sessions,<br />

we were able to produce<br />

one-page flyers that<br />

summarized our team<br />

results. These were handed<br />

out to laboratory staff at<br />

our second session where<br />

we broke up into teams to<br />

talk in greater detail about<br />

<strong>the</strong> results, what <strong>the</strong>y mean<br />

to staff, and what staff feels<br />

are <strong>the</strong> priority areas of<br />

focus for our team. Each<br />

group’s ideas were captured<br />

on flip charts which were<br />

<strong>the</strong>n posted to <strong>the</strong> walls for<br />

everyone to see.<br />

Using coloured dots, each<br />

team member was invited<br />

to place <strong>the</strong>ir three dots<br />

next to <strong>the</strong> improvement<br />

priorities that were most<br />

important to <strong>the</strong>m. They<br />

had <strong>the</strong> option of placing<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir dots next to one item<br />

or spreading <strong>the</strong>m out<br />

across several.<br />

The team’s input has since<br />

been summarized into one<br />

document. At our next<br />

session on <strong>June</strong> 25th and<br />

26th , we will talk about <strong>the</strong><br />

priorities staff identified,<br />

what is within our ability<br />

to address, and brainstorm<br />

ideas that we can turn into<br />

actions for improvement.<br />

Dialoguing about <strong>the</strong><br />

team’s ideas for improving<br />

employee engagement<br />

has been a great teambuilding<br />

exercise, and I<br />

applaud <strong>the</strong> enthusiasm<br />

and contributions that team<br />

members have made to<br />

this process. It has been a<br />

fantastic experience!<br />

BY MARJORIE ALLEN,<br />

SENIOR MANAGER,<br />

MOLECULAR SERVICES AND<br />

VIROLOGY, LABORATORIES


EVA TRUONG, ADMINISTRATIVE<br />

ASSISTANT, KNOWLEDGE<br />

SYNTHESIS AND EVALUATION,<br />

IS AMONG THE 80+ IPAC TEAM<br />

MEMBERS WHO COMPLETED A<br />

PERSONA CARD DURING A RECENT<br />

MEETING OF THE TEAM.<br />

IPAC uses<br />

persona cards<br />

to team-build<br />

GET TO KNOW YOUR COLLEAGUES THROUGH<br />

PERSONA CARDS<br />

During my recent participation in a<br />

session to provide feedback on actions<br />

to improve employee engagement, I<br />

saw an opportunity to resurrect <strong>the</strong><br />

“Persona Card” from my past<br />

involvement in <strong>the</strong> Ontario Public<br />

Service (OPS).<br />

While working at <strong>the</strong> Youth and New<br />

Professionals Secretariat (YNPS) in<br />

2007, a colleague showed me a team<br />

building program called <strong>the</strong> Persona<br />

Card. The Persona Card is a tool that<br />

allows each member of a team or<br />

department to create a social identity<br />

based on characteristics that define<br />

<strong>the</strong>m beyond work. Having seen <strong>the</strong><br />

program and its results, I feel Persona<br />

Cards promote diversity and inclusiveness<br />

within teams.<br />

The self-created Persona Cards portray<br />

each team member’s unique individual<br />

talents, outlining <strong>the</strong> varied interests<br />

and hobbies <strong>the</strong>y wish to reveal. They<br />

also incorporate a fun image or picture<br />

highlighting an interest, musical taste,<br />

hobby or sport. Not only are <strong>the</strong> cards<br />

a fun read, but <strong>the</strong>y show a different<br />

side to <strong>the</strong> colleagues that we see and<br />

work with daily. I feel this team building<br />

tool opens doors by shedding<br />

light amongst co-workers regarding<br />

common interests and by building<br />

communities of purpose to achieve<br />

cohesiveness in work/home life balance.<br />

Creating <strong>the</strong>se profiles is great<br />

for building teams and promoting a<br />

positive culture!<br />

I introduced <strong>the</strong> Persona Card idea to<br />

Rhonda Pollard, senior advisor, Leadership<br />

Development and Organizational<br />

Improvement, after completing one of<br />

our employee engagement sessions.<br />

She thought it was a great initiative<br />

and started promoting it with teams<br />

across <strong>PHO</strong>. I have to admit <strong>the</strong> program<br />

and templates are not my ideas -<br />

I am just <strong>the</strong> messenger! Persona Cards<br />

allow us as to shine in our varied roles<br />

as <strong>PHO</strong> employees, both individually<br />

and as members of a diverse and<br />

valuable team.<br />

I challenge you all to try this fun experience<br />

and put your feelings into both<br />

<strong>the</strong> image and <strong>the</strong> bio.<br />

BY ANDREW RIMKUS,<br />

INFORMATION OFFICER, LABORATORIES<br />

The <strong>In</strong>fection Prevention and Control<br />

(IPAC) department consists of more<br />

than 80 individuals across <strong>the</strong><br />

province who work in 20 different<br />

locations (480 University, Regional<br />

<strong>In</strong>fection Control Network (RICN)<br />

offices, or <strong>the</strong>ir home hospitals). On<br />

<strong>June</strong> 3, <strong>the</strong> team held a face-to-face<br />

meeting where many people on <strong>the</strong><br />

team were meeting for <strong>the</strong> first time.<br />

<strong>In</strong> preparation for <strong>the</strong> meeting, we<br />

shared <strong>the</strong> Persona Card template<br />

with our team. The vast majority of<br />

us jumped at <strong>the</strong> chance to have a<br />

mechanism that we could use to share<br />

a bit about ourselves to kick-start <strong>the</strong><br />

“get to <strong>know</strong> you” process.<br />

Our next step with <strong>the</strong> Persona<br />

Cards is to connect <strong>the</strong>m to our team<br />

landing page and our staff directory<br />

so that a bit of our personal story can<br />

be accessed by our teammates on an<br />

ongoing basis.<br />

What a great way for new team<br />

members to get to <strong>know</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

colleagues as <strong>the</strong>y come on board! The<br />

cards make connecting on a personal<br />

level and working toge<strong>the</strong>r easier and<br />

more enjoyable. We found we have<br />

lots of people on our team who share<br />

a love of travel, a love of dogs, and<br />

many o<strong>the</strong>r connections that we hope<br />

we can build upon as we continue to<br />

build our team.<br />

BY CATHY EGAN, DIRECTOR,<br />

INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL<br />

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Our People<br />

Employee Engagement Profile:<br />

ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH (EOH)<br />

EOH TEAM TAKES DEEPER DIVE<br />

INTO ENGAGEMENT SURVEY<br />

RESULTS<br />

From <strong>the</strong> moment our chief, Ray<br />

Copes, shared our department’s<br />

employee engagement survey results<br />

with us, we knew that he, and <strong>PHO</strong><br />

senior management, were taking <strong>the</strong><br />

results very seriously. They wanted<br />

to <strong>know</strong> more so that <strong>the</strong>y could<br />

improve <strong>the</strong> experience of working at<br />

<strong>PHO</strong> for employees.<br />

Based on <strong>the</strong> survey results, <strong>the</strong><br />

team saw that <strong>the</strong>re were four<br />

priority areas of improvement<br />

on which EOH needed to focus:<br />

Career Opportunities, Learning<br />

and Development, Resources, and<br />

Managing Performance and HR<br />

Practices.<br />

There were a number of questions<br />

on <strong>the</strong> survey that aligned with<br />

each one of <strong>the</strong>se priority areas.<br />

After reviewing and discussing <strong>the</strong><br />

results under each priority at a team<br />

meeting, we decided that we needed<br />

to explore each topic fur<strong>the</strong>r to better<br />

understand <strong>the</strong> survey results and to<br />

help inform recommended solutions<br />

for improvement.<br />

Our approach engaged each and<br />

every member of <strong>the</strong> team. We<br />

elected to form four teams of two,<br />

with each team volunteering to<br />

tackle one of <strong>the</strong> priority areas. Team<br />

members ei<strong>the</strong>r emailed or met with<br />

every EOH team member to get more<br />

information about <strong>the</strong>ir thoughts on<br />

<strong>the</strong> questions. This allowed everyone<br />

to share <strong>the</strong>ir insights on each<br />

improvement priority.<br />

The teams summarized <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

respective findings and shared <strong>the</strong>m<br />

during a series of team meetings. We<br />

dedicated one meeting to each topic<br />

to allow for thorough discussion.<br />

These discussions were used to help<br />

validate each team’s findings and to<br />

brainstorm recommendations.<br />

Having just recently completed<br />

this process, our findings and<br />

recommendations have been<br />

consolidated into a report. Our<br />

recommendations include teamlevel<br />

solutions, and corporate-level<br />

solutions for those things we felt were<br />

out of our control (e.g., processes and<br />

procedures, company policies).<br />

I truly appreciated how candid and<br />

forthcoming team members were<br />

throughout this process, and how our<br />

chief was enthusiastic and supportive.<br />

I <strong>know</strong> that we all look forward to<br />

being a part of <strong>the</strong> solutions that will<br />

help our team to continue to deliver<br />

our best work.<br />

BY SUSANNE BELL,<br />

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT, ENVIRONMENTAL AND<br />

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH<br />

18 | Return to table of contents


Our People<br />

Employee Engagement Profile:<br />

HUMAN RESOURCES<br />

HR TEAM TAKES ACTION TO<br />

ADDRESS ENGAGEMENT SURVEY<br />

RESULTS<br />

Earlier this year, <strong>the</strong> Human<br />

Resources (HR) team met to<br />

review our departmental<br />

results from <strong>PHO</strong>’s first employee<br />

engagement survey. Following<br />

<strong>the</strong> review, we worked toge<strong>the</strong>r to<br />

develop some action items that we<br />

wanted to focus on in <strong>the</strong> coming<br />

year.<br />

One of <strong>the</strong> top priorities that we<br />

identified was a desire to be more<br />

collaborative as a team in <strong>the</strong> work<br />

that we do. To create a more inclusive<br />

and collaborative work environment,<br />

we looked at our department’s<br />

operational initiatives for <strong>the</strong> coming<br />

year and each member was given<br />

<strong>the</strong> opportunity to identify <strong>the</strong> topics<br />

<strong>the</strong>y would most like to ei<strong>the</strong>r lead<br />

or support as a team member. A<br />

sub-committee within <strong>the</strong> HR team<br />

worked toge<strong>the</strong>r to develop roles<br />

and responsibilities for each team<br />

member within each HR initiative and<br />

to create a project charter template<br />

which can be used by project leads.<br />

The roles <strong>the</strong> team defined to<br />

support each initiative are as follows:<br />

Project Lead - Responsible for<br />

leading <strong>the</strong> project working team<br />

to ensure <strong>the</strong> operational initiative<br />

objective is met within <strong>the</strong> identified<br />

timelines. Provides guidance and<br />

direction to <strong>the</strong> working team.<br />

Project Working Team Members<br />

(WTM) - HR staff who will provide<br />

support on <strong>the</strong> required tasks to<br />

achieve <strong>the</strong> deliverable(s) of <strong>the</strong><br />

operational initiative.<br />

Consult Team Members (CTM)<br />

- Team members who have<br />

experience/expertise in <strong>the</strong> area<br />

related to <strong>the</strong> initiative who can be<br />

called upon for advice as required.<br />

<strong>In</strong>form (I) - All o<strong>the</strong>r HR staff not<br />

directly involved who will be<br />

informed through access to <strong>the</strong><br />

SharePoint site for Operational<br />

<strong>In</strong>itiatives. All related documents will<br />

be available to review as desired.<br />

Professional Development<br />

(PD) - Staff who are interested in<br />

being involved as a professional<br />

development opportunity.<br />

The project charter and role<br />

definitions allowed us to be more<br />

inclusive, clarify roles, and foster<br />

learning by enabling members<br />

of <strong>the</strong> team to contribute to <strong>the</strong><br />

department’s initiatives through<br />

professional development.<br />

BY MELISSA CHEUNG, ORGANIZATIONAL<br />

IMPROVEMENT COORDINATOR AND<br />

MICHELLE KAZIMIREK, INTERIM HR MANAGER<br />

/ HR BUSINESS PARTNER<br />

Return to table of contents | 19


<strong>PHO</strong> WALKS!<br />

Join <strong>PHO</strong> & CCO in<br />

<strong>the</strong> Taking Action<br />

Walking Challenge<br />

Register your team, lace on your<br />

best walking shoes, and start<br />

accumulating those steps!<br />

Registration<br />

opens <strong>June</strong> 19<br />

For more info on how to register,<br />

visit <strong>the</strong> Wellness Site on GoTo<strong>PHO</strong>.<br />

20 | Return to table of contents

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