Imagine having a CEO who’s as invested in people initiatives as you are
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If you were to ask an HR leader about the biggest challenges they face on a day-to-day level, undoubtedly one of the most prominent would be a lack of senior support.
It’s a rare thing indeed to have a boardroom full of executives who are as invested in people initiatives as their HRD is – which makes Ben Bazinet, VP of Strategy and Development at Horizon North, all the luckier.
As a speaker at our upcoming HR Leaders Summit in Calgary, we caught up with Ben to learn more about the stand-out company culture Horizon North boasts.
“We have a super innovative approach across the business,” explained Ben. “Three years ago, when the energy sector went down, we decided not to wait for oil prices to rise again – instead we created a whole new business. We provide infrastructure to the energy sector – be it camps or temporary hotels – for employees working in remote locations.”
From there Horizon North grew more strength to strength, and now employees just short of 2,000 dedicated workers. But the expansion hasn’t dampened the organization’s communicative structure.
“One aspect of our culture that stands out to me is just how open it is,” continued Ben. “You can really sense our open-door policy from the ground workers right up to the CEO. Being able to engage with all different levels within an organization is something that’s really important to the younger generation of employees. To be able to approach senior leadership and ask questions is a huge draw.”
And how is all this possible? Ben believes it has something to do with their inspirational CEO, Rod Graham.
“Our CEO is really passionate about HR,” he told HRD. “So, typically, where you might see those HR initiatives being put on the back burner, our chief executive finds them incredibly important.”
But all of these successes don’t come without a few challenges, as Ben explained.
“The biggest challenges we have to face come down to consistent change,” he added. “When you think about that innovation and pivoting into new sectors that comes with a lot of change. That can be difficult for employees to navigate sometimes – asking them to evolve continuously.”
To hear more from Ben, book your ticket to our upcoming HR Leaders Summit in Calgary in December. Find out more here.