Annette Dhanasar, HRD at Hansen's Group of Companies, on cross-border people practices
With the Canadian and US legal landscape continually evolving, HR leaders must keep a close eye on all the new developments.
For Annette Dhanasar, navigating HR and employment in a multi-regulated, cross-border environment is a balancing act that requires precision, adaptability, planning and unwavering commitment.
As the Director of Human Resources at Hansen’s Group of Companies, she’s all about managing compliance in areas such as human rights and health & safety while fostering a positive workforce culture – something that’s both a challenge and a reward.
“There is absolutely no doubt that the human resources function within the organization carries a significant burden as it relates to compliance in any jurisdiction,” Dhanasar explained. “Whether it’s in Canada, where you’re dealing with provincial or federal regulations, or in the US where you’re managing state regulations alongside federal requirements, it’s a constant process.”
As a Canadian owned business since 1980, Hansen’s Group of Companies is a known force in the vehicle transportation and auto logistics sector. Over the 40 years the organization has been in operation, the legal landscape in general has changed exponentially.
For Dhanasar, she believes that compliance, at its core, begins with having a tight grasp on internal and external regulatory frameworks.
“The foundation of any compliance stems from understanding the regulatory framework, its applicable legislation, employer obligations, risks, and requirements to comply,” added Dhanasar.
“My approach to balancing compliance involves staying abreast of what’s happening in the external environment and its impact on the organization, which is ongoing.”
The complexity of managing HR in a multi-regulated environment is compounded when working across borders or diverse provinces.
Dhanasar told HRD that she achieves this for the organization by tailoring her plans to specific jurisdictions while keeping the broader company goals and culture in focus.
“I take a multi-jurisdictional approach to simplifying this for the organization. I may be managing projects which are federally regulated, while working with another team within the group that is provincially regulated or I just may have an HR program on the horizon that is synchronised across all companies.”
This approach ensures compliance doesn’t stifle innovation, continuous improvement or slow momentum – with Dhanasar being candid about how compliance is often perceived.
“Let’s face it, compliance can easily be perceived as a checkbox activity—tedious, mandatory, administrative and something done to avoid fines. I ensure that our HR and Leadership teams are poised to play a pivotal role in any legislation that’s going to impact us.”
Looking ahead, Dhanasar tells HRD that part of their compliance strategy hinges on the talent development of leaders across Hansen’s Group of Companies – something she has been successfully achieving through alignment, awareness, and strategic collaboration—especially when navigating regulatory requirements from province to province and across borders.
“I truly believe if you’re going to ask for your leadership team to make a difference, you have to be able to establish shared values, explain the purpose, and address the why,” she added.
“Business leaders are focused on their area of operational or corporate responsibilities. Everybody specializes in what they do and my role is to ensure we integrate HR within the organization completely.”
