'What good looks like in one organization may be different to another,' says Purolator VP of talent
With award-winning talent strategies, and industry recognized development initiatives, Purolator puts people at the center of everything they do. Tennyson Devoe, VP of talent, learning and safety – and speaker at HRD’s upcoming HR Tech Summit - says that the company’s success comes from the top down.
“We’ve done some significant investments here at Purolator around our talent management programs - and we've really seen the benefits of those over the past few years. In Canada, [however], the talent markets are challenging - that’s just the reality of the situation we're in.”
Despite difficult times, these internal programs have allowed Purolator to not only survive the talent storm but actually thrive through it - all thanks to C-suite backing and support.
“It really starts with the CEO setting the tone in the organization,” he tells HRD, stressing the importance of C-suite buy-in for fostering a culture that values and invests in leadership.
However, recognizing the need for leadership is only the starting point. The real challenge lies in defining what good leadership looks like within the organization.
“What good looks like in one organization may be different to another,” adds Devoe, who will be speaking at HRD’s upcoming HR Tech Summit.
“What is your own truth, as an organization, around how you identify great leaders? What do you need to be successful? That needs to be right [there] in all aspects of an employee lifecycle from the first day - when you start recruiting and trying to attract talent into the organization. [It’s about] looking for talent that aligns not only with their ability to perform and execute on the role but, more importantly, that aligns with the culture and the value of your organization.”
It’s not as easy as Devoe makes it sound. That journey from recognizing to developing talent involves a rigorous assessment process that transcends simple annual reviews – a practice that involves multiple levels of the organization, he says.
“It’s about having a meaningful talent strategy - multi-level throughout the organization from a frontline manager right through to the C-suite – that goes through the organization, having clearcut criteria to assess both talent and performance in a fair and equitable way.”
This process ensures that once talent has been identified, there is a clear plan for succession and development. For Devoe, the key is not just preparing individuals for future roles but ensuring they are equipped to succeed when opportunities arise.
“What are you going to do to develop them and prepare them for those roles in the future so that when those opportunities come up, they’re ready to go? Are they going to be successful in moving into it? You can’t just say, ‘Hey, I’m going to put all of my management team through this 10-day program that a university or school offers’ and expect it to craft the types of leaders you need,” adds Devoe.
This personalized approach to leadership development is something that’s taken front and centre stage recently, with the pandemic acting as a catalyst for C-suite change. According to research from Brimco, 63% of executives consider leadership development as a top priority this year, with 86% of executives adding that leadership development programs are critical to long-term organizational success.
With that in mind, Purolator has taken a more tailored approach by designing their own leadership development program that aligns with their specific criteria for what constitutes effective leadership. And, as Devoe tells HRD, this bespoke strategy has been essential in developing the kind of leaders that not only fulfill their current roles but are also primed to take on future challenges.
“We're helping people to understand that even if they’ve been in a role for 10 years or 15 years as a manager, they may not be a leader yet. It’s about helping them develop and build those qualities - that's really what that program was about.”
Evolve, the initiative Devoe is referencing, was born in 2021 and is a leader in its field. One of the standout features of Evolve is its holistic approach to leadership training.
“When you come here to this company, as a new manager, not only are you going to get a great job and work in a great company with a great culture, but we’re going to give you development from this award-winning program,” adds Devoe.
But it’s not just leadership that’s been revolutionized by Evolve – it’s solving the retention struggles too. And, in a market as cutthroat as this one, the help can’t come too soon.
The program shows people that “we’re going to prioritize getting you into this program and you’re going to get these great tools and skills,” says Devoe.
However, the true value of Evolve extends beyond recruitment and retention metrics.
“Managers that have gone through this program drive higher revenue to the business,” says Devoe. “Frontline operation managers have better safety results, higher performance results across the board, less grievances filed per manager from our union.”
Remarkably, in the first three years of running Evolve, Purolator saw over $20 million in cost savings and avoidance, thanks to process improvements driven by trained managers. And this success also manifested in improved critical components of strategic discussions at the highest levels of the company.
“You go into the room in front of the C-suite, and you start saying: ‘Our total injury frequency as a board mandated goal and all of the managers that have gone through this program have better TIF results than managers who haven't and better performance results.’ And, hey, guess what? On the sales side those managers are driving higher revenue numbers and better customer satisfaction scores, because they're leading their teams better.”
Want to learn more on how to improve your leadership development strategies and cut internal costs? Register for HRD’s upcoming HR Tech Summit, and network for industry giants, here.
