A recent national Human Relations survey by HRVoice.org of hundreds of Canadian companies revealed that managing change and increasing leadership capacities were key objectives of 2012.  This finding has been echoed by several companies which have acquired the services of Marketplace Chaplains International to help achieve those goals.

The study conducted by Ian J, Cook, CHRP, and referenced in the May 2012 issue of HRVoice.org showed that HR professionals were concerned with attracting and recruiting staff and increasing employee engagement, as two of their top three priorities this year.

Gary McCormick, Vice President and General Manager of Jet-Lube of Canada Ltd., based in Edmonton, said having a Marketplace Care Team serve his company since 2011 has been a huge help in achieving their HR goals for this year and beyond.

“When problems happen, they don’t play favorites in the company,” McCormick stressed. “You’ve got to have someone to turn to, and the Employee Care Teams have been a big help. I think anyone (company) can benefit from this.”

Marketplace Canada, as part of its overall international division works with dozens of Canadian companies from one end of the huge country to the other, serving as another key component in an executive’s toolbox, as part of a growing strategic plan that is used by more than 500 client companies in 5 different countries.

“I want to help my employees,” said Steve Troyer, CEO of Troyer Ventures, Ltd., based in Fort St. John. “However, I wanted someone to help me make it deeper, wider and more effective.

“I’m still the, ‘boss,’ who hires and fires workers so sometimes my people don’t want to talk to me about their personal problems. I’ve found they will talk with a Care Team member, a third party, as an insider, but still an outsider.”

Among the other findings of the annual HR survey was that in 2012 managing change will be a key component in the workplace along with increasing leadership capacity in a fast paced and ever changing reality to the way organizations do business.

At the top level of company expenditures for this year was employee recruitment and retention, a hefty 16% of the total company expenditures.

That’s especially important to company leaders like McCormick who uses the Employee Care Service as a benefit to help recruit new employees and retain current ones.

“We’ve been having sort of a tough time finding some qualified people in one or two places, but I think having a Care Team helps with employee retention.  I don’t know what they are taking with employees about, but I know they are here twice a week, helping and listening to our people.”

“Marketplace Canada has clients in New Brunswick, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia,” said C. G. Maclin, International Vice President.  “We are reaching out to businesses to further expand service and seek to provide excellent employee care for more companies and their employees.”