Attracting and Retaining High-Tech Employees

Conference held in Toronto on December 5, 6 & 7, 2000
Chairs: Keith A. Sinclair, Hummingbird Inc.; Steve Cook, TES – The Employment Solution; Rory Norman, Aon Consulting; and James D. Skippen, MOSAID Technologies Inc.

Book: over 440 pages of original material
CD-ROM: over 11 hours of video presentations, plus book content

To purchase, please contact Federated Press.

How to win in a "sellers' market"

PANEL – Creating an innovative talent eco-system
Alan Kearns, President, TalentLab™ (Panel Chair); Daniel A. Gravel, Human Resources Manager, Borderfree Ltd.; and Laura Simpson, Recruitment Manager, Ingram Micro Inc. (Canada)

• Designing a unique human network to attract top talent
• Building Mentorship Models that will set you apart from the pack
• Strong leaders carry more weight than big bucks
• Why the right environment is a major motivator

Video: 43 minutes • Speakers' papers: 4043 words • Overheads

IT executives panel: meeting the challenge of the IT staffing crunch
Rob Payne, Chief Technology Officer, Cyberplex (Panel Chair); Dave Codack, CEO, iSTARK; Steve Olender, Vice-President, Information Technology, Mackie Automotive Systems; and Brian Patton, Director, Information Services, Sony Music Entertainment (Canada) Inc.

• From exclusivity to pride of ownership: 10 critical success factors
• Finding and keeping the right employee
• Keeping your techs high-tech and stress-free
• Exciting environments and fun organizations retain more employees

Video: 67 minutes • Overheads

Compensation elements in technology contracts
Dora Vell, Partner, International Technology Practice, Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc.

• You get what you negotiate, not what you deserve
• Negotiating contracts to reflect executive risk
• Seven easy essentials that make an opportunity attractive
• Elements of fair offers and fair deals
• The bottom line on bonuses

Video: 48 minutes • Overheads

CASE STUDY – The challenge of remaining an employer of choice in a "sellers.com" market
Keith A. Sinclair, Vice-President, Human Resources, Hummingbird Ltd.

• Looking at people as wealth-creating assets
• Why employees leave for reasons other than money
• Be fresh, be flexible and understand what motivates
• The importance of culture

Video: 26 minutes • Overheads

Looking for Mr. and Ms. Right

PANEL – Leveraging the recruitment agency relationship
Janet Clarke, Human Resources Consultant; Heather Tyrie, Director, Human Resources, iMPath Networks Inc.; and Steve Cook, Vice-President, Information Technology Services, TES – The Employment Solution (Panel Chair)

• Identifying resource needs and recruiting options
• Negotiating contracts from a small and large company approach
• Play by your rules, terms and conditions
• The well-rounded agency: mixing business savvy with marketing skills

Video: 49 minutes • Overheads

CASE STUDY – Sourcing at Cisco: the front line experience
Graham Thompson, Recruiting – Americas International, Cisco Systems Canada Co.

• Profile of the ideal candidate
• How the Cisco philosophy attracts the top talent
• Everyone is a recruiter: adopting the Amazing People model
• Boosting new hires through e-recruitment techniques

Video: 37 minutes

CASE STUDY – How to effectively select and retain top high-tech talent
Alan Roe, Senior Consultant, Staffing Services, Canadian Tire Corporation Limited

• Using old world and old economy recruitment methods
• Why keeping up with the competition is a losing battle
• Typical recruitment problems and stress points
• Analysing soft skills and conducting checks

Video: 47 minutes • Overheads

PANEL – Tools and resources for effective recruitment
John Simmons, Director, Human Resources, Castek Software Factory Inc. (Panel Chair); Jerry Rotondaro, Director, Strategic Partnerships, CNC Global.com; and Angela McCullough, Recruitment Manager, Montage eIntegration Inc.

• It's all about awareness, image and long-term relationships
• Successful strategies for recruiting from universities
• HR branding: get your name out there!
• Recruiting in times of "no vacancies"

Video: 31 minutes • Overheads

Total rewards strategies

CASE STUDY – Total rewards system as change agent
Jacqui McGillivray, Director, Talent Strategy, Nortel Networks

• The move from hierarchical control to employee empowerment
• Surviving in the competitive marketplace
• Expanding talent leadership into the new economy culture
• Focusing on leadership priorities and employee motivations

Video: 49 minutes • Overheads

CASE STUDY – Implementing a market-driven compensation and rewards program
Nicole D. Davis, Human Resources Business Partner, Aventis CropScience Canada Co.

• Increasing flexibility and matching your company to your market
• Creating new compensation structures and fair broad pay bands
• The benefits of broad banding
• Developing market-priced compensation structures

Video: 48 minutes • Overheads

PANEL – Best practices in compensation and rewards for high-tech companies
Paul Bokenfohr, Human Resources Director, Biomira Inc. (Panel Chair); Marilyn Barber, Vice-President, Human Resources & Development, Teranet Land Information Services Inc.; and Willi K.F. Kammerer, Director, Human Resources, Meridian Technologies Inc.

• Special rewards and compensation programs in the biotech industry
• The attractiveness of non-monetary bonuses
• Grabbing good employees without offering options
• The salaried workforce: rewarding results over speed

Video: 41 minutes • Speaker's paper: 3063 words • Overheads

PANEL – Trends in high-tech compensation and rewards
Rory Norman, Senior Vice-President, Aon Consulting (Panel Chair); Liz Wright, Watson Wyatt Worldwide; Jeff Kozan, Towers Perrin; and Martin F. Harts, Director, Reward Management, Hay Management Group Consultants

• Compensation in the tech versus non-tech world
• Strategic responses for compensation plan segmentation
• Dealing with stock option plan problems
• The brain drain and compensation competition

Video: 51 minutes

Retention and career development

CASE STUDY – Retention of rare skills employees
James D. Skippen, Vice-President, Human Resources, MOSAID Technologies Inc.

• Have scarce skills, will travel
• Why recruitment agencies are not always the way to a good hire
• Build a better compensation package
• Beating the competition's perks and benefits
• Commitment will keep the cream of the crop

Video: 44 minutes • Overheads

CASE STUDY – The first six months: key strategies to retain new hires at Cyberplex
Jeff Fila, Learning Specialist, Cyberplex

• Understand the typical new hire profile
• Planning, surveys and the Acceleration Academy program
• Connectivity is the name of the game
• Overcoming cultural and continuity challenges
• Never underestimate the importance of human resources

Video: 36 minutes • Overheads

Coaching, learning, performance and retention
David W. Sigetich, Director for Canada, Motorola University, Motorola Canada Limited; and Agnes Van Haeren, Manager, Sourcing and Recruiting, Motorola Canada Limited

• Timing is everything: grab the best while you can
• Why employees stay, why employees leave
• Motorola University brings on-the-job learning home
• Dealing with inadequate performances
• E-learning is becoming the teaching tool of the future

Video: 46 minutes • Overheads

PANEL – Smart strategies for career development
David Wexler, Global Head, Human Resources, Alias|Wavefront (Panel Chair); and Lisa S. Brazeau, Manager, Human Resources, Espial Group Inc.

• Motivating and challenging the eclectic employee
• Six development drivers to a balanced career plan
• Espial's special career development approaches
• Why processes aren't always the answer to challenges

Video: 28 minutes • Speakers' papers: 2549 words