Brock University’s Department of Human Resources has undergone a name change to better reflect its renewed focus.

Reimagined as the Office of People and Culture, the unit is moving forward focused on progressive and adaptive strategic human resources management practices that concentrate on Brock’s people, culture and work environment.

“After spending the past few years focused on pandemic response and recovery, which followed a busy and challenging 18-month stabilization period after implementing Workday-HR, the timing was right to turn our attention to how the team can best support our leaders, managers, faculty and staff to realize our institutional strategic priorities,” said Jennifer Guarasci, Associate Vice-President, People and Culture.

The transition, which went into effect April 1, also offered the opportunity to “address some of the challenges we face in HR,” she said, with emphasis placed on streamlining pathways and connections into and within the department, improving service times and reviewing policies and practices.

The unit remains committed to leveraging Workday-HR technology to help Brock leaders and managers make data-driven decisions, and removing barriers and creating opportunities in order to foster a culture of inclusivity, accessibility, reconciliation and decolonization in the workplace.

The name change and renewed focus will build on Brock’s efforts that have seen the University recognized as one of Hamilton-Niagara’s Top Employers for 2023, and named earlier this year among the annual list of Canada’s Best Employers compiled by Forbes and market research firm Statista.

The new name also complements several recent and ongoing People and Culture initiatives, including:

• Changing the department’s reporting structure to ensure dedicated, expert resources are working to leverage Brock’s HR technology and improve access to employment data;
• Creating a dedicated management-level role to support the unit in achieving its equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) goals;
• Developing an employee EDI strategy in 2023;
• Exploring opportunities to improve Brock’s competitiveness in the labour market;
• Creating and/or offering sustainable, high-impact learning and development programs so employees can develop deeper skills and capabilities, do more meaningful work and help people grow in their career;
• Developing training and resources for managers to support their efforts in recruiting high-performing faculty and staff to Brock;
• Finalizing the University’s progressive Flexible Work Policy, demonstrating Brock’s commitment to wellness and work-life balance as a core workplace value; and
• Preparing for the launch of an employee engagement survey, providing detailed insights into areas of the organization that are thriving, as well as where efforts should be focused to drive satisfaction, performance and retention.

“The renaming of our department is reflective of our focus, philosophy and the path forward; it’s our team’s metaphorical North Star, creating mutual meaning and purpose for the work that we do,” Guarasci said. “As we look to the future, our team is excited to grow and enhance our partnerships with leaders, managers, faculty and staff across the institution.”