Presenteeism occurs when employees come to work despite being physically ill, mentally exhausted, stressed, anxious, burned out or dealing with personal difficulties that prevent them from performing at their best. They are physically present, but their productivity, concentration, judgment and quality of work may be significantly reduced. Unlike absenteeism, presenteeism is largely invisible—and that is precisely what makes it so dangerous.

What Is Presenteeism?

In simple terms, presenteeism means being at work but not being fully able to work effectively. An employee may be sitting at their desk, attending meetings, answering emails or serving customers, yet their ability to perform is impaired.

The causes can be physical or psychological. Illness, chronic pain, lack of sleep, stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, family problems and financial worries can all affect an employee’s ability to concentrate and perform. Yet many employees continue working because they feel pressure to be present, fear losing income or employment, worry about how colleagues will perceive them, or believe that taking sick leave will reflect badly on their commitment. This creates an important distinction: attendance does not necessarily equal productivity. An employee who stays home because they are sick is visible as an absence. An employee who comes to work sick may appear productive simply because they are physically present. However, if their performance falls significantly, the organization may be losing productivity without realizing it.

Presenteeism: The Silent Productivity Killer

The economic impact of presenteeism can be substantial. When employees work while unwell, they may take longer to complete tasks, make more mistakes, struggle to concentrate and produce lower-quality work. They may also find it more difficult to make sound decisions or respond effectively to customers and colleagues. Consider an employee who normally completes ten important tasks in a day but, because of illness, exhaustion or severe stress, manages only six. The employee has attended work, but the organization has still lost a significant portion of their productive capacity. When this happens across hundreds or thousands of employees, the hidden productivity loss can become enormous.

Research across different countries consistently identifies presenteeism as an important contributor to workplace productivity loss. Although estimates vary by country, industry and methodology, a common finding is that the cost of employees working while unwell can be significantly greater than the cost of absenteeism.

Why Do Employees Come to Work When They Are Sick?

Presenteeism rarely has a single cause. Often, it is the result of a combination of personal, organizational and economic pressures. Financial insecurity is one important factor. Employees who have limited sick pay or who cannot afford to lose income may feel they have no choice but to work while sick. In contrast, stronger sick-leave protections can reduce the financial pressure to attend work when unwell. Workplace culture is equally important. In some organizations, employees believe that taking sick leave demonstrates a lack of commitment. They may worry that managers will question their reliability or that colleagues will resent them for being away. Workload and excessive pressure can also drive presenteeism. Employees may think, “There is simply too much work. I cannot afford to take a day off.” In high-pressure professions such as healthcare, public service and other essential services, the expectation to keep working can be particularly strong.

Mental health is another major factor. Stress, anxiety, depression and burnout can significantly affect concentration, motivation and decision-making while an employee is physically present. Unlike a visible physical illness, however, psychological distress may remain unnoticed by managers and colleagues.

The Productivity Consequences

The effects of presenteeism extend beyond simply getting less work done. First, work quality can decline. Employees who are sick, exhausted or emotionally overwhelmed are more likely to make mistakes and require more time to complete tasks. Second, concentration and decision-making can suffer. Illness, fatigue and stress can affect cognitive functioning, judgment and the ability to solve problems effectively. Third, the risk of errors can increase. This is particularly concerning in industries where mistakes can have serious consequences, including healthcare, engineering, transportation, banking and public safety. Fourth, working while unwell can delay recovery and worsen existing health problems. Instead of taking time to recover, employees may continue working until their condition becomes more serious. Finally, presenteeism can contribute to future absenteeism. An employee who does not recover properly may eventually require a longer period away from work. What begins as a few days of reduced productivity can therefore develop into a much larger organizational problem.

Presenteeism Around the World

Evidence from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe demonstrate that presenteeism is not limited to one country or one type of workplace. In Canada, research has identified presenteeism as an important contributor to productivity loss, particularly among employees dealing with chronic health conditions, stress and mental health challenges.

In Europe, research suggests that sick-pay policies and social protection can influence presenteeism. When employees have adequate financial protection during illness, they are less likely to feel compelled to work simply because they cannot afford to stay home. In the United Kingdom, presenteeism has been particularly evident in high-pressure sectors. A strong professional responsibility to continue working despite illness. At the same time, stress, anxiety and depression have become major contributors to work-related ill health and lost working time. In the United States, studies have also reported high levels of employees working while sick, as their absence results in financial loss. These patterns demonstrate an important global lesson:

“Presenteeism is not simply an employee behaviour—it is also a reflection of workplace policies, culture and leadership”.

The Role of Leaders and HR

Organizations cannot eliminate every cause of presenteeism, but they can significantly reduce it. Leaders and HR professionals need to create workplaces where employees do not feel that they must choose between their health and their job. This means establishing supportive sick-leave practices, addressing excessive workloads, providing appropriate mental-health support and training managers to recognize signs of stress and burnout. Most importantly, organizations should measure more than attendance. A workplace can have excellent attendance statistics and still suffer from serious productivity problems if employees are exhausted, disengaged or working through illness.

Leaders should therefore ask not only, “How many employees are absent?” but also, “How many employees are here today but are not well enough to perform at their best?” That question can reveal a hidden organizational cost.

Conclusion: From Attendance to Well-Being

Presenteeism is more than an HR issue. It is a leadership, productivity, health and organizational performance issue.

Absenteeism is visible because the employee is not there. Presenteeism is hidden because the employee is there—but may not be capable of performing effectively.

The solution is not to pressure employees to attend work regardless of their condition. Nor is it simply to encourage more sick leave. The real solution is to build a workplace where employees feel supported, workloads are manageable, mental health is taken seriously, and people can recover before a temporary problem becomes a long-term one.

Absenteeism tells us who is missing. Presenteeism tells us who is struggling while still showing up. And in today’s workplace, understanding that difference may be one of the most important steps an organization can take toward protecting both employee well-being and productivity.

Authored by: Dr. Kishore Anand, Ph.D., MBA, CPHR, SHRM‑SCP, is a seasoned practicing HR executive and educator with global experience in leadership development and organizational change. He teaches at universities in British Columbia and is visiting faculty at premier institutes in India. He is a recipient of Surrey’s Business Excellence and Cultural Diversity Awards from the City of Surrey for his impact on industry and community.

If serendipity plays a real role in learning, why isn’t it part of our learning and development strategy? Can we engineer more of it on purpose?

Principles of Serendipity Engineering

Serendipity flows from simple principles:

• Let conversations follow people’s interests. Don’t force an agenda.
• Don’t aim for action plans or specific outcomes.
• Bring together people who wouldn’t normally meet.

The second point may surprise you. Most of us push hard for clear actions and outcomes. Conversational leadership pioneer David Gurteen argues the opposite: insisting on outcomes can choke off the free flow of ideas where serendipity actually happens.

Think of this as a search problem. Some questions have a known place to look for the answer. Most don’t. For those, you cast a wide net across people and topics, watching for something useful. This isn’t random. You choose who to talk to because they come from a different background and might expose you to something new. You range over many topics, then follow the ones that connect to something you actually need. It feels casual, but there’s a search logic underneath.

Methods of Serendipity Engineering

The methods of serendipity engineering are familiar:

• Communities of practice
• Networking events
• Lunch and learns
• Social events
• Slack channels

It’s all about creating a time and place for people to connect.

Why the Name Matters

If you’re already running events that encourage connections why give the underlying idea a name? The name matters because the mechanism that makes them work gets lost without one. An informal community of practice looks like a nice-to-have next to a formal workshop. A networking event without clear outcomes may seem a poor use of time. You need to name what this type of L&D intervention is doing—it’s engineering serendipity to reach insights that won’t arise from scripted workshops. A strong name earns credibility. Use it.

How This Fits Into the Broader L&D Program

None of this replaces standard training and workshops. Those still matter for skills many people need at the same time. If many of your managers need training in giving feedback, don’t wait for serendipity. Build the workshop.

Serendipity engineering matters now because of AI. AI is moving too fast for the usual training mechanisms to keep up — if a course takes three months to design and roll out, it’s obsolete before employees see it. Plan for the skills everyone needs. Engineer serendipity for everything else.

Related ideas: You might be interested in Cohen, March & Olsen Garbage Can model of decision making, which discusses serendipity in decision-making, and Herminia Ibarra’s work on loose connections in networking, which can be seen as a way to enable serendipity.

David Creelman is CEO of Creelman Research. Currently, he focuses on helping organisations build their capability for adapting to AI. Connect with him on LinkedIn or at dcreelman@creelmanresearch.com.

The good news? You are not alone and you do not need to figure this out from scratch.

The authors, Ehsan Etezad and Adam Sarty, have developed two practical frameworks (the AI Adoption Matrix and the GRACE Framework) that can give you a clear way to diagnose where your organization stands today, decide where it needs to go, and build a responsible path forward.

Let’s break them down.

The AI Adoption Matrix: Four Quadrants, Four Realities

Think of AI readiness along two dimensions: AI Enablement (how broadly your people can access, use, and build skills with AI tools) and AI Governance (how well your organization manages policies, oversight, and accountability around AI use). Where those two dimensions intersect creates four distinct quadrants.

Cautious Observers

Low Enablement, Low Governance

This is the “we’ll deal with it later” quadrant. Limited access to AI tools, no formal policies, and no skills development. An example of this would be a mid-size financial services firm where employees hear about ChatGPT in the news but have no sanctioned tools, no training budget, and no clear rules about what’s acceptable. The risk here isn’t just falling behind competitors. It’s that employees start using AI tools anyway, with zero guardrails.

Constrained Adopters

Low Enablement, High Governance

Strong policies exist, but only a handful of people are actually using AI. Picture a healthcare organization that locked down AI use to the IT department and a small data team. Governance is tight, only approved vendors, clear data handling rules, but frontline staff and managers have no access or training. The result? Efficient risk management, but no innovation. Over time, employees disengage or decide to find a shortcut and use their own personal phone or laptop to access the common AI tools.

Unbounded Experimenters

High Enablement, Low Governance

Energy is high, but structure is missing. A tech startup where every team is experimenting with different AI tools, building their own prompts, even subscribing to separate platforms with company credit cards. Creativity thrives, but so does shadow IT. Data leaks, inconsistent outputs, and duplicated spending are real risks. There’s momentum here, but without governance, it’s unsustainable and it’s a bit risky.

Responsible Pioneers

High Enablement, High Governance

The target for most organizations. Broad access to AI tools is paired with strong oversight. An example would be a large professional services firm that provides organization-wide AI licenses, runs quarterly training bootcamps, maintains a governance committee, and tracks adoption KPIs. Innovation thrives within clear guardrails. Employees feel empowered, leadership has visibility, and the organization builds a sustainable competitive advantage.

Diagnose Your Organization: A Step-by-Step Activity

Before you can move forward, you need an honest assessment. Gather your leadership team and work through these six questions:

1. Where are we today on this matrix, and where do our competitors sit? Be candid. If most employees have no access to AI tools and no policies exist, you’re likely a cautious observer, and that’s okay as long as you don’t stay there.

2. What’s our target quadrant for 12 months from now? 24 months? Not every organization needs to become a Responsible Pioneer overnight. A Cautious Observer might aim for Constrained Adopters first (build governance), then expand enablement. An Unbounded Experimenters might focus on adding governance without killing momentum.

3. Which journey path aligns best with our culture and risk appetite? A risk-averse regulated industry might move from Cautious Observer to Constrained Adopters to Responsible Pioneers. A fast-moving startup might go from Unbounded Experimenters to Responsible Pioneers by layering governance onto existing energy.

4. What are the top three barriers preventing us from moving to our target quadrant? Common ones: budget constraints, leadership buy-in, lack of internal expertise, fear of compliance issues, or simply not knowing where to start.

5. How might different business units be in different quadrants — and why? Your marketing team might be in the Unbounded Experimenters zone while your legal department operates as Constrained Adopters. That’s normal, but you need visibility into it.

6. What would happen if we did nothing and stayed in our current quadrant? This is the question that creates urgency. For Cautious Observers, the answer is usually: competitors pull ahead, top talent leaves, and unsanctioned tool use creates risk anyway.

Moving Forward with GRACE: Five Principles for Responsible AI Adoption

Once you know where you stand, the next question is how to move. The GRACE framework, developed by Ehsan Etezad and Adam Sarty, gives you five actionable principles that balance innovation with accountability.

G: Govern Adoption

Establish policies, roles, and oversight to ensure AI is used responsibly and in alignment with organizational values.

In practice: Form a cross-functional AI governance committee that includes HR, IT, legal, and frontline managers, not just executives. Define approved use cases (e.g., drafting internal communications, analyzing employee survey data) and prohibited activities (e.g., using AI for final hiring decisions without human review). A governance committee that meets monthly and publishes clear, jargon-free guidelines gives everyone confidence to move forward.

R: Respect Autonomy

Honor individual decision-making around AI use. Provide guidelines rather than rigid mandates.

In practice: Instead of dictating which AI tool every team must use, create a list of vetted options and let teams choose what fits their workflow. An L&D team might prefer one platform for content creation while a finance team uses another for data analysis. The key is providing boundaries around data privacy and confidentiality while leaving room for creativity and exploration. People adopt tools faster when they have a say in what they use.

A: Advance Access

Ensure equitable, broad access to AI tools and support resources across the organization.

In practice: Negotiate organization-wide licenses so AI tools aren’t limited to one department. Build an internal AI resource portal with tutorials, prompt libraries, and datasets. Offer drop-in help sessions, think “AI office hours,” where employees can bring real work problems and get hands-on support. Access isn’t just about software licenses; it’s about making sure everyone, regardless of role or technical background, can participate.

C: Cultivate Competence

Build skills so your people can apply AI effectively, safely, and creatively.

In practice: Integrate AI literacy into existing onboarding and professional development programs rather than treating it as a separate initiative. Run hands-on bootcamps focused on real job tasks, not abstract theory. Create a peer mentor “AI Champions” program where early adopters in each department support their colleagues. This is where peer learning becomes powerful, people trust and learn from coworkers who face the same daily challenges.

E: Evaluate Effectiveness

Continuously measure impact, outcomes, and risks to inform improvement and accountability.

In practice: Track adoption metrics (how many employees are actively using AI tools), usage patterns (which tasks, which departments), and outcomes (time saved, quality improvements). Conduct regular surveys on employee satisfaction with AI tools and training. Audit AI outputs for fairness, bias, accuracy, and compliance. The goal isn’t just measurement for measurement’s sake, it’s using data to optimize your investment. As one principle from this framework puts it: you don’t necessarily need to spend more, but you definitely need to spend better.

Practical Recommendations to Start This Week

You don’t need a perfect strategy to begin. Here are high-impact moves you can make now:

(1) Role model it. If you’re a leader, use AI tools visibly. Share what you’re learning. When leadership engages with AI publicly, it signals that experimentation is welcome.

(2) Recognize good behavior. Add an AI innovation category to your employee newsletter or team meetings. Celebrate people who find creative, responsible uses.

(3) Involve employees in decision-making. Don’t build your AI policy in a closed room. Bring frontline voices into the conversation, they know where the real opportunities and risks are.

(4) Ask about it in every meeting. Make AI a standing agenda item. “How is AI showing up in your work this month?” normalizes the conversation.

(5) Frame it as growth. Position AI adoption as a professional development opportunity, not a mandate. People engage more when they see personal benefit.

(6) Embed it in existing programs. Weave AI topics into coaching, mentoring, and leadership development rather than creating yet another standalone initiative.

(7) Make sure nobody gets punished for experimenting. Psychological safety is non-negotiable. If someone tries an AI tool and it doesn’t work out, that’s learning, not failure.

(8) Define KPIs and track progress. You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Set clear targets for adoption, competence, and governance maturity, and review them quarterly.

Your Next Step

Take 30 minutes this week to plot your organization or your department on the AI Adoption Matrix. Be honest about where you are. Then pick one GRACE principle to focus on for the next 90 days. Build from there.

AI adoption doesn’t require a massive transformation initiative. It requires clarity about where you stand, intention about where you’re headed, and a framework that keeps innovation and accountability in balance.

If you would like to explore these frameworks further, discuss how they apply to your organization, or bring this work to your leadership team, reach out to the first author, Ehsan Etezad.

Dr. Ehsan Etezad is a Vancouver-based Organizational Psychologist. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of MEUS Science Corp. He collaborates with regulators, research institutions, and private companies to enhance psychological health and safety, leadership, and team productivity. Ehsan is also the producer and director behind the well-known interview series “How Do You Recharge with Ehsan Etezad”, where he explores how inspiring professionals build successful businesses and careers without sacrificing their well-being. With over 22 peer-reviewed research publications, he also mentors HR professionals through the CPHR program. His newsletter, Weekly Performance Science, reaches over 16,000 leaders globally. You can connect with Ehsan on LinkedIn, or send him a direct email at ehsan@withmeus.com

Dr. Adam Sarty holds a PhD in experimental nuclear physics and completed postdoctoral research at MIT. A 3M National Teaching Fellow and past President of the Canadian Association of Physicists, he serves as Dean and Associate Vice-President Research at Saint Mary’s University, championing research, teaching excellence, and science outreach.

Whether you’re building a new compensation plan or adjusting an existing one, understanding how to determine the right pay mix is essential.

What is Pay Mix?

Pay mix is the ratio of base salary to variable pay within annual on-target earnings (OTE).

For example, a sales compensation plan with a 60/40 pay mix means 60% of OTE is base salary, while 40% comes from variable pay (commissions or bonuses).

For the purposes of designing pay mix, OTE is based on the midpoint of the salary range. OTE represents what a salesperson would earn annually if they achieved 100% of their sales targets. The actual amount earned will be higher or lower depending on their actual performance.

Key Factors That Influence Pay Mix

Pay mix must be consistent with the risk/reward profile of a sales role. Three primary factors drive how you should design pay mix:

1. Sales Cycle Duration

The time it takes to move from initial contact to a signed deal directly shapes the right pay mix.

• Short cycles (a few days to several weeks): Sales reps focused on closing a high volume of smaller, transactional deals are best rewarded by incentive-heavy plans, with up to 50% of pay tied to variable compensation.
• Long cycles (several months or more): Sales roles dealing with complex, high-value deals that require cross-functional collaboration and the development of deep customer relationships require a higher proportion of base salary. This provides stability during the long wait for commissions.

2. Role Definition

The responsibilities assigned to a sales role, both before and after the sale, play a key role in determining the right pay mix.

• New business acquisition (Pre-sales): Roles focused exclusively on winning new customers perform best with higher variable pay ratios, since incentives directly reward their ability to pursue and secure new opportunities.
• Account management and renewals (Post-sales): These roles focus on post-sale responsibilities such as onboarding, relationship management and contract renewals. Since results depend on long-term trust and service, a larger share of base salary provides stability and aligns with the nature of the work.

3. Company Strategy

An organization’s overall business objectives play a critical role in shaping the balance between base salary and variable pay.

• Growth-focused companies: These organizations prioritize rapid expansion and gaining market share. Their pay mix often includes a larger proportion of incentives to attract salespeople with a higher risk tolerance, and to encourage the aggressive pursuit of new business.
• Mature or retention-focused companies: These organizations place greater emphasis on stability, service, and long-term profitability. Their pay structures usually lean more heavily toward base salary, reinforcing the importance of relationship management.

Putting Pay Mix Into Practice

To see how sales cycle duration, role definition, and company strategy work together, it helps to look at examples. The table below illustrates four different selling environments and how the pay mix for a sales role might be structured in each case.

These examples are meant to serve as guidance, showing how pay mix can vary depending on the selling environment. The right approach depends on an assessment of what best fits your company, its priorities and culture.

Finding the Upper Limit of Variable Pay

The recommended maximum ratio for variable pay is 50%. This balance gives equal weight to base salary and sales performance, creating a fair and sustainable structure.

Pushing beyond a 50/50 mix by reducing base salary within OTE can make it harder to attract and retain top talent. In competitive markets, skilled sales professionals are more likely to choose companies that offer stronger base salaries while maintaining similar earning potential.

A variable pay ratio above 50% may also increase the risk of unethical sales practices. While this does not mean salespeople suddenly engage in misconduct if variable compensation is above 50%, it does acknowledge that a tipping point exists. When too much income depends on closing a deal, the associated pressure can lead to misrepresentation and other risky behaviours.

Establishing the Minimum for Variable Pay

The lowest practical ratio for variable pay aligns with the annual bonus typically offered to non-sales employees. However, because sales roles are expected to include a more compelling performance-based component, their variable pay ratio should be set at a materially higher level.

Pay Mix for Sales Management Roles

Management positions typically carry a lower variable pay ratio than the sales roles they oversee. This reflects the broader scope of their responsibilities and their reduced direct involvement in closing deals.

Since front-line sales roles should carry the highest proportion of variable pay, it is best to define their mix first. Management roles can then be calibrated with lower ratios that align with the nature of their job.

For example, a 60/40 pay mix may be suitable for a sales manager leading a team of account executives with a 50/50 mix in pure acquisition roles. If the manager’s responsibilities also include post-sale activities such as account management and renewals, a 70/30 mix may be a better fit.

Designing the Right Pay Mix

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The right mix balances a deep understanding of your sales roles, business strategy, and company culture.

Think of pay mix design as both art and science. It is anchored in data, but also shaped by strategy and culture. Done right, it unleashes the full potential of your sales compensation plans to attract and retain top sales talent, and to drive performance.

Greg Blysniuk is the Principal Consultant at TopLine Sales Compensation Solutions. He is a sales compensation expert with over 25 years of experience working across a wide range of industries in Canada, the United States and Europe. With experience in human resources, finance, sales & marketing, and incentive compensation software, Greg bridges strategy and execution to deliver compensation programs that drive performance and business growth.

I know what you’re thinking — this isn’t a new take, nor even a hot one. The NASA story dates back nearly 65 years now, and before that, Aristotle argued that humans flourish through purpose and community. This concept isn’t truly groundbreaking, so why am I focusing on something we all ought to know by now?

My angle is the “now more than ever” part — in these times of uncertainty (do you put a loonie in a jar every time someone mentions “uncertainty / unprecedented times / ambiguity?), all we have is each other, the communities we build, and the common purpose we serve that should also serve us.

Purpose and belonging are not new workplace concepts — they are fundamental human needs that have always shaped how people experience work. Gallup’s research shows that employees become engaged when they have the opportunity to contribute, feel a sense of belonging, and can connect their work to a larger purpose. Employees who understand how their role contributes to the organization’s mission report higher levels of both wellbeing and engagement.

And who is responsible for bringing purpose to life in organizations? This isn’t a trick question. Leadership, of course— it all comes back and ties into leadership. When leaders provide clarity, meaningful feedback, and connect individual work to broader organizational objectives, employees gain a stronger sense of purpose and belonging.

Similarly, effective communication helps employees understand the “why” behind change, reducing uncertainty (add a loonie to the jar) and strengthening alignment.

As for us, HR professionals, the implication is clear: purpose and belonging should be present in everything we do all the time. Yes, I know that we send more emails per day than we experience genuine human interactions, and I know that the budget isn’t made of rubber. But I stand by this broad statement and ask that you keep it in the back of your mind and remind leaders to consistently connect individual roles to organizational goals, provide regular feedback that reinforces impact and communicate the “why” behind decisions and change.

Encourage leaders to discuss purpose during one-on-ones, celebrate contributions that advance organizational goals, involve employees in decisions that affect their work, and make space for meaningful connection across teams.

In times of change (or in other words “all the time these days” and for those of you counting, that’s another loonie to the jar), focus communications not only on what is changing, but also on why it matters. Purpose creates direction, belonging creates connection, and together they create the conditions for engagement to thrive.

Let me leave you with a classic HR approach: The Situation is that employee engagement is directly linked to purpose and belonging. The Task for leaders is to help employees understand why their work matters and where they fit. The Actions are straightforward: connect roles to organizational purpose, explain the “why” behind decisions, recognize meaningful contributions, and create opportunities for employees to be heard. The Result will be a workforce that is more engaged, more resilient, and more likely to thrive.

In short, if purpose creates direction and belonging creates connection, leaders must make both visible every day.

Over the past decade, I have seen the relationship between work and life shift dramatically. Rising housing costs, economic uncertainty, rapid technological change, evolving workplace expectations, and the lingering effects of a global pandemic have all contributed to a broader question many people are now asking: What does success actually mean to me?

And that’s what prompted me to pen this piece and share my point of view.

For some, success still looks like career advancement and financial growth. For others, it means flexibility, wellbeing, meaningful work, or simply having more control over how they spend their time. Increasingly, Canadians are defining success on their own terms rather than following a traditional script.

These mindset shifts and changes in perspectives require us in HR to look at the world of work differently than we have in the past, and strive to ensure we retain, engage, and empower our workforces in ways that we may not have foreseen or contemplated.

The End of the One-Size-Fits-All Career

Traditional career paths were once relatively predictable, with promotions, tenure and upward progression serving as common markers of success. Today, careers are increasingly non-linear, shaped by job changes, side businesses, career breaks, portfolio work and greater flexibility in where and how people work.

Why More People Are Prioritizing Flexibility

For years, flexibility was often treated as a workplace perk. Today, many employees see it as an expectation. The pandemic accelerated a shift already underway, as millions of Canadians experienced remote work and reconsidered where and how work could fit into their lives.

People are now evaluating opportunities through a wider lens. Compensation still matters, but so do autonomy, balance, wellbeing, and whether a role supports the life they want to build.

The Psychology Behind the Shift

As someone who has spent years working with professionals, one observation continues to stand out.

Across industries, very few people tell me they want to work less. What they want is more choice. Choice over how they work, where they work, and how work fits into the life they are trying to build.

Many people are no longer asking, “How do I get ahead?” Instead, they are asking, “What am I willing to trade for it?”

That question reflects a deeper shift in priorities.

The pursuit of status, titles, and external markers of success are increasingly being weighed against personal wellbeing, purpose, and fulfillment. People are becoming more intentional about the trade-offs they are willing, or unwilling, to make.

This doesn’t mean Canadians are working less hard. If anything, many are working harder than ever.

A bigger title or higher salary can still matter. But so can having dinner with your family, being present in your relationships, pursuing interests outside of work, or simply having enough energy left at the end of the day to enjoy the life you’ve worked so hard to build.

Time, energy, and presence are becoming measures of success in their own right. In that sense, ambition isn’t disappearing. It’s becoming more personal.

For HR professionals, this creates an important challenge. If ambition is becoming more personal, our approaches to career development, engagement and retention may need to become more personal too.

That means creating more varied career pathways, equipping managers to have meaningful conversations about what growth and success look like for individual employees and being careful not to equate ambition solely with visibility, long hours or upward progression.

Understanding what employees value is increasingly becoming part of understanding how to retain them.

Redefining Success

The question is becoming less about “How successful can I become?” and more about “What kind of life am I trying to create, and what role do I want work to play in it?”

For HR professionals, that means recognizing that success may no longer be measured by how closely employees follow a prescribed path, but by how intentionally they shape one that works for them.

Ambition isn’t disappearing. It’s simply becoming more personal.

Neha Mohan, CPHR is the Director, Professional Development & Accreditation at CPHR BC & Yukon.

“PeopleTalking” is new monthly column dedicated to covering key HR issues that matter to you, our members. The columns will be written in an op-ed style and will range between 500 and 750 words. Given today’s attention spans and bandwidths, we wanted to ensure the pieces were easily digestible and shareable.

And we want to hear from you! We always welcome feedback so do let us know your thoughts as each column appears. We also want to know if there are any particular topics you would like us to write about. After all, our aim is to help you in your role as an HR professional in your organization.

He has warned that not enough guardrails are in place to control the technology and said that he has regrets about some of his contributions to the field.

That being said, I think we need to focus on incorporating AI strategically. Workplaces of today should go beyond debating whether they need to incorporate AI into their organizations. That horse left the barn a while back…

Where are we today with AI?

The questions now are about how to integrate AI to enhance productivity, increase Return on Investment (ROI), help achieve organizational goals, and enhance retention and engagement – all at a time when some organizations are questioning the value of HR as a function. (Editor’s note: Uber cut 23% of its People and Places division in June, citing that parts of the organization had become “too complex and fragmented, with overlapping responsibilities, unclear ownership, and teams operating too far from the businesses and partners they support.” And Bolt’s CEO eliminated its entire HR department for “creating problems that didn’t exist.”).

In a study entitled, “The state of AI in 2025: Agents, innovation, and transformation”, data from McKinsey & Company indicates that 88% of organizations use AI in at least one business function, 35% to 41% of workers use generative AI tools on the job, and 59% of enterprises invest over $1 million annually. And these numbers are only going to go one way: up.

Can we reskill and upskill our teams as we further integrate AI into our workplaces?

One recent case study provides encouraging results.

According to a blog post analysis by labwyze, in 2021, IKEA’s parent company Ingka Group introduced an AI-powered customer service chatbot called Billie. Available 24/7, Billie took on the repetitive, high-volume queries that make traditional call-centre work exhausting and expensive.

By 2023 Billie was resolving about 47% of inbound customer inquiries, having handled roughly 3.2 million interactions covering product information and recommendations. It produced nearly 13 million euros in operating savings through 2023.

labwyze goes on to say that as Billie performed, IKEA focused on what it felt its team could do that AI could not. It landed on interior design. So, the company retrained 8,500 call-centre co-workers into remote interior design advisors, equipping them with new competencies in remote design consultation, digital retail sales, room planning, relationship building, and the kind of complex problem-solving a chatbot cannot handle.

The remote interior design channel, now staffed by the reskilled workers, generated 1.3 billion euros in sales by the end of fiscal year 2022, equal to 3.3% of Ingka’s total sales, and the company has set a target to grow it to 10% of revenue in the years ahead. In the 2025 fiscal year, their remote planning service helped more than 73,000 customers with furniture and kitchen design.

All of this was made possible because the company decided, ahead of time, to invest in AI training for 30,000 workers, with more than 4,000 employees trained during the 2024 fiscal year alone. As labwyze aptly puts it, “reskilling at this scale only works if it is treated as core strategy with real budget and executive ownership, not as a training afterthought.”

What can we take away from the IKEA example?

We need to build AI literacy across the organization. HR leaders should help ensure employees understand what AI is, how it is being used, where it can support work, and what risks and limitations it presents.

To emphasize, employees do not need to become AI engineers. However, most workers increasingly need baseline AI fluency to remain effective in evolving workplaces.

Moreover, given the speed of AI’s evolution, employees need to be provided with opportunities to keep up with new developments.

Organizations should consider some of the following: introducing organization-wide AI literacy programs; training managers and leaders on responsible AI use; incorporating AI learning into onboarding and leadership development; providing opportunities for ongoing AI learning and development; and encouraging practical experimentation with approved AI tools.

I do want to be clear that these actions may not necessarily stave off layoffs or downsizing. However, I do strongly believe we owe our teams, leadership, and organizations a duty of responsibility to ensure we are doing everything we can to help our teams grow and develop and consequently help our organizations achieve new heights and tangible successes now and in the future.

Anthony Ariganello, CM, FCPHR is the President and CEO of the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (CPHR British Columbia & Yukon).

“PeopleTalking” is monthly column dedicated to covering key HR issues that matter to you, our members. The columns will be written in an op-ed style and will range between 500 and 750 words. Given today’s attention spans and bandwidths, we wanted to ensure the pieces were easily digestible and shareable.

And we want to hear from you! We always welcome feedback so do let us know your thoughts as each column appears. We also want to know if there are any particular topics you would like us to write about. After all, our aim is to help you in your role as an HR professional in your organization.

To highlight some of the remarkable members who have received this honour, we’ve put together a Q&A with Siva Chandran Ramakrishna, CPHR; Amber Brown, CPHR; and Basil Onyia, CPHR to learn more about their inspiring stories.

2025 HR Spotlight Recipients at the 2026 Member Recognition Gala. L/R: Nicole Whitaker, CPHR; Basil Onyia, CPHR; Amber Brown, CPHR; Paris Pishyari, CPHR; Siva Chandran Ramakrishna, CPHR

How did you feel during the nomination process, and what would you say to someone who may be hesitant to nominate themselves?

Siva:

The nomination process gave me an opportunity to pause and reflect on my professional journey, something many HR professionals rarely make time to do. Our work often happens behind the scenes, and we tend to focus on supporting the success of others rather than recognizing our own contributions.

If someone is hesitant to nominate themselves, I would encourage them to view it not as self-promotion, but as self-reflection. Taking pride in your work does not diminish humility. Every HR professional has a unique story of creating positive change, whether through supporting employees, strengthening workplace culture, navigating complex labour relations, or helping organizations grow. Sharing those accomplishments can inspire others and highlight the meaningful impact our profession has on people and organizations.

What does being a HR Spotlight recipient mean to you personally and professionally?

Basil:

It is, and was, a massive validation of the work and contributions not only to my direct employers but in advancement of our profession in then larger workforce. It re-ignited the spark shines a light on the value we bring to every organization. It simply says to me “we see you and we appreciate you” and that means the world to me.

Siva:

Being a 2025 HR Spotlight recipient is both a tremendous honour and a meaningful milestone in my career. Personally, it is a reminder that the work I am passionate about—supporting people, building healthy workplaces, and leading through integrity—makes a difference. It reinforces why I chose HR as a profession and motivates me to continue learning, growing, and serving others.

Professionally, this recognition affirms that thoughtful, people-centered leadership can create lasting organizational impact. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of leading organizational change, strengthening labour relations, modernizing HR practices, and supporting leaders through complex challenges. This award recognizes not only those accomplishments but also the collective efforts of the teams, mentors, and colleagues who have trusted and supported me along the way.

How has being recognized through the HR Spotlight Member Recognition Program impacted your confidence, career, or professional network?

Amber:

Being recognized has had a meaningful impact on my confidence. That third-party validation – the reassurance that yes, you do know what you’re doing – has given me greater confidence to participate in strategic conversations. I find myself speaking up more and advocating for why an HR perspective and my contributions add value. It’s reinforced that my experience and ideas deserve to be part of the conversation.

Siva:

Receiving this recognition has strengthened my confidence in the value that HR leaders bring to organizations. It has reminded me that the work we do, often behind the scenes, has a meaningful and lasting impact on employees, leaders, and organizational success.

Being a recipient also created opportunities to connect with other HR professionals across BC and Yukon who are passionate about advancing our profession. Being part of this community has led to valuable conversations, new perspectives, and stronger professional relationships. Most importantly, it has encouraged me to continue sharing ideas, mentoring others, and contributing to the ongoing evolution of the HR profession.

What advice would you give to someone early in their HR career?

Basil:

Say yes to every opportunity that presents itself. Soak it all in like a sponge and remember that there is no such thing as a bad role, every role adds its own lessons that makes you a better professional and lights a fire in you. And finally, work and dream beyond the work you’re involved in within your organization today. Support others in the profession and give back much more than you receive; this helps our profession grow stronger.

Why do you think it’s important for HR professionals to take time to recognize and celebrate their own achievements?

Amber:

HR professionals spend so much of their time recognizing and celebrating the contributions of others. But who recognizes HR? In many organizations, the answer is no one. While creating recognition programs and helping leaders celebrate their teams is part of our role, it’s easy for our own contributions to go unnoticed. I’m fortunate to work for an organization where I feel genuinely appreciated, but I know that’s not everyone’s experience.

That’s why recognition from the broader HR community, like the HR Spotlight Member Recognition Program, is so meaningful. It provides validation, builds confidence, and reminds us that the work we do behind the scenes has a real impact. Recognition isn’t about being told, “Good job.” It’s about acknowledging the value of our profession and the difference we make every day.

Siva:

HR professionals spend much of their careers recognizing the contributions of others, supporting employees through challenges, and celebrating organizational successes. It is equally important that we take time to acknowledge our own achievements and the positive impact we have made.

Celebrating success is not about seeking recognition, it is about reflecting on the progress we have made, appreciating the people who helped us along the way, and recognizing the value our profession brings to workplaces. It also helps build confidence, resilience, and encourages continuous growth.
When HR professionals share their accomplishments, they elevate the profession as a whole. They demonstrate the strategic value of HR, inspire emerging professionals, and encourage others to pursue innovative ideas that create healthier, more inclusive, and more successful workplaces.

Receiving this recognition started with someone taking the time to acknowledge your impact. What would you say to someone who is thinking about nominating a colleague but isn’t sure whether they should?

Basil:

Just do it! In HR we spend so much time building effective reward and recognition programs, recognizing others, and we tend to forget about ourselves. This is a beautiful opportunity to shine a light on a fellow HR colleague and remind them that we see the amazing work that is too often done quietly and that we see the work that is often thankless.

Amber:

I would say, why not? Taking the time to nominate someone is an opportunity to reflect on the difference they’ve made. Even if they don’t receive the award, you’ve shown them that their contributions matter, that their work is seen, and that the impact they’re making is valued by others. Sometimes, simply knowing someone took the time to recognize your efforts can be just as meaningful as the award itself.

Is there anything you’d like to share with future nominees about your experience of being nominated?

Amber:

Have fun with it! I was fortunate to have a colleague who took the lead on most of my nomination package, and from the moment I found out I had been selected, the entire experience was a blast. Having the opportunity to speak from the heart in front of a room full of HR professionals was both exciting and incredibly meaningful. One of my favourite parts was sharing the experience with my family. Having my husband and daughter there to celebrate with me made the evening even more special (and it was pretty great to show off for them, too)!

Receiving this recognition started with someone taking the time to acknowledge your impact. What would you say to someone who is thinking about nominating a colleague but isn’t sure whether they should?

Basil:

I felt honoured to be considered. From a logistics standpoint gathering the requirements ask of me post nomination was very quick and simple to do, the CPHR BC & Yukon team supports so much to make sure it comes to life.

In case you’re looking for tips on how to make your nomination stand out, watch the HR Spotlight Info Session and hear from our 2022 HR Spotlight Recipient, Kanokwan Limchareon, CPHR:

Ready to nominate someone? Be sure to put their (or your own) name forward by September 22, 2026! Submit your nomination.

The World Cup is a unique global event that brings together people from all walks of life. For a month and a bit, bonds are created, friendships are made, memories are cherished and heartbreaks are experienced as we watched to see which country gets to proudly lift the Jules Rimet trophy and show why they are the ultimate winners of the most iconic sport in the world.

And for 2026, Canada counted itself as one of the three hosts of the tournament, inviting visitors from all over to come and experience our hospitality, kindness, caring spirit, and a culture that can only be described as overwhelmingly welcoming.

In addition to the soccer (or football?), there are various other sporting events taking place, including tennis, volleyball, and for us here in BC, both the BC Summer Games and the Special Olympics Canada Summer Games.

This got us thinking — what a great opportunity these summer events offer to both HR and Communications departments for increasing employee engagement! These are low lift exercises that can add just a bit more to your employees’ days and help distract them, even if just for a while, from the stresses we know they are experiencing.

So, we did an informal LinkedIn poll, and what we saw was that 40 percent had plans to leverage the summer events, 20 percent were planning something, 32 percent had no plans for this, and 8 percent said they would look further into this.

While it was not a full-on survey, it was encouraging for us to see.

Why? Because nearly half of Canadian workers say they feel burned out, and the number keeps rising. Burnout isn’t a personal weakness or a passing HR fad — it has been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a significant threat facing workplaces in terms of productivity, retention, absenteeism, organizational performance, and the well-being of the workforce.

A recent Robert Half Canada survey found that 62 percent of professionals report feeling burned out, up from 47 percent in 2025. That figure has continued to rise since 2023 when it was at 33 percent. And according to Statistics Canada, 62 percent of working Canadians cite high levels of stress at their jobs.

This requires introspection and courage from leadership. It involves moving beyond slogans about resilience and toward genuine organizational change — such as listening to employees, re-examining workloads, and confronting the habits that no longer serve.

To be clear, not every solution demands a major investment. Sometimes it’s as simple as adjusting expectations, revisiting schedules, or creating more ergonomic workspaces. What matters most is intentionality — building systems that protect people, not deplete them.

Across B.C., employers are facing sustained pressure from rising costs, ongoing labour shortages, rapid technological disruption, and changing employee expectations. Workers are feeling the strain as well. Concerns about housing affordability, cost of living, caregiving responsibilities, and mental health continue to shape workplace culture and productivity.

And while not a silver bullet, creating watch parties for the sports, paired with food and beverages brought in, allows HR and Communications to bring teams from various business functions and areas together. This momentary respite can brighten someone’s day and bring a little joy. As an example, we learned that a few workplaces organized soccer watch parties to engage both employees and members, which led to great successes.

How wonderful it is that we can take advantage of this moment in time when the province, country, and world are all coming together to make the days of our teams just a bit lighter and remind them that theirs is caring and welcoming workplace.

Kara Douglas, MBA is the Senior Director, Marketing, Communications & Member Affairs at CPHR British Columbia & Yukon.

“PeopleTalking” is monthly column dedicated to covering key HR issues that matter to you, our members. The columns will be written in an op-ed style and will range between 500 and 750 words. Given today’s attention spans and bandwidths, we wanted to ensure the pieces were easily digestible and shareable.

And we want to hear from you! We always welcome feedback so do let us know your thoughts as each column appears. We also want to know if there are any particular topics you would like us to write about. After all, our aim is to help you in your role as an HR professional in your organization.

Within human resources, professional communities are starting to feel essential, serving as a counterbalance to technological and informational overload.

We have access to more professional development content than ever before, yet we are hearing about more burnout and frustration than ever. If the challenge is not the access to content, then maybe it is how to translate learning into growth that can be felt and applied in a timely and relevant way.

At CPHR BC & Yukon, we have taken note of this shift and have continually adjusted how we design our programs and events to create more space for interaction and real connection between members. We have been trying different approaches to bring people together for meaningful (and sometimes less meaningful!) conversations.

This perspective was reinforced for me more broadly during my recent studies toward the CAE (Canadian Association Executive) designation, where I connected with leaders from associations across the country. What kept coming up was realizing what a central role connecting to a professional community plays in helping members grow in their careers, regardless of industry.

Our collective experiences as association leaders also reinforced that strengthening community is central to our organizational goals. It sounds obvious because, of course, a professional association needs an engaged community. But the nuance is in what that community provides for an individual member and how that member chooses to show up within it.

This has prompted me to rethink what professional growth actually looks like in practice and how much of it happens outside of structured learning environments.

I’ve heard about meaningful development happening for our members in unexpected ways; like serving on a committee, becoming a mentor, asking a burning question during a webinar, or as the result of an informal conversation over nachos at the end of an event.

Often the biggest “a-ha” moments occur when people come together around shared interests. As a former kindergarten teacher, I can tell you that learning sticks best when both the head and heart are engaged.

Engaging with peers exposes us to different perspectives, and often, to questions we haven’t thought about asking. That curiosity, sparked through a shared experience, can lead to new ways of thinking and force us to challenge our assumptions.

Many members have told us that they get the most value when they are active contributors in a peer setting. Being part of the conversation, rather than just absorbing it, builds a strong sense of professional identity and confidence.

Additionally, asking thoughtful questions helps deepen your own understanding and can draw others into your circle. All of this makes for an arguably more efficient use of the time you commit to your professional development and growth.

If possible, think of your professional community not as another demand on your time, but as something you can turn to for guidance, helping you make sense of what matters now and what can wait

In an era defined by rapid change and constant disruption, professional growth may depend less on accessing information and more on belonging to communities capable of helping us make sense of it, question it, and figure out how to apply it together.

Kelly Aslanowicz, B.Ed., CAE is the Senior Director, Business Development at CPHR British Columbia & Yukon.

“PeopleTalking” is monthly column dedicated to covering key HR issues that matter to you, our members. The columns will be written in an op-ed style and will range between 500 and 750 words. Given today’s attention spans and bandwidths, we wanted to ensure the pieces were easily digestible and shareable.

And we want to hear from you! We always welcome feedback so do let us know your thoughts as each column appears. We also want to know if there are any particular topics you would like us to write about. After all, our aim is to help you in your role as an HR professional in your organization.