‘We need to keep that connection’
Bridgewater chamber offers online HR courses
Tamara Ballard is kept busy organizing more than 40 employees who provide inhome support for nearly 60 clients in Lunenburg and Queens counties.
These clients are able to remain in their homes thanks to the assistance. But the owner of Earth Angels Homecare is also careful to make time to participate in a popular video course series offered by the Bridgewater & Area Chamber of Commerce.
Ballard has taken courses designed to enhance the business practices of companies owned or operated by chamber members, including Essential Communications for Supervisors, Essentials for Leading Change and marketing. She has also taken a course called HR Essentials. That course is being reoffered to chamber members online beginning March 29.
Ballard said during a recent interview the HR Essentials course enabled her to create a strategic approach to managing human resources.
“It really helps you create some policies, regulations and standards. Especially in the hiring process. And when you have hired the person, setting performance reviews, strategies and goals to help that employee grow with your company,” Ballard said.
She said the course helps with the retention of employees.
“Now we do performance reviews on a regular basis. That helps us engage with the caregiver to see if they have any goals or are struggling in any areas. And then we can support them in that and offer them more education,” Ballard said.
“You want to keep in touch with your employees … You don’t just hire somebody and throw them out there. We need to keep that connection.”
Dan Hennessey is the executive director of the Bridgewater & Area Chamber of Commerce.
Hennessey said during the last five years the chamber has offered members several opportunities to learn new skills through the Workplace Essential Training Program, which is fully funded by the province through the Department of Labour and Advanced Education.
Topics included customer service excellence, Human Resource Essentials, communication and marketing.
“They were done in-person using a number of different facilitators,” Hennessey said.
“It was going extremely well. And then, of course, two years ago COVID struck. So, we realized the importance to continue these training programs for our members.
And the department decided to pivot and put these programs online … I think people realized it is the new norm and everyone was doing a lot of things day to day with their businesses online. So, this was a natural fit.”
Hennessey said the chamber had run more than 20 programs over the last five years, with the last two years online. He said the feedback from members has been positive.
“We are still able to deliver fully funded training programs that will allow our businesses to succeed. When our members succeed then we succeed as a chamber of commerce,” Hennessey said.
The chamber offered the popular HR Essentials video course a year and a half ago. Hennessey said the course is being reoffered at a time when members are facing HR challenges during the COVID economy.
“We are going through a very unusual time right now, where a lot of businesses are struggling with employees and hiring and getting the right people for the right jobs,” Hennessey said.
Lisette Jones, of Thinksmart Training & Consulting, will facilitate the upcoming HR Essentials video course. Jones said she had facilitated the course before and several other courses for the Bridgewater chamber.
“You need to know what you are looking for,” Jones said. “You really have to do a job analysis and look at what you currently have for a skill set.”
Both Hennessey and Jones said businesses can rely on their gut reaction a little too much when deciding who to hire.
“Sometimes your gut helps you along the way. But you can’t rely fully on your gut because sometimes we want to hire people who are like us. And we don’t necessarily grow if we only hire people who are like us,” Jones said.
Jones said the course is designed to help businesses market themselves during the COVID economy.
“Right now, you need to be the best employer to attract the best. And there is a lot of competition right now.”
Hennessey said the HR Essentials course would run 40 hours in total, requiring participation four hours a week for 10 weeks. He said it’s valued at $5,000.
“The only commitment we ask for is 100 per cent participation,” Hennessey said.
Ballard said the time commitment was well worth it.
“Four hours of your time is minor for what you are receiving from the course,” Ballard said.
The start date for the HR Essentials video course is March 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and will run each Tuesday for 10 weeks. Space is limited to 10 participants.
To register for this online program, go to https://www. bridgewaterchamber.com/ upcoming-events or contact bridgewaterchamber.com.