Dear Colleagues,

A local issue which has blanketed Vancouver media outlets recently has been the unexpected firing of the Vancouver Canucks General Manager, Dave Nonis. The Canucks, for those of you not who may not be familiar, are Vancouver’s beloved national hockey league team. The team missed the playoffs this year, the 2nd time in 3 years, and the General Manager of the team lost his job.

As fans of the Vancouver Canucks, we have been closely following the news surrounding Dave Nonis’ dismissal. It became apparent to us that HR issues are at the core of the team’s problems.

Read on to see what HR lessons our team at Clear HR Consulting has gleaned from the Canucks’ experience.

For more information, feel free to contact us at 604.688.3879.

Warm regards,

Cissy Pau
Clear HR Consulting Inc.

HR LESSONS FROM THE CANUCKS: WHAT BUSINESSES CAN LEARN FROM THE FIRING OF DAVE NONIS

The firing of Vancouver Canucks General Manager, Dave Nonis, has catapulted the Canucks and its owners into the glaring light of public scrutiny. The media activity and the public response across the city has highlighted some critical lessons for all companies on how to effectively manage employees. For small businesses, in particular, these lessons can be particularly helpful as they compete for talent in this tight labour market.

“All businesses operate under a microscope and how a company portrays itself to the public determines how easily that company can attract and retain employees,” says Cissy Pau, Principal Consultant of Clear HR Consulting. “Small businesses need to be very aware of the challenges of hiring, managing and firing employees because they do not usually have the luxury of deep pockets to overcome major mistakes.”

After following the media coverage of Nonis’ dismissal, some key HR lessons small businesses can learn from the Canucks to avoid costly and time-consuming mistakes include:

1. Leadership Begins at the Top - Leaders set the vision for the company. They set the example for how the company and its employees should work and operate to achieve company goals. Owners, presidents and managers all play a part in leading the company.


2. Job Descriptions and On-Going Performance Feedback are Critical - Being clear on a position’s duties, responsibilities, performance expectations and required qualifications is the roadmap to success. Communicating regular feedback to employees on their performance in relation to expectations will create stronger performers. A clear job description and timely feedback will certainly help the next GM.


3. Effective Employee Communication is Paramount - How a company communicates major decisions and company direction is critical for success. Employees need to know how decisions will impact them in their jobs in order for them to remain committed to the company. Not communicating effectively puts the company in a state of flux and creates unnecessary anxiety for staff and customers alike.


4. Employer Branding is as Important as Customer Branding - Many companies spend a tremendous amount of time, money and energy determining their customer brand or “fan experience”. Unfortunately, the employee experience is often overlooked. Employees are the ones who carry out company plans and goals. Without the employee experience being as strong as the customer experience, the customer experience will inevitably suffer.


5. Public Perception and Reputation Determines Whether Employees Want to Work for You - How employees perceive the company as an employer will affect their interest in working for you. All small businesses need to establish and maintain an impeccable reputation and present themselves as an ideal employer. For the Canucks, their ability to attract the next GM, future players, and other employees will be partly determined by their reputation and how they handle the current situation.

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