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Articles by Jeffrey Smith
HR, total rewards at the centre of disruption ‘earthquake’
Normandin Beaudry wants to push the conversation on AI, cognitive limits, and workforce strategy at HRFest Canada 2026 Normandin Beaudry, one of Canada’s largest independently owned total rewards consultancies, is taking a targeted approach to HRFest Canada 2026. Rather than occupying a main stage, the Montréal-based firm is sponsoring the Content Lounge – a quieter, conversation-first space built for the candid exchanges formal settings rarely allow.
Stelco layoffs: why nobody can say for sure who is legally right
Stelco just had its strongest quarter since its takeover, but layoffs are proceeding. The feds say it’s a breach, but the takeover terms and employment standards obligations are different, says a lawyer Stelco has just had what its owner calls its best quarter since Cleveland-Cliffs bought it, and the layoffs at its Ontario plants are going ahead regardless. On Monday’s third-quarter earnings call, Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves said Stelco’s results were its strongest since the 2024 acquisition.
Rogue AI agents are targeting Canada. Now HR owns the accountability
Rogue AI agents probed a federal archive and are hacking companies. HR leaders face a governance, liability, and trust reckoning Rogue AI agents have now hit Canada. Following confirmed probes of Library and Archives Canada in May and June 2026 – disclosed publicly by AI safety research firm Transluce on September 30 – the pressure on Canadian organizations to take AI governance seriously has intensified.
Hypergrowth is the hardest cultural test for Safe Software
Chief People Officer joined company with mandate to fuel 2.5x revenue growth by 2028 and international expansion without losing the culture that got it there Safe Software has crossed $100 million in revenue and is targeting $250 million by 2028, according to the company.
Are your workers actively sabotaging your AI rollout?
Sabotage, skill-faking, and silent resistance – experts say organizations are skipping the steps in AI rollout that matter most Nearly one in three Canadian workers have admitted to exaggerating their AI skills at work, while only 37 per cent say their employer has provided adequate AI training, according to the 2026 TD AI Insights Report.
Are your workers actively sabotaging your AI rollout?
Sabotage, skill-faking, and silent resistance – experts say organizations are skipping the steps in AI rollout that matter most Nearly one in three Canadian workers have admitted to exaggerating their AI skills at work, while only 37 per cent say their employer has provided adequate AI training, according to the 2026 TD AI Insights Report.
Are your workers actively sabotaging your AI rollout?
Sabotage, skill-faking, and silent resistance – experts say organizations are skipping the steps in AI rollout that matter most Nearly one in three Canadian workers have admitted to exaggerating their AI skills at work, while only 37 per cent say their employer has provided adequate AI training, according to the 2026 TD AI Insights Report.
Are your workers actively sabotaging your AI rollout?
Sabotage, skill-faking, and silent resistance – experts say organizations are skipping the steps in AI rollout that matter most Nearly one in three Canadian workers have admitted to exaggerating their AI skills at work, while only 37 per cent say their employer has provided adequate AI training, according to the 2026 TD AI Insights Report.
Are your workers actively sabotaging your AI rollout?
Sabotage, skill-faking, and silent resistance – experts say organizations are skipping the steps in AI rollout that matter most Nearly one in three Canadian workers have admitted to exaggerating their AI skills at work, while only 37 per cent say their employer has provided adequate AI training, according to the 2026 TD AI Insights Report.
Human Resources Director Australia
Verified Online/Digital Human Resources Director (HRD) is Australia’s leading multi-media resource for HR professionals. Award-winning products across Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific deliver essential news, insight and analysis, and constitute the most effective channel through which to reach senior HR professionals.
The return to office is complete - but what’s the real driver?
A new study from Robert Half Canada has found that 84 per cent of new Canadian job postings in the second quarter of 2026 are now fully on-site — up from 63 per cent in the final quarter of 2025. This shift reflects the fact that the return to office (RTO) isn’t primarily a policy decision – it’s a labour market outcome, according to David Zweig, professor of organizational behaviour and HR management in the Department of Management at the University of Toronto Scarborough.
Skills-based hiring needs data science, not AI guesswork
HR leaders must ground recruitment analytics in explainability and workforce planning – not AI hype – to hire fairly and fast, says talent exec Skills-based hiring is reshaping Canadian recruitment – but data science, not AI, determines whether it works.
Strategic talent acquisition becoming a competitive advantage for HR
Talent acquisition executives are moving beyond vacancy-filling to build workforce planning strategies tied to business goals Only five per cent of Canadian organizations say they have both the headcount and skills needed to complete high-priority projects in 2026 – a figure from Robert Half Canada's 2026 Demand for Skilled Talent report that highlights a talent acquisition challenge for HR leaders already navigating rapid business change, generational workforce shifts, and intensifying...
Workplace safety failures during pandemic cost lives at Cargill: report
A Parkland Institute report says Alberta's regulatory failures during the 2020 Cargill COVID outbreak placed industry ahead of workers A sweeping independent review has concluded that Alberta's response to Canada's largest single COVID-19 outbreak was a systemic failure that placed industry continuity above human life – findings that carry serious implications about occupational health governance and the protection of vulnerable workers.
5 themes that define Canada’s top HR teams right now
From wellbeing to people-centred workforce tech, this year's Canadian HR Awards finalists have similar priorities underlying their success As the 2026 Canadian HR Awards approach – with the gala set for Oct. 1 – a picture is emerging around trends with this year's finalists.
Is your AI strategy an investment in people or cuts in disguise?
Business strategy By Sep 09, 2026 Share Canadian organizations are investing in AI at a pace that’s often outrunning the workforce redesign required to sustain it – and the consequences are showing up in talent trust, retention risk, and the widening gap between what leaders believe AI is delivering and what their people are experiencing.
Canada's retaliatory tariffs take effect as trade war enters new phase
Prime minister warns of tough times ahead as Canada pivots from U.S market; U.S. hints at additional measures By Sep 08, 2026 Canada's retaliatory tariffs on nearly $28 billion worth of U.S. goods took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing trade dispute between Ottawa and Washington – and confronting HR professionals across the country with accelerating workforce planning uncertainty.
Canada's retaliatory tariffs take effect as trade war enters new phase
Prime minister warns of tough times ahead as Canada pivots from U.S market; U.S. hints at additional measures Canada's retaliatory tariffs on nearly $28 billion worth of U.S. goods took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing trade dispute between Ottawa and Washington – and confronting HR professionals across the country with accelerating workforce planning uncertainty.
Why global CHROs say the people function has changed forever
HR leaders reveal what the expanding people mandate now demands – and how AI is reshaping the role The Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) has spent decades arguing for a seat at the executive table. That argument, according to four international senior people leaders, is over – replaced by a more consequential challenge: leading the most complex workforce transformation in living memory.
Is your AI strategy an investment in people or cuts in disguise?
Canadian leaders must decide what AI is really for – and the answer has productivity and retention consequences Canadian organizations are investing in AI at a pace that’s often outrunning the workforce redesign required to sustain it – and the consequences are showing up in talent trust, retention risk, and the widening gap between what leaders believe AI is delivering and what their people are experiencing.
How a people-first approach builds retention, engagement
Most Canadian workers are disengaged, according to research. But one HR leader has 100 per cent of employees on board In a Canadian labour market where just one in five workers are fully engaged at work – a figure that has remained essentially flat for more than a decade, according to Gallup's 2026 State of the Global Workplace report – most employers continue searching for the formula that turns culture from a talking point into a competitive retention advantage.
Why the best HR leaders know their toolbox is never finished
EastGen's new HR Director on the rare signal that drew her to the company and the cross-industry adaptability she's bringing from tech to agriculture Early on into her role as Human Resources Director at EastGen Inc. in Guelph, Ont. – she joined the company in March 2026 – Sheila Thomson is already demonstrating what cross-industry HR leadership looks like in practice – and what it can unlock inside one of Canada's most traditionally minded sectors.
Canadian HR leaders are reinforcing diversity in uncertain times
Canadian organizations are strengthening diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments as U.S.-driven pressure builds As the United States dismantles federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and major corporations south of the border scale back or rebrand their commitments, Canadian HR leaders are largely reinforcing their organization’s commitment to DEI.
Top pitfalls HR leaders must avoid when deploying AI in HR
From compliance traps to chatbot errors and data privacy snares, AI in HR carries risks that could trip up organizations The rollout of artificial intelligence (AI) tools across Canadian HR departments is accelerating, but governance isn’t keeping pace. According to Statistics Canada’s Analysis on expected use of artificial intelligence by businesses in Canada, 19.2 per cent of Canadian businesses were actively using AI as of mid-2026.
The public sector HR leader who asked to be allowed to fail
The City of Burnaby’s Chief Human Resources Officer stood firm on progressive, innovative people leadership – and turned the city into a competitive employer When Anita Bhandari, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at the City of Burnaby, BC, walked into her first meeting with the city's senior leadership team, she made a promise that few candidates would dare to put on the table. "In order to be innovative, you have to be prepared for me to make mistakes," Bhandari says she told them.
AI monitoring: the legal risks Canadian HR leaders can't ignore
Canadian employers are deploying AI-powered monitoring tools faster than laws can keep up, but employers can close the gap: Employment Law Masterclass speaker Canadian workplaces are deploying artificial intelligence (AI) monitoring and productivity tools at a pace that far outstrips the legal frameworks designed to govern them. For human resources (HR) leaders, that gap creates direct exposure around privacy, psychological safety, and wrongful dismissal claims.
Canada's retaliatory tariffs hit $27.6B of US goods Sept. 8
Ottawa matches US Section 338 duties dollar-for-dollar on electronics, appliances and steel; announces $7.5B worker support package for businesses and workers Canada moved to impose sweeping counter-tariffs on approximately $27.6 billion worth of American goods on Tuesday, after trade negotiations between Ottawa and Washington collapsed late Friday and the US held firm on a broad 50-per-cent duty regime targeting Canadian exports.
The Chief People Officer who merged HR, tech to drive transformation
Loopio’s first-ever CPO is redesigning how the company works – and redefining HR leadership in the age of AI In late 2025, Loopio, a Toronto-based software company with offices in Vancouver, the U.K., India, and the U.S., brought in Joanna Kmiec to do something the organization had never done before: place a senior people leader at the executive table and build the human resources (HR) function into a genuine driver of business performance.
SAP SuccessFactors is all-in on HRFest Canada 2026 this November
The Headline Partner at HRFest Canada looks forward to networking with an engaged Canadian HR community SAP SuccessFactors is heading to Toronto this November as Headline Partner of HR Fest Canada 2026 – and for Matt Pegoraro, North America Field Marketing Manager at SAP SuccessFactors, the decision was a recognition of something that has been building for years.
Canada-U.S. tariff deal: stop waiting for trade certainty
‘The days of a comprehensive free trade deal are over;’ Canadian businesses have to accept some tariffs: trade expert Canada temporarily avoided 50-per-cent U.S. tariffs on approximately $28 billion worth of goods Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a three-day pause on the levies, following a period of intense negotiations as the two countries raced to finalize a deal.
HR Leaders forum: what really gets said when the room is all peers
At HRFest Canada 2026, a closed-track format for senior people leaders is redefining what a high-value event looks like for HR leaders The HR Leaders forum at HRFest Canada 2026 is built on a premise that sounds straightforward: put senior people leaders in a room together, keep the format intimate, and let real conversations happen. Running Nov. 10 and 11 at Rebel in Toronto, HRFest Canada 2026 brings together more than 750 HR professionals and upwards of 120 speakers across five stages.
One hug. One dead co-worker. One workplace violence question for HR leaders
A US Costco employee's death after a co-worker's jealous rage exposes warning signs for workplace violence escalation A case unfolding in the US is drawing attention well beyond the courtroom — raising pointed questions about what happens when obsessive workplace behaviour goes unchecked.
Why AI self-service portals are failing Canadian HR teams
Investing in HR technology to save on admin work means little if employees don’t trust or use it, say HR leaders As organizations scale and their HR functions face growing pressure to operate more strategically with artificial intelligence (AI) tools, real adoption requires rethinking both process design and organizational culture before any tool goes live, according to Parvathi Subramanyam, Senior Director of Total Rewards at 1Password – a fully remote Canadian cybersecurity company.
Federal judges' pay dispute puts compensation reviews under scrutiny
Ottawa rejected commission’s recommendation to raise judicial salaries, triggering a court challenge — and a compensation governance lesson for HR leaders More than 1,000 federally appointed judges are taking the Canadian government to court over its refusal to implement a recommended pay increase — and the dispute is exposing a tension that some compensation and human resources (HR) leaders may encounter: what happens when an organization rejects the findings of an independent review body,...
Rising benefits costs are forcing HR to get smarter, not leaner
American employers are staring down a widening gap between inflation and the cost of group benefits – and the overwhelming majority are choosing to absorb the difference rather than reduce coverage or pass the burden to employees, according to a recent study.
Canadian employers hold firm on DEI as US crackdown intensifies
Canadian HR leaders are staying committed to DEI – but some organizations have given in to the pressure As the United States dismantles federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs at speed and threatens organizations who continue to run them, Canadian employers are navigating unfamiliar territory – a political climate that has partly crossed the border, leading to pressure on their own DEI programs that are a normal part of workplace culture. The contrast is stark.
Canada's population decline pressures talent strategies
Business strategy By Jul 08, 2026 Share Canada's population fell for a third consecutive quarter to start 2026, dropping by 55,025 people between January and April to an estimated 41,417,056, according to Statistics Canada.
Federal government reaches submarine deal that could add 50,000 jobs in 5 years: reports
Ottawa's pick for a 12-submarine fleet puts skilled trades capacity – and HR workforce planning – under the spotlight Prime Minister Mark Carney travelled to Halifax on July 6, 2026, to announce the outcome of a years-long competition to build Canada's next fleet of submarines, with multiple outlets reporting that Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) had been selected over South Korea's Hanwha Ocean.
Grand and Toy’s HR leader on why curiosity wins over expertise
Vice President of People and Culture is reshaping talent strategy at one of Canada's oldest B2B brands A successful human resources (HR) leader is one who can adapt and stay curious, particularly when it comes to understanding the business of their organization, according to Helen Ashton.
Payroll data reveals increase in employment but a fractured labour market
Statistics Canada's April 2026 payroll survey shows wage growth, sector contractions, and vacancy shifts Canada's payroll employment edged upward in April 2026, but the figure obscures a labour market fracturing along sector and regional lines, according to new data from Statistics Canada.
Small-molecule modulation of β-arrestins
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Abstract β-Arrestins are multifunctional regulators of G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signalling and orchestrate diverse downstream signalling events and physiological responses across the GPCR superfamily1,2,3. Although GPCR pharmacology has advanced to target orthosteric and allosteric sites, as well as G proteins and GPCR kinases, direct chemical tools to modulate β-arrestin activities have remained conspicuously absent.
By Alem W. Kahsai, Natalia Pakharukova, Henry Y. Kwon, Kunal Shah, Caroline Del Real, Jason Liang-Lin, Paul J. Shim, Mason Lee, Van A. Ngo, Uyen Pham, Anand Chundi, Haoran Jiang, Emmanuel Flores-Espinoza, Samuel E. Liu, Dana K Bassford, Hyunggu Hahn, Brittany Thomas, Jihee Kim, Yang Zhou, Jialu Wang, Xingdong Zhang, Jeffrey Smith, Alex R. B. Thomsen, Sudha K. Shenoy, Sudarshan Rajagopal, Seungkirl Ahn, Howard A. Rockman, Ali Masoudi, Robert J. Lefkowitz, Bowie N. Shreiber, Allison M. Schwalb, Preston C. Nibley, Cal A. Kunzle, Lindsay A. M. Rein
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Nature
Verified
Head of United Nations demands AI companies reveal their environmental impact
As the UN demands transparency from AI companies, HR executives face questions about the environmental footprint of their technology investments The United Nations (UN) is pressing artificial intelligence (AI) companies to disclose the true environmental cost of their operations, bringing more questions for organizations that are accelerating AI adoption.
Indeed wants to talk employer branding, recruiting at HRFest Canada 2026
Talent marketing expert from Indeed – a Platinum Partner at the event – says qualified candidates are being missed Alexandra Tillo has spent years watching companies talk about themselves when they should be listening to candidates. As a senior talent marketing consultant at Indeed, she works at the intersection of hiring data and human experience – threads that Tillo says connect to the main themes at HRFest Canada 2026, North America’s most exciting HR festival being held in Toronto on Nov.
Magna founder Frank Stronach convicted of sexual assault and indecent assault
Businessman found guilty of assaulting former employee with another trial coming — cases with implications for corporate accountability Photo: The Canadian Press/Chris Young Frank Stronach, the 93-year-old founder of automotive parts giant Magna International, has been found guilty of sexual assault and indecent assault.
Executive fraud: former CFO faked executive emails, documents to get more pay
A former chief financial officer who oversaw Canadian, US operations indicted for wire fraud, identity theft A former chief financial officer (CFO) who oversaw the North American operations of an international engineering firm is facing serious criminal charges after allegedly committing executive fraud, according to an indictment announcement in the US.
Climate strategy is now a core HR imperative in Canada
As extreme weather risk intensifies, climate planning is driving competitiveness and people strategies Nearly eight in 10 Canadian business leaders now have or are developing a climate plan — and HR teams are being asked to lead the charge, according to a new BMO Climate Institute survey. The 2026 BMO Climate Institute Business Leaders Survey found that 78 per cent of Canadian business leaders say their organization has or is developing a climate plan, up from 66 per cent in 2025.
How ATB Financial balances culture, AI transformation, and brand strategy
People and brand leader on why high care and high performance aren't mutually exclusive – and what about AI adoption that keeps her up at night In 2025, ATB Financial deployed Google's Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) tools across its entire workforce. AI adoption was swift – ATB is a naturally curious organization, according to Tara Lockyer, the company's Chief Peopele, Culture, Brand and Communications Officr – but the rollout exposed a tension many HR leaders are now confronting.
World Cup and Ontario's 4 a.m. last call put HR leaders on alert
Business strategy By Jun 10, 2026 Share Canadian employers are bracing for a six-week workforce management challenge that goes well beyond the usual disruption of a major sporting event. With the FIFA World Cup 2026 – running from June 11 to July 19 – nearly here, HR leaders are raising concerns about employee safety, absenteeism, and the bottom line that go far deeper than a scheduling headache.
Bank of Canada holds rates again
Canada's fifth consecutive rate hold signals more uncertainty for workforce planning, hiring budgets and compensation; HR leaders say they're balancing worried employees with budget constraints The Bank of Canada held its key interest rate at 2.25 per cent on Wednesday — its fifth consecutive hold — as policymakers navigate a collision of recession pressures, above-target inflation and unresolved trade risk.
World Cup and Ontario's 4 a.m. last call put HR leaders on alert
Ontario's extended last call is one factor raising safety and productivity concerns among HR leaders as the big tournament arrives By 10 Jun 2026 Canadian employers are bracing for a six-week workforce management challenge that goes well beyond the usual disruption of a major sporting event.
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