Overview

The program “Employee Recruitment and Retention for Small and Medium-size Enterprises” is a Canadian resource containing tools and references produced by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario. The program is designed to help you become more skilled in attracting and retaining the right employees to work in your small or medium-sized business. The knowledge and skills acquired here will help you to manage people more effectively through best practices in human resources management. This unit will walk you through the information available in the program, and how to access it.

By the end of this unit, you will be able to:

• Define Human Resources and explain the impact it has on your business
• Explain why it is important to attract and retain the right employees
• Determine the unique needs of small or medium-sized business
• Explain the importance of managing people more effectively

Author Overview

Linda Eligh, M.A. is an organizational development consultant, specializing in strategic human resources, change management and innovation. Her company, Springboard to Innovation Inc., is based in London, Ontario (www.springboardtoinnovation.com).

Linda Eligh has a B.A. (Sociology) and a Certificate in Personnel and Industrial Relations from the University of Guelph, and an M.A. in Leadership and Training from Royal Roads University. In addition to teaching various topics in human resources and organizational behaviour at the University of Guelph and the University of Western Ontario for the past three years, Linda’s professional experience includes thirteen years in Human Resources at Johnson & Johnson, six years in various law firms in Alberta and Ontario, and five years in consulting, facilitation and training with private, non-profit and public sector organizations. Linda has provided coaching to numerous small business owners on issues of growth and management, as well as facilitating sessions for human resources planning or creative problem solving. Recently she has acquired part ownership in a Mail Boxes Etc. franchise located in London.

Linda has been a member of the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario (HRPAO) for 19 years, and the Canadian Association of Management Consulting (CAMC) for 5 years. For the past twenty years, she had broadened her knowledge of business and organizational issues through extensive involvement with boards and committees in the areas of social services, substance abuse/mental health, civic organizations and the arts. Her current involvement in community leadership includes the London Chamber , the Canadian Cancer Society and the Thames Valley Children’s Center.