Blu Thread Conversations: The Ultimate Business Podcast for People, Culture, and Employer Brand Strategies Blu Ivy Group

In this transformative episode of Blu Thread Conversations, we delve into the heart of organizational culture with Leslie Kobayashi, Vice President of Human Resources at Arbor Memorial.

Leslie discusses the pivotal role of listening to employees, the importance of authenticity in storytelling, and the integration of the EVP into every facet of the employee lifecycle. From engaging long-tenured employees to attracting the next generation of talent, Leslie's insights reveal the transformative impact of a well-articulated EVP on engagement, retention, and recruitment.

Key Takeaways:

- Authenticity and employee listening are key to developing an EVP that truly reflects organizational culture.

- Strategic partnerships between HR and marketing can elevate employer branding and internal culture initiatives.

- Recognition and rewards, rooted in the EVP, can significantly boost employee engagement and advocacy.

- An EVP is not just a recruitment tool but a foundational element that should permeate all aspects of the employee experience.

---

📋 Episode Chapters

(04:20) Arbor Memorial is a Canadian leader in the bereavement industry

(07:01) Arbor started the process of building an employee value proposition

(08:53) Arbor listened to employees about what their why is

(10:17) The number one reason for Gen Zs to join an organization is social impact

(14:23) You've made employee testimonials a core part of Arbor's culture

(25:01) Having a strategic partnership between HR and marketing can boost your brand

(28:51) Getting executives aligned on employer brand

(31:18) Getting your EVP activated is easy once you've gone through the work

(34:19) Employee listening for an EVP is far more than recognition

(35:33) Employer brand and EVP measurement success

About Arbor Memorial:

Arbor Memorial Inc. is a Canadian company engaged in providing interment rights, cremations, funerals and associated merchandise and services to thousands of families each year across Canada.

Named as one of Canada's Best Managed Companies in 2023, taking care of people is at the heart of what we do. It's truly fulfilling, inspiring and a responsibility we never take lightly. The care we show our customers begins with the support and teamwork we show each other.

✍️ Episode References

Arbor Memorial

http://arbormemorial.com [http://arbormemorial.com/]

Arbor Memorial Careers

https://www.arbormemorial.ca/en/careers/life-at-arbor.html

Blu Ivy Group

https://www.bluivygroup.com [https://www.bluivygroup.com/]

More about Blu Ivy Group [https://bluivygroup.com/]

Blu Ivy Group is a global leader in employer branding, organizational culture, and recruitment marketing. We help organizations across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors build extraordinary employee experiences, magnetic employer brands and high-performance cultures.

Connect with us today and let us help you transform your organization into a workplace that inspires your employees, leaders, customers, and shareholders.

Contact: sparker@bluivygroup.com

Visit: bluivygroup.com

Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blu-ivy-group

Are you striving to create an employer brand that truly stands out? In our latest episode, we sit down with Jackie Whitson, Director, Culture & Employer Brand and Tess McLeod, Associate Director, Culture-to-Brand, from ATB Financial to explore the ins and outs of building a magnetic employer brand.

They share their award-winning strategies, the importance of intentional culture, and the power of employee advocacy. Learn how ATB's approach to employer branding has led to a high-performance culture and a robust pipeline of top talent. Don't miss these invaluable insights – listen now to elevate your organization's employer brand strategy!

📋 Episode Chapters

(02:30) How ATB approaches employer branding

(06:58) ATB brings both brand and HR culture teams together to support employer brand strategy

(10:54) Activating your employer brand with intention

(13:47) How to find internal employee advocates

(15:15) ATB's employee advocate training program to empower its employees to share on social media

(18:30) ATB's advice for other CHRO and employer branding leaders

(19:42) What's next on ATB's employer brand journey

(22:33) How do you ensure your value proposition is lived internally before sharing externally

(24:45) Episode reflection for CHROs

About ATB Financial:

ATB Financial is a leading financial institution that started in Alberta, Canada that has been recognized as a Great Place To Work for the past 8 years. Today, ATB has over 5000 team members serving over 800,000 clients across our personal and business banking areas, ATB wealth management and ATB Capital Markets.

✍️ Episode References

ATB Financial

https://www.atb.com [https://www.atb.com/]

ATB Financial Careers

https://www.atb.com/careers

ATB Financial LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/atb-financial/

ATB Financial Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/atbfinancial/

Blu Ivy Group

https://www.bluivygroup.com [https://www.bluivygroup.com/]

More about Blu Ivy Group [https://bluivygroup.com/]

Blu Ivy Group is a global leader in employer branding, organizational culture, and recruitment marketing. We help organizations across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors build extraordinary employee experiences, magnetic employer brands and high-performance cultures.

Connect with us today and let us help you transform your organization into a workplace that inspires your employees, leaders, customers, and shareholders.

Contact: sparker@bluivygroup.com

Visit: bluivygroup.com

Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blu-ivy-group

In today's episode of Blu Thread Conversations, we unravel the fabric of an iconic company on their journey to becoming a people-first organization with Wajax's [https://www.wajax.com/] Chief People Officer, Mark Edgar [https://www.linkedin.com/in/markedgarhr/]. With a storied career in HR and a passion for positive change, Mark discusses the transformative power of a strong employer brand and employee value proposition.

Learn how Wajax is navigating the complexities of employee expectations, technological advancements, and the ever-evolving landscape of work. This candid conversation offers invaluable insights for HR, brand, and communication leaders looking to weave a stronger, more resilient organizational culture.

Guest Links:

* future foHRward [https://futurefohrward.com/]

* foHRsight podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/fohrsight/id1658079617] with Mark Edgar & Naomi Titleman [https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomititlemancolla]

Episode Host:

* Leandra Harris

Episode Intro & Wrap-up:

* James Powell [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesdpowell/]

📋 Episode Chapters

(00:00) Blue Thread Conversations is podcast designed for transformational leaders reshaping organizations

(02:31) Leandra: Welcome to our third podcast on Blu Thread conversations

(04:50) Mark is a recovering CHRO who joined Wajax in 2011

(06:41) Mark spent three and a half years in consulting before joining Wajax

(10:12) You've spoken about macro trends including changing employee expectations

(11:49) Mark says changing expectations are impacting the way people interact with work

(16:02) Is it achievable? Some people may say, what do you do if layoffs are necessary

(17:25) Wajax sees the important role that organizations play in society these days

(20:35) What does people-first mean at Wajax? It's something we're wrestling with

(23:30) Mark: Senior leadership making commitment to be authentic with employees is critical

(29:16) How will you engage your managers? Because they're critical stakeholder

(34:03) Leandra: How does this work fit in with overall business goals

(39:02) Mark shares his company's people first business strategy with us

More about Blu Ivy Group [https://bluivygroup.com/]

Blu Ivy Group is a global leader in employer branding, organizational culture, and recruitment marketing. We help organizations across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors build extraordinary employee experiences, magnetic employer brands and high-performance cultures.

Connect with us today and let us help you transform your organization into a workplace that inspires your employees, leaders, customers, and shareholders.

Contact: sparker@bluivygroup.com

Visit: bluivygroup.com

Connect with us:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blu-ivy-group

As we kick off 2024, we've asked Blu Ivy Group [https://bluivygroup.com/] co-founders Stacy Parker [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacyrparker/] and Leandra Harris [https://www.linkedin.com/in/leandraharris/] to join us to share their expert insights as employer brand and culture leaders for what they see coming in the year ahead.

Together, Stacy and Leandra have expertly weaved and created employer brand and culture strategies for over 200 companies around the world, working with some of the most recognizable brand names in retail, financial services, energy, health, hospitality, and technology as they work towards their vision of creating a world of human-centered and high-performance workplaces.

In this episode of Blu Thread Conversations, hosted by James Powell [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesdpowell/], you'll learn how CHROs and C-Suite teams can use their employer brand and the EVP as a strategic framework for business impact and dive into the top employer trends and culture trends of the year.

More about Blu Ivy Group

Blu Ivy Group is a global leader in employer branding, organizational culture, and recruitment marketing. We help organizations across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors build extraordinary employee experiences, magnetic employer brands and high-performance cultures.

Connect with us today and let us help you transform your organization into a workplace that inspires your employees, leaders, customers, and shareholders.

Contact: sparker@bluivygroup.com

Visit: bluivygroup.com

Connect with us:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blu-ivy-group

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluivygroup/

Welcome to today's episode of 'Blu Thread Conversations' My name is Stacy Parker [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacyrparker/], co-founder of Blu Ivy Group [https://bluivygroup.com/], and I'll be your host for today's episode.

Today, I'm thrilled to be joined with two exceptional guests from one of North America's top employers, Mattamy Homes. [https://mattamyhomes.com/about/careers] Mattamy Homes in one of the largest privately owned builders and developers in North America and is Canada's largest residential home builder. Mattamy consistently wins top employer awards including Best Workplace Culture, Best Managed Workplace and Best Employer Brand.

Our first guest is Brent Carey, [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentcareyabc/] Vice President of Communications for Mattamy Asset Management, Brent is a dynamic , award winning , corporate storyteller, who has worked to align the way that Mattamy thinks about culture, internal employee experience and performance.

And joining Brent is, Kaitlyn Anderson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaitlynmacmillan/], Senior Manager, Communication from Mattamy Asset Management,. Kaitlyn is a trailblazer renowned for creating, launching, and activating Mattamy's employer brand.

After more than 15 years of working on global employer brands, my observation is that companies that have the biggest impact and long-term success of the work often is traced to one's ability to influence and inspire internal stakeholders, at all levels in an organization.

That's why we wanted to talk with Brent and Kaitlyn. They have been pivotal change agents for the employer brand transformation within Mattamy. I am excited to have them to share their insights, experiences, and ...the secrets behind their success.

More about Blu Ivy Group

Blu Ivy Group is a global leader in employer branding, organizational culture, and recruitment marketing. We help organizations across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors build extraordinary employee experiences, magnetic employer brands and high-performance cultures.

Connect with us today and let us help you transform your organization into a workplace that inspires your employees, leaders, customers, and shareholders.

Contact: sparker@bluivygroup.com
sparker@bluivygroup.comVisit: bluivygroup.com [https://bluivygroup.com/]

Connect with us:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blu-ivy-group [https://www.instagram.com/bluivygroup/]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluivygroup/