When Companies Blitz

By Spencer Yarnell Head of Spreading the Herd Word

Houses get built.

Habitat for Humanity just finished up its 2012 Blitz Build, a 12 day building bonanza where volunteers work alongside the soon to be homeowners to build their houses. Being rather enthusiastic about Habitat for Humanity we decided to send some of our payroll specialists into the fray.

While we may have lacked the high level know-how (Turns out a solid understanding of how vacation is accrued during overtime hours doesn’t actually contribute to the building of a house.) we certainly didn’t lack enthusiasm or moxie.

Habitat Blitz Build — Payroll getting physical. Talk about versatility!

Besides a great day volunteering there was a lesson in the day as well. With so many people and so many different jobs people had to be willing change jobs several times as the day went on to continue to contribute. I think this is an interesting concept in business as well. When things change at your business and task A, which was once important now is less important perhaps there may be value in getting the employee who used to do task A to do task B; the new important task.

Here’s the thing, hiring outside the company certainly brings fresh perspectives to the company, but hiring from the inside or simply loosening up job descriptions can bring some serious benefits as well. One great HR benefit is that you build an employee who is versatile, sensitive to company needs, and engaged due to the changing nature of their work. Obviously such shape-shifting is not for every employee, some employees pride themselves on their particular focus and the idea of change is slightly less terrifying than death. However for those employees who can be chameleons perhaps it might be in our interests to nurture that. Given the exponential development of technology, adaptability will be the name of the game in the future.

Goatbuzzter out

IBEX Payroll extends our profound respect and immeasurable gratitude to all the ancestors and keepers of the land on whose traditional territories our work takes place. We acknowledge that we are on Treaty 1 territory, the traditional gathering place of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene people and the traditional homeland of the Métis people. This land is sacred, historical, and significant.

Every time we acknowledge this truth, we have an invitation and an opportunity to reflect on the wrongs of the past, what we do in the present, and what we can do to continually honour the people whose lands and water we benefit from today.

This statement only acts as a first step in honouring the land we reside on and its peoples, and must be paired with education, understanding and informed action.