Canadian HR Strategy

17 CULTURE, MENTAL HEALTH ON EMPLOYERS' RADAR O ver the past couple of years, pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly has taken a hard look at its corporate culture, accord- ing to Karen McKay, vice-president of human resources. e Toronto-based organization has been changing from a really traditional, function-oriented company to one that is more customer-centric, she said. "(We want) everybody looking in the same direction — at our patients," said McKay. "It's impacted everything from communication, recognition and reward, leadership and de- velopment, and the whole culture we have in the company." is challenge is exciting for HR professionals at the company — which has 40,000 employees worldwide, including 500 in Canada — because it allows them to be true strategic business partners and think about how their business sup- ports the end customer, she said. "Sometimes it's like herding squirrels. It's very hard to keep everyone on the same page but, from an HR perspective, we play a very critical role in helping and developing the communication that goes along with (shaping the culture) and then aligning all the strategies to help us achieve that," said McKay. Revamping corporate culture is one of the key challenges employers will be facing in the next couple of years, according to panellists at a Strategic Capability Network (SCNetwork) event in May in Toronto. A er being in business for more than 20 years, so ware company OpenText is at a formative stage in its company and corporate culture, said Manuel Sousa, senior vice-president of global human resources in Waterloo, Ont. On July 1, it launched a values project that includes conducting roundtable meetings around the globe to get feedback and input on the corporate values from its 5,500 employees (1,300 in Canada). "We have an opportunity here to shape the culture of the business and help support our business strategy," said Sousa. " at's the critical part and that's the Eli Lilly, OpenText, MLSE discuss solutions to upcoming workplace challenges By Amanda Silliker CORPORATE CULTURE

• Cover