HR Professional - August/September 2008 - (Page 46)

I N T ERV I EW ownership. Now, you buy an 800-square-foot raw shell in a 30-storey building, and it’s up to the owner to hire a contractor to ﬁnish it. There is no do-ityourself, it’s all do-it-for-me. The emphasis on the contract services part of the business has much bigger penetration in China than in North America. HRP: How has The Home Depot managed China’s lack of human resources policy development? AV: The HR piece of it is one of the most important parts of our roll-out in China. We’ve just launched performance management, and our Chinese employees love it. Historically, everyone got the same increase, or increases were based largely on favouritism not merit. Now everyone has job descriptions, and HR reviews are being done. This is new for them, but it’s extremely important. HRP: Have you experienced resistance from the Chinese? AV: No, that piece has gone very well, and I think it’s because of our initial approach—taking care of the people ﬁrst. Once you build that conﬁdence, it will take you far. There is so much we are doing in terms of introducing policy and procedures. There was deﬁnitely a lack of that, so we’re bringing in what makes sense for China. HRP: What is the major difference between Canadian and Chinese workers? AV: The energy and passion of the Chinese is stunning. The challenge is getting them to take a holistic approach to work and see that there is great beneﬁt to working together as opposed to individually. The Chinese are also very loyal, so we are making sure that leaders are transparent, and live the values of the company. HRP: What have you learned about running an operation on two continents? AV: Be very good at multitasking. My advice is to get the right people around you. For me to spend 25 per cent of my time working in China, I need a solid team here in Canada to help me. It’s also about being ﬂexible. It’s a different country. I have become more patient and I listen better because of my experience in China. HR P R OF E S S I ON A L Rage. Blame. Resentment. Overcome them all with Mediation by Creative Outcomes. Workplace disputes happen every day, and occasionally they unravel to become ﬂared tempers, pointed accusations – even lawsuits. Avoid the courtroom cost and pain with professional mediation services or mediation training from one of Canada’s most experienced dispute resolution professionals. Call Sarah Gayer, CHRP at Creative Outcomes 416-656-7524 or learn more about mediation in the workplace with articles and podcasts at www.creativeoutcomes.ca. 301630_Sare.indd A u g u s t / S e p t e m b e r 1 46 2008 10/4/06 3:08:11 PM http://www.creativeoutcomes.ca

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of HR Professional - August/September 2008

HR Professional - August/September 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Contributors Leadership Matters Upfront Legal Compensation Human Capital The New Frontier On Message Strategy HR 101 Interview with Annette Veschuren Talent Management Training Work/Life Balance Off the Shelf The Last Word

HR Professional - August/September 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.