Rethinking Public Sector HR: Canadian HR Executives Speak

In early 2017, in partnership with Aon Hewitt, The Conference Board of Canada brought together senior HR executives from large, complex, Canadian public sector organizations for a roundtable discussion about the future of HR. A purposive sample of 17 respondents—who came from Central, Western, and Eastern Canada, and the national level—was chosen. They included organizations in federal, provincial, and municipal governments; post-secondary education and health organizations; and government agencies. Prior to the meeting, participants provided their thoughts on the strategic priorities, human capital needs, and HR leadership challenges within their organizations. Their responses helped frame the discussion during the meeting. This briefing is a summary of the HR leader’s predictions and advice about the issues that are most likely to dominate the HR agenda in Canadian public sector organizations in the next decade.