Human resources diagnostic says team work, respect needed at Hawkesbury town hall

According to part of a human resources diagnostic carried out at the Hawkesbury town hall in May, town employees need to work together as a team and respect one another.

Acting chief administrative officer (CAO) Christine Groulx provided The Review with part of the highly-confidential report last week. The human resources diagnostic was carried out by Alternative HR and the report was prepared by Marie-Claude Morin, president of the consulting firm.

Earlier this year, councillors passed a resolution to hire the consulting firm and carry out a detailed study of the town's department heads and staff at a cost of $8,050 plus applicable taxes.

At that time, Councillor Marc Tourangeau said it was hoped the firm would be able to come up with a report that clarified the roles of employees and tasks they are responsible for, evaluated salaries and come up with ways of improving communication between department heads and staff.

The recommendation came from the town's corporate services committee, which Tourangeau chairs.

Councillor Michel Thibodeau noted there is "a great unease at the town hall and everyone lives it."

Following the completion of the report, the town announced that long-time director general Normand Beaulieu was no longer working at the town hall.

A press release issued by the Town of Hawkesbury simply stated that Beaulieu, who held the position for five years, was no longer employed by the town and clerk Christine Groulx would be assuming his duties in the interim.
Council has not spoken about the reason for Beaulieu's departure.

According to the document, a series of five recommendations were made as a result of meetings and interviews Alternative HR conducted with town staff.

The first recommendation made in the report centred on the work environment and said council would have to work together, with the aid of a mediator, to find ways to re-establish a respectful working environment at the town hall.

It also recommended council "clarify the situation with respect to the director general" and noted, "If council chooses to work with the director general, council will have to give him their confidence and support. If this is impossible, council has choices to make."

The second recommendation states that roles and responsibilities of department heads and staff must be clearly defined. That recommendations states that those in leadership roles must understand exactly what is expected of them and employees need to understand what is expected of them in their roles.

It also recommends the town create detailed job descriptions for all posts.

The third recommendation centres on appreciation and evaluation. It recommends the town develop an evaluation process that praises employees for their hard work, but makes constructive suggestions regarding areas of the job that require improvement.

The fourth recommendation states council should consider holding training for those in a management role that demonstrates team work and respect.