Join a Challenger
Being a traditional bank just isn’t our thing. We are big believers in innovating the banking experience because we believe Canadians deserve better options, and we challenge ourselves and our teams to creatively transform what’s possible in banking. Our team is made up of inquisitive and agile minds that find smarter ways of doing things. If you’re not afraid of taking on big challenges and redefining the future, you belong with us. You’ll get to work with people who will encourage you to reach new heights. We like to keep things fun, ask questions and learn together.
We are a big (and growing!) family. Overall we serve more than 670,000 people across Canada through Equitable Bank, Canada's Challenger Bank™, and have been around for more than 50 years. Equitable Bank's wholly-owned subsidiary, Concentra Bank, supports credit unions across Canada that serve more than six million members. Together we have over $125 billion in combined assets under management and administration, with a clear mandate to drive change in Canadian banking to enrich people's lives.
Our customers have named our EQ Bank digital platform (eqbank.ca) one of the top banks in Canada on the Forbes World's Best Banks list since 2021.
The Work:
As Associate Director, Employee Relations, you will play a strategic role across the Bank as a member of the People and Talent leadership team. You will be responsible for leading the design and implementation of Employee Relations (ER) programming and providing support, resources and expertise to both employees and management. You will act as a trusted thought partner to Senior Management including the CHRO, General Counsel and HR leadership team.
You have both strategic and operational strengths that allow you to develop and implement strategies, policies and programs that foster a caring, personal and high-performing work environment while ensuring that the Bank adheres to employment laws and regulations. You will have regular interaction with Senior Management while acting as a primary investigator of employee grievances, complaints, and concerns, ensuring they are resolved promptly and in line with Bank policies and applicable laws.
The role requires a hands-on approach conducting investigations into employee complaints, ensuring fairness, impartiality, and compliance with legal requirements, while also acting as an expert, advisor and coach to colleagues within Human Resources to further develop the ER capabilities of the HR team and the enterprise more broadly.
The Core Responsibilities Of The Job:
- Proactively identify potential employee relations issues and develop strategies to prevent or mitigate them.
- Conduct thorough investigations into employee complaints, ensuring fairness, impartiality, and compliance with legal requirements.
- Advise and train managers and supervisors on employee relations matters, including performance management, disciplinary actions, and conflict resolution.
- Collaborate with legal counsel to ensure compliance with employment laws and regulations, and assist with any related legal matters.
- Facilitate and participate in employee relations training programs, workshops, and meetings to promote understanding and awareness of Bank policies and procedures.
- Input into key employee relations metrics, such as turnover rates, employee satisfaction, and employee engagement, and recommend improvement initiatives based on the findings.
- Stay current on industry trends, best practices, and changes in employment laws applicable to the Bank to ensure the organization remains compliant and maintains a competitive employee relations strategy.
- Identify emerging employee relations issues through our bi-annual engagement surveys, exit interviews, focus groups, and input from HRBPs and People and Talent leaders
Let's Talk About You!
- Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field. A Master's Degree in a relevant field is preferred but not mandatory.
- Minimum of 8 years of experience in employee relations, HR management, or a related role.
- Strong background and understanding of federal employment laws, labour relations, and HR best practices.
- Demonstrated experience in conducting workplace investigations and resolving complex employee relations issues.
- Excellent knowledge of employment policies, practices, and procedures.
- Professional certifications (I.e. investigations certificate) are desirable but not required.
What we offer [For full-time permanent roles]
💰 Competitive discretionary bonus
✨ Market leading RRSP match program
🩺 Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability benefits
📝 Employee Share Purchase Plan
👶🏽 Maternity/Parental top-up while you care for your little one
🏝 Generous vacation policy and personal days
🖥 Virtual events to connect with your fellow colleagues
🎓 Annual professional development allowance and a comprehensive Career Development program
💛 A fulfilling opportunity to join one of the top FinTechs and help create a new kind of banking experience
The incumbent will be working hybrid and in office time will be spent working from Equitable Bank’s additional office space located at 351 King Street East, Toronto, ON.
Equitable Bank is deeply committed to inclusion. Our organization is stronger and our employees thrive when we honour and celebrate everyone’s diverse experiences and perspectives. In tandem with that commitment, we support and encourage our staff to grow not just in their career path, but personally as well.
We commit to providing a barrier-free recruitment process and work environment for all applicants. Please let us know of any accommodations needed so that you can bring your best self to the application process and beyond. All candidates considered for hire must successfully pass a criminal background check and credit check to qualify for hire. While we appreciate your interest in applying, an Equitable recruiter will only contact leading candidates whose skills and qualifications closely match the requirements of the position.
We can’t wait to get to know you!
