Insights
HR insights from a 25-year practitioner.
Practical writing for founders, heads of People, and senior leaders working in Canadian SMBs. Plain talk, written by someone who has had to make these calls in the actual room.
Why hire an HR consultant? A Canadian SMB guide to fractional HR.
When to hire an HR consultant, what fractional really means, what it costs in the Canadian market, and how to pick one without getting burned.
Read article →Onboarding before you hire: a 30-60-90 plan Canadian managers actually use.
The retention math says the first 90 days decide everything. Here's a Canadian manager's playbook for designing onboarding before the offer letter goes out.
Read article →The heart of who I am — why I started Jem HR.
After 25 years in corporate HR, I started this practice for one reason: the work is better when it's done close to the truth.
Read article →Create options, create momentum: how stuck leadership teams move.
When a leadership team is stuck, the answer is rarely a better answer. It's a wider set of options. A coaching essay on momentum.
Read article →How Much Does HR Consulting Cost in Toronto? A Transparent Guide
What HR consulting actually costs in the Canadian market in 2026 — by hour, by project, and by retainer — and what to ignore.
Read article →Fractional HR vs. Full-Time HR Manager: Which Does Your Business Actually Need?
A practical decision framework for Canadian SMBs weighing a fractional HR consultant against their first full-time HR hire.
Read article →What Does an ICF-Certified Executive Coach Actually Do?
A plain-English explanation of executive coaching, the ICF credentialing system, and what to expect inside a real engagement.
Read article →Building Workplace Culture in a Remote/Hybrid Toronto Team
Culture in a hybrid team isn't built by office days or Slack channels. It's built by what your leaders model when no one's looking.
Read article →Performance Management for Small Businesses: A Practical Framework
A lightweight performance management framework Canadian SMBs can run without an HRIS and without grinding their managers into the ground.
Read article →Workplace Investigations in Ontario: When to Bring in an External Investigator
Ontario's OHSA requires workplace harassment investigations to be appropriate to the circumstances. Here's when 'appropriate' means external.
Read article →Employee Engagement Surveys: What to Ask, What to Ignore
Most engagement surveys fail not because the questions are wrong but because nothing happens with the answers. A short guide to running one that matters.
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