Fresh Starts and Bold Moves: Elevated’s January Update

2024: Lessons, Growth, and Gratitude

As we step into 2025, we’re reflecting on the incredible journey that 2024 brought us. It was a year filled with lessons, opportunities, and growth...not just for our clients but also for us!

Over the past year, we have had the privilege of working with?55 retainer clients,?welcoming 10 new partnerships, and collaborating on unique projects with 23 new clients, making an impact on thousands of employees in North America. While these numbers showcase growth, what we’re most proud of is the quality of the relationships we’ve built along the way.

But like any good partnership, not all paths are meant to stay perfectly aligned.

In 2024, we parted ways with 12 clients. Some “graduated” from our retainer model, thriving independently while still reaching out for hourly support when needed. Others transitioned due to acquisitions or leadership changes, and we couldn’t be prouder to see them scale or evolve into new chapters.

More than half of these decisions were ours, ensuring that the partnerships we invest in remain mutually beneficial. We believe that great HR work is a two-way street, and staying aligned on vision, values, and goals is always part of our decision-making process. These moments were opportunities for us to refine our focus and reaffirm our commitment to making work better - for everyone involved!

Through it all, we’re endlessly grateful to our clients for trusting us, believing in our approach, and partnering with us on their journeys.

Here’s to continuing to grow together in 2025 and coming out strong in our 15th year in business!

2024 Net Promoter Score Results Are In!

We recently wrapped up our annual Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey, and we’re excited to share the results with you!

What is NPS, and why does it matter?

Net Promoter Score is a simple yet powerful tool to measure client satisfaction and loyalty. It’s based on one key question:

"How likely are you to recommend our services to a colleague or friend?"

Respondents rate their likelihood on a scale from 0 (not likely) to 10 (extremely likely). Based on their answers, clients are grouped into three categories:

Promoters (9-10): Enthusiastic supporters who love what you do.

Passives (7-8): Satisfied clients who may not actively promote you.

Detractors (0-6): Clients who aren’t thrilled with their experience and may not recommend you.

The score is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters. Scores can range from -100 to +100, with anything above 50 considered excellent.

Why do we do this?

For us, NPS is about more than numbers. It’s a way to stay accountable, measure how well we’re meeting your expectations, and identify opportunities to improve. It also helps us ensure we’re building partnerships that truly align with your goals.

How did we score?

This year, 80% of our clients responded and we achieved an overall score of 65. This places us firmly in the “excellent” category, and we couldn’t be more grateful for your feedback.

We believe this score reflects not only the trust you place in us but also the collaborative work we’ve done together. Your honest insights help us grow, refine our services, and continue delivering value.

Thank you for believing in us and for being part of the Elevated journey!

Want to Explore Partnership With Us in 2025?

Are you a business owner or part of a team that could use fractional HR support (hint: we partner with organizations as well as HR teams)?

We’re looking to add between 10 and 15 new retainer clients this year, focusing on organizations with 5 to 100 employees and have space for at least 5 new projects (compensation, onboarding programs, policies and procedures overhauls, training and development content development, and beyond) in the first quarter.

Let us help you create an amazing culture and align your people strategy with your business goals.

Need Help Recruiting?

Recruitment isn’t just about filling a seat; it’s about finding the right person who aligns with your vision, values, and goals.

And here’s the thing: you don’t need to be one of our retainer clients to benefit from our expertise.

Whether you’re building your leadership team, scaling up quickly, or tackling those hard-to-fill roles, we’ve got you covered. Our process isn’t cookie-cutter or resume-heavy. We focus on finding candidates who genuinely add to your culture and bring the skills to help your business thrive.

We understand the challenges of hiring in today’s market, and we know how to navigate them with creativity and precision.

Let us take the stress out of hiring.

Want to learn more?

Send an email to [email protected]. We’d love to connect!

What’s Coming in 2025: New Experiments and Fresh Ideas

We’re always exploring new ways to improve team dynamics and workplace culture.

This year, we’re inviting teams to participate in two innovative experiments:

The Empathy Exchange

Team members spend a day shadowing a colleague in a different role to gain cross-functional understanding, foster empathy, and break down silos. During this process, they document their experience through a series of questionnaires and prompts. This experiment helps teams see the bigger picture and appreciate each other's contributions.

The first cohort will begin March 1, 2025.

Transparency Tag

Leaders and employees participate in a game-like experiment where each week, a “transparency tag” question is chosen for the team to answer honestly. Questions could include:

• What’s one thing about our processes that feels confusing or unclear?
• What’s a decision you wish you had more context about?
• What’s one thing leadership does that builds trust or erodes it?

The goal is to build transparency gradually through conversations that feel safe and non-judgemental while fostering a culture of openness. Insights from these discussions help leadership better understand what teams need to feel aligned and informed.

These experiments address real workplace challenges; empathy, trust, and transparency - and we’re looking for 5 teams under 10 employees to participate.

While applications are required for all participants, once accepted, all experiments are free.

How Our Experiments Work

At Elevated, we believe in bridging the gap between theory and practice. Our experiments aren’t just fun initiatives; they’re rooted in behavioural science and designed to create real insights for teams.

Here’s how we approach them:

• Pre and Post Experiment Surveys and Interviews: Before the experiment begins, we gather feedback through surveys and interviews to understand the baseline mindset, behaviours, and challenges of participants. After the experiment, we revisit these to measure changes and outcomes.
• Observation and Real-Time Adjustments: During the experiment, we carefully observe how it impacts individuals and teams. This helps us identify what works, what doesn’t, and unexpected ripple effects.
• Publishing Insights: Once the experiment wraps up, we analyze the results and share our findings. This includes practical tips for other teams looking to try something similar, as well as honest reflections on what we could have done differently to maximize impact.

These experiments are about more than just trying something new - they’re about transforming workplace culture in tangible ways, with lessons that extend far beyond the teams who participate.

2025: Changes to Watch

As we enter a new year, businesses across North America face a wave of legal, compliance, and workplace changes. Staying ahead of these shifts isn’t just about avoiding risks; it’s about creating better workplaces and strategies that align with evolving expectations.

Here’s what’s on the radar for 2025:

1. Legal Updates in the U.S.

Several states are implementing laws that could significantly impact businesses and employees:

Wage Increases:

• Minimum wage increases were effective January 1 in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Michigan (and again in February), Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Islande, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

Expanded Anti-Discrimination Laws:

• Legislation now prohibits discrimination based on a combination of protected characteristics (e.g., race and gender) and bans requiring a driver's license unless driving is an essential job function.
• Employers are prohibited from holding mandatory meetings to discuss political or religious matters, including union organizing. Violations can result in penalties.
• Illinois has introduced caregiver discrimination protections, ensuring employees with family caregiving responsibilities are protected under the law.

2. A Canadian Perspective

Key Changes in 2024

Sick Leave Policies:

• Many provinces introduced or expanded paid sick leave entitlements, increasing the number of days or clarifying eligibility criteria.

Protections for Remote Workers:

• New policies addressed the unique challenges of remote work, including reimbursements for work-from-home expenses and ergonomic assessments.
• Clarifications were made on remote employees’ rights regarding overtime, working hours, and the right to disconnect.

Workplace Harassment Laws:

• Enhanced measures to address and prevent workplace harassment and bullying, with stronger enforcement mechanisms.
• Mandates for comprehensive training and reporting processes for employers.

Employer Transparency Initiatives:

• Greater emphasis on pay transparency, including mandatory salary ranges in job postings in some provinces.
• Updates to hiring practices requiring disclosure of employment conditions upfront, such as contract terms and non-compete clauses.

Anticipated Changes for 2025

AI and Technology Regulation:

• Expected laws governing the use of AI in recruitment and performance management to ensure fairness and transparency.
• Enhanced privacy protections for employees’ data, particularly in technology-driven workplaces.

Increased Focus on Work-Life Balance:

• Potential introduction of legislated caps on email and work-related communications outside of office hours in some provinces.
• Further exploration of flexible work arrangements, possibly including mandates for certain industries.

Province-Specific Trends

Ontario:

• Expanded sick leave provisions and stronger enforcement of the Working for Workers Act, focusing on the right to disconnect and non-compete clauses.

British Columbia:

• Updates to the Employment Standards Act for remote workers, including ergonomic requirements for home offices.
• Strengthened harassment and bullying prevention laws under the Workers Compensation Act.

Alberta:

• Increased oversight of temporary foreign worker programs and improved clarity on overtime pay in hybrid roles.
• Continued focus on unionization trends in tech and green energy sectors.

Quebec:

• More robust language requirements for workplace documentation under Bill 96.
• Enhanced leave options for caregivers and increased regulations around AI-driven hiring tools.

Atlantic Provinces:

• Harmonization of labor laws across the region, with a focus on remote worker rights and harassment prevention.
• Standardized minimum wage increases across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and other Atlantic provinces.

Need help navigating these updates? Reach out to us at [email protected]! We’re here to make compliance feel manageable and support your team’s growth.

Michelle Goes Dry for a Cause

This January, Elevated HR’s very own Michelle Berg is taking on the #GoDry Campaign, a month-long challenge to abstain from alcohol while raising funds for the Canadian Cancer Society. By going dry, Michelle is not only focusing on health and wellness but also supporting vital cancer research and programs for those affected by this disease and doing so in honour of her late grandmother.

Michelle has set an ambitious fundraising goal, and every donation helps her get closer to making a significant impact. If you’d like to support her and this incredible cause, you can contribute here: Michelle’s #GoDry Campaign Fundraising Page.

Go, Michelle! ??