Page 30 - CCCA61_2011

CCCA_V5No1_ManageRisk-FIN.qxd:CCCA_V1No1_DriversSeat-FIN.qxd 2/1/11 10:43 PM Page 30 Feature Badour’s legal team has worked closely with the company’s HR executives to stan- dardize recruitment and training policies throughout Fairmont-Raffles’ vast opera- tions. “We have a standardized application process and a standard interview process for the entry level, mid-level and even senior- level employees,” Badour said. “The standardization is essential for us for two reasons: One is it’s a practical concern because we, effectively, will review 500 appli- cations for each position and interview at least 20 people for each job, on average.The second concern,for us,is to mitigate the risks that go with hiring the wrong people.” When it comes to executive recruitment, “in-house counsel will get involved to ensure that restrictive covenants and protection of confidential information matters are addressed in the hiring process,” Badour said. As part of the employment agreement,new hires must commit to adherence to a code of ethics that includes clearly articulated policies covering everything from the preservation of private information and proper conduct when dealing with the public to respect for co-workers and conflict of interest guidelines. Beyond that, all employees are required to “recertify their awareness and compliance with the code of ethics” every few years, Badour said,and“we have regular training on such things as harassment policies and equal employment opportunity policies.” With the emergence of social media, Fairmont-Raffles is now in the process of drafting a blogging policy. This is an area where a growing number of employers are seeking outside legal advice,said Carman Overholt, aVancouver-based partner with Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP. Social networking has now entered the corporate mainstream, with many companies using blogs,Facebook andTwitter accounts to communicate with employees, customers and prospective recruits. Carman Overholt “Organizations want to harness and capi- Partner VENTURI + KARPA talize on employees being empowered to Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP promote ideas and ways in which business Vancouver 30 CCCA Canadian Corporate Counsel Association SPRING 2011