Canadian Tire

Fiona Ellis

Fiona Ellis, AVP of store development and learning for Canadian Tire, is a dedicated professional committed to promoting employee enablement, engagement and leadership effectiveness. She firmly believes in the significance of hiring employees with the right attributes and empowering them to deliver exceptional customer experiences. Prior to her current role at Canadian Tire, Ellis served in various human resources (HR) and operations positions at the Canadian Automobile Association. With more than two decades of experience in HR and six years of experience in operations, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table.

What does a typical day in your role entail?

I joined Canadian Tire six years ago, and my initial focus was on dealer relations. The dealers are the independent owner-operators or franchisees of our Canadian Tire stores; each store is its own business with its own staff. In my previous role at the organization, I was responsible for training the new franchise owners and training them to run their own store.

Four months ago, I transitioned to my current store development and learning role, where I serve the franchisees by creating training and leadership development programs for their staff. Although compliance is mandatory, we cannot mandate any other training for them. We work with a committee of dealers to determine the work required, and they fund a portion of the work we do, making our department a revenue model that is fairly unique. Many L&D departments are considered corporate support functions. My team also supports the work the Corporation is doing. We spend our time balancing multiple learning and development projects to support both the Corporation and the Dealer Network.

The work my team has been doing is shifting from task-based training to more customer service and sales training. We are developing training modules to enable the frontlines to better assist customers with the jobs and joys of life in Canada. To do so, we need to identify what they come into the store looking for and what purpose they want a particular product to serve and suggest the best available options. On top of that, we also recommend suitable add-ons to complement their purchase and ensure they get everything they need. For instance, if a customer comes in to buy a barbecue, we don’t want them to leave without suggesting a grill brush, BBQ cover or deck pad. We offer these items as add-ons to ensure the customer gets everything they need in one trip; its a balance between customer service and sales.

What are the current challenges in the industry?

One prominent challenge faced by our team is providing training to frontline employees in a retail store who lack access to a personal company-issued computer. The store needs to schedule them to be off the floor to complete training in the lunchroom. In the current economy, where sales are down and  operating expenses are being tightly controlled, it can be very challenging for the store to balance the needs staffing needs for training and customer service on the floor. To tackle this, we have to continue to find creative ways to convey training messages to the frontline employees.

Despite the challenges, technology advancements offer new and innovative tools to train frontline employees. All employees in Canadian Tire stores have an employee-facing device that allows them to scan products, look up information for customers, and communicate with colleagues. We can leverage this device to provide quick hits of information and training reminders on a screen approximately the size of a cell phone. Moreover, with a diverse product assortment available at Canadian Tire, it becomes increasingly challenging for employees to be experts in all products. We need to develop tools that employees can use to access information quickly and provide customers with expert advice in face-to-face conversations.

Regarding challenges in the DEI space, the most significant hurdle is making people more self-aware of their biases and the power of the language they use. Although most people believe they are not biased, all humans inherently possess biases that help us understand our complex world. Every individual requires training to recognize and mitigate their unconscious biases regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. For example, as our understanding of humans, gender and sexual orientation evolves, there’s a pressing need to move beyond traditional notions of the male and female binary  and adopt a new, more inclusive, framework. However, many continue to grapple with this shift and unintentionally offend when they try to understand the different identities by slotting them into the traditional notion of male and female – they need guidance to familiarize themselves with the updated concepts and terminologies. The same can be said for the language we use – many terms stem from historical references that have racial or discriminatory undertones that many aren’t even aware of and they don’t understand the hurt that language can cause. Everyone needs awareness of these issues and has to take responsibility to learn and increase their self awareness.

Could you provide some insights into where the learning and development space is headed in the near future?

In the current environment, the economy is down, and companies are under increasing pressure to reduce operating expenses. As a result, adopting smarter, leaner, and cost-effective measures has become necessary. Technology and AI are the most promising solutions, especially for departments deemed overhead. These departments are often subject to pressure to justify their existence and contribute to the bottom line. Leveraging technology and AI can help us achieve this goal while enabling us to communicate our message more effectively. With fast, bite-sized pieces of information, we can ensure that the message sticks and reaches the intended audience.

DEI needs to continue to be a focus – not one-and-done; we will always have work to do in this regard. DEI programs must become a part of our core programming, and we must continually strive to move the needle forward.

What advice would you offer to your peers and the aspiring professionals in the industry?

In today’s information age, where technology and the environment are rapidly evolving, it’s crucial to engage in continuous learning and maintain connections with professional networks and associations. In this fast-paced environment, it is imperative to cultivate a mindset of ongoing learning and explore new possibilities. One should constantly seek opportunities to learn and think differently. Making time for meaningful conversations with colleagues and peers is important. While technology has made communication more convenient, it has also made it more transactional. We must be conscious of the importance and need for an in-person or virtual, camera-on-coffee chats to discuss our work, share challenges and build relationships. With more people working remotely, it is crucial to align schedules and make the effort to connect with our colleagues.