Navigating Complex Labor Relations & Scaling Heavy Industry Workforces | ft. Alex Gibson

In this episode of HR with Solomon, host Solomon Koilraj sits down with seasoned HR leader Alex Gibson (Bachelor of Commerce from MUN, Master of Industrial Relations from Queen’s University, CPHR) to discuss the realities of strategic human resources across heavy industry, construction, and healthcare. Alex shares his frontline experiences from scaling the workforce for the multi-billion-dollar West White Rose project to navigating building trades unions, provincial collective agreements, and Indigenous workforce partnerships. Tune in for masterclasses on data-driven HR metrics, bid support strategy, and why the secret to modern HR success always comes back to listening, authenticity, and boots-on-the-ground relationship building. Key Timestamps & Topics: 00:00 – Introduction: Welcome Alex Gibson & transitioning across different industries 03:30 – The Transportability of HR: Moving from heavy construction/trades to healthcare operations 06:33 – Construction & Labor Relations Realities: Navigating building trades unions and provincial collective agreements 20:00 – High-Volume Recruitment & Scaling: Lessons learned from the West White Rose project in Newfoundland and Labrador 29:10 – Authentic Indigenous Workforce Partnerships: Moving beyond compliance checkboxes to build true community trust and support 37:32 – Bid Support & Commercial Strategy: Aligning HR workforce models and salary scales with executive bidding teams 43:34 – HR Governance & Dashboards: Tracking metrics like probation success and turnover to uncover the "why" 50:28 – The Golden Nugget: Advice for students and junior HR professionals entering the field Connect & Subscribe: If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to hit that Subscribe button and check out previous episodes of HR with Solomon for more expert insights on talent acquisition, workplace culture, and professional development! #HumanResources #HRwithSolomon #LaborRelations #TalentAcquisition #ConstructionHR #CPHR #WorkplaceCulture #Leadership #IndigenousPartnerships #CareerDevelopment