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    BPI Expert Faculty

    Jamie Aitken

    Vice President of HR Transformation

    Betterworks

    Key Takeaways

    • 1.She is known for guiding organizations through major shifts in HR strategy and operations.
    • 2.Aitken champions the move from traditional annual reviews to continuous performance conversations.
    • 3.She develops innovative strategies to improve talent management and employee engagement.
    • 4.Her work focuses on delivering people-centric initiatives that enhance overall business performance.

    About Jamie

    Jamie Aitken is a leading expert in HR transformation and performance enablement, guiding organizations through complex change to foster more engaged and efficient workplaces as a distinguished Best Practice Institute faculty member.

    Who is Jamie Aitken?

    Jamie Aitken is the Vice President of HR Transformation at Betterworks, an HR technology firm based in Menlo Park, California. With nearly 30 years of experience, she is recognized for her deep expertise in translating organizational strategies into tangible performance results, particularly in HR and talent management.

    Aitken's career is marked by her ability to drive significant change within companies across both Canada and the United States. Her work focuses on modernizing HR functions to align with evolving workforce, workplace, and marketplace dynamics, making HR a more strategic partner in business success.

    Quick facts about Jamie Aitken

    RoleVice President of HR Transformation
    CompanyBetterworks
    Based inMenlo Park, CA
    ExpertiseHR Transformation, Change Management, Performance Enablement, Talent Management
    Notable forNearly 30 years in change management, modernizing HR practices, advocating for continuous performance conversations
    BPI affiliationExpert Faculty member

    What is Jamie Aitken known for?

    Jamie Aitken is known for her contributions to and advocacy for:

    • HR Transformation and Change Management: Guiding organizations through significant shifts in HR strategy and operations.
    • Performance Enablement: Pioneering the shift from traditional performance reviews to continuous, year-round performance conversations.
    • Strategic Talent Management: Developing innovative strategies to improve talent management practices and employee engagement.
    • Organizational Development: Delivering strategies that enhance business performance through effective people-centric initiatives.
    • Workforce Optimization: Helping companies become more efficient, streamlined, and engaging for employees by leveraging data and insights.

    What is Jamie Aitken's background and experience?

    Aitken's extensive career spans nearly three decades, focusing on change management and organizational development. Prior to her role at Betterworks, she held significant positions at various prominent companies, including Bombardier, SAP SuccessFactors, Canadian Tire, Aimia Inc., and PeopleFluent, working as a vice president, senior director, customer business architect, and senior expert.

    Her experience includes innovating HR processes at Bombardier and making a significant impact on growth and success at SuccessFactors. She has also served as an advisory board member at Wavemakers, a Canadian work-integrated learning platform, where she mentors university students, sharing her diverse career path and problem-solving approach.

    What topics does Jamie Aitken speak and write about?

    Jamie Aitken is a frequent speaker and writer on the evolution of HR, particularly focusing on performance enablement and the strategic role of HR in organizational success. She advocates for moving beyond traditional, often stressful, annual performance reviews towards a system that fosters continuous development and engagement.

    Her insights are featured in publications like Allwork.Space, where she discusses the importance of building systems that enable potential rather than just managing performance. She also participates in webinars and podcasts, such as Betterworks' "People Fundamentals" series and #HRTechChat, delving into how modern HR can make companies more efficient and engaging, transforming the employee experience.

    How does Jamie Aitken contribute to the Best Practice Institute?

    As an Expert Faculty member of the Best Practice Institute, Jamie Aitken brings her extensive experience in HR transformation and performance enablement to BPI's global network. She contributes to BPI's mission of identifying and disseminating best practices, aligning with the principles of the Most Loved Workplace® certification and the SPARK Model.

    Through her insights, Aitken helps BPI members understand how to foster environments where employees are engaged, perform optimally, and feel valued. Her expertise aids organizations in moving beyond administrative HR tasks to strategic initiatives that enhance overall business performance and cultivate a culture of continuous improvement and positive employee experience.

    Where can you learn more from Jamie Aitken?

    To learn more from Jamie Aitken, you can explore her webinars and content on the Best Practice Institute platform. Additionally, her insights on HR transformation and performance enablement are available in articles on platforms like Allwork.Space and through her appearances on industry podcasts and webcasts such as #HRTechChat.

    Background & Perspective

    Background

    Jamie Aitken is the Vice President of HR Transformation at Betterworks, an HR technology firm based in Menlo Park, California. With a career spanning nearly three decades across Canada and the United States, she is a recognized expert in translating organizational strategies into tangible performance results. Prior to her role at Betterworks, Aitken held significant positions at prominent companies including Bombardier, SAP SuccessFactors, Canadian Tire, Aimia Inc., and PeopleFluent. She has also served as an advisory board member at Wavemakers, a Canadian work-integrated learning platform, where she mentors university students.

    Areas of Expertise

    Jamie Aitken specializes in guiding organizations through complex change to create more engaged and efficient workplaces. Her core areas of expertise include:

    • HR Transformation and Change Management: Modernizing HR functions to align with evolving workforce and marketplace dynamics.
    • Performance Enablement: Pioneering the shift from traditional, annual performance reviews to continuous, year-round performance conversations.
    • Strategic Talent Management: Developing innovative strategies to improve talent management practices and foster employee engagement.
    • Organizational Development: Delivering people-centric initiatives that enhance overall business performance.

    Topics Covered

    As a frequent speaker and writer, Jamie Aitken focuses on the evolution of HR and its strategic role in organizational success. She advocates for building systems that enable employee potential rather than simply managing performance. Her insights are featured in publications like Allwork.Space, and she participates in webinars and podcasts such as Betterworks' "People Fundamentals" series and #HRTechChat, where she discusses how modern HR can make companies more efficient, engaging, and transformative for the employee experience.

    Areas of Expertise

    HR TransformationChange ManagementPerformance EnablementTalent ManagementEmployee EngagementOrganizational DevelopmentStrategic HR

    Research Topics

    HR TransformationTalent ManagementOrganizational DevelopmentCompany Culture

    Profile last updated

    Frequently asked questions

    Best Practice Institute

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    The Workplace Report

    The Workplace Report is BPI's original workplace culture research and editorial briefing series for CEOs, CHROs, people leaders, talent leaders, and employer-brand teams. It turns BPI's 25 years of research, Most Loved Workplace® certification data, SPARK findings, and current workforce signals into practical analysis leaders can use.

    The report format includes executive summaries, research-backed articles, company examples, methodology notes, and practical implications for retention, hiring, culture, leadership, and employee experience. New research and analysis is published on an ongoing editorial cadence at /workplace-report.