HRANB Newsletter

HR management students from across Canada gathered in Montreal on March 20 and 21 for the 23rd Excalibur Tournament, organized by the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés in Quebec and supported by the Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations (CCHRA).

Excalibur is an annual competition that brings together business people, key figures in the human resources community, academics and students, with one common goal in mind – to ensure excellence of future professionals in the field.

This exceptional competition for future HR professionals gains popularity each and every year. This year, the 23rd tournament welcomed about 70 human resources students from 22 Canadian universities, who came to match wits in this challenging and competitive environment.

Symbolizing both the quest for excellence and the vitality of the next generation, Excalibur competitors participate in a number of events throughout the tournament. The first round of the tournament requires participants to work through three case studies based on realistic situations HR professionals might encounter in the workplace. Students’ work is evaluated by some 30 jury members. The top six teams continue to the finals. New for this year, a “last chance event” – a test that gives students a taste of the types of questions contained in the two exams leading to the CHRP designation – gave a seventh team one last chance to participate in the finals.

The final event challenges teams to review a real-life HR business case faced by a Canadian organization – this year Ambulance New Brunswick. Students are required to present their proposed solutions in front of a jury of seven HR professionals.

Students who participate in the Excalibur tournaments prepare for weeks, or even months with support from their coach (generally university professors or instructors) and often with input from professionals in the community.

“After a fulfilling and intense preparation of several weeks, there is no doubt that all contestants will have a great advantage over their peers when they enter the labour market,” says Florent Francoeur, President and CEO of l’Ordre in Quebec.
The first Excalibur prize, together with a $3,000 scholarship, was won by the team from HEC Montréal. The second prize, along with a scholarship worth $2,250, was awarded to the team from University of Alberta, The third prize, including a scholarship of $1,500, went to the team from Thompson Rivers University in B.C.

Prizes were sponsored by the CCHRA, Human Resources Institute of Alberta and the BC Human Resources Management Association.

“It is an honour for CCHRA to support this wonderful event which highlights the talent of HR students, and provides such unique opportunities for our next generation of professionals,” says CCHRA Chief Executive Officer Lynn Palmer, who also sat on the jury for the final case study. “With the talent that we observed over the past 2 days, we have every assurance that the pipeline for succession in the HR profession is very strong indeed”.

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