Human Resources Case Competition 2023
From the Great Resignation to the Great Return: Calling Workers Back to the Office
Welcome to the second annual CPHR Manitoba Human Resource Case Competition! In partnership with CPHR Manitoba, The University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytech are proud to bring you an exciting event that gives you and your peers the chance to put your HR knowledge to the test.
The theme of this year’s competition is the Great Return, which reflects the critical challenge of calling workers back to the office (Klipfel, 2022). Throughout the pandemic, organizations shifted and adapted quickly to accommodate hybrid and remote work models (Gratton, 2021). An unintended outcome of this transition was that workers began asking for more flexibility in their work arrangements and questioned calls to return to the office (Agovino, 2023). This leaves organizations with a dilemma: to call, or not to call, workers back to the office?
Teams will be tasked with the challenge of helping an organization navigate this new reality using their knowledge of best practices in the field of human resource management. Please note team spots are limited, and we encourage early registration to secure your position in the competition.
Date: Friday, November 3, 2023
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Followed by a Networking Reception and presentation of awards.
- Who? Each team member must have completed a minimum of 30 credit hours of study at their respective post-secondary institution. Teams can consist of between 2 and 4 members. Students must be registered at The University of Winnipeg or Red River College Polytech to participate. Individual participants have the opportunity to register for the event; however, team assignments will be determined through a randomized allocation process.
- When? The deadline to register your team is October 23, 2023. There will be a mandatory workshop offered on Friday, October 27 by CPHR Manitoba at 12:30 p.m. (Leatherdale Commons).
- Where? The Case Competition will be held at Red River College’s Exchange District Campus.
- Prizes? First place $2,000, second place $1,000, third place $500.
Please register your team below and if you have any questions email Adam Kozachuk at a.kozachuk@uwinnipeg.ca.
Rules and Regulations
All registered teams will be asked to review the case provided and prepare a 15-minute presentation that outlines:
- Analysis of the case
- Strategic recommendation(s)
- Implementation strategy
Each team will present to a panel of judges, who are a combination of industry professionals and academics in the field of Human Resource Management. After each presentation, judges will be given 5 minutes to ask questions and complete the scorecard for each team.
All competing teams and team members need to register at least 30 minutes prior to their start time. Team members will need to present a piece of photo-identification and acknowledge/confirm that they understand all rules and regulations as well as the possible consequences of violating rules and regulations. Any teams or team members not registered before their team is escorted to their workspace will not be allowed to compete.
Each team will work for the full 3 hours in their designated team workspace.
All required materials will be provided, including two copies of all case material, scrap paper, pens and pencils. Each team will be allowed to bring 1 laptop (with USB connectivity and turn off internet access) to create their presentation.
Competition organizers will circulate through rooms throughout the competition to answer clarification questions regarding the case.
Only clear water bottles are permitted as beverages. Alcohol consumption is strictly prohibited at the Case Competition event.
Participants are prohibited from:
- Bringing in or using any resource or media source containing prohibited information. This includes but is not limited to USB drives, textbooks, manuals, cheat sheets, unauthorized laptops, and digital devices.
- Bringing in or using any media (e.g. cellphones, pagers, smartphones, laptops, etc.) that could allow contact with sources (e.g. other students, captains, judges, etc.) outside of the students’ own resolution room.
- Enabling or assisting any other participants, judge, volunteer, or captain to commit any of the above actions.
- Leaving their workspace without permission from competition organizers
Any teams found to be engaging in any of the acts of dishonesty or wrongdoing listed above will be disqualified from the competition. Should you witness any acts of dishonesty or wrongdoing, you are asked to report the incident to one of the competition organizers. They will decide how to best proceed.
Note: These guidelines were adapted from the JDC West Handbook (2019).
Teams will be evaluated on the following categories:
- Situational Analysis
- Strategic Recommendation
- Implementation
- Q&A Management
- Presentation Structure & Delivery
Note: Registration for the 2023 Human Resources Case Competition has now closed.