At a glance
Pay shows the low (10th percentile) to high (90th percentile) Canada-wide wages for Human resources managers, from Job Bank (2023–2024), as yearly amounts for full-time work. Pay varies by province, city and experience. See wages by region on Job Bank
Before you post
Answer these questions first. They shape the title, the pay you offer and who applies.
Builder or scaler?
Setting up HR for the first time is different from leading an existing team. Say which stage you're at.
Which provinces?
Employment law is provincial. If you have staff in several provinces, or in Quebec, look for that experience.
How strategic?
Decide whether they'll sit on the leadership team and own the people budget.
Job description template
Log in to copyCopy this into the job form and change the parts in brackets.
Head of People
About the role
We're looking for a Head of People to build a great place to work as we grow. You'll lead HR, shape our culture and programs, and partner with leadership on everything people-related.
What you'll do
- Lead HR strategy and the people team
- Build programs for hiring, onboarding, performance and growth
- Own compensation, benefits and pay equity
- Keep policies compliant with employment, human rights and health and safety laws
- Advise leaders on organization design and employee relations
What you bring
- 8+ years in HR, with at least 3 in a leadership role
- Deep knowledge of Canadian employment law and standards
- Experience building or scaling people programs
- Strong judgment on sensitive employee issues
- Excellent communication with leaders and employees
Nice to have
- CHRL or CHRE designation
- Experience in a growing or multi-province company
Languages: French and English — [how each language is used, and the level needed for speaking, reading and writing].
Pay: [$ – $ per year or hour]. Location: [city, province] — [on-site / hybrid / remote].
Hiring bilingual talent
Every job on Bilingo requires at least two languages. Here's how to hire a bilingual Head of People who can really work in both.
Say how each language is used
"Bilingual" is too vague. Describe the real tasks, for example "serve clients by phone in French and English" or "write reports in English and present them in French", and the level you need for speaking, reading and writing.
Test languages the way the job uses them
Self-ratings aren't reliable. Hold part of the interview in each language, and add a short task the job really needs, such as answering a client email or a role-played call. Use the same test for every candidate.
Recognize the skill in pay
Bilingual people can usually choose between many offers. Many employers pay a bilingual premium or place bilingual roles higher in the pay range. Show it in the posting.
Hiring in Quebec?
French comes first. If the job also needs English or another language, the Charter of the French language requires you to show why the duties need it, and to say so in the posting.
Where to find bilingual candidates
- Bilingo: every candidate here is looking for a bilingual job, and the language requirement is on every posting
- French immersion and French-language programs at Canadian colleges and universities, including bilingual campuses in Ontario and New Brunswick
- Francophone community and newcomer organizations across Canada
- Cities where bilingual workers are concentrated, such as Montreal, Ottawa–Gatineau and Moncton
Where to find candidates
- Bilingo Canada's job board for bilingual jobs. Post for free, set the languages the job needs, and reach candidates who are looking for exactly that. They apply with a complete profile and résumé. Post a job
- LinkedInSearch for HR directors and people leaders in companies of your size.
- Provincial HR associationsAssociations such as HRPA (Ontario) and CPHR bodies in other provinces reach designated HR professionals.
- Executive searchFor senior roles, a specialist search firm can reach leaders who aren't actively looking.
- Job Bank The Government of Canada's free job board. If you plan to hire a temporary foreign worker, advertising here is usually part of the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process.
Interview questions
Ask every candidate the same core questions so you can compare answers fairly.
- What would your first 90 days look like here?
- Tell me about a people program you built and its results.
- How have you handled a difficult termination or investigation?
- How do you make sure pay is fair across the company?
- How do you balance what leaders want with what employees need?
30/60/90-day plan
Share this plan on the first day so your new hire knows what success looks like.
First 30 days
- Meet every leader and a cross-section of employees
- Review policies, contracts and HR data
- Identify compliance gaps
Days 31–60
- Present a people strategy and priorities
- Fix urgent compliance issues
- Start work on the first major program
Days 61–90
- Launch the first program or policy update
- Set HR metrics and reporting
- Agree on the people budget and plan
Hiring rules in Canada
Employment law in Canada is mostly provincial, so the rules depend on where the job is. These are the ones that most often affect a job posting and hiring process.
Put the pay in the posting
- British Columbia — since November 1, 2023, every employer (except federally regulated ones) must include the expected pay or pay range in publicly advertised job postings. Vague terms like "competitive" or "up to" don't count.
- Prince Edward Island — since June 1, 2022, publicly advertised job postings must include the expected pay or pay range.
- Ontario — for postings made on or after January 1, 2026 by employers with 25 or more employees, the posting must include the expected pay or a range no wider than $50,000 a year (unless pay goes above $200,000).
- Newfoundland and Labrador — its Pay Equity and Pay Transparency Act includes pay ranges in job postings and a ban on asking about pay history; check whether it applies to your organization yet.
Even where it isn't required, postings with a pay range get more and better-matched applicants. Add it in the salary fields of the Bilingo job form.
Ontario: more posting rules from 2026
Ontario employers with 25 or more employees must also:
- Say in the posting whether AI is used to screen, assess or select applicants
- Say whether the posting is for an existing vacancy
- Not ask for Canadian experience in the posting or application form
- Tell interviewed applicants whether a hiring decision has been made within 45 days of their last interview
- Keep copies of postings and those notices for 3 years
Quebec: French first
Under the Charter of the French language, job postings in Quebec must be available in French, at the same time and with similar reach as any other language version. If the job requires a language other than French, such as English, you must be able to show why the duties need it, and say so in the posting.
Hire without discrimination
Human rights laws in every province and territory (and the Canadian Human Rights Act for federally regulated employers) ban discrimination on grounds such as age, sex, gender identity, race, religion, disability, and family or marital status. Only list requirements the job truly needs, ask every candidate job-related questions, and offer accommodation in the hiring process when asked.
Protect applicants' personal information
Privacy laws, including PIPEDA and the private-sector privacy laws of Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec, apply to the CVs and information you collect. Only ask for what you need to make a hiring decision, store it securely, and don't keep it longer than you need. Get consent before checking references or doing background checks.
Check the right to work
Before someone starts, confirm they can work in Canada and get their Social Insurance Number (SIN) for payroll. Hiring a foreign national usually needs a work permit, and often a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada.
This is general information based on official government sources, checked on October 3, 2026. It isn't legal advice; check the rules for your province or territory, or ask an employment lawyer. Ontario · British Columbia · Job Bank
Ready to make an offer? Use our employment contract templates, with a language requirements clause.
Related hiring guides
Hire your Head of People on Bilingo
Posting is free. Add the languages and pay range, and your job reaches bilingual job seekers across Canada.
