A business development toolkit designed for Quebec’s video game studios. It brings together practical insights and reliable resources to help studios understand the key challenges of building and growing a business, and know where to find additional guidance.
The Game Studio Toolkit
1.6 Human Resources Fundamentals
Human Resources Fundamentals
Hiring the first employee changes the nature of a studio. The business is no longer just managing a project and working with suppliers. It also becomes an employer.
This means choosing the appropriate type of working relationship, clarifying employment terms from the outset, meeting applicable legal obligations, and establishing basic management practices.
The goal is not to immediately create an HR department. It is to put clear foundations in place to welcome, manage, and support the first people joining the team.
Key Takeaways
- «Employee or freelancer status is not simply an administrative choice. It depends on the actual nature of the working relationship.
- A written contract helps clarify key employment terms, responsibilities, and expectations before misunderstandings arise.
- Becoming an employer brings new responsibilities, particularly regarding employment standards, occupational health and safety, payroll, and the protection of personal information.
- Early HR practices can remain simple. What matters is that they are clear, consistent, and suited to the team’s needs.
Why It Matters
When a studio consists of just a few founders, many decisions can still be handled informally.
As new people join the team, this approach quickly reaches its limits. A new hire needs to understand their role, working conditions, what is expected of them, and who they can turn to. The studio, in turn, needs to determine the nature of the working relationship and understand the responsibilities that come with it.
It is normal for a young studio not to have a complete employee handbook or detailed HR processes in place yet.
However, this does not exempt the studio from its legal obligations. From the first hires, it must comply with requirements related to harassment prevention, workplace health and safety, and French as a language of work. Some additional requirements, such as formal francization procedures, depend on the size of the company.
What matters is starting with practices that are clear enough to ensure working conditions, responsibilities, and workplace rules do not rely solely on informal conversations or unspoken expectations.
These foundations can then evolve as the team grows and the studio’s needs change.
Ressources
La Guilde Service Partners Who Can Help
SIXØCINQ provides human resources advisory services to businesses in the creative and cultural industries. The firm can help studios prepare employment contracts and internal policies, establish HR practices, address compensation and employment compliance matters, manage occupational health and safety requirements, and navigate more complex workplace situations.
MPA administers a group insurance plan designed for La Guilde member companies with two or more employees. Its services include plan administration, support for managers and employees, and the tools needed to integrate benefits into payroll.
Prolang supports numerous Quebec video game studios with language training for their teams. Its services include individual and group training, language assessments, and programs tailored to French-language learning and employee integration needs.
L’Aparté provides La Guilde members with an independent and confidential support service for individuals experiencing workplace harassment or violence. The organization offers information, referrals, and guidance throughout various processes.
Additional Resources
La Guilde | Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Best Practices Guide
A resource developed specifically for Quebec’s video game industry. The guide provides practical recommendations and tools covering recruitment, onboarding, harassment prevention, career development, and employee retention.
Revenu Québec | Determining a Worker’s Employment Status
An official resource for determining whether a working relationship qualifies as employment or self-employment. It outlines key criteria, including the degree of control exercised by the employer, financial risk, ownership of tools, and how the work is integrated into the business.
CNESST | Employers’ Rights and Obligations
A starting point for understanding the main responsibilities of employers in Quebec, including minimum employment standards, occupational health and safety, workplace harassment prevention, and administrative obligations.
CNESST | Employee Onboarding and Integration
A practical resource for preparing to hire and onboard employees. It covers defining job responsibilities, employment contracts, essential information to communicate, training, supervision, and integrating new employees into the team.
Office québécois de la langue française | Businesses
An official reference on language requirements for businesses operating in Quebec, particularly regarding the language of work. It also outlines the francization process applicable to businesses with 25 or more employees in Quebec.