Nelson Scott is committed to providing front-line leaders with the tools and techniques they require to hire, engage and retain the right people.

A full-time consultant, speaker, trainer and author for more than two decades, Nelson sees his programs and writing as opportunities to remind audiences and readers what they already know and to challenge them to build on their knowledge. The goal is to make the right hiring decisions and use staff recognition to increase employee engagement and reduce staff turnover.

Nelson’s first career was as an elementary school teacher and principal. For 14 years, he was an assistant superintendent of schools. He has also taught business and human resources courses to college students.

As a speaker and trainer, Nelson has inspired public- and private-sector audiences across Western Canada and in the United States. He is a former president of the Edmonton chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers and a member of Recognition Professionals International and the Nonfiction Authors Association.

Nelson has authored three books: Thanks! GREAT Job! Improve Retention, Boost Morale and Increase Engagement with High-Value, Low-Cost Staff Recognition (2011); 13 Reasons Managers Are “Unlucky” When Making Hiring Decisions (2012); and Thanks, Again! More Simple, Inexpensive Ways for Busy Leaders to Recognize Staff (2023).

He is currently writing a book inspired by his enjoyment of murder mysteries that will answer the question, “What would Sherlock Holmes do if he had to hire a new housekeeper to replace Mrs. Hudson?” Simple, my dear Watson. He would employ the same investigative tools and techniques that the detectives of fiction, film and TV have used for decades to expose murderers. Look for clues (resumés). Question suspects (applicants). Check alibis (references). Those are the same evidence-based hiring methods that managers and supervisors can apply to hire the right person when there is a vacant position to be filled.

Nelson can often be found in a coffee shop near his home in Edmonton, Alberta, where the energy of strangers fuels his writing.