With most human resource forecasters predicting tight labour markets, not just in the energy hotbeds of Alberta and Saskatchewan, but even in Eastern Canada and the Maritimes, companies in Canada will have to become even more creative in order to hire and retain the best and brightest. This means getting the basics right but it also will likely mean looking past traditional employment markets and hiring and retention strategies in order to get and keep the people they need.

The challenges facing employers in Canada are mirrored in the United States as talent leaps borders to find the most attractive offers and opportunities. This is part of the global competition for skilled workers and professionals that will likely continue through the next decade.

Over the next few years Canadian companies almost certainly will have to pay more for both skilled and unskilled workers. They will have to offer more flexibility in working arrangements and they will have to expand their job searches to include more immigrants, women, seniors, and people with disabilities. They will also have to hire for ability rather than experience and be prepared to train new employees to meet their job requirements. Finally, once they hire people they will have to aggressively work to keep them from leaving.

More Money
Most salary surveys and projections point to a higher salary grid across the board in Canada in the upcoming years. The average yearly increase appears to be in the three to five percent range but a lot of skilled professions and trades will come in much higher than that because of scarcities in those professions and the competition for quality workers. Add in the so-called Alberta premium and some professions and construction trades could see double-digit wage increases. Employers will simply have to provide the dollars or those highly sought after workers will walk across the street or fly across the country.

More Flexibility
One survey of Canadian employers found that twenty-seven percent of hiring managers said they are very or extremely willing to provide flexible work arrangements for employees in order to fill their recruiting needs. This includes job sharing, alternative working arrangements and even allowing some employees to work from home if the occupation permits it. This is a trend that began in the 1990s and continues to grow in popularity, especially among women and younger workers who represent a significant chunk of the future employment market.

More Diversity
For a number of reasons employers have been actively recruiting more women, immigrants and visible minorities into their workplaces in recent years. Many have realized that a more diverse workforce actually has a positive impact on the bottom line and others are trying to fill the glaring holes in their internal capacity. Whether it is for financial, pragmatic, or altruistic goals recruiting amongst minority groups will absolutely continue into the future. Immigrants have made up the vast majority of the growth in the Canadian employment market for the last ten years and unless the Canadian birth rate sharply jumps will also continue for many years. One segment of the job market that employers are finally catching on to as well is people with disabilities. One in ten Canadians has a disability and with some low-cost accommodation by employers these individuals could fill in many of the gaps in the employment market.

Older Workers
Another survey by an employment agency found that nearly one in four employers said that they are planning to hire retirees from other companies to meet their employment needs. Others are planning to provide incentives to entice workers who are approaching retirement age to postpone their retirement and stay for a few more years with the organization. McDonalds is not the only one recruiting seniors and older workers any more. As the job market tightens almost every sector of the economy is reaching back into its past to build for the future. And why not? These are experienced and dedicated employees who can provide a bridge for companies while they are waiting for younger workers to gain the education and experience required to meet their needs.

Training
At one time experience meant everything when it came to looking for a job. Without that a person could only expect to start at the bottom and work their way up. Today's shrinking employment market has all but destroyed that premise of working life. It would be hard to find an employer who would not hire a capable and eager individual who had little experience but was willing to learn a new skill. In the Alberta oil patch they are hiring training workers by the planeload every week to carry out jobs that were once thought to be reserved for people with years of experience in their trade. Ninety percent of employers surveyed were willing to recruit workers who lack experience in their industry but have transferable skills. Nearly eighty percent said they were willing to provide all of the required training and certifications to such individuals.

Employee Retention Programs
Almost every major employer in Canada now has a formal employee retention program and every smart employer, big and small, knows that they have to actively work to retain their current employees. This usually starts right from the orientation for new employees and continues through coaching, mentoring and performance reviews and appraisals. Employers are also trying to communicate better with their employee throughout their careers and many have created employee feedback loops and surveys to monitor employee concerns. Even if employees decide to leave they are asked to complete an exit interview on the way out so that the company can find and fix problems. It is simply too costly for employers not to focus on retention and those who do it well are not just employers of choice but not surprisingly often the most profitable as well.

by Murray Edwards

Reproduced with permission from Workplace Today(TM) Inc.
(www.workplace.ca)
(c) 2008 All rights reserved.