A new player in the Quebec executive recruiting market
Executive recruiting is right up Dominique Décarie and Patrice Borreman's alley. The two former Korn/Ferry International employees, who have a cumulative 25 years of experience, teamed up to found their own firm in a field that is undergoing significant changes. , located in the heart of downtown Montreal on René-Lévesque Boulevard, opened its doors in early February.
35% of employees find love on the job
In honour of St. Valentine's Day, CareerBuilder published its annual survey on dating at work in early February. According to the survey of 720 Canadian employees, 35% of respondents have dated a co-worker during their career, a similar proportion to 2008 and 2009 results (34%). 29% went on to marry the person they dated. The survey also revealed that women are more likely to date a higher-up than men: 40% of women said they have dated a person in a higher position, vs. only 12% of men. Finally, 61% of respondents said that they didn’t have to hide their romance, while 6% have left a job because of an office romance.
Canadian SMEs confident about growth in 2010
According to the HSBC Global Small Business Confidence Monitor, Canadian SMEs are optimistic about the first half of 2010. Published semi-annually, the results were used to calculate an index ranging from 0 to 200, where 200 represents the highest confidence level, and 100, neutral. With an index score at 116, Canada ranks behind India at 132 and Greater China at 121. Global results are positive, with only France below neutral, at 94. Three-quarters of Canadian SMEs, 80% of which have no more than ten employees, anticipate their hiring plans to remain unchanged in the coming six months, while 22% plan to increase staff in the next six months.
L'Oréal launches online game to find precious talent
Finding 800 interns—tomorrow's up-and-coming talents—is the purpose of Reveal by L’Oréal, the new online game launched at the end of January by the multinational cosmetics giant. Designed for students and young grads, it is a "serious game," which, like the name says, is meant not only to entertain, but also to communicate with the e-generation, promote the group's jobs and diversify the profiles hired. Game participants get assignments, pass tests and assess their skills. This is not L'Oréal's first venture in the area; it has already launched a number of serious games over the past few years.
A week in the Caribbean to win over employees!
L-IPSE is not cutting corners when it comes to attracting future employees. The Quebec-based information technology consulting firm, a sector that today is having difficulty recruiting experienced staff, has decided to offer all its consultants, both new and old, a one-week paid Caribbean vacation this summer. The objective is to attract a maximum of candidates to meet the strong growth the company expects over the coming year.
With HotJobs, Monster gets a leg up on rival CareerBuilder
Things are hopping in the e-recruiting world. With its purchase of HotJobs, Yahoo’s job board, Monster dethrones CareerBuilder from its place as the leader in online recruiting in the U.S. It’s an excellent deal for Monster, which paid $225 million in cash, or nearly half the $436 million Yahoo paid for it in 2002. According to ComScore, HotJobs generated 12.6 million unique visitors a month last year. Monster and Yahoo have also entered a three-year traffic agreement as part of the acquisition. During this time, Monster will be the official tool provider of career and job content on the North American home page of Yahoo, and the Boston-based company will also have the right to negotiate exclusively with other Yahoo entities in Europe, Asia and Latin America. The sell-off allows Yahoo to refocus on online search, its core business.
Working in green buildings improves productivity
According to a University of San Diego, California, study published in late 2009, workers in energy-efficient, environmentally friendly buildings are more productive. Fifty-seven percent of survey respondents said that their employees’ productivity was higher in green buildings and 45% said their workers took fewer sick days than in “regular buildings” (2.88 fewer days). All of the 534 companies surveyed were in buildings that met LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)* or Energy Star (awarded to buildings whose energy efficiency meets Kyoto protocol recommendations) standards.
* Five criteria are taken into account: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.
Vancouver to lead growth in 2010
According to a recent Conference Board of Canada study, Vancouver is expected to be the leader in terms of economic growth in 2010, with a 4.5% increase in its gross domestic product (GDP). Montreal’s GDP should grow by 2.5% this year, like Sherbrooke’s. Only four Canadian cities posted positive economic growth in 2009: Halifax, Saint John, Winnipeg and Regina.