- Jobboom overhauls its home page
Quebecor has just updated its Canoe.ca and Jobboom.com sites. The Quebec job board had already launched a new version last year and last month redesigned its interface. To access Jobboom.com, users must first select their province, to which they will then be automatically directed. The layout of the home page has been simplified and focuses on searches by sector with a pre-determined list in the middle of the page. The colours and visuals are streamlined, highlighting the employer logos. There are two tabs: Jobs and Career Zone [a third tab, Training, is available in French]. Articles and the Jobboom index are concisely presented at the bottom of the page, with few illustrations. Jobboom is thus following a dominant online trend; with the proliferation of Web sites and the glut of information, clearer interfaces and simplified navigation are the way to go.
- Monster Worldwide to axe 800 jobs
Monster Worldwide has announced that it plans to slash 800 jobs by 2008, or 15% of its staff. Its intent is to streamline functions such as human resources and finances, mainly in its North American workforce. Profit dropped by 28% in the second quarter of 2007, to $28.6 million. Its sales of $337 million are also below analysts’ forecasts, despite an increase of 20%. The job site operator has not specified the impact of these measures on its Canadian teams.
- 33% of professionals not interested their sector’s news
The Beyond.com site has just completed a study of its network of 15,000 Web sites to understand how business professionals stay up-to-date with trends in their industry. According to results, one-third of respondents surveyed do not bother to keep up with news in their market. Among those who do, 23% do so by attending seminars or conferences and 43% read trade journals.
- Manufacturing sector continues to lose jobs
Statistics Canada remains pessimistic about the job outlook in the manufacturing sector. In five years, 250,000 jobs have been lost and the crisis is getting worse in 2007 with the abolishment of 31,000 jobs in May and April alone. The high Canadian dollar and “unfair one-way trade deals” were cited as reasons for the increasing instability in the sector.
- New Canadian job board Standout Jobs announces $1.5 million in financing
Standout Jobs, a new Canadian job board, has just raised CAN$1.5 million from Garage Technology Ventures Canada and Brudder Ventures. These investment funds belong to Austin Hill, himself the co-founder of Standout Jobs. Benjamin Yoskovitz and Fred Ngo, also new technology specialists, are the two other creators of the site. Following Web 2.0 recruiting trends, Standout Jobs provides popular online tools including social networking, videos, networking, blogs and virtual gadgets. The company was founded in February 2007 in Montreal, but the site will only be launched in the fall. For an overview of its future services, check out http://www.standoutjobs.com.
- Almost 90% of employees are satisfied with orientation programs
Robert Half International disclosed the results of survey on new employee orientation programs. A third of the 490 respondents surveyed answered no to the question, “Did your current employer provide a formal orientation program when you joined the organization?” despite the success of this type of program in bringing newcomers on board. 87% of employees who benefited from such a program thought it worthwhile, with almost half describing it as “very effective.” Robert Half recommends the following for effective orientation: Supervisors should give new hires a tour of the office, introduce them to their colleagues and explain security procedures. The orientation program should convey the company’s processes, organization and values consistently. The presence of senior management adds credibility and weight to the session. A mentor may also be assigned to provide guidance and answer questions for the first few days.
- Employment insurance a problem in Ontario
In Canada, the levels of employment insurance are determined based on the economic vitality of each region. This means that currently, an unemployed person in Ontario must work more than one from Alberta or Nova Scotia in order to be entitled to a smaller payment. The government of Ontario is preparing to pressure the federal government to rectify this inequality and modify current eligibility criteria.