A favourable start to employment in early 2008
According to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, the hiring climate in Canada will be positive between January and March 2008. The study of more than 1,700 Canadian employers reveals that 16% plan to increase their payrolls in the first three months of 2008, while 10% anticipate cutbacks for a net employment outlook of 6%. Of those polled, 72% expect no changes and 2% are unsure of their staffing intentions in this quarter. Employers in the construction and mining sectors anticipate robust hiring with net employment outlooks of 40% and 35% respectively, and 29% for wholesale and retail trade. The employment outlook is down in the finance and insurance sectors, however.
Employment service excellence recognized
Fifteen colleges and non-profit agencies received Minister's Awards of Excellence on December 4 in Toronto. The sixth annual awards recognize achievement in employment service quality, innovation and results. Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities John Milloy expressed his gratitude to the people and organizations responsible for the Job Connect program. This Employment Ontario service is delivered by colleges and non-profit organizations to help people prepare for and succeed in the job market.
Companies should focus on building employee loyalty
According to the Bernard Hodes group, companies need to focus on hiring people for the long term, and not content themselves with quickly filling job vacancies. The communications and human resource specialist published a study at the beginning of December that shows that the cost of turnover in a company can be extremely expensive: between $7,000 and $12,000 a day for a single vacant position. An excellent reason to do what it takes to retain the best talents!
According to the study, employees seek employers that cultivate a strong cohesion within the company by offering many benefits, such as a family/work balance and flextime. The two main reasons people quit their jobs are low advancement opportunities and salaries that are not in line with their skills.
Corporate strategies must be based on friendship and a feeling of belonging to a group, since this is what makes many jobs very fulfilling and relieve pressure.
Manitoba wants to regulate foreign workers
The government of Manitoba has announced a consultation on the regulation of agencies that recruit foreign temporary workers. Labour and Immigration Minister Nancy Allan announced a series of proposals to debate, including the obligation of recruiters to be members of a law society in Canada or the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants . According to the Minister, if approved, the law would be the first of its kind in Canada and a model for other jurisdictions. Among other things, it would allow employers to access legitimate and reliable recruitment choices.
Calgary attracts workers
Calgary is the Canadian city most attractive to workers and investors, according to a Conference Board of Canada study. The study, which benchmarks the attractiveness of the 27 major census metropolitan areas of the country, ranks Toronto in 2nd place, and Vancouver and Edmonton in 3rd and 4th place respectively. Victoria and Ottawa-Gatineau are in 6th and 7th place, while the Quebec City area is in 11th place and Sherbrooke in 12th. Montreal lags behind with a 14th place showing.
University of Manitoba using student blogs for recruiting
Developed by George McKim Cringan in partnership with the University of Manitoba, the website aims to attract and recruit undergraduates. Students and former students can create blogs to share their experiences. According to its developer George Cringan, the competition between universities is fierce, particularly in Winnipeg, and blogs are the best way for a university to explain to young people what it can offer. The site attracted more than 6,500 visitors in its first four weeks online. George Cringan plans to continue developing the site to attract master's students.
Candidates' skills constantly declining!
Recruiters can no longer take candidates' professional skills for granted based on their degrees. A recent study by recruiting consultant Wonderlic Inc. showed that the average level of U.S. high school and university students continually declined from 1970 to 2005.
The Wonderlic study surveyed 200 employees and 100,000 candidates, and also looked at past studies to compare the professional standards of different eras. Results showed that the overall skill level of students has decreased progressively over the years. To recruit employees with the same level of ability as in 1970, the study suggests employers seek out candidates with at least two extra years of study. In other words, it is not that candidates' cognitive abilities have regressed, but rather that the value of higher education as a guarantee of professional success has gone down. Recruiters are therefore required to use extra tools in order to objectively assess applicants' skills, and keep in mind that their qualifications do not guarantee a fit between their skills and the proposed job.
Wonderlic conducted this study using its renowned Wonderlic Personnel Test (WCT) This measurement instrument evaluates the overall intelligence of adults, gives an idea of their ability to learn and even predicts their aptitude to succeed in situations requiring a certain learning. It is used to make hiring, promotion and personnel transfer decisions.
Human Resource Planning to become People & Strategy in 2008
The Human Resource Planning journal, published by U.S. HR specialist The Human Resource Planning Society, will become People & Strategy in March 2008. The magazine, which targets CEOs and consultants, will feature articles on organizational strategies, talent management, competitiveness, and more. The Perspectives section will include a special emphasis on the growth of China and Asia, and on best practices in terms of organizational change for mid-size businesses. There will also be a special issue on the role of the CEO, with articles on topics such as leadership, ethics, development, compensation, etc. The purpose of this transformation is to be a key source of state-of-the-art theory, research and practice in strategic human resource management.
TALENThire launches new version of its software
TALENThire, a platform specialist for recruiting firms, announces the launch of version 2.0 of its software. The solution, created in 2004, now includes internal messaging, conference call scheduling, the ability to attach Word resumés and a real-time rating system.