How to find more high quality employees

By Darryl Stewart, Head of the Herd

Going from a front line role to a more responsible and better paying “career” job is not easy for today’s university grads. Many of the traditional sources of high growth jobs in Canada are shrinking due to computerization, offshore outsourcing, automation and the glut of boomers who don’t want to retire yet.

Photo from LifeSupercharger via photopin cc

Canadian government statistics show that 1 in 3 university grads between the age of 25 and 29 end up in low skilled, dead end jobs. CBC did a great documentary on this called Generation Jobless.

One of the best sources for a growth career in Canada today is smaller businesses. Yet smaller businesses say they can’t find any good staff!

There is a huge supply of highly qualified, underemployed, people in Canada. Why not create a fast track program in your recruiting strategy? Advertise as always for the front line roles, but also create a uniquely named and targeted program to educate and attract recent grads to your field. Highlight the career potential but make it clear that you will first learn the field from the front lines. The front line learning aspects will repel those you don’t want anyway and appeal to those that are willing to pay their dues in order to have a chance at paying off their student loans before they retire.

I am willing to help any organization interested in this approach. I write a great job ad!

IBEX Payroll extends our profound respect and immeasurable gratitude to all the ancestors and keepers of the land on whose traditional territories our work takes place. We acknowledge that we are on Treaty 1 territory, the traditional gathering place of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene people and the traditional homeland of the Métis people. This land is sacred, historical, and significant.

Every time we acknowledge this truth, we have an invitation and an opportunity to reflect on the wrongs of the past, what we do in the present, and what we can do to continually honour the people whose lands and water we benefit from today.

This statement only acts as a first step in honouring the land we reside on and its peoples, and must be paired with education, understanding and informed action.