As I watch my younger sister navigate dating in the 21st century, I cannot help but reflect on the beauty and success of good old-fashioned courting. This period of dating where you get to know each other over dinner dates, flowers, where doors are opened for you, and effort is made. I cannot help but …
Category: Recruitment & Retention
Recruiting All-Star Candidates
Recruitment is one human resources process in which there is never a dull moment. People are unpredictable and organizations are so dynamic, and often there are at least a couple quick changes throughout the process that force us recruiters to scramble and reorganize. As a recruitment specialist, I am often tasked by my clients to …
Onboarding Contract and Temporary Workers
In December my colleague, Leah Fochuk, wrote an excellent article about best practices in HR. (Definitely worth a read if you haven’t seen it). In her article she mentioned onboarding of employees. Today, I would like to look at this from a slightly different point of view – Onboarding Contract and Temporary Workers. In our …
Recruiting in a Down Economy
It is no secret that in Alberta, and more specifically in Calgary, we are experiencing a very challenging economic time and job market. Thousands of Calgarians have lost their jobs and are seeking employment, many of them unemployed for an extended period of time. The latest unemployment rate in November 2016 has Alberta’s largest city …
You’ve Hired Em’, Now How Do You Keep Em’?
As Alberta still struggles with the economic downturn, we are starting to see more stability. According to results of the most recent Alberta HR Trends Report conducted by HRIA, fewer organizations are expecting further layoffs, with about 45% of Alberta companies surveyed expecting their staffing numbers to stay the same. In fact, about 25% of …
Why Checking References is Important
Today, I was reminded of the importance of checking references. While working with a new client and getting up to speed on their HR issues, I was informed about an ongoing legal battle with an employee who was terminated 3 years ago. This employee was let go after only 2 months with the organization for …
Compensation Today – Getting it Just Right
When was the last time you measured how competitive your compensation program was? Over the past year the compensation landscape has changed drastically in Alberta due to the economic climate, and the impact has undoubtedly affected pay across Canada. Many organizations are cutting costs and eliminating positions to make it through this tough time – …
Reference Checking 101
We talk about due diligence all the time in today’s business world. In order to make a good decision, information and data are required to verify that your organization is moving in the right direction. Hiring decisions are no different and back checking is a very important step in the recruitment process. But how come …
Do’s and Don’ts: Cover Letter & Resume
The economic environment in Alberta has taken a toll on a lot of organizations, and unfortunately as a result, many professionals have been laid off. Today fewer companies are hiring and unemployment has increased – which has created a very competitive job market for those opportunities that do exist. Many professionals are faced with the challenge of …
Job Search Strategies for the Newly Unemployed
2015 was a tough year for Alberta. Drastically lower oil prices have led to layoffs in the thousands and with no guaranteed uptick in the near future, economic conditions look to remain tougher for longer. If you are one of the thousands of people who have recently found yourself unemployed, it is easy to get …