It’s becoming more difficult to bring on skilled talent, especially for smaller businesses that may not have the budgets to compete with larger enterprises. Competition for specialized professionals can lengthen the recruiting process because the smaller pool of candidates can be selective with job offers.

The most successful employers move quickly in the recruiting process without skipping important steps. They offer competitive compensation and perks to attract professionals who have the most in-demand skills. At the same time, they focus on retaining their best employees.

This report is a collection of the latest research, including data from Statistics Canada, to help shed light on employment trends and the talent shortage, and explain why hiring managers shouldn’t waste time in their recruiting efforts.

THE HIRING ENVIRONMENT: CHALLENGES REMAIN IN ATTRACTING AND HIRING SPECIALISTS

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SPOTLIGHT:

SPECIAL REPORT: THE DEMAND FOR SKILLED TALENTVolume 12 – Q3/Q4 2016

In the 12 months leading up to June 2016, the number of people employed in Canada increased by 108,000, or 0.6%.4

EMPLOYERS ARE ADDING JOBS AND SEEKING OUT THE HIGHLY SKILLED

60% of hiring managers form a positive or negative opinion of a candidate in 15 minutes or less.6

87% of human resources managers interviewed said they would welcome a returning employee who left on good terms.5

Entry-level skills that matter most to employers are collaboration (67%), communication (59%) and functional knowledge (53%).7

Percentage of executives who

report challengesin finding skilled professionals:

CIOs1

68%

CFOs2

64%

Lawyers3

70%

TIME TO HIRE PAGE 2

Only 23% of organizations measure the quality of new hires, which can give employers insight into their hiring process.8

Employers can’t afford to waste time. The best candidates won’t wait around for hiring managers who take too long to make a decision.

SPOTLIGHT: TIME TO HIRE

Volume 12 – Q3/Q4 2016 Robert Half 2

SPECIAL REPORT: THE DEMAND FOR SKILLED TALENT

1Canadian CIOs Reveal Hiring Plans for Second Half of 2016, Robert Half, June 21, 2016.2Canadian Professional Employment Forecast, Robert Half, fall 2016.3Canadian Lawyers Share Their Hiring Plans for the Second Half of 2016, Robert Half Legal, June 16, 2016.4Labour Force Survey, June 2016, Statistics Canada, June 8, 2016. 5Welcome Back … Or Not?, Accountemps, Feb. 23, 2016. 6Timing May Be Everything When It Comes to Landing a Job, Accountemps, May 4, 2016. 7Ibid.8Talent Acquisition: Selection, Society for Human Resource Management, Apr. 18, 2016.9Eighty-five percent of Canadian employers say stress is the number-one workplace issue, Willis Towers Watson, June 29, 2016.10Majority of Canadians Would Consider Changing Jobs for Retirement Benefits: ADP Survey, ADP, July 6, 2016.11Vacation Vexation, Accountemps, May 26, 2016.122016 Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey, Salofi Canada, June 13, 2016.13Casual Dress Code in Fashion at Work, OfficeTeam, June 1, 2016.

Canadian employees ranked inadequate staffing (lack of support, uneven workload or performance in a group) and low pay as the top two causes of workplace stress.9

77% of employees would consider leaving their job if, all other things being equal, another employer offered better retirement support.10

52% of professionals feel they don’t have enough vacation time.11

41% of employees surveyed said they would take advantage of flexible working arrangements.12

19% of workers say they would prefer to work for a company with a business-casual dress code.13

WHAT WOULD MAKE WORKERS LEAVE THEIR JOBS?

64% — Percentage of workers who said the most frustrating part of the job search is the long wait after the interview to hear if they advanced to the next step or got the job.

29% — Percentage of workers who said that a hiring process (time from a first interview to job offer) of 7-14 days is too long.

46% — Percentage of workers who lose interest in the role because of a lengthy hiring process and pursue other job openings.

Source: Robert Half survey of more than 400 workers in Canada employed in office environments, June 2016

Volume 12 – Q3/Q4 2016 Robert Half 3

Source: Labour Force Survey – June 2016, Statistics Canada, July 8, 2016

SPECIAL REPORT: THE DEMAND FOR SKILLED TALENT

We specialize in identifying hard-to-find candidates and matching them with appropriate jobs. Our staffing professionals are well-connected within the industries we serve and are able to draw from a large pool of highly skilled and experienced candidates. We also conduct frequent research so we can provide our clients with the most up-to-date information on salary and employment trends. With more than 325 specialized staffing locations worldwide and more than 65 years of recruiting experience, Robert Half is well-positioned to help you with any of your staffing and recruitment needs.

Call us today at 1.800.803.8367.

roberthalf.ca

ROBERT HALF CAN HELP

© 2016 Robert Half Canada Inc.

Business, Finance and Administrative Occupations (3.5%)Financial auditors/accountantsFinancial and investment analystsExecutive assistantsReceptionistsData entry clerksPayroll clerksCustomer service representativesAdministrative clerksLegal secretaries

Management Occupations (2.0%)Financial managersBusiness services managersSales/marketing/advertising managers

Natural and Applied Sciences and Related Occupations (3.0%)Information systems analystsDatabase analystsComputer programmersWeb designers/developersComputer network techniciansUser support technicians

Social Science and Government Occupations (2.3%)Law clerks and related occupationsLawyers and Quebec notariesJudges

COMPANIES ARE HIRING THE HIGHLY SKILLED June 2016 Unemployment Rates by Occupation, for Select Positions