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• 04 Jun

  

  Posted by
  Ryan Anderson

  
  

  Category

  • Commentary

  Don’t Allow Standard Expectations to be What Sets Employers Apart

  2

  If I have heard it once, I have heard it a million times: “We are a good employer because of (insert reason here)”.  “Insert reason here” ends up a generic, yet positive reason to why you, as an applicant, should be baited to pursue a career with the Company.

  What most employers fail to consider is what should be your unique selling propositions as an employer and what sets you apart from other organizations. Employers need to rethink the selling points that market you as an ‘employer of choice’. If your best tag line features include things you should naturally be doing, a rewrite is in order:

  “We provide base salary and benefits” – Great…and you should.
  “We are an equal opportunity employer” – You are supposed to be!
  “We offer a comfortable working environment” – Opposed to?

  These types of postulates remind me of banter with mates who want undeserved points for paying their bills on time, taking care of their kids and being a courteous driver.  All fantastic qualities affording you the right to claim you are a decent human being, but nothing that sets you apart from what you should be doing.

  Employers want to believe that their offerings are original and different, when in fact there is little that is separating them from other organizations. Consider identifying benefits that are outside of the norm. Do you offer tuition reimbursements and professional development? Do you offer flexible hours for those who have varying commitments supporting a healthy work/life balance? Do you promote strong workplace values such as public image and ethics?

  Employers need to discontinue marketing themselves with reasons that should be expectations of employees and not as perks. Less credit needs to be taken for the things that employers should be doing naturally, and more for truly enhancing an employee’s experience with an organization.

• 08 Mar

  

  Posted by
  Michelle Ventrella

  
  

  Category

  • Commentary

  Remembering Retention

  0

  While you can (and most are) debate whether the recession is actually ‘over,’ I would caution employers against exhaling too soon. If you’re like most, you’ve been looking at employees through the lens of cost-cutting and termination. Times are changing and it’s time to look through the lens of retention.

  I would argue you should never shift focus away from retention, but this is perhaps for another blog post. The reality is that retention has simply not been a priority for most businesses in the past 18 months and that needs to change.

  An extraordinary legacy of the recent economic downturn is its creation of a new kind of employee; one who has seen, felt and experienced first-hand the trauma of working inside an organization when the economic world outside is crumbling. These employees are the witnesses. The survivors. And while they’ve been seriously disgruntled for months now (Great Recessions will do that), they’ve stuck around because of limited options elsewhere.

  That’s changing.

  » Read the rest of the entry..

• 15 Dec

  

  Posted by
  Jennifer French

  
  

  Category

  • Commentary
  • Legislation

  The Implications of Rehiring an Employee

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  [picappgallerysingle id="247501"]

  Many companies rehire employees who have worked for them in the past.  Typically, they have a “Re-employment Policy” which details the privileges that will be re-instated (i.e. benefits, vacation, and seniority).  However, they may not have considered the obligation regarding severance pay should the renewed relationship not work out.

  The company is required to pay severance for broken periods of service when they add up to five (5) years or more (if severance is applicable).  For example, if an employee had worked previously for the company for 2 years, resigned and was away for 2 years, rehired and worked for another 4 years and then the employee is terminated, he/she would be entitled to severance based on the combined service – therefore, 6 years (the 2 years previously employed plus the current 4 years of employment).  Notice would just be required on the current employment period of 4 years (therefore, 4 weeks of working notice or pay).   Under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 minimums, the total termination pay would be four (4) weeks of notice and six (6) weeks’ severance (if applicable).   In addition, it doesn’t matter how long the break in service is or the reason the employee left initially (quit or termination).  So rehiring an employee can mean taking on a potential severance liability.

  Some suggestions when considering an employee for re-hire include:

  • Insuring that the employee’s qualifications meet the requirements of the vacant position;
  • Confirming that he/she had been in good standing at the time of departure;
  • Reviewing the privileges you may consider reinstating (benefits, vacation, etc.) as there is no legal obligation to do so;
  • Clearly outlining all terms in the new offer letter.
• 20 Nov

  

  Posted by
  Mike Morawiec

  
  

  Category

  • Legislation
  • Link

  Employment Accessibility Standard Coming to Ontario

  0

  The recently released Final Proposed Employment Accessibility Standard for the AODA will have a significant impact on every employer in Ontario. The goal of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) is to make Ontario accessible to people with disabilities by 2025, to be achieved by

  “developing, implementing and enforcing accessibility standards in order to achieve accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities with respect to goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures and premises on or before January 1, 2025.”

  The Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, Ontario Regulation 429/07 was the first standard to become law, on January 1, 2008.

  The AODA is the first law of it’s kind in Canada and is similar to the Americans with Disabilities Act in the US.  Though not yet law, if adopted in the current form, the act will have a significant impact on every employment related practice from recruitment to termination.

  » Read the rest of the entry..

• 14 Sep

  

  Posted by
  Pam Mihailoff

  
  

  Category

  • Commentary

  Canadian salary increases for 2010?

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  Last week, Hewitt Associates released some valuable insights for employers from their 31st annual Salary Increase survey.  The survey was conducted in June and July of this year and the results are based on responses from 387 organizations representing more than 710,000 employees in Canada.

  HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SURVEY

  • The average salary increase is projected to be a “modest” 2.8 per cent nationally in 2010, up from the 2.2 per cent increase actually awarded in 2009.
  • Organizations in Alberta are projecting average increases of 3.0 per cent and in Manitoba a projected 3.2 per cent increase. In Saskatchewan, companies are forecasting 4.2 per cent increases which are the highest in the country, likely drive by its broad-based economy (agriculture, mining, and oil and gas) that appears to be more recession-proof than other sectors across Canada.
  • Fifty per cent of respondents indicated they will increase salary increase budgets in the coming year (in comparison to the budget for 2009) due to the more favourable outlook for 2010. The remaining respondents indicated they are expanding their salary increase budget for reasons such as an expectation of strong company performance in 2010 or believe their organizations’ pay levels are below market.
  • Last summer, 1.8 per cent of employers were forecasting salary freezes for 2009. In reality, 29.2 per cent of organizations froze salaries, which is the highest amount in 10 years.
  • For 2010, only 6.5 per cent of employers are planning to freeze salaries and another one-third are still undecided and taking more of a “wait and see” approach before confirming their strategy.
  • With respect to variable pay (i.e. bonus), the survey shows an increasing emphasis on company performance as a factor when determining variable pay amounts. In fact, 74 per cent of companies reported that company performance will be a factor (as opposed to exclusively relying on individual performance as the sole indicator), which is up from 69 per cent in the previous year.

  MANAGING EXPECTATIONS

  No matter what your organization decides to do with respect to salary increases for 2010, the key to retaining and keeping your employees motivated is simply communicating with them. If you choose to remain silent on the subject, your employees will rely on gossip, speculation and wishful thinking and will formulate their own expectations. For many employees the fear of the unknown is far more frightening than being told the reality (often it is not as bad as employees think it is). Even if the news is not good, it is certainly better to prepare employees for how they will be impacted and share the business and financial reasons why these decisions were made. If your organization is still uncertain, this should also be communicated and a timeline for when the decision will be made and communicated to employees.

  So what can you do to keep your employees in the loop and manage their expectations?

  • Organize a town hall meeting, President’s breakfast or Lunch and Learn, to discuss this and other key organizational issues with your employees.
  • Share financials to support decisions that you make. The numbers don’t lie and most employees will be more likely to understand another year of salary freezes when the numbers are down significantly.
  • Be realistic! If the current picture is not positive, be careful not to make overly optimistic assumptions about the future to lessen the blow– Conversely, be careful not to be overly negative to make your point!
  • Ensure your Managers and Supervisors are “singing off the same song sheet” and that they are communicating a consistent message to employees
  • Share your recovery and cost containment plans with employees – show them you are actively trying to improve the situation
  • Showcase other company benefits (i.e. group benefits, pension, company matched RRSP contributions, etc.). Remind employees to focus on “total compensation” not just base salary.
• 24 Jul

  

  Posted by
  Erik Bartz

  
  

  Category

  • Commentary
  • Link

  The Recession is On Its Way Out. Is Your Talent Going With It? | The Hiring Site

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  So yesterday the Central Bank of Canada announced the recession is over, though certainly we’re still in for some rough times in the coming months.  Pay cuts and hiring freezes are still in effect, and many companies are still on work-share.  But bottom lines are starting to look a little better, and as they improve new job openings will start to present themselves.  So ask yourself, now that the Recession is On Its Way Out. Is Your Talent Going With It? Perhaps your A players stuck through the hardships, but will they continue to stick with you or get lured away by companies focusing on growth.

  The article makes a great point about continuing your recruitment efforts, staying engaged and developing your employment brand.  But we’d also like to flip the article’s position and look internally at your company.  As the economics of your business improve its a good time to reward and encourage those people who stayed with the company and helped it survive.  Its summer time, take you A team out for lunch, pass out tickets to Wonderland, or a baseball game.  Show your A team you care, its more important now than ever if you want to hang on to them.

• 22 Jul

  

  Posted by
  Erik Bartz

  
  

  Category

  • Link

  12 Ways To Conduct A Great Interview | Six Pixels of Separation

  1

  Six Pixels of Separation posted an informative list of 12 Ways To Conduct A Great Interview which is definitely worth a read before your next interview.  We all have our own interviewing styles, but it doesn’t hurt hearing someone else’s perspective.  Not to take away the post’s thunder, but I’ve included the section titles to get you excited to go check out the full article.

  1. Don’t conduct an interview, have a conversation
  2. Do your homework
  3. Don’t stick to your agenda
  4. Have notes, not questions
  5. Ask open ended questions
  6. Open arms
  7. If you’re going to record it…
  8. Don’t say anything
  9. Watch the clock
  10. Be the ambassador for your audience
  11. Don’t just take notes
  12. Have fun