Labour Shortage: Do You Have Recruitment Issues?

For several months now, dozens of organizations made the headlines because they are finding it increasingly difficult to attract employees. Others reported they are putting up large posters in several highly visible locations to promote the fact they are hiring. However, according to Statistics Canada data published on November 1^st, 2017, there are 5.2 jobless people for every job vacancy in Quebec. What can we make of this?

A similar article in French was posted on the Proxima Centauri blog.

5 things that can explain why you are having labour shortage issues

Since the turn of the 21^st century, technologies, tools, values and many other things have changed. If your organization is struggling to attract and recruit talents & labour shortage, check to see whether one of the following situations applies to your case:

1. You have not invested in your employer positioning, i.e. building a genuine employee experience promise in your organization;
2. Your HR marketing strategy is not based on factors stemming from your employer positioning, that you can convey in a distinctive and authentic manner;
3. There is no recruiting 3.0 specialist on your staff;
4. The person(s) in charge of recruiting have incomplete or obsolete skills;
5. Your organization has not built an active presence on social networks.

Organizations that propose a project or have invested in innovative and stimulating human resources management practices normally find it much easier to recruit. For those with the right tools and staff trained on the best talent attraction and retention practices, the “shortage” is also an issue, but to a lesser degree. It is just one challenge among many.

6 effective recruiting strategies

The current problem of labour shortage originates from many factors. One thing is sure, a variety of strategies are now required to effectively take on this challenge, and investing time, resources and money is not optional any more to ensure the sustainability of our organizations.

An organization must have a diversified communication strategy to advertise and “market” its job openings. Messages must be well packaged, distinctive, authentic, and reach an increasingly dispersed, information-overloaded target audience through several channels at once, such as:

1. A variety of job posting sites;
2. Social networks connected to the targeted individuals;
3. Internal and/or external referral program conveyed through various communication media on a regular basis;
4. Recruiting firms selected as partners to support your efforts;
5. Career page on the organization’s website, highlighting your work environment and your employer positioning.
6. Working with a marketing agency to deploy HR Marketing initiatives

What about Facebook and LinkedIn?

In Quebec, more and more organizations have a Facebook page or a LinkedIn account. However, in many cases, these accounts do not give them any significant benefit for attracting or recruiting the employees they need. Having the right tools is one thing, but knowing how to use them to obtain real leverage is a different story.

6 things that will ensure your success on social media

To use social media successfully as a recruiting tool, the following items are a must. Are they present in your organization?

1. Commitment and approval by senior management;
2. A strategy, a plan, and objectives;
3. Identified targets (who do you want to reach, how do you speak to them and get their attention...) and a budget (for tools, displays, advertising, etc.);
4. Training to ensure you have the required skill sets;
5. A policy on the use of social media, that will get all your staff on board;
6. Identified contacts and ambassadors.

Do you need to stand out and get results with your recruiting efforts? Does your team have the required resources and skills? Do you have a good command of social networks? Do you have a clear action plan and a recruiting strategy to meet your challenge? Each organization must assess its strengths, weaknesses and needs.