Archive for the ‘Economy’ Category

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Great Connections Build Great Career Success

Thursday, July 7th, 2011

After a brief hiatus, I am pleased to be blogging again! The past few months have been incredibly busy at BOWEN. As I mentioned in previous posts, we moved offices, launched a new logo and created our Shine Fund, which is dedicated to helping families in need and creating a community where everyone shines. Of course, during this time, all of our day-to-day business operations have continued on at their regular fast pace. The Calgary job market is definitely on the upswing and we are seeing an increase in optimism and opportunities.

Our work at BOWEN is really all about connecting people. I think our new tag line of “Bright people. Bright futures.” nicely sums up our team’s purpose. We want to connect high-calibre candidates with the right job opportunities, and at the same time, introduce our clients to Western Canada’s top talent. Of course, we do much more than that through our other services such as Flexible Workforce Management and Outsourced HR. However, at the core, we want to create and build connections that create success for everyone, whether it is an individual, corporation or one of the amazing non-profit organizations that are dedicated to making our community a better place.

With Stampede starting tomorrow, there will be plenty of opportunities for networking, building connections and of course, having fun. Have a look at my July 9, 2010 blog post for some tips on how to make the most of your Stampede events. Feel free to contact the BOWEN team if you’d like to learn more about how great connections lead to greater career success.

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Posted in Economy, Employment opportunities, General, Seasonal | No Comments »

Diversity Makes Good Business Sense

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010

One of the things I am very passionate about is promoting the importance of diversity in the workforce. Several years ago, BOWEN piloted at program called Immigrant Works with the Government of Alberta and corporate Calgary. Its purpose was to encourage employers to hire from the tremendous skilled foreign worker talent pool.

 

Today, I am thrilled to be chairing the Adult Immigrant Initiative for the United Way of Calgary and Area, and involved in the Shell immigrant employment project.

 

Unemployment numbers are slowly creeping downward, and in the very near future there will be shortage of qualified candidates to choose from for a variety of different roles across many industries. Smart employers are already looking ahead with workforce plans that include a diverse employee pool.

 

The Canadian workforce is rapidly changing. Just consider the following facts:

 

·         Canada’s workforce is shrinking, babyboomers are retiring and our birthrate is low;

·         By 2011 immigrants will account for 100% of the growth of the workforce;

·         Demand is increasing for skilled labour.

 

(Source: Shell Immigrant Employment Project) 

 

Thankfully, Calgary attracts some of the brightest skilled foreign workers:

 

·         Nearly 24,000 new immigrants from 120 countries arrive in Alberta each year; close to 60% settle in Calgary;

·         Calgary attracts immigrants that are often more educated and highly-skilled than other Canadian cities;

·         45% of immigrants arriving in Calgary hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher;

·         50 % of immigrants in Calgary with post-secondary credentials are not using their skills and experience;

·         Most frequent problems in finding employment include lack of Canadian work experience, lack of contacts in the job market, lack of recognition of foreign qualifications and experience and language barriers.

 

(Source: Shell Immigrant Employment Project) 

 

The numbers speak for themselves. Understanding and embracing the skilled foreign workforce will be key to future business success. In my next blog post, I’ll talk more about how diversity can strengthen an organization and how Calgary companies can get involved today.

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Posted in Economy, Employment opportunities, HR Management, diversity | No Comments »

Career Advice from Oprah

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

The September edition of O - The Oprah Magazine has some great job search tips for women (although the ideas certainly can apply to men too). Focusing on four different scenarios, the article “Hire Power” offers suggestions on how to go after that dream job. A few of the highlights include:

  • Regrouping after a layoff - focus on metrics and accomplishments in your resume and include a summary of qualifications.
  • Foot in the door - include positive quotes from references within your resume.
  • Exiting the mommy track - highlight the impact of your volunteer work and include quotes from parent council colleagues.
  • Switching gears - consider removing dates from a lengthy resume to avoid giving the impression that you will be very “expensive” based on length of career and experience.

Check out oprah.com/omagazine or pick up your copy today for more insights on career strategies and fashion advice for wherever you are in your job search.

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Posted in Career building tips, Economy, Employment opportunities | No Comments »

Labour shortage looming (really)

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

While it may not be reality right now, there is a labour shortage looming in the oilpatch. Two different reports, one by human resources consulting firm Mercer and one by the Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada, are predicting a substantial shortfall of oilpatch employees as early as next year. It’s good news for potential employees, but not so good for oil and gas companies.

The key for employers is to be proactive today. Start to look at how to engage alternative labour pools, such as foreign workers, Aboriginals, women and disabled persons are all good alternatives that can provide skilled workers to the looming employee shortage. Employers need to look at what skills they need in order to effectively recruit and manage these potential employees NOW. Diversity training is a must and one that BOWEN can provide.

While a labour shortage may still feel like it is “sometime in the future”, it is actually must closer than we think. Employers who will be ahead of the curve are proactively planning for it now.

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Posted in Economy, Employment opportunities, HR Management | No Comments »

Hats off to everyone in the staffing industry!

Monday, June 7th, 2010

This week is Staffing Week in Canada, and I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the incredible team of staffing professionals at BOWEN, as well as the employers who come to us seeking assistance for a wide variety of workforce needs, and to the job seekers who ask for our help with their careers.

I recently celebrated my 26th anniversary with BOWEN and can honestly say I still love coming to work each day. This is a dynamic and challenging industry, that is also very rewarding. There is such satisfaction in helping people find a job that will carry them along their career path and balance their work / life responsibilities! At the same time, I am honoured that so many of Canada’s top companies have trusted BOWEN’s experience and expertise, and invited us to essentially become part of their human resource and business teams.

The past few years have been particularly challenging for the staffing industry, as we were so directly impacted by the economic downturn and the effects on business. However, there is a positive shift happening and I know that regardless of what the future holds, we will continue to give our best to the employers and job seekers who want our help. Congratulations to all who are part of the staffing industry and enjoy the week!

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Posted in Economy, General, Seasonal, Thank You | No Comments »

The Scoop Behind the Stats

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

The latest Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey shows that unemployment is down across the country, with the national rate edging down to 8.1 per cent. More people are working and that is always good news! One anomaly to this trend is that in Calgary, unemployment is actually on the rise. What gives? Global Television Calgary invited BOWEN to comment on the somewhat puzzling trend and my colleague, Debbie Wershler did the interview. You can check it out here While we don’t fully understand why the number of jobs are down in Calgary overall, it’s important to keep everything in perspective. Let me share a few highlights of what we are seeing in our day-to-day business at BOWEN:

  • We are not seeing major layoffs.
  • Employers are still hiring and our economy is rebounding slowly.
  • Employers are more willing to hire temporary or contract workers because they are cautious to not over-commit to employees with permanent jobs.
  • We typically see the number of jobs increasing over the summer months due seasonal project work, and this should be reflected in May’s numbers.
  • There are some big infrastructure projects in Calgary that are just ramping up and the employment impact may not yet be evident in the statistics.
  • Investment is also happening in operating areas outside of Calgary, such as oil sands expansion projects in the north, and jobs are being created in Alberta, which means new opportunities for Calgary residents willing to relocate.

Despite the rather gloomy April numbers, we still need to keep the big picture in mind. Our fundamental demographic situation has not changed and we do expect to find ourselves back in the situation of low unemployment rates again in the next two or three years. I still believe positive change is coming, it’s just a little slow in getting here!

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Posted in Economy, Employment opportunities | No Comments »

The Changing Face of the Corporate Workforce

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
On March 9, 2010, Stats Canada released a report stating that the diversity of Canada’s population will continue to increase over the next two decades, Stats Canada Report. One of the report highlights says that by 2031, between 25% and 28% of the population could be foreign-born. It is expected that 30% of Calgary’s population will be foreign born.

 

What does this mean for future workforce planning for Canadian companies? My colleague, Ken Vinge, spoke to Calgary’s Global Television yesterday about this topic to share BOWEN’s viewpoint, Global Story.

 

Quite simply, companies need to start planning how they will recruit, incorporate and manage their foreign workers NOW. For several years, BOWEN’s Immigrant Works program helped to place temporary foreign workers into professional intern jobs. Our learnings from this program are very relevant to future workforce planning.

 

Companies need to take into considerations the language and cultural nuances in managing a foreign workforce. Plan for how you will support foreign professionals within your workplace and orient them to how business typically operate in North America. How will you coach your managers to really maximize the benefit of this dynamic workforce? What we do know is companies that are already hiring foreign workers and investing in diversity in the workplace will be ahead of the curve when the real hiring crunch comes. Best of all, they will reap the rewards of a knowledgeable, talented, hardworking and loyal workforce. And that makes great business sense to me!

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Posted in Economy, HR Management | No Comments »

It’s never to early to start your summer job search

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

As the market has become tighter the need for applicants to have relevant experience is even more important.  This also means the demand for summer student positions is even higher, so the earlier you start your search the better.

When considering your summer employment options and goals the wage you earn is important but building your resume towards your new career should rank higher. For college and university students many companies have openings specifically for you to gain experience. These jobs may seem basic but if they are within a company that operates in an industry that you are pursuing you will be exposed to many important aspects of daily work and may be giving opportunities beyond the job title. 

This is your chance to get your foot in the door and if the job goes well you may be able to come back for future summer employment in progressing roles.  The pay in some cases may not be as much as other opportunities but the experience is invaluable. That landscaping job may have a higher hourly wage that helps pay down your school debt quicker but unless you are planning a career in landscaping the experience and great tan you get over the summer will not help your career search.  

Speak to your school, professors and other students to find out which companies may have a summer student program.  Many students looking for jobs are also maximizing the power of social media by posting on their Facebook/Twitter pages that they’re looking for a job and could anyone help them out? This is a great tool as you can get in touch with people you may not have in your own network by being recommended by someone else. 

While it may not look like it right now, summer is just around the corner and it is the right time to start your summer job search.

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Posted in Career building tips, Economy, Employment opportunities | No Comments »

The value of Outsourced HR

Friday, February 19th, 2010

A bad hire can cost companies a lot of money. However, for small- to medium-sized businesses, it is often difficult to manage the expense of a fulltime HR professional. Outsourcing Human Resources duties can make a lot of sense, both financially and from a staff resources perspective.

 

Outsourced HR can include services like pre-employment screening, reference checking, education verification, background checks and recruitment support. Whether it’s retaining the workforce you have, or building for the future, Outsourced HR can fill in the gaps with a company’s current HR team, or offer specific expertise for small companies without a designated HR person. Now that is good business!

 

It’s always important to understand the business you are in.  Employing, managing and supporting our people is essential but it may not be critical that these expertise are held in-house.  Do you need a compensation expert as part of your staff or only during salary reviews?  More and more companies are looking for alternate solutions to manage costs and resources.  As we consider demographic realities one might argue how we staff and currently see HR will likely have to change as we have so many retiring from the HR community and so few with similar expertise to replace them.  Outsourcing may be a big part of a future solution.  To get a sense of the quality of HR consultants in the market see our group of affiliates at HR Works.

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Posted in Career building tips, Economy, HR Management | 1 Comment »

Where is your blue sky?

Friday, February 5th, 2010

I firmly believe that with every dark cloud there is a silver lining, and as we begin another year, many will use this time to think of their goals for the future. Regardless of your current reality – and even more importantly if you are in a difficult situation – it’s important to do some “blue sky” thinking.

 

Wiktionary.org defines blue sky thinking as “thinking that is not grounded or in touch in the realities of the present; open-minded thinking (i.e., as wide and clear as the blue sky)”.

 

Are you where you want to be in your career? If not, what can you do to get yourself moving in the direction of your dreams? Do you need to join a networking or professional group? Go back to school? Start looking at other opportunities? Find a mentor?

 

You are the person who can change your circumstances. It may not happen overnight but by taking those first steps in a new direction, you can create a different path.

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Posted in Career building tips, Economy, Work / Life Balance | 2 Comments »

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