Archive for the ‘HR Management’ Category

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Winning the War on Talent

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

With the tightening job market, organizations are requiring new or different outsourced HR services. The war on talent is definitely heating up and internal HR teams are challenged with shifting priorities and strategic workforce planning issues.

Over the past several months, BOWEN has been researching workforce trends. Through our findings, we’ve recognized that many organizations need help with retaining and attracting employees, and we’ve responded! Our Outsourced HR division is providing transactional HR services to organizations, allowing their internal HR professionals to move into a more strategic role and focus on larger company priorities. Our experienced team will conduct reference checks, exit and stay interviews, and can help fill in gaps where required.

Companies need to maximize their internal resources, manage costs and deliver results. Most importantly, organizations need to ensure that their fingers are on the pulse of their workforce so they can retain existing employees, while being competitive in attracting new top talent. BOWEN’s Outsourced HR professionals can help internal HR teams ensure they have the flexibility and skills to respond to the changing labour market and conditions, and achieve optimal results.

Please contact Marilynn Balfour (mbalfour@bowenworks.ca), Director of Outsourced HR, for more information.

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Posted in Career building tips, HR Management | No Comments »

The Truth About Temp

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

Over 150,000 Canadians were employed through temporary services in 2010 (Stats Canada). That’s an incredible number! While temp work is on the rise, there is still a misconception that temporary workers can only fill clerical or administrative positions. It is true that support in these areas is common, but at BOWEN, we have found our temporary candidates being considered for mid- and even senior-level positions.

The increase of temporary workers in higher positions is a result of the diverse candidate skillset currently available, as well as a somewhat cautious economic recovery. Whether it’s an administration, accounting and finance, IT, industrial, or a project management position, temporary workers can satisfy a wide range of staffing needs. And sometimes, temporary work fills an immediate need that can lead to permanent employment.

Whether you are looking for job flexibility, an opportunity to gain experience, a temporary means of income while you look for a permanent role, or simply like the variety of working for different companies in different industries, temporary work is a great job solution.

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

Talented Terrors are Toxic in the Workplace

Friday, February 4th, 2011

It may not be a topic that gets a lot of attention, but it should. Talented terrors are a workplace reality. Their skills and abilities make them superstars, but their attitudes leave a lot to be desired. Talented Terrors can deliver excellent results but their attitudes damage morale and destroy teams. They actually believe you can’t manage without their brilliance.

Talented Terrors will push you to the limit to see how much they can get away with. They drain all your energy making it difficult for you to deal with them. They do not nor do they want to give 100%. Whether you work with them or supervise them, you need to manage them. They need to be held accountable for their actions so they don’t drive the productive employees away.

What can you do to turn this situation into a win-win for all? BOWEN is going to tackle this tough topic at our next “Building a Better Workplace” seminar series in February. Judging by the incredible response and the sellout of three seminars, this is one hot topic that managers have been struggling with for years. We promise to run more seminars in the near future and will post a few highlights from our discussion later this month.

If you’ve got a toxic talented terror on your team, there is hope! With the right approach and resources, you can turn things around. Stay tuned.

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Posted in HR Management | 1 Comment »

How to get started…incorporating diversity into your workplace

Friday, October 15th, 2010

In my Oct. 12th blog post, I wrote about why diversity makes good business sense. A diverse workforce will make an organization stronger for many reasons:

 

·         Including immigrants increases your organization’s talentpool.

·         It makes good business sense to have a workforce that represents your community and customer base.

·         A diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and new approaches and can open doors to international opportunities.

·         A diverse workforce brings a global competitive advantage through international networks, cultural knowledge and language skills.

·         Immigrants can be very loyal opportunities, improving your retention rates and improving your recruitment and training costs.

 

(Source: Shell Immigrant Employment Project)

 

So now you may be convinced to start planning, or you may need more information. Either way, there are several places to get started in creating a new – and brighter – future for your organization.

 

  • Become a corporate partner in the Calgary Regional Immigrant Employment Council’s mentoring program or learn more about this great organization that builds pathways between employers and skilled immigrants. Visit www.criec.ca for information.
  • Get involved in Networking for Success events where you can meet with internationally trained professionals. These events are hosted by Calgary Catholic Immigration Society and the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. Call (403)290-5116 for information.
  • Show your leadership by becoming a pilot organization for the Map to Meaningful Employment.

All of these opportunities are part of the Shell Immigrant Employment Program and you can find out more by contacting jaime.enachescu@calgaryunitedway.org

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Posted in Employment opportunities, HR Management, diversity | 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 »

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 »

Bullying Discussion Heats Up

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

On Saturday, Jun 12, the Calgary Herald featured an article about BOWEN’s Bullying in the Workplace seminars.

If you haven’t had a chance to read it, check it out here:

//www.calgaryherald.com/life/Bullying+workplace+rise/3145498/story.html

Interestingly, the story resulted in some great responses from Herald readers who were happy to see that this important topic was being discussed!

Yesterday, newspapers across Canada were picking up the story based on Queen’s University’s School of Business research that shows workplace bullying can be more damaging than racial or gender harassment. Interestingly,the Province of Ontario is preparing to pass a bill that will require employers to “develop and communicate workplace violence prevention policies, assess the risks of workplace violence, and take reasonable precautions to protect workers from domestic violence in the workplace”.

(http://http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/canada/Bullying+work+worse+than+gender+racial+harassment+Report/3151623/story.html

Quebec and Saskatchewan already have similar legislation in place. Let’s hope it is not long before every province follows suits. Workplace bullying is wrong - plain and simple!

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Posted in General, HR Management | No Comments »

Tweet, Tweet, Jumping onto Twitter

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

I’m on a learning curve but am excited to be venturing into the world of social media. From all I’ve been seeing and reading, it is becoming an essential part of an organization’s entire marketing approach. I know there is still much to learn but one of the things that really appeals to me about social media is the opportunity for virtual networking and dialogue in such an informal, easy way. My tweets are somewhat infrequent, but I am starting to post more regularly. If you’d like to follow me on Twitter, you can find me at http://twitter.com/sbowensmed. I’d love to hear from you and look forward to more chats in the future.

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Posted in General, HR Management | 3 Comments »

The High Price of the Workplace Bullying

Friday, May 28th, 2010

Last week, I wrote about the real problem of bullying is in today’s workplace. What is workplace bullying? It can be defined as the mistreatment of others motivated by the bully’s personal agenda and is intended to strip down the target’s confidence to have them conform or comply with the bully’s intent. It may sound pretty formal but really, bullying is a form of manipulation and is about control. And just like with school bullying, workplace can have a long term psychological impact on the target and it involves repetitive, aggressive behavior meant to intimidate and control the victim.

It’s also something that can be difficult to talk about or address, but not doing so can cost employers more than they may realize. An article on the Canadian Women’s Health Network states A 2007 survey of bullying targets conducted by the Workplace Bullying Institute in the United States found that 45% of the respondents experienced stress-related health problems, including anxiety, panic attacks, sleep problems or depression.

Prolonged exposure to stress in the workplace can lead to other serious health concerns, such as problems related to cardiovascular, neurological and immune system health. Also, targets often decide to quit their jobs and end up trading the stress of bullying for the stress of being unemployed.”

As an employer, I want to ensure that I know what signs to look for so that my employees can feel safe and remain focused on their responsibilities, while enjoying a healthy workplace. When we start to count the costs, both from a monetary and a morale perspective, it is too great to tolerate any form of bullying. We don’t accept it at school and we shouldn’t accept it in our workplace.

Check out my May 20th entry for more information on our upcoming free seminar about workplace bullying.

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Posted in HR Management | 1 Comment »

Not Just for the Playground

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

Bullying is not an issue confined to the school playground and it doesn’t just happen to kids and teens. Bullying is a fact of today’s workplace, and it’s something we don’t talk about enough. There are many signs to look for, just like with children.

Bullying impacts employees and corporations in many ways, including financially and psychologically. There are also many questions. How do you identify a workplace bully? How do the seek out their targets? Most importantly, how do you stop it?

I firmly believe that there is a tremendous opportunity for workplace leadership by tackling the tough topic of bullying. BOWEN is pleased to be offering a free seminar about this issues as part of our new Building a Better Workplace series. The session takes place June 10 between 12 and 1 p.m. For more information, you can e-mail hbrooks@bowenworks.ca.

Watch for new blog posts next week when I dig a little deeper into this topic. It’s worth talking about!

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Posted in HR Management | No Comments »

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