Posts Tagged ‘workforce planning’

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 »

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 »

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 »

TELECOMMUTING MAKES THREE TIMES THE BUSINESS SENSE!

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

This week is Telework Week in Calgary and there are several reasons to celebrate - and consider - why telecommuting makes sense. 

Calgary Economic Development (CED) is leading a regional telework initiative called WORKshift that profiles and promotes the many benefits of telecommuting for employees. As part of this important program, companies are being invited to evaluate and incorporate flexible work arrangements for their employees. 

I am really excited about CED’s leadership in this initiative and support the goal of Calgary becoming a centre of excellence in telework! There are so many benefits to telecommuting - for individuals, corporations and the environment. It’s a business practice that I personally encourage at BOWEN and one that organizations need to consider when looking at cost savings, space planning, sustainability and of course, employee satisfaction.  

While there has already been much discussion on how telecommuting can help organizations realize efficiencies, as well as encourage employee productivity and a work/life balance, it also has a lot a merit from a corporate social responsibility standpoint. Here’s a fascinating fact: if there was a 3% reduction in the number of Calgarians commuting to work on any given week day, our traffic gridlock would be eliminated. What a time-saver, not to mention what it would do for our environment. Now that’s something that would help us all out!

WORKshift is the only program of its kind in Canada and it’s just one more way that Calgary is leading the way with its entrepreneurial, can-do spirit. Check it out at workshiftcalgary.com.

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Posted in HR Management, Work / Life Balance | 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 »