Posts Tagged ‘Employment’

Are you taking your kids to work?

By Bonnie Sokoloff

On Wednesday, November 2, the 17th annual Take Our Kids to Work™ event will take place throughout Canada.

Sponsored by The Learning Partnership, this program gives more than 200,000 grade nine* students the opportunity to spend a day gaining firsthand knowledge about being a member of the workforce. Job-shadowing a parent, relative or friend, or joining group activities arranged by the host company, inspires students to consider their future and, in particular, the type of career they would eventually like to pursue. Participation helps them connect how their efforts in school affect prospective career opportunities; they learn that staying in school and pursuing higher education will directly influence their career choices. They also develop a greater understanding and appreciation of how their parents make a living and provide for their family.

Employers help by giving young Canadians a springboard to help them think about and prepare for their future.

You may be thinking, “I’m running a small business; what do I have to offer students?” The answer is: a lot! Regardless of the size (and type) of business you operate, the information you are able to provide is invaluable to the workforce of tomorrow. In fact, spending the day in a small workplace may be more informative than visiting a large organization. A small company offers students exposure to a variety of business functions, whereas the student visiting a multilevel company is limited to learning about one role or department. If you are already familiar with the kids who will be taking part in your event, you can design a program of activities geared to their interests.

Activities don’t have to be complex or expensive to be of benefit—there are many simple ways to introduce students to the working world. Interaction is important, so get them involved in ‘doing’ rather than just observing. Set up a scavenger hunt and have them figure out and locate the materials they need to perform a specific task. Have them conduct mock interviews with each other or with your staff members so they can experience interview techniques as both a job candidate and an employer. Put them to work on a group project, where they can see that teamwork and collaboration skills are still important long after they have finished school. Need more ideas? Check out this resource guide offered by The Learning Partnership.

Even if you don’t have time to plan activities, simply providing students with a chance to job-shadow a parent and/or other staff is enough to give them an experience they won’t soon forget. Who knows… at some point in the future, one of these students may return to your workplace—this time as your star employee!

*Senior 1 in Manitoba; Secondary III in Quebec.

BONNIE SOKOLOFF currently works as an Internal Communications Specialist for Staples Canada. She has over 15 years of experience with copywriting, editing and print production.

Posted by Ashley in Lifestyle, New Posts on October 28th, 2011

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Sifting through the resume avalanche

By Ben Baldwin

Have you ever hired an employee who didn’t turn out like you expected? The good news is that you’re not alone. The bad news is that, if it’s happened before, there’s even greater reason for it to happen again now, given market circumstances. 

It seems that in these troubled economic times, posting even the most junior position receives a flood of qualified, unqualified and over-qualified responses from job seekers looking for work. 

It’s a sad reflection of the economic crisis unfolding on “Main Street,” that more and more people find themselves unemployed and looking for work – applying to any job posting for all the wrong reasons. 

As a business owner or manager, naturally, the question comes up – how do I take advantage of this situation and find the best candidates while avoiding the wrong ones? 

Having been in the employee hiring and development industry for over ten years, this question has been a driving force in what I do, and is more relevant now than ever before. 

Although there isn’t one easy answer, there are definite steps you can take to ensure that you’re on the right path to finding a candidate that “fits” your work environment and expectations. 

First, know what you want from your employees. Doing this may include writing down a list of the preferred personality traits and specific work experience you’re looking for. Managing your expectations and laying these out at the beginning benefits you, as the hiring manager, as well as your future employee. 

It’s important to hire for both today’s need and tomorrow’s vision. In other words, ensure that your candidate fits your immediate expectations, and will also bring value to your business and objectives in the future. If you can’t envision that the person sitting in front of you will still be with your company a year from now, it’s probably wise to thank them for their time and move on. 

While hiring, take full advantage of the resources available to you. Employee assessment reports, background checks… use as many tools as it takes to make your hiring experience easier and more accurate. Don’t try to be the owner, marketing manager, sales supervisor and HR manager at once; instead, seek out tools to help you in your hiring process. 

Don’t just settle. In times like these, when you have the luxury of receiving a diverse range of applications, take full advantage. Ensure that the person you are interested in does meet the requirements you’ve established, while at the same time bringing additional value to the table. 

And don’t make any impulsive moves by hiring someone based on one meeting. Ensure that the person still excites you during a second interview, after you’ve had time to sleep on it and digest your discussion during the first interview. 

Once you know what you’re looking for and have attracted those people, don’t be afraid to ask questions. In a world where people can obtain post-graduate degrees by answering their spam email, it’s important to confirm the accuracy of the information provided to you. This also means following up on references, as past employers can provide detailed information about an individual and their performance. 

Finally, set aside some time to conduct this process thoroughly. The worst mistake you can make is to speed through the hiring process. This is almost certainly a strategy for disaster, and ultimately, will cost you more time and money in the end.

Always remember, hiring done right is a wonderful experience that results in a more productive and profitable work environment. Take advantage of the resources and tools available to you, and keep in mind that what you put into it is what you’ll get in return.

Ben Baldwin is a Co-Founder of ClearFit.  He has spent the last 12 years founding and growing two software businesses with clients across 5 continents. He specializes in helping companies with their hiring and selection. 

ClearFit is  a web-based tool that makes hiring easy for small businesses, by showing candidates and employers how well they fit.

Posted by Lynnette in Getting Started, Growing Your Biz on August 23rd, 2010

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Rehiring retirees.

With technology and healthier living helping people live longer – and baby boomers redefining what it means to be old – a lot of companies are giving another look at whether it still makes sense to force employees to retire. And some successful enterprises are even taking advantage of the experience older workers offer to give them an edge.

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“High-performance organizations must select and retain experienced workers in leadership roles,” says Conference Board of Canada President, Anne Golden. “These people are the custodians of corporate memory and can mentor the next generation of workers.”

In fact, a slew of companies are helping to reverse the trend to retire workers with clever programs and policies to lure back seniors:

· Home Depot now offers a snowbird program that transfers employees to southern US locations during the winter.

· Another major retailer, 20% of whose workforce is over 50, is considering a similar plan and has even begun to make changes to its corporate culture, like using larger print for its corporate communications.

· The City of Calgary has a new internal employment agency to hire retirees to work on short-term assignments.

Besides the added experience and knowledge that mature workers provide, some companies have noticed other benefits. For instance, Avis Rent-a-Car found that its rental cars were less likely to be damaged by its retired part-time car shuttlers.

A survey on how to respond to an aging workforce, outlined here, offers five key ways to entice retirees to join your team:

1. Respect: Ensure your company offers a culture that values, recognizes and respects mature workers.

2. Flexibility: Create an age-friendly organization through flexible work schedules and hours, policies and practices free of age bias.

3. Learning: Promote continued development by offering training programs, access to new technology and opportunities for promotion.

4. Mentoring: Design jobs that are challenging and meaningful and create new roles for mature employees like mentoring.

5. Compensation: Develop innovative approaches to compensate mature employees, including offering incentives for them to return and remain at your company.

For additional insights and information into hiring retirees, visit the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada website.

Have you hired retirees or mature workers? We’re interested in hearing about your experience.

Posted by Lynnette in Getting Organized, Lifestyle on August 3rd, 2010

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How to manage your staff in a rough economy.

It’s no surprise that in tough economic times, many businesses’ knee-jerk reaction is to lay off workers. Salaries and benefits are a huge part of any enterprise’s bottom line so in many ways, it makes sense.

Unfortunately, job cuts bring with them other costs: severance pay, administration costs and legal fees, not to mention the knowledge and skills costs a company loses when employees are terminated. And there’s another set of factors even more difficult to measure:

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“In the face of layoffs, remaining staff often experience lower morale and productivity, higher levels of absenteeism and job-related stress and a loss of faith in the business. Your best employees may start seeking other opportunities. And, when business does improve, the costs of finding and training new employees are very high.”

Canada Business Services for Entrepreneurs makes these three practical suggestions:

1. Think long-term: Recruiting new employees is expensive and can damage relationships with customers, so try to avoid layoffs if you can. Instead, reduce employee costs through work reorganization, multi-tasking and learning new skills.

2. Recognize and reward: Acknowledge employee contributions one-on-one and in staff meetings. Offer incentives tied to your business reaching its goals. Give low-cost perks like days off or access to a coveted parking spot.

3. Keep it positive: Despair and negativity can spread like wildfire. Give your staff continual feedback. Offer flexible scheduling, job sharing and reduced workweeks. Have a strategy to deal with stress and conflict.

If you do have to cut staff, Whole Foods founder John Mackey suggests you use the ‘pull the Band-Aid off quickly’ philosophy:

“It’s important to make the cuts deep enough so you won’t have to do it again soon. Your employees will forgive you one round of layoffs. But if you do it a second time, you will lose their trust as people start thinking, My God, when am I going to lose my job?”

That’s just one of the 8 useful tips Inc.com offers here.


What has worked for you?
Share your experiences below!

Posted by Lynnette in Getting Organized, Lifestyle on July 27th, 2010

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Ready. Aim. Hire.

Hiring your first employee can be one of your company’s most nerve-racking and exhilarating milestones. It’s gratifying to know your hard work is paying off and that success and growth mean you’re ready to bring on help. But hiring can be stressful too if you’re unsure of the best way to gauge who’s right for the job and what legal steps you need to take.

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Marketing consultant and blogger, David Lavenda, offers some helpful do’s and don’ts  to consider before you make your first hire:

  • Don’t try to build a dream team – at least not yet. Right now, you don’t need strong egos, you need partners with talent and drive.
  • Don’t just hire people like yourself. Diversity can help you understand your company’s weaknesses and areas for opportunity.
  • Don’t be afraid to hire people with more experience or expertise than you. Hire people who fill in the gaps and make up for your weaknesses.
  • Don’t hire too many people with big company backgrounds. People who work for small businesses understand there are certain sacrifices that go with the job. You don’t want prima donnas who only fly first class or need a lot of support staff to work efficiently.
  • Do hire people who are comfortable working in a small business environment but who won’t be fish out of water when your company grows.
  • Do hire people who think differently. Lavenda says: “Groupthink and suppression of dissension are two great ‘company killers.’”
  • Do hire employees who thrive in an environment of uncertainty. Your business will experience lots of ups and downs. You want a team that can go the distance.
  • Do hire passionate people and do reward them. People who work for small companies understand their dedication can really make a difference and they’re usually willing to go the extra mile – as long as they feel appreciated and compensated for it. Don’t abuse their goodwill.

Entrepreneur.com offers some more great tips on hiring your first employee.

And you’ll want to check out bizlaunch.ca’s helpful information before you hire – from opening an employer account with the federal government to paying your employees.

Have you already hired your first employee or are you in the process? We’d love to hear your stories.

Posted by Lynnette in Growing Your Biz on February 26th, 2010

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Top 5 Startup Myths

By Small Business Expert Roger Pierce, www.BizLaunch.com

There are many misconceptions about running a small business. We’ve all heard stories about overnight successes, horrible failures and just plain luck.

It’s difficult to know what to believe about self-employment. Tell anyone you’re considering starting your own small business and you’ll receive plenty of conflicting advice and opinions.

To help you better understand what exactly you’re getting into, read these Top 5 Startup Myths.

  • Entrepreneurs make a lot of money. During the first few years of your new small business, you will earn less than you did as an employee. However, you’ll enjoy much larger income potential – in North America, 75 percent of millionaires are self-employed.
  • A great invention makes entrepreneurs rich. It’s not what your small business does, but how it does it. Successful companies simply brand, market and serve clients better or differently than their competitors. Look for opportunities to improve on an existing product or service rather than invent something completely new. Inventions are risky, expensive and can take years to return a profit. Start a service instead.
  • It takes money to start a small business. Some very successful businesses are launched with just a few hundred dollars. Others may cost millions yet still fail. A little company called Apple was born in a garage. Start small, think big, seek advice and get going.
  • Running a business is easy. It just looks that way! In reality, Canadian entrepreneurs work 59 hours per week. As a micro-company, small business owners must endure considerable stress associated with getting, doing and managing all of the work. Be prepared to multitask.
  • It’s lonely. True, you may feel some isolation if you choose to operate your business from home. However, with over 2.7 Million self-employed Canadians, you’ll find a robust small business community available to help you network, learn and interact. Look up local entrepreneur groups in your community and get involved.  

Learn more about running your own business by attending a free BizLaunch Seminar or Webinar, found at www.staples.ca/bizlaunch.

Posted by Lynnette in Getting Started on November 19th, 2009

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To the goal-setters go the spoils

One set of numbers from STAPLES Canada’s latest Small Business National Quarterly Index is particularly intriguing (at least to me): the results on challenges facing small businesses. Why? Because in spite of the newfound optimism evident throughout the rest of the survey, these figures haven’t budged much at all.

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When you think about it, though, the consistency in responses makes sense. Because, whether or not we’re in a recession, entrepreneurs are always trying to find new clients, generate leads, reduce costs, manage cash flow and hire qualified new employees. They’re all simply goals of any living, breathing business.

As the recession winds down, there are a couple of other challenges you may want to consider too – goals that may not be top of mind but are, in many ways, just as important:

  • Take stock. Review and adjust your product lines and customer bases to prepare for the shifting competitive landscape.
  • Go digital already. Diversify your customer base by leveraging the internet and electronic media for purchasing, marketing and selling your products.
  • Experiment. Do your homework and don’t be afraid to “forego the familiar and embrace the risks that can lead to higher rewards.”

Which reminds me of some goal-related words of wisdom from the inimitable Seth Godin:

“The thing about goals is that living without them is a lot more fun, in the short run. It seems to me, though, that the people who get things done, who lead, who grow and who make an impact… those people have goals.”

What challenges do you see for your business? What goals are you setting to meet them?

Posted by Lynnette in Getting Organized, Growing Your Biz on November 17th, 2009

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