Global News shared some insight recently about hot jobs for 2015.  With new graduates joining the workforce this time of year, CBC also put forth some career building advice.

While I enjoy reading “job market” articles as much as the next person, taking the information too seriously can be misguided.  Lists of jobs in demand can vary and change over time.  When applied too literally, this information can lead an earnest job hunter on a bit of a wild goose chase.  These statistics are compiled with data which is often selective and difficult to keep up to date – the accuracy and reliability of the data notwithstanding, the information may be stale by the time it is published.

A smart job search says as much about the candidate’s motivation as it does the quality of employer who recruits the individual.  As a HR professional who guides business owners and hiring managers in their recruitment, identifying the best qualified candidates isn’t a simple task.  Savvy job hunters need to use a different approach to get the employer’s attention.  It isn’t enough to know what is in demand but more important to know how to get the attention of those screening your application.

If you just study or train for the jobs on the in demand lists, you may already be one step behind from the start.  Plan for something you enjoy and the motivation and success will come naturally.  Instead, review those lists of in-demand occupations and find creative ways to do what you love within the opportunities that present themselves.  While hot jobs can change from year to year, the core employer requirements do not – quality candidates who present themselves well don’t ever go out of style.

Be in demand by knowing what to bring forward regardless of what positions you are seeking:

It’s not all about “You”

One of the most annoying things recruiters encounter is generic applications.  Truly motivated individuals take more care into researching the company and the position.  Pay attention to the employer and do some research on the business or at least know what the specific job requirements are.   It may seem obvious but it starts with reading the job posting carefully.  Everyone wants to feel special and the best employers out there will care who they are attracting.  By putting some effort into the details, you have a better chance of standing out as a viable candidate.  In the age of the internet, there is no excuse for not finding out as much as possible about a company and/or its vacancy.  In fact, there is so much “out there” to be uncovered including formal employer reviews and word-of-mouth critiques, laziness is the only thing hindering research efforts.  You don’t even have to leave your home to start.

Be concise and provide highlights

From a recruitment perspective, screening can be a very long and tedious process.  It is a big job.  For popular employers with recognizable brands, this could mean piles of applications involving many hours of work.  The internet has opened up sources of candidates and channels of posting distribution that generate lots of responses.  The interesting thing is that more is not better. (Xanax)  It is more time consuming to sort all the mind-numbing unsuitable applicants.  Candidates who demonstrate they have read the job posting stand out.  More importantly, a clear and concise application will get noticed and considered more seriously.

Use strategy

A smart and fruitful job search is about quality applications.  Combine your online job search with other job hunting techniques such as volunteering, networking and proactive informational interviews.  You get bonus points and stand out for seeing a posting and then making a connection with the company via your network.  Don’t be a passive job seeker who is waiting for the phone to ring.  You probably have links to the company or position you are seeking if you get more creative.  Using social networking such as LinkedIn or old fashioned networking such as your cousin’s neighbour.  Present yourself as a multi-dimensional candidate who pays attention.  Sometimes, a simple conversation leads to many other discussions.  To make a strong impression aim for real-time interaction.

Attitude counts

Practise a positive attitude.  Have a passion or interest in the “right job” because you shouldn’t be applying for work you don’t want to do anyways.  Employers screen for technical skills but hire for attitude.  Ultimately, genuine motivation will make you stand out as the better person for the job if you get through to the interview stages.  Having focus, using your resources wisely and communicating to connect will be the difference between successful job search and half-hearted internet surfing.  This will increase your chances of getting shortlisted versus waiting for the phone to ring.

Conducting a job search isn’t easy for either party.  It is just as difficult for a great employer to find keen employees as it is for motivated job seekers to find their next career move.  Most applicants don’t realize how much time and effort it requires though.  It is no surprise that most recruitment experts will tell you that a job search (itself) is a full time job.  Even if you put your best foot forward, it is important to do so wisely.

Using your knowledge resourcefully is the way to get noticed.  Employers don’t hire a resume or cover letter, they hire for connection.  While submitting your application is only the first step into a job search, it is an important one.  The key goal is to get an invitation leading to a conversation by phone, video chat or in person. Capture an employer’s attention by paying attention to the details of their search and align it with yours.  Candidates in demand find those “hot jobs” by understanding what employers are looking for and highlighting the connection to their own background.

Amelia Chan is the founder of Higher Options Consulting, a boutique HR and immigration firm. Amelia is a CHRP and RCIC who uses her HR and entrepreneurial experience to create practical operational solutions. She is a regular contributor to the HRMA publication, PeopleTalk.

The post Be In Demand appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.

Effective January 1, 2015, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) introduced a new skilled immigrant intake system—Express Entry (EE). Originally called Expression of Interest, it is modelled after New Zealand’s immigration system.

Though little has changed regarding the categories and criteria, what has changed is the application assessment and management system. As such, Canada still chooses its skilled immigrants on the basis their economic viability assessed by four main factors: language, education, work experience and skill transferability. Potential immigrants who qualify in this stream can apply as: Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, Canadian Experience Class and Provincial Nominees.

The Process

To be considered for Express Entry, a potential immigrant submits an online profile in the EE pool with their personal qualifications for ranking. Based on the calculations, the profile is ranked against others in the EE pool to a maximum of 1200 points.
A candidate can obtain points in the following areas: human capital/spousal factors (500), skill transferability (100) and job offer (600). CIC will then issue Invitations to Apply (ITA) to candidates drawn from the active profile pool. Candidates who receive an ITA have 60 days to complete the rest of their CIC application. Only those who have an ITA will be able to apply for permanent residency. Candidate EE profiles remain valid in the pool until they are selected or for up to one year.

Canadian Employers

Another feature of Express Entry is candidate job matching through the Canada Job Bank. Canadian employers who cannot find suitable Canadians for their jobs will be able to hire and support a foreign national to immigrate to Canada. The EE profile also enables the applicant to search for Canadian jobs while being visible to employers looking in the Job Bank for would-be job seekers. This employment module is planned for launch later in the spring of 2015.

Existing Work Permit Holders

Under the Express Entry system, only those with ITA’s can apply as skilled immigrants. Those foreign workers who received work permits through various international agreements such as NAFTA or a working holiday program will not qualify unless they have a validated permanent job offer. These foreign workers will require employer assistance in the form of the Provincial Nomination or Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to obtain the 600 job offer points for their eligibility profile. These are vetted and approved through a third party government agency, and they both have different requirements to meet. In the case of the LMIA, the employer must conduct a full scale (in Canada) recruitment for the position.

ITA Draws

The ITA pool will be constantly refreshed and continually updated with new applicant entries and hopefully the policy makers will be looking at practical considerations from different angles. CIC announced its first ITA picks for Express Entry this past weekend; those with 886 points received the invitation to move forward on their permanent residency application to Canada.

As with any new government initiative, the real life scenarios and practicalities will take time to unfold. There still isn’t a lot of information available. However, it will be tougher to get a high EE score without a validated job offer. Perhaps the future draws will be adjusted to account for those who currently possess different kinds of valid temporary work permits. For now, Canadian employers will need to assist their existing foreign workers to immigrate with a LMIA or Provincial Nominee application. (ultracold.fuw.edu.pl)

Express Entry isn’t the fastest way to permanent immigration for everyone, just those who have an Invitation to Apply.

Amelia Chan is the founder of Higher Options Consulting, a boutique HR and immigration firm. Amelia is a CHRP and RCIC who uses her HR and entrepreneurial experience to create practical operational solutions. She is a regular contributor to the HRMA publication, PeopleTalk.

BCjobs.ca and TheJobCentre.ca can help you with your job posting needs. Every job posted includes a customized letter confirming your posting, offering proof of your advertisement to satisfy current LMIA requirements.

Read also:

• Hiring a Foreign Worker or non-Canadian
• Recruiting Non-Traditional Employees

The post Canada’s Express Entry appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.

Change is inevitable, whether we wish to proactively improve or something necessitates it for us. Learning to embrace change instead of fearing it or becoming complacent is the first step towards improvement. Change happens; getting behind that truth is the only way to avoid having it roll over you. Becoming an agent of change, as opposed to a victim, actually changes the way we approach the present.

By setting objectives with tangible and concrete outcomes, energy and resources can be better directed. This helps prioritize and focus our efforts in the right direction. We are also more able to gauge success if milestones and measures are built in to motivate and ensure forward progress.

Make Review a Regular Affair

In short, a fresh new calendar year is admittedly a great opportunity to plan and set worthy goals.  That said, there is no right or wrong time to evaluate, it is simply important to make a point of doing so.

However, we need to step back in order to move forward. In larger companies, this type of exercise is often conducted around accountancy and budget timeframes. For a small business, it can be whenever you choose—as long as you do it regularly and consistently.

As a business owner, having the discipline to do a periodic business review can be a challenge. We are too often in reactionary mode—doing what needs to done in the moment—but this can only serve us so far.

When ‘business is good,’ it may be acceptable to push aside the boring paperwork for a while, but avoiding workplace realities until things settle down can become a case of too little, too late. This is why it is important to step back regularly to see where we were, where we are now and where we want to go.

If we don’t do this, it can seem like we are running on the hamster wheel which does not move our businesses forward. Not only is this tiring, many of you will recognize this as the same problems that don’t get resolved but come back in different ways. Some of these symptoms could be inconsistent work output/quality, losing customers (or employees) to the competition, and overall disengagement.

Building a Better Business (and You)

Approach a review as you would your business’ performance evaluation. This will include the operations and the staff who work for you.   These are obviously tied but, even with a ‘staff’ of one in this case, it pays dividends to think and plan ahead—personally and professionally.

Roll your personal goals into your professional growth and consider the following:

More than just your business

How is your personal health and wellbeing?   Is there a good mix of personal and professional activities in your life?  How are your relationships with others? The wellbeing of your business flows from how you are managing in your personal world. After all, as a small business owner, your company as often an extension or another aspect of “you.”

Build on your success

Are you aware of your profitability and productivity figures?  What business activities generate the highest revenues?  How can we improve? Are there products or services you should remove because they don’t fit your business objectives (anymore)?

Evaluate all the players

Do you use objective factors to measure success for your employees?  How effective are you at leading, managing and supporting your staff? Do you have the right talent or skill sets working for you?

Strive for something more

Are you clear about your business model and its value to customers?  Do you have an organization mission?  Do you set realistic goals for everyone on your team (including yourself)?  Are there issues that constantly come back that you wish to address but aren’t sure how?  Are all employees working efficiently and effectively?

Whether you have a little or a lot to work on, this knowledge can help you identify the priorities which will improve your business success. If taken to heart for the year ahead, it will also stand you in good stead for the whole year and beyond!

Amelia Chan is the founder of Higher Options Consulting, a boutique HR and immigration firm.  Amelia is a CHRP and RCIC who uses her HR and entrepreneurial experience to create practical operational solutions.

The post Look Back to Leap Forward appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.

Case in point, I just came back from the Yukon. As an HR consultant and immigration specialist, I travel fairly frequently to present on various business-related topics and, in turn, to learn about the challenges and solutions of others. Most recently, that led me to facilitate a workshop on strategic recruitment in Canada’s true North.

What we touched upon on were the similarities and differences for employers in more rural parts of the country compared to their urban counterparts. Where we focused though was on strategy. While every geography and industry comes with its own challenges and opportunities, the strategic approach to recruitment remains a common success driver.

Authenticity Defines the Right “Fit”

Higher volumes of applicants willing to relocate from afar are not the ultimate benchmark of a recruiting strategy’s success; more key is the ability to identify those who want to be there and are motivated to perform.

Employers and candidates alike are always looking for the right “fit”. The key for employers is to be authentic, informed and involved. Creating a great recruitment strategy starts with understanding the organization and its business goals.

The employer needs to be clear about its company culture in order to know how to present itself to the right individuals; your culture is a living brand and plays an important part of this equation. It, therefore, also pays dividends to listen to the front lines and managers within your organization to gain even greater clarity—and better, lasting results.

Systematic Thinking vs. Systemic Failure

Hiring and retention requires a systematic way of thinking. Employers should always be in hiring mode; interestingly, successful recruitment correlates to effective retention and provides a strategic pool for succession potential.

Similarly, a failure to hire or retain might also be viewed in a systemic light. Business leaders need to participate and remain invested in evolving and fine-tuning their internal processes. After all, beyond the initial hiring and honeymoon period, there is the full career cycle to be considered.

Retention Built By Leadership (Some Assembly Required)

Those who think their job is finished when the applicant becomes an employee are missing the due diligence and opportunity. This is when everything is just getting started. Bringing the best and brightest into the organization is not enough if there is not a structure to support the rest of the employment experience.

In addition to bringing in the right people, maintaining the conditions in which they will thrive is essential. Employees need accurate job descriptions, onboarding, and ongoing feedback. These HR tools do not have to be complicated or time-consuming, but they need to exist in some form to maintain ongoing employment engagement—the key to productivity and profitability. (Tramadol)

Otherwise, the cost of bad hires or constant turnover is the price to be paid, along with further searching for the right fit.

Ongoing Recruitment Anchored in Relationships

Ownership in any business requires a connection and partnership with your employees beyond paystubs and approvals. Creating ongoing touch points for dialogue and feedback ensures engagement and retention remain high.

While this strategic approach brings with it changes to both the hiring and management systems currently in place, it also brings different results.

When specifically applied to hiring, it means that “recruiting” never stops, but is far more likely to be addressing growth than attrition issues. This is how to strategically recruit and grow your business from within.

Read more about Amelia’s fascinating experience travelling to the Yukon to speak about recruitment strategies for HRMA.

The post How to Succeed with Strategic Recruitment? Never Stop. appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.

‘When and Why Do I Need HR?’

There are no two questions I hear more often in my conversations with small-to-mid-sized business owners.

The truth is that there is no magic number of employees required and no successful company of two people succeeds without it. What today’s HR brings to the table speaks directly to big results for businesses large and small: namely, mindset, mission and motivation.

A major part of the enigma around HR for small business owners stems from a miscomprehension of what HR actually does.

In fact, the only other question I hear nearly as often is exactly that.

‘What Does HR Do?’

In order for any organization to be successful, it must have strategic and operational goals. To achieve these goals, well, that comes down to its people and that brings us to HR.

Its mandate is to ensure that the right people are doing the right things at the right time in the right environment—and are happy doing so. Now more than ever, that is key.

Why then is HR also the last piece of the puzzle for so many businesses?

Aligned for Business Results

Put simply, a lot of people still associate with the ‘old’ HR, and admittedly there is still a bit of it about. That said, HR has come a long way since the days of personnel. In fact, today’s HR is nothing short of the competitive edge sought after by all businesses.

This is no secret to larger organizations familiar with the high cost of turnover in a competitive marketplace facing a labour shortage. The impact of losing even a single employee in a small business is that much greater.

When effectively aligned with an organization’s purpose and goals, HR objectives, practices and policies essentially drive operational success. With its involvement at all points in the talent cycle, HR is in a unique position to influence the workplace.

Where HR Counts Most

Strategic HR views the business as a whole, fostering interdepartmental relationships and helping coordinate employee roles within these groups. Its practices provide the common thread that transcends organizational levels and links technical and supporting functions. As such, well-designed HR strategies keep the business connected operationally, which ultimately supports its objectives.

Here are some examples of how HR can have a positive impact:

• Attract and retain top talent;
• Increase employee engagement and decrease unnecessary turnover;
• Drive productivity and increase cost savings;
• Leverage business advantages to increase profitability; and
• Promote innovation and create new business opportunities.

What is key for any successful HR initiative is the link to the big picture of the business—regardless of whether that business is big, small or somewhere in-between. 

Catalyst and Caretaker of Change

Moreover, HR serves as both the catalyst and caretaker of change in an organization, and ultimately, speaks to the unrealized potential within any business. No business moves to loftier goals without anchoring the basics—as complex as they might be.

Why then HR? It’s quite simply because HR creates business success through people—synergizing diverse talents with a singular focus too often extraordinary results.

This is the first in an ongoing series exploring the benefits of HR with a specific focus on the when and why of HR for small-to-mid-sized business owners.

Read also:

• Outsourcing HR
• Hiring for the Small Employer
• Employee Benefit Plans that Small Firms Can Afford

The post The When and Why of HR for Small Business appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.

There are some exceptions to these rules but it is quite limited.  Only work permits obtained via a few select categories such as international agreements (NAFTA) or which fall under cultural significance will be granted an exception from this new requirement.

The Canadian immigration authorities are definitely tightening their rules.  In the past, work permit extensions were not strictly monitored and a foreign worker could be extended on an ongoing basis with no (formal) maximum time limits.  These days, foreign workers are not only subject to stricter scrutiny for Labour Market Opinions (LMO) but also for the period in which these will be issued by Service Canada/HRSDC; and then further with the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

The remedy for temporary foreign workers is to make a quicker decision regarding their longer term immigration plans.  Either a temporary work permit is viewed as a temporary assignment or the first step towards making a Canadian permanent resident application.  There are quite a few programs which foreign nationals may apply for Canadian permanent residency – the best options will depend on their eligibility and circumstances.

Ultimately, the Canadian government realizes that our country’s future is still very connected to immigration.  The work force and the population cannot be sustained by our birth rates alone.  In addition, a large number of the skilled and semi-skilled workers needed to help us maintain and grow our economy in the meantime will still be coming from outside the country.  Canada is still a very welcoming nation for foreign nationals but it has realized that they want people to come here and make the decision to stay sooner than later.  These new rules have made it clear that Canadian permanent residency as opposed to temporary sojourning is the focus of the future.

Related to Decision Time:

• Hiring a foreign worker or non-Canadian
• Temporary Foreign Workers in BC
• International hiring tips

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