2009-2010 have been very interesting years for Canadian mining as mineral companies as prices recovered or remained near all time highs and labour strife was felt across the country. On July 22, 2010 we saw a BC mine that has been in production for 40 years become certified for the first time. While in Ontario and Newfoundland we have seen two of the most costly strikes in Canadian history for both miners and one of the world’s largest mining companies.

According to a survey by Infomine.com this labour unrest took place  while most companies were sharing  the profit  they make through wage increases and bonuses .Wages were up 2.5% in the last 12 months with 80% of mines increasing wages, and only 20% seeing wage freezes. 76% of mines reported that they have an incentive plan with gold, silver and copper mines paying out the highest bonuses. It is clear that Canadian mines have some of the highest paid workers in the country and high safety standards, thanks to a history of unionization.

Over 90% of our customers are unionized and we recruit people who end up making some of the best wages in the world. Our ability to find both non-unionized and union workers helps companies give senior employees time off in the summer, reduces overtime and burn out, and it also helps the unions earn more dues as a result of a larger bargaining unit.

Most of our customers are unionized and few experience strikes as labour stability is one of the most important things to customers, companies and families. A year of strike pay is a small fraction of what a worker would regularly earn and it can take 10 years to recover, while the loss of customers and earnings can be devastating to stock prices and company stability. Let’s hope that a new decade sees more effective negotiations, less work stoppages and higher profits for both unionized and non-union companies.

Over 108,700 jobs were created in April in Canada and BC is one of the provinces leading the way with 13,000 jobs. Manitoba and Saskatchewan continue to have the lowest unemployment rates in the country at about 5%, which was not surprising considering our trip to these provinces last month.

It is the largest number of people hired in one month since 2002 and is the fourth month in a row we have seen jobs added. We are getting calls from lots of employers worried about the candidate market in the months ahead. September will likely be when things heat up the most as people come back from vacations and see all the work and business that could not get completed in July and August.

It looks like we may return to an “Employees” market for jobs this fall but not as crazy as we saw in 2006-2007.

For the first time I have been recruiting for a company that has brand recognition around the world (Brand Y). Their brand is so powerful Y employees buy tee shirts, hats and mugs, and they feature the Y brand logo on their facebook pages.

In this digital age people can take pictures of their work and show all of their friends. Their friend may have never even thought about working for brand Y. These same employees are on fan pages and have an ongoing love for the company and brand Y.

Conversely I was talking with a friend yesterday who works for a different company with one of the worlds most recognized brands (brand X). This friend had a lot of insight into what the company was doing to ruin their brand reputation.

Management was cutting the working hours of poor employees so they would quit. This is a common practice known in legal circles as constructive dismissal. Some companies take the view that progressive discipline and termination pay is too hard, costly or time consuming, so they reduce the amount of work until the employee is forced to find another job and quits.

The unintended consequence of this is how it will effect a brand over time. The company performing constructive dismissal has a “Fan” site on Facebook called “I hate company X” with over 5,000 fans. If someone feels poorly treated by their former employer they can now scream it over the internet. In this case 5,000 people hate X and each of these 5,000 have several hundred friends. 5,000 x 200 friends = 1,000,000 people who have a friend who hates X and advertise it on their Facebook.  Conversely, brand Y has 170,000 fans on Facebook meaning that over 34 million people get positive exposure to brand Y.

I’m happy to be recruiting for brand Y and hope that management thinks long and hard about how they treat employees.

The BC Federation of Labour has managed to get some headlines up about the continued shortage of skilled workers in BC by hosting a conference in Victoria. It is a good thing that Labour is concerned about the looming shortage but the ideas being presented are a little outdated for my taste. 

“Jim Sinclair supports a provincial training tax for employers. He recommends that those that train workers would not pay, those that train above the standard would get a rebate and those that do not train, have to pay.”

Having worked for several unionized and non-unionized employers I have strong opinions but I would never support a tax on business to encourage training. There are excellent studies showing the ROI on training and apprenticeships, and most leading employers intuitively know the value in investing in employees.

There are very significant government incentives in place right now that can run into the tens of thousands of dollars for the hiring and training of new employees. With training and hiring plans from HR and help from recruiters, who have the ability to recruit from across Canada and Internationally businesses should not be worried!

In Canada our habits are changing dramatically; it is time for businesses and recruiters to take note. For the first time since TV toppled newspapers as one of Canadians favorite pastimes, Internet browsing is now Canadians top activity outside of working and sleeping. 

In 1952 Canada’s first TV station opened and for almost 50 years Canadians sat in front of their televisions consuming hockey, news, excellent Canadian comedy and mediocre sitcoms. Now Canadians are spending more time catching up with friends around the world on Facebook, streaming video to watch Olympians win the gold, and buying cars, trucks, and what ever their hearts desire on Ebay.

TV stations are crying for money as advertising revenue moves to the internet, while newspapers are getting thinner or shutting down. Even video stores are being widely affected, with recent rumors of the movie giant Blockbuster going bankrupt.

If recruiters and businesses are not taking note, they better, and quickly. Canadians are spending 18.1 hours a week actively using the internet, 16.9 hours watching TV and 2.9 hours reading the newspaper. Given the interactive nature of the internet vs TV/Newspapers, I have to ask why people would spend marketing dollars on traditional advertising mediums?

Red Seal is finding that the best way to invest in marketing to Canadians over the internet and mobile phones. We find that the best candidates are on the go and their mobile phones and social life does not stop when they are on the road. We’re lucky to be able to reach industrial, manufacturing, utility and construction recruits in the field and on the internet. If your company would like to hire great employees do you have the internet and mobile recruiting strategy to find them?

Red Seal primarily recruits for industrial and infrastructure companies; we find it is rare to be able to contact people at their desks. Due to fast paced lifestyles it is even rarer to find people at home at night. The evolution of technology has made it easier for people who are working in plants, field operations, and remote sites, whether they are management or field technicians to be mobile.

When I started recruiting cell phones were rare and faxed resumes were the standard way of initial communication with candidates. How things have changed…companies rarely post fax numbers and we see cell phone numbers and email address on almost every resume. This shift happened gradually but we are also seeing another shift as mobile phones get better at web browsing and are increasingly being used for day to day tasks.

Several years ago I had my first mobile candidate contact me through his smart phone from Fort McMurray, where he was working as a heavy equipment technician. He couldn’t send me a resume but we could chat about his experience. Now we are seeing more and more people browse our website everyday on mobile devices.

Currently we have about over 50% mobile users visiting our website on IPhones and a smaller number of Blackberry, Android (Google) and Windows users. This is bound to increase as 64% of Canadians owned a cell phone in 2008 and more are buying “smart phones” that allow them to browse websites and send emails.

We will continue to make our website mobile friendly and enable people to contact us using the most convenient method for them. If you are a communication or power lineman working on the road, or a civil engineer working on an oil sands construction project don’t hesitate to drop us an email or give us a call.

The idea of video resumes have been around since the 1980’s but it has taken the popularity of Youtube, digital cameras and, dare I say it, the easy editing ability of a Mac, to make video resumes a true possibility.

The idea of a video resume for the average worker in an office or the customer service industry has always been a little far fetched to me. Trying to put knowledge and education into visual form can be difficult and demonstrating interactions with customers may prove ineffective and violate the privacy of the customer.

An area that a video resume can be very effective is in the industrial and trades people sector. Issues of privacy and how you can display your knowledge are easier to overcome. If an applicant can show the industrial work they have completed in pictures or video with text added than the video acts like a preliminary “show me interview,” where the worker demonstrates his abilities.

An Autobody Technician recently posted a great portfolio of his work to AC/DC’s Who Made Who on Youtube. This short clip really showed the magic he can work with smashed up cars. Adding key technical terms to the visuals allow him to communicate to both recruiters and technical hiring managers in a way this is difficult to do with a print resume.

You can see his video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAok9BEP9VA

By taking pictures of the work you have completed and projects you have worked on and adding a few captions, an employer can get an accurate overview of the scope and size of projects you have worked on. Additionally, this medium allows a bit of personality to shine through with a choice of song and space for a few personal pictures of you enjoying your hobbies or family life.

This past weekend I attended a career fair in Kitimat, BC, organized by an employer who is shutting down their pulp mill in January 2010. Business closures are a difficult time for individual workers, families and whole communities when hundreds of jobs are being lost. However, it was soon apparent that workers emerging from this community were some of the most skilled and positive people we have talked to in years.

Heavy Duty Mechanics, Industrial Instrument Mechanics, Power Engineers, Maintenance Planners, Maintenance Supervisors and Industrial Engineers all turned out in large numbers. The most promising candidates were focused on a career and professional development path that included education and certification. We met Power Engineers working on their 2nd and 1st class papers as well as apprentices finishing their last year of schooling before writing their Red Seal exam.

Learning a trade or new skill is key to being highly employable throughout your career. No matter if you grew up in small town BC or downtown Edmonton, we all face job changes throughout our lifetime. By continually looking for skill-building and educational opportunities, we can be the people employers are looking for. Building your skill base will always translate into better opportunities, whether they be higher employability or the ability to start your own business.

Canadian workers have always been resilient; we build new entrepreneurial business in recessions and improve more established companies in times of surplus. Every worker I met last week had the drive to succeed, even if their mill closes. There will be struggles, but Canadian workers have the skills and knowledge to face difficult times and rebound.

Where do you start?

Look on any map and you will see that Canada is one BIG country! With most Canadians clustered around a few major urban centers, relocation is a fact of life for most job seekers and employers. If a Power Linesman in Vancouver, British Columbia or Toronto, Ontario wishes to change careers, it’s as easy as contacting a few employers or head hunters and then sitting back, waiting for the right opportunity. However, for many Canadians living in remote communities or small towns, finding work is not so simple. An electrician might be employed by the only company within hundreds of kilometers where they can find a job in their field, making relocation necessary.

For many workers, job hunting in Canada involves vast area maps and lengthy discussions with friends and family before making a move. Relocating for a job quickly becomes one of the biggest and most stressful decisions of your life! From an employers view, they may realize too late how much of a challenge relocation is. After lengthy candidate searches and costly interviews, an employee who initially accepted the job offer declines based on the need to relocate. Or worse even, after relocating they leave the company after much time and investment has gone into their training because they don’t feel settled in their new area.

Having a realistic understanding of the community and location is almost as important as the job itself. Spousal and children’s involvement in a relocation decision is key as starting a new job can be stressful without the support of loved ones. After the move to a new community, getting socially involved is key to a positive experience. Sports opportunities for kids help integrate young children into a new environment while also contributing to a parents’ familiarity with neighbours and social mores. Finding local community and activity groups early is integral in cementing new friendships and creating a true sense of “home”.

If you are interested in jumpstarting your career in Canada, chances are that relocation will be one of the most important parts of the new job and the Red Seal Recruiting team is here to support you. Whether you are a Power Engineer from Toronto looking to live in a quieter community, or Project Manager wanting a fresh start in a vibrant city, Red Seal Recruiting has the knowledge and experience to help you find your niche.

The most important thing a recruiting or hiring managers does is build trust. Conducting interviews, writing interesting jobs ads, responding to inquiries from candidates and marketing on the web may be important but all of this is secondary to building trust.

Switching jobs is one of life most stressful events and it is often combined with moving or relocation. Not only does one face loosing most of their former co-workers but also their friends and routines they have built their life around. Not only is this stress faced by the candidate but also by their whole family.

The bridge between ones current job and a new job is built on the back on the recruiter. Rarely is a recruiter or hiring manager someone who does the job and they often do not live in the place where the job is located. The best recruiters have to be skilled at learning the ins and outs of the position, department and community and then have to communicate these details to candidates.

One of the things our industrial and infrastructure recruiters do well is discuss community to build a personal relationship with candidates. Asking about what they are looking for in a community leads to discussions about family, interests and even religion. Our recruiters share their similar experiences and take a real interest in the person and their lives beyond the resume.

An expert on change management and trust Peter de Jager says trust is “Belief in another’s ability and intent to execute according to their word.” Our recruiters need to trust and understand the hiring managers and company contacts so they are, in turn, able to communicate and build trust with the candidates they source.

Our industrial and infrastructure customers employ people in some of the world’s most dangerous working conditions and their employees trust in each other is key to every day operation. Working on High Voltage Power Lines, Mines, Oil and Gas Plant construction and maintenance, Transportation, Marine Engineering, Pulp & Paper are all dangerous workplaces where workers need to trust each other. As an example, electrical limits of approach, lock-out and communication are critical for a safe workplace in an industrial company. Employees of a company need to have a level of trust amongst themselves in order to carry out daily operations.  This trust begins to with form from the day a potential employee talks to a recruiter and it builds as the candidate transitions through the hiring process until the point where employees place their lives in each other’s hands.

Building trust with everyone in the hiring process including the recruiter, company, and future employee is critical in building the relationship that lays the foundation for an efficient, productive and safe workplace.