As our nation’s major technology hubs continue to grow, Canada boasts more tech workers than ever.
With so much news, data, and events to cover across the country, TechTalent.ca leans on professionals in the field to help keep our audience properly informed and up-to-date.
Below, a roundup of what local experts have been saying about tech and talent in Canada recently.
Among mass layoffs and a shifting employment landscape, this month’s theme is “morale.”
The New Playbook
Last year, the balance of power swung in favour of employees, putting them in the driver’s seat.
“With nearly two jobs for every eligible worker, employees had the opportunity to pick and choose where, and how, they showed up to work,” reflects Ian Cook, Vice President of people analytics for Visier. “Now, with rumblings of an economic recession and inflation causing budgeting concerns, there has been a rebalancing of power between employees and employers.”
However, Cook warns that this is not the time for executives to “reach into their old playbook to reestablish the control they enjoyed pre-pandemic.”
In today’s new skills-based landscape, strong employees “will always have an opportunity to move on, and during a recession, an organization puts itself at financial risk by losing its most critical talent,” notes Cook.
To attract and retain skilled talent, Cook recommends to companies a multi-tiered approach. This includes making decisions based on data, not perception, and allowing employees to build morale and develop skills by involving them “in the process of creating effecting work habits.”
Ramsey Aburaneh, Head of Digital Growth at BrightHR, knows that companies with a strong sense of morale typically have positive and productive employees.
“It’s important to note that employee morale is a direct reflection of how healthy the company culture is,” the Human Resources expert says—a reflection that can be harder to see clearly when hybrid work models are now the default.
Aburaneh recommends a variety of possible efforts to ensure employee morale. For example, gather remote teams in person when possible—but not for a boring meeting. Instead, conduct a fun event, such as after-work drinks or team-building activities such as escape rooms.
Outside of occasional events, he suggests employers tackle day-to-day morale by recognizing the work of employees often, even regarding minor affairs.
“Acknowledging the hard work of employees makes them feel valued and appreciated,” Aburaneh says. “Even a small gesture, such as a shoutout over team chats, is a nice way to recognize good work.”
By putting aside “the playbook of the past,” as Cook calls it, CEOs will be in a position to “activate the high-performing digital workforces that will deliver returns today and into the future.”
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