As Canada’s job market enters a cooler period, data suggests that career growth opportunities are increasingly concentrated in a small group of employers.
Meanwhile, “AI is upending everything from how people land jobs to how companies evaluate and hire talent,” according to LinkedIn, which compiled the data for its annual list of top companies.
That’s impacting just about everyone, from those deeply entrenched into more traditional ways of working, to those yet to enter the workforce—and wondering, fairly, what the heck it’s going to look like when they get there.
Below, notable news from the past month, hand-selected by editors of TechTalent.ca.
AI Tools are Here – But Where’s the Training?
A majority of professionals in Canada feel that they have been handed artificial intelligence tools to utilize in their workplace without sufficient training. As skill gaps persist across the country, data from recruitment firm Express Employment Professionals and The Harris Poll shows that 79% of Canadian job seekers expect companies to formally train them on how to use AI, rather than self-learning (which is rising in popularity).
Hiring managers agree, with 77% saying formal AI training should be a company priority. However, only 29% of companies provide a list of approved or preferred AI tools, and a “lack of clarity leaves many employees navigating powerful technology largely on their own.”
Yes, Tech Still Needs Talent
Too many organizations are deploying technology faster than they are building the structures and human support needed to make it effective, echo findings from Aon’s inaugural Human Capital Trends Study, which discovered that nearly 90% of employers agree AI will require their workforce to develop new skills.
Yet despite most organizations deploying or piloting AI programs, few workforces report having actually participated in AI-specific re-skilling or up-skilling programs in the past year, and there’s a worrying lack of “people strategies.” The result, according to the report, “is a disconnect between what organizations know will drive success and how they are prioritizing resources.”
Flexibility First as Hybrid Becomes ‘Necessity’
Research from International Workplace Group found that 70% of business leaders believe attracting and retaining top tech talent is more competitive now than ever before. And for businesses seeking out talent with top-tier AI and other tech skills, focusing on compensation is no longer enough to attract the next generation of leaders.
The allure of hybrid working (34%) falls a close second behind competitive pay (39%) and ahead of financial rewards such as shares (28%) as the top strategies organizations are using to compete for the best tech talent. And this trend is only strengthening: Among tech professionals under 30, senior leaders report that work-life balance and flexibility (50%) are ranking as the most important aspects of company culture, ahead of financial compensation (35%).
“Hybrid working is no longer just a perk,” Mark Dixon, chief executive officer of International Workplace Group, stated earlier this year, but rather “a strategic necessity for businesses aiming to thrive in 2026.”
