Goldbeck Talent Trends

Today's edition is our monthly analysis of the Statistics Canada Labour report, released this morning. Get more insights and data charts on our website here.

Canadian Employment

Employment was little changed in Canada in October, according to numbers released on November 3 by Statistics Canada.1 18,000 jobs were added, while the employment rate fell by a tenth of a point to 61.9%. Unemployment, meanwhile, rose 0.2% to 5.7%. Cumulatively the unemployment rate has risen 0.7% since April.

Men aged 55 and older saw their employment rise by 31,000 jobs in October. It marked the first increase in this demographic since April. Other groups saw little change. Increases in the cost of shelter and food have been tough on Canadians. 33.1% report living in a household that found it ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’ to meet financial needs.

Industry Breakdown

The construction industry added 23,000 jobs in October, more than erasing the loss of 18,000 jobs a month earlier. Despite this, the Goldbeck staff found searches in the category slowed in October, which is in line with historical precedents.2 Information, culture, and recreation added 21,000 jobs, recovering many of the 28,000 jobs lost in the previous two months. Wholesale and retail trade was down, as was manufacturing. Once again, Goldbeck saw different results on the ground, reporting numerous searches related to manufacturing and production, as well as sales.

Back to Office Backlash and Buy In

Employers are increasingly asking their employees to return to the office on a full time basis, but are being met with some resistance.

“The hybrid and fully remote positions seem to be gradually decreasing, especially in the tech sector,” says Senior Recruiter Reiniell San Pedro Gan.2

Goldbeck recruiters agree that this can not only result in qualified candidates refusing to consider positions, but can even cause retention problems as current employees begin to look elsewhere for more lenient policies. In some cases, employees have moved far away from their company’s office, making a return to work nearly impossible.

Despite this trend, Senior Recruiter Vanessa Cox has also seen the opposite scenario play out.

“I was searching for candidates for a position that had one day per week in-office,” she explains. “I was speaking with a candidate who currently has two days per week in the office and I could tell as soon as we began speaking that one wouldn’t be enough. Another candidate has been fully remote for three years and he’s now looking for a position where he will enjoy more human interaction.”

Is Following Your Passion Good Career Advice?

The Globe and Mail recently ran a story that featured the splashy headline ‘Following Your Passion is Bad Advice that Wastes Your Time, Energy, and Skills’.3 The idea sparked some great conversation amongst the Goldbeck staff.

“In many cases, I agree that it can be bad advice,” said company President Henry Goldbeck. “There are factors to consider. Can you make a living? What is the lifestyle? Are you prepared to live on minimum wage as you work your way up the ladder? Some people are willing to do so, but everyone should be aware of what’s involved.”

Client Success Manager Ece Ozer agrees that there is more to choosing this path than meets the eye.

“In addition to passion, you need the right skill set and the ability to market your passion,” she says.

“You could be a fantastic artist but be terrible at business, so will never be able to turn your art into profit,” warns Executive Assistant Ciaran Henderson.

“Sometimes when you turn your passion into business, it stops being your passion.”

What Does ‘Bringing Your Authentic Self to Work’ Mean?

Another recent news story told of a company whose employer branding encouraged staff to ‘bring their authentic selves to work’.4 A new hire proceeded to ‘present ideas’ and ‘challenge groupthink’ on a regular basis, only to be told to tone it down.

While the specifics of the case aren’t clear, it sparks an interesting question: is it a good idea to ‘bring your authentic self to work?’

“It’s important to read the room,” says Goldbeck. “If you have values that are important to you, such as treating people with respect, then you should try to bring that to the workplace. Being authentic doesn’t mean being unrestrained. You have to be strategic, considerate of other people and not leave yourself vulnerable while respecting your own values.”

Henderson advocates for a ‘wait-and-see’ approach.

“Working is like dating,” he quips, “you shouldn’t show all of your skeletons on the first day. It’s important to wait until you get to know people a bit better and to have a level of tact. It’s not a good idea to interrupt the President in the middle of a big team meeting or dominate every conversation.”

Free Advice: Don’t Ask New Hires to Show You the Photos on Their Phones

Former NHL Coach Mike Babcock made headlines this pre-season when he asked members of the Columbus Blue Jackets to show him their photo roll on their phones.5 While some players depicted it as a team-building exercise, there was considerable backlash, forcing him to resign his position. The Goldbeck staff were all in agreement that Babcock exhibited poor judgement.

“Some employers will look at the social media profiles of potential candidates, but asking to look at personal photos on a cell phone is something else entirely, especially of new employees with whom you don’t have a relationship at all” says Cox.

“It’s not only an invasion of privacy, but a power play, asking a person to do something they’re not comfortable with,” adds Goldbeck.

Cited Sources

1 Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. “Labour Force Survey, October 2023.” The Daily?–?, November 3, 2023. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/231103/dq231103a-eng.htm.

2 Direct communication with members of the Goldbeck Recruiting staff.

3 Stirrett, Scott. “‘follow Your Passion’ Is Bad Advice That Wastes Your Time, Energy and Skills.” The Globe and Mail, October 10, 2023. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/leadership/article-follow-your-passion-is-bad-advice-that-wastes-your-time-energy-and

4 Panjwani, Radhika. “Should You Bring Your Authentic Self to Work? Not If the Culture Doesn’t Walk the Talk, Experts Say.” The Globe and Mail, October 1, 2023. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/article-should-you-bring-your-authentic-self-to-work-not-if-the-culture-doesnt/

5 “Mike Babcock Resigns as Head Coach of Blue Jackets amid Investigation into Alleged Privacy Invasion | CBC Sports.” CBCnews, September 18, 2023. https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/mike-babcock-resigns-blue-jackets-head-coach-1.6969776.