Five key workforce challenges for 2013
Fiscal cliff still keeping hirings to a minimum
Employers and job hunters have no shortage of challenges facing them in the year ahead.
Job seekers have some reason for optimism in 2013, depending on their skill set. Unemployment rates in Canada, particularly Alberta, are relatively low as labour shortages continue for professionals in many highly skilled occupations.
An informal survey of human resources specialists, recruiters and consultants showed some common trends that will emerge or continue this year.
Labour shortages Especially in provinces such as Alberta, ongoing labour shortages remain persistent in areas of highest demand — a trend that is expected to intensify if the economy remains reasonably strong in 2013. It’s putting more pressure on employers and recruiters to hire and seek out new talent to ensure their firms are positioned for growth.
“Employers can only pay so much for their workforce and small to medium companies are competing with the huge employer players,” says Sharlene Massie, chief executive of About Staffing Ltd. in Calgary. “(It’s) very tough to attract and retain a reasonable workforce when demands are higher than reasonable expectations.” Highly specialized skills
in demand Carmen Goss, president of Prominent Personnel, which targets oil and gas recruitment, is finding it more difficult to find highly-specialized professionals in a range of positions. She’s currently trying to find a chief engi- neer to oversee a nitrogen facility and is having a tough time finding qualified candidates with the precise skill set needed.
“We are also challenged to find a senior reservoir simulation engineer who has experience in conventional, unconventional and thermal reservoir development techniques,” explains Goss.
Other areas where sub-specializations are in high demand include medical professionals, information technology, social media, heavy equipment operators and strategic sales managers.
Career Transitioning Career paths are no longer linear. Most people graduating from college or university today can expect to transform their careers multiple times in a short time frame, according to Van Zorbas at Deloitte Canada LLP. “Great new experiences might come from unexpected or non-planned career paths,” he says. “Be open to those opportunities (and) remember … the only thing constant is change.”
As more people retire, younger generations are expected to see this trend increase as more upward career potential occurs and people take on new roles or transition careers more rapidly. It’s not always easy to do, though. Goss says foreign-trained professionals and recent graduates, in particular, may have a more difficult time transitioning into highdemand industries such as the energy sector. “I receive multiple requests daily from these potential employees looking for guidance on how to enter the (oil and gas) industry,” Goss adds. Economic and job uncertainty
The so-called fiscal cliff may have been averted in the U.S., for now, but ongoing concerns about global economic uncertainty have employers cautious about their hiring plans for the rest of the year. Any tipping point — one way or another — could have profound implications.
“The need to hire is there, but if the economy dips, companies may need to lay off the newly hired workforce — a true balancing act,” says Massie. “This uncertainty is creating mass confusion in the work world.”
Employers have to be more strategic, adds Zorbas: “Employers might be quick to reduce workforce as an effect of delays or cancellations of capital projects, but the labour shortage issue is not going away.” Retirements and succession The wave of retiring baby boomers is only going to be exacerbated in 2013 by employers who do not have adequate succession plans in place. Many will be caught off guard, despite knowing full well what the demographic situation is like in Canada and around the western world.
With a large number of Canadian workers eligible for retirement in 2013, employers need to consider how they can access this labour force, many of whom are not ready to completely exit the workforce, says Ken Vinge, of Bowen Workforce Solutions in Calgary. Expect alternative employee relationships to become more common.
“Contracting is becoming increasingly attractive to many professionals who are retiring,” Vinge says. “Contractors can be a smart choice for employers who need support for major projects, without hiring employees.”