EMPLOYING FOREIGN WORKERS: THE CHANGE IN BC’S LABOUR MARKETS

What is the Forecast for British Columbia’s Labour Market to 2020 ?

Between 2010 and 2020 demand for workers in BC is expected to grow by an annual average rate of 1.4 percent; with over 1 million job openings expected in that period.  Due to this growth rate it is expected that by 2016 the number of workers needed, will exceed the number available province wide.  In fact, by 2020, it is projected that supply will outgrow demand by 61,500 workers.

 

And this trend is likely to be experienced even sooner in some regions. The Northeast region is expected to have the highest growth in demand for workers at 1.7 percent annually, followed by Mainland/ Southwest (1.6 percent) and North Coast and Nechako (1.3 percent).

 

Nearly two-thirds of these projected job openings (676,400) will be due to replacement demand, such as workers retiring and deaths. The remaining third will be new jobs (351,000) that result from the region’s economic growth.

 

In BC, the number of new labour market entrants (those who leave the education system and enter the labour market for the first time) is expected to decline steadily throughout the period of 2010 to 2020. This reflects a broader demographic shift to an older population.  As a result, the B.C. labour market will rely increasingly on migrants for new labour supply. In fact it is forecasted that new migrants to B.C. are projected to fill one-third of job openings to 2020.

Thinking of Employing a Foreign Worker?

Finding the right staff for your small business can often be a challenge, especially if you operate in an industry which is experiencing a skills shortage, such as tourism or construction.

 

The BC Provincial Nominee Program (“BC PNP”) operates under an agreement between the federal and provincial governments and was designed to help address these shortages.

The program has two streams:

 

• Strategic Occupations: Helps employers in BC recruit or retain qualified foreign workers to meet current and projected labour market needs.
   
• Business: Targets entrepreneurs who plan to invest in and actively manage a business within BC that will provide economic benefits to the province.

Foreign nationals who are selected by the program become eligible to make an application for permanent residence to the federal government in a special immigration category that will be processed by Citizenship and Immigration Canada on a priority basis. 

Provide Opportunities for Career and Skill Development

Provide Opportunities for Career and Skill Development 

No one wants to be stuck in a rut. If your business cannot afford to fund training, visit the WorkBC website to find out about the funding programs available for employee development.

 

If there are no relevant funding programs, create a learning environment within your business. Encourage employees to mentor each other and teach new skills to their coworkers.  Champion employees who take on responsibility and give them support to help them succeed.

7. Provide Ongoing Performance Feedback, Recognition and Acknowledgment 

Feedback in a manager-employee relationship is key. Make sure each team member knows what you want them to achieve and schedule regular reviews. If they complete their tasks or surpass them, show them the recognition and acknowledgment they deserve. It will make them inspired to do even better.

8. Instil a Sense of Purpose and Direction in Each Employee

Make sure each employee knows what or how they contribute to the business. Outline how they help the business achieve its goals and how they can do more to push the business in the right direction.

9. Provide Constant Communication and Transparency Between the Leaders and the Employees

Like in all relationships, communications is crucial. By being open and honest with employees you’ll encourage them to do the same. This will help reduce the opportunities for misunderstandings and unhappiness in the workplace.

10. Look for Ways to Support a Balanced Work/Life Schedule

When most people are asked what they would like to achieve in their next job role, the answer is generally the same: a greater work/life balance. But what this means is different to different people. Speak to your staff and find out what they would like. If it means banking overtime for extra vacation, or leaving early on a Friday to extend their weekend, your flexibility will be reflected in how flexible they are with you.

STRATEGIES FOR RETAINING AND ENGAGING EMPLOYEES

When growing your small business, employing a new team member is like adopting someone into your family. Finding the right employee to fit in with a small team can take time and a lot of patience. So once you’ve secured a great employee, the next step is to make sure they want to stay.

The key to any retention strategy is engagement. An engaged employee will be more productive and committed, resulting in better customer service. In fact, according to a Towers Perrin Talent Study, the more engaged employees are, the more likely they are to put customers at the heart of what they do and how they think about their jobs.  

 

The reality is that you’ll lose employees as time goes on; however there are some great strategies which you can implement to ensure you do the best job possible to keep them for as long as you can.

Ten Steps to Retaining and Engaging your Employees 

1. Be Clear About What is Expected from your Employees

People like structure. Make sure that your employees have a list of duties of what is expected of them when they start the role and continue to evaluate that list as their role evolves.

2. Provide the Materials and Equipment Needed to do Great Work 

If an employee does not have the right tools to do their job then they’ll become frustrated and unproductive. If you do not have the materials and equipment they need, then work with them to find a solution.

3. Provide Ways for Employees to do what they do Best Every Day  

If an employee shows a particular skill or passion in one area of their job, try to create as many outlets for them to do that task as possible. Providing those outlets will not only be motivating for the employee but will likely increase their productivity.

4. Be a Leader Who Cares about your Employees 

Build a relationship with your employees and find out what makes them happy. Whether it’s flexible working hours or a new coffee pot; find out what’s important to them and try to make it happen. Your commitment to them will reflect on their commitment to your business. 

5. Build an Environment Where your Employees Share a Commitment to the Values and Vision of your Business 

Engagement starts with you. If you’re excited and inspired about your business, your employees will be too. If you are a team player who helps others on the team achieve their goals, your employees will do so as well. Lead by example and you’ll motivate and engage your employees to push your business forward.

HAPPINESS DELIVERED: 12 SIMPLE WAYS TO APPRECIATE YOUR PEOPLE

Think of the times you’re most productive...are you feeling happy or disengaged? Studies show that happy employees bring greater resiliency and profitability to a business in the form of increased engagement, improved customer experiences, and the ability to adapt.  Feeling recognized and appreciated for your efforts is fundamental to your workplace happiness.

Recognition is an amazing tool that is available to businesses of any size. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune, but at the same time it shouldn’t have no cost. Just as you would have a budget for accounting or marketing, you should have a budget for recognition (usually 1-3% of annual salaries are recommended).  After all, your people and social capital are your company’s most important asset.  Some occasions and milestones call for a beautiful recognition award, however in most cases simply being thoughtful and creative works wonders.  With that in mind, here are 12 simple steps that you can take to recognize your people and help them feel appreciated and happy:

 

1. Send handwritten notes - keep a collection of cards on hand and write a note to thank people when they do something you appreciate. A thoughtful, handwritten message can be powerful.  Bonus: use a handcrafted paper stationery to enhance your message.
    
2. End every meeting with a round of verbal recognition - whenever you meet with people, make a habit of appreciating them for something they’ve done recently. It’s a great opportunity to communicate your values and end your meetings on a high note.
    
3. Encourage staff to recognize one another - recognition is not only top down. Encourage your staff to recognize and appreciate one another to build stronger teams and communities.
    
4. Create a fun award - recognition doesn’t have to be serious, it can also be fun. Some companies have an award for “Best Mistake” that encourages people to take risks.  At Eclipse we have a “burnout” award that goes to the last person that makes a mistake - even though it’s done good-naturedly, no one wants this award on their desk!
    
5. Create a recognition wall - use a whiteboard with dry erase pens and encourage people to write messages of appreciation to one another. Public appreciation is powerful.
    
6. Take your eyes off the clock - to show your appreciation for someone, let them come in late one day and start at 10am or noon (at full pay of course). Everyone appreciates the gift of time.
    
7. Be sincere - recognition does not have to be polished or practiced. In fact, it’s best when it’s real and unrehearsed. The most important thing is to speak from your heart.
    
8. Say “Please” and “Thank You” - so simple, yet so often overlooked. These social signals make up the fabric of your culture by communicating respect and appreciation.
    
9. Have a BBQ or catered lunch - order in some staff favourites, or better yet, cook your own and enjoy a meal together. Eating together is a great way to connect with your people.  Bonus points if you learn what kinds of foods they like!
    
10. Give out silver coins - 1 oz silver maple coins are a great way to give out spot recognition because they are valuable in a number of ways: as a precious metal, as a type of currency, and as a recognition award.  At Eclipse Awards we give these out whenever someone goes above and beyond in a way that supports our company mission.
     
11. Go on a field trip - take your team to meet with a supplier or visit an art gallery or Granville Island.  It gives everyone a chance to look at things from a new perspective.  Step outside the usual box and amazing things can happen.
     
12. Empower your people - give them the ability to make decisions and then support their decisions. Give them parameters at first, such as all decisions up to $250 can be made by the employee, and see how it works. The trust you show will help them develop and grow.  

These are simple ideas that you can implement today to appreciate your people. Challenge yourself to think about it daily and turn recognition into a habit.  When you create a culture of recognition and appreciation, your people will feel more engaged and motivated to help you succeed.  Nurture your people - be thoughtful, creative and sincere - you will be amazed at the results.

PATRICK LENCIONI EXPLAINS HOW TO BUILD A HEALTHY TEAM

Last week Patrick Lencioni, author of national best-seller ‘The Five Dysfunctions of a Team’, spoke at the Art of Leadership where he outlined his thoughts on how to build a healthy business.

At the conference he explained that there are two requirements for success:

 

1. Be Smart 
   Have a clear strategy, structured and accurate marketing and financial plans and use the right technology.
    
2. Be Healthy
   Have minimal politics and confusion, a high morale and low turnover and a high level of productivity.

He commented that although many companies have worked hard to be ‘smart’, the key way to diversify your business is to build a ‘healthy’ team.  There are four disciplines in building this type of team:

1) Build a Cohesive Team

• Trust
  A great team is one who trusts each other implicitly.  This trust can only be earned when all cards have been put of the table.  Each member must openly disclose their weaknesses as well as their strengths and know that those weaknesses will not be used against them.
   
• Conflict
  It is important to realise that conflict is not a bad word.  A team will never think the same way about everything; the important thing is to discus those disagreements instead of letting them fester in the background.  However it is important to remember that without first establishing trust, conflict becomes politics.
   
• Accountability
  By being open, trusting and unafraid of conflict allows team members to hold each other accountable for their behaviours and actions.  This accountability allows teams to commit to decisions and push forward together as a unit.

2) Create Clarity

Many disruptions in business are created when team members are not clear about who the company is, where it wants to be and who is responsible for getting it there.

 

Confusion can be minimised by clarifying: why you exist, how you should behave as a brand, what your goals are, how you will achieve these goals, and who is responsible for what. 

3) Over-Communicate that Clarity

It is not just about you and your team being clear about who the organisation is and where it is going, you must also communicate it to the rest of your employees.

 

Make your messages simple, and repeat often.  By repeating the message it demonstrates that there is still a commitment to that same direction. Don’t fall into the trap where leaders communicate a 'plan' but do not support it or ensure it is completed. 

 

That communication doesn’t to just be verbal; there are many different mediums you can use.  Posters in your staff kitchen, notes on payslips, in team meetings.  The messaging can be applied to anything; it just needs to remain consistent. 

4) Reinforce the Clarity

That messaging can also be reinforeced by applying to processes in your business.  The way you hire new employees, how you evaluate your employees, how you recognise the employees who do a good job and how you dismiss those who do not.  These processes must be designed in a custom way to intentionally support and emphasize the uniqueness of your business.

 

The biggest reason that people reject organizational health is that it requires courage. Courage to take a step back and realise that we all have weaknesses, that all businesses have some dysfunction and that not everyone is truthful.  By recognising this and committing to walking straight into uncomfortable situations to address issues that prevent you from achieving your potential, you will achieve a healthy team.

The recent troubles

The recent troubles of Sony and Nintendo have caused the security of business IT systems to become a hot topic in the media, highlighting the importance of online security; something which is often ignored.  While these stories may give the impression that only large corporations are targeted by hackers and thieves, the reality is that hackers are increasingly targeting small businesses because they usually do not have the resources or know-how that large corporations do.

Whether the threat is from an unhappy ex employee, a spam site or a malicious hacker, IT security issues can be very hurtful to your business. The cost to buy replacement equipment or combat any bad press or loss of business after "losing" customer's information can be hard to recover from; however there are some easy steps which you can take to prevent and avoid these events.   

1. Use a well respected and reliable hosting service that has a proven track record for safety and quality of service.
2. Install a firewall for your internet connection that has been correctly configured.
    
3. Install anti-virus software on all computers, laptops and servers and remember to update it on a regular basis to defend against the most current malware and viruses etc.
    
4. Instruct all employees to create passwords with special characters and numbers, not just their cat's name. Ask employees to keep the password to themselves and to not write it down. Delete ex-employees' access rights as soon as they leave.
    
5. Restrict the use of USB flash drives and make sure they are ‘signed out’ when needed.  Keep records of who owns a flash drive and ensure that all information on the drive is logged.
    
6. Monitor social media usage.  Phishing sites are often posted on both Facebook and Twitter which enables the computer to be hacked, either resulting in virus/malware or personal information being taken from the computer.
    
7. Password-protect your wireless connection. Encrypt your Wi-Fi by turning on WEP  (Wired Equivalency Privacy) or WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) on all of your devices.
    
8. Provide training for employees on the above points and create a reference guide on your security procedure.  Once created ask employees to sign that they agree to the procedures. 

Although these tips will not leave your business 100% secure, by taking these small steps to improve the security of your business you will provide a solid foundation to fend off many of the problems experienced by businesses today.