Flexible work arrangements and upskilling have become critical to give employers a competitive edge and allow them to attract and retain top talent, according to Aastha Juneja, head of compensation and benefits at Corus Entertainment, speaking during a panel at Benefits Canada’s 2025 Future of Work Summit.
The panel delved into the results of Benefit’s Canada’s fourth annual Future of Work Survey, which found respondents’ most critical human resources issues in 2025 were improving skills and training (69 per cent), attraction and retention (63 per cent) and employee health and well-being (57 per cent).
Notably, the survey also found 59 per cent of employers reported implementing flexible working arrangements, up from 35 per cent in the 2024. To help with flexibility, Corus pauses its in-office requirement for non-essential roles during the summer months and allows employees to work two months outside the country, anywhere in the world, in a 12-month period.
“We’re seeing that shift where flexibility is [becoming] an expectation,” said Juneja. “When [we conduct] interviews, these are often the most commonly asked questions [related to] how the organization focuses on flexibility . . . and on training, development and career growth. If you’re fighting for top talent, having good practices around [flexibility and upskilling] is a key differentiator.”
The survey also found a third (33 per cent) of employers cited talent attraction and retention as their headline issue, with 63 per cent ranking it in the top three and 75 per cent agreeing it has become harder to attract and retain employees.
More than half (56 per cent) of employers said they’re increasing employee training and skills development to help with attraction and retention, while 48 per cent indicated they’re increasing their investments in training programs.
“Training is a mandatory part of our business in addition to the strategic component,” said Bryan Crisp, HR operations manager at Niagara Casinos. “You may not know this, but the gaming industry is regulated second only to nuclear power. So with that, we have to deal with basic training, but then we have all the mandatory aspects around anti-money laundering, responsible gaming [and] Smart Serve for alcohol and beverages.”
Read: 2024 Future of Work Summit: How Amazon’s upskilling program helps prepare employees for the future
The casino continues to offer a high degree of redeployment as well, with internal transfers or promotions of its talent. It’s a fairly large business in terms of its total internal population, added Crisp, so the vast majority of talent is filled internally first.
With long-term talent, there can be a risk of stagnation, he added. “Some jobs can be quite repetitive here, so the idea is to try to make sure it’s engaging . . . and involve them in other programs [like] employee-led resource programs. [It’s also] about conversations, making sure those who express [feeling disengaged] — whether it’s through our own employee engagement results or through one-on-one conversations with managers — understand there are other options available to them.”
The survey also found 51 per cent of employers reported using targeted pay measures — such as selective salary increases, signing bonuses or retention bonuses — to hold on to key talent, up from 43 per cent in 2023 and 47 per cent in 2024.
Nearly half (48 per cent) of employers said they’re enhancing health benefits (up from 33 per cent in 2024), 44 per cent said they’re improving pension or financial offerings (up from 27 per cent in 2024) and 40 per cent reported enhancing vacation or time-off programs (up from 28 per cent in 2024).
Read: Employers relying on benefits, perks to attract, retain talent in 2026: report
Download a copy of the 2025 Future of Work Survey report here.