Sure, Canada’s got talent…but it’s not always what employers really need. According to a recent study by Randstad Canada and Ipsos-Reid of more than 2,000 Canadian workers, over 90% of working Canadians feel the country’s skills gap will continue to be an important issue in 2014. Do you have the right people at your organization?

By 2020, Canada will need…

  • 357,000 new supply chain workers
  • 319,000 construction workers
  • 106,000 new information and communication technology workers
  • 100,000 new mine workers
  • 95,000 new engineers
  • 50,000 to 130,000 new petroleum workers
  • 45,000 new electricity workers
  • 30,000 new truck drivers

Source: Government of Canada, Economic Action Plan 2013: Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity

Canadian workers say the top five industries for job opportunities in 2014 will be…

  • Skilled trades—44.7%
  • Healthcare—38.2%
  • Oil and gas—33.9%
  • Technology—26.9%
  • Engineering and construction—25.2%

Source: Randstad Canada Labour Trends Study 2014

How can employers find the right talent?

1. Develop it internally
Kathy Lockwood, HR leader of Aon Canada, says that when organizations hire, “everyone’s looking for someone who can hit the ground running, and, unfortunately, ‘hit the ground running’ means that we’re not going to be training up. One of the things that organizations need to look at is how they’re going to grow their talent so that they are able to move individuals up through organizations.”

2. Get creative
“Taking the same approach to recruiting—for example, appealing to the same demographics at the same universities—will leave any organization struggling,” says Sig Shirodkar, U.S.-based managing director of People and Change, with KPMG, in a KPMG talent risk survey.

3. Go global
It’s crucial for HR teams to develop a more global mindset, says Greg Rooney, senior vice-president, HR, with Aecon Group Inc. “You just can’t find project managers who are capable of executing an $8-million project. There’s just not that many of them in Canada,” he explains, referring to the business of his own construction company. In its quest forinternational talent, Canada faces competition not only from other advancednations, but from emerging giants, too.

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