More than half of Canadian employers have considered adjusting employee rewards and benefits (57 per cent) and salary/wages (55 per cent) to contend with rising inflation and an ongoing labour shortage, according to a survey by Ento Canada.

The survey, which polled more than 400 human resources leaders, found four in 10 (42 per cent) employers have also considered adjusting staffing levels. Half (54 per cent) of HR leaders said managing their workforce is more difficult than it was two years ago and noted their biggest challenges are talent management and retention (36 per cent), managing workplace health and safety requirements (24 per cent), talent attraction (15 per cent), changing expectations around the role of the employer (12 per cent) and labour costs (10 per cent).

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And over the last two years, half (52 per cent) of respondents said their companies changed their policies to encourage better work-life balance, while a similar number are thinking about adopting technologies to improve employee engagement (58 per cent), onboarding/offboarding (55 per cent) and scheduling (55 per cent).

“It’s increasingly difficult to lead workforces today, especially those responsible for shift-based work,” said Peter Vigilante, country director for Ento Canada, in a press release. “HR leaders recognize taking care of their people is a top priority, and we need to equip them with the right tools to help set their team — and themselves — up for success.

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