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Career Edge

Mar 01
Love3

Mentoring & Managing Multi-Generations: 5 tips for employers

By Events & Holidays

Last month, our own VP, Donna Smith, was joined by Lauren Friese, Founder of TalentEgg.ca, and Mandy Sutherland, Senior Consultant, Applied Research and Consulting at Steelcase to share insights and best practices around leveraging the strengths of multiple generations in the workplace.

The “Mentoring & Managing Multi-Generations” workshop took place at the Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO)’s 55th Annual Conference and Showcase where members and other engaged professionals gathered to exchange information and learn from informative and forward-thinking presentations that are transferable to their respective communities and workplaces.

During her segment of the workshop, Donna offered five tips to employers looking to develop collaborative, complementary, and sustainable multi-generational workplaces:

  1. Find the “lost” generation: Gen X is often overlooked as a result of being sandwiched between the persistent presence of Baby Boomers and the impatient motivations of Gen Y. Leverage the knowledge and experience of Gen X workers by encouraging them to coach Gen Y workers. It’s a win-win situation: Gen Y get the support and guidance they need to develop professionally, while Gen X gain leadership and mentoring skills.
  2. Establish semi-formal task forces: Bridge generational gaps and impart knowledge by encouraging ongoing networking and professional development opportunities.
  3. Compensation packages based on generational priorities: Opt for flexible compensation/benefit packages that suit the needs of each generation. For example, Gen Y look for dental coverage for themselves, whereas Gen X prefer flex hours or child care for their kids, and Baby Boomers appreciate elder care for their parents.
  4. Understand what drives your employees and meet those needs both individually and as a group: Celebrate the different approaches of each generation, while staying focused on company objectives and project goals.
  5. Manage demographics – don’t just play to the biggest audience: Encourage projects that involve employees from different demographics. This goes beyond generational diversity; recognizing and celebrating differences in culture, gender, and ability all play into a healthy and productive workplace.

Furthermore, Donna suggests that the key to successfully implementing all of the above tips is having a clear and mutual understanding of how each generation – and their inherent diversity of culture, gender, and abilities – contribute to the overall business strategies and organizational fit.

We want to know what you’re doing to leverage the potential of each generation in the workplace! Share your tips with us by leaving a comment!

Feb 08
Love4

Paid vs. Unpaid: the internship debate continues!

By News & Announcements

On last night’s “Friendly Fire” radio talk show on CFRB Newstalk 1010, host Ryan Doyle introduced the call-in segment of the program by claiming that unpaid internships are “the only way that employers nowadays can combat the lackadaisical attitude [and] the over-expectations that kids have when they come out of university and college,” going on to argue that the internship-related foot-in-the-door and networking opportunities are forms of payment.

We respectfully disagree, and were pleased to hear that the majority of those calling into the show disagreed as well, supporting the paid internship alternative. “It is in my best interest to try to cultivate these young potential stars and bring them in with the right mindset,” said one employer in support of paying for an intern’s work. Another caller from the trades industry compared internships to trade apprenticeships that – in his experience – have always been tied to financial compensation, and didn’t see why white-collar internships would ever be unpaid when the worker is contributing in a equally meaningful way.

Earlier today, Mike Bullard picked up on his colleague’s topic in his CFRB radio program “Beyond the Mic”, and in contrast stated that employers should, “at least pay someone’s expenses when they’re on an unpaid internship.”

Unfortunately this bone of contention is nothing new, and has continued to be remarkably polarizing for both sides. We have certainly indicated Career Edge Organization’s position in the paid vs. unpaid debate with previous blog posts, strongly endorsing paid internships. But we want to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Leave a comment to let us know your side when it comes to internship compensation.

Want to learn more? Listen to the podcasts of both CFRP shows, and read our previous blog posts that explore this issue…

Feb 03
Love4

Career Edge Organization joins GE Canada in celebrating 500 interns

By Events & Holidays

Career Edge Organization is delighted to be celebrating the significant milestone of GE Canada’s 500th intern.

As one of the first organizations to start hiring Career Edge program interns in 1996, GE Canada has continued to leverage the potential of recent graduates, hiring their 500th intern this past December.

“This is an excellent program that brings incredible talent to GE,” notes Terry Peach, Manager of Human Resources, GE Canada.  “The caliber of graduates working in GE has been outstanding, we have offered approximately 40 percent of the intern’s full-time positions, and many of these individuals have gone on to leadership positions within the company.  Others have leveraged their work experience at GE Canada for jobs outside the company.”

GE hosted a celebratory event last Wednesday, bringing together many Career Edge alumni, including the company’s first and 500th interns: Stephanie Bangarth and Mehreen Khan.

Career Edge Organization would like to take this opportunity thank GE Canada for the continuous support of our paid internship programs, and we look forward to another 15 years of launching careers!

Click here to read the press release to learn more about GE Canada and Career Edge Organization’s successful partnership.

Jan 26
Love3

Career Edge Organization will be “inventing the future” with HRPA

By Programs & Partnerships

It’s official! Career Edge Organization will be joining the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA)  for one of Canada’s top HR professional development experiences: the HRPA 2012 Annual Conference & Trade Show “HR: 2012 and Beyond…Inventing the Future” occurring February 1 to 3 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

As trade show exhibitors, we are looking forward to networking with HR professionals from across Canada and from around the world, while examining the latest HR issues, ideas, challenges and opportunities together. With the theme of “futuristic HR” in mind, we got to thinking about what the HR landscape will look like for 2012 “and Beyond”, and couldn’t help but be reminded of an article that attempted to do just that… three and a half years ago.

In “Human Resources: The Big Issues” published on Bloomberg Businessweek back in 2008, Marshall Goldsmith spoke with Anna Minto and Chuck Scullion of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) about BCG’s published report based on the findings of an ambitious survey of 4,700 executives in 83 countries and markets.

Goldsmith, who is coincidentally the opening keynote at this year’s HRPA Conference, interviewed Minto and Scullion about the “Creating People Advantage: How to Address HR Challenges Worldwide Through 2015” report, identifying three top HR challenges: managing talent, improving leadership development, and managing work-life balance.

Although these issues emerged from U.S. respondents, the Canadian HR community can certainly relate, and despite the survey being conducted in 2008, these issues are notably still pervasive. Looking to the year ahead and even further to 2015 (as per BCG’s survey), we would like to reiterate the suggestions and solutions from “Creating People Advantage…” that can help Canadian HR professionals mitigate these issues now and through 2015.

  • Managing Talent: When it comes to attracting, developing, and retaining talented individuals across all levels of any organization, the key is to take a creative approach in identifying high-potential talent pools. Minto and Scullion report that organizations are increasingly looking to source global talent as their creative solution, something Career Edge Organization knows a thing or two about.
  • Improving Leadership Development: With management and managerial engagement tied closely to managing talent, BCG recommends investing considerable resources (i.e. development programs and financial rewards) in prospective leaders, as these individuals are the ones hiring, mentoring, and promoting the talent mentioned in the previous point.
  • Managing Work-Life Balance: In contrast to the financial investment in developing future leaders within an organization, many employees now are seeking alternatives to traditional, financially-driven compensation packages. When it comes to compensation that contributes to work-life balance, flexible work arrangements are increasing in popularity, and are a great option to consider when appropriate.

With these three points in mind and now having reached the half-way mark between when this study was published and the anticipated relevance expiry, it’s clear that refocusing on these issues is critical to the immediate and future success of Canadian HR practices, especially with the significant demographic shifts being forecasted for beyond 2015.

As a solutions-based organization, Career Edge Organization is looking forward to discussing and addressing these challenges and more with you next week at the HRPA 2012 Annual Conference & Trade Show!

Jan 03
Love12

Ringing in a New Year of optimism and change

By Events & Holidays

After a highly eventful – and occasionally exhausting – 2011, the New Year has certainly been welcomed as an opportunity to embrace change and refocus on new projects and priorities.

At Career Edge Organization (CEO), we have already begun transitioning through various organizational shifts over the past couple months, most notably being the unveiling of our new and improved website. This exciting milestone in CEO’s history has brought us ever closer to our ongoing objective of meeting and exceeding the needs of our stakeholders. In 2012, we resolve to continuously improve the quality of our services by using our website as a solid foundation along with our client relationship approach to bringing your talent needs into focus.

In addition to the evolution of our online presence, our social media initiatives (including the CEO blog) welcome a new voice – mine!

Please allow me to introduce myself: I am Sydney Helland, Marketing & Communications Coordinator. Having launched my career at Career Edge Organization through a Career Edge internship nearly two years ago, I have experienced first-hand the effectiveness of our internship model. Since joining in early 2010, I have been fortunate enough to have been mentored by fantastic marketing professionals, and am proud to be the new representative of CEO in our social media forums. In 2012, I look forward to engaging in conversations with Canada’s HR community by sharing insights, perspectives and expertise from Career Edge Organization.

On behalf of Career Edge Organization, I would like to wish you a very happy and prosperous New Year and thank you for your ongoing support during these exciting times as we continue working together to meet your recruitment needs and put diverse, qualified talent to work in 2012.

Tell us how we can help with your 2012 recruitment resolutions! Feel free to comment here, or contact us today!

Dec 19
Love6

Introducing the new www.careeredge.ca!

By Events & Holidays

Today is a special day in Career Edge Organization history as we are proud to unveil our new and improved website, www.careeredge.ca.

Our new website has been a labour of love that was a collaborative effort, not only of our team but of all our stakeholders, including our host employers, alumni, interns and registrants. We took everyone’s input, needs and ideas into consideration, and the result is something we are very proud of.

Of course, no website is perfect. There may always be glitches or areas to improve, but we trust our site will meet all your needs and beyond! Some of our new features include:

  • One website for all your needs – www.careeredge.ca is now your one-stop-shop for sourcing, hiring and managing recent graduates, graduates with disabilities and/or internationally qualified professionals. One login will give you access to all three paid internship programs, internship postings, current and past interns, a wide selection of resources, and much more.
  • Simple navigation, intuitive design – We’ve combined state-of-the-art technology with user-friendly features to create a stylish and universally accessible website to meet your business needs.
  • Intern management made easy – Finding talent has never been easier! Whether you are posting an internship, completing a hire or using the new performance management tool, our website will guide you through all online processes with easy to follow instructions, “info pop-ups,” comprehensive FAQs and video demonstrations.
  • Practical tools and resources – Our employer resources have all been updated to reflect our new look and our growing knowledge in the areas of diversity, recruitment, Gen Y, and much more.
  • Personal dashboard – Your “Activity Log” will help you stay informed and organized without cluttering your email inbox! Upon logging in you will be greeted with your personal dashboard featuring Messages, Alerts and Notices.
  • Reporting 2.0 – We know how important it is to track and monitor your hiring activity. That’s why simple reporting is integrated throughout our website. Need more information? Talk to your Client Relations Manager about our custom reports.
  • Online performance management tool – To ensure both employers and interns get the most out of their internship experiences, we’ve created this proprietary tool to help guide participating Coaches, Managers and HR professionals through the process.
Please enjoy exploring our website! If you have any suggestions, feedback or  questions, feel free to leave us a comment here on the blog, or visit the Contact Us page of our new website!
Dec 07
Love5

Career Edge Organization goes “Beyond Canadian Experience”

By News & Announcements

Last Friday, a diverse group of leaders from the business and academic community joined forces with immigrant-serving organizations to present a series of innovative ideas to promote the meaningful and sustainable integration of immigrants into the Canadian labour market at the Beyond “Canadian Experience”: Mobilizing Diverse Talent for Corporate and Community Success conference.

This conference was planned as a result of the Beyond “Canadian Experience” Project, a collaboration of the University of Toronto Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, the Mennonite New Life Centre, and the Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter. The project is also funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

Presenters at the conference included:

  • Keynote: John Tory, Chair, CivicAction
  • Charles Achampong, Manager, Corporate & Stakeholder Relations, TRIEC
  • Dr. Izumi Sakamoto, Lead researcher, Canadian Experience Research Project
  • Adriana Salazar, Mennonite New Life Centre, Newcomer Skills at Work Project
  • Matt Petersen, Director of Diversity Strategies, CIBC

In addition to these trailblazers in the diversity hiring community, our own President & CEO, Anne Lamont, presented on the topic of “Immigrant Internships as Promising Practice.” Throughout Anne’s presentation, the theme of “predictability” tended to resonate with much of the audience, as this concern is often ubiquitous when recruiting and integrating internationally qualified professionals.

“Canadian experience” generally lessens a hiring manager’s apprehension around a candidate’s “predictability”, yet this qualification is one of the most common barriers faced by immigrants trying to break into the Canadian workforce. Furthermore, the definition of “Canadian experience” is often vague and misconstrued by immigrants and employers alike, as revealed by the research from Beyond “Canadian Experience” Project.

During the course of Anne’s presentation, it became clear that paid internships for internationally qualified professionals truly mitigate the concern for “predictability” and finding the right fit for the job by providing employers with a flexible and risk-averse recruitment solution.

From John Tory’s perspective, it is critical that – whether through internships or other forms of onboarding – Canadian businesses start integrating this group of highly skilled immigrants to sustain and expand both the labour and consumer market.

At Career Edge Organization, we couldn’t agree more.

Oct 28
Love6

Sound bites from the 2011 Recruitment Innovation Summit

By Events & Holidays

panel smallLast September we announced our upcoming panel session at the 2011 Recruitment Innovation Summit. The conference took place this past week and, not surprisingly, was a great success for the Human Resources Networking Group (HRNG) who hosted the event, attended by hundreds of senior level recruitment and HR professionals from organizations across Canada.

Career Edge Organization was one of a handful of exhibitors, representing the only not-for-profit, diverse talent solution there.

In addition to our booth, Career Edge Organization hosted a break-out session, Global Markets, World Class Talent, which featured a diverse panel of employers who spoke about their successes and challenges in hiring internationally qualified professionals.

Attendees were highly engaged, actively participating in the Q&A following the panel discussion. Many joined us at our booth during the networking reception that followed.

Here is what our panellists had to say during the session:

“We serve over 150 ethnicities within our hospital doors; [there is no] better way to provide culturally competent care than to have health professionals that reflect the patients that walk in the door.”

Kate Wilson
Manager, Corporate Staffing Strategies, St. Michael’s Hospital

“We have an imperative as a government to ensure we are serving [our] communities in a manner that is equitable and which takes into consideration the diversity of its people… There is a commitment to both equity and diversity by the City of Toronto both as a service provider but also as an employer.”

Uzma Shakir
Director, Equity, Diversity & Human Rights, City of Toronto

“We seek to leverage diversity as we reach out to cultural markets within cities like Toronto; leveraging the knowledge and the experience of internationally educated professionals is critical in doing so.”

Blair Crichlow
Manager, Diversity Recruitment, RBC

“[Diversity] is not something we’re striving towards, it’s the basis and foundation of our business. We simply could not exist or compete internationally without internationally educated and qualified professionals”

Peter Kelk
President, George Kelk Corporation

Sep 26
Love4

Toronto’s lessons on immigration

By News & Announcements

This past week, in an opinion editorial in the Toronto Star, John Tory and Julia Deans of CivicAction reminded us that the world has a lot to learn from Toronto when it comes to new and innovative ways to attract and integrate newcomers. Pointing out that “Canada has a productivity challenge” and that “the competition for talent is heating up,”  our Career Edge paid internship program was cited by CivicAction and an international delegation as “a model for other cities.”

We are delighted to be recognized in this positive way, not only by CivicAction, but by readers of The Star as well.

Still, as Career Edge Organization’s President & CEO, Anne Lamont points out, looking to internationally qualified professionals is only part of the “creative solution” required. Here is Anne Lamont’s response to the article:

“Canada needs to attract, develop and retain a productive workforce – this means leveraging the skills, experience and potential of recent graduates and skilled immigrants to augment the talent pipeline for most companies.  Having these discussions at a time when there is significant economic turmoil creates a disconnect between what is in Toronto or in fact Canada’s long term economic and prosperity interest and the immediacy of employers’ actions of reducing the number of employees as a cost saving measure in response to the challenging business environment. The lost opportunities for recent graduates who have made an initial investment in their future through education and the underemployment of many skilled immigrants that we have attracted to our country are both a reputational and an economic risk. However, the reality is that while it is not business as usual, organizations still have hiring needs, which presents an opportunity for seeking out creative hiring solutions. As the head of an organization that has worked with employers who have faced this dilemma before, I know that access to talent through our paid internship programs for recent grad and skilled immigrants has been an effective option. “

Anne Lamont
President & CEO
Career Edge Organization

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