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Career Edge Blog

Mar 01
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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 14
Love4

Internship Success with a Romantic Twist

By Uncategorized

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we just had to share an internship success story with a romantic twist that has emerged from the Canadian Immigration Integration Program (CIIP)‘s referral program with Career Edge Organization that provides internship opportunities to eligible, job-ready CIIP clients immigrating to Ontario.

Recently, we were delighted to learn that a pair of CIIP clients from China were both successful in landing Career Bridge paid internship opportunities. To add to the charm of this news, we also learned that the two successful CIIP clients just happen to be husband and wife!

Read More

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.

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