Current issue Newswire
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Alberta puts two immigration programs on hold |
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Written by Workplace Staff
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Tuesday, 31 August 2010 |
Alberta recently announced that in response to current job market conditions, it is no longer accepting applications for two immigration programs.
The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) will not accept new applications in the Family Stream and the U.S. Visa Holder Category. This change is temporary until further notice.
“Our focus needs to be on jobs for Albertans and Canadians first,” said Thomas Lukaszuk, Minister of Employment and Immigration in making the announcement. “We will continue to process applications for people who have the skills our growing economy needs.”
The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program was first introduced to help Alberta build a strong workforce of skilled immigrants. In 2008 the Family Stream and the U.S. Visa Holder Category were added. Both these programs were very successful and have resulted in a large number of applications.
The federal government limits the number of people Alberta can nominate for permanent residence. In 2010 Alberta is allowed to nominate 5,000 people. With limited numbers, Alberta's focus will be on nominating people who currently work in permanent jobs and those who have job offers in occupations that are in demand in Alberta.
Alberta will continue to accept immigration applications in the following areas:
- Skilled workers
- Semi-skilled workers in certain occupations
- International students
- Compulsory trades
- Engineering occupations; and
- Self-employed farmers.
For more information about the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program, visit albertacanada.com/ainp.
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New data reveal that salary increases are steadily on the rise among Canadian organizations |
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Written by Laurie Blake
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Tuesday, 31 August 2010 |
Two recent salary surveys indicate that Canadian employers seem to be cautiously optimistic about continuing economic recovery in 2011.
Chief among the findings of the recently released Towers Watson Data Services 2010/2011 Salary Budget Survey Report was that the increased percentage of responding organizations projecting salary increases. Among the 200 survey participants, 98 per cent project salary increases for 2011, up from 95 per cent in 2010 and 70 per cent actually granting increases in 2009.
Meanwhile, nearing the completion of its data harvesting period, Aon's annual Pay Increase Survey shows strong signs that organizations are slowing down on freezing salaries. Among the 184 organizations surveyed to date, only 1 out of 25 participants expect to freeze salaries in 2011. This is a dramatic difference from previous years when 1 out of 6 respondents implemented salary freezes in 2010 compared to 1 out of 3 in 2009 (see details www.aon.ca/surveys/rr/Aug-RapidReady.pdf).
All five surveyed groups plan salary increases, says Towers
The Towers Watson report, conducted between May and June 2010, provides data on actual salary increases granted for 2009, budgeted for 2010 and projected for 2011.
Some of this report's other key findings are listed below:
- For 2011, within organizations that plan to grant increases, average salary increases are projected to be higher than those budgeted for 2010 for all five employee groups surveyed (executive, management, professional/technical, administrative/support and hourly). Base salaries are expected to rise next year by an average of 3.1 per cent for executives; 3.0 per cent for management; 2.9 per cent for professional/technical and administrative/support groups; and 3.0 per cent for the hourly group.
- More organizations are expected to adjust salary range midpoints in 2011 versus organizations that already adjusted or plan to adjust salary range midpoints in 2010
- For all employee groups, the budgeted incentive/bonus pools are higher than those originally projected for 2010
The 2010/2011 Salary Budget Survey Report is available online, or as an online/printed report set.
Towers Watson Data Services (TWDS) is a leading provider of compensation, benefits and employment practices information to the global employer community. From offices around the world we solicit, analyze and publish an extensive library of online, printed and interactive survey reports. Our compensation databases are recognized worldwide as the most reliable source of current data for compensation planning.
Initial results of Aon's Pay Increase Survey expect salary jump of 3 per cent in 2011
Aon notes that the preliminary findings of its survey also identify overall diminishing trend of salary freezes since 2009 downturn. Overall, the dampening impact on salaries caused by the 2009 economic crisis is subsiding. Most employers are expecting to be in a position to afford more aggressive salary increases than they have implemented in recent years.
Initial data is indicating that organizations are earmarking higher salary increases than in 2010. Aon’s projections agree with those from Towers Watson, indicating that salary increase budgets will be approximately 3 per cent of payroll in 2011. In recent years, organizations have overall remained cautious with salary increases, Aon's preliminary survey results indicate that organizations allocated a salary increase budget of 2.5 per cent in 2010. In addition, organizations are holding salary structure increases steady at 2 per cent.
"While these are preliminary results, it nonetheless reflects an overriding upward momentum among Canadian organizations with respect to annual employee pay increases," notes Scott Bunker, national leader of the firm's Human Capital practice, "We look forward to sharing our final analysis in the fall, along with any knowledge and insights that will complement data regarding the evolving total rewards landscape."
Aon Consulting is one of Canada's leading integrated human capital consulting and outsourcing firms. Our more than 800 Canadian professionals in 12 offices coast-to-coast offer benefits, talent management and rewards strategies and solutions to help clients attract, retain and develop world-class talent. Driven by inspired and independent thinking, Aon Consulting is committed to delivering innovative and personalized business solutions with tangible value to help clients shape their organization into the workplace of the future. For more information, visit http://aon.ca.
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One-third of employees think their managers are incompetent |
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Written by Workplace Staff
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Tuesday, 31 August 2010 |
Half of all employees believe their managers are competent or very competent, according to a poll conducted by Right Management. However, an alarmingly high level of employees – 33 per cent – think their managers are either somewhat or completely incompetent with an additional 17 percent only marginally impressed with managerial competence.
Right Management is the talent and career management expert within Manpower, the global leader in employment services.
The firm conducted the poll with nearly 800 employees throughout North America. Right Management asked the question: “How would you rate your manager’s performance?” The findings were:
- 28 per cent Very competent
- 22 per cent Competent
- 17 per cent Somewhat competent
- 13 per cent Somewhat incompetent
- 20 per cent Incompetent
“It surprised us that as many as half of employees are less than enthused about their manager’s performance,” says George P. Herrmann, Executive Vice President Americas for Right Management. “The recent business climate has necessitated many fast and reactive changes – often quick decisions without explanations of rationale provided to employees. We interpret the results as highlighting the lack of trust between many employees and their managers.”
“With the volume of change surrounding most businesses – layoffs, restructurings, changes in business strategy – most managers have had their hands full managing the business and meeting aggressive goals with fewer resources,” notes Herrmann. If people don’t know why things are happening – the rationale or the business case – as well as what the plan is moving forward, they are less likely to feel confident about how things are being handled.”
Herrmann cautions that the danger is that if employees don’t view managers as competent, their commitment to get the job done will be half-hearted. “Believing that managers have the capability to make the organization successful is a top driver of employee engagement. And engagement is critical when companies need to draw on all their resources to meet business objectives and weather the economic environment.”
One common challenge is that many organizations don’t provide managers with coaching or support to develop the behaviours that are important for driving engagement and leading through all the changes faced regularly in today’s business climate,” advises Herrmann. “Many managers are focused on ‘managing’ and getting things done, with little effort on leading and empowering others to navigate organizational change. ‘Managerial competence’ needs to be redefined and then align the manager’s development, recruitment and succession initiatives accordingly.”
“It’s a manager’s responsibility to make sure that employees know their role in the future success of the organization – no matter what the change in business strategy,” says Herrmann. “Without knowing this, trust will be eroded, employees will become disengaged and business goals will not be realized.”
Right Management surveyed 764 individuals via an online poll in July 2010.
Right Management is the talent and career management expert within Manpower, the global leader in employment services. Right Management helps clients win in the changing world of work by designing and executing workforce solutions that align talent strategy with business strategy. Our expertise spans Talent Assessment, Leader Development, Organizational Effectiveness, Employee Engagement, and Workforce Transition and Outplacement. With offices in over 50 countries, Right Management partners with companies of all sizes. More than 80 per cent of Fortune 500 companies are currently working with us to help them grow talent, reduce costs and accelerate performance.
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5 Tips to avoid the late afternoon productivity slump |
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| Employee output is weakest late in the day |
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Written by Workplace Staff
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Tuesday, 31 August 2010 |
If you're constantly battling the afternoon slowdown at work, take heart: You're not alone. A new Accountemps survey of senior managers confirms the late afternoon is the most common time for workers to hit a wall. Thirty-two per cent of managers surveyed said 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. is the least productive time of day for employees. Coming in second was 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., as cited by 28 per cent of respondents.
The survey was developed by Accountemps, the world's first and largest staffing services firm specializing in accounting and finance. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with more than 150 senior managers at companies with 20 or more employees.
Managers were asked, "In general, what is the least productive time of day for employees?" Their responses:
8 a.m. to 10 a.m. ................................. 9%
10 a.m. to noon ................................... 3%
Noon to 2 p.m. .................................... 26%
2 p.m. to 4 p.m. .................................. 28%
4 p.m. to 6 p.m. .................................. 32%
Don't know ........................................ 2%
"Productivity lulls in the workplace can be common, and managers should be conscious of this when scheduling important meetings or challenging tasks," says Kathryn Bolt, president of Accountemps' Canadian operations. "As personal work styles differ, professionals should perform a self-assessment to identify their peak performance periods and schedule when they take on critical projects accordingly."
5 tips to help professionals avoid the afternoon slump
and maximize productivity
- Plan ahead. Don't push challenging projects off until the end of the day, when your energy may wane. Use your less-energetic periods to catch up on more routine tasks, such as responding to e-mails and reading industry publications.
- Get out and smell the roses. If you feel your energy beginning to dip, stretch or take a short walk to recharge. Try eating your meals or holding afternoon meetings outside.
- Eat well. Remember to make time for lunch and nutritious snacks throughout your workday. Avoid high-carb foods, which can cause you to crash later.
- Track goals. Keep a to-do list to remain focused, and ensure it's visible on your desk so you can check items off as they're completed. There's nothing more motivating than making progress on your projects.
- Switch gears. If you're struggling to focus, take a quick break and research something new. Changing tasks can help increase your productivity late in the day.
Accountemps has more than 350 offices worldwide and offers online job search services at www.accountemps.com. Follow Accountemps for workplace news at twitter.com/accountemps.
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Employee training top concern for HR managers |
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Written by Workplace Staff
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Tuesday, 31 August 2010 |
It's back-to-school time, but teachers aren't the only ones with lesson plans on their minds this fall. Human resources (HR) departments also are focused on continuing education for workers, suggests a new OfficeTeam survey. More than four in 10 (41 per cent) HR managers interviewed said their greatest staffing concern is employee training and development. Recruiting new employees came in second, with 27 per cent of the response.
The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service specializing in the placement of highly skilled administrative professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with more than 150 HR managers at companies with 20 or more employees.
HR managers were asked, "Which of the following is your greatest staffing concern as a human resources professional?" Their responses:
Training and developing employees ........................ 41%
Recruiting new employees ........................................ 27%
Retaining top-performing employees ............................... 23%
None/doesn't apply .......................................................... 9%
"As workers take on expanded responsibilities, it becomes more important for companies to offer professional development to help their teams keep up," says OfficeTeam executive director Robert Hosking. "Training programs boost job satisfaction for employees by enabling them to build new skills and take on more challenging roles."
Workplace Redefined, a recent Robert Half study that examined the attitudes of multiple generations of workers, showed that professionals of all ages value ongoing education. "Job security is on everyone's minds, and having up-to-date skills is the key to staying relevant and marketable," notes Hosking. "By providing training opportunities, companies demonstrate they're committed to their employees' long-term career growth, and this can help with their retention efforts."
OfficeTeam is a leading staffing service specializing in the temporary placement of highly skilled office and administrative support professionals. The company has more than 320 locations worldwide and offers online job search services at www.officeteam.com.
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