Looking to hire new staff? Hoping to hang on to the ones you have? Good news—unemployment just rose for the fourth time in six months, meaning more people are looking for work or hanging on to the jobs they have. Bad news—the increase nudged a minimal .6 of a percentage point since this time last year. Bottom line: the talent shortage is still very much a thing; recruitment and retention is as competitive as ever. Recognition as an employer of choice can help.

With all due respect to the thousands of good employers across Atlantic Canada, this isn’t about you. This isn’t even about those who are doing better than average. There’s a reason this competition is called the Best places to work. Winners were chosen from 179 nominations based on their performance across six judging categories: corporate culture; work/life balance; diversity, equity and inclusion; benefits/remuneration; incentives/rewards (financial and otherwise); professional development and opportunity for career advancement.

With inflation and interest rates at their highest levels in decades, we found that employers are increasingly creative when it comes to rewarding and celebrating staff. It’s making space for people to be heard… showing appreciation when someone excels … finding ways to make ‘work’ work with personal lives… supporting personal and professional development… embracing the causes important to employees.

Employers, let this be a lesson to you: if recruitment and retention are issues for you, look to the examples listed here. Or you can cross your fingers and hope your staff don’t see this issue—but don’t count on it. These things have a way of getting around.

 

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