EMPLOYERS in Atlantic Canada know better than most how difficult it is to attract and retain good employees.

The higher pay and generous perks that some employers in more robust economies like Alberta and Saskatchewan can offer convinces plenty of employees living in the four Atlantic provinces to move on to greener pastures. But this isn’t just a problem for businesses in Atlantic Canada, it’s a global issue. In its recent Global Talent Management and Rewards study, professional services firm Towers Watson found that employers are having problems attracting top performers (65 per cent) and high-potential employees (64 per cent). The study also found that employers report difficulty retaining these same types of employees: 54 per cent in the case of top performers and 56 per cent with high-potential employees.

Julie Naismith, senior rewards consultant with Towers Watson, says one of the reasons employers can’t attract quality employees, or keep them for long once they’ve got them, is they don’t seem to recognize the importance today’s employees place on job security. “Ten years ago this wasn’t a big concern for employees,” Naismith says. “But ever since the economic downturn of 2008-2009, this hasn’t gone away.”

Employers aren’t clueing in to this according to the study, which surveyed 1,600 organizations and over 32,000 employees worldwide. Of the top seven factors that attract employees, the study found that employers listed job security as the seventh most important factor while employees cited it as the second. Meanwhile, when it came to the top seven factors that drive retention of employees, employers who responded to the study didn’t even list job security among the top seven. However, employees listed it as the fourth most important factor.