Canada’s Labour Market causing a stir in the hospitality industry leading to the hiring of foreign workers.

Strategies for recruiting in the current labour market - Employers in the current labour market have no choice but to think outside of the box and recruit globally.  A recent Manpower inc. survey indicates that Canada has one of the most acute labour shortages in the industrialized world.  Employers are now reaching to foreign workers to fill jobs.  Recent immigration changes are making it possible for Canadian employers to hire foreign workers faster than ever before.  The federal program used to be focused on attracting only highly skilled foreign workers, but this has now expanded to include many other workers that can fill lower skilled jobs such as housekeeping staff for hotels which are needed in Canada.  By hiring a temporary foreign worker, companies have a better chance of surviving during labour shortages.

The Expedited Labour Market Opinion Pilot Project was put in place to accelerate the application process to hire temporary foreign workers in certain occupations in Alberta and British Columbia.  Labour Market Opinion applications from employers who qualify to participate in the pilot will be processed within five days of Service Canada having received them when all the information requested is provided.  Regional lists of occupations under pressure can be found at http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca. 

The tourism occupations included as part of the Pilot Project include:

• Hotel housekeepers
• Front desk agents
• Snowboard and ski instructors
• Food and beverage servers
• Food counter attendants
• Tour and travel guides
• Retail sales personnel

The Pilot Project is a two-step process:

• An employer applies to Service Canada to become eligible to access the Pilot program. 
• If approved, Service Canada expedites all regular requests from that specific employer for ‘E-LMO’ applications.

How is a E-LMO different from a LMO?

• LMO’s are currently taking anywhere from 12 to 20 weeks to be reviewed and approved or denied by Service Canada. Under the Expedited LMO Pilot Project, the E-LMO’s will be reviewed and a decision made within 3-5 business days. 
• Employers will only be required to apply to the program once. A decision by Service Canada as to their eligibility to participate in the program will be made within 5 business days from date of application. 

Businesses also need to look at other recruitment strategies.  Recognizing international credentials of skilled newcomers already in Canada is something worth investigating and Prime Minister Stephen Harper has stated that this is one of the government’s priorities. 

Other immediate recruitment strategies include the following:

1. Offering competitive pay – We still see job postings where the employer wants to pay only minimum wage.  In this job market, job seekers can afford to shop around for better pay.
2. Companies can consider hiring individuals with potential and invest in training them.  Subsidizing education and training can attract more applicants.
3. Instead of recruiting within one’s city or province, companies can easily recruit across Canada.  Job Sites are one way of recruiting nationally as jobs are posted on the internet and can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from anywhere.  Job Seekers are willing to relocate and so recruitment across Canada can lead to a more positive response.
4. On a seasonal basis, companies can hire students, teachers and retirees.
5. Some call centres hire stay-at-home moms and other companies such as IBM recruit employees with disabilities with great success. Employers should keep an open mind in their approach of finding the “ideal employee”.