The GREAT DISCONNECT
A Candid Conversation About the Elephant in the Room By Deanna Zenger (National Project Manager & Regional Coordinator for Food Processing Skills Canada)
S
ince launching the Succeeding at Work (SAW) project, it has become painfully clear there is a surprising disconnect between job seekers and employers and well as employers and workers.
Letâs talk about labour market issues. But from a slightly different point of view. What are we learning? Being boots on the ground for FPSC allows me to interact with job seekers and employers alike. MPO members, other food industry sectors and non-food employers. I have spoken with many of you. The issues are the same, unlike other industries, We Feed CanadaŠ so our needs are more pressing. As much as employers say theyâre looking hard for employees, theyâre often not looking in the right places or in the right ways. HR departments are leaning too heavily on technology to weed out candidates, or theyâre just not being creative enough in terms of how they consider applications and what types of people could be the right fit. Hiring software and popular platforms like Indeed, LinkedIn, and ZipRecruiter have made it super easy for employers to list countless positions and for jobseekers to send in countless rĂŠsumĂŠs. The problem is, theyâve also made it super easy for those rĂŠsumĂŠs to never be seen.
Today, workforce change happens like a tsunami. The workforce revolution of today, will be disruptive. Both in recruitment and retention. It is time to stop talking. It is time we turned the page. It is time to DO⌠Ask yourselves: What do I want? What do I need? What am I prepared to do to get it?
Elephant timeâŚthe biggest issue I see is thereâs a lack of imagination on the employer side. Please donât assume that what people are doing is what they are qualified for. We know many individuals have taken jobs out of necessity. Their job history may not align with your job title, but their transferable skills may be exactly what you are looking for! When I asked employers what they were looking for in an employee, I heard, âreliable, hardworking, shows up on time, works well with othersâ. I didnât hear; âlabourer, 3-4 years experience ( for entry level) and post-secondary educationâ. So why are these words on your job postings? Why the disconnect?
Jobseekers and Recruitment. To navigate the tsunami, we are going to need a hard look at how we work. I feel one of the lessons learned from the pandemic is that survival meant change, and change we did. Sort of. There is more work to be done beyond testing and physical distancing. Work is still designed for family and economic structures from half a century ago. That world no longer exists. So again, I ask⌠What do you want? What do you need? What are you prepared to do to get it? 32
BlockTalk - Winter 2021
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