Alright.....let’s go through a quick geography lesson before launching into a discussion of the regional specific recruitment challenges many organizations face in Canada . I grew up in the East Coast of Canada, and made my way to Toronto like oh so many East Coasters just over 10 years ago. Bottom line, I have spent a fair amount of time in the West, but I have never lived there and don’t consider myself to have a depth of expertise or insight into some of the challenges in those markets. I am going to resist the temptation to be the expert this week, and ask our Western Canadian members to pipe in with their own descriptions of the challenges they face and the strategies they have put in place to counter the talent crunch in these areas. I do firmly believe however that recruitment is recruitment, and that a sound strategy can secure talent in just about any market.

Let’s hear from you.....what regional recruitment challenges are you facing? What strategies and programs have you put in place?

• Increased wages
• Signing bonuses
• Relocation packages
• Hiring blitzes
• Employee referral programs
• Tuition reimbursement
• Educational allowances
• Packing up operations and exiting markets with talent shortages?

What has worked....what hasn’t?

Next week – the career path of the recruitment professional.