HR leaders from BMO, Nokia, Canadian Olympic Committee discuss importance of value propositions, upskilling, future workforce requirements
Companies across Canada are grappling with an apparent contradiction: unemployment is rising, yet employers continue to cite talent shortages as a top concern.
The solution, HR experts suggest, isn’t just more applicants — it’s a better match between company values, job design and the evolving expectations of workers.
There’s been a shift in priorities, according to Natalya Demberg, head of talent acquisition and enablement at BMO.
“Purpose, company culture [and] values continue to be — especially for younger workers — key drivers of what makes them choose and stay with an employer,” she said, citing recent stats from Mercer showing these are the number one reason why people thrive at work “and it was number nine last year.”
“That speaks to, obviously, the external, very fluid environment we're in, but also… the turbulence that the workforce has been through, and where people are looking for safety, but also to be connected to something bigger.”
Demberg’s comments came during a June 20 event in Toronto hosted by the Globe & Mail, featuring two other Canadian HR leaders — from Nokia and the Canadian Olympic Committee — along with a Canadian academic and an economist.
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