October 2021 Hiring Trends
The Demand For Skilled Talent
Welcome to The Demand for Skilled Talent, your look into the hiring trends making noise across the country. Our research shows that job optimism is increasing among Canadian workers, signalling career moves on the horizon. Employers are facing new hiring and retention challenges as they adapt to the needs of a more mobile workforce. Explore the latest numbers on hiring, hybrid work and the cost of a bad hire.
Statistics Canada Snapshot
Unemployment Rate (September 2021): 6.9%
Jobs Increased (September 2021): 157,100*
12-Month Employment Gains (September 2021): 648,300**
*Seasonally Adjusted
**Seasonally Adjusted, October 2020 to September 2021
Top 3 Hiring and Recruitment Challenges
Senior managers anticipate their biggest hiring hurdles to occur during the second half of 2021:
Finding candidates with the right skills
Finding candidates who are a good fit with our company culture
Retaining top performers
Workers Are in the Driver’s Seat
Candidates looking for a job aren’t going to wait around, and they’re open to full-time contracting.
Percentage of professionals who lose interest in a job if they don’t hear back within two weeks of the initial interview:
Percentage of job candidates who will ghost the employer if they feel strung along:
Percentage of workers planning to look for a new job who want to pursue contracting as a career:
Hiring Plans and Strategies
Senior managers share hiring plans for full-time employees in their department for the second half of 2021:
Hiring Outlook
43%
Adding new permanent positions
54%
Filling vacated positions or bringing back temporarily laid off employees
3%
Freezing hiring
Top Hiring Incentive
40%
Negotiating more paid time off for new employees
Top 5 Industries Hiring
- Business Service
- Finance, insurance and real estate
- Technology
- Manufacturing
- Healthcare
Managers also weigh in on changes their companies have made to their hiring strategies since January 2021*:
51%
Conducted remote interviews and onboarding sessions
36%
Shortened the hiring process
33%
Increased the use of temporary or contract professionals
32%
Expanded our search geographically to access a wider candidate pool
32%
Posted open roles to diversity-focused sites and online networks
31%
Advertised fully remote jobs
* Multiple responses were permitted. Top responses are shown.
Hiring Trends and Top Positions
See trends for each area of business.
*Percentage reflects September 2021 unemployment rate
Top Positions
Financial auditors/accountants
Financial and investment analysts
Executive assistants
Data warehouse analysts
Payroll clerks
Customer service representatives
Administrative assistants
Hiring Trends
49% of senior managers in finance and accounting said they are hiring for new positions in the second half of 2021. 48% said they are hiring only for vacated roles or bringing back temporarily laid off employees. 62% said they will be hiring contract workers to support year-end initiatives.
When recruiting for open roles, 62% said their company starts local and broadens its search if too much time passes without finding qualified candidates.
39% said their companies negotiate title upgrades and 38% negotiate more paid time off for new and existing employees to attract and retain in-demand talent.
67% said turnover has increased on their team since Jan. 1, 2021, mainly due to employees’ concerns for their job security and limited opportunities for career growth.
*Labour Force Survey, September 2021, Statistics Canada, October 8, 2021.
Source: Robert Half survey of 165 senior managers with hiring responsibilities working in finance and accounting in Canada.
*Percentage reflects September 2021 unemployment rate
Top Positions
Financial planning and analysis managers
Business services managers
Advertising/marketing/public relations managers
Human resources managers
Hiring Trends
47% of senior managers in human resources said they are hiring for new positions in the second half of 2021. 51% said they are hiring only for vacated roles or bringing back temporarily laid off employees.
66% said they will be hiring contract workers to support year-end initiatives.
When recruiting for open roles, 62% said their company starts local and broadens its search if too much time passes without finding qualified candidates.
44% said their companies negotiate more paid time off for new and existing employees to attract and retain talent.
64% said turnover has increased on their team since Jan. 1, 2021, mainly due to employees’ concerns for their job security.
*Labour Force Survey, September 2021, Statistics Canada, October 8, 2021.
Source: Robert Half survey of 300 senior managers with hiring responsibilities working in human resources in Canada.
*Percentage reflects September 2021 unemployment rate
Top Positions
Information systems analysts
Software developers
Data administrators
Computer programmers
Web designers/developers
Network administrators
Hiring Trends
44% of senior managers in technology said they are hiring for new positions in the second half of 2021. 55% said they are hiring only for vacated roles or bringing back temporarily laid off employees.
71% said they will be hiring contract workers to support year-end initiatives.
When recruiting for open roles, 57% said their company starts local and broadens its search if too much time passes without finding qualified candidates.
45% said their companies negotiate more paid time off for new and existing employees to attract and retain talent. 44% offer signing bonuses for new employees.
60% said turnover has increased on their team since Jan. 1, 2021, mainly due to employees’ concerns for their job security.
*Labour Force Survey, September 2021, Statistics Canada, October 8, 2021.
Source: Robert Half survey of 167 senior managers with hiring responsibilities working in technology in Canada.
*Percentage reflects September 2021 unemployment rate
Top Positions
Law clerks and related occupations
Lawyers and notaries
Hiring Trends
55% of lawyers said their law firms or companies are hiring for new positions; 40% said they are hiring only for vacated roles or bringing back temporarily laid off employees.
57% of open positions, on average, will be filled on an interim, project or consulting basis.
89% said they are concerned with losing top legal performers to other job opportunities in the next 12 months.
*Labour Force Survey, September 2021, Statistics Canada, October 8, 2021.
Source: Robert Half survey of more than 150 lawyers with hiring responsibilities in Canada
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The Cost of a Bad Hire
Percentage of senior managers who admit to hiring the wrong candidate for a role:
Percentage of senior managers who said the negative impact is more severe now than it was a year ago:
Biggest Tolls on Their Teams and Company
- Time wasted hiring and training the new employee
- Decreased staff morale and productivity
- Increased stress on the supervisor
Time Lost on Hiring Mistakes
11 — The number of weeks to terminate the bad hire
5 — Additional weeks needed to restaff the role
Anywhere Working: The Next Chapter
Flexibility is important to workers, and managers are working hard to provide it.
Worker Sentiments
How Employees Prefer to Work
51%
Hybrid of remote and in-office
30%
Fully remote
19%
Fully in-office
What Workers Want to Help Ease the Back-to-Office Transition
- Ability to set preferred office hours
- Employer-paid commuting costs
- Personal distraction-free workspace
- Relaxed dress code
- Employer-provided childcare
Employer Perspectives
Where Managers Want Workers
56%
Full-time in the office
Top 6 Ways Companies Support Workers
- Offering flexible work schedules (e.g., compressed workweek or flextime)
- Building and sustaining team morale
- Monitoring and managing workloads
- Increasing employee engagement
- Investing in employee collaboration tools
- Providing access to employee well-being resources
Boosting Career Options, Post Pandemic
The pandemic has taken a toll on workers with 27% experiencing stalled careers. This number jumps to 55% for Gen Z professionals. Upskilling, and better pay, helps all employees move forward.
Worker Sentiments
How Careers Have Taken a Hit During the Pandemic:
62%
Salary growth
62%
Career advancement
42%
Skills development
Top Reasons For Seeking a New Job
35%
Low morale and burnout
23%
Opportunities to grow and develop skills
Employer Perspectives
Top 6 Skills For Future Company Leaders
- Strategic and critical thinking
- Communication
- Planning and organization
- Technical
- Adaptability
- Creativity and Motivation (tied)
Start a smarter salary discussion
Hiring talent? Negotiating a paycheck? Get the Salary Guide from Robert Half now to:
- Explore national and market-specific salary projections based on real job placements
- Review trends reshaping your profession
- Get insights into key perks and benefit offerings
Sources:
Labour Force Summary — September 2021, Statistics Canada; October 8, 2021
Labour Unemployment Numbers — September 2021, Statistics Canada; October 8, 2021
Robert Half survey of 800 senior managers with hiring responsibilities in Canada; June 2021
Robert Half survey of 600 senior managers with hiring responsibilities in Canada; December 2020
Robert Half survey of more than 150 lawyers with hiring responsibilities in Canada; December 2020
Robert Half surveys of more than 500 workers 18 years of age and older in Canada; January, March, and April 2021.