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How temp job can identify your ideal career

Temp Jobs Vancouver, Surrey, Calgary, Winnipeg

If you just got out of school, are contemplating a career change, or simply want to add more skills to your resume, a temp job might be perfect for you. This type of work allows you to get your foot in the door in a variety of industries while still earning income. Temp work can be the ideal path to your dream career.

Lead to Permanent Work

There are always permanent positions wherever you get placed, and you could get offered one. Some companies like to use temp positions to see first-hand if a candidate fits in well. Doing so allows the employer to screen people without worrying about getting stuck with someone that is underqualified.

Get to know your Strengths and Weaknesses

You do not want to risk switching fields only to discover that it is not for you. Temp jobs are an excellent way to see whether a job or industry suits you. You can know for sure if you prefer working with your hands and doing physical work or sitting at a desk. You may be surprised by what you learn about yourself. Even if you do not excel at the task, at least you found that out sooner rather than later.

Gain Experience

If you just graduated, you likely do not have much experience under your belt – especially if your program does not offer a co-op or internship. Whether you do a daily assignment or a project that lasts a month, any experience is better than none. Working various short-term jobs is also a great way to network with different people. Hiring managers prefer to pick people who have been recommended to them. The more professional connections you form, the more likely you are to be recommended to potential employers.

Gain Skills

By working on numerous assignments in a short period of time, you will gain a diverse skill set quickly. Doing so will help your resume stand out from the hundreds a company receives. It will also help you learn skills that are difficult to acquire in an academic setting. Temp work is also an effective way to get skills in a field you are unfamiliar with but interested in.

Try different positions

Contracts for temp positions can range from just one day to a full year depending on the assignment. These low-commitment projects allow you to try out different jobs without being financially burdened. If you find out the gig is not for you, simply move on to another. You can try out several positions in a short time frame, allowing you to eliminate fields that you do not like quickly.

Temp positions are also great options for businesses looking to fill short-term positions. Maternity leave or an extended absence due to sickness can make companies struggle. It is also ideal for people who want to stay working in their field, but not on a regular basis. These people come in handy for businesses that need extra help during busy seasons and do not need to be trained as extensively as a new hire. Temp positions are a win-win situation for both employers and employees, filling in gaps for both parties.

What is Cryptocurrency and How May It Affect Your Business In The Future?

What exactly is cryptocurrency and why should businesses care?

Cryptocurrency is simply a digital form of currency. It’s global form of currency as well in that it’s not specific to any country (as of yet).

There are various different types of cryptocurrency – the main one being Bitcoin. Bitcoin is not only the most dominant cryptocurrency, but it was the first one created, and has the first-mover advantage as a result.

Cryptocurrency uses blockchain technology. Now this may sound complicated, but the basic premise is quite simple. It’s essentially a network of different computers that all share the same ledger/document and are able to keep track of all transactions and movements the  cryptocurrency. The benefit of this is that there are multiple different parties that all can confirm the transactions, it’s not just coming from one party. This ensures the transactions are valid and people can’t just make them up.

Now why should businesses care about cryptocurrency? As its adoption rate increases, there may be impacts that we are seeing in the work world:

  • The use of the blockchain technology will allow many business functions to improve. The technology now isn’t only being used for currency, but can also be used for operational efficiencies. Some crypto organizations are developing blockchain technology for supply and logistics solutions, securities, confirmation of employee records, and so forth.
  • Employees may begin to request or desire payment in the form of cryptocurrency from their employers
  • Businesses may be buying or selling products/services with cryptocurrency
  • There may be a competitive advantage to using cryptocurrency compared to competitors
  • Employers can offer compensation using cryptocurrency in their Job Listings

Additionally, it is important to know that cryptocurrency is taxable just like any other currency. As well, further government regulations will likely arise as crypto grows.

Cryptocurrency is currently in its infancy. It is quite undeveloped and much of it is based off speculation. However, its utility and benefits is undeniable and we are very likely to only see more of it in the future.

Contact Trades Labour Corporation today for access to our wide range of temporary workers to help you out with your business.

Construction in BC Expected to Continue Boom for 2018 as Shortage in Skilled Labour Increases

A new survey by the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of B.C. finds that 86% of contractors in BC are either expecting the requests for work to increase, or to remain the same for 2018. These numbers have been progressively increasing each year since 2014, with 2018 having the highest percentage. Considering the boom in BC housing, this is understandable. The trend does not seem to be stopping as BC continues to grow at a dramatic pace.

However, the report also finds that skilled workers are becoming harder and harder to find. In conjunction with low unemployment rates, BC is facing a large shortage in trades workers. According to the report, 75% of employers are saying there are not enough qualified workers in the trades they require. This is up from 59% in 2017.

Specifically, pipefitters, concrete finishers, truck drivers, and labourers shortages have worsened the most in the past year. Across the BC region, carpenters and labourers are highest in demand.

It’s becoming a tricky situation for employers, as the supply is not quite meeting the demand for work. Employers will have to become more strategic with their staffing solutions as competition amongst employers for top talent will increase further. One strategy that many organizations are finding to be successful is by diversifying and mixing internal hiring with some outsourcing help from temporary employment agencies. Having access to a flexible pool of workers seeking temporary work can help organizations with their workforce needs during this complex time.

Contact Trades Labour Corporation today for access to our wide range of temporary workers to help you out with your business.

Unemployment Rates in Canada and BC – How Should Employers Prepare?

Unemployment rates in Canada and BC have been on a downtrend ever since 2009. As
of January 2018, the unemployment rate for Canada was 5.9%, one of the lowest it has
been in years. Compare this to January 2009, with an unemployment rate of 8.3%. In
British Columbia, the unemployment rate for January 2018 is even lower – 4.8%.
So what are the impacts of this? What should employers expect as this downtrend
continues?

Recruiting will become more difficult due to the reduction of qualified applicants.

With less people applying, finding that next person will take longer than it did previously. Recruiters will have to explore different options to discover their applicants such as job boards and employment agencies, and they may have to reduce their qualification demands for their next role.

Employee retention will require more efforts and attention from employers.

Employees leaving an organization will hurt even more than it did before. The positions will be harder and harder to fill, especially for higher-level positions. Organizations must focus more on ensuring that their employees are satisfied and fulfilled in their roles. Retention efforts as a result will require more attention.

The cost of hiring will need to be reduced.

Because there will be less qualified applicants available, more recruitment efforts may need to be made in order to fill that next position. This will result in more money spent on advertising or job agencies, time spent on pre-screening and interviewing, and so forth. Organizations will have to be efficient and effective with their recruitment in order to keep these costs down.

More employers will seek out the help of temp agencies to cut down on recruitment time and costs.

With the expertise and infrastructure of a temporary job agency, organizations will see that their best option may be to get the help of this third party for their recruitment needs. Not only will it reduce their costs, it will also free up their own time so that they can focus on other tasks.

Contact Trades Labour Corporation today to recruit the best Temporary Workers for your business today!
References

5 Ways to Improve Retention in 2018

Are you struggling with employee retention? Are you losing top talent to your competitors? Here is a list of 5 things you can do as an employer to improve employee retention in your organization:

1. Flexible scheduling

We all have many demands for our time. However, for some individuals, their time demands may force them to leave their jobs. No organization wants to lose a great employee simply due to the work schedule. If feasible, allowing employees to work part time, casual, or rotational shifts will open up opportunities for those employees to continue with your organization. It also helps boost their company loyalty, as they know their employer is willing to accommodate to their schedule.

2. Regular performance reviews

Performance reviews are an excellent way to ensure you have regular communication with your staff. Performance reviews should be seen as opportunities for creative dialogue and two-way discussion. It may not seem like a big deal to forget a performance review once in a while, but the impacts are larger than you may think. Employees may feel ignored if the review does not happen in a timely manner, and may feel that their employer does not care about their efforts.

3. Creating total rewards packages that employees want

When people think of compensation and total rewards, the immediate thought is dollar amounts. This doesn’t always have to be the case. Many organizations have discovered that viewing compensation from a “total rewards” perspective is actually a way to differentiate their organization from the competitors. To clarify, total rewards means anything an employee may receive from being employed at an organization.
And of course, different demographics will prefer different rewards. Perhaps those organizations with a younger workforce will find that their employees would like discounts on entertainment, free bus passes, and payments in the form of cryptocurrency. Middle-aged demographics may want better benefits and retirement savings options.
The best method is to learn what your employees want, and choose a total rewards package that most suits them.

4. The ability to work from home

Working remotely is becoming more and more dominant in our work force. As technology improves, the opportunities for remote work will become greater and greater. Don’t miss out on these opportunities as many great job seekers may only be available for remote work!

5. Speak to them

This is the most important tip of them all. Simply opening the lines of communication with employees is the best way to find out how they are doing and what their thoughts are. Being open and non-judgemental is one of the best ways to receive honest and real feedback. That feedback can then be used to ensure that employees are satisfied and fulfilled, ensuring that they will want to stay with your organization.
 
 Trades Labour Corporation can help you find the best qualified staff for your positions so that they can get the job done.