There is no end in sight to Ontario’s labour market struggles, according to Peterborough based business consultant Matt Sevino. Last week, he told the County’s top employers they must be prepared to think outside the box to attract new workers.
Speaking at the second annual Haliburton County Business Summit, at Eagle View Event Centre Oct. 18, Sevino provided a bleak outlook, saying he expects labour challenges from the retirement of baby boomers – exacerbated during the COVID19 pandemic – to continue.
“Our population is getting older – there’s too many people leaving the workforce and not enough to replenish it. That’s not going to change overnight,” Sevino said. “It used to be you’d have people lining up competing for jobs, but the reality now is the opposite. Businesses are the ones competing for workers.”
With the federal government ramping up its immigration policies, looking to add one million new residents annually, this provides an opportunity for communities like Haliburton County to tap into a new workforce stream.
“You have to find a way to attract these people,” Sevino said. “Most newcomers settle in urban areas, like the GTA and Vancouver – communities they identify with,” Sevino added. “In places like Brampton, restaurants have signs up saying ‘we’re not taking applications right now’… if you make your community, your workplace more accessible and open to newcomers, you will be more successful.”
In a 2022 survey compiled by the Angus Reid Institute, asking businesses with more than 20 employees about their biggest obstacles to success, 80 per cent said labour shortage and employee burnout was most significant. Seventy-seven per cent had experienced a high turnover of staff in recent years.
While increasing pay has typically been the most successful way to retain employees, Sevino said businesses should consider other methods too.
“Historically, wages have increased two per cent [annually] in a lot of workplaces – we’re now seeing double or triple those numbers… people are generally able to secure more money, with minimum wage and salaries going up, so employers need to look at other ways to separate themselves from the pack,” Sevino said.
A recent Statistics Canada labour force study found people identified working remotely, more opportunities for advancement, and greater appreciation and recognition as key considerations.
Some businesses have had success implementing a four-day work week, Savino said – including in Haliburton County. He believes the practice will become common place in industries that can accommodate it.
He also advocated for greater engagement with youth, saying if would-be employers can connect with people before they enter the workforce, they will have more success. This has typically been done at the post-secondary level, but Sevino advised businesses to broaden their horizons.
“We’re seeing more people hire directly from high school and that can be successful if you’re willing to put in the work and provide training,” Sevino said.
During a Q&A session, one local business owner said the biggest challenges locally are finding housing and transportation for workers. Sevino said some businesses in communities with a strong tourism industry, such as Banff in Alberta and Blue Mountains in Ontario, have been able to attract workers by offering free, short-term temporary housing. He also said a business in Lindsay had seen a drastic uptick in worker retention over the past year after providing a bus.
“There is no one size fits all approach anymore… Identifying issues and roadblocks and finding ways to overcome them [is the key] to success,” Sevino said.
