Signing bonuses, flexibility, culture: B.C. businesses offering incentives for new employees
From offering several thousand dollars to flexible hours to a focus on workplace culture, B.C. employers are increasingly finding ways to stand out to job-seekers in one of the most expensive housing markets in the country.
A review of job boards finds multiple companies are offering hundreds of dollars to unskilled, entry-level employees in warehouses, up to $10,000 for skilled trades and executives ranging from trucking companies to B.C. Ferries.
"It is a candidates’ market, without a doubt,” said Legacy Bowes recruitment consultant Lisa Cefali. “We're in a position where employers are now being interviewed as well -- they have to be on, they have to be presenting their company, their company culture and they can't just talk about the job because there are multiple companies offering the same type of job."
PRIVATE SECTOR ENTICING NURSES
That includes the public sector as well. With healthcare workers increasingly walking away due to demands, bureaucracy and poor morale, private companies are ready to snap them up -- promising a better work environment in the bargain.
“We pay very competitive hourly rates, we provide mileage, we provide healthcare benefits…and we’re offering a $1,000 bonus, no questions asked,” said Veronica Tiserra, of Nurse Next Door.
She insists the company is laser-focussed on respecting the nurses and caregivers they hire, expressing that by handling all of the administration and providing support services so that staff can focus on the relationship with patients.
“In a hospital, there may be a nurse to 100 patients, so here our caregivers get to work one-on-one with clients,” said Tiserra. “We have always tried to make sure they feel like (nurses) are being cared for, that they're being valued.”
NEGOTIATIONS FAVOUR WORKERS
Demands for flexible work hours, the ability to work from home and more vacation time, for example, are all on the table during this time of historically low unemployment. Some employers believe those issues are just as important as the compensation.
“What makes a great company is the innovation and how they evolve with the generation that we're hiring,” said Rhys Giannarelli, who owns the Fraserview and Point Grey veterinary clinics in Vancouver.
He highlighted many employees’ desire for career mobility, work-life balance and other intangible benefits in being able to maintain a stable workforce – pointing out it’s good business for employers to invest in their staff.
“(Profitability comes) by having and retaining employees, happy employees, people who believe in core value that we have and the reason we are here, “ said Giannarelli. “Happy employees equal happy clients, with the familiarity and the same faces and continuity, it just comes together as the foundation of a great company.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.