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
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Fire engulfs old Edmonton municipal airport hangar
A historical hangar at the former Edmonton municipal airport beside the NAIT main campus was on fire Monday night.
RCMP uncovers plot to sell drones and equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a ploy to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.