According to the federal department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, as of 2020, there were over 1.2 million small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Canada. A small business is considered to employ up to 99 employees, a medium business up to 499.
In 2018, SMEs contributed 52% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), and employed 7.7 million individuals, representing 88% of the private labour force.
For the most part we are familiar with Oakville’s large employers, but what about the small to medium businesses, from the mom & pop shops to successful industrial manufacturers, service providers, white collar and blue collar places of employment?
Oakville News wanted to take a closer look at some of our business neighbours, to shine a spotlight on the everyday and the unusual, and see how they contend with issues such as labour shortages, supply chain challenges, employment issues, growth plans, funding sources, government support, etc.
Today’s focus is on human resources.
Finding the right mix of employees is key to building a successful, resilient, reliable strategy for any business. To learn what some of the issues are that make that a challenge we spoke to a pair of human resource specialists, and there are several to choose from locally, about building a successful workforce.
Samina Sial is a certified human resources professional, in the business for 20 years. Her companies, HR Enable and Enable Legal Services, provide expertise and knowledge.
Sial's services help employers so that they can comply with various employment acts and regulations, with additional services in policy development, training, employee relations and other areas important in the human resources field.
"My role is to ensure compliance with the law and to minimize the liability, from recruiting to termination," explained Sial.
"Large companies tend to have (in-house) experience in processes and procedures. Small to medium businesses tend to be focused on growing their business, they may not be focused on employment law or employee relations as much."
Sial has seen employer/employee relations change dramatically over the past two decades with regulations, and policies adapting to world events. Sexual harassment, workplace violence, pay equity, gender equity, hate speech, remote work, covid restrictions, and social media rules have all risen in importance.
"How do employees know what is acceptable? What is the responsibility of employers and their managers to explain regulations and company policy to employees?," Sial asked rhetorically. "With legislation changing all the time, the burden (according to the courts) always falls on employers."
She explained that factors outside of the employer’s control also affect employee relations, especially when it comes to recruitment and retention in a positive workplace.
For example, labour mobility could be an issue where you work. If an employee is used to working from home, and they decide to move to another province or country, how does that affect the employer/employee relationship? Different jurisdictions have different tax laws, equity policies, and employment regulations.
Perhaps the issue arises of an employee overstepping the company policy regarding hate speech, antisemitism or islamophobia, or a whole host of hot topics? Is there company policy on what is and what is not acceptable? Has that policy been fully communicated to the entire workforce?
Sial can’t stress enough that both employer and employee need to familiarize themselves with the regulations that apply in their jurisdiction. Education then extends to the employer keeping the employee informed and up to date on any changes. Consider it part of on-the-job training and good employee relations. And keeping your company out of the courts.
Laura Machan is a Partner, Recruitment Solutions at LHH (know in the GTHA as LHH Knightsbridge). With over 15 years in human resource management and recruitment, Machan lists hybrid work, career pathing, and organizational culture as her three top issues in human resources.
"The genie of five days a week in the office is out of the bottle," said Machan of remote work. "People have proven that they can be productive but that isn’t always aligned with what senior management are interested in or have been used to."
Middle management level recruits are increasingly asking about ‘career pathing’ within an organization, ahead of compensation in some cases, Machan explained.
"People want to know what the next steps are. How are they going to develop? What are they going to do next? If you’re in a situation where all the senior leaders have been in their role for 8-10 years, people may think to themselves ‘I don’t have a future here’ (and seek out other opportunities)."
In a similar vein, the culture of an organization is important, especially to younger employees.
"How open is the (workplace) culture? How are employees valued? How do employees get to contribute to the future of the organization?," says Machan, as questions she has heard in the recruitment process.
When asked about artificial intelligence (AI) taking away jobs in the recruitment field, Machan responded, "Workopolis and Monster came along, and people said we’re not going to be used anymore. Then Linkedin came along. You know what, nothing replaces human intervention and the personal approach."
That’s something to keep in mind when searching for answers, advice or connections to community-based solutions to all business decisions.
Oakville is home to a wonderful array of business expertise, ingenuity, and innovation. It behooves us all to look around and see what our business community has to offer helping us grow and prosper.
If you know of a business in Oakville that others may wish to connect with, send Oakville News a note with a few details and why they should be profiled here on these pages.