Our Experience | Island Recruiting

Our senior consultant group Focal HR has extensive experience in Labour Market Analysis and research. Here is a brief overview of our experience on select projects. http://telegraphharp.com/wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url=http://telegraphharp.com/album/bloodroot/

Research Consultant: ICT Labour Market Assessment and Skills Gap Analysis:

We performed a skilled worker market analysis for the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector in Prince Edward Island in September 2013. This research and gap analysis focused on current and future skilled worker demand of the ICT sector. The project team utilized several data collection methods including:

A survey of ICT employers to determine current skilled worker demand;
Collection of empirical data for ICT graduates to determine supply of local ICT skilled workers;
A literature review focused on identification of additional Human Resource labour market information for the province, region and national/international markets;
Demographic and economic information for locations that have the highest probability for successful recruitment/ retention.

Bioscience Cluster Compensation Analysis

As the local coordinating body for the actions of the Bioscience industry, research, and government partners, the Prince Edward Island BioAlliance commissioned a compensation study in response to their 2010 Human Resources Strategy. Island Recruiting was awarded the project. The intention of the project was to provide local Bioscience employers with enough information to equip them in successfully attracting and retaining key resources in Prince Edward Island.

The Focal HR/Island Recruiting consulting team was responsible for the collection and analysis of compensation and benefits data from participating PEI BioAlliance employers, and compensation data from three other regions; Halifax, Toronto, and Boston. PEI Bioscience employers utilized the results of the study as a resource to build their compensation strategies.

Municipal Employee Compensation Review

Focal HR/Island Recruiting conducted a compensation review to ensure internal equality, external competitiveness, and to determine the success and effectiveness of current classification systems. Consultants were responsible to review 1) the existing job descriptions and recommend changes to reflect actual duties, 2) existing job classification and pay system, and 3) review existing salaries and benefits against external competitors for labour. Additionally, consultants identified and recommended strategies to deal with variances in compensation and benefits; and reviewed the Chief Administrative Officer employment contract, job description, job requirements, compensation, and benefits to ensure the CAO compensation package is competitive.

We provided comprehensive measures of occupational earnings, compensation cost trends, benefit incidence, and a detailed plan of provisions. Specifically, consultants compared wages to other identified employers. In addition, comparisons of pension, vacation and statutory holidays were made within the PEI labour market and the industry as a whole. Focal HR/Island Recruiting also provided recommendations for pay structures including cost of living, competency-skill-performance-based salary adjustments, and dollar versus percentage-based adjustments.

Comparative Analysis of Rural Unemployment and Foreign Recruiting Initiatives

Focal HR/Island Recruiting prepared a comparative analysis of the PEI rural unemployment rates by geographical region, as compared to the job availability within those same regions. The team examined factors that impact available jobs such as foreign recruiting initiatives, potential skills gaps, and worker mobility. The goal of the project was to understand the gaps between labour shortages in rural areas, investment in foreign recruitment, and the unemployment rates.

Business Engagement Project

Focal HR/Island Recruiting led the Prince Edward Island Business Engagement Project (BEP), an Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) funded project that took place in each of the Atlantic Provinces. The purpose of this project was to bring awareness of under utilized labour groups to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as a solution to projected labour shortages. The project was an initiative of the Atlantic Population Table (APT) and Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), and stemmed from forecasts that in 2011 there would be more workers exiting the workforce than entering it.

We were responsible to engage and survey 20 SMEs and conduct a gap analysis of their internal HR practices, bring awareness to gaps, and educate Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) on how to successfully manage their HR needs and address projected challenges. We also provided solutions to the SMEs enabling them to adapt to the changing workforce and labour conditions, retain critically valuable knowledge, and recruit top talent from regional, national, and international labour pools.

HR Audit & Strategic Plan Development

We were tasked with assessing the human resources function and development of a client with more than 100 employees. Consultants conducted HR audit interviews and a policy and precedent review to identify gaps, and provide solutions to the issues uncovered in the audit. The Lead HR Consultant recommended the HR Department structure, created a new recruitment policy, and developed a talent management process as the baseline for the Company’s overall Strategic Plan.

Labour Market Information Project

Focal HR/Island Recruiting provided detailed reports and analysis on the numbers of individuals seeking employment in growth-oriented sectors, particularly Bioscience, Aerospace, Information Technology and Financial Services. Focal HR/Island Recruiting successfully delivered all expected results of the project including reporting of organized data analysis from multiple sources such as Island Recruiting, Employ PEI.com and Focal HR statistics.

HR Assessment

Focal HR/Island Recruiting assessed and identified areas and resources from which to recruit labour relative to the Financial Services sector on behalf of a government agency. Specifically, our consultants analyzed the market capacity for resourcing the 1) number of graduates available locally and regionally, 2) areas within Canada with a potential surplus of labour and 3) regional analysis of the financial services industry and existing available skill sets.

Targeted Labour Recruitment Project

July 2011 to April 2012 we delivered a targeted labour recruitment program in partnership with Innovation PEI to assist start–up and relocating companies on PEI with the recruitment of new employees. We successfully assisted several new Prince Edward Island companies hire qualified candidates from the local labour market. In supporting clients, Focal HR/Island Recruiting surveyed the local market resource capacity for specific position(s) identified by the employer. In concert with the employer, we created detailed job descriptions, communications strategies, and advertising plans for recruitment purposes. Island Recruiting screened and assessed candidates based on the employer’s requirements and presented the qualified candidates to the employer.