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DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED RESEARCH, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION
August 31, 2018
Co-Authored by: Scott McDowell and Amy McKillip
Employer Collaboration to
Enhance Employee Retention
Labour Market Research and Innovation
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Table of Contents
PREAMBLE ............................................................................................................................. 2
PROJECT TEAM ...................................................................................................................... 3
INDICATORS ........................................................................................................................... 4
METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................... 6
RESEARCH QUESTIONS ........................................................................................................ 6
RESEARCH PARTNERS .......................................................................................................... 6
PROJECT GOAL ................................................................................................................. 7
PHASE ONE........................................................................................................................ 7
THE FIRST DRAFT. ............................................................................................................. 7
FROM EXCEL TO URL – THE BETA VERSION. ....................................................................... 7
OUTCOMES .................................................................................................................... 8
PHASE 2........................................................................................................................... 13
MARKETING ................................................................................................................. 13
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR MANUAL MATCHING ....................................... 14
REFINING THE PITCH ...................................................................................................... 15
SUCCESS STORIES & FEEDBACK ...................................................................................... 16
PHASE 3........................................................................................................................... 19
THE PILOT PROJECT INVENTORY ............................................................................................. 20
RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................................ 21
CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................................... 22
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................ 23
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Employer Collaboration to Enhance
Employee Retention Labour Market Research and Innovation
Preamble
In Timmins and the surrounding Far North East Training Board catchment area (herein
FNETB), there was a growing demand for qualified non-full-time employees and a
strategy to retain these employees in Northern Ontario. A constant challenge for
Northern Ontario, specifically Timmins, was matching employees to existing seasonal or
part-time positions (and employers of the like), and retaining those employees in those
positions, rather than losing them to full-time positions available elsewhere. There was
no apparent solution, yet industry demand for non-full-time employment continued to
grow.
The first step in cultivating an innovative approach for retention of non-full-time
personnel was to build a framework for an inventory of non-full-time positions. Further
brainstorming lead to the concept of creating an Employer Database that would
attempt to break barriers that counteractively work against retention, specifically the
underworking of non-full-time personnel and their desire to obtain additional hours.
By working with industry professionals, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and not-
for-profit organizations in the Timmins community, the pilot project yielded a framework
built to enhance community-based labour market information, stimulate employer
collaboration, and re-invent industry-specific attraction, training and retention
strategies. Information collected from local employers could be used to help develop
employer partnerships in the sharing of skill sets or human capital. On the level of the
employee, these partnerships could lead to non-full-time individuals potentially having
the opportunity to attain full-time hours through two or more partnered enterprises in
which their skills are transferable.
This pilot project was executed using a three-phased approach. Phase one established
the framework to build the Employer Database. Phase two populated the database,
created an inventory identifying industry need for non-full-time positions, and paired
employers with a demand for, or supply of, similar skill sets. These first two phases have
been completed, and this report details the project team’s findings. The final phase will
see the implementation of an automated relational database system capable of
matching these skill-compatible businesses to share employees.
The Employer Database developed during this pilot project will be controlled by the
FNETB, and will deliver an innovative method of engaging local businesses by
encouraging them to collaborate with and support one another. This project has set
the stage for increasing employer engagement and collaboration in the Northern
Ontario labour market.
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Project Team
Amy McKillip (Project Manager and Lead Researcher) is the
Manager of Applied Research, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation at
Northern College with an extensive background in project
management and research. She has demonstrated a high level of
leadership by identifying opportunities, mentoring project leaders,
educating the workforce, and working with teams and different
cultures on various scales. She is a Six Sigma Master Black Belt,
which qualifies her as a business, project, research and change
management professional.
Scott McDowell (Labour Market Research Assistant) is a Laurentian
University Co-operative Education Student completing his fourth
year of the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program
specializing in Entrepreneurship. Scott boasts many diverse small
business management skills cultivated through his experience in the
workforce and is pursuing his Certified Associate in Project
Management (CAPM) designation.
Keitha Robson (Industry Professional) is the Chief Administrative
Officer of the Timmins Chamber of Commerce. A connector, Ms.
Robson looks for projects that will bring her members together to
live the mantra of the Chamber: ‘Making good business better.’
Keitha is also the Board Chair of the Seizure & Brain Injury Centre
and a highly decorated Chamber executive in the country,
chairing both provincially and nationally at different points in her
career. Ms. Robson holds a BA in Psychology, an MBA in Marketing,
a diploma in Adult Education, and a diploma in Municipal
Management. She is also a certified OTEC customer service trainer.
North Eastern Ontario Communications Network Inc. is a not-
for-profit information and communication technology (ICT)
champion organization proudly supported by FedNor. They
have a mandate to 1) encourage and facilitate private and
public partnerships that result in better telecommunications
infrastructure and related ICT services; 2) increase
awareness and adoption of information technology, thereby
increasing demand for services and fostering a more
competitive ICT environment; 3) promote the development
and innovative application of technology, especially as it
pertains to the economic, cultural, and social development
of northeastern Ontario. Pictured left to right: Josh Veilleux,
Marie-Josée Lapierre, Laura Imhoff, Sharon Jones, Phil
Barton, Paul Ouimette, Kait-Lynn Gooch (front).
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Indicators
The 2016 EmployerOne survey facilitated by the FNETB provided key indicators that
Northern Ontario, and particularly Timmins, was in need of a framework that will
acknowledge issues relating to non-full-time employee demand, supply and retention.
As a baseline statistic, 53% of hires in the year 2016 were for
non-full-time positions (FNETB, 2016). Sixty-seven per cent of
employers responding to the survey in 2016 stated that in
2017 they plan to hire non-full-time personnel, a 14% increase
(FNETB, 2016). Levelling off to the baseline statistic, 55% of
employers stated they plan to hire for non-full-time positions
in 2018 (FNETB, 2017). It is important to note that the intention
to hire is representative of what an employer planning to hire
believes the workload of the position is to be, without the
influence of other factors come time to hire. If an employer
states they plan to hire a non-full-time employee and the
actual hiring result since the time of the survey is for full-time
hours, it is commonly attributable to budgetary surplus or the
inclusion of additional tasks. In addition, it is stated that the
employers answering the survey in 2016 (251) are not
necessarily the identical group responding in 2017, especially
seeing as the sample size is close to double in 2017 (427). For
this reason, the statistics above are representative of the
sample at the time of the survey, and the intention to hire will be analyzed accordingly
as a reliable statistic for the development of this pilot project. In 2016, community
labour market surveys and the Timmins Chamber of Commerce Workforce Committee
concluded that the North is facing growth in the number of non-full-time positions
available and determined that to retain personnel, employment opportunities must be
visible and accessible, therefore online. This determination stimulated the development
of an innovative approach for the retention of non-full-time personnel.
In 2016, the greatest number of projected hires included general labourers,
receptionists and salespeople (FNETB, 2016). The skillsets of these employees are easily
transferable to other non-full-time positions where perhaps the job title or even industry
is different. If two businesses collaborated to share, for example, a part-time
salesperson with transferable skills, this employee would then have obtained additional
hours, thus feeling his/her source of income is secure, and this employee’s talent will
potentially be retained in the North.
The largest percentage of separations is found
to be temporary layoffs of seasonal staff,
accounting for a quarter of total separations
(23%) in 2016 (FNETB, 2016). If the employers of
these seasonal staff found themselves to be laying-off an employee just as another
employer is planning to hire to keep up with their seasonal demand, these employers
could reach a mutually beneficial agreement to share said employee. A general
Actual in
2016
Planned for 2017
Planned for 2018
Of Separations = Temporary Lay-Offs
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labourer working for a business that operates at full capacity during the summer months
has skills that could be useful in another similarly skilled position during the winter
months.
A vast majority of non-full-time occupations employ personnel with transferable skills.
This creates a unique opportunity for employers wherein employees can move across
different industries and acquire additional skills sets through job-specific training. In
matching employers to share seasonal personnel, a partnership eliminates the time and
money consumed to re-hire a previous employee or train a new one. In the case
described above, being a summer and winter sharing arrangement, the employers
would receive the human capital desired for their time of high demand when a full
complement of employees is required.
When one employer is offering an employee (excess supply), and one employer is in
need of an employee (increased demand), there is no need for the uncertainty that is
common when selecting, interviewing and hiring a new employee. The employer
providing the employee is vouching for his/her competence with no doubt that this
employee will perform up to the standards of the employer receiving. The skills and
educational requirements, being the basis of the employer match, are met and
possibly exceeded. In this specific case, the employer offering an employee may not
be able to provide this person with their desired full-time hours, and they are seeking a
matched employer that can provide the time to supplement the remaining portion of
full-time hours. The fact that the current employer wants to match the employee with
another employer, in order to retain that talent, is evidence of the employee’s value to
that employer.
Also note, Ontario’s Liberal government recently increased the minimum wage being
paid to employees by 23%. Internal solutions include combating decreasing profit
margins by laying-off or reducing hours of part-time employees, planning to hire less
seasonal staff or cutting contract positions and re-allocating those workloads. A sharing
arrangement between two employers could divide the full-time hours desired by the
employee between two or more employers, thereby reducing pressure on each
individual employer to provide full-time hours to their employees.
Number of Timmins Businesses by Size in 2016
(Statistics Canada Business Register)
The vast majority of businesses within the Timmins area are small businesses (0-50
employees), thus these are the most likely businesses to develop sharing arrangements.
There are two major organizations with whom small businesses register: the Chamber of
Commerce and Downtown Timmins Business Improvement Association (BIA). With 51%
of Timmins having obtained a high school diploma as the highest level of education or
having obtained no formal education at all, the ideal occupations for creating sharing
arrangements would be those involving general labour (FNETB, 2016). This labour can
be defined as physical labour, but further labelled for the purpose of this report as
Small 1139
Medium 51
Large 16
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employees in service occupations, clerical support, or reception, as examples, where
the highest level of required education is that of a high school diploma.
Prior to the start of this pilot project, the Timmins Chamber of Commerce received
multiple comments from local employers in 2016-2017 stating that non-full-time
employees were difficult to retain due to the nature of the work. These employers
experienced their loss of a non-full-time employee when a desirable full-time
opportunity presented itself elsewhere, often outside the North. The Chamber initiated
a Workforce Committee to tackle the issues that they were hearing from the local
businesses. From this committee came the concept of employers sharing employees.
The Timmins Chamber of Commerce also received one comment from an employee
who encouraged employers to coordinate the logistics of any sharing arrangement,
rather than expecting employees to make the arrangements. The employee stated
that there is significant difficulty in juggling multiple jobs as the issue of being double-
booked is common. With an obligation to both employers, the employee is left with the
difficult choice of which employer to favour, resulting in stress for the employee.
Employer collaboration, it was noted, could reduce or eliminate this stressor.
An Employer Database could be a key asset in the retaining of experienced, seasoned
and competent employees, combining word of mouth, referrals, and online job
postings (the three most frequently reported methods of recruitment) to deliver a
comprehensive solution to individual employer labour demands (FNETB, 2016) where
two employers in need of a part-time employee can hire together and devise an
amicable time sharing solution.
Methodology
Research Quest ions
The overarching research question surrounding this project is:
1. What is the framework for establishing the Employer Database?
Sub-questions include:
a) What criteria are required to draw relation ties between data entries?
b) How can these positions be categorized?
c) What web-based interface will satisfy the need for visibility and accessibility?
d) How is this program to be marketed to the business community?
Research Partners
The pilot project is delivered in partnership between Northern College (Department of
Applied Research, Entrepreneurship and Innovation), the Timmins Chamber of
Commerce and North Eastern Ontario Communications Network Inc. (NEOnet).
Northern College provided the research design, management, analysis expertise,
reporting and framework for the project. The Chamber of Commerce contributed their
marketing expertise within the business community and NEOnet provided their
information technology expertise to support the implementation of the final phase. The
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funding received by NEOnet allowed for the development of a relational database
management system/reporting engine for the Employer Database framework. The
FNETB will sustain the database, and this new method of pairing employers of non-full-
time employees and compiling labour market data will be adapted to other
communities.
Project Goal
The goal of this pilot project was to create an Employer Database to facilitate the
sharing of an employee between two (or more) employers requiring a similar skill set.
The database would aim to provide non-full-time personnel with the opportunity to
attain full-time hours through the partnership of enterprises in which their skills are
transferable. By helping to potentially secure full-time hours for these individuals, this
program aims to help retain transient talent in Northern Ontario.
The project includes three phases. Phase one produced a framework to enhance
community-based local labour market information by understanding non-full-time
employment trends. Phase two saw the development of a working Employer Database.
Phase three is not yet complete, but its goal is to engage an experienced technology
firm to develop a more comprehensive relational database program using framework
of the Employer Database developed in phases one and two.
Phase One
The First Draft. A focus group was established by soliciting volunteer businesses
through the Chamber of Commerce member directory. At this initial brainstorming
meeting, the research questions were examined by industry professionals using a
qualitative approach. Each business in attendance provided their industry-specific
input on the different avenues and barriers of the project while contributing
determining criteria to be used in the formation of the database. The knowledge
gained from the focus group was reviewed and arranged in Microsoft Excel to create
the first draft of the database. This draft was then sent to the focus group where their
fictional data entries were gathered as well as feedback on survey criteria.
From Excel to URL – The Beta Version. The suggested changes were
implemented, and a beta version was finalized with criteria as outlined in “The
Framework” below. It was determined that the simplest yet most effective avenue for
publishing the beta version online was by utilizing Zoho Creator, a form creator
available through the Zoho Corporation. The database framework was transferred to a
functional web interface where a web link was created to give employers online
access. To validate development to date, the finalized online database was sent to
the focus group where their feedback and data entries were collected. Minor changes
prevailed, and the database went live to community employers in Timmins on February
20th, 2018 using the reach of the Chamber of Commerce business member directory.
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Outcomes
The Framework. The purpose of the focus group was to establish questions that would
be asked of employers utilizing the Employer Database, within the capabilities of the
program. The project team began with a list of suggested criterion, which included:
Each criterion was analyzed from the standpoint of an employer using the database as
well as the perspective of a computer programmer responsible for building the
relational matching program.
The first Excel draft of the database relied on typing responses, something that is prone
to human error, including spelling mistakes. For this reason, in the beta version on Zoho
Creator, the queries were changed to either a drop down or multi-select option where
the next query was determined based on the response of the previous field. Some
queries were unanimously agreed upon to be too specific as to warrant a match and
others were believed to be too vague in that there would be no real grounds for a
match to prevail; these criteria were reviewed and debated until solutions prevailed.
On a macro level, it had to be determined how a developer will program an algorithm
to make a match that any human being in charge of the process would immediately
acknowledge exists. The finalized queries are outlined below:
Type Needed or Offering
Is this employer seeking an employee to fill a
non-full-time position within their
establishment or does this employer have a
non-full-time employee and is looking to
share their time with another employer.
Category National Occupational Classification
Using formulated categorical drop-down
menus, employers can select the
appropriate industry to be used as a
variable in the relational process of
matchmaking.
Languages Required
Physical Restrictions
Benefits Available
Location of Employment
Workload
o Seasonal
o Part-time Days
o Part-time Hours
o As Required
Time Frame for Availability
o Hours of Operation
Wage Scale
o $14/hr – 20$/hr
o $20/hr - $40/hr, etc.
Skills
o Licenses ( + Class Licenses)
o Trades
o Role
o Certification
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Job Title Enter Specific Title
This piece of information serves only one
purpose: to ease frustration of employers
who do not find their specific job title in the
previous categorical drop-down menus. An
employer may wish to specify that their
general labourer is a tire technician or tree-
planter. However, the database only sees a
general labourer with transferable skills.
Languages
English, French, Cree, Ojibwe, Other
As the first query with emphasis on
personnel skills, employers can select that,
for example, they require a prospectively
matched receptionist to speak certain
languages or conversely, an employer can
select languages in which their offered
employee is fluent.
Education
None, High School, College, University
What level of education does the employer
require the prospectively matched
employee to have obtained or similarly
what level of education has this employee
completed?
Driver’s Licenses Select All that Apply
Employers must select the licenses they
require a prospectively matched employee
to possess or conversely, the driver’s licenses
their employee currently possesses.
Certification/Trade Ticket Yes or No
For the selected position, it must be
determined whether the prospectively
matched employee will need to be certified
(ex. a plumber has their certificate of
qualification) or similarly an employer will
select whether an offered employee has
certification or not.
Timeframe
Part-time Hours, Seasonal, As Required
A match is made when there is an
employer seeking labour for the period that
supplements the missing share in full-time
employment.
Workload
Part-time Hours: Scaled 0-25hrs/week in
increments of 5 hours
Seasonal: Select all seasons that apply
As Required: Specify in the comments
Comments or Special Requirements
Explain any extenuating circumstances
regarding the position currently sought or
the position held.
Options
Two matched employers can hire an employee together and create an
arrangement to share their time
An employer who already has an employee can share this employee’s time
with another matched employer
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Using data collected from the focus group, the project team dismantled the framework
and implemented changes to criteria as described below.
Languages Required
In the beta version of the database, this field was entitled “Bilingualism” and could be
answered with yes or no. Later realizing that some positions in the community required
other languages, the field was changed to “Languages” and offered a multi-select
option including English, French, Cree, Ojibwe and Other (to be specified).
Benefits Available
The availability of employer benefits had no weighting on the development of a match
and was removed for a variety of reasons. The relational database developed in the
final phase of the project will make a match determined by various ranking and
relational attributes that were determined throughout the pilot project. With this future
automated database, a match will be made, those involved will be notified, provided
with all necessary information and at that point, the database has fulfilled its
responsibilities. It was determined that a discussion between the two employers
regarding whether benefits are available and who is to pay what portion of benefits is a
discussion to be had following the match and that information is something employers
should not be privy to before this discussion. For this reason, and for simplicity’s sake,
the benefits field was removed as a determining criterion.
Workload (including proposed timeframe for availability)
Part-Time
Days
Originally combined with part-time hours in the Excel draft, part-time days was
to be specified by typing in a field the days and hours an employee was
needed or being offered. In the future relational database, these entries must
be definitive statements for the automated database to determine if there is a
match for the period that supplements the missing share of full-time hours. For
this reason, part-time days was adapted to offer a selection of 1-4 days per
week and a follow-up question asking if this number of days selected includes
weekends. When the database was sent to the focus group for feedback,
there was confusion surrounding the variable nature of the number of days
including or not including Saturday or Sunday. The option of part-time days
was eliminated and replaced with strictly part-time hours where matched
employers can determine between themselves which days in a week they will
receive the individual.
Part-Time
Hours
As mentioned above, part-time days and hours were originally combined.
When typing in the field was determined to be ineffective for a computer
programmer in the final phase of the project, it was entertained to allow the
selection of days and selection of working hours, for example, Monday 8:30am-
12:30pm. This selection process was too definitive, and matches would have to
align exactly with working hours, reducing the likelihood of successful matches.
Part-time hours transitioned into a selection of morning, afternoon, evening and
night shift where it was later changed to hourly selections due to varying
definitions of morning, afternoon, and so on. Part-time days was joined with
part-time hours once again to offer a selection scaled 0-25hrs/week in
increments of 5 hours.
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Seasonal In the beta version of the database, a seasonal selection could be specified by
needing or offering an individual for the Fall, Winter, Spring or Summer. For
some period, it went unacknowledged that employers may need or offer an
employee for both the Fall and Winter or any other combination of the four
seasons. This field was quickly adapted to allow a multi-selection of seasons,
however varying definitions of the months included within these seasons
changed the selection process to a new monthly multi-select option.
As Required As required was reserved for special circumstances regarding the nature of
scheduling and is to be explained using a textbox. This field has remained
unchanged throughout the pilot project.
Skills
In the Excel draft, the specification of licenses, trade tickets and certifications were
combined into one column listing these skills and providing a text box beside each to
explain. Populating lists for each of these above-mentioned criteria proved to be
cumbersome, and for this reason, the queries were sub-divided as follows:
Physical Restrictions
This criteria suggestion from the focus group was named “Comments or Special
Requirements” and is reserved for explaining special circumstances.
Location of Employment
For the pilot study, participants were limited to only the Timmins area. However, the
location field now includes all eight communities within the FNETB region.
Education Certification in the Excel draft was mentally defined as “what certifies an
individual to be in this role.” This certification could have been a university
degree, a trade certificate or a college diploma. The education field was
developed to give employers the opportunity to indicate the highest level of
education required in the position, or conversely, obtained by their employee
being offered. Employers had the option of choosing no education, a high
school diploma, college diploma or university degree. The list of possible
degrees or diplomas is too long, and matched employers can extrapolate the
degree or diploma associated with the job title and industry.
Driver’s
Licenses
This field was originally divided into two fields entitled “Driver’s Licenses” and
“Other Class Licenses” without the realization that the Ontario licensing classes
build upon each other to some degree and for a large majority of these
classes, an individual cannot have one without the other. For example, an
individual with an AZ/DZ license must have first obtained their G class driver’s
license. This field is a multi-select that includes all Ontario drivers’ licenses.
Certification/
Trade Ticket
This field now clearly asks employers whether the prospectively matched
employee will need to be certified (ex. a plumber has their certificate of
qualification) or similarly an employer will select whether their employee being
offered has certification or not. Listing all certifications/qualifications is too
lengthy, so the certification field is a selection of yes or no, and the type of
certification can be either specified in the special requirements field or inferred
by the matched employer by looking at the job title.
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Wage Scale
The wage scale was set by those involved in the focus group with the intention of
ensuring matched employers were within the same wage range for the specified
position. It was later determined that the wage being paid to the individual is
something to be discussed after a match has been made, and for this reason, the field
was removed entirely.
Job Title
The job title field served the purpose of typing the exact title of the position. For
example, a general labourer in the forestry field may be called a tree planter, however
the database only sees a general labourer with transferable skills. It was entertained to
populate a list of job titles that could be narrowed alphabetically based on the
characters entered (ex. l-a-b would show labourer or lab technician). However, this list
would be too large and would discourage employers from using the database.
Job Title Categories
The Excel draft of the database was lacking a systematic process of choosing a job title
based on categories. This process eliminates the occurrence of human error or misspelt
words. The future database developer can draw relational ties between industries and
positions. For example, a tree planter and a tire technician can be a match because
those positions are termed as general labour and individuals in those positions have
transferable skills. Using the National Occupational Classification (herein NOC), a tree
or network diagram can be drawn, and a developer can use this visual to connect
certain jobs that are deemed to have transferable skills. As another example, the NOC
separates a barista and a cashier. However, an individual can be trained to perform
tasks for both occupations. Furthermore, a payroll clerk in one branch of this network
diagram and a general office receptionist in another have transferable skills: a
receptionist can be trained to do requisitions or submit payroll. In the final database
housed on the Zoho Creator platform, employers must select their most relevant NOC
industry category. If the full NOC categorical drop-down menus were utilized, an
employer would have to select the job title through four categorical drop-down menus
at most, a process that is too cumbersome.
Employer Information and Confidentiality
Employers were asked to provide their company name, contact name, email and
phone number, address of employment, postal code and city. All information, both for
the position and the employer, remained confidential and was only shared with a
matched employer once permission was granted.
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Phase 2
Marketing
Following the development of the framework for the Employer Database and
receiving validation from members of the focus group, the database was
launched with the Chamber of Commerce in the form of an email on
February 20th, 2018. On this day, an article was written on MyTimminsNow,
and the database found a temporary home through a link on the Chamber
of Commerce website.
The Timmins Economic Development Corporation (TEDC) was contacted on
February 28th, 2018 and a link to the database was placed on their website’s
rotating dashboard where it remained for the duration of the pilot project.
On March 12th, 2018, the Downtown Timmins Business Improvement
Association (BIA) launched the database to their members, reaching 340
people at 257 businesses through email and 256 people on Facebook. After
a short period, the BIA sent a reminder email (March 19th, 2018).
The FNETB distribution list consisting of 124 Timmins businesses was also used in
an attempt to attract employers with an email sent on March 14th, 2018.
Following each differentiated marketing campaign, a surge in the number of
entries entered into the database was witnessed, with no one campaign
proving to create a substantial surge in comparison to another.
Assisting in efforts to attract employers, a Timmins Press brief was released by
the Chamber of Commerce on March 29th, 2018 introducing readers to the
concept of the database.
In partnership with the Cochrane District Social Planning Council (CDSPC), on
May 2nd, 2018, an information session was held for service providers wishing to
utilize the employee sharing capabilities of the database. Marketing for the
event reached 850 people within the Cochrane district, and 14 people
representing different local not-for-profits attended.
At the FNETB Working Together Conference on March 24th, 2018, the tool and
concept were presented to community service providers, and their use or
referral of the service was encouraged.
On May 30th, 2018, the Chamber of Commerce performed a second
marketing push to their business member directory, and the TEDC also
assisted in the sharing of information throughout their network.
February
March
May
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On June 14th, 2018, Employer Database researchers were invited to present
the concept to local business owners at the Chamber of Commerce
Quarterly Member Meeting.
Following this presentation, radio stations 92.1 Rock and Kiss 99.3, Timmins
Today and MyTimminsNow wrote detailed news articles explaining the
concept of the database and provided an update on the pilot project
progress to date. CTV News also interviewed project partners and delivered
a comprehensive story about the database pitching its benefits to local
employers.
On July 12th, the project team had the opportunity to present the Employer
Database to approximately 120 local business owners at the Chamber of
Commerce annual golf tournament. Throughout this event, the team also
spoke one-on-one with individual businesses as they waited to tee-off at the
refreshment stand. This event overall provided employers with an update as
to successes thus far throughout the duration of the pilot project and also
provided indication as to the future direction and new home of the retention
tool post-pilot.
Standard Operating Procedure for Manual Matching
The project team developed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Manual
Matching to facilitate smooth partnerships between employers and their matched
employees. The developed SOP steps include:
Step 1
Once a match is confirmed, both employers are contacted separately through email,
congratulated on being matched, and asked if they would like to move to the next
step in the process.
Step 2
If both employers wish to move to the next step in the matching process, they are
contacted individually over the phone, and the process is described in detail. At this
time, researchers also explain the concept of the database and its benefit to employers
and employees. The employer on the line has the opportunity to ask any questions
relating to the matching process, and researchers can further analyze the situation to
determine whether a match is indeed plausible. Note: during this conversation,
employers may state they already filled the non-full-time position in question or
clarification on the concept of the database has led them to retract their entry
because they believed this database was a hiring tool for full-time positions.
Step 3
After speaking individually with each employer, the project team arranges a
conference call with both employers involved to confirm the employee skill match and
work towards crafting a potential sharing arrangement. Each employer presents how
they would like to proceed, and through negotiation, an amicable solution will
July
June
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hopefully present itself with the structuring of a timeshare schedule emerging. Various
courses of action for implementation of this arrangement are to be discussed, and
employers leave the conference call with action items, a working business relationship
and each other’s contact details.
Step 4
Following the creation of an employee sharing arrangement, researchers schedule a
follow-up conversation with each employer to determine if action items have been
executed and to provide any further required assistance.
Refining the Pitch
The development of specific terminology used to describe the concept of the
database was crucial in ensuring those utilizing the tool understood the process,
outcome and underlying impact of a sharing arrangement. The largest barrier in
successfully attracting employers wishing to utilize the tool lied in the language used to
pitch the concept to the employer. Outlined below is a table of vocabulary, which
throughout the pilot project, was deemed ineffective in both labelling and explaining
this concept.
Original
Terminology Why not?
Suitable
Terminology
Community Co-op
Employment
Inventory
As the original project title developed in
response to the FNETB call-for-proposal, this title
may be interpreted as an initiative with ties to
cooperative education placements or
consumer cooperatives, two completely
unrelated topics to the research theme.
Employer
Database
Part-time, seasonal
and contract
positions
Rather than indicating separately the positions
to which this tool is tailored, part-time and
seasonal positions were referred to as non-full-
time positions. It was recognized that the tool
did not cater to pairing employers seeking or
offering contract employees as there are
multiple private and public sector entities for
which their main operational activity is to
arrange the hiring of contract personnel for
local companies. Also, non-full-time stressed to
employers considering the tool that this
database is not for the posting of full-time
positions like a typical online recruitment portal.
Non-full-time
positions
Custody
arrangement
This term “custody” was originally used to
describe the sharing of employees in a nature
similar to that of legally bound parental
responsibility arrangements. Due to differing
perceptions of the term “custody,” researchers
refrained from using this word.
Sharing
agreement or
arrangement
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Marriage of
employers
In the infancy of this pilot project, the term
“marriage” was used to explain the concept as
a relationship matchmaking service for
employers. For similar reasons as above, we
moved away from this terminology.
Partnership of
employers
Contractually-
bound
When explaining, for example, a seasonal
employee sharing arrangement, it was stated
both verbally and in text that employers would
be “contractually-bound” to receive the
human capital desired during their high-season.
This term struck employers as overly legal and
implied further difficulty in the process of being
matched and eventually sharing an employee.
Agreed upon
or sharing
agreement/
arrangement
Full-time
employment
There are differing opinions as to the definition
of “full-time employment” and employers can
accidentally form the impression that the tool
will guarantee full-time employment and its
benefits. When used verbally or in a sentence,
one is to say “the potential to secure full-time
hours,” as a match does not guarantee full-time
hours but simply offers additional hours.
Additional
hours or
include
“potential”
Worker
When stating worker rather than employee, it
was common for employers to associate worker
with more labour-intensive occupations,
whereas an employee is generalized to all
occupations and industries.
Employee
Success Stories & Feedback
In one sharing arrangement, a hotel and cleaning company collaborated to provide
an individual with additional hours above and beyond what either business could
respectively provide alone. The hotel was in need of a customer service person on an
as required basis and the cleaning company required a residential cleaner for 5-10
hours/week. Both local small businesses were ready to hire and agreed to share
resumes received for each job posting as well as offer to interviewed employees the
opportunity to obtain additional hours with their matched employer.
In another arrangement, a forestry company and outdoor recreation company were
partnered to share multiple employees to provide these individuals with year-round
employment. The forestry company requires six full-time employees during the summer
months, and the outdoor recreation company requires six full-time employees during
the winter months. Rather than laying-off during respective low seasons and re-
hiring/hiring new employees before their high-demand seasons, these employers will
collaborate to share their seasonal employees.
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“Our employment consultants are very excited about this newly developed
program! We refer employers seeking part-time and seasonal personnel to the
database as well as encourage part-time employed clientele to speak to their
employers about being shared with another local business should they wish for
additional hours. We help job seekers find sustainable employment and
employers find suitable employees - this database can certainly help us in
accomplishing those goals.
~ Jessica Lafreniere
Employment Options Emploi
“I was particularly interested in this project from the very beginning as it provides
a unique solution to employee retention issues facing local employers across all
industries. I was actually a member of the original focus group and answered
the Chamber’s call to provide input as a local business owner.
My only main concern: say for example, we have a great employee, but we
cannot offer them full-time hours during the winter so we offer this employee to
Employer X so they can work full-time during our slower season influenced by
weather. With this sharing arrangement, we would then get our employee back
at the beginning of our high-season, being the summer, but my concern lies
here: what if Employer X realizes our employee is the best, they make our
employee an offer they cannot refuse and we lose our great employee that we
kindly offered to fill their need. What protects us as employers offering our
employees? Is the solution an honour code? Certainly if this was to happen,
myself as an employer, I would not be sharing with this matched employer
again and would have hesitation in being paired with another employer when
offering another one of my great employees.
I can also see the possibility of issues arising involving the offering of benefits
between two seasonal employers. For example, if we offered eye coverage,
my matched employer offered dental and the employee we hired together
was in need of eye coverage while working his/her season with the matched
employer. Unfortunately, due to the timing of this need, that coverage could
be something that perhaps we could not offer this employee, and likewise the
opposite scenario. Is there a solution to provide the same benefits to this
employee year-round and not have different offerings depending on his/her
seasonal employment?”
~ Stéphane Côté
Timmins Building Supplied Home Hardware
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“The database provides a great opportunity for employers that can benefit
from sharing part-time personnel, however unfortunately sharing employees is
something that we can’t exactly do, just due to the level of expertise required
in our sales and service departments. Our employees, whether full-time or
part-time must attend unique training tailored to our industry and tailored to
our specific products we sell and service as well. There aren’t necessarily
many individuals that would have these transferable skills required in our job
descriptions. Down the road, perhaps we would look at hiring part-time
labourers on a job-by-job basis or look into a sharing arrangement for
reception as we pride ourselves on personable service rather than
automated telephone and we ensure someone always greets customers
when they walk into the store.”
~ Larry Gubbels
Wyatt Image Solutions
“We have to get our local employers thinking outside the box, this program is not
status-quo. This sharing of employees is against-the-grain of what employers have
typically done in the past so it is important that they think differently and be
receptive to new ideas, especially ones with such great potential benefits.
Matches also aren’t necessarily made within an employer’s industry, matches are
made looking at personnel skills and I think this must be explained to employers as
some may have the misconceived notion that they are sharing with their
competition, something they may not want to do and therefore they decide they
do not want to use the tool. Matches are formed when it becomes apparent that
skills in one position can be easily transferred or adapted to another: a skill match,
not a match based on a job title as some employers may believe. I think it is
important that we understand this is changing the mind-set of employers, and it is
going to take some time where it is really the success of one that will make the
difference in that growth of adoption by employers. People like to copy, they
don’t like to be the first person to try something new. This is why I am going to say it
is important to market the tool through success stories in order to establish that
track record which will encourage use. ‘If it worked for them maybe it will work for
me’ – I think it is important that this message is delivered employer-to-employer.”
~ Noella Rinaldo
Downtown Timmins Business Improvement Association (BIA)
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Phase 3
The third and final phase of the pilot project will see the integration of a web interface
with an automated relational database system and reporting engine capable of
creating matches through the use of algorithms. NEOnet is responsible for this portion of
the project and has successfully obtained a Venture Centre Development grant to
support the implementation of the relational database tool. Clark Communications
was hired and tasked with programming the database and developing the web portal
with assistance from NEOnet and project team. Clark, of North Bay, Ontario recently
developed the FNETB’s Explore Your Options job portal so their familiarity with FNETB
delivery platforms will be of benefit to future recommended integration of the two
employment portals. The implementation of the automated database is set to be
completed by August 31st, 2018.
“The Employer Database offers our community employers a huge opportunity to
increase their efficiency through collaboration and the formation of partnerships.
Innovative, new ideas often require extra propulsion, time and effort to be
successful. In bringing planning to action, I believe the Employer Database
encountered what is common with abstract ideas, this being hesitancy and
reluctance from desired users in utilizing the service. The database must build
momentum and become embedded in an organization as an asset in recruitment
and retention in order to be considered sustainable. The controller of the
database must allot the required capacity, this being an enthusiastic individual
tasked with engaging employers using a personable approach and marketing the
tool based on benefits to the employer rather than features of the tool. An
individual in this position for a lengthy period of time would be responsible for
transmitting benefits of adoption, holding the hands of employers when
implementing a sharing arrangement and checking-up post-partnership
formation. This will exhibit to employers the ease and advantage of sharing
employees. During the pilot phase of the database, this individual did exist but
was limited in proving the sustainability of the database as the time required to do
so more than supersedes the length of the pilot. Should an individual in this
position cease to exist in the future, there is potential for the database to mature
and dissolve. Perhaps these responsibilities can be allocated to the workload of
an individual within the controlling organization?”
~ Anne Vincent
Project Coordinator, Youth Wellness Hub
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The Pilot Project Inventory
English,
50%
English &
French,
44%
English, French
& Cree, 6%
Languages Required/Spoken
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Part-time Seasonal As
Required
Timeframes
Required/Availible
Number of Entries
None, 28%
High School
Diploma,
39%
College
Diploma,
22%
University
Degree,
11%
Highest Level of Education
Required/Attained
None
Required,
56%
G License,
39%
AZ License, 5%
Drivers Licenses
Required/Held
17 Needed
1Offering
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Business, Finance, Administrative
Natural and Applied Sciences
Education, Law, Social and Government Services
Art, Culture, Recreation, and Sport
Sales and Service
Trades, Transport and Equipment Operators
Natural Resources and Agriculture
Number of Entries by NOC Category
Number of Entries by NOC Category
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Yes
No
Certification Required/Obtained
Certification
Required/Obtained
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Recommendations
Upon completing the scope of the pilot project, recommendations for future use of the
Employer Database tool are outlined below.
i. The project team recommends that The Far Northeast Training Board (FNETB)
continues to offer the functional Employer Database as an employee retention
tool to local Timmins employers, as well as open access to all other communities
within their region.
ii. As the controller of the tool post-pilot, the FNETB is advised against using the
original terminology referenced in “Refining the Pitch” as these terms were
proven to negatively affect the response rate of employers as well as their
comprehension of the concept.
iii. To drastically increase the number of employers utilizing the tool’s capabilities,
the controller of the tool should focus marketing efforts on campaigns depicting
a successful match of local employers. Let the sense of complacency created
through observation of others’ success drive adoption of the tool.
iv. If post-pilot adoption lags, appoint an enthusiastic individual to perform face-to-
face marketing at an employer’s establishment. As proven, through
conversation, the employer will fully understand the process, outcome and
underlying impact of a sharing arrangement created by the Employer
Database. An employer becoming a frequent user of the database is directly
contingent on their first introduction to the concept where all benefits are
evident, concerns addressed and hesitation by nature in response to new,
eliminated. This first introduction to the concept is most effective using direct
marketing.
v. Marketing should focus on perceived benefits to employers rather than features
of the tool. As an attractant, content modelling the database as a business
improvement tool would bode well in stimulating interest with an attached call-
to-action. Once benefits are demonstrated and employers navigate to the
online database, the features, or concept can be stated and understood.
vi. It is recommended that the FNETB integrate the Employer Database as an
offering on their JobsIn websites. With this integration, ~650 employers will have
access to sharing non-full-time employees, and conversely, the database will
receive this exposure. When posting for a job, if an employer selects part-time or
casual (as required in database), a pop-up should be queued asking the
employer if he/she would also like to enter the information into the Employer
Database. At this point, the automated relational database will seek a match
for the entered position. If no match is to prevail immediately, the data entry will
stay within the database awaiting a partnership.
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Conclusions
The Employer Database answers the call from the Timmins Workforce Committee and
delivers a comprehensive solution to non-full-time employee retention issues faced by
local employers. With every seasonal employer match successfully made, there is a
higher potential to reduce the largest percentage of separations, being temporary lay-
offs of seasonal staff accounting for 23% of all separations. With planned non-full-time
employee hires averaging greater than 50% over a three-year span, this innovative
approach for the retention of non-full-time employees is necessary, and its concept
now demonstrated and proven to be successful. This pilot project has established a
collaborative, engaging and co-supportive employer relationship model that should be
adapted to all Northern Ontario labour markets.
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References
Far Northeast Training Board 2016 EmployerOne Report. Accessible at:
https://fnetb.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Final-FNETB-2016-employerone-
report.pdf
Far Northeast Training Board 2017 Employer Survey Results. Accessible at:
https://fnetb.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/FNETB-2017-Employer-Survey-
Results.pdf
Statistics Canada Business Register - Custom Data Set generated in May 2018. Service
Canada.
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