People Pulse :: July 2005

Dear HR managers and business owners,

At last month's British Columbia Economic Forum, the Honourable David Emerson, Canada's Minister of Industry, had this to say: "Now is the time to turn today's good fortune into tomorrow's competitive advantage."

Which is another way of saying that the long-term benefits of BC's current economic boom will fall to those who act now to ensure they have both the resources and the people to cope with the coming growth. But getting that competitive advantage won't be easy. It's an employees' market out there. The best people won't be knocking on the doors of businesses that only sit and wait, and they won't be staying with organizations that don't acknowledge this major shift in the employer/labour pool dynamic.

One thing that businesses can do to attract and retain top talent is to pay some serious attention to their employees' need for a balance between the demands of work and the demands of life. For a look at how this issue is being addressed outside of Canada, take a look at "Improving Work-Life Balance-What Are Other Countries Doing?"

Cheers,

Paul Gibbons
Partner, People First Solutions

Poll Question: What's the biggest barrier to productivity in your workplace?

Article: Finding the Perfect Co-op Student

Article: Work-Life Balance in Canadian Workplaces

Success Stories:
Glen Ringdal,
President and CEO,
New Car Dealers Association
of BC

Demotivations: Change

Senior Executives Worried about Rising Health Care Costs

According to a poll conducted across Canada on February 9, 2005, many Canadians (28%) say they don't regularly eat a balanced and nutritious breakfast during the workweek. One-third (34%) say they skip breakfast entirely during the workweek at least once.

- Source: Ipsos-Reid Express

Once you vote, you will see current poll results.
Final poll results will be posted in next month's issue.


	Recruiting Finding the Perfect Co-op Student One often overlooked hiring strategy to help companies address short-term staffing needs, or to test out potential staff for long-term positions is co-op hiring. Summer is an ideal time to consider hiring a co-op student as thousands of brilliant young minds flood the job landscape in search of opportunities to gain experience. Many students offer much more than general office skills. Engineering, Biotech, Commerce, Business Administration are just a few of the fields students are looking for work in. This article takes a brief look at the advantages and disadvantages of this and how to get started.			Retaining Work-Life Balance in Canadian Workplaces Research studies and media reports indicate that work-life conflict is an increasing problem for Canadians. But Canadians are not alone in facing this issue. This comprehensive report by the Department of Social Development provides an overview of how other industrial countries are addressing the business, health and social costs of work-life conflict, with the aim of showing how innovative initiatives can be developed to suit the work-life balance needs of employees and the business demands of employers.

"We have been extremely impressed by the results of People First's recruitment efforts on our behalf. For any company with recruiting needs or he desire to maximize their human resource potential, I would not hesitate to recommend People First Solutions."

Glen Ringdal,
President and CEO,
New Car Dealers Association of BC


	© Copyright 2005, Despair Inc.


	People First Solutions Inc. #220 - 1075 West Georgia St. Vancouver, BC CANADA V6E 3C9 Telephone: 604.684.2288 Facsimile: 604.684.2265 info@peoplefirstsolutions.com		People Pulse :: Subscription Information Click Here to forward this issue to a friend. Not currently a subscriber? Register now to receive future issues. We respect your privacy. © Copyright 2005, People First Solutions Inc. All logos, and names are the copyrights of the respective owners.