Community Event – Twisted System: Harsh Truths for Hiring Today
It’s no secret that employers across sectors and throughout Durham Region are increasingly looking to new Canadians and those with international experience to meet their labour needs. This is true for everyone from our largest employers right down to the small and medium enterprises that form the backbone of our local labour market. Our community partners at the Whitby Chamber of Commerce recognized this reality and pulled together an event to explore the harsh truth that in today’s job market those who shape their hiring practices to make their businesses more appealing to a broader and more diverse group of individuals have a competitive advantage.
They asked our community to engage in a real, raw, and admittedly uncomfortable conversation to recognize and begin to address serious flaws in long established recruitment and retention practices. Unconscious bias, combined with processes that businesses have utilized for generations, are having serious impacts on finding the right candidate for open jobs. Together, attendees explored the harsh truths about hiring for today through story-telling and discussed opportunities for each of us to make our hiring practices more effective for our community.
As part of this event, the Regional Municipality of Durham and World Education Services launched a new digital resource for businesses and HR professionals: the Durham Region Employer Playbook. This comprehensive resource was co-designed with local employers, it identifies local services, practical tools and strategies that can help businesses better leverage the education, skills, and experience of immigrants at each step of the employment process – from recruiting and hiring to onboarding and integrating newcomer talent.
Check out the Durham Region Employer Playbook here
Get involved! Check out upcoming events from Whitby Chamber of Commerce here
Photo: The Durham Workforce Team with Whitby Chamber CEO Natalie