2017-2020 ESDC's Recruitment Strategy

Table of Contents

  EDSC's Recruitment Strategy document (PDF, 1.26 MB)

• Context
• ESDC Recruitment Outcomes
  • ESDC's Outreach Strategy
• Conclusion
• Annex A: ESDC Recruitment Activities and Initiatives
  1. Attracting and Recruiting Top Talent
  2. Ensuring Workforce Capacity Through the Use of Collective Action and Strategic Staffing Approaches
  3. New and Innovative Staffing Approaches Aligned with GC-Wide Initiatives
• Annex B: ESDC's Outreach Strategy
  • Recruitment Considerations and Recommended Practices and Activities for Managers
  • Example of a Friendly and Inclusive Job Advertisement for Managers and HR Professionals , (PDF, page 20, 1.26 MB)
  • Considerations and Tips for a More Inclusive Selection Process
  • National Diversity, EE and Educational Inventories
  • National Inventory of Diversity & EE Employment Organizations (DOCX, 63 KB)
  • National Inventory of Educational Institutions (DOCX, 85 KB)
• Annex C: Considerations and Recommended Practices for Managers Related to Onboarding, Development and Retention, Systemic Barriers, and Fostering an Inclusive Culture

Context

Change at the public service and within ESDC is constant and it is happening at a rapid rate, with impacts on technology, infrastructure and resources - money and people. In support of our departmental transformation, ESDC is exploring new technologies, new service delivery options and new ways of doing business. In support of these objectives, ESDC is focusing on its most important asset - its workforce.

The Recruitment Strategy provides ESDC hiring managers with the information and tools necessary to respond to our departmental objectives and priorities and to also meet the Government of Canada's (GC) initiatives and priorities, including those identified in the Twenty-Fourth Annual Report of the Clerk of the Privy Council, more specifically that of attracting, retaining and developing top talent.

The strategy assists in meeting the commitments and objectives set out in the 2017-2020 Diversity and Employment Equity Action Plan (DEEAP) (PDF, 955 KB) and in meeting the pillar of "Having the Right People in the Place at the Right Time", identified in ESDC's 2015-2020 Workforce Strategy, by addressing the key issues identified through Workforce Planning:

• Retirement, Retention and Turnover Rates;
• Changing Skillsets;
• Employment Equity and Bilingual Capacity; and
• Team Capacity Reaching Limits.

Addressing these key issues is crucial to the delivery of the Department's mandate and to support the Department in its transformation and modernization of service delivery, which would be challenging without the necessary skills, experience and dedication of employees across all levels and functions in the organization.

• Long Description of Image

  We used data sources collected in the Clerk of the Privy Council's Report, including Branch/Regional Workforce Plans, as well as Statistics Canada Cencus Data such as Workforce Demographic Profiles. This helped building the ESDC's 2015-2020 Workforce Strategy as well as the 2017-2020 Diversity and Employment Equity Action Plan, which then led to the development of the ESDC's 2017-2020 Recruitment Strategy. These initiatives have led to the implementation of Recruitment and Outreach Activities to Acquire the Top Talent. These actions aim to create an inclusive, diverse, representative and talented workforce.

ESDC Recruitment Outcomes

The ESDC key recruitment outcomes will enable the Department to effectively attract and retain top quality talent for the future, meet its renewal objectives and ensure that its workforce is inclusive and reflective of the Canadian public it serves. By maintaining an inclusive workplace where people are treated with respect, dignity and fairness, ESDC is upholding the highest standards for its employees - where inclusion and respect for people is recognized not only as a public service value but as a core aspect of the Department's culture. The ESDC Recruitment Outcomes are:

1. Recruitment aimed at attracting and recruiting top talent with sought after skill sets that will enable ESDC to renew its workforce and achieve its diversity and Employment Equity (EE) objectives while addressing retirement and attrition rates.
   • ESDC's Outreach Strategy (Annex B) has been developed to support the Department in meeting this recruitment commitment as well as the 2017-2020 DEEAP. This strategy aims at providing the Department with tools to acquire talent, such as the identification of recruitment and retention considerations and recommended practices for managers.
2. Ensuring Workforce Capacity through the increased use of collective action and strategic staffing approaches.
3. Leveraging and participating in new and innovative staffing approaches that align with Government of Canada (GC) wide initiatives to improve the ability to attract and retain top talent and maximize flexibilities, such as the Indigenous Youth Summer Employment Opportunity (IYSEO) and the Public Service Commission's (PSC) Name-Blind Recruitment Initiative.

Specific activities and initiatives supporting to assist ESDC in achieving these outcomes are outlined in Annex A. Performance indicators have been added and form part of the Staffing Monitoring Framework.

ESDC's Outreach Strategy

In addition to supporting the recruitment outcomes identified in this Strategy, and as committed to in the 2017-2020 DEEAP (PDF, 955 KB), the Outreach Strategy (Annex B) aims to access all segments of the Canadian society and to reduce the employment barriers to participation for Canadians with distinct needs. This strategy, in addition to providing recruitment considerations and recommended practices for managers, also includes additional elements for inclusion to address current and future gaps and aimed at attracting a diverse workforce that is reflective of the Canadian public it serves. As such, qualified individuals from the four groups identified by the Employment Equity Act (EEA) (Aboriginal ^{Footnote 1} Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities and women) should be hired, employed, and promoted at rates representative of their availability in the labour market.

To inform the development of this strategy, consultations have occurred internally with ESDC diversity and EE employee networks, as well as externally with EE organizations offering employment services to the Aboriginal population and persons with disabilities. ^{Footnote 2} ESDC also regularly analyses EE data to ensure it reflects workforce availability rates and to inform workforce planning and recruitment strategies. In addition, recommended practices that stem from results of the recruitment activities undertaken to date (Annex A), such as simplifying our job advertisements to make them more attractive to prospective applicants, have been included.

Beyond the requirements of the EEA, ESDC must also strive to foster a culture of inclusion supported by a diverse work environment in which employees are able to be their authentic selves and where different approaches are sought out and valued to advance the achievement of departmental business objectives. Bringing together and mobilizing the diversity of backgrounds, experiences and cultures within ESDC's workforce will enable the Department to develop programs and deliver quality services in both official languages which best meet the evolving needs of the increasingly diverse Canadian public.

With the tools and considerations provided, Branches and Regions, supported by the Human Resources Services Branch (HRSB), will be able to conduct outreach and recruitment activities using the approaches tailored to the target talent pool to attract and retain a diverse workforce.

Conclusion

To continue to support the recruitment outcomes and outreach activities, and to allow for a more strategic hiring approach by enabling managers to identify specific organizations from which targeted pools of candidates can be accessed, the following should also be undertaken:

• Further consultations with diversity and EE organizations across the country, including organizations that support visible minorities and women as well as consultations with regional ESDC diversity and EE committees to inform the National Inventory of Diversity and EE Employment Organizations;
• Expand the National Inventory of Educational Institutions that have programs of interest for ESDC and/or that have a focus on diversity and EE (i.e. Diversity and EE student bodies and EE programs of study) to include, in the longer term, secondary schools; and
• Consultations with other organizations (i.e. private, not-for-profit, and other levels of government) for best practices.

For FY 2017-2018 and in years moving forward, the recruitment outcomes and associated activities (Annex A), the considerations, recommended practices and activities identified in the Outreach Strategy (Annex B) will support the Department in meeting its workforce renewal objectives outlined in ESDC's 2015-2020 Workforce Strategy and address the key issues identified in the Branch and Regional workforce booklets. These activities will ensure we are attracting and recruiting top talent and ensure we have the right people in the right jobs at the right time.

To enable the Department to not only recruit top talent but to also help our existing employees grow and develop, recommended practices related to onboarding, retention and development have also been identified (Annex C) and it is recommended that they be further developed to promote lifelong learning for all employees and enable ESDC to continue to foster a culture of inclusion.

Annex A: ESDC Recruitment Activities and Initiatives

Activities

Performance Indicators

Annex B: ESDC's Outreach Strategy

The following objectives have been identified as part of the Outreach Strategy:

Short term objectives:

• Identify and implement recommended practices aimed at attracting and renewing the workforce, including diversity and EE groups;
• Increase outreach activities through partnerships with diversity and EE organizations; and
• Increase outreach activities with educational institutions that have the talent pool and skills set ESDC is looking for, and/or have a strong focus on diversity and EE (i.e. Student bodies or organizations and EE programs of study (e.g. Aboriginal studies).

Long term objectives:

• Foster a culture of inclusion within ESDC;
• Identify strategies to assist in retaining and developing diversity groups and members of the designated groups;
• Promote the Department to a younger generation to change perceptions and attract the next generation;
• Explore expanding the inventory of educational institutions to include secondary schools; and
• Inform counselors in educational institutions and EE organizations so they can guide applicants through the application process.

The following tools and considerations have been developed to assist managers throughout a selection process:

• Recruitment considerations and recommended practices and activities for managers (including additional considerations for inclusion to address representation in key groups where significant gaps have been identified at a departmental level, in support of the 2017-2020 DEEAP (PDF, 955 KB));
• An example of a friendly and inclusive job advertisementfor Managers and HR Professionals (PDF, page 20, 1.26 MB);
• Considerations and tips for a more inclusive selection process;
• A National Inventory of Diversity and EE Employment Organizations (DOCX, 63 KB); and
• A National Inventory of Educational Institutions (DOCX, 85 KB) that have programs of interest for ESDC and/or that have a focus on diversity and EE (i.e. Diversity and EE student bodies and EE programs of study).

Recruitment Considerations and Recommended Practices and Activities for Managers

Attraction, Recruitment and Job Advertisement

• In addition to jobs.gc.ca, promote job advertisements using the following various methods to reach the intended audience: ^{Footnote 3}
• Use of other employment opportunity websites ^{Footnote 4} (i.e. LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Monster, Job Bank, Jobboom, Workopolis, Indeed).
• Use of diversity and EE organizations (DOCX, 63 KB) websites.
• Use of educational institutions (DOCX, 85 KB) web career pages.
• Use of social media, in accordance with the Social Media Guidelines (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn).
• Contact with Canadian Armed Forces members and veterans to encourage members and veterans to apply.
• Use of other publication methods, such as print and radio, particularly in remote areas where internet access may be limited.
• Use of professional networks, such as:
  • Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (CHPR)
  • Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA)
• Participate in student career fairs and job fairs with diverse employees representing ESDC.
• Participate in on-campus recruitment for certain desired skill sets.
• Participate in outreach activities targeting secondary schools for recruitment.

• To make job advertisements more attractive: ^{Footnote 5}
• Provide a concise and realistic portrait of the job.
• Provide information on the culture, the mission, the perks and the developmental opportunities available when working with the public service.
• Provide information on the local work environment.
• Use "plain language writing" techniques and avoid where possible the use of government jargon and acronyms.
• Consult job postings external to the GC and incorporate best practices from the "competition" to make their job advertisement more attractive.
• Link the job advertisement to ESDC's Career page, which will be updated to include more information on the types of positions available, on the work environment, on accommodation measures, and on diversity and inclusiveness.

• Factor in the posting timeframe the time required to prepare an application, especially when screening questions or unsupervised internet tests are used.

• If flexible hours of work, compressed workweek schedules, telework and other arrangements are possible to offer better work-life balance, include these on the job advertisement to increase attraction.

• Ensure that all job advertisements mandatorily include a statement on how and to whom to request accommodation measures.

Statement of Merit Criteria

• Simplify and formulate requirements in a more appealing way, shifting away from the traditional SOMC by avoiding long sentences and enumerations (e.g. Experience in the interpretation AND application of administrative, financial AND legislative policies AND regulations).

• Ensure qualifications being requested are not unintentionally creating systemic barriers or are too restrictive.

• Wherever possible, use different approaches and take into account transferrable skills:
  • Request an ability instead of an experience to allow the candidate to demonstrate the potential to do the occupation even if the experience may not have been acquired.
  • Instead of specific work experience or a number of years of experience, transferable experience may be adequate. For example, instead of asking for three years of experience in policy development, request for experience in policy development and define what policy development means.

• As most positions (e.g. AS, PM, CR) within ESDC do not require post-secondary education, use the minimum Treasury Board Qualification Standards to avoid creating a barrier to employment within the public service.

• Wherever possible, use alternatives to formal education, while still respecting the Treasury Board Qualification Standards, and ensure that the alternatives are clearly stated on the job advertisement.

Assessment

• Ensure that all job advertisements include a "Degree equivalency" with information on how to have diplomas or certificates assessed against Canadian education standards.

• When relevant, consider knowledge acquired outside the school system and other transferable skills when evaluating the education criteria.

• Consider the use of the competency dictionary and/or the Key Leadership Competencies to define the qualifications and if so, provide the Competency Based Management website and/or the Key Leadership Competencies website on the job advertisement.

• Consider transferable skills acquired outside the traditional job market when evaluating the experience criteria.

• When developing interview questions, consult the Public Service Commission's Guide on How to Conduct Interviews and refer to the Do's and Don'ts as well as the examples of probing questions.

• Ensure that the assessment tools are accessible and that accommodation measures can be taken to provide candidates with the opportunity to demonstrate their qualifications.

• Ensure that candidates are offered accommodation measures prior to being assessed.

• Consider the use of teleconference and videoconference facilities to avoid travel and travel-related expenses when conducting assessments.

• For large scale selection processes (i.e. external advertised processes for entry-level positions and inventories), consider having a dedicated assessment team to conduct assessments and ensure selection processes are completed in a timely manner.

• When appropriate, consider the use of online assessment tools and/or unsupervised internet testing (i.e. PSC's Unsupervised Internet Testing).

Example of a Friendly and Inclusive Job Advertisement for Managers and HR Professionals

(PDF, page 20, 1.26 MB)

Job Advertisement Example

Considerations and Tips for a More Inclusive Selection Process

• Ask questions that focus on 'how' an applicant will apply his or her skills and 'how' they would handle a particular situation.
• Careful use of vocabulary is recommended in order to avoid or re-phrase words that could have different meanings in other cultures or languages.
• Check assumptions around body language and other non-verbal communication. Be aware of culturally influenced behaviors and communication patterns that may impact how a candidate is perceived during the interview process.
• Do not view silence as a sign of disrespect or lack of knowledge. Silence may simply indicate they need a moment to process the question and formulate an answer. Language pacing and rhythm can vary greatly between cultures.
• Be prepared to re-phrase the question if candidate appears to have misunderstood the question.
• Minimal eye contact does not mean a lack of confidence or certainty when responding to interview questions. Some candidates may avoid eye contact with figures of authority as it is considered disrespectful in their culture.
• Some candidates will appear modest or humble. This is so especially when discussing personal accomplishments or uncomfortable talking about themselves due to a cultural orientation towards community over the individual. Based on their cultural upbringing, candidates may find it awkward to focus on them and may tend to speak about the group rather than the individual accomplishments. Rather than asking specifically for individual strengths, it may be more effective to ask candidates how they overcame obstacles or achieved results in previous jobs.

National Diversity, EE and Educational Inventories

The national inventories of diversity and EE organizations and educational institutions will allow for a more strategic hiring approach by enabling managers to identify specific organizations from which targeted pools of candidates can be accessed.

These inventories will be further developed and updated as consultations with diversity and EE organizations as well as with educational institutions continue across the country. Furthermore, additional information and search capabilities will be available in the SharePoint version of these inventories.

• National Inventory of Diversity & EE Employment Organizations (DOCX, 63 KB)

This inventory contains a list of organizations who offer employment services to diversity and EE groups from across the country. Services of interest to ESDC's hiring managers may include access to candidate pools, job posting, awareness training and on-the-job coaching.

• National Inventory of Educational Institutions (DOCX, 85 KB)

This inventory contains a list of educational institutions who offer programs of interest for ESDC and/or that have a focus on diversity and EE (i.e. Diversity and EE student bodies and programs of study).

Annex C: Considerations and Recommended Practices for Managers Related to Onboarding, Development and Retention, Systemic Barriers, and Fostering an Inclusive Culture

Onboarding, Development and Retention

• Implement the following measures to better support employees:
• Ensuring regular contact with manager;
• Mentoring (may include mentor from the same EE group);
• Communities of Practice;
• Workplace Peer Buddy;
• Mandatory Learning; ^{Footnote 7}
• Onboarding Toolkit;
• Talent Management;
• Job Shadowing;
• Micro-missions.

• Where possible, allow flexible hours of work, telework and other arrangements, to offer better work-life balance.

• Ensure appropriate follow-up with Public Service Pay Centre and new employees and inform employees of possible measures to alleviate the financial burden (i.e. pay advance).

Systemic Barriers and Duty to Accommodate

• Consult and obtain information and available tools on the duty to accommodate process and share with employees. ^{Footnote 8}

• Start the duty to accommodate process as early as possible and consult the Duty to Accommodate guidelines.

• Seek personal coaching services on the job (for managers) as well as pre-sensitivity and awareness training (for employees and managers) from specialized organizations, such as LiveWorkPlay and Performance Plus Rehabilitative Care Inc. in the National Capital Region (see the National Inventory of EE Employment Organizations (DOCX, 63 KB) for other regions).

• Communicate with the educational institutions for information on the accommodations offered and their best practices to facilitate the integration of new employees requiring accommodation in the workplace.

Fostering an Inclusive Culture

• Ensure that all employees complete the mandatory diversity on-line course The Richness of our Differences. ^{Footnote 9}

• Managers may identify other courses, such as:
  • Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) Find the Right Fit Using an Objective Eye (C139) online course to support unbiased hiring approaches;
  • College@ ESDC Decoding Disability (25458) online course to raise general awareness towards disability, including mental illness;
  • CSPS Indigenous Learning Curriculum (recommendation 57 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Final Report);
  • Positive Space Initiative training (in partnership with the College@ ESDC and the ESDC Employee Pride Network) to support enhanced awareness of LGBTQ+ issues within the Department;
  • ESDC training for managers on Duty to Accommodate; and
  • Organization of Joint Learning Program workshops in collaboration with the Public Service Alliance of Canada.