Hiring in Canada
Context
The recruitment process in Canada holds crucial significance in the professional world, shaping the structure and functioning of work teams. Every employer has a responsibility to comply scrupulously with current federal and provincial legislation, which helps to ensure fairness and transparency in the hiring process.
However, it is essential to note that these regulations vary significantly from one province to another, adding a further layer of complexity to human resources management.
Recruiting has its own specific features in each country. Here are a few things to bear in mind when recruiting in Canada:
Publishing a job advertisement in Canada
To attract the best candidates, your job advertisement must be clear and concise. It should identify the qualities you are looking for in a candidate, as well as the responsibilities of the job. If fluency in English or French is essential, the ad should be published in both languages. Educational requirements should also be mentioned, considering terms specific to Canada. Professionals generally begin their job search by consulting vacancies on reputable online platforms, such as LinkedIn and Indeed. They then visit the company's recruitment site. We also suggest some of the most popular employment platforms in Canada, such as Jobillico, Guichet-Emplois, CareerBuilder and Québec Emploi.
Interviews with applicants
Once you have shortlisted candidates, contact them for an initial 10–15minute phone interview to assess their first impressions. Then schedule a second interview in person or by videoconference. If the candidates are in different time zones, be sure to take the time difference into account when scheduling the interview.
Anti-discrimination legislation in Canada
When selecting candidates, employers must compare the qualifications of each candidate objectively. Employers must not choose a candidate on the basis of gender, ethnic origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, disability or marital or family status. In some provinces and territories, requiring Canadian experience may be considered a discriminatory practice. For example, the Ontario Human Rights Commission has created a policy directive denouncing the Canadian experience requirement as discriminatory and suggesting that it only be used in very limited circumstances.
Reference checks
Before contacting references, recruitment managers must obtain the candidate's authorization. Ensure that reference check questions are relevant to the position and job performance. Encourage referees to provide testimonials based on behaviour observed regarding the job, while avoiding questions on illicit subjects to prevent legal action.
Facilitating the integration of your new employee
Before officially hiring permanent residents as employees in Canada, you must verify the Social Insurance Number (SIN) of each new employee and register them. If the employee is a foreign worker, you must ensure that he or she obtains a work permit as soon as he or she arrives in Canada.
Useful information about the Canadian labour market
Laws governing recruitment vary from province to province, as does the culture. Each province has the authority to establish its own recruitment laws and standards. For example, deductions at source and non-competition clauses differ from one province to another.
Employment contracts
Employment contracts in Canada must comply with applicable provincial or territorial legislation. They must also specify the terms and conditions of employment, including the type of employment (full-time, part-time or contract), salary, hours of work, benefits, etc
Termination of employment / severance pay in Canada
Employment contracts in Canada often include a trial period of 3 to 6 months, depending on the province. In the event of dismissal during this period, the employee may be entitled to compensation in lieu of notice.
Working hours
Labour laws in each region set weekly limits on working hours, with overtime rates generally set at 1 times the normal wage. For example, in Ontario the threshold is 44 hours, and in Quebec 40 hours.
Paid Time off
In Canada, most employees are entitled to paid annual leave, but the rules differ from province to province. In British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, employees get two weeks’ paid leave after one year’s service.
Ensure the success of your recruitment in Canada with the assistance of local experts
Salveo can take care of all the administrative and operational aspects of recruiting your future employee. Our local offices, conveniently located in strategic centres such as Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, reflect our commitment to a local and personalised approach to recruitment, tailored to the specific needs of each region.
We can manage the following stages of the recruitment and headhunting process in Canada:
Determining the type of profile, you are looking for with your teams
Searching job boards, social networks and other open sources to identify potential candidates. In the absence of an agreement not to poach, candidates already working for similar companies can also be contacted directly in the form of headhunting in Canada.
Selection of interesting profiles for interviews. Drafting of rich reports for distribution to your teams.
Carrying out background checks to ensure the accuracy of the information provided and to assess the candidate’s moral integrity.
By choosing Salveo, you can be sure of a quality recruitment service that is perfectly tailored to your specific needs. Working closely with you, we aim to find the ideal candidate, the one who will contribute to the success of your team.
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