How Recruitment Agencies Can Help Reduce Staff Turnover

People will come and go in any company, but high employee turnover is bad for business. Companies lose time, money, and productivity having to train new staff to replace those that left. It can also make your team become demoralized, distracted, and disenfranchised by how many people rotate through. High turnover rates could mean there’s something wrong in your business culture or practices, or it could just mean you’re hiring the wrong people! Here are a few ways a professional recruitment agency can help you attract and retain employees.

 

Save Time

It’s not unusual to have weeks or even months between when an employee leaves the business and when their replacement starts. During this time, your remaining team members will be picking up the slack, resulting in lower productivity and more stress. A recruitment agency can drastically reduce the amount of time between employees leaving and new ones starting. Recruitment agencies solely focus on hiring, know how to write enticing job listings, and have a pool of talent available to them, allowing them to fill vacant positions much faster than a company could do on their own. Employment agencies can also find quality temporary staffing to bridge the gap.

 

Qualified and Skilled

One of the best ways to reduce high turnover is to hire qualified candidates. Hiring unqualified or under-skilled employees can cause resentment with current employees, increase stress for everyone, and unsatisfactory work that reduces productivity. Unqualified employees tend to leave once they realize they can’t do the job effectively, resulting in your company having to start the hiring process over again. Recruitment agencies know how to find quality candidates that can jump into the position, making a great impression, and immediately start getting results.

 

Right Fit

Finding the right candidate isn’t just about experience or skills. Company culture and personality also play a role. Recruitment agencies will learn what your business does and how it does it. By understanding your company culture, employment agencies can ensure the candidates they send your way are qualified and fit in with your team. New hires that don’t fit in with your company will leave, no matter how good at the job they are or how much you pay them. It’s crucial to hire employees who are the right fit, and that can help move your company forward with everyone else.

 

Training and Transitioning

A recruitment agency’s job isn’t always done once they fill a vacant position. Many staffing agencies also help with onboarding and training to ensure a smooth transition for the candidate. By checking in with them and providing them with a point of contact, new hires will feel heard and valued. A recruitment agency can help support new hires, making them feel more comfortable in their new role so that they’ll want to stay.

 

Does your company need help with filling vacant positions? Contact Nova Staffing today! We’re one of the best employment agencies in Toronto and Brampton. Our team of HR experts is ready to help your business with all of your staffing needs.

 

How to Keep Employees Motivated During Lockdown

Ontario recently entered its third COVID-19 lockdown, which has left many people feeling disheartened and burnt out. Employers should think about what they can do to ensure employees remain engaged, motivated, and healthy as we continue to battle the pandemic. Here are a few tips from our HR experts at Nova Staffing on how to help your employees during this difficult time.

 

Establish Clear Guidelines

One of the hardest things about the COVID-19 pandemic has been not knowing what to expect. There are not many things businesses can do about the virus, but employers can help their workers by establishing clear guidelines on what they expect during this latest lockdown. Whether your employees are work from home or still in the workspace, make sure you once again articulate job expectations, work hours, and COVID-19 policies. Taking away as much uncertainty as possible will make it easier for your employees to focus on their work. 

 

Open Channels of Communication

Communication is key to any effective workplace, but especially during lockdown when employees already feel more isolated. The last thing you want to do is make your workers feel like they are on their own and unsupported. This will increase the chance of them feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Ensure you’re clearly communicating what you need from your employees and opening up a communication line for them to come to you with any problems.

 

Be Transparent and Honest

Entering lockdown for a third time, especially as other parts of the world are starting to open up, has been incredibly hard and frustrating for everyone. It has impacted everyone in Ontario- employers and employees alike. Employers should be open about this so that employees don’t feel like they’re the only ones dealing with these issues. Employees will feel better just knowing that those above them are dealing with the same struggles.

 

Celebrate Success

It can feel like there’s not much good left right now, which is why it’s so important for businesses to celebrate all the success employees have, no matter how big or small. When employees that go above and beyond their duty don’t get acknowledged, they’re more likely to become disengaged and unmotivated. That’s why employers should make an effort to praise and appreciate employees for every achievement.

 

Be Understanding and Compassionate

As Ontario enters another lockdown, your employees are probably dealing with more changes than just working from home or new workplace health and safety guidelines. Working parents now have to handle kids being at home and virtual schooling. Employees may have elderly or at-risk family members they have to take care of. Even simple things such as getting necessities is now more challenging due to reduced hours. Employers should try to make this lockdown as easy as possible for their employees by understanding that things may come up. Be compassionate about things that may pop up during the workday, such as dogs barking in the background or kids running around. Right now, everyone is just trying to do their best.

 

Arrange Employee Bonding

Employees may be feeling isolated and disconnected from their co-workers after not being in the same workspace as them. It can be hard to connect virtually, especially when everyone is dealing with their own challenges. As an employer, you should step up and try to arrange some activities to encourage employee bonding and just bring a little fun to their lives. Consider hosting virtual social events such as catch-up coffees or trivia nights.

 

If you are looking for more HR tips or need help with hiring quality candidates, contact Nova Staffing today! Our team of employment experts is ready to help you with all of your staffing needs.

 

How Nova Staffing is Protecting Workers During COVID-19

The on-going COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact daily life in Ontario. While many businesses were able to transition to remote working, there are still a number of essential businesses that require employees to be there in person. As one of the best staffing agencies in the GTA, Nova Staffing prides itself on having all the highest health and safety measures for all employees. Here are the steps we’re taking to keep our employees and the workers we send out to clients safe.

 

Pre-Screening Questionnaire

Before sending out workers to our clients, we make sure to pre-screen them and ask them a list of questions provided by the Ministry of Health. This includes asking them if they’ve traveled recently, whether they have any symptoms, or if they’ve been exposed to anyone that has tested positive, been exposed, or showing symptoms. This ensures that we’re not sending out anyone who may be a COVID-19 risk.

 

Daily Forms

In order to protect the public and essential workplaces, Nova Staffing requires all of our workers to fill out and sign a form each day before starting work. These forms ask employees to sign stating they will adhere to all safety practices, including COVID-19 prevention efforts at client sites.

 

These forms include a daily screening sheet, which employees must sign off on before each shift stating whether or not they’ve been experiencing symptoms or been in close contact with someone who has tested positive. This allows us and health officials to trace individuals who may be exposed or infected.

 

Health Monitors

At Nova Staffing offices and large clients, health monitors are in place to take staff temperatures daily before each shift. This helps screen employees every day before they enter the workplace in addition to the forms. All of our clients, and our own offices, have also heightened cleaning and set up sanitization stations in order to reduce the spread of the virus.

 

Our Commitment to Health and Safety

At Nova Staffing, keeping our employees, clients, and the public safe and healthy is our top priority. We have exceeded legislated COVID-19 requirements set forth by the Ministry of Health and will continue to do so while the pandemic is on-going.

 

We’re confident in sending our employees out to client sites, knowing that the employers we partner with are taking health and safety as seriously as we do. Nova Staffing continuously monitors COVID-19 information and makes changes as needed. We strongly encourage our employees to follow all public health recommendations when they are in the community to protect their health and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

 

If you are interested in learning more about how we can help ensure you have the right people and safety measures in place for your company, please reach out to us for more information: info@novastaffing.com

 

5 Ways to Support Employees’ Mental Health

It’s safe to say the past year has been a struggle for just about everyone. The COVID-19 pandemic hit businesses and employees hard, both professionally and personally. It’s no surprise then that a recent study found that 42% of global employees have experienced a decline in mental health since the pandemic began, not to mention seasonal winter blues. So, what can employers and managers do to check-in and support their teams during these trying times? Here are a few suggestions from our HR experts at Nova Staffing.

 

Be Vulnerable

One silver lining to the pandemic is that everyone has been hit, and it has normalized mental health challenges. Almost everyone has experienced some level of discomfort. Business owners and managers should start the mental health conversation and decrease the stigma by opening up about their own struggles. You don’t have to tell more than you’re comfortable, but letting employees know that those higher up have been struggling as well will let them feel more comfortable coming to you with their challenges.

 

Model Healthy Habits

A lot of companies say they support mental health, but very few actually model it. It’s one thing to tell employees to prioritize self-care and set boundaries, and it’s another for businesses to do it themselves. Share that you’re taking a staycation or a mid-afternoon walk. This will help employees feel more comfortable taking much-needed breaks themselves.

 

Check-In Regularly

Intentionally checking in with each of your employees is more important than ever. Now that many people are working from home, it can be harder to notice if someone is struggling. Make it a point to ask your employees if they’re doing OK. During these times, communicate more than you think you need to.

 

Be Flexible

This pandemic has shown that businesses that are flexible are the ones to survive. Being adaptable and flexible is key to managing stressful situations that may pop up, like a global pandemic! Employers should be open to the fact that employees are facing unprecedented challenges. Virtual learning or closed schools mean many working parents don’t have childcare. Health concerns may limit certain employees from coming in. Not all employees may have a quiet, dedicated workspace to operate from. Being flexible and accommodating will help alleviate stress for your employees and allow you to come together to find solutions.

 

Modify Procedures and Policies

Now is the time to update practices and policies to be more flexible and reflect the realities of the workplace today. Look at things such as work hours, communication practices, sick leave policies, and performance reviews. The ‘normal’ work environment doesn’t exist right now, so traditional procedures no longer fit.

 

Need help finding qualified candidates or other staffing solutions? Contact Nova Staffing today! With over 200 years of industry experience, our team of HR experts is ready to help. 

 

Public Holidays in Ontario Employers Should Know About

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and employers might soon have workers asking them which days they get off. There are nine official public holidays in Ontario, in which employees are either entitled to take off or receive paid public holiday pay. Employers can offer additional days off, but here are the public holidays that workers are entitled to have off.

 

Public Holidays

Public holidays, also known as statutory holidays or stat holidays, are national, cultural, and religious holidays that Canada’s government has determined people should be off of work. Some of these vary by province, but in Ontario, there are nine recognized public holidays.

 

  • New Year’s Day (Jan 1)
  • Family Day (Third Monday in Feb.)
  • Good Friday (Friday before Easter)
  • Victoria Day (Second to last Monday in May)
  • Canada Day (July 1)
  • Labour Day (First Monday of Sept)
  • Thanksgiving Day (Second Monday of October)
  • Christmas Day (Dec 25)
  • Boxing Day (Dec 26)

 

Additional Holidays

In addition to the nine official holidays, the country celebrates a few extra holidays. On these days, the majority of businesses close down, and many employers opt to give employees the day off, however, it is not required.

 

These include:

  • Remembrance Day (Nov 11)
  • Civic holiday (First Monday of Aug)
  • Easter Monday (Monday after Easter)

 

Holiday Pay

Not all businesses are able to close down for holidays. When employees are required to work on public holidays, most are eligible for public holiday pay. Employers are responsible for ensuring they are calculating and paying the appropriate amount of holiday pay. Some industries and employees are exempt from holiday pay, and companies should know if their workers are or not.

 

Substitute Holiday

If a business is open only on Monday to Friday and a holiday falls on a weekend, then employers are required to provide an additional day off still. In Ontario, the substitute holiday can be observed either the day before or after the public holiday.

 

Alternatively, if an employee and employer both agree, instead of receiving the public holiday off or accepting public holiday pay, an employee can take a substitute holiday. This is when workers accept another working day off that is designed to replace a public holiday.

 

Have more questions about employment or looking for staffing solutions? Contact us today! Our team of HR experts at Nova Staffing is happy to help you with all of your employment needs.

 

Ontario Employment Outlook: August 2020 Report

Ontario’s employment outlook continued to improve in August. In particular, Ontario and Toronto were hit hard during the pandemic, with many in the labour force experiencing unemployment or reduced employment. While case numbers are starting to rise again, employment continues to increase steadily. August marked the third straight month of employment gains for the province.

 

Here is a quick guide to Ontario’s employment outlook summary, compiled by our HR experts at Nova Staffing. All data is from the Ontario Government August 2020 Labour market report.

 

 

Employment Outlook

Ontario’s employment outlook continued to improve month by month after COVID-19 setbacks. Of the 12.3 million people in the province, 7.1 million are employed. This is up 2% or 141,800 jobs from July. This marks the third straight month of employment increases in the province.

 

Ontario’s unemployment rate also improved in August. Unemployment last month was at 10.6%, with 841,400 people out of work. This is a 0.7% decline from July, which saw an 11.3% unemployment rate.

 

Employment by Age

Age continues to play a role in employment. Ontario’s youth labour force was hit the hardest by the pandemic and is slower to recover compared to other age brackets. Youth employment did slowly improve in August by 16,400 jobs. They do have the highest unemployment rate at 27.7% though.

 

Adult employment in people aged 25-54 also increased by 86,200 in August. Unemployment in adults was at 7.6% in August, down from 8.8% in July. Senior employment added 39,200 jobs in August, but the unemployment rate increased to 8.5% from 7.8% in July.

 

Employment by Sector

Job sectors continue to rebound from COVID-19 at different levels. Many are recovering nicely and seeing steady employment gains. In August, Accommodations and Food Services led employment gains with 32,800 new jobs. It was followed by Education Services with 30,100 new jobs, which makes sense considering it is back to school season. Next was Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (+21,500) and Healthcare and Social Assistance (+19,900).

 

Not every industry saw job increases in August, though. Construction led employment loss with 15,200 fewer jobs than the months previous. It was followed by Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate (-6,200), Forestry, Fishing, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil (-2,200) and Transportation and Warehousing (-1,400).

 

Employment by Region

Different regions in Ontario have been experiencing employment gains at different rates. Urban areas such as Toronto were hit the hardest but have been bouncing back nicely. St. Catharines and the Niagara region had the most employment gains with a 4.7% increase. Windsor followed with a 4.6% increase. Toronto came in at third with 4.2%, followed by Thunder Bay (3.9%), Oshawa (3.6%), Kingston (2.9%).

 

If you’re looking for employment or are a business that is looking for staffing solutions, contact us today! Nova Staffing is one of the top employment agencies in Toronto and has a team of HR experts that can help you. Our team boasts over 100 years of combined industry experience, and we have professionals that speak English, French, Hindi, Punjabi, Mandarin, Arabic, and Urdu. 

 

5 Questions Employers Should Ask About Reopening

While other countries such as the U.S. continue to see a rise in case numbers, hospitalizations, and deaths, Canada has been mostly successful in reducing the spread of COVID-19. Now that the country is slowly beginning to open, employers face tough decisions about reopening and welcoming employees back into workspaces. Before making the call, here are a few questions our HR experts at Nova Staffing think employers should ask themselves.

 

When is the right time for employees to return?

The right time to welcome employees back to physical workspaces depends on a lot of factors. Employers should look at local case numbers, review whether social distancing is possible, consider whether being in a physical workplace is necessary, and review other health and safety policies. Many employers are even making the call not to bring people back at all. Instead, they’re choosing to adopt a work from home model.

 

Who should return to workspaces?

The pandemic showed many businesses that their employees are capable of working effectively out of the workplace. Our recruitment agency has seen more employers adopt work from home guidelines as a result. Your company may want to consider allowing remote working for eligible employees. Employers that decide not to continue remote work should bring workers back slowly in phases. This will enable you to stress-test workspaces in the new environment so you can make any necessary changes before all workers return.

 

How can we protect returning employees?

Employers have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of their employees. This means adopting social distancing practices, implementing mask-wearing, increasing cleaning schedules, doing temperature checks, altering sick leave policies, and more. Employers should make a complete plan for how you’ll protect workers once they return. How are you going to check for illness? What are you going to do if an employee has symptoms such as a cough or a fever? What about employees that live with high-risk individuals? All of these questions need to be considered beforehand.

 

What should we do about sick employees?

Although case numbers are dropping, welcoming employees back into physical workspaces increases the chance of encountering COVID-19. Employers need to have a policy in place to identify and handle what happens if an employee is infected. Our HR experts also suggest creating new sick leave guidelines for other illnesses as well. Employers also need to think about decontamination if an ill employee comes into the office and what would happen if other workers who came in contact with them.

 

How do we communicate returning to workspaces?

Times are tense right now, so it is essential to have a clear plan before communicating with employees. Employers need to answer all of the questions above and have solid guidelines in place before they start discussing returning with employees. Make sure you give employees enough time between announcing reopening and requiring them to come in. Be open to discussions as well. Remember that many employees may have children or high-risk family members that make returning to workplaces more complicated. It’s important to work with employees during these times. Open and honest communication will be crucial.

 

Nova Staffing can help if you’re looking for hiring solutions from experts to aide with reopening your business. Our employment agency is one of the best in Toronto and the GTA, with a team that is more than capable of helping your business finding, hiring, and training any new hires you need to reopen successfully. Contact us today to get started!

 

What to Look for in an Employment Agency

If you’re looking to grow your business or satisfy staffing needs, partnering with an employment agency is the best option. Not all staffing agencies are the same though. There are several factors businesses should look at when considering which agency to partner with from reputation to cost.

 

Experience

There’s an art to finding the right employees to fulfill job positions. An experienced employment agency will know how to find quality employees, weeding out those that aren’t a good fit so that only the best gets sent your way. Be sure to ask about how long the agency has been operating and how many companies they’ve worked for. Nova Staffing has 20 years of experience in the industry and has a team of hiring experts that can help your business grow.

 

Industry Specialization

Most staffing agencies will have a hiring niche. You want to make sure that you’re partnering with an employment agency that has experience and knowledge in hiring for your specific industry. An agency might be great at hiring office employees, but that’s not necessarily useful if you’re looking to fulfill trucking positions. At Nova Staffing, we’re one of the few staffing companies in Toronto that specializes in multiple industries. We’re experts at hiring in many niches, including many essential businesses such as work station sanitizers, truck drivers, and more.

 

Agency Reputation

Make sure your company partners with an employment agency that has a solid reputation in the industry. Agencies that aren’t looked upon favorably have a harder time finding quality candidates, and it may also hint at poor business practices that could make working with them challenging. Reputation is vital in HR, which is why Nova Staffing is proud to be nationally recognized and awarded, making us the premier recruitment partner in the GTA.

 

Cost

At the end of the day, an employment agency might be great but if they’re out of your budget it just wasn’t meant to be. Find a staffing agency that can provide you with all of the services you need without breaking the bank. We know that COVID-19 has been tough on businesses, which is why Nova Staffing has been using government funding where possible to provide altered rates to benefit the businesses we partner with. That way your company will get the benefit of working with a top-notch recruitment agency without financially hurting your business.

 

Nova Staffing is proud to be one of the best employment agencies in Brampton, Toronto, and the GTA. We have a team of expert professionals with over 100 years of industry experience between them that are specialized in hiring for multiple industries. We’re confident in our ability to fulfill all of your staffing needs. Contact us today to see how we can help!

 

Industries Looking to Hire Right Now

Industries Looking to Hire Right Now-Nova Staffing Inc | Toronto Hiring Agency

The world is still trying to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the long-term impact is still waiting to be revealed. Canadian unemployment rose to 13.7 percent, and numerous industries experienced job loss. While many sectors suffered, those deemed essential during the pandemic experienced hiring growth and are continuing to expand even as restrictions begin to loosen. Here are some industries looking to hire right now.

 

Healthcare

Healthcare and public service professions are in extremely high demand. An increase in patients has put a strain on the industry, resulting in a desperate need for experienced healthcare workers. Jobs as nurses, doctors, respiratory specialists, physicians, paramedics, nursing home caregivers, healthcare administrators, and other support staff are all looking to be filled right now. 

 

Telecommuting

The pandemic forced most companies to move their operations to a remote working model. With more people working at home, telecommuting companies such as Zoom and Slack have begun to expand. Many teleworking companies are looking to fulfill positions such as technical support, engineering, finance, and customer service. Even as the pandemic begins to subside, many companies are looking into allow remote working to continue, meaning telecommuting companies will continue to grow in the coming months. 

 

Tech Support & Customer Service

Businesses have realized the importance of increasing their online presence, and the increase of employees working from home has created a need for more IT and customer service support. As business operations becoming increasingly digital, the jobs for online customer support and IT help are growing. 

 

Delivery Services

The delivery sector is experiencing extreme hiring growth since the pandemic. Grocery stores, restaurants, online retailers, and warehouse transportation companies are all looking for qualified drivers. Truck drivers are in extremely high demand, and with e-commerce continuing to grow these positions will always be needed. 

 

How Nova Staffing Can Help

Nova Staffing is one of the best recruitment agencies in the GTA. We partner with companies in various industries, including essential businesses. The companies we work with are looking to expand by hiring qualified candidates. If you’re looking for a job in one of these growing industries, check out our current open staffing positions or contact us to discuss employment opportunities!

 

6 Tips for Successfully Onboarding New Drivers

6 Tips for Successfully Onboarding New Drivers- Nova Staffing

The transportation industry played a vital role during the pandemic, and increased demand for delivery services has resulted in job growth in this sector. Grocery stores, restaurants, online retailers, and warehouses are all looking to hire qualified drivers in Canada right now. As your company expands, being able to quickly and successfully onboard new drivers will be essential to the success of your business. Here are a few simple tips to help you efficiently train new drivers.

 

Plan Orientation

One of the most common issues cited for driver turnover is lack of training and support. It’s essential to provide a structured orientation to smoothly onboard new drivers. It can be tempting to toss new employees into the deep end and hope they can figure it out, but even the most experienced drivers will need to be eased into a new company culture. Orientation is the perfect time to create a positive long-term impression for new hires so that they feel comfortable staying with your business. Most drivers will decide within the first 72 hours if they’ll stay with their new employer, so it is important to have a positive orientation experience.

 

Structure Training

Orientation is all about introducing new drivers to your company, but make sure you have formal training as well. Every company does things differently so even the most qualified drivers will still need to be trained on how you want things done. Outline all of the expectations and rules for the job, provide all necessary documentation and answer any questions they may have. 

 

Provide Introductions

Being the “new” person is never easy. Companies that take the effort to make new drivers feel more comfortable are more likely to retain talent. Be sure to introduce new drivers to others in the company such as fellow drivers, warehouse staff, management, and anyone else they may work. Employees that build relationships within the company are more likely to stick around and be happier.

 

Cover New Policies

The transportation industry was crucial during the pandemic but in order to keep drivers and other workers safe a lot of new policies are being adopted. Many of the health and safety policies being introduced in companies are new for everyone but don’t forget to take extra time explaining everything to new employees. Clearly go over all new policies you may have around social distancing, cleanliness, and what protective equipment you want them to wear.

 

Check-In Regularly

Onboarding shouldn’t be a one-time deal. Companies that want to retain talent should be sure to check in regularly during the first few weeks of employment. Keep a close eye on new drivers to make sure they’re keeping up with the workload and happy. You can even assign a fellow driver to act as a mentor to guide them in the beginning.

 

Ask for Feedback

Once your new driver is settled into their role, check-in again and ask for honest feedback on how they thought the onboarding process went. They might have valuable opinions on how you could improve things for future new hires. Research shows that nearly one-third of new driver hires will quit within 90 days so it’s important to have a great onboarding process to reduce turnover.

 

Nova Staffing is one of the top recruitment agencies in Toronto and we can assist you in finding qualified candidates for your driver needs. We’ll provide your business with the support in needs in expanding during this time. Contact us today to discuss your hiring needs!