One of the most powerful things you can do for your career … and even for your life, is to drive your day rather than have your day drive you.  Basically that means consciously deciding how to spend your time rather than it just happening.  Don’t get me wrong, that does not mean work,work, work … it might mean consciously deciding to nap, play or just “chill out”!

Here are 10 tips for taking control of your time:

1.  Be a BIG Calendar user … use it to plan your time.

2.  Block off time in your calendar for meetings with yourself … and treat them like any other meeting (be punctual).  Sales people might block time for prospecting; recruiters might block time for contacting their candidates; managers might block time for any number of projects that otherwise don’t get done!

3.  Build regular commitments into your calendar in advance.   That monthly meeting with your boss, the prep time for the monthly presentation you give, the end of month/start of month tasks you do regularly like progress reports etc.

4.  Use To Do Lists.  You can use electronic lists, paper lists … whatever works for you.   They should contain any significant task (or group of tasks).  eg.  Follow up with my 20 candidates might be there as one entry … but isn’t complete until all are done.  Some people advocate one big list, pthers suggest multiple lists … I have a list for each of my major “projects”

5.  Prioritise your tasks.  You might use Covey’s Important/Not Important/Urgent Not Urgent matrix … or a simple A,B,C system.  But work on the high return items first.  There is a good sense of accomplishment in ticking off those completed tasks!

6.   Manage your phone and email … do not let them manage you!  Just because the phone rings you do not have to pick it up … use your caller id to know if it is important!  Just because an email lands in your desk you don’t need to read it right away.  It is far more effective to process email in batches at a time that works for you and your job.

7.  Multi-tasking versus multi threading!  You cannot be efficient when you do two things at the same time.  Having said that, reality is you will have several tasks “on the go” at the same time.  The trick is to be totally focused on the one you are processing for the time you are processing it.  Then focus on the next task.  This way you can keep several tasks moving forward at the same time, but deal with them effectively.

8.  Build time into your calendar for thinking/strategising/organising yourself.  Some people like to do this last thing in the week to be prepared for the following week and others do it first thing in the week.  do what works for you.

9.  Build in your socialising/networking time.  Avoid the ad hoc “water cooler chat” … but allot time to build and maintain relationships.  This way time does not get eaten up by idle chatter … you are consciously managing it.

10.  Revisit your time management methods every now and then … and certainly if you change job.  It can ALWAYS get better!

Please know, as mentioned at the beginning, good time management can actually enhance your life by giving your more time for those things that are important in your life.  If you want to golf 4 times a week (and I don’t know why anyone would want to do that) then figure out how you can do it … plan it into your schedule and make other things fit around it!

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!
Gain a competitive edge!  Join Eagle’s Executive Consulting Network!
Have you tried Eagle’s (very cost effective) VirtualRecruiter service?
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I talk a lot about the need to always be learning.  The speed of change today is such that if you don’t keep learning you will quickly be left behind.  One of the surprisingly effective ways to stay current is attending industry conferences.  Last week I attended our Canadian staffing industry conference organised by our industry association (ACSESS).  Here are just a few reasons why I invested a day and a half of my time into this event:

As a business owner this is a great opportunity to network with peers and competitors in a meaningful way, leading to open conversations about our mutual challenges, where the industry is going, economic trends and building relationships that make future tough conversations just that little bit easier!

I was inspired by several interesting keynote speakers who were not focused on our industry:

Bill Strickland told a story of hope and achievement.  He truly does make the impossible, possible … and changes lives every day because of the great work he has done providing a nurturing educational environment for troubled youth.  (Read his book) … Making the Impossible Possible!

David Foot is an economist specialised in demographics and his book Boom, Bust & Echo explains many of the economic shifts we have seen in recent years and his forecasts for the nations that will thrive into the future are very interesting.  Would you have picked Brazil, Turkey and Vietnam as future powerhouse nations?

Amanda Lang is a journalist, author and host of The Lang and O”Leary Exchange on CBC.  Her talk was about innovation, and was based on her book The Power of Why … and how curiosity is something we all have as children, yet if we could retain that curiosity we would have even more innovators!  An interesting and entertaining presentation.

I attended sessions dedicated or very relevant to my industry ..

• A round table of industry leaders talking about where they see things going.
• A social recruiting session with an expert in that world.
• An international look at our industry … perhaps a look at what might be coming, the challenges and opportunities.
• A look at where the job boards are going, the implications of big data and how we need to prepare for its impact on our industry.
• In the first day I took six pages full of notes!
• There were exhibitors with offerings geared to our industry, software solutions and services.
• There were networking events that allowed me to talk to private equity people, competitors and other industry experts.

Throw in a nice gala dinner, some awards and some entertainment … I would suggest this was a good use of my time!

Sign up conferences in for YOUR industry … you won’t regret it.

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!
Gain a competitive edge!  Join Eagle’s Executive Consulting Network!
Have you tried Eagle’s (very cost effective) VirtualRecruiter service?
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Every now and then I write about certain aspects of the staffing industry.  Today I will talk about who pays for our services … and it is always the client.

Staffing agencies are the number one way for people to find work.  If you are looking for a full time job, for a temporary gig or if you are an independent contractor then likely you are going to find your next role through the staffing industry … and you should never have to pay for that right to work.

If you are a temporary employee in Ontario, Bill 139 made it illegal for an agency to charge you a fee to work … whether that is to find you a job or some kind of fee tied to working, section 74.8 of the Employment Standards Act explains.

Elsewhere, even if there is no legislation, both of Canada’s largest staffing industry associations have Codes of Conduct covering this subject … and both have Ethics Committees that will rule in cases where the codes might be broken.  (This is a valuable asset and a great reason why clients should only work with members of the industry association).

The Association of Canadian Search Employment and Staffing Services (ACSESS) is Canada’s largest staffing industry association.  Their Code of Ethics states … We will derive income only from clients and make no direct or indirect charges to candidates or employees unless specified by a license.

The National Association of Computer Consulting Businesses (NACCB) Canada represents the “professional” staffing companies.  Its Business Principles state … NACCB Canada members will derive income only from clients and make no direct or indirect charges to candidates unless specified by a license.

Everyone has a right to work and staffing agencies earn their fees from their clients who receive the many benefits of a flexible workforce.  IF you are ever asked to pay a fee to a staffing agency which is not voluntary then you might want to consider whether (a) it is legal, or (b) is it ethically in accordance with the Industry Association Codes of Ethics.  Your options then would be to contact the industry associations for advice and support.  Here is a link to the Board of Directors at ACSESS … and a link to the Board of Directors at NACCB.

Canada’s Staffing industry provide their clients access to a flexible and talented workforce, and the industry provides individuals with a myriad of job opportunities.  Credible staffing companies operate under a strict code of conduct so I would encourage all organizations to ensure your suppliers belong to the industry association and all job seekers to work with credible companies, who abide by the industry codes of conduct.

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!
Gain a competitive edge!  Join Eagle’s Executive Consulting Network!
Have you tried Eagle’s (very cost effective) VirtualRecruiter service?
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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!

Gain a competitive edge!  Join Eagle’s Executive Consulting Network!

Have you tried Eagle’s (very cost effective) VirtualRecruiter service?

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In the sales world there is a big focus on Return on Time Invested (ROTI).  In a nutshell it means that you should spend your selling time with the people that are going to generate your revenue … short, medium and long term.  You should invest your time commensurate with the returns expected.

I decided to invent the term Return on Self Investment.  This is basically a way to look at investing in your own success.

Many, many people want to be spoon fed their success.  They expect their company to pay for their education, their tools and their time because of course the company will benefit from that success.  They seem to downplay or even ignore the fact that an individual’s success can be for life, while the company’s return on their investment is only as long as the employee stays.

If YOU adopt a mentality that investment in your success, whether by yourself or your company, is very beneficial to you then you can differentiate yourself from your peers.

In fact you can measure your ROSI (a) in your own advancement over time; (b) your increased productivity; (c) your performance against your peers; or (d) your self satisfaction.

Here are some thoughts for you:

1.  Lifelong Learning.  I have written many blog entries on this subject, so for the sake of argument let’s say we are in agreement that continually upgrading your skills is good for your career.  The progressive employee, looking to increase their ROSI will:

a.  Take full advantage of every learning opportunity provided by their employer;

b.  Always look for learning opportunities … even if they have to pay themselves (in dollars or in time invested);

c.  Develop good habits for learning, including reading relevant articles, periodicals and books;

d.  Will seek mentor ship and feedback.

2.  Personal Branding:  Again I have blog entries specific to this area, so the progressive employee will:

a.  Invest in appropriate dress for work (looking a little better than their peers) and always be clean and smart;

b.  Will seek to establish themselves as a thought leader in their field (get involved in associations, write thoughtful comments on blog entries, contribute articles, provide thoughtful feedback to management).

c.  Will network outside of work … with industry colleagues, interesting organisations, charities etc.

3.  Productivity.  The progressive employee will:

a.  Adopt and continually work at GREAT time management techniques & tools.

b.  Set goals to measure themselves;

c.  Monitor their ROSI to ensure they are investing in the right areas.

 A couple of small stories from my own experiences.  Twenty-five years ago mobile phones were not a common tool and as a sales person I thought that having one would make me more productive.  My company did not supply them, did not see the value and was not going to finance mine, which back then cost close to $1,000.  Of course mobile technology looked a little different than today (see picture for an idea of what my phone looked like).  I chose to make that investment because it was an investment in me … I would like to think I have had a pretty successful career, and partly it is because of that type of thinking.

I grew up in a working class family in Liverpool that did not have much disposable income.  We learned to make the most of what we had … but were always expected to look clean and “smart”.  This meant I developed a habit of polishing my shoes (because kicking stones on my way to school as I pretended to be winning the World Cup plays havoc on leather).  Our clothes were always pressed and clean.  It was a good foundation for life as a sales person because like it or not you make an impression with how you look … be smart, be clean, be “put together” and project that “professional persona” in order to be successful!  Some things you might want to “invest in” … shoe polish kit and clothes brush for the office, a suit press for your bedroom (for those who wear pants) so your pants are always pressed in the morning!

Be responsible for your own success!

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!
Gain a competitive edge!  Join Eagle’s Executive Consulting Network!
Have you tried Eagle’s (very cost effective) VirtualRecruiter service?
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General Observations:

From a job market perspective, the fourth quarter of 2012 here in Canada was very similar to the rest of 2012 … decent performance, but not booming.  The Canadian economy continued to perform well in comparison to other countries but we are by no means seeing a boom as we are affected by lagging economies around the world.  The TSX is one interesting indicator of how Canada’s economy is faring and in 2012 we saw it hit lows around 10,800 and with a reading of 12,700 as I write, the index is as high as it was at any point in 2012.  Other good news in December saw Canada add 40,000 jobs, resulting in 312,000 more jobs since December 2011, and hit a four year low unemployment rate of 7.1%.

After a fairly robust year in Western Canada, November and December slowed down fairly significantly.  With the price of a barrel of oil currently above $94, the Western Canada economy remains a strong job market.  Busy oil companies means that the companies serving that sector also benefit, which includes the governments that collect those tax dollars, creating opportunity there too.  The demand for people has not yet returned to pre-recession levels, but a strong Canadian dollar, uncertainty in world markets and political influences (Keystone decision in the US, environmental pressures, Middle East upheaval etc.) are probably the biggest factor there.  The gas industry remains depressed due to low natural gas prices, which means that there is no great demand for people in this sector.   Should all of those factors align in the future we would see the current “skills gap” become a full on labour shortage in Western Canada specifically.  Here at Eagle we were surprised to see client demand reduce by half in the last couple of months in 2012, but demand seems to have picked up again in January.  By way of explanation there were 13 changes at the CEO/CIO level in Calgary alone during Q4, plus several companies experienced fairly significant downsizing.  These events will cause disruption in hiring but we expect projects to get going and demand to increase early in 2013.

The banking sector has been very strong in 2012 and finished the year in that mode.  There is strong demand across the banks for skilled resources as they develop new systems for regulatory and competitive reasons, improve operations and integrate acquisitions.  This demand is created at head office locations, so these jobs are typically in Toronto, and to a lesser but still significant degree, Montreal.

The telecommunications sector is a very competitive one and all the telcos have been busy investing in new services and products, in addition to ensuring their infrastructure is sound.  This has created significant job opportunities, with Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal the markets that have most benefitted.

The construction industry continues to create huge demands for people.  The number of busy construction sites across the major cities is a clear indicator, but there is also the restoration/renovation work driving demand as anyone who has tried to find tradespeople will know.  The trades remain a great opportunity for people thinking about a career, or even a career change.

Federal, provincial and municipal governments will always have a need for people.  The current climate of cost cutting, revisiting budgets, scrutiny from auditors and watchdogs makes it a tougher environment than in previous years.  Governments have been avoiding the “mega projects” for a few years, but some of the coming initiatives will create opportunities.  Shared services initiatives, public/private partnerships and creative privatisation projects will come back to the fore and this will be an area of opportunity … perhaps as early as 2013.

Canada, like the rest of the world, was expecting to be dealing with the effects of a retiring “boomer” population by now.  The recession and the weakness in the stock markets put retirement plans on hold for many, so we have not yet seen a mass exodus from the workforce.  These phenomena will happen and will be a factor in the job market in the coming months and years.

Canada’s staffing industry is an excellent barometer of the health of our economy and the Canadian Staffing Index reflects the strength of our job sector.  This index was trending up through the year and reached a record high in October (125), but slipped back to a still good reading of 118 in November.  This index measures the hours worked by staffing industry workers each month.

More Specifically:

The GTA (Greater Toronto Area) is the hottest job market in Canada.  It is home to the highest number of head offices, it is Canada’s major financial center and with a population of around 6 million it has the largest available workforce.  If I was looking for work, this is the region I would be looking in and I would concentrate my attentions on the Financial, telecommunications, construction and service industries.

Despite the fact that Calgary’s population is little more than 1 million, it is the second busiest market for jobs and the engine of Western Canada.   The oil revenues spill into other cities, notably Regina but also Edmonton where provincial government benefits from the associated taxes.  The West generically is a good place to be looking for work, particularly if you are willing to endure a little hardship in places like Fort McMurray.

Eagle’s Eastern Canada region covers Ottawa, Montreal and “the Maritimes”.  There are definite signs that Ottawa is starting to pick up in demand after a long slow period that included downsizing, layoffs, spending freezes and general malaise in that Federal Government environment.  Montreal continues to be busy and there are jobs to be had, again with particular emphasis on the financial sector, the telcos and the construction industry.  There is also some demand in St John’s, NFLD(population about 200,000), and in Halifax (approx. 400,000) but everything is relative and they are not big markets.

 Summary:

2012 was not a boom year for jobs in Canada, however from a numbers perspective finished well, with a four year low unemployment rate of 7.1%, and having added 312,000 jobs over the 12 months.  Eagle saw a significant downturn in demand at the end of the year, but this seems to be picking up again mid-way through January.

The hot cities in Canada are Toronto (GTA) and Calgary, with Edmonton, Regina and Montreal good places to be looking for work too and while Ottawa has been slow, we are seeing hopeful signs there for 2013.  The hot industries are banking, insurance, construction, telecommunications and the sectors that serve those industries.  The sector that is not hiring at its normal pace would be government, but again that might be changing…

In the hotter markets we are seeing clear skills shortages and the “in demand” people are receiving multiple job offers, giving them the ability to “pick and choose”.  So … IF you are looking for people and want to hire the best talent here are some things you should consider:

(a) Start the process early with a strong PLANNING phase;

(b) Develop very clean processes to find, screen, choose, hire and onboard these new resources (if you drag out the hiring process you WILL lose);

(c) Know that you will have a lot of competition and therefore speed in decision making will be critical;

(d) The job doesn’t stop there … retention becomes the next challenge!

That was my quarterly look at the Canadian job market and some of its influences.

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!
Gain a competitive edge!  Join Eagle’s Executive Consulting Network!
Have you tried Eagle’s (very cost effective) VirtualRecruiter service?
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The staffing industry is a huge contributor to our economy, supplying the most important asset for any company … talent!  Whether it is the new CEO placed through an executive search firm, the contract auditor for your new line of business, a team of experts brought in for an IT project or the extra labour needed on the shop floor at peak times, the staffing industry give our clients access to the people they need, when they need them.

Given the importance of our role in the economy and our ability to bring real value to our clients it is very possible for us to establish a “trusted business partner” relationship with our clients.  The only way to do that is by stepping up your game in these four areas: (a) Delivery; (b) Relationships; (c) Customer Service; and (d) Brand.

1.  Delivery.  Being able to find the easier candidates is not enough … in a world where skills and labour shortages will return soon, we need to have a well oiled delivery machine.  Our clients need to know that we will deliver for them … and we can only get to that point by proving it, again and again.  A well oiled machine will know where the talent is, will have relationships with the type of people our client will need, will have partnerships with niche players who can step in when needed, will be using the latest tools, the latest processes and will be constantly training their people to be the best in the business.

2.  Relationships.  Our discussions with our clients cannot be centred on “orders”.  We need to bring value to the table … we need to be able to provide market intelligence; we need to be at the forefront of, and involved in, industry issues around professionalism, ethics and regulatory matters; we need to be involved in the political issues affecting our industry … immigration, education & training of the future workforce; we need to be knowledgeable about the changing demographics and future workplaces.  We need to bring intelligence to our clients to help them plan their future talent strategies.  

Sidebar:  There is a strange trend in our industry where some people suggests suppliers should not talk to their clients … that is the true path to commodity staffing.  How can we bring value if we can’t understand our clients’ business needs?  How can we supply the right people if we don’t know the nuances of the role?  How can we educate our clients about the big picture if we can’t talk to them?  It is impossible to get a decent (never mind great) job order through a tool! 

3.  Customer Service.  We need to set client expectations correctly … even when the messages are tough!  We need to keep them informed through the process.  We need to be responsive.  We need to always remember the bigger picture.  We need to be cognisant of their pressures and solve their business issues as much as we can.  We need to constantly be looking to bring value … not just fill orders (and especially not just the “low hanging fruit”).

4.  Brand.  This will be a strange one to many in our industry … but I firmly believe that good companies want to deal with good companies.  I define a good company as one that is obviously good at its core business … but there are many more qualities to a good company.  They are a good corporate citizen, giving back to their communities; they treat their people well; are active in industry associations; are a recognised “thought leader” in their field; are committed to quality; strive for excellence; innovate and grow; are Customer focused; professional and a leader.  In order to build a strong relationship with a client like that, and differentiate from your competition you need to build a brand like that!

As the boomer generation retire, the economy picks up and the demand for knowledge workers creates significant skills (and labour) shortages the staffing industry has the opportunity to be a big part of the solution … if we can realise our potential, the sky is the limit!

Above are four areas that every staffing company needs to address in their future strategic planning … get it right and we increase our importance to our clients and even more importantly to the economies in which we operate.

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!
Gain a competitive edge!  Join Eagle’s Executive Consulting Network!
Have you tried Eagle’s (very cost effective) VirtualRecruiter service?
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Life is generally not black and white, in most areas of life and in most businesses there are many “shades” of grey (some say 50 … but that is another blog)!

I read a good article from Howard Adamsky yesterday about recruiting.  One of his comments was about the binary nature of recruiting, which got me thinking.  He is absolutely right … you either (i) fill a job or (ii) you don’t, and at the end of the day that is how our clients judge us!

It is a good reminder to those who work in our industry … that if you are not delivering then you are failing!  You can be the nicest person in the world; you can put in lots of hours; you can talk to lots of people; you can do lots of interviews; you can even submit lots of people; (and you should be ALL of those things) … BUT if you are not getting closes, then you are doing something wrong!

Most good staffing companies have their own process … but they will be similar.  They expect their recruiters to understand orders, to use the company tools & process to find potential candidates for those orders; to follow the company quality processes (interviews, reference checks, background checks etc); to negotiate market rates with the contractor; and to submit the best candidates either to the client or the account manager (who submits to the client). 

When recruiters are having difficulty it is often because of some common mistakes …

• not getting on the phone (relying on email/social media is not going to get consistent good results) ;
• not understanding the order enough;
• not finding the right people (throwing spaghetti);
• spending time with the wrong people;
• spend tons of time reading resumes (rather than picking up the phone);
• spend tons of time on external tools (LinkedIn etc);
• not negotiating market rates;
• not building relationships with a strong candidate pool that matches the kind of people their clients look for!

When recruiters get a little desperate they cut corners …

• submit candidates that not been properly screened (worse submit candidates that have a poor track record);
• submit the same candidates again and again … even though they keep NOT getting the jobs;
• mass emails out to people based on “buzzwords”;

The recruiters are only part of the equation because in the staffing industry account managers(sales people) need to bring value to the equation too! 

• good salespeople will have strong relationships with their hiring managers;
• they will bring good, well qualified orders back to the recruiting team;
• they will understand what the client actually needs and will work with their recruiters to make sure they too understand, and that the people submitted are a good fit;
• they will help the recruiters to “sell” the job to candidates;
• they will keep the sense of urgency around the order, and keep everyone “in the loop”;
• they will be able to submit candidates in the way the hiring managers want to see them … making it easy for their client to make a decision.

Our industry IS binary, we are measured on success … if you are not closing business then you are not doing your job.  That is not cause to panic, but it IS cause to understand what you might be doing wrong and to fix it!

The value we bring to our clients is that we find them (a) the right people (quality fit), (b) at the right time and (c) for the right price!  If we don’t do it, someone else will!  That accountability is present at (a) the staffing company level, (b) the management level AND (c) at the individual account manager & recruiter level!  

Who said it is not a black and white world?

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Want to know where Canada’s hot jobs are?   Visit the Eagle Job Centre!
Gain a competitive edge!  Join Eagle’s Executive Consulting Network!
Have you tried Eagle’s (very cost effective) VirtualRecruiter service?
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I recently read that there is a growing trend of people choosing to work for them-self.  The most likely form of doing this is as an independent contractor … and given the business I am in, I get to meet a lot of these people.

The independent contractor is sometimes viewed with suspicion by regulatory bodies like the tax people (CRA), Worker’s compensation etc.  I have written previously about the value that independent contractors bring to our economy, but I thought it might be worthwhile describing some of the many reasons people choose to be contractors … because I can assure you in most cases it has nothing to do with paying less tax.

There are a number of fields where contractors are more established, the technology world, the engineering world and the construction industry are just three … focusing on those worlds, here are some reasons why people become independent contractors:

1.  Control.   I belive that the number one reason people choose to be contractors is freedom of choice.  They are typically accomplished at their job and they want the ability to choose what projects they work on, who they work with and where they work … none of which is available to an employee.

2.  Career.  This is very big in technical worlds like IT and engineering.  The traditional career path sees people who are excellent technically get pushed out of their technical jobs and into management positions.  Their role changes from 80% technical challenges, 20% people issues (because they still manage teams, interface with clients and suppliers etc) to become an 80% people management role and a 20% technical role (the 20% coming in the time after 5pm!)  The traditional path doesn’t work for everyone … contracting allows people to earn good money AND stay technical.

3.  A Way to Build a Company.  Some of Canada’s largest technology companies (and I have to believe many construction companies) started with a contractor or a group of contractors.  Cognos, Calian, CGI, Systemhouse all come to mind.  If a contractor wants to start their own company, then becoming an independent contractor allows them flexibility to work on that plan, teaches them basic business skills as a one person company and allows them to nurture future partner relationships.

4.  Travel.  Having the flexibility to move to where the work is can be a necessity in a tough economy, and some people come to love it.  As a contractor with good skills you can move to where the interesting jobs are … working in warmer or even exotic climates is not out of the question.

5.  Company Politics.  Many organizations experience internal politics, in-fighting and positioning amongst employees.  One of the nice things about being a contractor is the ability to just focus on the job and not get caught up in the politics.

6.  Necessity.  Even the best people can find themselves out of work in a tough economy.  Employers are less likely to increase their permanent headcount during this time too, so contracting is a great alternative for people with the right skills.

7.  Money.  An independent contractor can make more money than an employee in a similar role, but they have to accept the associated risks too.  They only make more money if they can stay fully billable, they are responsible for their own skills development, marketing and benefits (no pensions plans for the self employed).  Having said all that there is “an upside” to their income that is not always available to an employee.

8.  Part Time Work.  For some people who are nearing retirement the ability to pick and choose how much they work, where they work and the types of work they will do is very desirable.  They might not be quite ready for retirement, they might have other things they want to do with their time or they might just need to supplement their income.  There is always a demand for people with good skills and this is a way to work without a commitment to full-time work.

I don’t know what the percentage of the work force is self employed, but it is a definitely a small percentage.  They are a part of Canada’s small business community, offer our economy a flexible labour pool and bring a ton of value to their clients.   They might be the genesis of Canada’s next large companies or just the labour force that will help our economy through the coming labour shortages.

It is the right career choice for some, but the majority of people still prefer traditional employment … and that works out just fine all around.

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
Gain a competitive edge!  Join Eagle’s Executive Consulting Network!
Find Canada’s top hot jobs, updated in real-time!  Visit Eagle’s Job Centre!
Have you tried Eagle’s (very cost effective) VirtualRecruiter service?
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Today Eagle was named one of Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures.  It is a very prestigious award that requires a rigorous screening to come up with the Top 10, in 4 different categories … Eagle was a mid market company.

It is hard to pick up any kind of business book or article without seeing a mention of culture and yet culture can seem such an abstract concept to many people.  I have been asked about culture many times and I thought it might be a subject worth talking about, from Eagle’s perspective … not that we are experts in the field, but as a company that has tried to develop a very “deliberate” culture.

When you start a company you have the opportunity to determine what kind of company you want it to be … for many budding entrepreneurs the goal is to create high performance companies that generate big profits.  The reality is that you NEED to develop a company that is sustainable and profitable but there are also other qualities you can CHOOSE to have in your company.

Many entrepreneurs like to talk about a “work hard, play hard” culture.

Some like to develop a culture that is all about “work life balance“.

For others it is a focus on “the environment“.

I would also suggest that a large majority of companies don’t even think about culture until later … their culture evolves, generally as a reflection of the people who are there and they might not even like their culture!

At Eagle we were influenced by Steven Covey’s belief in principles as a way to guide a company … we wanted to be a company with values that mattered.  We did not want to have a mission and vision statement stuck up on the wall, that was reviewed every 3 or 5 years.  We wanted a set of core principles, a mission and vision that would be meaningful in our decision making.  They would drive our culture and we would create a company we could be proud of.

Our vision is the be Canada’s #1 Professional Staffing Company.  #1 for employees, candidates and clients.

That vision determines our strategies for growth because we need to drive towards that end objective.  We don’t need to be the biggest, we just want to be the (a) employer (b) business partner and (c) supplier … of choice for those three groups of people.

In addition to that vision we have a set of core principles that help to keep us pointed in the right direction too.

Team, Innovation, Integrity and Excellence.

We set out to create a company that was team based, striving for excellence, operating with integrity and continually innovating to get better.  In order to achieve that goal this had to be a company where people wanted to be, we needed to be good enough that clients wanted us as a supplier and we needed the right model such that independent contractors would want us as a business partner.

To create a sustainable entity we NEEDED to drive towards that vision.  The reality is that we will continually move toward that vision but will never reach it, because we know we can always get better!

Once you have a vision and core values to keep you on track, the nuts and bolts of the plan come from strategic planning sessions.  They evolve over the years and the only way to create a “deliberate culture” is to have a passion for what you want to create and to have the determination, focus and endurance to keep pushing for that vision. 

The award from an external organization like the Waterstone group is vindication that we are on the right path … and while that is great today, we can’t afford to be complacent because in order to be a place people want to work tomorrow we need to keep innovating!

That is the only way I know to create a culture, rather than just let it happen!

Thanks to the Waterstone Group for this very exciting award!

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Kevin Dee is CEO of Eagle (a Professional Staffing Company)
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