What are the biggest barriers to finding a job in Canada?

'Positive candidate experience' enhances employer branding, boosts engagement, and encourages long-term loyalty, says expert

BY Jim Wilson 28 Mar. 2025

Many Canadians are still finding it difficult to secure employment in 2025, facing multiple barriers in their job search, according to a recent report from Robert Half.

According to the company’s survey of 835 professionals aged 18 and over across Canada, conducted in March 2025, the following are the biggest job hunt challenges:

Finding a job that aligns with their skills (33%)
Preparing for and successfully completing interviews (23%)
Being ghosted by employers (22%)
Crafting application materials that stand out (21%)

The Canadian unemployment rate remained at 6.6% in February, following declines in December and January, according to Indeed.

And employers across the world are increasing their experience requirements for entry-level jobs as they lament the lack of experience of their recent hires, according to a previous Deloitte report.

One thing that has proven to be effective in advancing professionals’ careers is networking, either in person or online (57%), according to Robert Half.

However, they still face challenges in doing this, including:

Keeping relationships active when not in a job search (48%)
Finding new connections (43%)
Engaging existing connections during a job search (34%)

How can organizations enhance the candidate experience?

Currently, 77% of Canadian companies report significant challenges in finding qualified workers — a slight improvement from 80% in 2024, according to a previous ManpowerGroup report.

One thing that can help employers find more success in their hiring process is improving the job seekers' experience, according to search and HR consulting firm VBeyond.

“A candidate’s experience during the recruitment process significantly influences organizations’ ability to attract and retain top talent,” notes the company.

“A positive candidate experience does more than just fill a role—it enhances your employer branding, boosts engagement, and encourages long-term loyalty. In contrast, a negative experience can harm your reputation, discourage talented applicants, and even affect your bottom line.”

Here’s how employers can improve the candidate experience, as Bill Fanning, chief strategy officer of talent acquisition technology vendor TAtech.org, shares via Forbes:

Conducting a comprehensive review and optimization of the recruitment process to identify areas of improvement.
Conducting regular candidate feedback surveys to provide valuable insights and help tailor the experience to meet candidates' expectations.
Training recruiters to deliver a positive and consistent candidate experience.
Incorporating diversity, equity and inclusion practices throughout the recruitment process to ensure a fair and inclusive experience for all candidates.

“Investing in candidate experience is a strategic imperative for organizations to thrive and flourish in this competitive job market,” says Fanning.

“By prioritizing the candidate experience, organizations can enhance their employer brand, attract top talent and gain a competitive edge. Through streamlined processes, effective communication and leveraging technology, organizations can create a positive and memorable experience for candidates, fostering long-term relationships and establishing themselves as employers of choice.”