Young Canadian workers lacking mentorships, internships, adequate onboarding: survey

This is the case even though 77% of Canadian companies report significant challenges in finding qualified workers, according to a previous report from the ManpowerGroup.

How can fresh graduates help employers?

Few employers are tapping into this fresh graduates pipeline even though these workers bring a lot of positives to companies, according to Robert Half’s survey of 1,050 hiring managers across Canada.
The following are the top benefits they report experiencing from onboarding early-career professionals:

• Receiving a fresh lens for problem-solving (87%)
• Gaining team members familiar and experienced with new technologies (84%)
• Building up internal talent pools (84%)

Previously, Randstad also noted that employers hiring fresh graduates experience these benefits:

• They don’t have to unteach bad habits from these workers.
• As their first employer in an industry, there is a chance companies will build a relationship with them that will keep them loyal to the company.
• They ask for lower salaries.

These benefits take on added urgency as Canada grapples with significant workforce challenges. By 2034, the Canadian construction industry will face a total hiring requirement of 380,500 workers, forecasts BuildForce Canada. Also, by 2035, the tourism sector would need 2.3 million just to meet the demand. For this year, Ontario alone would have 723,000 job openings in the tourism sector, says Mike Jacobs, CEO of The New Business.

By 2030, nearly a quarter of Canadians will be over 65, further intensifying the need for experienced workers, Zabeen Hirji, former chief human resources officer RBC, previously said. And population projections indicate that by 2035, the number of Canadians aged 55 to 64 will be about 4.5 million.

What are the challenges fresh graduates face in finding employment?

In a separate survey of 835 Canadian workers, Robert Half found that the following are the top five challenges workers encountered early in their careers:

• Limited mentorship opportunities: 47% say they lacked a mentor or workplace peer to help guide them.
• Insufficient onboarding: 37% felt unprepared due to inadequate employer training.
• Lack of internship experience: 34% entered the workforce without internships or relevant work experience.
• Managing workloads: 33% struggled with the volume and prioritization of tasks.
• Skills gaps: 32 per cent felt that they couldn't make an immediate impact with the skills they possessed.

Faced with these challenges, many took a proactive approach to the problem:

• Researched companies to determine fit (56%)
• Connected with current and former employees of prospective employers to ask questions (31%)
• Attended networking events to connect with businesses and individuals working in their desired industry (25%)
• Sought out a mentor to help guide them through the application process (20%)

"Beginning your career can be a daunting time, but there are many steps early-career professionals can take to set themselves up for success," says Koula Vasilopoulos, senior managing director, Robert Half Canada.

"It starts with building a strong foundation of communication that includes networking, connecting with other professionals who can help you learn, and being vocal about what you need from your employer to ensure you have the adequate tools and training to succeed. Approaching early roles with an open and inquisitive mind and a commitment to learning helps set the stage for long-term confidence and growth."

Canadians who have been unemployed for an extended period of time also face numerous challenges, according to a previous report from Express Employment Professionals.