The Beginner’s Guide to the Canadian Staffing Industry

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By Lisa Hutchinson

Topics: Staffing Services

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The-Beginners-Guide-to-the-Canadian-Staffing-Industry.jpgResearch is a natural part of the decision-making process. If you’ve become more and more interested in partnering with a staffing agency for your recruiting and hiring needs, then you probably want to learn more about the Canadian staffing industry in order to get more informed before making a final decision. You probably have questions that you need answered. You want to ensure that it’s the right move for your company. 

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For employers like you looking to partner with a staffing agency for the first time, we’ve created this beginner’s guide to the Canadian staffing industry.

Why Companies Partner with Staffing Firms

Different companies have different reasons to partner with staffing firms. Some do so in order to save time and money on the hiring process. Staffing firms handle all of the legwork—posting ads, reviewing resumes, and interviewing—as well as the costs associated with hiring—including skills testing, background checking, training, and onboarding.

Others do so in order to find higher quality candidates. Staffing firms have deep networks and large candidate pools to choose from. They also have highly effective hiring processes that ensure success. Partnering with a staffing firm can lead to better talent as well as reduced turnover and better retention.

Others still do so to gain access to hiring expertise, better resources and technology, or for other reasons.

What Industries Use Staffing Services

Many employers believe that their industry is too niche and specialized to be able to take advantage of staffing services. But staffing firms have significantly evolved over the years. They do not only place candidates in low-level, no-experience-required jobs anymore. You can find a staffing firm that specializes in virtually every industry and every type of placement, from low level to C-level, from hospitality and food services to medical and finance sectors.

Employers in the business sector are the top clientele in the Canadian staffing industry. In 2013, this sector made up 86.7% of sales in the industry. The government and public institutions are also big clients, making up 10.6% of sales in that year.

In the near future, industries that contribute to Canada’s exports are also expected to capitalize on the Canadian staffing industry more than ever before. These sectors include aircraft and parts, pharmaceuticals, fabricated metals, industrial machinery, and building and packaging materials.

As you can see, virtually every business can benefit from partnering with a staffing agency.

Types of Workers in Demand

Employers that are looking for workers are split pretty evenly at 50/50 between needing professional workers and commercial workers, such as blue collar employees, office workers, and clerical temps. This is a trend that’s expected to be maintained in the future. For skilled workers, IT staffing makes up 25% of revenue, engineering takes up 14%, finance and accounting makes up 5%, healthcare makes up 2%, and other professionals account for 4%.

The Canadian Staffing Industry’s Popularity by Area

Not so surprisingly, business owners in Ontario, Alberta, BC, and Quebec are the most likely to take advantage of the Canadian staffing industry. These provinces make up 96% of industry revenue. It’s also no surprise that the use of employment services is more popular in the largest metropolitan areas in Canada, including Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Alberta, and Vancouver.

The Industry Is Growing

The market size of the Canadian staffing industry indicates that it’s growing. In 2014, it had a total market size of 9.8 billion dollars, which is forecasted to rise in the future.

Businesses are trying to cut costs, but gain a competitive edge and capitalize on top talent at the same time. Staffing services allow them to achieve all of these goals, making employment services quite popular today.

Want to learn more? Contact Liberty Staffing today.

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Lisa Hutchinson

I started with Liberty Staffing in 2004 as the Regional Business Manager of the London office. I have over 20 years of experience in the customer service and retail sectors, as well as leadership experience including Store Management, People Development and Recruiting. In 2016, our London location moved to a larger office in order to accommodate growth of our business, which included adding a Clerical Division.

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