How to run reference checks that actually tell you something. Let us be honest about what a traditional reference check is. Your candidate has chosen three people who like them. Those people know they are being called as a reference. They have had time to prepare. They are almost certainly going to tell you the candidate is hardworking, collaborative and a pleasure to work with. So the question is not whether to do reference checks. The question is whether you are doing them

Canada’s labour market is softening, but that does not mean hiring has suddenly become simple. Statistics Canada reported that employment fell by 84,000  in February 2026, the employment rate slipped to 60.6% and unemployment rose to 6.7% . On the surface, that suggests a looser market. But hiring conditions are not easing evenly.   Separate Statistics Canada data on job vacancies shows a more complicated picture. In the fourth quarter of 2025, the national job vacancy rate

AI is making it easier for candidates to produce polished, tailored applications. That is not always a bad thing, but it is making hiring harder. When nearly every resume looks strong on paper, employers need better ways to tell the difference between real capability and well-crafted copy.   The issue is not that candidates are using AI. The issue is that many hiring processes still rely too heavily on resumes as a proxy for competence. A polished application may show effort,

International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women across workplaces, communities and industries. It is also a moment for organizations to reflect on how workplace systems shape opportunity. Across Canada, women make up a significant portion of the workforce and are increasingly represented across many professions. At the same time, disparities remain in areas such as leadership representation, pay equity and participation in certain industries

On a Saturday night in San Francisco, the city looks like it is powering down. Restaurants are winding down. Streets are quiet. But in a few tech offices, the lights still look like it is Tuesday afternoon. This is not always a heroic “we’re shipping a deadline” moment. More and more, it is something else. A cultural expectation that the workday never really ends. And it is starting to resemble a model that became infamous in China: 996. That is 9am to 9pm, six days a week. T

On January 23, 2026, 3,000 Bell clerical workers ratified something that should make every Canadian HR leader sit up and pay attention: a four-year collective agreement with formal artificial intelligence governance language built directly into the contract. Unifor National President Lana Payne didn't mince words: "I am so proud of the bargaining committee who, faced with a difficult landscape, successfully secured both immediate financial gains and critical workplace protect

Organizations spend more on mental health benefits than ever - Employee Assistance Programs, wellness initiatives, mental health days, mindfulness apps. The investment is real. But access to resources doesn't automatically translate to better outcomes, especially during the months when employees need support most.   January is when mental health challenges peak in Canadian workplaces. Understanding why and what leaders can actually do about it is the difference between genuin

A recent Globe and Mail article highlighted research showing that external hires typically command 18% higher compensation than internal candidates, yet they perform worse over the first 24 months and are 20% more likely to leave within their first year. These aren't just statistics, they represent real disruption in organizations where stability and relationships matter deeply. For mission-driven organizations, those disruptions have consequences that extend far beyond the e

A wrongful dismissal lawsuit against Campbell’s alleges that a senior IT executive went on a profanity-filled tirade, calling the company’s products “food for poor people,” criticizing their quality and making racist remarks about Indian employees. The employee who recorded and reported the comments says he was later fired in retaliation. The executive has been placed on leave while the company investigates and Campbell’s has stated that the comments, if accurate, are unaccep

British Columbia’s latest labour data offers an important signal for HR and business leaders. According to the October Labour Force Survey , Canada’s national unemployment rate held steady at 7.1% , while BC’s rate increased slightly to 6.4%  (+0.2 points month-over-month). Although the province remains below the national average, this marks a modest shift that could influence short-term recruitment and retention strategies. Neighbouring Alberta saw unemployment decline to 7.

Why Now Ontario’s new job posting disclosure rules  take effect on January 1, 2026 . That means this is the perfect time to review your job ads, clean up policies and refresh compliance training before the new year rush. Year-end HR planning is not just about wrapping up performance reviews: it is your opportunity to make sure every posting, policy and training program is compliant before January. What’s Changing in Ontario Job Postings If you publicly advertise roles  and ha

If “job hopping” defined the last few years, 2025 may be the year of job hugging : staying put in the same seat long past the point of growth. At first glance, it might sound like a good problem to have. After all, who doesn’t want loyal employees? But as Canada’s labour market cools, job hugging is quietly eroding performance, innovation and engagement across organizations. What is Job Hugging? Job hugging is the opposite of job hopping. It’s when employees stay in the same

The pandemic-era promise of permanent remote work has quietly faded. Across Canada, offices are filling up again, commutes are...

What Happened Deloitte Australia recently made headlines after using generative AI (GPT-4o via Azure OpenAI) to help draft a government...

If you have a large workforce in British Columbia, the Pay Transparency Act is about to move from “nice to know” to “publish or be...

What’s changing on Oct 1? General minimum wage increases to $17.60/hour  (from $17.20). Student minimum wage (under 18, working 28...

Every September 30th, workplaces across Canada put on orange shirts. But orange shirts alone are not the work. Action is. The National...

Stop treating your people budget like an expense - start treating it like your competitive advantage. Why This Matters More Than Ever...

Ontario’s new pay transparency legislation, taking effect January 1, 2026 , will apply to organizations with 25 or more employees . These...

A new survey out of Australia revealed a troubling workplace truth: older workers are still being sidelined, despite being just as...