Government, business must step up to ensure Canada Inc.'s recruitment success

The new chief executive officer is reviewing the report from his human resources department. It isn't good news. Half the firm's key technical and operational staff are baby boomers, eligible for retirement in the next few years. The company has a very active recruiting program at universities, colleges and trade schools across the country, but there just aren't enough engineers, skilled tradespeople and new graduates in other needed fields to go around. Realizing the only answer to its skilled worker shortage lies in new immigrants, the company embarks on a major effort aimed at recruiting new entrants to Canada.

The results bring more discouraging news. The biggest challenge is finding people with the needed job and language skills. Many applicants come with high "points scores" assigned by the Immigration Department - based on factors such as one or more university degrees - that have no practical application. Furthermore, these "paper degrees" are frequently found to be of questionable credibility. Those with degrees or training in the needed professions or skilled trades were unable to obtain certification from Canadian professional or trade associations.

Finally, the company was so overwhelmed with applicants that even sorting out those that might be qualified became a gargantuan task for the overloaded human resources department. It got so bad that only those immigrants with an "in" such as a family member in the company got an interview - and that resulted in unqualified hires that actually hindered the company's competitiveness.

What if this sad story is not about a company, but a country? And what if that new leader is not a CEO, but the Prime Minister? Welcome to Canada Inc., a country whose future depends on finding capable new workers to replace an aging work force. So, what should the Prime Minister do?

First, he must accept the dual realities of a real and growing shortfall in skilled labour and an immigration system that is woefully ineffective at closing the gap. Second, he must recognize that dysfunctional systems can't be saved by cosmetic changes and political rhetoric. Effective results can only be achieved by determining what results are required, and re-engineering the system to achieve them.

What results are required? There is a simple, three-part formula followed by CEOs of successful enterprises:

Identify the skills and experience needed.

Attract the best with effective recruitment programs.

When they arrive, orient them in the values and culture of the organization.

Let's examine Canada's current immigration system against this formula.

Skills we need? All too often, immigrants with great "on-paper" education but no marketable skills are accepted, while the applications of people having badly needed skills are rejected. On top of that, a six-year backlog means that overloaded Immigration staff often fail to weed out bogus qualification claims.

Recruiting? What recruiting? We keep accepting far more applications than our staff can possibly evaluate. So applications just keep piling up - approaching a million, at last count. How do we expect our Immigration staff to identify those who have the best chance of contributing to our country's success when they are buried under a mountain of applications? Moreover, how can they even think about programs to actively recruit the best?

Orient them in Canada's values and culture? For the most part, immigrants are given little orientation to their new country. Entering the professional workplace requires a basic knowledge of Canadian values and social norms, as well as some appreciation of the workings of a free enterprise democracy.

If the Harper government's immigration reforms actually deliver high-quality immigrants with the skills needed, will the task be done? What about the engineer who ends up driving a cab or the doctor working as a hospital orderly? This is not only heartbreaking for the hopeful immigrant, but also defeats the prime objective.

This problem has no simple solution. You can't just bring a doctor or engineer into Canada one week and hand them a scalpel in the operating room or turn them loose designing a bridge the next. This is where business and professional groups need to do their part to get immigrants working in the jobs they are trained for. Mentorship is needed to ensure that foreign-trained professionals and tradespeople are ready to gain certification, but, unfortunately, many never get that chance, and that's a travesty.

A company with the reputation of being a great place to work has a competitive advantage in recruiting the best talent. A country that is one of the best places in the world to live has a competitive advantage in attracting productive, contributing immigrants. The government's immigration reforms are a badly needed step toward realizing that vision. Now is the time for businesses and professional groups to step up to the plate and do all they can to help new Canadians achieve their full potential.