How to Recruit and Retain Skilled Workers in Rural and Remote Canada
If you’re running a business in rural Canada, you know that hiring qualified talent can feel like an uphill battle. With industries like agriculture, healthcare, and construction facing increasing demand, remote communities are struggling to fill crucial positions.
But don’t fret. There are many ways to attract and retain top-tier workers in the long term.
This guide offers practical solutions to tackle the talent shortage in Canada and build a high-performing workforce in the country’s rural areas.
Challenges in Rural and Remote Talent Acquisition
In Canadian rural areas, finding employees isn’t just about posting a job ad and hoping for the best. You may encounter the following problems:
• Limited local labour pool: Rural communities have smaller populations, and the talent pool is naturally constrained. Many rural businesses struggle to find workers with the right qualifications, creating a competitive hiring landscape where vacancies remain open for extended periods.
• Infrastructure and accessibility barriers: The lack of transportation, public services, and reliable internet connectivity can discourage workers from relocating to more remote areas. These logistical barriers can make it difficult for potential employees to see the benefits of rural employment.
• Perceived lifestyle limitations: Many skilled workers are hesitant to relocate to rural Canada due to a lack of amenities, limited social opportunities, or a slower pace of life. Overcoming these perceptions requires a proactive approach to showcasing the lifestyle benefits of rural living.
• Higher recruitment and relocation costs: Workforce recruitment in rural areas often involves higher expenses, such as relocation packages, travel reimbursements, and potentially offering more competitive salaries. Additionally, sourcing talent from farther afield may involve costs for visa sponsorship or international recruitment.
Proven Strategies to Attract Skilled Workers
Despite these challenges, there are still ways to attract skilled workers to rural Canada. Here are some tips on how to overcome the barriers to recruitment and build a strong workforce.
• Offer relocation incentives and housing support: Many skilled workers are more likely to relocate if there are financial incentives. Offering relocation packages, housing assistance, or subsidies can make the transition easier and more appealing. Take New Brunswick’s rural communities as an example—its construction industry may need to hire around 8,400 workers by 2034 because many current workers are retiring and there’s more work ahead. Even if local hiring continues, there may still be a shortage of 1,700 workers. Helping new hires move and settle in could be the extra push they need to choose your job over others.
• Highlight lifestyle perks: Rural Canada offers lower living costs, beautiful natural surroundings, and close-knit communities. Emphasizing these perks can help shift the narrative and show potential candidates that rural living has its own set of benefits.
• Partner with local colleges and training institutions: Instead of trying to convince workers from the city to move, you can tap into the talent that already lives nearby. Building relationships with local colleges, high schools, and training centres is a great way to find young people who are ready to start working. You can offer internships, training programs, or job placements that help students enter the workforce immediately after graduation.
• Leverage digital recruitment tools and social media targeting: You don’t have to rely solely on local job ads anymore. Websites like LinkedIn, online job boards, and social media make it easier to reach skilled workers, even if they live far away. They can help you post jobs and show your company to a wider audience.
Retention Tactics Once Talent is Hired
Attracting skilled workers to rural Canada is just one part of the equation. Keeping them is just as important, especially when other companies are looking to hire them too. Here are some simple ways to help your workers stay for the long run.
• Onboarding programs tailored to rural transitions: Starting a new job in a rural place can be a big change. To help new workers feel welcome, consider giving them a tour of the town, introducing them to neighbours, and showing them where to find things like groceries, schools, or clinics.
• Ongoing training and career development: People are more likely to stay if they feel like they’re growing. Give your workers a chance to learn new skills, join training programs, or take classes to help with their careers. You can even match them with a mentor.
• Community integration initiatives: Workers are also happier when they feel like they belong. So, encourage them to join local events, start social clubs, or meet others through community activities. You can even host simple get-togethers or sponsor local events.
• Flexible work options when applicable: If the job allows it, offer flexible hours or remote work to make your employees’ lives easier, especially in quiet or faraway places where they may have a hard time commuting or following rigid schedules.
How Government Programs Support Rural Hiring
The Canadian government recognizes the challenges you and other businesses face when hiring for rural and remote regions and offers several initiatives to support rural hiring:
• Federal/provincial incentives: Programs like the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot help employers in rural areas attract and retain immigrants. These programs can offer various financial incentives, subsidies, or tax breaks if you hire workers in specific rural regions.
• Subsidies or grants for rural employers: The government also offers grants to employers who are hiring workers for hard-to-fill roles, including positions in rural Canada. These subsidies can help offset some of the higher recruitment costs associated with hiring in remote locations.
• Visa sponsorship for international candidates: Canada’s immigration policies also allow businesses in rural areas to sponsor international workers through various visa programs. These rules are particularly helpful when local talent is unavailable, and you need to source skilled workers globally.
Why Partnering with Global Recruitment Experts Matters
Hiring workers for rural Canada can take a lot of time and effort. But when you team up with agencies for jobs in Canada, the process gets easier and faster. You can enjoy the following benefits:
• Access to a wider pool of qualified workers: Recruitment agencies know how to find the right people, from Canada or other countries. They have a list of pre-checked, qualified workers, so you have more chances of finding someone who fits your needs.
• Industry-specific hiring expertise: Whether you’re hiring for agriculture, healthcare, or another type of work, recruitment experts understand what skills you need. They’ll help you find someone who not only does the job well but also fits into your company and community.
• Reduced time-to-hire and risk: Recruitment agencies already have systems to speed things up. They can help you hire faster and with less risk, since they’ve already done the hard work of checking each candidate.
Choose Staffhouse for Strategic Rural Talent Solutions
Skip the guesswork and work with Staffhouse International Resources. With more than 20 years of experience placing international talent into Canadian industries, including hard-to-fill roles in remote areas, we’re your solution for workforce recruitment.
Our recruitment experts specialize in sourcing skilled workers for industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and agriculture, giving you a high-performing workforce wherever your business operates.
Don’t let talent shortages hold your business back. Discover how we can help you build a stable, reliable team that drives success in rural Canada.
