TalentOyster

Faith in the Workplace: Exploring Canada's Rapidly Changing Employment Landscape

2011-11-09T03:04:00.000-08:00

Today at the KPMG building in downtown Toronto, Skills for Change, a settlement agency and TalentOyster partner, will be presenting a conference on culture and faith in the workplace.

Faith and culture are emerging as critical issues for Canadian companies in light of forecasts that call for 100% of job pool growth coming from immigration by 2015. The diversity@work conference is an opportunity to hear from thought-leaders on the front lines of support and integration of new Canadians into society and the workplace.

The conference features a keynote address by Senator Don Meredith, a provocative panel discussion and an opportunity to speak with prominent Canadian employers invested in diversity hiring, including Scotiabank, Home Depot and the University of Toronto.

For more information on this event visit the Diversity@work website at http://www.diversityatwork.org/

Elections and the Ethnic Vote: Numbers Lottery or Political Representation?

2011-10-17T11:56:00.000-07:00

This coming Thursday, October 20th from 6 to 8pm, the South Asian Journalists' Association is co-presenting a public discussion at the Munk School of Global Affairs on the "ethnic" vote. The discussion is focused on answering questions like "Is there a South Asian ethnic vote?" and "Are political parties really interested in hearing new voices."

The discussion panel includes MPP-elect Jagmeet Singh (NDP) from Brampton-Gore-Malton, CBC TV's Steve D'Souza, The Agenda's Piya Chattopadhay, Rana Sarkar (former Liberal and federal candidate for Scarborough-Rouge River, and Sunil Rao, editor of South Asian Focus.

For more information or to register to attend this event visit the website at http://webapp.mcis.utoronto.ca/EventDetails.aspx?eventid=11115

Saying hello (again) to a healthcare employer

2011-10-12T05:55:00.000-07:00

Mount Sinai Hospital, located in Toronto has been a TalentOyster employer since the early summer of 2010. In their first year they simply used our services to post their healthcare related jobs on our site.

This year though, having seen the value for diverse employees in using TalentOyster they expanded their solution package with us to include an employer profile page.

The profile page for Mount Sinai is a good example of what an employer profile page should be.

It starts by clearly identifying the employer and gives a general idea of what kind of industry and roles the employer is in. Then the profile lists some of the reasons that any candidate, but especially in the TalentOyster case a diverse candidate, would want to work at the employer. In this specific example beyond the basics of compensation and assistance the benefits of an inclusive environment embracing diversity are mentioned. It might seem like an obvious thing but letting diverse candidates know an employer has a diverse workforce and is interested in expanding it is a good thing.

At any rate be sure to check out their new profile page. And if you know someone who is looking for a healthcare related job in the GTA region let them know about all the opportunities they can find on TalentOyster. As an example there have been over 100 healthcare jobs posted on our site in just the past 3 1/2 weeks.

The importance of being truthful

2011-09-28T05:23:00.000-07:00

A recent survey by OfficeTeam raises some questions about the level of truth on many resumes. In response to the question "Do you know anyone who misrepresented or exaggerated information on his or her resume?" 44% of respondents said yes. Equally notable in a question put only to managers 47% said that applicants misrepresent or exaggerate information some of or all of the time. All of which suggests that many people do lie on their resumes but that employers "expect" this. At least to a point.

For many people whether or not to lie/spin/misrepresent or exaggerate information in their resume is a difficult question. This can be especially true in an "employers" market, as is the case currently, when the number of job seekers exceeds the number of available positions. It can be difficult to get people to discuss the subject but in most cases it happens because candidates feel that they won't land a job without stretching the truth. And in at least some cases they feel that part of the reason they can't land a job without lying is that their competition for the job is already lying. It's a vicious circle and not a good thing.

But if you do feel that way should you do it? Is it ever justifiable?

In a word no. And here's three reasons why.

First there is the basic moral reason. No matter how you try and justify it lying is wrong. In fact if you do it because you think others are it's almost worse because you are increasing the depth of the problem. It shouldn't be forgotten that good job isn't just a job but part of your career, aka part of your life. There is a personal cost you will pay if you treat cynicism and lack of truthfulness as part of your job. It's simply not part of the recipe of a happy work-life balance.

Second, you stand a good chance of being caught. The increasing power of the internet and the information available and accessible to all and more companies are conducting full background and reference checks on candidates before making offers. Conducting due diligence on candidates is now considered not just a best practice but a required one for many organizations. Another way to think about this is consider would you as an employer rather work for an organization that followed best practices for hiring or not?

Third, it's a small world, at least in Canada. The potential of being caught lying on your resume and the penalties for doing so are greater than you might think they are at first glance. You should consider how being caught in a lie at company A in a given industry may be found out by companies B and C in the same industry. You run the risk of not just blowing your chances with one company but several in the same industry or vertical.

It is also important to remember that the recruiting/hiring and staffing industries in Canada are even more closely knit. A recruiter at one company may be working in a totally different company in a totally different industry the next year. And that's not even taking into consideration the network of people that recruiter may talk to, and with the nature of recruiting that's likely to be a very large network indeed.

The risk of damage to your reputation in your career can be very high for any severely negative employment related incident, including being dishonest on your resume. Simply it isn't a risk worth taking. That's besides the fact that again it's morally wrong and likely to make you unhappy even if you were lucky enough to "get away" with it.

Sign up for our newsletter

2011-09-13T06:33:00.000-07:00

If you don't already know about it, we have an email newsletter. This newsletter goes out weekly (on Mondays) and each issue contains 6 or 7 of our hottest or most interesting new jobs, 4 links to diversity related news items that were worth noting from the last week and two or three other smaller "articles".

If you are looking for a job the TalentOyster newsletter is a good resource, especially during this fall as we are currently running a new series of "Quick Tips" for those looking for work from people right in the recruiting and hiring industry. These tips offer small, constructive suggestions on things you can do from your resume to an interview and everything in between to increase your chances of being hired.

You can register for the TalentOyster Newsletter on our website at http://www.talentoyster.com/servlets/en/Newsletter. You can also find past, archived issues of our newsletter on that page, usually 4 to 6 weeks after initial publication.

Celebrating the Best of our Local Communities

2011-08-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

Small businesses remain the backbone of our economy and both employ and are owned by many diverse people. But while driven by dedicated entrepreneurs they often lack the resources to brand and promote their business.

To help celebrate and recognize the importance of small local businesses Multimedia Nova, our parent company, as part of its belief in community has launched a program in conjunction with its Vaughan Today community paper called Best in Vaughan.

The 1st Annual Best of Vaughan is where you help us select the best in your neighbourhood. Caterer, restaurant, spa, butcher, flower shop, dry cleaner, come select your favourite local business and help us to celebrate the offers that shopping local offers.

From now through September 12th, you can participate by nominating your favourite businesses in Vaughan on the Vaughan Today website at www.vaughantoday.ca/bestofvaughan. Just by participating, you have the chance to win Dinner for Two at one of these restaurants: That’s Italian Ristorante, Villaggio, or Vicentina.

Job tips for summer

2011-08-08T07:30:00.000-07:00

Well here we are in the middle of what has been, for most of Canada, a pretty hot summer and it's not a very good time to find a new job right?

Well not always.

Traditionally summer is usually seen as the slow season for finding hiring and recruiting. Between kids being out of school, multiple long weekends and a popular time for vacations it's true that it can be slow outside of seasonal hiring. But at the same time the summer can be a great time for the proactive candidate to find their next job. Why? There are a few reasons.

Less competition. Due to the perception of summer time as a slow time for looking for work there is often a drop-off in the number of candidates looking. Less candidates looking means less competition for the jobs that are open and that increases the chances of the proactive candidate to be hired.

Opportunities are more urgent. While it's true that companies might not wish to fill roles during the summer it doesn't mean that they don't have roles that need to be filled. Jobs posted during the summer months tend to be for positions in which a hire is needed and the sooner the better.

Get a head start for the fall. While you might not conclude your job search in the summer the proactive candidate has a head start on other seekers who only g in September. You'll know what positions are out there, who is hiring and what they are looking for. You'll have already made some contacts that can get you top of mind for interviews.

So if you're looking for a job right now don't give up because it's the summer. If nothing else you'll position yourself well for the fall and remember, even in the heat, companies are still hiring right now.

Another great new Employer

2011-06-24T15:47:00.001-07:00

Have you seen the latest employer on TalentOyster yet?

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company that has been operating in Canada for over 20 years.

As a organization that works with many large organizations, that are already diverse, across Canada diversity and inclusiveness is important to Accenture so they are serious about diversity and looking to hire candidates for excellent careers.

What kinds of jobs will you find?

The Accenture jobs listed on TalentOyster are primarily in the IT space but there are opportunities in various business, financial and supply-chain consulting as well. You can get started looking at the opportunities from Accenture on TalentOyster here.

We've been adding a number of new clients recently, besides Accenture, Trillium Health Centre and the CBC have come on board in just the last few weeks. If you haven't checked out our site in a while be sure to do so to see these new employers, plus all our previous employers and the thousands of great jobs, suitable for diverse candidates, there are on offer.

Why choose a certain employer : How about I sing you some reasons why?

2011-06-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

Don't worry, I won't actually sing (and if you know me you'll know why that's a good thing) bu there is a youtube link to a rap video at the end of this post. And it is even related to finding a job, so keep reading and find out more...

If you are looking for work you may sometimes hear terms, used in the recruiting and HR industries, like "employee engagement" and "candidate experience". So what do these mean and how do they apply to you?

Well it may not come as a surprise to learn that companies recognize that they are most successful when their employees are really interested, if not passionate, about the success of the company as a whole and their jobs specifically. If you care about doing well in your work you're simply more likely to do a better job.

This, in short, is what "employee engagement" means. Companies want to make sure that new employees feel welcome and have a positive attitude towards their job and even more that they sustain this feeling going forward.

Part of the process keeping employees engaged starts even before companies hire you and this is where "candidate experience" comes in. Candidate experience is what describes the process by which you learn about a company or organization and decide if you really do want to work there or not. Sometimes it can be as simple as letting you know that the organization exists but it often extends to showing you what your work life would be like if you did work there, what benefits employees of the company enjoy and sometimes what current employees have to say. Diverse candidates can often expect a particular emphasis on efforts by the organization to diversify their workforce, why the company is a good place for a diverse candidate to work, etc.

Once you get beyond the basic elements of adequate compensation and job security what reasons do people have for liking one company over another? There are many reasons that candidates give but one common element is the feeling that candidates have that an employer actually cares about them and their well-being. When candidates and/or employees feel that their employer actually cares about them and their career it's a much healthier and more productive working relationship.

Last year, Trillium Health Centre, one of the newest employers on TalentOyster, launched an employee engagement and candidate experience program called "Our People Promise - You Matter" and held a contest with current employees to promote the idea of working at Trillium Health. The idea being to show potential employees how Trillium Health treats his employers, by soliciting opinions and input from current employees.

The winning contest entry was the rap video you can watch below, all the people in it are Trillium employees. Different people with different ideas and lots of different roles are just some of the points covered in the video.

?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="360">

Does it make you more interested in working at Trillium? If so be sure to check out the Trillium Jobs on TalentOyster. And if it didn't... why not? Let us know what you think about candidate experience and employee engagement programs like this. Do you feel they speak to you as a candidate? Why?

Love to hear your feedback.

Good intentions not always good advice

2011-05-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

I recently read about a survey of executives that asked what they considered the most important part of their hiring process, in other words what areas did candidates need to make the best impression to improve their chances of being hired.

The survey indicated, by some margin that the most import aspect of the process is the interview. In fact, reading the results of the survey one would almost think that having good references, a strong resume or even relevant experience are not really important at all, it's really just the interview that matters and that's it. As a job seeker this is information that's really good to know, why waste your time on other parts of your search if all you have to be good at is the interview. Right?

Well as straightforward as the advice gleaned from the survey might appear a better question to ask is, is it true?

One of the hurdles that candidates face when looking for a job is being able to select and use good advice. There lots of advice out there to be sure, but while all of it (or nearly all of it) is well intentioned that doesn't mean that all of it is actually correct. This case is a good example of that, well intentioned and no doubt from the perspective of the executives interviewed it is true, but that point of view is missing some huge gaps in the reality of the process.

Think about where an executive is likely to be part of the hiring process. To begin with do you think they are involved in every hire? No probably not. And of the hires they are involved with do you think they are more likely to be involved in the interview stage or the screening candidates by reading resumes stage?

The short answer is that executives don't think that resumes, or references are as important to the hiring process as the interview because they are only involved in the interview process. By the time an executive sees a candidate their resume was already selected, their experience vetted and their references checked. At that point in the process the opportunity, which may have had hundreds of interested candidates applying has been whittled down to at most 10 candidates (and usually far less) will actually be interviewed. At this point, somewhat obviously, your interview skills are critical to your chances but you can be the best interview in the world and if you're not making the cut from 200 applicants to the 10 interviewed candidates it won't do you any good.

This isn't to say that interviews aren't important. They are, but the same can be said for any step of the job seeking process, they are all important. A strong resume has a better chance of getting you to an interview, better networking improves your chances of getting in the door and the interviewing stage is the final key to the puzzle.

As a candidate when looking for work always keep in mind that while most everyone does want to give you advice that will help you out often times, as in this case, the advice can be flawed. Always ask yourself the obvious questions, how much is the person giving advice actually connected to the hiring process? At what stages in the process are they connected in to?

The answers to those questions can help you to determine the real value of the advice. Is this advice that will actually get you in to the job you want sooner or is it, while well intentioned, just as likely to be counterproductive to your search for employment?

New Employers on TalentOyster

2011-05-11T05:33:00.000-07:00

Did you know that a couple more great employers have recently come on board TalentOyster? Well if you didn't know Georgian College and the CBC are now on TalentOyster.

Georgian College is an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology with campuses in Barrie, Orillia, Owen Sound, Midland and the surrounding area. Georgian offers a wide variety of programs including some specifically focused on international students.

Georgian is seeking to expand the diversity of their workforce in all areas. Jobs range from administrative to services and even teaching positions. If you're a diverse candidate looking for work in the educational sector be sure to check out the jobs, Georgian College might be the place for you.

We're very excited about adding the CBC as a TalentOyster employer as well. The CBC is Canada's oldest television broadcaster in operation since 1936. Like TalentOyster the CBC offers services in multiple languages, English and French and 8 aboriginal languages in Canada and another 9 languages in international service.

Working for the CBC is a very "Canadian" career and if you'd like to feel more apart of Canada, or would like to contribute in a very real way to the growth and health of Canadian culture there really isn't a better place you could work.

The positions the CBC has vary widely and are across the country. You will find positions in marketing, graphic design, writing and even news-readers among the openings. The CBC is especially interested though in hiring technical persons with previous experience in broadcasting (television or radio). If you or someone you know is a diverse candidate with experience in broadcasting take a look at the opportunities the CBC has on offer.

Get out there and vote

2011-04-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

A short but important reminder that with a federal election coming up on Monday, May 2nd it is the responsibility of every Canadian citizen to vote.

Voting is always important, participating in the process is what makes democracy an open, fair and effective thing but it may be even more important this time around. With a minority government previously, and possibly another one coming after this election every race and ever vote counts more than ever.

Canada is a place we all like to call home, even if (or sometimes especially because) it wasn't the first place we called home. With the changing demographics of Canada's population it's vital for all Canadians, but especially new Canadians to make sure they vote and make their voice heard when it comes to the political landscape. Our government, like our country, should be a reflection of the culture and values of the people who live in it, but that only happens if every participates.

So make sure you get out and vote on Monday May 2nd. If you will be unable to vote on that day do note that advance polling will be available on th 22nd, 23rd and 25th of April. For more information on advance polling or other election information (including how to participate) visit the Elections Canada website at http://www.elections.ca/. Elections Canada is an independent (not associated with any political party) agency responsible for conducting elections in Canada and making sure that are conducted fairly and legally.

If you are interested in knowing more about diversity issues in this election please visit TalentOyster Connect and read some related news items like the effect of current government policy on immigrant families, First Nations issues and Guidy Mamann's opinion on the Government's immigration record.

Why the French ban on burqas is bad for everyone (including Canada)

2011-04-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

As of today it is no longer legal for women in France to wear full (face covering) burquas. While some may try and argue that this measure is needed for security (which is laughable in itself) the fact that the penalties for being convicted of the "crime" include mandatory citizenship classes point to a different reason, namely forced assimilation of a minority through religious persecution.

Currently the total Muslim population of 6 million in France makes up slightly less than 10% of the population and the number of women this will actually affect will be only a small percentage of that, estimates as low as a couple of thousand have been made. In fact some have claimed that most of the women that this law will affect are tourists and visitors from other countries shopping and visiting France. So the direct effect that this law is most likely to have for France is a hit to GDP.

On the plus side it's not clear how much enforcement of this law is going to really happen. While some protestors have been arrested there is concern among police officers that trying to enforce the law would lead to civil unrest. Patrice Ribeiro, head of the Synergie (national) police union said "The law will be very difficult to apply on certain estates, I can't see police going to book dozens of veiled women doing their shopping in Venissieux or in Trappes."

All the same persecution of religious minorities (and that is what this is), is shameful. I personally don't understand, or agree with, a culture, religion or set of beliefs that feels women should be covered in public but, I do believe people should be free to live their lives in accordance with their religious beliefs. That is why, preventing freedom of religious expression, especially in a "Western" democratic country is a bad thing for all of us. If the standards of an open democracy include laws that discriminate against a minority then there is one less moral barrier to other countries, including Canada, having laws that also discriminate against their own minorities.

Besides the "slippery slope" problem there is an additional threat to Canada and other countries as a result of this action and it concerns France's involvement in foreign affairs including Afghanistan and Libya. France has a presence of 4,000 soldiers in Afghanistan (more than Canada) and led efforts to establish no-fly zones over Libya. In both of these cases, Canada and other involved nations have been involved in the name of establishing (hopefully) peaceful democracies rather than militaristic-pseudo religious dictatorships.

Whether this effort is working or not or will eventually be effective or not the idea of being involved in these actions to bring peace and freedoms to the peoples of these countries is a moral high ground that one can argue from against those who might claim that these efforts are really about western "Christian" countries engaged in a modern crusade against Islam. This French law damages the moral high ground around these actions because it call into question the very nature of why western countries are in these countries.

In what should not be a great surprise Al-Queda has already threatened action against France for the passing and enforcement of this law. While this group is certainly the epitome of extremist views it wouldn't be surprising, or even difficult to understand if Muslim citizens in France, Afghanistan or Libya questioned what the real purpose of western involvement in these countries is. Like the law itself it's a shame and worse may expose Canadian soldiers and citizens to greater risks because of it.

If there is one thing that the global age has taught us so far it's that we are all, for better or worse, in this together. What happens in one country will affect us when we go abroad and more importantly sometimes here in our country as well. As a fellow member of a group of countries that claim to stand for freedom, peace and liberty Canada should implore France to remove this odious law as quickly as possible. For the good of France, for the good of Canada, for the good of everyone.

Recognizing Committed Employers

2011-03-29T05:43:00.000-07:00

At TalentOyster we think that recognizing when companies are making real commitments to diversity is a good thing. Positive reinforcement is always a good thing but more it sets a good example and high bar for what companies should and can be doing.

In this light we're pleased to note that on Wednesday March 30th COSTI Immigrant Services (a TalentOyster partner) will be holding a recognition breakfast in Vaughan for some of the employee participants of their enhanced language training program.

COSTI's enhanced language training program is a program, funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, that is aimed at internationally trained professionals who have previous experience in Accounting, Administration, Customer service or Childcare fields.

The program helps newcomers overcome two common barriers to employment: English language training at the higher levels needed to achieve the language proficiency required in order to fully participate in their community and work environment, industry and occupational field; and labour market orientation and opportunities to acquire some Canadian work experience through job placements, internships and mentoring.

So on Wednesday March 30th at 8am at the Novotel Toronto Vaughan Centre in Vaughan COSTI will be recognizing some of the employer participants in this program and we applaud both COSTI and the employers who will be recognized at this event.

There's still a lot of work to be done when it comes to breaking down barriers and making all of our organizations as diverse as our country, but sometimes it is good to stop and recognize those who do "get it" and are making real efforts to integrate diversity into their workforce culture.

Introducing OCEAN, the TalentOyster API

2011-03-08T15:14:00.000-08:00

We're pretty excited today to be launching OCEAN a REST based API for TalentOyster. TalentOyster OCEAN lets you embed job search functionality and content from TalentOyster right into your website.

Here is an example of OCEAN in action on another site.

Our API supports both our jobs and our Connect content. That means you can add job searching functionality and display teasers of TalentOyster Connect content right from your site. The API is fairly simple, using simple HTTP GET requests and returning XML (custom or RSS) in response.

To make OCEAN even easier to use there is a PHP library available as well. This PHP class handles the connectivity and response handling aspects of the API so that you can easily add some TalentOyster functionality to your own site.

Check it out and let us know what you think. If you want to get started just request your free application key by emailing us here.

Introducing Correo Jobs

2011-03-03T07:54:00.000-08:00

We are pleased today to introduce another site in the TalentOyster white label network, Correo Jobs, or alternatively Empleos Correo.

This white label operates in English and Spanish and is associated with Correo Canadiense the leading Spanish language newspaper in Canada for Hispanic and Latino news from Canada and around the world.

The site features jobs from TalentOyster as well as jobs unique to Correo Jobs. If you know someone looking for a job who could use this site be sure to let them know. Additionally if you are looking to post a single job ad specifically at the Hispanic Canadian community you can purchase posts online on the site.

We continue to develop additional white labels for other cultural communities but if you, or your organization would be interested in exploring white label opportunities with TalentOyster then get in touch with us.

TalentOyster employers named "Best for Diversity"

2011-02-23T14:16:00.000-08:00

This past week four different TalentOyster employers (three of them original TalentOyster employers) were named as one of Canada's top 45 "Best Employers for Diversity" by Mediacorp Canada. Loblaw Companies Limited, Mount Sinai Hospital, Xerox Canada and Telus all made this exclusive list for 2011.

Congratulations to all these organizations for winning recognition for their efforts to improve the diversity of their workforces in the past year and commitment to continuing in the year ahead.

Recognition of organizations making a real effort on diversity is a good thing, if, for no other reason then it helps get the message on the importance of diversity into the mainstream media and consciousness. But positive recognition is also good because it encourages all companies to evaluate their own efforts in order to compete with others.

With our countries demographics being what they are, and with the economy continuing to rebound, expanding the diversity of your workforce becomes less about doing the "right thing" and more about doing what must be done. Progressive employers, like the ones on TalentOyster, know that if they want to actually hire the best candidates available they must include diversity groups as part of their candidate search. Those companies, like the ones listed as Canada's best diversity employers are well positioned to continue to be successful because they are simply more committed to diversity, the only real source of future labour force growth in Canada.

To read more about "Canada's Best Diversity Employers" check out the story in the Globe and Mails Report on Business here

Big year for Canadian Immigration but...

2011-02-16T15:07:00.000-08:00

Some big news this past week with the announcement that in 2010 Canada took in more immigrants, over 280 thousand, than in any other year since 1960. Good news which was made even better by the stated government position on immigration as given by Federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.

"Canada's post-recession economy demands a high level of economic immigration to keep our economy strong."

As RBC president Gord Nixon said last November newcomers are "one of Canada's great competitive advantages". So it's good to see the government getting on board with what various business leaders and think-tank groups have been saying for years.

But will the immigrants who do come, be happy enough to stay?

Coming on the heels of December's slashing of grants to some settlement agencies it appears as if the quota of reunification visas (visas issued to family members of those currently in Canada) will be cut from 15,000 to 11,000 for 2011 and that's a policy that concerns more than a few people. Liberal immigration critic Justin Trudeau has accused the government of not being "up front with new Canadians", saying

"They enticed skilled workers to come to Canada with a promise their parents and grandparents will soon be able to follow. They’ve cut funding for the settlement services that provide supports, and now they’re cutting the family support system along with it."

These are serious and valid concernns because as implied, immigrants who don't stay in Canada won't be contributing to our labour force or helping our companies stay diverse and vibrant. In fact, immigrants who leave after a couple of years are the very worst case scenario because the sunk costs of settlement and integration into the social and employment fabric have already been spent.

Increasing immigration is one the key ways for Canada to continue to avoid the economic meltdown that has spread across Europe these past few years, shrinking and stagnant economies exactly the kinds of problems that increased immigration prevents. 2010 was overall a good year for immigration to Canada, the numbers don't lie but we need to be doing more to make sure new immigrants to Canada make this their permanent home. And it seems on that front there is still plenty of room for improvement.

New and Improved TalentOyster with added Vitamin ®

2011-01-26T13:21:00.001-08:00

So today as the final chapter of a lengthy legal process (perhaps lengthy is a tautology but nevertheless) TalentOyster is now an official registered trademark. The registration even came with this fancy document suitable for framing.

As I recently discovered what this means is that you can (and should) use ® instead of ™ after the name in question. So now it's TalentOyster ®

Pretty cool huh? I think so. It's kind of another sign that we've "arrived" I think. When you start a new business, even with the infrastucture of an existing business supporting you, and you have success with that business there comes a point where it becomes "real". I think anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit will appreciate that but if that's not you it's a sense of of pride in building something from the ground up.

This is just one of those little moments, a reminder of how far we have come over the past 18 months. There is still lots of work to do, improvements to make, conversations to have and roles to fill, but it feels today that we're one step closer to making TalentOyster into what we envision it to be. And that's a feeling that seemed worth sharing.

TalentOyster at HRPA 2011

2011-01-24T09:01:00.001-08:00

TalentOyster will be attending the HRPA 2011 Annual Conference and tradeshow that takes place February 2nd through 4th 2011 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (map here). This is the premiere HR/recruiting industry tradeshow and it will be our first time exhibiting along with other leaders in the field. General admission to the trade show is free and requires no pre-registration.

The conference is an opportunity for HR professionals to share ideas and experiences on HR trends and issues like expanding workforce diversity. We'll be talking mainly about our new Diversity 360 offering (more on this during and after the show) which connects progressive employers with Canada's Hidden Talent Market. We're excited about this concept which we developed with Tamm Communications (a full-service advertising agency specializing in employer branding) and CareerBridge (a paid internship program for internationally qualified professionals).

At the conference we will also be inviting those interested in diversity and employment related issues to a special event later in the Spring. If you do attend the show please come by and say hello to us, we'd love to meet you.

TalentOyster Mobile Beta Launch

2010-12-24T08:08:00.000-08:00

TalentOyster now has a site designed specifically for phone and mobile devices up in beta which you can find at http://mobile.talentoyster.com The site is designed to be "light" for mobile performance and to fit on the screens of most mobile devices.

Currently you can search for and view job listings on the mobile site. Soon we will add a login feature so that you will also be able to apply for jobs directly on the mobile site. Because of file handling limitations you will still need to create accounts, upload resumes and post jobs on the regular TalentOyster site but if you're looking for jobs "on the go" we think the mobile site can help you out.

We will also be rolling out a feature to let you view some of the job seeker specific content from TalentOyster Connect on the mobile site during the coming weeks. Check out the mobile version of TalentOyster and let us know what you think.

Have a nice holiday season and see you again in the new year.

Introducing EpochJobs.ca

2010-12-03T06:30:00.000-08:00

One of the unique aspects of TalentOyster is our technology. We're pleased to have an application platform that is fully internationalized and while currently supporting 11 languages could in fact support many more.

The motivation behind supporting many languages has many factors including that we are able to offer newcomers and those looking to come to Canada a chance to explore opportunities using a system that operates in their language of most comfort. It also offers a unique way to connect and share with individuals from different lands. Finally it gives us the chance to expand the TalentOyster experience to other communities and organizations and that's what today's post is about.

We now have the ability to offer "white-labeled" versions of TalentOyster, that is a customized site or experience that uses the same platform TalentOyster does as well as shares the TalentOyster job repository. In short a fully internationalized job board application that comes with its own jobs!

We are very pleased and excited to announce, in partnership with The Epoch Times (English) - the world's most extensive newsprint media organization with operations in 33 countries and 12 languages the launch of our very first white label www.EpochJobs.ca. The site which operates in Traditional and Simplified Chinese as well as English is designed for the Chinese Canadian community as well as Chinese in other parts of the world who are considering making Canada their home. The site features jobs from TalentOyster as well as jobs unique to EpochJobs through the existing relationships established by The Epoch Times.

If you, or someone you know would be helped by the EpochJobs site be sure to check it out. Additionally if you are looking to post a single job ad specifically at the Chinese Canadian community you can purchase posts online at EpochJobs or by contacting The Epoch Times directly.

We are very excited about this launch and we wish both The Epoch Times and the EpochJobs much success with it.

Finally we are in the process of developing white labels for a couple of other cultural communities but if you, or your organization would be interested in exploring white label opportunities with TalentOyster you can contact us here.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

2010-12-02T09:33:00.000-08:00

Since "The International Year for Diabled Persons" in 1981 December 3rd of each year is observed by the United Nations as "International Day of Persons with Disabilities".

Persons with disabilities are one group of diverse Canadians whom TalentOyster serves and whom progressive employers are looking to reach. To some degree the progress that various organizations and individuals mean that persons with disabilities are often the "forgotten" diversity group. It's pretty telling when just this week it was reported that a blind woman had to sue the federal government to make government sites accessible to the vision disabled. You could almost call them the "hidden" pool of "Canada's Hidden Talent Pool". Correcting this is one of the things this day is about.

Nobody deserves to have just one day and then be forgotten, but it is important to sometimes to have a day to remind us all that we should be doing more to incorporate all diverse groups, and especially on this day persons with disabilities into our organizations, our companies, our groups and our lives. Increasing the accessibility of our places and services means we add so much valuable knowledge and experience of this often overlooked group to our lives and work.

So what exactly should you be doing on this day?

Well, as stated use this day as a reminder to include persons with disabilities in everything you do. Practically for the day there are various local events commemorating the day like one in Toronto and we would encourage everyone who can to attend the event in your area.

For our part we have previously worked hard at making the TalentOyster site accessible and in the coming weeks we will be testing, reviewing and assessing our efforts to see where we can improve our site experience and accessibility for all Canadians including Persons with Disabilities.

Expanded Tips for Job Seekers on TalentOyster Connect

2010-11-05T13:34:00.000-07:00

Based on the positive feedback we received on our newsletter series of tips for job seekers we recently launched a new, expanded series of Job Seeker Resources on TalentOyster Connect. Each article features a few dos and don'ts for an specific aspect of searching and landing a job, with a special emphasis on points that may not be well-known to newcomers.

Our first two entries in the series have looked at Dos and Don'ts for Resumes and Tips for Interviews. In the coming weeks the series will be covering tips on how to find the jobs you really want, using social media to help you in your job search and how to connect with people who can help you find a great job.

If you are a diverse job seeker who is having trouble with a specific aspect of finding and landing a great job that you'd like help with please leave us a comment or send us an email at support@talentoyster.com and let us know about it. We'd love to share our experiences and knowledge with you to help you find the job you deserve.

New Share Tools for TalentOyster Connect Content

2010-10-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

We have added some new share tools to the articles on our Connect content pages. There are Twitter and Facebook like buttons on all our articles like this or this.

We chose these tools because Twitter and Facebook seem to be the most popular tools as used by our readers. But if there are other share tools you'd like to see on these pages just let us know. Leave a comment or send us some feedback on our site.

New Blog - Diversity Employment

2010-10-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

Because there are simply more topics to blog about then really could fit the audience of one blog we're pleased to announce that we have created a new blog, Diversity Employment which is aimed at recruiters, HR and hiring managers interested in workforce diversity.

The TalentOyster blog will continue to have items of interest to those looking for work as well as general site updates and information but if you're looking for more coverage of diversity hiring and employment issues then do check out the new blog.

Plenty of site updates

2010-10-20T06:42:00.000-07:00

We've continued to make updates to our site, including in how our site landing page looks.

We have finished the revamp of splitting our site into four "portal" each focused on a different group of users for our site an we think it just makes our site that easier to use.

The areas are

Job Board - the place to search, find and apply for great jobs with some of Canada's most progressive employers

Employers - services for Employers interested in tapping in to Canada's hidden pool of talent

Campus - job listings and resources for international students in Canada. Positions listed include jobs for students as well as internships.

Connect - Resources and information for diverse candidates. Whether you are new in Canada, born in Canada or thinking of coming to Canada, you just need to Connect. Let's Talk. Let's Connect.

Also a reminder, our weekly newsletter has been revamped and is a great source for updates on our site, diversity employment stories in the news and other resources. If you aren't already a subscriber you should try it out.

Job Seeker Tips #4 – Personal networking is crucial to a successful job search

2010-08-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

Finding a new job sometimes boils down to a numbers game: The more people you know, and the more people who know you're looking for a new job, the more likely you are to hear about job opportunities or be recommended to a potential employer. In other words, "It's not what you know, it's who you know."

Regardless of your career stage, role or industry, building and maintaining relationships with friends, family and colleagues can help reduce your job-searching time significantly. In fact, when it's done right, it can eliminate the need to search for a job altogether - because employers and recruiters will come looking for you.

'Personal networking' isn't just for senior executives, and it's a lot easier than you think. Here are three basic steps designed to help you reap the rewards of networking:

STEP 1: Build your network

It's simple: The bigger your network, the more opportunities you'll hear about. You've already got a basic personal network (your friends, family and current or former colleagues); now you need to build on it.

Building your network is really just about connecting to more people. Start by making an effort to get to know co-workers who work in different departments and who you'd otherwise not have an opportunity to work with; introduce yourself to people who work in your field at industry events; and participate in online forums and discussion groups. (The best personal networks are a combination of on- and off-line relationships.)

Remember, networking isn't about how many names and phone numbers you've got in your Blackberry; it's about developing real relationships based on shared interests over long periods of time.

A great way to start the relationship-building process? Share information: If you're an expert on something - whether it's work-related or not - offer to provide advice or insight to others. This increases the chances that they'll 'share' with you the next time they hear about a great opportunity.

STEP 2: Manage your network

The most successful businesspeople are the ones who maintain relationships over the long-term - 5, 10, 20+ years. There's no better referral or recommendation than someone saying, "Oh, if you're looking to fill X position, you should call Anik - I've known her for 10 years and she's great at what she does."

Maintaining relationships starts with staying in touch: Making sure you touch base - by email, phone, or even lunch - on a regular basis helps keep you top-of-mind with your contacts, and increases the chances they'll think of you when they hear of an opportunity.

It's important to remember that all relationships, personal or professional, involve some give and take: If you want your contacts to help you with information, recommendations or advice, you have to be prepared to do the same for them - cheerfully. Investing 15 minutes today to help someone out could pay big dividends a year from now when the situation is reversed.

Also remember as you grow your network that real, personal relationships are your goal. Unless you are looking for a role in sales or marketing, having 600 contacts in LinkedIn that you hardly know doesn't actually give you a very valuable network. Contacts who can actually speak about your strengths, skills and experiences are what you are after.

Best tools to help you manage your networks? LinkedIn (for strictly professional contacts) and Facebook (to manage friends, family, and colleagues with whom you've become friends over the years). And don't forget to keep your mobile phone address book up-to-date!

STEP 3: Leverage your network

Now that you've built and nurtured your network, it's time to leverage it by letting your network know that you're in the market for a new job. The "best fit job" for you isn't going to find you by accident, so letting your network know exactly what you are looking for in your dream role is key. The members of your strong, personal network will keep their eyes open for you once they know what you want to see.

Site changes, new navigation

2010-08-05T05:27:00.000-07:00

We've rolled out a bunch of changes to our site and particularly the main navigation. The main navigation has been reorganized (in groups) to hopefully make moving around the site a little more clear.

There are also some new sections/pages on our site like a Job Seekers page and a place to read previous issues of the TalentOyster Newsletter.

This is just the first step of navigation and look and feel changes we are making. Quite soon we will be updating the look and feel of the "headers" (that is the part of the page above the navigation bar) and rolling out a new splash page. Our overall goal is to help make the different parts of TalentOyster including the Job Board, Connect, Campus and Employers clear and distinct. If you have any feedback on the changes so far as always please let us know.

Job Seeker Tips #3: Be Smart When Applying

2010-07-26T06:42:00.000-07:00

So now that you know what you want and you’ve worked on your resume it’s time to start applying for jobs. But be careful – the application process is where many candidates have the most difficulty.

You can ensure you’re putting your best foot forward by following these guidelines:

Don’t flood a company with applications. Applying to 50 jobs at one company doesn’t make you look eager – it makes you look desperate and unfocused. Most companies have a central recruitment function (with a centralized database) which stores information for all candidates, so applying to only one or two positions will ensure that you’re ‘in the system’ and will be considered for relevant positions as they become available. (Also, in most cases you shouldn’t apply to a company more often than once every 3-6 months.)
Improve your chances by identifying yourself as a diverse candidate. Many organizations have diversity hiring mandates or programs – so they’re actively looking for diverse candidates. Having the required skills and experience for a role is, of course, fundamental; identifying yourself as a diverse candidate can give you an extra advantage. Applying for jobs through Talent Oyster is a good way to let potential employers know that you’re a ‘diversity’ candidate and ensure they take a second look.
Make sure your resume and profile is viewable to employers. Not all job opportunities are posted online or publicly – when they’re looking for specific skills and experience, many employers and recruiters search resume databases (such as Talent Oyster) to find candidates. So ensuring that your resume and profile are complete and current will help make sure recruiters and employers find you the next time they’re looking for someone with your skills and experience.
Networking, introductions and referrals are very valuable. There’s an old saying: When it comes to looking for a job, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. An introduction, recommendation or referral from someone the employer or recruiter knows and trusts can make sure your application goes to the top of the list. In our next entry, we’ll be looking at how to build, manage and leverage a network; in the meantime, start networking by making sure your friends, family and colleagues know you’re in the job market – you never know when one of them will hear about an opportunity and can recommend or refer you!

Job Seeker Tips - #2 Developing your resume

2010-07-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

Once you've identified what you are looking for in a job, your next step is to create a resume that will give you the best chance of landing the job you want. Every industry and position has different requirements and standards, so there isn't one magic answer for every role, but there are some basic tips that are applicable to every resume.

Watch the length. Even for experienced professionals, a resume longer than 3 pages is usually a bad idea. Remember, your resume is supposed to be a brief summary of your skills, education and experience - more than 3 pages is too much detail. If a recruiter or potential employer wants more information or details, they'll ask you for it.

Put your best foot forward. Make sure that your strongest skills and experiences can be found on the first page of your resume, ideally on the top half of the page. Expanding on your work experiences, education and technical skills where applicable are all important things but the first page of your resume should tell someone who is reading it a lot about what exactly you are capable of. When your best skills and experiences clear at the beginning, readers will be more interested to read the rest of your resume.

Know your audience. Do some research and find out what sort of structure for your resume works best for the industry or category of job you want. Look at job posts online, talk to recruiters and hiring managers, and find out what sorts of things are important to address in your field. (Almost all of them will tell you that specific statements like "My project was delivered on time and with a cost savings of 20%" are best!)

Spelling counts! Always be sure to at the very least spell check your resume and it's even better if you can have another person or two proof-read it. Your resume is a reflection of you and spelling mistakes and typos reflect poorly on you as a candidate.

Job Seeker Tips - #1 Know what you want

2010-07-12T09:38:00.000-07:00

In partnership with our employers and partners we are developing a series of simple "job seeker tips" to help candidates find meaningful employment. Each week we will be posting new tips to our blog and writing about them in our newsletter. For the "freshest" tips be sure to subscribe to our newsletter which you can do in the bottom right corner of our Home page.

***

Successfully landing a meaningful job starts with knowing just what job you are actually looking for.

If you're new to Canada or to the workforce, you may think "I need any job I can find!" That's okay - but you still need to have a plan to help you get from 'survivor' to 'dream job'.

Before you start preparing your resume and applying for jobs, take some time do some research. Ask yourself:

What criteria are you looking for in a job? (What is the minimum pay rate you need to cover your expenses? Are you looking for full- or part-time? What hours would you prefer to work? What location do you prefer? Is transportation a concern?)
What kinds of experience and skills do the jobs you want require? Do you have those skills/experience?
What sort of terminology do employers use to describe the job and related skills/experience? (Knowing the lingo will help you find and connect to the jobs you want)
What employers hire for the job you want and where are they located?

Giving some thought to what your ideal job looks like - and doing some research about the marketplace for those jobs - will help you identify potential employers

Most importantly, being able to identify your strengths and mapping them into what employers are looking for will help ensure you have a more successful job hunt - and get you to your dream job faster.

Integration through education

2010-05-03T06:17:00.000-07:00

Improving the integration experience for immigrants is a win for everyone. Helping newcomers get settled faster and more easily in to the Canadian landscape means they have a positive experience and it also means they are contributing sooner to the economy, culture and social fabric.

Newcomers to Canada are one of the diverse groups we serve, thus integration and settlement issues are important to us at TalentOyster. We have several programs in place to help bridge settlement gaps where we can.

One of the topics you'll hear when discussions of integration and settlement come up is learning more about Canada. Canadians want new immigrants to be knowledgeable about the country. The government, and the Minister for Citizenship and Immigration, speak of the education of newcomers in Canadian history, culture and values as an essential part of the settlement process. And most of all newcomers themselves have a strong thirst for knowledge about the country that has become their new home. New immigrants do feel a sense of obligation to the country that has accepted them, but pragmatically as well they understand that knowing more about the history of the country helps them to understand the country today, and ultimately be more successful.

So in this line we're very proud to help announce The Canadian Experience : A Civic Literacy Project for the New Mainstream, a 52 week series of columns, written and edited by some of Canada's leading historians and authors, with information about Canadian history, culture and experience. The Canadian Experience is a project of our parent company (Multimedia Nova Corporation) and is being published through our nation-wide partner network of in-language news-media. We at TalentOyster are excited at being part of a project that can help the people we serve more than just helping them find a job. We believe that giving people the educational tools to help them help themselves helps build a stronger country for everyone.

Besides the columns there are other interesting and fun things on the site. You can read more about the series and the authors, find links to history resources and test your history knowledge with the The Canadian Experience Quiz. And last but not least you can find The Canadian Experience on Facebook.

So come check out the site and the series, let us know what you think and be sure to tell your friends. This project is one of the ways in which we are working to improve the integration and settlement process for new Canadians but more education about the history of our country is, we think, a good thing for everyone.

Introducing TalentOyster Campus

2010-04-09T05:39:00.000-07:00

We're pleased to announce the launching of a new Beta feature of our site, TalentOyster Campus. As the name implies, this section of the TalentOyster site is geared towards students.

In it's initial setup TalentOyster Campus is a job board that features just student suitable jobs and intern postings. We will be expanding TalentOyster Campus over time, adding content speaking to the needs and issues of international students as well as newcomers who are looking to get their Canadian careers on the right path. Eventually we hope to have enough interest to justify splitting TalentOyster Campus into two micro-sites, one focused on students and another on interns. But we think our current start is an important step in the right direction of having specific content, features and jobs focused on the needs of these groups.

Be sure to check it out and tell us what you think.

Additionally non-profit agencies who have internships available should contact us regarding having them posted on TalentOyster Campus.

Our Press page

2010-03-17T04:34:00.000-07:00

Our site has a new Press page where you can find press/media related materials. On this page you can find

a list of our press releases (in PDF format)

links to various articles, interviews and stories about TalentOyster by news organizations

the contact information for media inquiries

If you know of an online property that has covered TalentOyster that we don't have listed please let us know

We were on CBC Radio

2010-03-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

TalentOyster was covered in a CBC Radio One news piece on Sunday March 14th. The topic was increasing hiring, and the increased diversity hiring expected by Canadian employers over the remainder of the year.

This is a follow up on our press-release about the survey we recently ran on diversity hiring. We had a better than expected response from HR and recruiting persons from across the country and the results were pretty positive for those looking for work.

You can listen to a clip of the piece including a brief excerpt of an interview with TalentOysters very own John Sutton on our site

Canadian Organizations Want to Hire More Diverse Candidates

2010-03-11T12:08:00.000-08:00

From the TalentOyster press release:

71% say they’ll increase diversity hiring this year

The official unemployment rate may be holding steady, but most Canadian recruiters are seeing a marked uptick in demand for candidates – and it's renewing their interest in recruiting candidates from diversity groups such as visible minorities and recent immigrants, according to a new survey by TalentOyster.com.

See the full press release on our site here

TalentOyster JobBadge Customizer

2010-02-24T05:59:00.000-08:00

So following up on previous posts about the TalentOyster JobBadge we've created a simple page to help you create custom badges yourself.

Just to recap quickly the TalentOyster JobBadge lets's you display a real-time, auto-refreshing, widget-list of current opportunities on TalentOyster on your site. You can see the badge in action on the right of this blog.

Now this page wil help you create your own badge. Just set a few configuration buttons to choose your badge size, language, colours and number of jobs and click a button and you'll be able to see a preview of your job badge. Also the source code you need for integrating the badge on to your site is automatically generated for your custom badge and you can just copy and paste it right into your site.

So check out the customizer at http://www.talentoyster.com/servlets/TalentOysterBadge

Did you know? Tweeting about Jobs

2010-02-11T05:04:00.000-08:00

Did you know you can find out about the latest jobs posted on TalentOyster via Twitter?

TalentOysterJob is a Twitter account that tweets about the most recent jobs posted on TalentOyster. We updated this blog as well and you can see the Twitter feed for TalentOysterJob on the right side of this page, which gives a feel about how it works.

It's also a good place to meet the recruiters, hiring managers, etc from our diverse employers. TalentOysterJob only follows the twitter accounts used by our employers so you can see the follower list for more.

TalentOysterJob is mainly automated so if you're looking for discussion on diversity via Twitter you should check out the TalentOyster Twitter account instead.

Assessing Assessment : with a diversity spin

2010-02-10T08:29:00.000-08:00

An ERE blog entry that PolyPlacements tweeted about reminded me of a bunch of discussions I have taken part in recently about assessment tools in the job board world.

I think you can make a strong case that fully-automated assessment tools are the holy grail of technology when it comes to recruiting and hiring. And yet nobody really seems to have the answer. Why is that?

One point of view, as is found in the aforementioned blog post, is that the tests themselves are to blame. Well. Okay. But I think the problem is more fundamental than that. The biggest hurdle I see is that in order to have effective tests you need a system that can objectively measure subjective answers but that's a difficult proposition from both a language and computer science perspective.

So to step back and explain what I mean. In order to have an automated (at least partially) assessment tool you need to be able to "score" the answers that the test user gives. The problem comes in designing questions (and a response mechanism) that be objectively measured. In the end most of these questions end being no better than "Do you have 5 years experience with X? Yes/No" which fails in multiple ways. The most obvious way it fails is a dishonest user who replies yes to every question. But the problem is worse than that as well because it doesn't properly capture the honest person who has 4 years and 6 months experience. Or the person who didn't really understand the question but has the relevent experience. Etc.

I am of the belief that at a certain point you have to accept that you won't be able to detect users with malicious intent purely through software. But that's okay because there are other aspects of the hiring process, like background and reference checking, that are intended to deal with these sorts of problems and frankly do it well. So I think one needs to focus on improving the process so that you aren't filtering out good candidates too early in the process.

These kinds of issues are especially relevant for TalentOyster because for some of our candidates the "traditional" sorts of screening tests act as obstacles to their getting hired. For example an assessment test that isn't PWD "friendly" and causes a good, qualified candidate to be filtered out. Or the assessment test that features such culturally specific terms and language that it can't be understood by anyone who didn't grow up in Canada.

And while we are working on assessments tools from a diversity angle I tend to think that the answers we find will be helpful in general as well. That is, to say the somewhat obvious, an assessment tool that works for a diverse audience will, by defintion, work for everyone.

We're Up!

2010-01-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

Whoo-hoo.

So hey. We're now officially up.

Today our site has officially moved from development to live. What this means is that the core parts of our site are now all running and we have jobs from a number of employers up on the site. More jobs from other employers will be going up between now and February 2nd.

We are still in Beta because with a somewhat compressed development cycle there may be issues still to be worked out. And we will be continuing to add new features and content currently under development.

Be sure to check out our Community section as well. We have content and areas to discuss issues relevent to diverse job candidates as well as settlement resources for those who have recently or are looking to immigrate to Canada.

TalentOyster CommunityEventBadge

2010-01-25T11:59:00.000-08:00

Following the launch of the TalentOyster JobBadge is our CommunityEventBadge. You can see the CommunityEventBadge running on the right side of this blog.

This badge works similarly to our JobBadge but provides community event content instead and is targetted more at those who are interested in the community aspects of TalentOyster.

We will be creating a space on our site for you to create customized versions of our badges but for now to add the CommunityEventBadge to your site just copy and paste the code below (to use on bloggercom post this code into a new custom HTML gadget for your blog).

<script src="http://www.talentoyster.com/widgets/events/events.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
// create a new TalentOyster CommunityEventBadge
var talentOysterEventBadge = new
TalentOyster_Eventbadge();

// should the badge automatically refresh itself? default is true
// talentOysterEventBadge.autorefresh=false;//turns refresh off

// the interval in seconds between event list refreshes. default is 8
talentOysterEventBadge.interval=9;

// the number of events to display in the list. default is 3
talentOysterEventBadge.jobcount=4;

// sets the width of the badge in pixels. default is 200
//talentOysterEventBadge.width=300; // would set width to 300 pixels

// configures the background and font colors used for the frame and content
// talentOysterEventBadge.theme.badgeframe.background="#000000";//black background
// talentOysterEventBadge.theme.badgeframe.color="#FFFFFF";//white text
// talentOysterEventBadge.theme.joblist.background="#FFFFFF";//white background
// talentOysterEventBadge.theme.joblist.color="#000000";//black text

// displays the badge. this line is required
talentOysterEventBadge.render();

// loads the badge with jobs the first time. this line is required
talentOysterEventBadge.load();
</script>

Diversity help : all in one place

2010-01-13T05:30:00.000-08:00

One of the values that TalentOyster brings to companies are our relationships with both specific ethnic/cultural communities and not-for-profit organizations who support them. It isn't easy to find these groups, and even harder to evaluate them for effectiveness. Which is why, since we've already done all that hard-work, you should let us help you and your company with all your diversity-in-the-workplace issues.

TalentOyster is a new presence but not a new player in the field. Our parent company has been in the multi-cultural space for over 50 years. Quite simply that's a level of experience that can't be matched.

And it's experience that can help you. We can help you if you or your company is looking help with:

advertising jobs to diverse communities

getting your employment brand in front of diverse communities

positioning your employment brand to diverse communities

providing diversity training for your hiring managers and/or recruiters and/or employees

positioning your corporate brand to diverse communities

reaching diverse communities as part of your marketing and advertising efforts

Through TalentOyster directly, our parent and sister companies (like Diversity Media Services) and our relationships with not-for-profit partners providing diversity related services we can help you with all your diversity related needs.

We know that when companies that "want to do diversity right" don't want partial solutions but wholistic ones and that's what we do. It's why we say that TalentOyster is "not just a job board" but a one-stop solution partner for all your diversity related needs.

Introducing the TalentOyster JobBadge

2010-01-12T12:40:00.000-08:00

The first TalentOyster web-badge is now up and available for our beta site. You can see it on the right of this blog, it shows recent jobs on our site and refreshes itself every so often.

We'll be adding a section to our site where you can easily create customizable TalentOyster web badges to include on your site but for now the JobBadge code appears below. You can customize the colours used for the badge, the number of jobs to display, whether or not the list should refresh automatically and the delay between refreshes. You can also of course customize the language used for the badge to use any of the TalentOyster supported languages and locales.

So just copy and paste the code below into your page (to use on bloggercom post this code into a new custom HTML gadget for your blog).

<script src="http://www.talentoyster.com/widgets/jobs/jobs.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
// create a new TalentOyster JobBadge
var talentOysterJobBadge = new
TalentOyster_Jobbadge();

// should the badge automatically refresh itself? default is true
// talentOysterJobBadge.autorefresh=false;//turns refresh off

// the interval in seconds between job list refreshes. default is 8
talentOysterJobBadge.interval=9;

// the number of jobs to display in the list. default is 3
talentOysterJobBadge.jobcount=4;

// sets the width of the badge in pixels. default is 200
//talentOysterJobBadge.width=300; // would set width to 300 pixels

// configures the background and font colors used for the frame and content
// talentOysterJobBadge.theme.badgeframe.background="#000000";//black background
// talentOysterJobBadge.theme.badgeframe.color="#FFFFFF";//white text
// talentOysterJobBadge.theme.joblist.background="#FFFFFF";//white background
// talentOysterJobBadge.theme.joblist.color="#000000";//black text

// displays the badge. this line is required
talentOysterJobBadge.render();

// loads the badge with jobs the first time. this line is required
talentOysterJobBadge.load();
</script>

Less than three weeks of beta left...

2010-01-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

Well our beta period is winding down and the full-launch date grows ever closer. Be sure to check out our site and let us know what you think.

We're putting the finishing touches on the community portal aspect of our site which will be rolled-out next week and continuing to make tweaks and changes to the rest of our site based on user experience and feedback.

And just generally getting excited/nervous about our launch. We're tracking well towards it but as with so many things a lot of work to do in a short time period.

Our site is up in Beta

2009-12-29T12:58:00.000-08:00

The TalentOyster site is up in Beta. What does that mean? Well it means that almost all of the functionality of the site is present but that (a) we are continuing to modify how pieces of our site look and (b) there are still some quirks in functionality we are finding and working through.

So what kinds of things are we working on exactly? Well, the look and feel stuff is the main area, and improvements are ongoing. But also working on improving the user experience when it comes to things like searching for jobs. For example right now you *can* search for jobs by location but it doesn't work in a user-friendly enough way. So we're working on that. And on our community news portal. And our user-interaction components.

At any rate all pretty busy but you should come check us out. If you find an issue or problem please let us know via our feedback page.

Our Languages

2009-11-17T17:37:00.000-08:00

It struck me today that I hadn't posted the list of what languages our site will be in once it's launched. With beta launch coming soon now seems as good a time as any. For our beta launch, depending on the translation work, not all languages may be available right away but they will be added during the launch as needed.'

So without further ado the working languages for job seekers on the TalentOyster site are

English
French
Standard Arabic
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Hindi
Urdu
Punjabi
Vietnamese
Filipino/Tagalog
Spanish

During our beta-phase we invite readers of these languages to give us feedback regarding the version of site "in-language". We're always open to feedback and improving our site for every group.

Additionally for readers with visibility issues each language version of the site is also available in a large-text version and plain-text version.

Depending upon demand we will be looking to add further languages on a case-by-case basis, from a development standpoint it's really fairly simple but it is of course an involved process to get the translations right.

Canada’s Hidden Talent Pool

2009-11-09T08:50:00.000-08:00

Every fisherman has a favourite spot where they always land the big one. But it’s hard to keep something like that secret for long. Soon everyone with a rod and a reel is crowding around to try their luck. Now there hundreds of anglers all trying to hook the same few fish. So what can you do? You can get shiner lures, tastier worms and hooks that look like food, but once that starts working every other angler is going to follow suit and you’ve lost your advantage. Now, what if there was another fishing hole, stocked to the brim with fish just as big, just as juicy and just as trophy-worthy as the last pool, only no one was using it? You’d be crazy not to grab your bait and tackle and go cast out your line. So why is it when it comes to finding the best employees people always look in the same pool as everyone else.

Talent Oyster is about getting employers to that Hidden Talent Pool. Our site specializes in finding the right candidates in the places where employers don’t often look - among Canada’s diverse population of immigrants, minorities, aboriginals and women. These are people with the skills and smarts to make any company shine.

So, would you rather fight with the crowds for a chance to land one of the few big fish in an well used pond, or have the fish fight to be caught by you?

Breaking down the walls

2009-11-06T16:24:00.001-08:00

One major challenge many companies face when dealing with diversity hiring is how to deal with all the groups involved. It can be an overwhelming task to think about how to connect to each diversity group, the ethnic groups alone make for a long list. And even once you do connect to these groups you have to keep getting your message to them and even when you do get hires you're still struggling to know how to accommodate them.

It's all so hard.

But it doesn't have to be this way!

Diversity as a topic is just as much, if not more so, about your state of mind as the amount of effort, time and money you put in. Building a truly diverse organization starts with understanding that the time of putting up walls around little groups, putting people in neat little silos or boxes is gone. Because it simply doesn't work. The reality is that no matter how good your intentions are or no matter how hard you try treating people differently means inequality.

The 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_v._Board_of_Education made this very succinct point about the fundamental flaw with the then existing segregation policies "separate [educational] facilities are inherently unequal". And it's no different today. If you want diverse candidates to respect your company you must show them the respect of treating them equally.

"Okay nice theory", you say, "But how do I actually *do* this?"

Breaking down the walls that separate groups is really as simple as identifying the messages that speak to us all. People everywhere have common interests, goals and values. Finding meaningful and interesting employment. Being treated equally to everyone else. Being seen as part of a solution rather than a potential source of trouble.

These concepts are ones everyone can relate with. A diverse organization speaks to people about these shared goals and values because it knows that people of all groups respond to those messages.

It's really a simple shift in thinking but it's the difference between success and failure when it comes to diversity. And since after all we are talking about access to 1 in 6 candidates across the country it's just common sense to see how you can tear down the diversity walls in your organization.

Why diversity recruiting isn't a charity

2009-11-04T06:20:00.000-08:00

One question we hear from time-to-time is "If diversity is such an important issue why are you guys not a not-for-profit?" and the quick response to that is that diversity recruiting isn't a charity.

Okay. So what does that mean?

Well let's first acknowledge that there are many not-for-profits and governmental organizations that do fine front-line work with those who need it the most. Ranging from language training to mentorship programs to helping with culture shock these organizations do good work with new immigrants to Canada.

For one thing diversity recruiting isn't just about new immigrants! For multi-cultural candidates diverse candidates can be found in the second and third generation of immigrant families. These are people who speak English natively, are used to the culture of Canada and in every way fully qualified and experienced candidates, who also rely on media in their own language for information and news. And all of this is just looking at visible-minority candidates who of course are only part of the diversity spectrum.

More than this is that organizationally we are committed to bringing change to the way that cultural groups are viewed and worked with across Canada.

We believe that a diverse society and by extension diverse workplace is a win for everyone. We believe that diversity gives both individual companies and our society as a whole strength. We believe that we can affect real change in both the workplace and general society when it comes to embracing diversity. And with all of this we also believe that in order to effectively affect change we need to be action leaders.

We believe that by providing real, cost-effective solutions to real, current problems that companies are facing we effect real change. Our candidates aren't people looking for special treatment, but people that companies have simply missed.

All in all the work that not-for-profits do is good, and we are actively partnering with a select number of them to help spread the word about the services they offer to those who need them. But diversity recruiting isn't about charity, it's about finding good candidates.

Site Updates

2009-11-03T15:48:00.000-08:00

We made some updates to the pre-beta version of our site. There was a bit of a delay in getting these updates posted because there were some minor configuration issues to straighten out.

But all is now well and so up went the site with our new look and feel, hopefully much much closer to the final version. http://www.talentoyster.com/

Over the next few days we'll be merging the work done on the back-end components of the site into the new look and feel so there should be more frequent updates.

Strength through Diversity

2009-10-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

What is the actual value, the bottom-line ROI, of diversity to companies? And 10,000 foot-view diversity here, not just focused on diversity recruiting and hiring. We all know that diversity recruiting opens your talent pipeline to otherwise untapped pools but what ROI does being a diverse organization have?

You can start by assigning dollar figures to the very short-term values that diversity delivers. For example, meeting legal requirements. Companies that do business with the government in Canada have to comply with the Employment Equity Act and failure to do that can result in monetary penalties ranging from fines to outright loss of the business.

So what else is there? Another value that some companies see in diversity hiring policies is the "marketing" one. Let's face it if your organization "looks" like the audience it is selling its goods and/or services to you've made the sales process that much easier. And "looks" is a flexible term as well, it's simply a question of if company is the same culture as the target but does your company reflect the community in which it operates? But putting the interesting marketing questions aside there is another value in diversity for companies here.

So there are some legal reasons, and some marketing/sales reasons. But is that all the value diversity delivers?

No. Diversity means strength.

The true test of strength for groups is *not* how they flourish when times are good but can they survive when times are bad.
The most common attribute of the hardiest groups is their diversity.

Diversity positions groups, in this case business organizations, with a wider variety of options, ideas and experiences to draw on for survival when times are tough.

This is the "hidden" value of diversity, because it is by nature difficult to measure but that doesn't make any less of a value. In fact companies who are *really* diversity employment leaders know about value of strength that diversity gives them. It's one of the reasons they do it. Because these companies also know that in the age of the global village while you have opportunities for success in multiple markets at any given time you also have opportunities for struggles in multiple markets at the very same time.

Experience and flexibility. These are the values that diversity employment practices bring to employers and while legal reasons, marketing and the talent crisis are all valid reasons to hire diversity it's important not to lose sight of the "big picture" value diversity brings.

Canadian business leaders say hiring skilled workers will lead to success

2009-10-26T07:35:00.000-07:00

Our good friend Patrick Gossage wrote a piece for Tandem News (one of our in-house publications) that speaks to Canadian executives views on using diversity hiring and recruiting to push Canadian business out of recession.

A quote in the article from Ed Clark, CEO of TD Canada Trust

"By embracing people with a wide range of unique experiences, backgrounds and abilities, we open the door to innovation and cultivate positive change. We make our business stronger"

Check out the full story online at Tandem : Canadian business leaders say hiring skilled workers will lead to success

Pre-beta site up

2009-10-23T09:18:00.000-07:00

Our pre-beta, wireframed site is up. You can see it at http://www.talentoyster.com/ we have now moved onto our production servers and updated our DNS so DNS propagation may still be happening. (Which is a whole bunch of geek speak for you might see our old site still but in another day or two you'll see the newest one).

We will be deploying updates to this site once every two-three days as work progresses on our internal development versions.

The current site is basically just a draft framework with language plugability.

Addressing the Talent Crisis in a Canadian way

2009-10-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

Talent Crisis: It's a term you'll often hear in the world o' recruiting, especially in the Canadian talent market, where recruiters have been facing talent shortages in many industries for 5+ years now. But what does it mean? And is it just hype?

It's not just hype: As baby-boomers retire out of the workforce in record numbers across North America and the EU, the lower birthrates of the past 25 years mean there are more people leaving the workforce than entering it. In Canada, the consequences of this reduced workforce is exacerbated by restrictive immigration policies and other factors.

What does this mean? Five years ago, Statistics Canada predicted that by 2011 there would be 350,000 more jobs than workers; thanks to the recession, StatsCan and the Conference Board of Canada now predict the shortfall to happen sometime between 2011-2015. But talk to any Canadian recruiter today and they'll tell you: In many industries, professions and roles, the talent crisis is already in full swing and will only get worse.

According to Paul Dodd (President of Head2Head, a Canadian recruiting services firm) in The talent crisis is coming – are you ready?, "companies are already starting to see the effects of the coming talent crisis [...] employers who continue to ignore changes in the talent marketplace will find that, within five years or less, they will run into serious problems attracting, hiring and retaining top talent."

So how can TalentOyster help?

By connecting employers to new, untapped talent pools.

In Canada, there are just under 6,000,000 people who are in at least one of three of the groups designated as 'diverse' by the Employment Equity Act. But mainstream media doesn't connect with these groups in the amounts or effectiveness that they do with others and since most sourcing is driven by mainstream media the problem with accessing this potential great pool of talent becomes clear. You can't source from groups you're not touching after all.

TalentOyster is a unique job board because it's community driven. The media that does touch these groups, the hundreds of in-language print publications from coast-to-coast, the online and other media properties used by these communites, is the heart of what TalentOyster's parent company does and is. We speak to these communities, with messages they understand and appreciate every day. All of this means that TalentOyster has recruiting-industry exclusive access to an untapped pool of talent, almost 6,000,000 strong.

And that's a pretty good way to start addressing the Talent Crisis.

And we think a pretty Canadian way of addressing it too.

The TalentOyster Blog

2009-10-21T06:29:00.000-07:00

So here we have the TalentOyster blog. I guess a good as place as any to start would be to identify what TalentOyster actually is. So without further ado here is an extract from a draft copy of the "about us" page content for our site.

"TalentOyster is something different. TalentOyster is a revolutionary job board driven by community. TalentOyster is a job board that speaks to a diverse population in their own language. TalentOyster transcends the traditional job board experience by engaging members in interactive ways. TalentOyster reflects the belief that we are all enriched through our diversity. TalentOyster is Canadian."

And that about sums it up. So what's this blog about? Well for starters a place for us to post updates on development and our launch schedule and also an alternative source for service updates etc. Going forward though we'll be speaking here to the issues that we are speaking to which in a nutshell means speaking on diversity issues and most specifically diversity recruiting issues.

Last but not least, this blog, like everything else we do, is driven by community interaction. Know a topic that you feel we should be discussing here? Have some feedback on a post, point or issue you read here? Leave us a comment, send us an email or visit our site and let us know what you think.