Most Canadian employers expect to grow their business in 2015 but intend to do so without boosting headcount. That’s according to the fifth annual Hays Canada Salary Guide released Tuesday.
Optimism and progress outlook among employers has never been higher, but these sentiments are not shared by their staff for whom sinking morale, burnout and stress-related absences have spiked.
The Hays report suggests that hitting aggressive 2015 business targets could be seriously undermined if current staff are made to bear the burden.
Conducted this past November, the Hays survey found that 70 per cent of Canadian companies anticipate increasing business activity in the coming months. Nevertheless, only 38 per cent of employers intend to add headcount during the same period. A third also admit that their own lack of professional development programs contribute to a shortage of talent. The inability to find qualified help puts pressure on existing teams — 31 per cent report spikes in employee stress leaves and 34 per cent say staff morale has declined.
Salary forecast
Despite unpredictable markets worldwide, responses from Canada’s employers show that just under a third (32%) percent of employers plan to increase salaries by up to six per cent in 2015 and half (49%) believe that the country’s economy will continue to strengthen throughout the next 6-12 months. This level of optimism is at its highest point in five years and signifies a 15 point jump from its lowest levels in 2011.
Hays Specialist Recruitment Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hays plc, which has been at the forefront of the global recruitment industry for more than 35 years.