More and more Canadian companies are struggling to connect with the candidates they need to fill their open positions. This is particularly true for organizations right here in Atlantic Canada.

A recent report from the Business Development Bank of Canada found that this country is experiencing a growing shortage of skilled workers and that Atlantic Canada is the region feeling the effects the most. Fully half – 50 per cent – of organizations in this region surveyed say that they are struggling with a candidate scarcity. The study cautions that this situation isn’t expected to change anytime soon. (The report is actually titled, Labour Shortage: Here to Stay.)

This is why it is particularly critical to reach the largest pool of relevant local candidates right now. CareerBeacon can help with that. We are Atlantic Canada’s leading career website. Roughly 20,000 job seekers visit CareerBeacon.com every day looking for new opportunities.

Recruiting talent from the local labour market can make your hiring faster and easier, increase employee retention, and even boost revenues. Here are just some of the reasons reaching candidates close to home can make your company more successful.

Faster and easier hiring

When you are engaging with candidates in your region, it is easier to arrange in-person job interviews and vet candidates. Sure, you can interview remote candidates by phone or email, but there is a great deal that you can learn about a potential hire in a face to face meeting that you just won’t get over a screen. Candidates can also meet your schedule on short notice – at no cost – for an interview. Setting up an appointment with a potential hire from another province or country can be complicated and potentially costly to arrange.

It can also be easier to vet local candidates. You can reach out through your own networks to see who has worked with an applicant in the past. Genuine word of mouth and firsthand experience of working with someone are the most accurate and valuable references.

You can also form a greater understanding of their work experience when you know about the companies they have worked for. The work history of local candidates likely has more context for you.

Hiring someone closer to home also saves your company from potential delays in their start date or even moving costs as they have to relocate for the job.

Greater employee retention

Much like you can achieve a more accurate understanding of who you are hiring, local candidates know what they are signing up for. They are changing jobs, not uprooting their entire lives by taking the role.

That kind of upheaval can lead to some potential pitfalls. Candidates may be simultaneously looking for jobs closer to home to avoid the hassle of moving. They may get cold feet about transferring their family to a new city, province, or country, and back out at the last minute.

If they make the move, there is more than the usual learning-curve of starting a new job. They have to familiarize themselves with the local culture and environment. Often this works out fine. However, sometimes people just miss home. Miss their own networks, their connections, family and friends, and they want to go back. This makes them a potential flight risk.

Local candidates don’t get homesick or suffer from culture shock.

Potential revenue gains

People like to do business with local companies, to deal with people they know. If your staff is from the region, you gain access to their networks, their word-of-mouth connections as potential customers for your business. Hiring locally shows your commitment to the region and the people in your area. Your customers will appreciate your support for the community.

CareerBeacon.com is Atlantic Canada’s leading career website, allowing you to showcase your job postings to the most local candidates. We can help you reach the great pool of potential talent that this region has to offer.