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New Canadians Need to be Welcomed into the Retail Workforce as Industry Shifts [Podcast]

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Craig and Suzanne Sears, the CEO and founder of Luxury Careers Canada discuss the challenges faced by new Canadians in securing employment, emphasizing the vast pool of highly educated, underemployed individuals in the Canadian workforce. She stresses the importance of retailers adapting to the reality that 35% of the workforce comprises new Canadians, urging a shift in mindset towards embracing diversity and providing equal opportunities.

The conversation delves into discriminatory hiring practices, with Suzanne addressing the prevalent demand for “Canadian experience” and the need for a cultural shift in employers’ expectations. She anticipates potential legal changes to discourage such discriminatory practices. Moving on, the discussion turns to recent developments in the hospitality industry, specifically the ban on unpaid labour for work trials. Suzanne applauds this change, emphasizing its positive impact on making the workplace more humane and fair, particularly for new Canadians unfamiliar with stringent labor standards.

The interview concludes with a glimpse into the holiday hiring landscape and economic predictions. Suzanne projects a growth of approximately 2% in the retail industry over the next six months, challenging earlier predictions of a flat or declining market. Despite cautious optimism, she anticipates retailers adapting to the changing economic climate, emphasizing the resilience and strength of the retail sector in Canada.

The Interview Series audio podcasts by Retail Insider Canada are available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Also check out our The Weekly audio podcast where Craig and Lee discuss popular content published on Retail Insider which is part of the The Retail Insider Podcast Network.

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Background Music Credit: Hard Boiled Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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