Labor shortage: a bonus of $2,000 to recruit a chef

We’ve been open for 12 years, and we’ve never seen this, is surprised François Simard, owner of Château Saint-André. The residence accommodates 117 residents, to whom the staff must serve meals morning, noon and evening. Their concoction is overseen by the executive chef James Knightwhose kitchen guarantees two lunch and dinner menus, and all-you-can-eat breakfast.

But the situation is such that it imposes the great means to attract labor, even if François Simard praises the working conditions at the residence: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, work every other weekend, never at night. These are conditions that are still good for someone in the restaurant businesshe points out.

” We have no response to our advertisements. We even wondered “Is there anyone who hears us?” […] Normally you have telephones, you have a certain interest. »

Just before the pandemic, Château Saint-André recruited two foreign workers, from Cameroon, who are still working at the residence. Two others are waiting to come to Canada, but within eight months to a year. An impossible wait for the residence.

We find ourselves with a lack of manpower, and we are forced to make work [nos employés] much more than normal to meet this demandlaments Mr. Simard.

Form an ocean to another

Whether in Quebec, Ontario, in all Canadian provinces, in large regions as in rural areas […] the labor shortage is a major challengenotes Jasmin Guenette, vice-president of national affairs for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). Companies must adapt, put in place policies to attract labour.

Governments also have their role to play. He calls, among other things, for a better immigration system. The federal government must ensure that it is fluid, and that workers entering the country have the skills that companies are looking forlists Mr. Guenette.

On the side of the provincial governments, which in particular ensure the training of the workforce, he deplores the fact that the programs provided by the governments are not sufficiently solicited by businesses due to poor publicity.

” You should know that the labor shortage existed before the pandemic, but the pandemic has exacerbated the situation. »

The strategies deployed by companies to recruit workers come as no surprise to him, as did Karl Blackburn, president of the Conseil du patronat du Québec (CPQ). Nearly 250,000 positions are still available in all regions of Quebec and employers are doing everything they can to try to rally or attract workers, explains Mr. Blackburn.

The economic benefits are very real, he says. One in two employers refuses contracts because they do not have the necessary manpower to be able to carry them outcontinues Mr. Blackburn, who notes in passing that the same proportion of them postpone or even cancel investment projects.

In response to Radio-Canada’s interview request, Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security Jean Boulet sent us the following statement: Innovating in recruitment methods and improving working conditions produces results! Employees have more choices than before and it takes creativity to find, attract and retain them. Employers must multiply the solutions. The labor shortage is a collective challenge.

Karl Blackburn agrees with Quebec Labor Minister Jean Boulet that companies need to do more. But the government must do more by broadening the base of workers. As long as we don’t expand it, we will find ourselves in a situation where we will witness the movement of workers from one company to another, and not the creation of jobs.concludes the President of the CPQ.

With information from Nafi Alibert and Gabriel Le Marquand Perreault