Canada’s growth (and the USA) is powered by small to medium enterprises (SME’s).  SME’s employ approximately 52% of all working individuals; therefore, they obviously play a critical role in all aspects of industry and community, including recruiting.   While I can’t locate the figures to support this, I feel my assumption is reasonable: SME’s make up the majority of the non-government client base within the recruiting industry.  This makes SME and entrepreneurial spirit something worth understanding, where SME’s grow so will opportunity for recruiting be!  The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses did a study of entrepreneurial spirit (2011), looking at presence of start-ups, perspective, and policy for the top 100 Canadian communities. 

Of the overall results, only 1 of the top ten cities with the greatest entrepreneurial spirit falls outside Western Canada (the city of Rouyn-Noranda in beautiful Quebec).  Five are in Alberta, three in Saskatchewan and one Alberta-Saskatchewan border town.  These represent communities on the move from an SME perspective and possible areas of investigation and perspective for greater recruiting presence. 

1. Grande Prairie (Alberta)

2. Lloydminster (Alberta-Saskatchewan)

3. Saskatoon (Saskatchewan)

4. Regina (Saskatchewan)

5. Edmonton (Alberta)

6. Wood Buffalo (Alberta)

7. Red Deer (Alberta)

8. Lethbridge (Alberta)

9. Moose Jaw (Saskatchewan)

10. Rouyn-Noranda (Quebec)

You may ask yourself what about strong business centers or larger cities like Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, and Montreal?  Respectively they placed 25^th, 77^th, 78^th, and 79^th. Ontario and Atlantic Canada did not fare so well in the study conducted.  Of course there are other details to consider when looking at communities in which to focus, expand or investigate for recruitment.  One possible perspective is where the most start-ups occur and where the greatest SME sustained growth might be.  The results for the top five in this group are below:

1. Calgary (Alberta)

2. Kelowna (British Columbia)

3. Edmonton (Alberta)

4. Metro Vancouver (British Columbia)

5. City of Vancouver (British Columbia)

Western Canada again shows off the entrepreneurial spirit, moreover, the size of the communities represent the largest in Western Canada (excluding Kelowna as strong interior BC growth community).  So what does it all mean?  Where is the opportunity?  Why do I care?  Daryl Henry, Executrade Vice President, Southern Alberta, commented, “Entrepreneurial spirit is at the core of our clients value systems.  We add value by allowing clients to focus on their entrepreneurial spirit, growing and building their vision instead of being slowed by the red tape of recruiting talent, whether permanent or temporary employees.”

Recruiters need to add value and those communities and organizations who have greater levels of entrepreneurial spirit want or need value added services to un-complicate the attainment of their vision.  There is enough risk involved with SME’s already; we remove some of the risk and allow focus.  The communities with the greatest entrepreneurial spirit may be the ones that also find our services to be of greatest value, allowing us to be the specialist.

Simplicity would suggest, if you want a job done right, ask a specialist.

Darryl

Executrade -Your Recruitment Specialists

www.executrade.com

Reference:

http://www.cfib-fcei.ca/cfib-documents/rr3238.pdf

Daryl Henry: http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/daryl-henry/19/264/a85