As Canadian and global labour markets transformed over the past three years, so too has the world of online job search and recruitment. These broad market trends play out clearly on online platforms like Indeed and Glassdoor, but the past years have also changed the ways  employers and job seekers use these services themselves. In our inaugural Indeed and Glassdoor Workplace Trends Report, we highlight five key themes that will continue to shape labour markets in Canada and abroad:

  1. Tight Labor Supply Will Continue, Impacting Hiring: While Canada’s population is growing faster than most of its peers due to elevated immigration rates, the share of population over age 65 is projected to rise similarly to others, which will continue to weigh on the labour force participation rate.
  2. Remote Work Is Here to Stay: This September, 11.2% of Canadian job postings on Indeed mentioned remote work, almost four times higher than the pre-pandemic share. One reason employers continue to pitch remote work is that job seekers are looking for it, with 4.6% of Canadian job searches explicitly including remote-related terms up from just 0.6% three years earlier.
  3. As Workers Seek Higher Pay, Benefits Can Set Employers Apart: Higher pay is the most common reason already-employed Canadian job seekers are looking for new work, according to our Indeed Job Search Survey, but 20% also cite better benefits as a motivation for searching (see graph below). Highlighting these benefits in job descriptions is one way employers can stand out. 
  4. Happiness and Wellbeing Matter: Retaining workers is more important than ever in a tight labour market, as back-filling positions becomes an increasing challenge. Glassdoor research shows that job seekers who are satisfied with their current jobs are less likely to begin an application for a new job elsewhere. 
  5. The Changing Workforce Is Pushing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion to the Forefront: As social justice and equity issues have increasingly become front and center, Canadian employers are offering more diversity, equity, and inclusion program (DEI) benefits, such as employee resource groups, diversity training, and mentoring programs. Through the first three quarters of 2022, 48% of Canadian employer benefit reviews on Glassdoor mentioned DEI benefits, up from 32% in 2018. 

With the global economic situation at a crossroads, a key question going forward is whether the world of work will shift back to its pre-pandemic state. Even with a cyclical cool-down, every edge counts for employers trying to attract candidates. With the use of the internet solidified as a major method of recruitment, platforms like Indeed and Glassdoor will continue to be able to track developments in near real-time.

Download the full report here

Chart titled: “What Canadian job seekers are looking for”.
Chart titled: “What Canadian job seekers are looking for”. Indeed surveyed employed Canadian job seekers in the second quarter of 2022 asking why they were searching for a new job. Higher pay was the most common reason cited, but other factors like career growth, better benefits, as well as schedule flexibility and stability were also common answers.