Express Entry 'Recruiting Goldmine' Overlooked? How Canadian Employers Can Save Millions

LONDON, Ontario, September 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

There's a professional talent goldmine for Canadian employers of all sizes and types, but to most recruiters and business leaders, the mine is closed and its riches are untapped. Why? Because few employers know the gold even exists, much less how fast and easy it is to mine.

This talent "goldmine" is actually called Express Entry, the Canadian government's new immigration law, and it's been open since Jan. 1, 2015. "We call it Revolutionary Express Entry because it is arguably the most innovative talent recruiting goldmine that's ever been created," says Rohail Khan, CEO of Skills International, a global talent and career management firm that was founded in Canada.  

"But unfortunately, Express Entry is grossly misunderstood and one of Canada's best-kept secrets," Khan says. "A test survey we recently conducted in western Canada revealed 71 percent of employers had never heard of Express Entry."  

That lack of awareness comes at a high cost to Canadian employers, who increasingly can't find qualified Canadians for hard-to-fill positions. According to HR Professional Magazine, every day a vacant $70,000 position goes unfilled, lost productivity costs employers up to $954 per day.  

"A 2015 report from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce says that solving the skills gap remains, for the fourth year in a row, a main priority," says Khan, who also sits on the prestigious Conference Board of Canada's Leadership Roundtable on Immigration.

So why is Canada's skills gap costing employers millions and still worsening when Express Entry provides a readily available solution?  "Start with the awareness problem…add confusion about past immigration policies…and throw in a list of "myths" about how the new Express Entry program works and you have the answer," says Khan.  

Khan lists six wrong "myths" about Express Entry:

1.  The government is in control.   

"That's absolutely false," says Khan. "Express Entry puts the employer squarely in control. When an employer selects, interviews and hires a professional from another country, the job offer alone virtually guarantees permanent residency for the new hire."

2.  The process takes too long. 

"Our test survey in western Canada revealed many firms can't find anyone to fill some positions for six months to more than a year," says Khan. "Under Express Entry, a Canadian employer can have the professional he or she has hired begin working in Canada within 6-16 weeks," Khan says.  

3.  Hiring a foreign qualified professional is risky.  

"This depends on whether the individual's resume, educational background and English proficiency have been verified and certified," says Khan. "Skills International works with credible, world-renowned third parties to ensure all candidates are Ready4Employment^sm-certified to de-risk the hiring process."  

4.  The level of talent isn't as good as in Canada. 

"This one defies logic and basic math," he says. "There's a talent gap today because Canadian employers can't find enough qualified Canadians to fill many positions. Under Express Entry, employers can pick from the entire global talent pool to bring in the 'best of the best' professionals.  For example, one of our professional candidates worked for one of the world's top brokerage firms in New York…and there are hundreds more in virtually all industry segments, but especially in IT, financial services, engineering, project management, healthcare, sales and marketing, administration, telecom and literally dozens of others."

5.  The Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process is too difficult.  

"It doesn't have to be," Khan says. "Skills International does virtually all of this work for early-adopter employers at zero cost to ensure all LMIA processes are followed to the letter and are completed as quickly as possible."

6.  Incoming professionals have a hard time adjusting to Canadian culture and workplace environments.  

"Again, this depends on whether the professional has a partner to help him or her adjust," says Khan. "Skills International provides intense relocation, settlement and career coaching for the life of the professional's career in Canada to make sure adjustments are fast and easy beginning on the day of arrival."

So, how can employers begin mining the "recruiting goldmine" of Express Entry? "That's easy," says Khan. "They need to learn how fast and easy it is to get started at zero cost to them. Skills International is holding a free one-hour informational web conference on October 1."  To register, go to http://www.Canadajobs2015.com/employers/ and click on the "Recruiting Goldmine Mythbusters Webinar" link.  

Contact: Martin Kish, +1-859-351-8420