TalentEgg Trends

Today’s Talent, Tomorrow’s Leaders

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Category: Generation Z (page 1 of 5)

Fidelity: The Focus on Talent, Well-Being and Diversity

Fidelity Canada is part of the broader group of companies collectively known as Fidelity Investments, one of the world’s largest providers of financial services. An industry-leading investment firm, Fidelity Canada’s mission is to empower Canadians to achieve their financial goals quicker than they ever imagined.

TalentEgg was given an exclusive opportunity to speak with Diana Godfrey, the Senior Vice President of Human Resources & Corporate Affairs at Fidelity. We received an inside perspective regarding Fidelity’s company culture, mental health resources, student initiatives, the importance of DEI, and so much more.

Before starting her 20+ year career at Fidelity, Diana worked in various marketing and accounting roles. HR work was her forte at the company for most of her tenure. As the company evolved, so did her role, allowing her to work with various groups. Recently, she took on Corporate Affairs in addition to HR, expanding opportunities for collaboration amongst a diverse team.

Fidelity

Diana Godfrey, the Senior Vice President of Human Resources & Corporate Affairs at Fidelity

Initiatives for Young Professionals at Fidelity

Fidelity places high value on their student program and recognizes the importance of developing the next generation of talent. Diana was eager to share more details about this prolific program.

“Fidelity’s student program is designed to provide hands-on work experience coupled with personal development workshops to help set students up for success when they graduate,” she shared. “Students and new grads can find themselves in roles where they are contributing impactful work for the company. We’re lucky to have so many of our students become full-time employees once they graduate.”

It should be noted that Fidelity offers high-level workshops for their young employees. They range from more technical skills like Microsoft Excel to developing soft skills like emotional intelligence training and everything in between. Diana also touched on the importance of teaching the ins and outs of the investment world, along with financial wellness and investment literacy.

“To reinforce Fidelity’s commitment to financial wellness, we offer students product study groups to learn about the investment industry at large,” she adds.  “This is imperative to the success of not only our students, but all our employees.”

This plethora of resources highlights Fidelity’s stake in its young workforce. Their commitment to furthering this group’s skill base and professional development is extraordinary.

“We recognize the immense value that students and young people bring to our organization,” adds Diana. “With endless opportunities for their impact and to help grow and evolve our business, we’re committed to keep growing our diverse student community.”

Student and New Grad Opportunities

After delving into the student program, what sort of opportunities can students and new grads expect at Fidelity?

Those who come to Fidelity for a co-op term will often opt in for a future term. For these future terms, students can work with different teams or areas of business. The “rotational student program” is an excellent opportunity for young employees to learn more about the company, while testing different roles to see where they fit best.

“We see our co-op program as a ‘rotational program,’ where students are encouraged to return for multiple placements, though always in different business groups.”

Diana took this further, “We offer several avenues for students to learn new skills, gain new insights, and get exposure that can inspire current and future aspirations.”

She highlighted several critical initiatives for students and new grads at Fidelity. Q&As, case competitions, and mentorship programs, to name a few.

Fidelity recently launched an investment literacy video series called Money Gains, which targets high school students and teaches the fundamentals of investing through relatable examples. Diana also told us they host the “Fidelity NextGen Women’s Summit,” an annual event for women in university to learn about Fidelity through workshops, panels and more. Fidelity strives to create a workplace where the opportunities are endless for students and new grads.

How Fidelity Measures Success

As our talk progressed, we discussed what defines success for an employee at the company, as well as making sure employees’ voices are heard.

“One of the biggest ways we define success as an employer is to actively listen to employees and base future decisions on what’s most important to them,” she says. “Two-way communication is so important in achieving our goals collectively.”

Employee engagement surveys, employee feedback surveys, “town halls,” and quarterly meetings are vital for gauging employee success, answering their questions, and ensuring their voices are heard.

One innovative program Diana highlights is Fidelity’s “Voice of the Employee.” The program “encourages employees to submit ideas that can help improve and streamline the business. All ideas are reviewed by a committee with representation across the business, and those selected for implementation qualify for monetary rewards.”

Diana adds that this program has expanded to gather feedback on its new dynamic working program, Fidelity’s hybrid working model, and corporate sustainability. These strategies ensure all employees are content and working to the best of their abilities.

Fidelity’s Dynamic Working Program

Post-pandemic, there have been many conversations about returning to the office, staying remote, or opting for a hybrid model. Hearing from Diana on this matter and Fidelity’s dynamic working program was fascinating.

This hybrid model was launched in September 2022 to improve the employee experience. Fidelity works with their employees to find the best schedule for them.

“Depending on an individual’s role and the needs of their team, department and the business, working with their managers, employees can determine a working pattern that incorporates visits to the office and working from home,” Diana shared.

But that’s not all. Renovated offices, enhanced cleaning, desk booking, employee lockers, “treat days,” catered lunches, Gen Z social and networking events and on-site baristas, are just some of the perks employees can enjoy in office. She also stressed the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance for Fidelity’s employees.

This program has been an enormous success for its employees, Diana discloses.

“Fidelity Canada employees have adjusted exceptionally well to our future of work program.” In fact, they’ve been recognized by Benefits Canada, winning their award for Future of Work Strategy.

Mental Health Initiatives at Fidelity

In the modern workplace, the focus has shifted to promoting well-being and mental health. More and more initiatives are coming to the workplace to improve mental health as the demand for it grows.

What strides is Fidelity making to prioritize mental health in the workplace? “The strength of Fidelity Canada relies on us supporting employees in the form of physical and mental health to be their best,” Diana divulges. 

Upon diving more deeply, we discovered plenty of initiatives and resources in place for employees at Fidelity. 

Discounted gym memberships, counselling, benefits, and various mental health training, amongst many other progressive initiatives, are in place at Fidelity.

“We’re also committed to reducing mental health-related stigmas and continuously fostering an environment of well-being and inclusivity.”

A significant point Diana circled back to was the importance of work-life balance at Fidelity. Flexible work schedules, paid family care leave, and programs for future retirees, amongst many more initiatives, are in place.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives at Fidelity

While discussing prevalent issues in the modern workforce, DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) was brought to our attention.

DEI is a significant priority in the workplace. Diana concurs and says Fidelity is committed to DEI and would say it’s one of Fidelity’s greatest strengths.

“At Fidelity, we prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion to create an environment where every employee feels like they belong,” she continues. “A diverse team means having different viewpoints, which leads to better decision-making.”

Continuing on this topic, the issue of unconscious bias in the hiring process became apparent. Diana discussed several actionable steps Fidelity has taken to ensure that their hiring practices are unbiased and fair to all.

They employ proven methods to mitigate hiring bias, including gender-neutral and inclusive job postings and evaluating candidates solely based on their skills rather than personal characteristics. Diana adds that their hiring managers undergo training on unconscious bias and managing bias in the hiring process to actively promote fairness and inclusivity in their recruitment procedures.

Diana feels this training is imperative to unbiased hiring. “By providing our hiring managers and talent acquisition professionals with this training, we help them recognize and mitigate any unconscious biases that may impact their decision-making.”

“Diversity, equity and inclusion are more than just buzzwords; it is not just a policy or checklist, it’s at the core of who we are. It makes our workplace better for everyone and makes us a better company.”

Final Sentiments

Before we ended our discussion, Diana wanted to share a last sentiment about what it means to her to work at Fidelity.

Diana closed out our discussion by sharing, “it’s a privilege to be part of an organization who cares about their employees, clients and the communities we live and work in,” she states, “We’ve established a strong people-centred culture that delivers an employee experience where everyone feels valued, included and well supported, which sets us apart as a top financial services provider and employer.” 

To learn more about how Fidelity approaches careers, you can visit: Fidelity

 


Visit talenteggtrends.ca for more up-to-date employer, school and career centre news, tips and information!

Navigating the New Age of Career Education and Employment

TalentEgg’s exclusive interview with Gabriela Casineanu, MBTI® Certified Career & Systems Coach, Founder/Principal of Introverts Academy

In today’s fast-paced world marked by rapidly evolving workplace dynamics, technological advancements, and the aftermath of a global pandemic, career coaching has become crucial in guiding students and new graduates toward success. We recently had the opportunity to speak with Gabriela Casineanu, the founder of Introverts Academy and an experienced career coach with 17 years of practice. In this enlightening interview, Gabriela discusses her insights on career education, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), mental health, and strategies for transitioning from school to the workforce in the digital age.

Gabriela’s Career Coaching Journey

Gabriela began her journey into the world of career coaching in 2006. “Three years after immigrating to Canada, I changed my career [from engineering to professional coaching]. Although I had 18 years in the technical field, I always felt something was missing,” she said. Her passion for coaching, her personality, and the rewarding career aspects motivated her to pursue career coaching. Gabriela recognized a gap in employment and career services and sought to introduce a coaching approach that considers everyone’s individual personality types and strengths.

Gabriela’s most outstanding achievement is the development and successful testing of strategies tailored to introverted students, which culminated in her award-winning book, “Introverts: Leverage Your Strengths for an Effective Job Search.” This work led her to teach at the university level and speak at national career development conferences, emphasizing the importance of personality types and traits in career counselling. 

Gabriela’s inspiring vision for the future of career coaching aims to encourage over a million individuals to prioritize self-discovery, align their professional paths with their true selves, and embrace flexibility and adaptability in their careers.

Seamless Integration of DEI in the Workplace

Gabriela is a strong advocate for a transformative approach in the DEI space. She believes organizations should go beyond viewing DEI as a mere compliance requirement and instead integrate it into their culture and work environment at all levels. With her interactive and experiential job-related workshops, along with individual and group coaching sessions, Gabriela has helped students and teams learn new concepts and strategies, empowering them to improve interpersonal communication and foster an inclusive atmosphere.

A Holistic Approach to Well-being in the Workplace

Gabriela believes in a holistic approach to well-being that goes beyond mental health. “In my work with students, I help them understand that they have a two-fold responsibility: to themselves and the organization they’re part of (equally important for mental health). And I encourage them to speak up when they notice something about the work environment, how it affects them, or when they don’t feel well,” Gabriela tells us. Gabriela recognizes the profound connection between the mind, body, and spirit, and she emphasizes the importance of a healthy work environment that considers employees’ needs, strengths, and ideas. A healthy work environment promotes mental well-being and increases productivity and team performance.

Supporting and Attracting Students and New Grads

Employers can proactively support students and recent graduates in the digital age. Gabriela suggests that companies should communicate their willingness to hire candidates with less experience, emphasize the importance of soft and transferable skills, and consider personality and potential during the hiring process. Building connections with educational institutions and fostering alumni relationships can attract top talent. 

According to Gabriela’s experience, employers can attract top students by aligning their organizational culture with the values of the current generation. Highlighting successful hires and their stories and promoting them can also help attract talent. Offering incentives for employee referrals and actively participating in career fairs can further enhance an organization’s appeal.

Advice for Career Educators

Gabriela’s advice for new career educators is to be patient and understand that expertise grows with experience. In the post-pandemic era, she urges tenured career educators to embrace technology fully, stay up-to-date on digital trends, and adapt their teaching approaches based on the personality types of their students. 

Gabriela reminds us that amidst the endless stream of information, individuals and organizations have inner compasses – intuition and mission, respectively. These guiding lights can help navigate the ever-evolving landscape of education and employment. Success in the modern career coaching age becomes achievable and deeply fulfilling when individuals and organizations cultivate an organizational culture and a workplace environment that empowers employees to contribute their best towards the company’s mission, all while pursuing their own career goals.


Visit talenteggtrends.ca for more up-to-date employer, school and career centre news, tips and information!

The Top 5 Ways to Capture Gen Z’s Attention Online

As the first truly digital generation, Gen Z has grown up with technology at their fingertips. Therefore, businesses and recruiters must know how to capture their attention online. Here at TalentEgg, we spend every day engaging with this exact demographic, and as a result, we have uncovered our top 5 ways to catch Gen Z’s attention:

Utilize Social Media

Gen Z is highly active on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Creating engaging content and targeting your ads to the right audience is critical to reaching this demographic. That is why TalentEgg offers targeted and successful social media ad creatives that are eye-catching. Social media ads use effective algorithms to target the exact audience you want to reach. 

Gen z

Make it Appealing

Incorporating visually stimulating content such as videos, music, and compelling images into your online marketing strategies is vital when capturing Gen Z’s attention. These types of short-form videos remain one of the most effective mediums to connect with students and new grads. Concise, informative, one to five-minute branded videos are increasingly popular as students are more sensitized to quick, easy and immediate content. That is why TalentEgg offers TalentEgg Shorts! TalentEgg Shorts is a video series showcasing your employer brand that grabs students’ and new grads’ attention. You can film up to five one to five-minute episodes for your TalentEgg Shorts Series!  

gen z

Keep It Real

Gen Z highly values authenticity, and they can easily detect when something is inauthentic. To ensure your messaging is genuine, it’s essential to use real people in your ads or branding and keep your messaging transparent and honest. That’s exactly what you can do during TalentEgg’s TikTok Takeovers! During a TalentEgg TikTok Takeover, your organization can access TalentEgg’s TikTok account for up to five TikTok posts for one week. From tips and tricks videos to TikTok dances with your team, this is your chance to “video-ize” your employer brand and give a genuine and authentic look into your company culture.  

gen z

Make It Interactive

Engaging with Gen Z is crucial; interactive elements like quizzes, polls, and social media challenges can help. Using TalentEgg’s Instagram Takeover will make the most of these opportunities. By creating polls, quizzes, Q & A’s and giveaways, you can showcase your company’s strengths and demonstrate that you care about connecting with your target audience in ways that matter to them. These interactive strategies will keep your target audience returning and grow your employer’s brand recognition.

gen z

Be Mobile-Friendly

Given that Gen Z prefers to interact with content on their phones, optimizing your website and all employer branding content for mobile viewing is crucial. That’s why TalentEgg provides a mobile-friendly, customized employer profile on TalentEgg.ca.  Your company’s employer profile on TalentEgg.ca is search engine optimized so that you can amplify your employee value proposition more effectively. This employer profile is the starting point for students, recent grads, and early-career professionals to learn about your organization’s employer brand, career opportunities and recruitment messaging. 

gen z

At TalentEgg, our team of Gen Z marketing experts can help you achieve your employer branding goals. We are just scratching the surface regarding all the important ways of capturing Gen Z’s attention online! So, if you want to learn more about how to reach Gen Z effectively, contact our recruitment marketing experts today at info@talentegg.ca, and TalentEgg will grow your employer branding strategy to new heights!

Exclusive Insights: 2023 #TEAwards Survey

During our 2023 TalentEgg Virtual National Recruitment Excellence Awards & Conference, we conducted several live surveys – to try and gather insights relating to the workplace and recruitment trends. We surveyed over 90 attendees consisting of recruiters, career coaches and educators. Here are the trends we discovered and the insights you should note.

IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES IN THE WORKPLACE

In today’s world, the significance of mental health in the workplace cannot be overstated. When we asked attendees if their leadership could benefit from additional training in supporting employee mental health and wellness, an overwhelming 100% responded with a resounding “yes.”

This statistic shows that mental health initiatives are in high demand amongst working professionals and that employers, schools and career centers want to continue to grow their mental health initiatives and create a safe and welcoming environment for all students, new grads and working professionals. That’s why we created our new Mental Health & Psychological Safety In The Workplace Master Certificate Program on our TalentEgg eLearning Academy site. With these courses designed for managers and team leaders, you can build a psychologically safe workplace where employee mental health is a high priority.

This 10-course Master Certificate Program, developed by leading psychologists and mental health professionals, explores the many facets of workplace mental health. Clinicians will guide managers, leaders, and HR representatives on best practices and strategies for fostering psychological safety and well-being at work. The interactive modules explain the many aspects of workplace mental health, and clinicians provide clear guidance on optimally addressing these delicate and complex issues in a work setting.

Move your organization forward and build the foundation for a psychologically safe workplace where mental health and wellness are a core value and a lived experience for your employees.

EMPOWERING DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN THE WORKPLACE

Researching companies’ diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and initiatives before applying has become routine for students, recent graduates, and working professionals. That’s why it is essential for employers to invest in DEI initiatives like DEI training. We asked attendees, “Do you think more DEI training should be offered in your workplace?” 100% of the respondents said yes. 

This stat shows that there is an increasing demand for DEI training. That’s why we at TalentEgg have released our Diversity, Sensitivity, and Inclusion: Promoting Anti-Discrimination and Equity in the Workplace course on the TalentEgg eLearning Academy website.

We understand the importance of placing your brand at the forefront of all your endeavours. With this in mind, the TalentEgg eLearning Academy offers a white-label custom-branded version designed to seamlessly integrate into your existing onboarding training, reflecting your unique employer brand identity. Our comprehensive offering allows complete customization and branding of the courseware, ensuring a cohesive and tailored learning experience for your employees, putting your brand front and centre.

Once you invest in DEI initiatives, amplifying them is vital. That’s why we asked the question, “Do you think targeted DEI Eblasts sent to DEI student clubs and associations would support your diversity recruitment?” 93% of respondents said that DEI eblasts would support their diversity recruitment.

This statistic is the reason why we are rolling out our DEI Eblasts. Our specialized TalentEgg DEI Eblasts offer an even more focused approach to reaching the precise target audience of diverse young talent. By utilizing our extensive database comprising over 1000+ DEI clubs and student associations from 30+ universities and colleges across Canada, our exclusive and one-of-a-kind TalentEgg DEI Eblasts, allow your organization to strategically target specific equity-seeking or underrepresented groups, including 2SLGBTQ+, BIPOC groups, marginalized communities, women-led organizations, and disability-focused organizations. This focused approach ensures that your DEI messaging reaches the intended audience precisely and maximizes your promotional efforts’ impact while helping you accelerate your diversity hiring efforts! Inquire here to learn more.

SOFT SKILLS ARE CRITICAL SKILLS; DOES YOUR YOUNG TALENT HAVE THEM?

Our 2023 Guide to Recruitment highlights how imperative soft skills are for the career success of students and new graduates. When attendees were asked, “Do you think Soft Skills are critical for young talents in the workplace?” 100% of respondents agreed. When we asked them if they believed their company should invest in Soft Skills Training, 100% of the respondents also answered “yes.” 

The urgency to equip students and new grads with the necessary soft skills for the workplace is apparent. It is essential to take immediate action to secure career success for your young talent. That’s why we have continued to grow our TalentEgg eLearning Academy.

TalentEgg’s eLearning Academy offers courses that teach introductory workplace soft skills for students and new grads making the school-to-work transition to enter their first internships, coops or full-time jobs, and intermediate soft skills to help young working professionals thrive on the job and advance in their careers. With an investment in soft skills, you will gain better-prepared, more effective and confident employees while increasing employee engagement and reducing turnovers. It’s a win-win for both your young talent and your company. There is no better time to invest in your talent’s soft skills. Contact us to get your custom-branded version of the TalentEgg eLearning Academy soft skills courses to fit seamlessly into your other onboarding and professional development courseware to help your new hires and existing employees be the best career professionals they can be.

From our extensive experience working with employers, students, and recent grads, we learned there is frequently a skills gap in students leaving school to enter the workforce successfully. We help employers address this gap through two specialized TalentEgg Academy eLearning Programs: Backpack to Briefcase: Introduction to Workplace Soft Skills and Briefcase to Boardroom: Intermediate Soft Skills to Advance Careers.

VIRTUAL METHODS OF ENGAGING YOUNG TALENT

 

In the modern recruitment era, online and digital methods are crucial to bringing on young talent. During our “Students & Grads’ Career Wishlist for 2023” panel, we asked industry professionals and recruiters their most effective virtual methods of engaging with students and young talent. The most common responses were “Virtual Career Events / Info Sessions” and “Social Media.” 

In 2023, we found that 19% of students went to no virtual career events this year, and 30% went to zero in-person career events. We identified one primary reason for their limited attendance at career events.  They expressed a lack of interest and knowledge in the career fairs and events that were available to them.

This fact shows that marketing is vital to the success of your event. So it’s crucial to promote your events and publish them on as many websites and social media platforms as possible for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes and to expand your reach to as many students and new grads as possible. If you are having trouble getting Gen Z to sign up for your events, you should utilize our Unlimited Event Postings, included as an essential element of our TalentEgg Annual Campaigns.

The other most effective way to engage with students and new grads is through social media. At TalentEgg, we have invested substantially in the past year to enhance our follower count, increase impressions, and drive engagement to new heights. Using TalentEgg’s social media channels, followed by students and grads actively looking for jobs, is a great way to build your followers among your target candidates and support your campus recruitment outreach.

TalentEgg also offers various social media services to our clients that aid in boosting engagement and reaching Gen Z talent. These services include TalentEgg Social Media Takeovers for Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn, TalentEgg Shorts, TalentEgg Social Media Promotion, TalentEgg Social Media Ads, and more. Inquire here to learn more.

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