Canadian Workforce Dynamics & Time Management

Diversity in the Workplace

• Diversity in Canada includes race, ethnicity, religion, culture, newcomer status, geography, language, politics, gender, beliefs, sexual orientation, economic status, abilities, skills, and interests.
• In 2011, workers aged 55+ comprised 18.7% of the total employment, compared to 15.5% in 2006.
• The increase is due to the aging of the baby boomer generation and more older workers participating in the labor force.

Women in the Workforce

• In 2011, women made up slightly less than half of the employed workforce (48.0%).
• In sales and service occupations, women comprised 27.1% of the workforce.
• Women made up 24.6% of the business, finance, and administration workforce, and 16.8% of the educational services, health care, and social assistance workforce.

Baby Boom Generation

• People born between 1946 and 1964 are considered baby boomers.

Education in the Workforce

• In 2011, the employment rate for people aged 25-64 was 75.3%.
• 30.8% of this group had university credentials.
• 12.7% had no certificate, diploma, or degree.

Globalization

• World economies are interdependent due to increased cross-border commodity/service trade and international capital flow.

Downsizing

• Companies increase efficiency by getting more done with fewer employees.
• They lay off non-essential employees.

Outsourcing

• Companies reduce costs by outsourcing manufacturing to countries with lower minimum wages.

Telework

• Work performed from various locations using telecommunications (e.g., call centers, cold-calling).

Remote Employment

• Work done mostly away from a traditional workplace.

Virtual Office

• Work done remotely using technology while appearing to be in a physical location (e.g., a virtual meeting).

Sole Proprietorship

• Business owned and controlled by one person who receives all profits and bears all debts.
• Examples include restaurants, shops, landscaping, and pet care.

Partnership

• Business owned by two or more people who share business decisions, profits, and debt.
• Examples include small law firms and medical practices.

Corporation

• Legal entity created by a formal process.
• Can be privately or publicly owned (e.g., Costco, Desjardins, Honda, McCain Foods, Royal Bank of Canada, Canadian National Railway, Suncor Energy).

Formal Organizational Structures

• Common structures include a board of directors, chief executive officer (CEO), chief information officer (CIO), vice presidents, managers, and employees.

Organizational Culture

• Reflects values, beliefs, and attitudes of an organization.
• Expressed through symbols like dress codes and unwritten rules.
• The atmosphere of a workplace influences employee and customer perceptions.
• Examples include formal business suits in legal offices and casual Fridays.

Role of the Administrative Professional

• Typical work involves 40 hours/week of office work, supporting others, responding to inquiries, managing office tasks, and being the initial point of contact for questions.

Employability Skills (Administrative Professionals)

• Strong communication skills (oral, written, and non-verbal).
• Ability to manage information.
• Proficiency with technologies.
• Ability to solve problems & manage time effectively

Time Management Tips

• Create a daily plan, set time limits, use organizers, know important deadlines.
• Block out distractions, track time, prioritize, delegate, limit time-wasters.
• Have a clock readily available.

Disorganization

• Messy workspaces, difficulty filing documents, and procrastination.

Establishing Priorities

• Prioritize tasks by urgency and importance (Important & Urgent, Important & Not Urgent, Urgent & Not Important, Not Urgent & Not Important).

Minimizing Interruptions

• Email: Determine email check intervals, respond directly, do not let it replace personal contact.
• Telephone: Record information clearly, identify yourself/supervisor, avoid non-urgent calls during working hours.

Visitors

• Set up appointments, discourage unexpected visitors unless necessary, politely guide visitors to appropriate individuals.

Organizational Goals

• Employee input in organizational planning helps reflect their understanding of organization goals.

Personal Goals

• Examples of personal goals are career goals, acquiring a house, or wanting a change of scenery.

Characteristics of Effective Goals (SMART Goals)

• Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Well-Organized Workspace

• Promotes employee morale, professionalism, organization, health, and efficiency. - Cleaner workplaces show appreciation and careful planning to customers and colleagues.

Customer (External/Internal)

• Customers are those who purchase products/services from a business.
• Internal customers are employees within an organization who use products/services.

Customer Service

• Ability of an organization to provide consistent quality service, meeting customer needs.
• Ability of an organization to provide consistent quality service addressing customer needs.

Customer Focus

• Centrality of customer needs to an organization as it helps provide top quality service.

Customer/Visitor Focus Strategies

• Maintain focus, be respectful, listen to customer input, be responsible and explain situations to customers clearly.

Customer Service Skills

• Empathy, communication, listening, product knowledge, problem-solving, patience, positive attitude, positive language, personal responsibility, confidence.
• Authenticity, adaptability, attentiveness, desire to learn, professionalism, acting ability, time management skills.

Gap Analysis

• Used to assess the difference between current and desired skill levels in employees, or for an organization's business process.
• Identify skills needed to improve, create action plans to address the identified skills gap.

Communication

• Message: the idea being communicated
• Originator: the sender of the message
• Channel: the method of sending the message (e.g., email, in-person, letter)
• Receiver: the recipient of the message

Verbal Communication

• Includes pitch (high/low), tone (attitude), pace (speed), and volume (loudness)
• Important to project confidence and ensure listener understanding.

Nonverbal Communication

• Includes body language, gestures, and facial expressions.

Listening Types

• Casual: objective of relating to others (e.g., during lunch)
• Active: focuses on understanding speaker's meaning (e.g., during a discussion)
• Informative: to hear, understand, and remember information.
• Evaluative: to understand and judge information.
• Empathetic: to understand and provide feedback to the speaker.
• Reflective: to offer feedback that helps speaker focus on their feelings or objectives.

Written Communication

• Emails: short, one screen length, include subject lines, use appropriate tone. Ensure the purpose of the email is clearly identified.
• Memoranda: longer, typed messages, typically used internally, often for policy changes or internal communication.
• Letters: formal, more formal means of communication, for formal situations/external customers, includes company letterhead, and logo.
• Reports: for internal use or for submission, covers many different topics including sales, health and safety, and research projects.
• Consider the purpose of the correspondence and consider your audience when writing.

Proofreading

• Tone, audience, effective paragraphs, spelling/grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation.
• Use available tools and professional tips to improve quality of writing. Check consistency and accuracy.
• Correct dates, using thesaurus if needed.

This quiz explores workforce dynamics in Canada, including globalization, aging demographics, and diversity. It also covers time management strategies, prioritization, and effective communication in the workplace. Furthermore, it explores the impact of education on employment rates.