KEYNOTE SPEAKER- Malorie Reimer – SI Senior Recruiter

Multiculturalism unites a diverse set of cultures and ethnic backgrounds within the workplace. People from various socio-ethnic backgrounds or different countries offer many advantages, such as more creativity, greater respect among employees, improved customer service and the promotion of a positive work environment.

For a better understanding of multiculturism, we had Malorie Reimer as our keynote speaker. Malorie is an outstanding and talented recruiter with tremendous experience in the Technology and Business transformation Space, where she has been very successful working with talented candidates and hiring managers at large companies in Calgary. During this event we had the priviledge to learn from topics such as  as Hiring Privileges, Discrimination, and Best Recruitment Practices among many others, and we were thankful to have her sharing her expertise with us.

By the end of the event, our clients were able to understand how their multicultural backgrounds can be a powerful tool to market themselves. They learnt how to pitch this aspect as a positive quality during interviews.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER- Michael Olutola-Support Manager at Reach

The new norms of the modern workforce have been shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. We have long passed those days when the workplace used to be a mere physical space. Today's ever-connected instant access environment has blurred the lines between the physical office and the workplace. As the lines between professional and personal life disappear, and the workplace becomes truly digital, employees are communicating and collaborating in unprecedented ways.

But humans are wired to live in a ‘physical’ world and few of us are waiting to go back to the pre-covid situation. So, what will the world look like post-covid? What role will technology play as workers return to office spaces? What does “New Normal” mean for businesses and Employees? What will future work look like post-pandemic?

To answer these questions, we invited Michael Olutola Obembe to be our keynote speaker for the event. He is a Professional IT Solution Architect/Product Manager with over 10+ years of experience in ICT and Telco space designing innovative technical and business solutions. He was able to summarise for us that the “new normal” workforce is looking for systems and people to be pandemic proof and that it would be a blend of remote and physical working. Our clients understood that they need to add more “pandemic proof” skillsets to their resume as remote work is here to stay and will only increase in the future.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER- Dr. Anup Srivastava, Canada Research Chair for the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary

The way we work has changed quicker than we could imagine. The global health crisis has accelerated this change and now improving the workforce is pretty much a never-ending business. As we evaluate the latest trends, it’s clear that many of them have been shaped by the Millennial and Gen Z generations entering the workforce where we see a common desire among employees for their work to align with their ideals. Given the dramatic change in the workplace over the years, workforce management strategies have had to adapt to meet the needs of these trends.

The quality of your workforce has a direct impact on performance; the better an employee feels, the more likely they are to increase productivity and earn businesses more money. As more and more businesses turn to freelancers and private contractors for specific tasks, employees are requesting more control and flexibility with their schedules.

To break down the nitty-gritty of the new trends, we invited Dr. Anup Srivastava, who is the first Canada Research Chair at the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary. He is one of the foremost researchers on the evolution of the knowledge economy and the rapidly changing landscape of business. Beyond scholarly publications in top academic journals, he has published over twenty practitioner-oriented ideas in Harvard Business Review. His work is frequently cited in Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Economist, New York Times, Forbes, and Barrons. He brings to his research a unique lens with over 14 years of corporate experience.

Anup was able to take us through the new trends in the workforce and how our clients can manoeuvre through these ‘remote’ demands for a successful professional career. Our clients now feel more prepared to face the demands of the new workforce trends.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Serge Boudreau – Talent Acquisition Director, Robots and Pencils and Recruitment Podcast Host

SUCCESS STORY: Elijah Oluwapojuwo – Senior Forensic Project Schedule Analyst at Trans Canada.

2020 has changed many rules forever. One of the most profound realities of the pandemic is how recruitment procedures were impacted. Current trends – many accelerated by the pandemic – have changed the rules of recruiting and hiring, requiring organizations and job seekers to adapt and embrace new practices to compete and triumph in the future war for talent.

Most organizations have had to rethink their recruitment strategies to perform well in the virtual environment. The whole idea of recruiting, assessing and hiring someone without meeting them in person is challenging for both hiring managers and candidates.

For candidates, their experience with virtual interviews is going to be a whole lot different from the in-persons. The procedures in place are more streamlined to find the right fit. Companies are now using artificial intelligence recruitment- software such as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter out the 'cream of the crop' candidates using veritable data. The initial phone-screening remains the same, but the in-person interview has moved online. Video interviews, whether live or pre-recorded are the way to go. The change may be uncomfortable at first, but talent acquisition professionals and candidates are up for the task.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Mahesh Makkar, Engineering Manager at Helios Consulting

SUCCESS STORY: Murtaza UI Hassan – Business Intelligence Specialist at University of Calgary

The increasing concerns of environmental pollution as a result of human activities, such as the use of fossil fuels for power generation, has driven many organizations to tap into alternative renewable energy sources and “cleaner” fuels and use more effective technologies, to minimize emissions that are produced during the life cycle of conventional energy sources.

The renewable energy market is changing – thanks to the increased demand for cleaner energy sources. Alberta, being one of the largest producers of natural gas, has seen evident growth in this sector. Experts anticipate a surge in projects that could make the province a leader in utility-scale wind and solar capacity as early as 2025.

With many sectors aiming for a greener footprint, socially conscious investors are now turning into ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) criteria to help them avoid companies that pose a greater risk due to their environmental practices. Canada boasts of a world-leading record for overall ESG; however, many companies are still improving these assurance systems. A strong ESG helps Canadian resource companies maintain their production in this increasingly competitive global trading system, improve their market share and become a responsible source of renewable energy for the world.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Serge Boudreau – Talent Acquisition Director, Robots and Pencils and Recruitment Podcast Host

SUCCESS STORY: Elijah Oluwapojuwo – Senior Forensic Project Schedule Analyst at Trans Canada.

2020 has changed many rules forever. One of the most profound realities of the pandemic is how recruitment procedures were impacted. Current trends – many accelerated by the pandemic – have changed the rules of recruiting and hiring, requiring organizations and job seekers to adapt and embrace new practices to compete and triumph in the future war for talent.

Most organizations have had to rethink their recruitment strategies to perform well in the virtual environment. The whole idea of recruiting, assessing and hiring someone without meeting them in person is challenging for both hiring managers and candidates.

For candidates, their experience with virtual interviews is going to be very different from in-person interviews. The procedures in place are more streamlined to find the right fit. Companies are now using artificial intelligence recruitment- software such as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter out the 'cream of the crop' candidates using veritable data. The initial phone screening remains the same, but the in-person interview has moved online. Video interviews, whether live or pre-recorded are the way to go. The change may be uncomfortable at first, but talent acquisition professionals and candidates are up for the task.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Sara Struthers, Manager, Individual Learner Services, DX Talent Hub at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT)

To transition into a new career and industry doesn’t mean that you need to begin from the bottom of the ladder. It is just a process of reinventing yourself. The reason for one to reinvent yourself can be a plenty. Maybe they lost a job, maybe they wanted a career change or maybe they believe there are better opportunities elsewhere. 

There are so many people who have successfully transitioned from their previous careers into a new path that is nowhere close to what they did earlier. Pivoting into a new course can be exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming.

Transitioning has its advantages too. While you are opening doors to better opportunities, you are also acquiring “transferable” skills that are highly valued in today’s job market.

To inspire and motivate us, we had our keynote speaker, Sara Struthers. During her initial days, she was looking after her family business. She slowly transitioned into being an HR professional and today she has found success in the tech world and is currently spearheading the Individual Learner Services of DX Talent at SAIT.

PANELISTS: Bob McDonald - Senior Draftsman Consultant at Golder

       Kristen Dawson - Coach, Corporate Culture and Self-Awareness Specialist

       Christal Reed – Global Connections CEO, Trainer, Coach and Author

       Steven Ngo – Senior Counsel at Visier Inc.

Communication is key to a healthy relationship and a compelling leadership. It is more nuanced than just oral talks and speeches. In today’s digital world, humans prefer to engage via social media than in-person. This has led to decline in effective communication in the real world.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Alok Sahai, P Eng., MBA, President and CEO of Mass Natural Resources Inc

SUCCESS STORY: Maureen Imonirioma-Oyinleye, Finance Analyst, HelpSeeker Technologies

Throughout the 20th/21st centuries, oil and natural gas so far are primary fuel sources. Despite that, governments around the world have pledged to reach net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. For Alberta, having an Oil and Gas economy, this looks different.

Here are some key statistics:

• Worldwide, Canada ranks 3^rd on Oil Reserves and 4^th on Oil Production (Source: Statista)
• Canada Oil & Gas: 7.5% of GDP (total: $1.9T) and 7 times of average in employment per GDP (Source: StatCan)
• Alberta oil production: 74% of Canada, with 31.0% of total GDP
• GHG emissions by Oil & Gas: 26.4%

Canada, which is ranked eighth overall and sixth on national preparedness, faces challenges to its decarbonization credibility as a major exporter of oil that is also developing a liquid natural gas export facility. But there is a political will to change. (Source: KPMG 2021)

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Varun Chopra, Community and Culture on the Radical Digitization Team, Shopify

SUCCESS STORY: Efe Joveluro, Senior Project Manager, HelpSeeker Technologies

Economists believe that digital economy also known as internet economy, the new economy, or the web economy is the fourth industrial revolution. Few of the world’s biggest companies operate in the digital economy. A growing number of Canadians depend on it for their livelihood.

Ecommerce and digital marketing are not mutually exclusive. Ecommerce websites do use all the digital channels to promote a product and grow their business. Companies such as Shopify have optimized this opportunity by being at the right place at the right time. Today, Shopify is deemed to be the best ecommerce platform in the market.

“About 90 per cent of Canadians use the Internet every day. Globally, about 4.39 billion people use the Internet, or more than half the world’s population. This has resulted in the shift of billions of dollars from offline economy to e-commerce. E-commerce in Canada had reached $1.5 billion a month by 2019. E-commerce now makes up 14.1 per cent of global retail sales. As online connections strengthen, sales increase.”

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:  Ernesto Santoscoy, MBA, P.Eng, PMP, Project Management Director at Cummins.

SUCCESS STORY: Daniel Shakeel, Financial Analyst, Finning International Inc.

Modern work life involves hustling between tasks and solving new challenges. Many attractive jobs today require people to be analytical problem solvers who can take on new challenges and find creative solutions for them.

Strategic thinking involves skills that allow you to use critical thinking to solve complex problems and plan ahead. These skills are critical to acing interviews, achieving business goals, overcoming barriers, and meeting challenges.

So, what can you do to help yourself? Is there a better way to complete this task?

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Huong Vo, Marketing Specialist and Certified Career Strategist and Coach

SUCCESS STORY: Sagar Jani, Finance and Operations Specialist, Nuun Digital

Today, social media marketing is one of the most predominant types of digital marketing. With such a surge in its popularity, it was inevitable that businesses and professionals began to incorporate it as part of their marketing strategy.

Here are some key statistics:

• 96 billion people use social media worldwide, according to platform reports on the current number of active users. (Source: Backlinko)
• In 2020, the average time spent on social media per day is 2 hours 24 minutes globally for users aged 16 to 64 on any device. The total of 144 minutes is a 1.4% increase from 142 minutes the previous year, and up 38% in the past 5 years. (Source: Backlinko)
• 54% of social browsers use social media to research products (GlobalWebIndex, 2018).
• 63% of customers expect companies to offer customer service through their social media – and 90% of social media users have already connected with a brand or business through their chosen platform. (Source: Smartinsights)

With so many users online businesses have so much more opportunity to reach their ideal customers in the fastest way possible. The greater benefits of a good social media strategy are improved brand awareness, increased customer base and easy promotion of products and services to the right audience.