“Life’s ups and downs provide windows of opportunity to determine your values and goals. Think of using all obstacles as stepping stones to build the life you want.”

Marsha Sinetar To Build the Life You Want, Create the Work You Love Developed by Diane Brockman, Jolanta Glinska and Mark Ono Shared with permission.

Canadian Work Culture



Team work



Initiative



Assertiveness



Self-evaluation



The right fit



Work-life balance

Agenda

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Salary Negotiation Signing the Contract Employment Standards Act Corporate Culture Changing Work Values Communication Managing Your Career

Before Negotiation



Consider the additional benefits or “perks” outweigh a low salary.

which may



Common Perks :

– – –

Extensive medical coverage Training and professional development Flexible work environment or flextime

– – –

Bonuses (e.g. Christmas bonus) Regular pay increases Other: on-site day care, short Fridays or Fridays off in summer

Before Negotiation

 Research the pay scale.

 Does the job offer conform to industry standards?

   Speak to a recruiter, mentor, Human Resources person, friend.

www.monster.ca - Go to the Salary Centre.

www.labourmarketinformation.ca

- Click on Wages and Salaries.

 Learn all the details about the job and the company first.

 Delay salary discussion for as long as possible.

What Are Your Salary Expectations?

If you are asked what your salary expectations are:



At the

beginning

of the interview stage, this is probably a screening strategy.

(Can we afford him/her?)



In the

middle or end

of the interview process, the company is interested in you.

What Are Your Salary Expectations?

 “ What is important to me is the opportunity to work for your company. I applied for this job because I am very interested in the position and I know that I can make a contribution to the team.”  “ I am open to any reasonable offer, so when we get to the job offer stage, can we talk about salary then?”

Salary Negotiation



If the interviewer is insistent, you must give a figure.



Give a range: “I am looking for something in the $45K to 50K range; however I am

negotiable

.”

Negotiating a Better Offer

1 st : Express interest in the job offer.

“That is great. I think it will be a good fit. I am really looking forward to joining your team.”

Be Direct.

2 nd : State your expectations.

“However, I was expecting a higher offer.”

3 rd : Ask directly.

“Is there room for negotiation?”   pause No. Afraid not.

s mile Well….

The Job Offer

 Be prepared for the employer to offer you some perks or other forms of compensation instead of a higher salary.

 Take time to think this offer over.

It is common to ask for

24 to 48 hours

to think this through.

On the Job

Once working, you may negotiate a raise . You increase your chances for receiving a raise if you…

• • • •

Take on new responsibilities.

Increase your training and qualifications.

Successfully complete a significant project.

Develop something that contributes significantly to company’s success.

Signing the Contract

   The contract can be emailed or mailed to you.

Sometimes it is given to you during your first week on the job.

Read it through carefully.

Signing the Contract

The contract should explain:  Job title and responsibilities  The base salary, plus any other compensation, including salary reviews  Probation  Benefits

Signing the Contract

 Vacation entitlement  Sick days  Start date  Length of contract  Anything you have agreed to verbally during previous discussions, such as use of company car

Other Compensation

       Performance Bonus Profit Sharing Signing Bonus Health Benefits Stock Options Day Care Allowance Vacation     Travel/Car Allowance Flexible Work Hours Flexible Work Arrangements Earlier Salary Review

Signing the Contract

Documentation required of you:

 

SIN card Educational certificates Other forms to fill out:

     

Conflict of Interest Confidentiality Acceptance of Gifts Police Reference Check TD1 (Revenue Canada) Health Insurance (benefit form)

On the Job: Learn about the company



Employee Handbook : If you are given one, read it over to understand the company structure.



Company Intranet



Annual Report

Employment Standards Act

 Hours of work (standard, overtime, lieu time)  Overtime pay  Minimum wage ($8.75/hr.)  Public holidays (10) www.labour.gov.on.ca

 Vacation with pay  Notice of termination of employment (Record of Employment - ROE)  Severance pay

10 Public Holidays in Ontario

          New Year’s Day Family Day (Feb. 18 th ) Good Friday (Easter) Victoria Day (May 24 th ) Canada Day (July 1 st ) August Civic holiday Labour Day Thanksgiving Christmas Day (Dec 25 th ) Boxing Day (Dec 26 th )

Employment Standards Act



Payroll records and deductions Mandatory :

  

Employment Insurance (EI) benefits Canada Pension Plan (CPP) federal and provincial Income Tax Optional deductions :



union dues

 

Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) Company pension plan

Benefits



Benefits are additional to salary and can vary widely from company to company.



Usually include: dental and extended medical, e.g. disability, life insurance, eyeglasses, prescription medication



Benefits do not start immediately – often 1 to 3 months or longer

Benefits



Companies may pay anywhere between 50% - 100% of your benefits.



Some companies have different benefit plans to choose from.



Employees may be required to pay a premium or a contribution.

Ask: Is there an employee contribution?

Are there premiums?

Benefits: who is covered?

 The employee, his or her spouse and dependent children  Dependent children are

usually

defined as those living at home under the age of 17 or 18.  Some plans include children under 25 attending an educational institution.

Corporate Culture

This means how the company is organized and how they do things; in other words, the company’s personality

.

Corporate Culture



The structure of the organization:



Hierarchical versus single layer



Team projects



Few or no job titles

Job Titles

At Kinko’s, (a U.S. printing company) which has very low turnover , the terms manager, are known as “employees” co-workers .

and “boss” are not used. All employees, including the company president and If a company has a high turnover disadvantages?

what are the John Izzo & Pam Withers

,

Values Shift: the New Work Ethic and What It Means for Business

Corporate Culture



How the work gets done:



Self-managed teams



Independent and autonomous workers



Short-term contract workers



Consultants



Volunteers, co-op students



Shared decision making

Corporate Culture

The Canadian work culture is

extremely

time-conscious. One is expected to be on time for meetings, appointments,etc.

 

Standard work week is between 35 – 40/44 hours a week Some companies offer: - Flextime - Telecommuting (working from home)

Corporate Culture



Social Atmosphere - Casual Fridays - Staff picnics Friday “drinks” - Friday pizza - Socializing - Sports teams

Corporate Culture

Corporate Charity Work

Some companies expect their employees to take part in

charity fundraising or outreach events.

This could be during work, or after work or on the weekends. You should expect to be given time off during your regular work week for any extra time worked. This is called

lieu time

. lieu (French) = instead of = time off instead of extra pay

Corporate Culture



Rules of Behaviour

  

Dress code Confidentiality and ethics Communication, how people address each other



Skills Valued

    

Team work Creativity, innovation and initiative Adaptability Solution-oriented Positive attitude towards change and ambiguity

Employee Values

New set of values emerging in North America: 1.

2.

3.

More work-life balance Constant personal and career development Sense of contributing to the community and making a difference John Izzo & Pam Withers

,

Values Shift

Values Shift

Companies are concerned about retention . Why?



Productivity



Need leaders and mature, experienced workers



Customer service

“If treated well, people are intensely loyal.”

Stephen Smith, CEO, Westjet (Canada’s number 2 airline)

Values Shift

What are companies doing about it?



Career building training Funds can range from $200 to over $2000 a year



Profit sharing, stocks, shares

Values Shift



Offer personal benefits:

     

Childcare subsidies or on-site day care Eldercare support and paid time off to care for family Personal counselling (Employee Assistance Program EAP ) Retention bonus Personal days off On-site fitness, free massage therapy

How to Fit in and Succeed



Improve spoken and written skills.



Communication is to success in business.



Keep your technological skills current.



Take extra courses after work or take advantage of company training.



Be aware that you may have to ask for or apply for company financial assistance.

How to Fit in and Succeed



Show initiative.

 Volunteer for committees or projects.



Ask questions if you are not sure how to do something.



Participate in social activities: Friday drinks after work.



Maintain and cultivate a positive attitude.

Communication in the Workplace

“Communication is more than an exchange of information; it is logic and clarity , empathy and sincerity mixed with excellent interpersonal skills .”

Adapted from Janis Foord Kirk, Survivability: Career Strategies for the New World of Work

Communication in the Workplace

Strong interpersonal communicators :

      

Speak their minds clearly Share information willingly Offer constructive feedback Ask when they don’t understand Are empathetic listeners Wait for others to finish talking before speaking Are aware of others non-verbal behaviours Janis Foord Kirk, Survivability

Communication in the Workplace



Communication skills are essential to productivity. Half of our time on the job is spent communicating.



Mis

communication accounts for about 70% of workplace mistakes.



Communicating effectively means being a “mini-psychologist.” Everyone you communicate with is different.



Communication is one of the hardest things any of us do in life.

Hugh Rennie, communications consultant, quoted in Survivability

Assertiveness

“Assertive behavior is defined as standing up for personal rights and expressing thoughts, feelings and beliefs in direct, honest and appropriate ways which do not violate the rights of others.” Lange & Jakubowski, Responsible Assertive Behaviour

3 Types of Behaviour

Passive Avoids conflict Neglects own needs Intimidated by others Doesn’t achieve desired goal Feels frustrated Aggressive Creates conflict Insensitive Intimidates others Achieves goal but hurts others Considers others feelings Makes choices for own self May achieve goal (or may not) Feels hostile Assertive Compromises Feels good about self

Examples of Assertive Language

  

You are always interrupting me!

or I would like to finish what I was saying.

or As I was saying,….

  

I was embarrassed when you criticized my work in front of the other staff.

or You embarrassed me in front of the staff.

Managing Conflict



Speak to the person directly. Try to resolve the problem in a friendly manner.



Keep a record of problems.



Save any aggressive or inappropriate emails and correspondence.



Speak to your manager if the behavior doesn’t stop.

Canada

Differing Work Values and Expectations

France Korea

In Canadian work culture employees prefer to work for a manager who gives them freedom to make decisions and determine their way of doing a job. Managers prefer employees who can work with little direction and supervision.

In Korea , for example, employees prefer to be given a lot of clear directions, and managers are used to giving such directions.

Therefore, when a Canadian manager has a Korean employee, the employee may expect detailed directions, but the manager may be unwilling to provide them. As a result, both employee and manager will suspect each other as incompetent.

From Lionel LaRoche, Ph.D, P.Eng, Managing Cultural Diversity in Technical Professions

Multiculturalism



The word has been used in Canada since the late 1960s.



In 1985 Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau enacted the Multiculturalism Act .



Multiculturalism is a government policy cultural diversity, officially stressing mutual respect and tolerance for cultural differences. for managing



Toronto is considered the most multicultural city in the world.

Diversity



Age

 

Your manager may be younger than you.

Multi-generational teams (3 generations of people in the workplace)



Gender



Women hold senior positions in many corporations, for example, Manulife Financial, Scotiabank, Shell Canada, BMO Financial, Hewlett-Packard, General Motors of Canada (2003 statistics)

  

Religion – many companies offer paid religious days off Education Ability

Questions?

Developed by Diane Brockman, Jolanta Glinska and Mark Ono

Thank you for your participation today!