The Great Resignation . . . or the Great Reshuffle?

The war for talent is on, with more people reconsidering where they work, how they work—or if they work—than ever before. In the U.S. the shift is seen in a record “quit rate,” with over 4.5 million workers resigning in November alone; here in Canada, employers had 874,000 job vacancies in November, near a record high, with wages ratcheting higher. The trend is especially acute in the high-tech, health and manufacturing sectors. In this season opener for Disruptors, an RBC podcast, co-hosts John Stackhouse and Trinh Theresa Do dive into thorny questions about labour mobility and the future of work. In the first half, they speak with Nobel-prize winner David Card, a Canadian-born labour economist who shares his insights into what’s really behind the numbers. And in the second half, tech entrepreneur Martin Basiri joins John and Theresa to discuss his company—Kitchener, Ontario’s ApplyBoard—and its plans to connect international students and immigrants with a market desperately in need of skilled labour. As our economy roars back to life, workers are in the driver’s seat—empowered to seek new opportunities, and demand raises, bonuses and job flexibility. With the right mix of innovative technology and enlightened labour practices, employers just might be able to meet the moment—and secure a happy and productive workforce for years to come.

Disruptors