In an exclusive conversation with CanadianSME Small Business Magazine, Mike Shekhtman, Senior Regional Director at Robert Half, discusses the pressing hiring challenges faced by small businesses in Canada. With over 14 years of expertise in recruitment and talent solutions, Mike shares his insights on navigating competitive hiring landscapes, improving employee retention, and leveraging flexible work models to attract top talent.
Mike also delves into strategies for addressing labour market shifts, streamlining hiring processes, and adapting to the growing demand for hybrid and remote work opportunities. As a leader with a proven track record in talent solutions and community involvement, his expert advice provides a clear roadmap for small businesses to succeed in attracting and retaining skilled talent amidst evolving workplace dynamics.
Mike Shekhtman is a Senior Regional Director with Robert Half, the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions firm. In his role, Mike oversees multiple offices and practice groups across British Columbia and Manitoba, managing teams in Finance and Accounting, Administrative and Customer support, Management Resources, Technology, and Marketing and Creative.
Mike brings over 14 years of recruitment industry expertise and an in-depth understanding of the national and local hiring and recruitment landscape. In addition to his role at Robert Half, Mike is co-founder of Eeko Couriers, and recently served as a board member for the Canadian Mental Health Association in Vancouver and Fraser Valley.
What are the top hiring challenges faced by small businesses today, and how can they effectively overcome them?
“Robert Half’s latest research shows that small businesses are facing some concerning hiring challenges as we head into 2025. Overall, nearly 9 in 10 (88%) of small business managers report general challenges when it comes to finding skilled talent. Specifically, they are worried about retaining top talent (82%), finding talent quickly (77%), finding qualified candidates (77%), keeping critical business projects on track (75%), and successfully navigating economic cycles (74%). While these are challenges shared by businesses of all sizes, it can be especially difficult for small business leaders who perhaps aren’t able to compete with larger salaries that bigger organizations can offer. Therefore, they need to be more flexible and creative when it comes to overcoming some of these difficulties, and in addition to ensuring their salary benchmarks are as competitive as possible, they should also focus on streamlining their hiring process, offering perks and benefits, and providing enhanced flexibility to remain competitive.”
With many small businesses struggling to retain top talent, what are some key strategies for improving employee retention, especially in competitive markets?
“Retaining top talent is a critical element of any successful business and should not be overlooked as part of a company’s larger strategy. Reducing turnover helps to increase productivity, morale, project continuity, and company performance. With over 80% of small business managers worrying about retention right now, our research shows that they are using a variety of approaches as part of their retention strategies. 43% of small businesses say they are increasing compensation specifically as a retention tactic, and 4 in 10 are enhancing professional development opportunities. In addition, 40% are also increasing their recognition efforts, and 36% are offering retention bonuses to help incentivize longevity. In addition, 53% plan to increase contract hiring throughout the rest of this year, which can be a great way to alleviate workloads for core staff while ensuring project continuity, to help with managing burnout and therefore additional turnover. These are all valuable methods to help improve workplace satisfaction, wellbeing and loyalty, especially in a competitive environment.”
How are flexible work schedules and hybrid job opportunities shaping the hiring landscape, and why should small businesses consider adopting these models?
“Companies who cannot offer more money at this time but who are struggling to hire and retain top talent should ensure that their perks and benefits- most notably flexible and hybrid work options- are appealing and measure up to or exceed competitors. Recent Robert Half research shows that more than half of professionals (52%) said their productivity increased with more hybrid work options, while 42% say having flexible work hours improves their engagement.
Furthermore, 32% of workers who are looking for a new job say more flexibility is the main reason why, while of those not looking for new roles, not wanting to lose the level of flexibility their company currently offers is their top reason for staying put.
As a response to this, many businesses are continuing to offer hybrid and flexible work options specifically as a hiring and retention strategy. While employers would prefer to have workers onsite at least 4 days a week according to our data, many are still offering additional flexibility and remote work options as these remain a priority for most workers. Small businesses – especially those who can’t compete with larger salary offerings—don’t want to be left behind.”
In a tight labour market, what steps can small businesses take to attract skilled talent while balancing limited resources and budgets?
“As mentioned above, many small businesses either are or should be considering offering flexible work and hybrid options in order to attract and hire new talent. While 32% of small business managers surveyed said they are increasing starting salaries for this purpose, not every company is able to do that at the same scale as larger counterparts. Beyond salaries, 3 in 10 also said they are adding new perks and benefits, and that is an area that should be further explored, to see how else you can add value and appeal to professionals in ways that are more cost effective, like increasing vacation days for example.
In addition, small businesses should assess their hiring processes, to make them more efficient, and distinguish themselves from organizations that may have longer chains of approvals and therefore more lengthy hiring cycles. Our research consistently shows how frustrating long hiring processes are for candidates, and how many businesses miss out on top talent and top choices because they took too long to make an offer. Leveraging a smaller organization for a more streamlined hiring process, sharpened job descriptions, faster approval chains, and other efficiencies is a fantastic way to use the smaller size as an advantage, and land great candidates quickly.”
As the job market continues to evolve, what’s your key piece of advice for small businesses looking to adapt and succeed in the future of hiring?
“In addition to concerns about retention and finding skilled talent, small business managers report that they are also facing challenges with things like keeping projects on track and economic concerns. My advice is that small businesses should consider hiring contract talent to help keep critical projects moving forward if they can’t find skilled full-time talent, in order to ensure business priorities are met.
Prioritization is also key for keeping projects going, and small businesses should aim to be nimble and realistic about workloads, to ensure the most critical elements have the resources they need to succeed.”
