Talent Works

Beyond Qualifications: Finding the Perfect Fit for Every Corporate Culture

Arlene MacAskill’s story resonates with many well-educated, highly skilled Nova Scotians. After years of living and working in Toronto, she needed a change. A less stressful, less rushed pace of life. She knew she needed to come home. But job hunting from a distance posed a significant challenge, and in order to re-locate her career and life, MacAskill wanted some sort of professional connection to help her find the right opportunities.

Upon discovering the Come Home to Nova Scotia initiative developed by Halifax-based recruitment firm, Talentworks, MacAskill was thrilled. “Knowing whom to reach out to was a bit of a problem,” she says. “Talentworks’ Come Home to Nova Scotia strategy gave me a point of contact.”

Ultimately, it gave her more than that. Talentworks president Maureen Millier was so impressed by MacAskill that she hired her as a recruitment consultant in 2003. Initially, Come Home to Nova Scotia was developed as a national outreach strategy for a local client, but it proved highly successful for Talentworks during a period when there was not much emphasis on attracting ex-pats back to the province.

“There were very specific skill sets that the market was crying for at the time,” says Millier. “That’s what we were trying to tap into with our Come Home to Nova Scotia initiative, and we were able to build a network for future recruiting.”

Today, Talentworks maintains a wide web of connections for national and international recruiting efforts, but also plays a pivotal role in placing and retaining the many talented people already living in Nova Scotia.

In today’s competitive and ever-evolving economy, hiring people is a complex process. An online job posting may draw hundreds of resumes that can’t fully articulate the finest qualities of each candidate, and quickly overwhelm even the most efficient Human Resources department. Or, in the case of some roles, a specialist must be sought and given compelling reasons to join a company.

Whether finding a rare Research and Development scientist in an international search, or helping a company wade through a pool of talented local people to find the one best suited to its corporate culture, Talentworks focuses on what is most important: delivering the right person for the right job by uncovering the core values of both the clients and the candidates in a way that fosters trust and respect.

“The more that a firm opens up with us, and really allows us to see what their culture is like, the better we can represent that,” MacAskill says. “And just as we bring the client to life for the candidate, we also bring the candidate to life for the client. We create a profile that tells the story of the candidate’s work history, and gives the reasons as to why this person is in front of them. And our clients love that.”

Precision BioLogic is one such client. The Nova Scotia developer and distributor of laboratory products is firmly committed to using Talentworks for all recruitment because of the remarkable accuracy of their process, and the deeply trusting relationship they’ve developed. Kathy MacDonald, Precision BioLogic’s HR Co-ordinator, sums up her experience with Talentworks, saying, “When you just look at a resume, you can’t always see what would make someone perfect for your organization. But Talentworks can. They find it, and capture it.” Which is tremendously valuable to everyone involved.

While the industries they service are as varied as the companies and candidates they represent, Talentworks is in a unique position to spot emerging trends. Just as they recognized that there were Nova Scotia ex-pats looking for ways to return, Talentworks recruitment consultants now see a growing interest from professionals in the UK looking to make Nova Scotia their home. Why? They’re seeking a balanced way of working and living, and see Nova Scotia as a place where it is more possible to achieve that.

At Talentworks, they also see many Nova Scotia businesses eager to integrate work/life balance into their corporate culture and values because they want their people to be happy and healthy. As Maureen Millier points out, “Here, it’s not how many hours you’ll work. It’s who you are, and how you can contribute. And that permeates through all industries, all professional services. People want the whole you, not just your hours.”

She adds, “We don’t compromise our aggressive desire for growth. We just do it in a very different way.” Whether drawn by bonds of the past or hopes for the future, a steady stream of talented people helps keep Nova Scotia businesses vibrant, thriving, and globally competitive. And Talentworks helps skilled professionals at home and abroad connect with the amazing career opportunities this diverse and dynamic place has to offer.