What happened
Canadian employers are finding that old recruiting habits do not pull in Gen Z applicants, as reported by Talent Canada. Baby Boomers are retiring in large numbers, so attracting the next generation of workers is now tied to a company's long-term health.
The article points to cost of living as the starting point. Inflation and living costs have risen faster than wages, and it cites 2024 data showing roughly 45 per cent of Canadians are affected by rising costs. Pay is a first filter for younger candidates, though values matter too.
The piece lists what turns these candidates away: long multi-page application portals that make people retype their resume, vague job descriptions, missing salary ranges, and ghosting after an interview. It notes that a bad candidate experience can be posted publicly on LinkedIn. It also says British Columbia is moving toward pay transparency legislation. Its suggestions include listing total rewards up front, small coffee chats instead of large career fairs, and remote or hybrid options that ease the cost of living in expensive cities.
Why it matters if you are hiring
The advice is aimed at employers broadly, but the effects show up in entry-level and early-career hiring first: coordinators, analysts, junior accountants, production and warehouse staff, sales development reps. These are the roles where applicant volume has dropped for many employers, and where a slow or opaque process loses people to a faster competitor.
Three decisions follow. First, pay: if you leave the range out, you lose candidates who will not spend time guessing, and in some provinces you may be heading toward a legal requirement anyway. Second, process: every extra form field costs you applicants. Third, communication: a candidate you ignore after an interview is a candidate who may tell others.
The article is general guidance, not a study of hiring outcomes, so treat it as a checklist rather than proof. It is still a cheap one to run against your own process.
Smaller employers have room here. A fast, personal, honest process is something a 50-person company can deliver more easily than a large one.
One thing to do this week
Apply to your own open role as a candidate. Time it, note every field that repeats your resume, and check whether the posting shows a pay range and benefits. Then set a rule that every interviewed candidate hears back within 5 business days, yes or no.
Traverse has placed operations, finance, sales, manufacturing and technical people with Canadian employers since 1997, and we help hiring teams present roles clearly so the right candidates, young and experienced, respond.