The IT Nerd

A recent study conducted by LinkedIn’s Economic Graph research teamunveils job seekers’ preferences in the Greater Toronto Area for remote and hybrid work.  According to the data, Torontonians display the lowest interest in applying for fully remote positions among major metropolitan areas. However, despite their reluctance for fully remote roles, Torontonians lead the way in Canada’s big metro areas in applying for hybrid work opportunities.  Key findings from the report include: 

• 28.5% of job applications from Toronto are interested in fully remote positions. 
• Although Torontonians show less enthusiasm for fully remote positions, 31.7% of job applications from Toronto were interested in positions that involve a combination of remote and in-office work. 

 The findings are based on an analysis of more than 12 million remote job applications on LinkedIn from May 2022 to May 2023.  If you’d like to learn more you can read the report in full here. 

Methodology 

LinkedIn analyzed more than more than 12 million and 11 million applications to paid remote and hybrid job postings in Canada, respectively, between May 2022 and 2023. To be included, postings either were explicitly labeled as “remote” or “hybrid,” or contained keywords such as “work from home.” Only metros with a 12-month average population of 100,000 or more LinkedIn members were included as large metros.   

As summer flies by, it’s crucial for interns to lay the foundation for their future career path. Navigating the evolving job market and effectively transforming an internship into a long-term job can be a challenging task, especially for new graduates who may still be finding their footing when it comes to showcasing their skills.  

That’s where the expertise of LinkedIn comes in. As a leading professional networking platform, LinkedIn offers a wealth of resources and insights to help young professionals:  

• Understand the company culture and values: Take the time to familiarize yourself with the company’s culture, values, and mission. Being aware of top jobs, industries, and skills for entry-level professionals in the industry of your interest can help to showcase your dedication and passion for the company’s success. 
• Showcase your skills and achievements: Throughout your internship, consistently deliver high-quality work that exceeds expectations. Collect your accomplishments, completed projects, and positive feedback to create an impressive portfolio that highlights your value to the organization. 
• Stay connected: Even if there isn’t an immediate full-time position available, maintaining contact with your colleagues and supervisors is vital. This way, you can stay informed about any future opportunities that may arise. Utilizing professional networking platforms like LinkedIn to demonstrate your ongoing professional development and engagement.  
• Elevate Your Career with LinkedIn Learning Courses: Internships are the perfect opportunity for personal and professional growth. LinkedIn Learning offers an extensive library of courses to help young professionals successfully transition from internships to jobs.  Whether it’s mastering project management or developing leadership skills, these courses provide practical, actionable content. 

Here’s some resources:

• 2023 Guide to Kickstarting Your Career: The biggest opportunities for Canada’s new graduates 
• LinkedIn 2023 Most In-Demand Skills 
• LinkedIn Learning Courses: Professional Networking for Career Starters 
• LinkedIn Learning Courses: Turning an Internship into a Job 

LinkedIn has released findings from their Gender Gap Report, which was published today in collaboration with the World LinkedIn Economic Forum’s 2023 Global Gender Gap Report. The report sheds light on the challenges women face in the professional sphere, emphasizing the urgent need for equal opportunities. Some of the key insights from the report include:

• The rate of leadership hiring for women had increased by approximately 1% annually worldwide over the past eight years. However, as fears of an economic downturn peak, we are observing a decline in the share of women hired into leadership for the first time since the COVID 19 pandemic, in Canada as well as in most major economies around the world 
• Women remain significantly underrepresented in STEM roles globally, comprising only 29% of the STEM workforce worldwide, and 33% of the STEM workforce in Canada. 
• Despite these findings, there has been positive development in Canada. Representation for women in STEM occupations has increased across entry to director levels. This may be attributed to transitions from non-STEM backgrounds, as higher-level positions require fewer STEM skills.   
• Unlike in many other countries analyzed, in Canada, the growth in representation of women with STEM skills outpaced the growth in representation of women with non-STEM skills.  However, there is still room to grow, as men are 2x more likely to list a STEM skill in their LinkedIn profile than women are. 

Both the Global Gender Gap Report and LinkedIn’s data highlight the urgent need for systemic change to create fair and equal workplaces, ensuring that women’s careers are future-proofed and resilient in the face of labor market uncertainty. LinkedIn is also supporting women’s career progression through free LinkedIn Learning courses including: Fighting gender bias at work; Women transforming tech: getting strategic with your career; Introduction to Artificial Intelligence; Powerless to Powerful: Taking Control. 

With the world of work being reshaped, employers are now rethinking everything including what they look for in candidates, where they find them, and how they attract and retain them. Now more than ever companies need more guidance. 

LinkedIn recently released a data report sharing 17 predictions for the future of recruiting, based on dozens of interviews with global talent leaders, surveys of thousands of recruiting pros, and analysis of billions of data points generated on LinkedIn.  

The data and insights center around five key themes ranging from internal mobility to skills-first hiring to employers remaining committed to DEI despite the current economic uncertainty. 

Key Global Findings Include: 

• Three-out-of-four of recruiter respondents are saying that DEI hiring is being prioritized. 
• Recruiters are 25% more likely to search for candidates based on skills than they were just three years ago. And more than 50% of recruiters are more likely to search for skills than by years of experience. 
• Employees who work at companies with a high internal mobility tend to stay 60% longer than those at companies with a lower internal mobility. 

The full report can be viewed here.

As the 2023 workforce rapidly evolves, conversations around ‘recession’ are up nearly 900% since last year and topics like layoffs are trending on LinkedIn. However, today’s professionals are finding confidence in their skills, allowing them to bounce back and move forward when facing job change – planned or not.

A complement to this year’s Jobs on the Rise list, which identified the 25 jobs which have grown most over the past five years, the Most In-Demand Skillslist offers an insider look at the skills companies need most right now and free LinkedIn Learning courses to learn these skills.

The 2023 top 10 most in-demand skills in Canada include:

1. Management – Be The Manager People Won’t Leave
2. Communication – Communication Foundations
3. Customer Service – Customer Service Foundations
4. Leadership – Human Leadership
5. Microsoft Office – Excel Essential Training (Office 365)
6. Sales – Sales Foundations
7. Project Management – Project Management Foundations
8. Teamwork – Being an Effective Team Member
9. Research – Market Research Foundations
10. Analytical Skills – Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

For the full list of the Most In-Demand Skills, and their corresponding LinkedIn Learning courses, visit here.

Despite economic uncertainty and global hiring slowing down, a recent global survey from LinkedIn reveals that 60% of professionals are considering a new job this year – driven by the desire for bigger salaries as the cost-of-living increases. The survey found that 38% desire higher pay while also revealing that 30% are looking to pursue a better work-life balance.  

To provide insight on these trends, LinkedIn’s 2023 Jobs on the Rise list shows the 20 fastest-growing jobs in Canada, offering insights into where job seekers can find opportunity and stability as they search for their next role. The report features links to open positions, average salaries, remote work availability, the top skills for each role along with free LinkedIn Learning courses.  

The top 5 roles in Canada include:  

1. Growth Marketing Manager – including work in sales, marketing, and communications, and using data to develop and communicate strategies and processes to increase business revenue. 
2. Product Operations Manager – usually have a cross-functional role, working with management and companies’ various teams to build and oversee the effectiveness of business processes, operations, products and/or services. 
3. Dispensary Technician – typically involves taking and filing out orders at cannabis dispensaries. 
4. Technical Program Manager – work involves developing and managing organizations’ various technical projects and programs. 
5. Sustainability Manager – works to balance an organizations’ needs with its capacity for sustained profitability, involving the monitoring and forecasting of its impact on the surrounding environment.    

The full list, including industry, region, and salary insights for each role can be found here.

Methodology 

LinkedIn Economic Graph researchers examined millions of jobs started by LinkedIn members from January 1, 2018 to July 31, 2022 to calculate a growth rate for each job title. To be ranked, a job title needed to see consistent growth across our membership base, as well as have grown to a meaningful size by 2022. Identical job titles across different seniority levels were grouped and ranked together. Internships, volunteer positions, interim roles and student roles were excluded, and jobs where hiring was dominated by a small handful of companies in each country were also excluded. Additional data points for each of the job titles are based on LinkedIn profiles of members holding the title and/or open jobs for that title in the country. 

According to the latest Statistics Canada data, job vacancies are on the rise estimating that in August 2022, there were nearly a million unfilled positions. These vacancies coupled with the threat of recession, talent reshuffle and layoffs across sectors have young professionals examining how they can better prepare for next wave of economic uncertainty. 

In response to potential economic downturn, LinkedIn is starting to see people, “Career Cushioning”, meaning they are taking actions to keep their options open and cushioning for whatever comes next in the economy and job market. 

LinkedIn offers support in helping young professionals feel more secure about their job experience and offers ways to upskill. Below are some of the specific ways to begin “Career Cushioning” using LinkedIn as a resource.

• Tend to Your Network: A recent global survey from LinkedIn found that almost half of people (48%) use their professional network to get job advice or referrals.  
• Skills Matters: More than 40% of hirers on LinkedIn explicitly use skills data to fill their roles, up over 30% year-over-year. 
• Start to put feelers out there for new roles: Turning on Open to Work on your LinkedIn profile increases your likelihood of getting a recruiter message by 2X. 

This article on LinkedIn offers additional tips.

LinkedIn is releasing the Canadian edition of the 2022 Top Startups List featuring the companies attracting attention and top talent in 2022. 

Grounded in unique LinkedIn data, Top Startups is an annual ranking of the young, emerging companies attracting professionals who want to work there. The list reveals the companies that are forward-thinking and innovative around the future of work. These growing startups are successfully navigating through the current world of work at a time where there is economic uncertainty. 

LinkedIn’s methodology is based on growth and demand. The data to rank startups on the list is based on four pillars that are synonymous with successful startups: employment growth, engagement, job interest and attraction of top talent.  

2022 Top Startups Canada List

1. Neo Financial 
2. Ada 
3. Fable 
4. Shakepay 
5. ApplyBoard 
6. BenchSci 
7. Cohere 
8. Certn 
9. Drop 
10. Dapper Labs 
11. Snapcommerce 
12. Manifest Climate 
13. Irwin 
14. TealBook 
15. Klue 

Methodology 

LinkedIn measures startups based on four pillars: employment growth, engagement, job interest and attraction of top talent. Employment growth is measured as percentage headcount increase over methodology time frame, which must be a minimum of 10%. Engagement looks at non-employee views and follows of the company’s LinkedIn page, as well as how many non-employees are viewing employees at that startup. Job interest counts rate at which people are viewing and applying to jobs at the company, including both paid and unpaid postings. Attraction of top talent measures how many employees the startup has recruited away from any global LinkedIn Top Company, as a percentage of the startup’s total workforce. Data is normalized across all eligible startups. The methodology time frame is July, 1 2021 through June 30, 2022.  

To be eligible, companies must be fully independent, privately held, have 50 or more full-time employees, be 7 years old or younger and be headquartered in the country on whose list they appear. We exclude all staffing firms, think tanks, venture capital firms, law firms, management and IT consulting firms, nonprofits and philanthropy, accelerators and government-owned entities. Startups who have laid off 20% or more of their workforce within the methodology time frame are also ineligible.  

About company insights 

*Company insights were sourced from LinkedIn Talent Insights. Data reflects aggregated public member data from active LinkedIn profiles in the relevant country and includes full-time employee profiles associated with the company on LinkedIn. All data points are measured among hires in the last year. We exclude members who identify as part-time or contractors. Headcounts are provided by the companies directly, unless otherwise noted with an asterisk. Those headcounts are based on LinkedIn data. The insights reflect data as of July 2022. Skills data was derived from measuring the most frequent skills among a company’s employees. Most common job titles represent the occupations that are most common within each company. Largest job function measures the function area most prevalent within each company.

As the job market continues to shift, it’s important for workers to adapt, keep their skills sharp and stay connected to their professional network. New data from LinkedIn shows necessary skills for today’s jobs have changed by 25% since 2015 and that number is expected to double by 2027.

With that in mind, LinkedIn identified the top 20 skills in demand today. These skills were featured in more than three-quarters of paid jobs posted globally over the last three months on the platform. To help job seekers future-proof their careers, LinkedIn Learning is offering FREE courses for the month of September in these growing areas. Here’s a preview of the top five skills on the list.

1. Customer Service – Serving Customers in a Continuously Changing World
2. Sales – Asking Great Sales Questions
3. Accounting – Lean Accounting Foundations
4. Business Development – Business Development: Strategic Planning
5. Marketing – Marketing Foundations: The Marketing Funnel 

For job seekers, LinkedIn also recognizes the power of turning to your professional connections for help. You can also now see who’s hiring in your network when you visit the Jobs home page. And you’ll be notified of relevant jobs when people in your first- or second-degree network are hiring, plus you can also see members of the hiring team in job descriptions, making it easy for you to reach out directly. 

In addition, LinkedIn will host a series of virtual events from September 12-16 where you can engage with expert instructors and discover tactical tips on how to support your career.  

For the full list of the top 20 skills in demand today, and their corresponding LinkedIn Learning courses, visit here.

Canada’s bustling tech sector has attracted national and international headlines in recent weeks, as an influx of investment into the nation’s talent pipeline helps it earn a reputation as a major hub for the industry.

The latest edition of LinkedIn’s Workforce Report for Canada reveals where the tech workforce has expanded the fastest over the past year, as well the roles, skills and cities driving growth. Here are some of the key findings:

• Growth in Canada’s tech talent workforce outpaced the U.S. over the past 12 months (1.6% growth rate in Canada compared to 1.1% in the U.S.)
• Calgary enjoys the fastest pace of tech workforce growth at 2.2% over the past 12 months (Vancouver and Toronto are close behind at 2.1% and 2% growth, respectively)
• Data Engineer (19.7%) and Back End Developer (14.1%) are the fastest-growing tech jobs in Canada over the past 12 months
• The fastest-growing skills relate to cloud-computing, such as Microsoft Azure (which was up 36% over a year), user interface library React.js (up 33%) and Amazon Web Services (up 26%)

The full report findings can be found here.

Methodology

This body of work represents the world seen through the lens of LinkedIn data, drawn from the anonymized and aggregated profile information of LinkedIn’s 810 million members around the world. As such, it is influenced by how members choose to use the platform, which can vary based on professional, social and regional culture, as well as overall site availability and accessibility.

To map “tech talent,” LinkedIn determines members’ job functions from their job titles as listed on their profiles. For this report, a member is considered to be “tech talent” if their current job function is in “Information Technology” or “Engineering.” All positions, including full-time, intern, student, contract, part-time and self-employed roles are included in this analysis.

Top educational institutions are based on the institutions listed in the education section of LinkedIn profiles. The rank for top tech schools is based on the number of “tech talent” workers who attended a given school.

The tech talent growth rate reflects the percentage change in the number of tech professionals in a given location, compared with the same location a year earlier. Named cities include wider metropolitan areas. Fastest-growing jobs reflect the percentage change in the number of professionals who list a job title as an active position on their LinkedIn profile, compared with the same title a year earlier.