Agoracom

This is a VERY interesting read and I thought I would share it with you all.

CALGARY - Companies that find themselves in hot economic sectors -- a relative term in Alberta -- seem to be immune to the slight hiring slow-down in sectors experiencing more moderate levels of activity, according to business leaders who are still trying to keep up with burgeoning demand for workers.

"Everything has sped up in our business," says Perry Spitznagel, vice-chairman of law firm Bennett Jones LLP and a managing partner in the Calgary office. "All pistons have been firing in all of our offices in all of our practice areas, so excellent activity levels."

While many corporations in the hottest sectors have begun offering a plethora of perks to entice workers, Bennett Jones has bucked the trend.

"We don't give people signing bonuses or free Porsches -- we're not into that game,"; Mr. Spitznagel says. "We're in it for the long haul and we try not to react or overreact to market pressures ."

Instead, his company -- recognized as one of Canada's Top 50 employers in Hewitt Associates LLC 2008 list -- has taken the same approach the firm has used for the past 100 years.

"I think people respect that and recognize this is a long-haul organization with some cultural values that are very basic and fundamental and maybe old-fashioned by some peoples' reckoning," he says.

The legal sector is one of a handful in Alberta that government studies show is experiencing among the lowest unemployment levels -- less than 2% -- with demand for its services surging due to strong energy sector activity.

The oil and gas sector directly or indirectly powers many sectors and is the most obvious hot sector of the Alberta, despite lagging natural gas prices and slower drilling activity in that portion of the sector.

Construction, meanwhile, continues to boom with billions of dollars in capital infrastructure projects such as pipelines, roads and other major facilities planned in the next few years. Commercial building levels in Calgary, which soared by 93.7% last year compared to 2006, combined with residential and other projects, continue to make the construction sector one of the busiest for recruiters in 2008. The advanced technology sector is also sizzling, with areas such as information technology leading the charge when it comes to demand for workers, particularly those with experience related to the oil and gas industry, says Ellen Stotland, principal of Meritas Recruiting Inc.

"The early indicators are that we still have lots of companies in hiring mode with respect to IT positions, so still a significant demand without a corresponding increase in the supply of skilled talent out there," Ms. Stotland says. Although the heavy focus on the energy industry is partially responsible for the surging demand in IT workers, she says it's high "across all sectors and multiple positions."

Specialized skill sets in highest demand within the IT field revolve around security -- and compliance -- related initiatives, business intelligence (information management and reporting) and major system upgrades or replacements, she says.

Other hot sectors include health care, financial sevices -- especially accountants that are well-versed in compliance and reporting legislation, and transportation.

Mr. Spitznagel, meanwhile, is unfazed by the tight labour market. The law firm has among the lowest turnover rates in the industry.

He says the trend toward work-life balance can be misunderstood sometimes. "If an organization provides me with eight hours of unhappy existence but I'm on my own for the rest of the day, that might be good work-life balance," Mr. Spitznagel says.

"But if you're in a place that has 10 hours of really interesting work … that's quality of life.";