42 | GATEWAY 2018 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN

ENVIRONMENT/CHALLENGES

PORT PROMOTING FROM WITHIN Internal hires and word of mouth helping port during worker shortage

PATRICK BLENNERHASSETT

ritish Columbia’s labour shortage is hitting every indus- try from restaurants and real estate to technology and the Bshipping industry. WorkBC’s latest labour market outlook estimates that over the coming decade 70% of all job openings will result from people leaving the workforce, mostly due to retirement, and that 78% of future jobs will require some form of post-secondary education or training.

Some of the toughest positions to fill will be at the on human resources trends found that well under a executive or leadership levels due to the retirements of third of Canadian companies are promoting employees baby boomers. from within for positions that report directly to chief Many companies and agencies are struggling to fill executive officers, and that half of Canadian businesses upper-level positions across a wide array of industries in- see leadership development as their top worry among cluding shipping. Prince Rupert president human resources issues. and CEO Don Krusel, for instance, retired last September The is ’s largest port. It after 25 years in the top job. As of late March, the job generates an estimated $2.7 billion in wages annually posting to replace Krusel was still on the port’s website. and contributes $3.9 billion to the province’s gross The departures have forced a lot of companies or gov- domestic product. Port of Vancouver activity sustains ernment agencies to get creative in hiring and retention. about 96,200 jobs in B.C., and it is the third-largest port Sandi Case, vice-president for people and business per- in North America by tonnage. formance at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, says “We can’t speak for the shipping industry, but as a port 70% of the organization’s executive and director-level authority, we have some very unique and specialized positions are filled through promotion of internal can- jobs in areas including marine operations, supply chain didates. The latest Conference Board of Canada report operations, infrastructure development, sustainability,

00_Gateway 2018_48p_00.indd 42 2018-04-03 11:36 AM | 43

SANDI CASE VICE-PRESIDENT, PEOPLE AND BUSINESS PERFORMANCE, VANCOUVER FRASER PORT AUTHORITY We have some very unique and specialized jobs in areas including marine operations, supply chain operations, infrastructure development, sustainability, planning and environmental programs to name a few. Hiring for these positions can present a great planning and environmental programs to name a few,” potential in the shipping industry, or it could lose out opportunity for Case says. “Hiring for these positions can present a on sustaining a sector that can continue to produce the right person, great opportunity for the right person, but it can also be high-quality and high-paying positions. but it can also challenging to fill these very specialized roles.” However, Arsoniadis-Stein notes Vancouver is not Case says employee word of mouth is the most efficient known for being a “port city,” though it is starting to be challenging way the port fills positions, trumping digital conduits garner more international attention within the global to fill these very like LinkedIn and social media. shipping industry. Menon Economics’ recent report, The “Like many organizations, but in particular in the Leading Maritime Capitals of the World 2017, concludes specialized roles transportation sector, we also face challenges in at- that apart from No. 1-ranked Singapore, “no city has a tracting and retaining female employees at the executive more attractive policy framework than Vancouver” for level,” she adds. “However, we are proud to say that we aspiring international maritime centres. have a roughly 50-50 balance between men and women The VIMC, which is partially funded by the provin- at the management level and are continuing to work on cial and federal governments, is entering its third year gender balance right through the organization.” of a mandate to raise Vancouver’s profile in the global Cissy Pau, principal consultant for Clear HR Consult- shipping industry. ing, says companies looking to fill executive positions Arsoniadis-Stein says more needs to be done to attract also need to start conversations with current executives. attention and, ultimately, workers to local shipping- “We’ve had some clients look more closely at having related jobs. their CEOs or senior managers involved in developing “Canada is not participating in the highest value-added succession plans for their successor,” Pau says. “Some knowledge-based services of its trade, or indeed global companies have been willing to consider candidates with trade,” she says. “Canada has an opportunity to capture limited experience but tremendous potential.” a vibrant international industry, bringing to Canada Kaity Arsoniadis-Stein, executive director of the high knowledge, high value-added jobs and diversifying Vancouver International Maritime Centre (VIMC), its economy, while generating an economy beyond its says Vancouver needs to capitalize on its job creation borders.”

00_Gateway 2018_48p_00.indd 43 2018-04-03 11:36 AM