WOULD YOU TAKE a job (or hold on to one you don’t like) just for a flashier title? Many employers have long banked on just that amidst a war for talent, inflating job titles with impressive sounding names like head of innovation, director of first impressions, chief visionary officer, etc.

But some are now pushing back on this, suggesting that “title inflation” is nothing more than a band-aid fix.

“Companies are really doubling down on investing in talent and career paths earlier on,” said John Winner, founder of consulting startup Kizen, noting that title promotions were often used to indicate growth. But, he stressed, “without any other changes in responsibility, or adding responsibilities and not paying the person more, that’s hurtful for employees.”

“Startups really kicked it all off for the rest of us,” noted Shawn Cole, president of Cowen Partners. “Titles are having to be invented to accommodate those promotional opportunities, and that’s become like a retention strategy.”

Many, it seems, do not like the practice. But others have said it doesn’t have to be harmful, so long as it’s not being used in place of real material promotions.

“Although job titles may be fairly entrenched in industries like law and finance, they are evolving in many other industries, especially creative ones,” writes Alex Christian for the BBC. “These new titles can serve as recruitment or retention tools ― and even grab attention from clients.”

That is, if they are used properly. “While it is easy to see how companies may want to use job titles to curb their costs and appease their current and potential employees,” noted Tiffin University marketing prof Perry Haan, “they need to be careful not to create untenable situations for all involved.” Kieran Delamont

PRODUCTIVITY

Think it’s only older workers who struggle with technology? Think again

Despite their penchant for TikTok and Minecraft, it turns out younger generations have a common secret: They’re not as comfortable with new technology as older generations presume

YOUNGER WORKERS — MILLENNIALS and Gen Z — often roll their eyes at the tech hiccups experienced by their older coworkers. But what happens when tech confuses those same younger workers? Intense feelings of “tech shame,” according to a November study.

“One in five young office workers feel judged when experiencing tech issues, compared to just one in 25 of their more mature peers,” the HP study says. “Young people are 10 times more likely to feel shame in these scenarios when compared to their more mature peers.”

“The assumption is that because Gen Z and even millennials spend a considerable amount of time on technology that they are technology savvy,” said Ludmila Milla, co-founder of e-learning company UJJI. “This is a huge misconception. Sadly, neither watching TikTok videos nor playing Minecraft fulfills the technology brief.”

What the study also suggests is that younger workers actually lack support of their own — something that businesses can and should start addressing. The report suggests a sense of tech shame is enough to prevent Gen Z from getting involved in a meeting — a quarter of the generation would actively avoid participation if they believed their technology would create a disruption. That percentage dips to six per cent for those 40 and older.

“Some young professionals are entering the workforce for the first time in fully virtual settings,” said HP’s Debbie Irish. “They have less face-to-face time in the office than any other generation and have limited access to senior employees, mentors and even their bosses.” Kieran Delamont

WORKFORCE

Top careers for 2023

Despite recession fears, the job market is still thriving. But the landscape of in-demand positions differs from what job hunters saw pre-pandemic

AS WE COVERED in this newsletter last week, many Canadians are starting off the year with an eye on the job market, with around half of all workers mulling over a new job at the start of the year. And although there’s much talk of a potential recession, thus far job cuts have been mainly limited to the tech sector and the overall labour market remains pretty tight.

With plenty of jobs still on offer, what’s most in-demand? Ranstad Canada looked at it and produced a top 15 list. Topping that list is developer. “From today until 2028, a countrywide labour shortage for developers is expected, making it a good career choice for Canadians,” the company wrote, adding that computer programmers and interactive media developers are likely to have around 64,000 openings over that time frame (and a prospective shortage of around 11,600 workers).

HR manager nabbed the second spot ― proving that in a labour shortage, there’s good money in managing labour. Mechanical engineer, welder and accounting technician rounded out the top five.

Also included on the list is nursing (no surprise there), and jobs like construction project manager, digital marketing coordinator, production supervisor and driver.

Overall, the list paints a picture where practical skills are out-valuing theoretical talents. STEM fields are “probably the biggest category,” said CD Howe analyst Rosalie Wyonch, in an interview with CTV. Right on its heels, though, is the skilled trades, which are also expecting strong demand this year.

“This is something that's been ongoing for years and years and decades. But I think the pandemic has exacerbated that by putting a whole lot of other barriers and challenges in place,” says Skills Ontario CEO Ian Howcroft. “These can be first-class career opportunities with high pay, with pensions, with benefit plans. We want to…make sure young people have that opportunity to explore these.” Kieran Delamont

TRENDS

What’s the Matter

Thanks to a new open-source protocol designed to ensure your devices play nicely, it’s about to be way easier to smarten up your home or workplace

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