Talk of layoffs and an economic slowdown may seem discouraging for job hunters, but employers are still hiring and many are looking beyond credentials, diplomas and technical skills to fill roles.

Close to half of Canadian business owners are planning to add staff to fill persistent job vacancies or meet increased sales demand, even though many expect to pull back on overall investment, according to the Bank of Canada’s latest business outlook survey. Owners might be feeling more pessimistic — most think we’ll enter a recession this year — but that hasn’t erased the almost one million open positions still waiting to be filled.

Indeed, 40 per cent of employers are still intent on hiring, if only they could find the right candidates, says a recent survey by recruiter Express Employment Professionals. It’s not technical skills they’re necessarily looking for, given that nearly a third of them say they’re looking but can’t find people with crucial soft skills, including an eagerness to learn, dependability, problem-solving capacity and adaptability. Strong communication skills, a willingness to take initiative, critical thinking and the ability to fit in with colleagues are also top of mind for hiring managers.

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Recessions are traditionally associated with job losses since companies become cautious and trim their costs. But this time, businesses will need to balance a softening economy with labour shortages. Trevin Stratton, national lead and partner at Deloitte Canada, speaks to Larysa Harapyn about what to expect from the labour market going forward.

Source: FP Work, Financial Post, Victoria Wells