Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to highlight some of the new tools and resources that the Government of the Northwest Territories is using to modernize and update our recruitment practices and better communicate with job seekers in the Northwest Territories.
Rapidly changing technology gives us faster and more cost-effective ways to provide information about our programs and services, to promote the benefits of working with the territorial public service and to recruit new employees.
As part of 20/20: A Brilliant North, the Public Service Strategic Plan, the Department of Human Resources is creating a new careers website to encourage visitors to sign up for e-mail alerts when vacancies are posted on eRecruit. Too often we have seen talented applicants who have great skills, but may not have been the top-ranking applicant on a particular job opening, and wondered: how do we continue to engage these talented people for future opportunities? Through this process, the GNWT will create an on-line talent community whose members can be contacted periodically for opportunities and who can promote the GNWT as an employer of choice. People will be able to share government job opportunities across social media sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. This Assembly is committed to supporting our residents to enter and stay in the workforce. We know that Northerners are one of our strongest assets in recruiting friends and neighbours to the public service.
Northerners, and indeed all Canadians, have a high rate of participation in social media. The Department of Human Resources is preparing to launch our presence on LinkedIn, a social media site for professional networking. Currently, LinkedIn has close to 3,700 members in the Northwest Territories. Across Canada there are 5.2 million members, representing 64 percent of the professionally employed population, which makes Canada the second highest per capita user in the world. Jobs on LinkedIn are advertised to targeted candidates with education or work experiences that match current vacancies in an organization. Job advertisements on LinkedIn are shared an average of 11 times through social media networks.
The Department of Human Resources also recently launched a Facebook page. It has news releases, a link to the eRecruit site, promotional information, instructional videos, and the “Meet Our People” segments that showcase our employees. As this page becomes more popular, it will promote all of the department’s job-related activities.
Mr. Speaker, residents of the Northwest Territories are already using Facebook to connect with their friends and family. By using social media to promote job opportunities, we are using a medium that is already embraced by the people with whom we want to communicate. For people who prefer e-mail, that option will keep them aware of opportunities and give them time to apply for jobs that interest them.
Using tools and technology that enhance existing strategies to communicate about our opportunities is important for all residents of the Northwest Territories. Our work to strengthen and maintain a representative workforce supports this Assembly’s priority of building a strong, sustainable future for our territory. Providing people in all communities with opportunities to join the public service strengthens our programs and positions us to do even better work for the people of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
