HiddenTalent: Recent Episodes
Challenge Factory and iContact Productions
Despite the fact that small and medium sized businesses make up more than half of the Canadian labour market, employing nearly 10 million people across the country, most small business owners find the act of hiring a challenge and struggle to attract and retain the right talent.
But imagine a Hidden Talent Pool of approximately 10,000 skilled, experienced and educated individuals entering the workforce annually
That’s how many men and women transition out of the Canadian military service and into civilian employment each year.
Now, Imagine if there was a way to match that talent pool with those employers who need them?
This podcast seeks to answer those questions and more.
In this eighth and final episode of season one, we thought it would be a good idea to bring all of our contributors together, to talk about what they've learned from the project to share their epiphanies and A-haws. their perspective shifts, and to focus on our collective next steps to uncovering hidden talent.
Host Erin Trafford leads this Rountable Special with Lisa Taylor, president of Challenge Factory, Chris Stoyles, retired, military veteran, and Janine Harris and Sarah Dunkley who represent the voices of our small business owners.
In episode 7 of Hidden Talent, host Erin Trafford briefly recaps the previous episodes as we look forward and ask what can change, what can be done to create more confidence in Veterans seeking employment and employers hiring Veterans. How can we better communicate? How can we realign culture to leverage common skills and objectives?
Employers Sarah Dunkley and Janine Harris and 10-year military Veteran Chris Stoyles share their ‘ah-ha’ moments and lessons learned through the series. Challenge Factory president Lisa Taylor suggests clear ways Canadian civilians can change their perception of the military community and help smooth the path of transition for military members to civilian life and employment.
Highlights of the episode:
- Lessons learned through this podcast about the the mission to bring employers together with the hidden talent of Canada's Veterans
- What Canadians can do to bridge the gap between civilian life and the military
- How Challenge Factory’s mission and approach to solving the problem is moving forward to connect employers and the Veteran talent pool
Join us next time for the final episode of this season of Hidden Talent. We will be sitting down with all our podcasts subjects to chat together about the lessons we've learned uncovering the hidden talent in Canada’s Veteran community.
You’re invited to enroll in the MasterClass for Veteran Hiring for employer tested ways to tap into the Hidden Talent pool of Canada’s Veterans.
Find out more and sign up by visiting - centreforcareerinnovation.ca/courses/Hiring-Veterans-MasterClass.
Get your free copy of the Canadian Guide to Hiring Veterans. It is designed to help organizations that have limited human resources and recruitment capacity build strong, resilient teams that include Veterans who are skilled and ready to fill labour or skills shortages.
Reach out to the team at Challenge Factory with your thoughts, ideas and feedback - especially if you are a small business or a military Veteran.
Hidden Talent, a Challenge Factory podcast, is grateful for the support of Veterans Affairs Canada, through the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund.
This podcast is produced by Story Studio Network.
In episode six of Hidden Talent, host Erin Trafford guides us as we address the most important part of the hiring process: Establishing trust. For small business owners, bringing a person onto a team is about the right fit and is the ultimate display of trust. For the Veteran community entering civilian careers, trust is connected to their understanding of ‘team.’
Small-medium sized business owners Janine Harris and Sarah Dunkley share how trust is crucial in daily decision making and how they start to build it with candidates, starting in the interview room. Chris Stoyles, a Veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces elaborates on the importance of trust in the team. Challenge Factory president, Lisa Taylor focuses on how career management, feedback, and performance reviews can increase retention and employee loyalty.
Highlights of the episode:
- Why trust is the foundation for a successful hiring and working relationship between employer and Veteran and the key to identifying your common goal
- Trusting the individual versus trusting the team
- How quick thinking and acting fast- a skill set often developed in the military- is ideal for the civilian, small business workplace
- Why Veteran employees want to ace performance evaluation and how having an avenue for delivering feedback can benefit the Veteran and employer
You’re invited to enroll in the MasterClass for Veteran Hiring for employer tested ways to tap into the Hidden Talent pool of Canada’s Veterans.
Find out more and sign up by visiting - centreforcareerinnovation.ca/courses/Hiring-Veterans-MasterClass.
Get your free copy of the Canadian Guide to Hiring Veterans. It is designed to help organizations that have limited human resources and recruitment capacity build strong, resilient teams that include Veterans who are skilled and ready to fill labour or skills shortages.
Reach out to the team at Challenge Factory with your thoughts, ideas and feedback - especially if you are a small business or a military Veteran.
Hidden Talent, a Challenge Factory podcast, is grateful for the support of Veterans Affairs Canada, through the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund.
This podcast is produced by Story Studio Network.
In this episode five of Hidden Talent, host Erin Trafford guides us as we unpack the beliefs and concepts around how much time it should take to make a good hire, what that means for the new employee who's transitioning into a new job and what that means for the employer.
We hear from small-medium sized business owners Sarah Dunkley and Janine Harris about the fears and risks they assume any time a new hiring process begins. Lisa Taylor, president of Challenge Factory, elaborates on the focus and initiatives underway within the Canadian Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Canada to bring awareness to the existing pool of talented Veterans. Retired CAF member Chris Stoyles shares his valuable insight on the onboarding process and the importance of ongoing communication.
Highlights of the episode:
- Why the lack of hiring process and onboarding structure is a problem for all employers and employees
- What the research says about the gap between the time-strapped employer and Veteran talent
- Why job fairs and job boards still aren’t the solution to the Hidden Talent problem
- Why it’s crucial to communicate expectations and establish performance criteria to increase hiring and retention success.
You’re invited to enroll in the MasterClass for Hiring Veterans for employer tested ways to tap into the Hidden Talent pool of Canada’s Veterans.
Find out more and sign up by visiting - centreforcareerinnovation.ca/courses/Hiring-Veterans-MasterClass.
Get your free copy of the Canadian Guide to Hiring Veterans. It is designed to help organizations that have limited human resources and recruitment capacity build strong, resilient teams that include Veterans who are skilled and ready to fill labour or skills shortages.
Reach out to the team at Challenge Factory with your thoughts, ideas and feedback - especially if you are a small business or a military Veteran.
Hidden Talent, a Challenge Factory podcast, is grateful for the support of Veterans Affairs Canada, through the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund.
This podcast is produced by Story Studio Network.
In this episode four of Hidden Talent, host Erin Trafford guides us as we look into another critical component to unearthing a hidden talent, translating education and experience. We learn how a Veteran can bridge that gap between his or her military training and the civilian understanding of an education or a degree.
We hear from employer Sarah Dunkley about two qualities she considers when evaluating the fit of a candidate in her businesses. Canadian Armed Forces Veteran Chris Stoyles shares his experience of the particular importance of understanding what education means and how it’s valued. Challenge Factory president Lisa Taylor highlights how this misunderstanding about training, education, and experience can make it easy for employers to overlook great candidates, and what they can do to improve their hiring success rate.
Specifics of the episode:
- How the concept of post-secondary education is commonly misinterpreted by military service members and affects their interactions with potential employers
- The two aspects employers consider most important when interviewing and hiring; it isn’t always diplomas and degrees
- Why serving in the armed forces should be considered a best practice example of work-integrated learning when compared to other traditional forms of education
- What education is required to bridge the expectations gap between Veteran and employer
You’re invited to enroll in the MasterClass for Veteran hiring for employer tested ways to tap into the Hidden Talent pool of Canada’s Veterans.
Find out more and sign up by visiting - centreforcareerinnovation.ca/courses/Hiring-Veterans-MasterClass.
Get your free copy of the Canadian Guide to Hiring Veterans. It is designed to help organizations that have limited human resources and recruitment capacity build strong, resilient teams that include Veterans who are skilled and ready to fill labour or skills shortages.
Reach out to the team at Challenge Factory with your thoughts, ideas and feedback - especially if you are a small business or a military Veteran.
Hidden Talent, a Challenge Factory podcast, is grateful for the support of Veterans Affairs Canada, through the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund.
This podcast is produced by Story Studio Network.
In episode three of Hidden Talent, host Erin Trafford guides us as we learn how military Veterans can successfully transition from a highly organized, highly structured chain of command culture that’s focused on the mission to a work environment that expects the individual to bring value to a product or service.
We hear from military Veterans Chris Stoyles and Trevor Vautour about how they unlocked their skill sets and provided value to the civilian workforce as they transitioned out of the Canadian Armed Forces
Lisa Taylor continues to provide context and breaks down the gaps between Veterans and civilian employers, including the disheartening lack of awareness of what really happens in military service. And, employer Janine Harris has an epiphany about the hidden talent of military Veterans.
Specifics of the episode:
- Why the civilian career landscape often looks like an inhospitable planet to the military Veteran
- How the gap in career advice can sometimes limit the transition from military to civilian life
- How asking a Veteran a key question during an interview allows them to shine, enabling the employer to gain valuable insight and to develop rapport
You’re invited to enroll in the MasterClass for Veteran Hiring for employer tested ways to tap into the Hidden Talent pool of Canada’s Veterans.
Find out more and sign up by visiting - centreforcareerinnovation.ca/courses/Hiring-Veterans-MasterClass.
Get your free copy of the Canadian Guide to Hiring Veterans. It is designed to help organizations that have limited human resources and recruitment capacity build strong, resilient teams that include Veterans who are skilled and ready to fill labour or skills shortages.
Reach out to the team at Challenge Factory with your thoughts, ideas and feedback - especially if you are a small business or a military Veteran.
Hidden Talent, a Challenge Factory podcast, is grateful for the support of Veterans Affairs Canada, through the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund.
This podcast is produced by Story Studio Network.
In episode two of Hidden Talent, host Erin Trafford guides us as we explore the role introductions and identity plays in the hiring process. Qualifying, introducing and identifying great candidates isn't simply about a well-constructed job description or resume. With awareness of the potential for an unintended culture clash, attracting hidden talent requires listening and empathy.
We hear from employers Sarah Dunkley and Janine Harris about employer perceptions, and possibly misperceptions, of candidates with a background of military service.
Chris Stoyles, retired member of the Canadian Armed Forces, shares more about his experience transitioning from military to civilian career life and Lisa Taylor describes common employer and Veteran patterns observed by the team at Challenge Factory.
Highlights:
- Employer misperceptions about Veterans and the military
- Where bias is getting in the way of how employers find talent
- Mission-Team-Self (military) versus Self-Team-Mission (business)
- One of the best ways an employer can set the tone for a successful interview
You’re invited to enroll in the MasterClass for Veteran Hiring for employer tested ways to tap into the Hidden Talent pool of Canada’s Veterans.
Find out more and sign up by visiting - centreforcareerinnovation.ca/courses/Hiring-Veterans-MasterClass.
Get your free copy of the Canadian Guide to Hiring Veterans. It is designed to help organizations that have limited human resources and recruitment capacity build strong, resilient teams that include Veterans who are skilled and ready to fill labour or skills shortages.
Reach out to the team at Challenge Factory with your thoughts, ideas and feedback - especially if you are a small business or a military Veteran.
Hidden Talent, a Challenge Factory podcast, is grateful for the support of Veterans Affairs Canada, through the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund.
This podcast is produced by Story Studio Network.
In episode one of Hidden Talent, host Erin Trafford guides us as we are introduced to some of the challenges faced by employers looking to hire and the 10,000 skilled, experienced and educated Canadian Armed Forces members that transition out and are seeking to join the civilian workforce every year.
We’ll meet Lisa Taylor, President of Challenge Factory, employers Sarah Dunkley, president of Stellar Outdoor Advertising and Santa’s Village in Bracebridge, Ontario and Janine Harris, founder and executive producer at Keyring Media, and retired CAF members Chris Stoyles and Trevor Vautour.
Highlights:
- Why finding suitable candidates with military experience can sometimes feel like looking for a needle in a haystack
- How finding hidden talent in Canada’s Veteran communities can be as simple as asking a few questions in your own community and network
- When the applications start rolling in- The number one thing employers should remember when identifying the best person for the job
- What keeps those with military experience from highlighting the skills developed through their military career
You’re invited to enroll in the MasterClass for Veteran Hiring for employer tested ways to tap into the Hidden Talent pool of Canada’s Veterans.
Find out more and sign up by visiting - centreforcareerinnovation.ca/courses/Hiring-Veterans-MasterClass.
Get your free copy of the Canadian Guide to Hiring Veterans. It is designed to help organizations that have limited human resources and recruitment capacity build strong, resilient teams that include Veterans who are skilled and ready to fill labour or skills shortages.
Reach out to the team at Challenge Factory with your thoughts, ideas and feedback - especially if you are a small business or a military Veteran.
Hidden Talent, a Challenge Factory podcast, is grateful for the support of Veterans Affairs Canada, through the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund.
This podcast is produced by Story Studio Network.
It takes too much time. It’s too risky. It’s too hard to find the right people to fill the right roles.
Just some of the fears small business owners experience when they are looking to hire for their organizations.
If you’re a small or medium sized business owner - this likely sounds and feels familiar, especially when it comes to hiring for your team.
You know people are the heart of your business. And the stats back that up.
Did you know 90% of the Canadian private sector workforce works for a small or medium sized business?
Despite this fact, most small business owners find the act of hiring a challenge and struggle to attract and retain the right talent.
But imagine now, a Hidden Talent Pool of approximately 10,000 skilled, experienced and educated individuals entering the workforce annually.
That’s how many men and women transition out of military service and into civilian employment each year.
Now, Imagine if there was a way FOR YOU to match that talent pool with the NEEDS OF YOUR ORGANIZATION OR BUSINESS.
This podcast seeks to answer those questions and more.
Over the course of this show, we will dive into the questions like:
Where is the hidden talent in Canada’s veteran communities?
What skills do they have?
How can employers gain access to more resources to hire and train Canadian veterans?
Throughout this show, you will hear voices of Canadian small business owners, and you’ll hear from two Canadian veterans and their personal experiences with leaving the military and finding fulfilling employment.
Then, Lisa Taylor - President of Challenge Factory will give us context - helping us to identify the nuanced experiences faced by both employers and veterans - especially around hiring practices, interviews, employee engagement and orientations…
So let’s set the stage, because we can’t solve a problem if we can’t SEE it.
How can we uncover what’s hiding in plain sight?