Blog news and insights

Should I Worry about a Candidate Who Changes Job Every Couple of Years? “No. Changing jobs every two or three years tells you nothing about a candidate’s personality or abilities. It’s just part of the reality employers have to...

Filling an executive position at a company in non-urban areas poses different challenges from hiring in Montreal or another big city. The secret is to prepare properly – particularly in a candidates’ market like we’re seeing...

1. Don't look at the candidate's name first  First impressions start with the name at the top of the candidate’s CV. From the moment a recruiter sees the applicant’s gender or cultural background, there’s a tendency...

To properly meet their recruitment needs, employers need a partner who will work closely with them, not just a resume pusher who will refer dozens of candidates without screening them carefully. Here are four reasons why. 1. To Identify...

Many companies are debating the merits of two completely opposed sales strategies: an automated, high-volume approach vs. a more customized, boutique-style approach. In many cases, the latter is key to being successful. There are some lessons here...

How do you keep your high-performing salespeople from looking elsewhere for a new challenge? By engaging them and investing in their career development. Here are three best practices that will help keep your top talent on board. 1. Build a...

Quebec, Land of SMEs  With over 240,000 companies listed in December 2017, of which 98% had less than 100 employees, there’s no question that Quebec is a land of small businesses.  SMEs accounted for 87.4% of private-sector...

You think you’ve found the ideal person for that hard-to-fill position at long last. Then, at the end of the interview, the candidate brings up a negative comment she read on the Internet about your company. What should you say? And should you...

Moving up to a higher-level position in your company takes time. It also requires a strategy, some planning and considerable personal investment. Julie Bouchard, Senior Consultant, Talent Acquisition, at St-Amour shares her advice on the best ways...

In theory, moving up the corporate ladder sounds great. More influence, more responsibility, more money—what’s not to like? But before you put in for that big promotion, ask yourself whether it’s really the right move for you. Here...

When smaller, more entrepreneurial companies are looking to shore up gaps within their organization, executives from larger corporations may be able to provide valuable expertise and experience. But some big fish can’t make the transition to a...

Do you know your turnover rate? How does it compare with other companies in your field? How much is it costing you each year? If you’re having trouble answering these questions, this overview of the topic can help. We asked St-Amour’s...

If it’s a struggle to get out of bed and go to work in the morning, or if you can’t wait for each day to end, it may be a sign that you need to change your job. But before you leave, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons....

No rush-hour commute. No sitting through meetings that drag on interminably. No co-workers stopping by to talk about Game of Thrones when you’re racing to meet a deadline... Working at home certainly has its appeal. But in some cases,...

Hiring an executive isn’t the same as recruiting for other positions. The influence they will have on your company and teams means that it must be a highly strategic decision. The selection process therefore requires scrupulous preparation,...

Do they really want what you’re offering? Meet Janet.  She’s an experienced pharmaceutical saleswoman with a track record of exceptional results, year after year. In person, she’s confident, positive, engaging. She has...

It’s not unusual for top candidates to show hesitation, or even walk back their interest in applying despite being very interested in the position, as soon as the recruiter tells them the name of the company that’s hiring. Julie Laurin,...

You’ve passed all the screening tests. You’ve signed the contract. Now, the first day in your career’s next chapter is fast approaching. How can you get off to a good start? What kind of attitude should you adopt? Lidia Griss,...

A start-up’s not like a large corporation with a thousand people. With only a handful of executives in place, their individual behaviour will dramatically impact the business’s development. Appointing the wrong person can have drastic...

Executive positions often come with a shelf life. But once it’s time for someone in a leadership role to step aside, they may be reluctant to do so for personal reasons. How can you make sure they’re ready to leave when you want them to...

It’s time to update your CV, and you’re probably wondering how to present it in order to land your dream job. Who better to answer than experts from a recruitment agency? Here are answers to your most frequently asked questions to help...

Human capital can be defined as all your employees’ talents, knowledge, abilities and loyalty. Considered to be an intangible asset, it also includes their education, qualifications, certifications, professional experience and skills....

According to a survey commissioned by the Conseil du patronat in October 2016, Quebec companies are finding it more and more challenging to recruit qualified workers. What’s more, according to Emploi-Québec statistics...

As human resources manager, do you hesitate before hiring people who are fifty-five or older? Do you have doubts about their learning skills or ability to learn new technologies? Are you afraid that they won’t stay with your company long...

You recently recruited a candidate for a top executive position in your company. You’ve already announced the hire to your team by way of an internal memo. But then the start date comes around, and your candidate doesn’t appear, and...

Good managers should always protect themselves against mistakes that a new employee might make. In order to protect yourself and your new employee, it’s essential that you stay focused on your role as manager and supervisor. It’s in your...

Is there a good time to start looking for fresh talent? Should you wait until a position becomes vacant, or keep an eye out for talent in a proactive way? In our opinion, the best policy for an efficient workplace is to search in a proactive...

Today’s smartphones boast impressive features. These little devices let you do almost all the same work you do at the office. But is that really always a good thing? And do companies come out ahead when everything is said and done? Most...

Looking for a top-notch employee? Companies often use headhunting firms to recruit individuals with a specific profile. Adopting this strategy will allow you to concentrate on your other daily management issues, among many other benefits. Here are...

Make your mark. That will make all the difference to your business, in a context where hiring personnel is a considerable challenge. Although you might often have qualified resources on staff already, you have everything to gain by making use of...

The interview is the crucial step to finding the right person for a particular job. Sometimes a candidate whose CV seems to meet the requirements may be discovered during the interview to have insufficient work experience. Our recruitment...

Since you might not have the chance to be assisted by a recruitment agency, here’s some sound advice from one of our recruitment managers to help you prepare your job interviews. Read on to find out what Audrey Chrétien, CRHA, manager...

As head hunters and human resource consultants, we know that having a solid recruitment process and succession plan is the best way to ensure you hire the right person at the right time. But no process or plan is infallible, and sometimes companies...

Many of us have seen employees leave their jobs to go work for the competition. But what if the employer wants the departure to take place immediately, so as to keep confidential information from being shared? To provide a better understanding of...

Did you know that under the Civil Code of Québec, employees have an obligation of loyalty to their employer that continues even after the contract is over? That means that even after leaving a company, employees must not use confidential...

As a recruitment agency, St-Amour helps numerous companies manage their personnel. As a head hunter, St-Amour knows what kind of employees companies are looking for. Today we propose a few tips for a successful career path. Keep your CV...

Our lunch seminar in October 2014 on employer branding was a big success, bringing human resources professionals and executives together to discuss challenges and share best practices. The event also included a brief conference by Didier...

As an employer, do you tend to hire professionals to recruit your new employees? Do you know the difference between a head hunter, a recruitment agency, and a placement agency? Do you know how much this type of service costs? The answers to these...

Hiring the right people is essential to the success of your company. But you need to be sure you have the right candidate for the position, and the right position for the candidate. What if you could predict if this individual would end up playing a...

1. Is the posting too vague?   The first stage of the screening process is for potential applicants to vet themselves based on the job posting. You don’t want the wrong people submitting résumés because the description...

It’s not always easy to tell candidates that they haven’t been selected for employment with your company. You need to be astute and empathetic. Managing these situations is one of our primary areas of expertise at St-Amour. We take...

Quick! A recruiter from a possible employer just got in your elevator and pressed the button for the 20th floor. You’re on the ground floor. So, that's how much time you have to make an impression. What would you say to turn yourself from...