New questions arise from clients that may not be included in the Overcoming Objections FAQ’s section of the Community Connections Information Booklet. Please check back often for updates and new information.

 

How often are automated feeds updated?
Feeds are processed three times a week, typically, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On each import we process the 25 most current jobs and display those jobs directly in a client’s Corporate Profile Page. The number of jobs imported will vary based on how often a client updates their site and how many positions they have open. In other words, if we import 25 jobs on Friday, and during the import on Monday, if there are no new jobs, nothing is imported. If one job is new, then we only import one job etc.

 

How can we determine the job postings we would like to highlight, or are they scraped from our site?
There are many options and possibilities to process job feeds depending on a Clients’ requirements and their ATS provider’s capabilities. For Organizations that are committed to improving their Aboriginal Engagement, our best practice is to utilize Featured Postings and to highlight these on their Corporate Profile Page. A Featured Posting is manually entered directly into our AboriginalCareers.ca Job Board. The job postings are listed at the front of the job board and distributed to our Social Media feeds and Email Subscribers. Additionally, there is an opportunity to provide much more information about the position than an automated feed, and the Client has direct control over the jobs that appear on the site. Each National Community Connection partner receives 250 Featured Postings annually as part of their program, and the Regional Community Connection Program receives 100 Featured Job Postings. In the event that an Organization requires additional postings, they can be purchased at a significant discount. We also have the ability to add on Additional Direct Communications Distributions to any Community Connections Programs. Many Clients find that adding ‘Tactical’ Distributions for specific positions greatly enhances the conversion rate for applicants and increases the Return on Investment of the ‘Strategic’ Distributions that are part of the Community Connections Program. It is important to remember that the Community Connections program is primarily a brand awareness initiative. We have several other tools that are designed to promote specific positions and would be pleased to meet and discuss how we could utilize our full suite of services to meet the Clients’ Aboriginal Engagement goals.

 

How do you determine the best distribution dates for the quarterly Direct Communications?
Our outreach method for the Community Connections program is Direct Communications. Direct Communications is a combination of Direct Fax, Direct Email and Direct Mail by preferred communications method. Each year, we contact each of the offices in our database to determine how they would like to receive information from us. This protocol of respect is one of the reasons information that is received from is circulated and posted within Aboriginal Communities. Over the years, we have found that a best practice for Direct Communications is to mirror office hours of the organizations we are communicating with. For this reason, we schedule our distributions during regular office hours from Monday morning to Friday at noon. This does seem in contradiction to many established principles for email campaigns, but it is important to consider that we are not targeting individuals, but offices, where Aboriginal Canadians work, live, learn and play. That being said, we can be somewhat flexible with distribution schedules for specific Clients. If a Client prefers a specific day of the week, we will make every effort to accommodate their request.

 

Are the Direct Communications that are sent out electronically mobile friendly?
Yes, Direct Communications are fully responsive and designed to provide an optimal viewing experience on any screen size.

 

What is the difference between ‘Featured Job Postings’ and a ‘Job Feed’?
In the ‘Community Connections’ core product, clients can post ‘Featured’ jobs manually. Non-Featured jobs can be processed using an XML or RSS Feed which then displays their jobs on their Corporate Profile Page and in the job board. In some cases, we may scrape clients websites, however, the functions may be limited and the development to make it work may involve additional investment.

 

How do we get job postings up on AboriginalCareers.ca?
Postings can be placed directly on the Corporate Profile Page by embedding your careers page. National customers have the option of providing us with their RSS Feed or using the RSS Feed from Workopolis. Job Postings placed directly on the Corporate Profile Page can help demonstrate an organizations desire to employ Aboriginal candidates. Although these type of postings are not distributed through our 20,000 e-Subscribers and Social Media networks, they are designed to provide a branding opportunity. Community Connections customers can also post job opportunities directly to our job board. These postings are featured and distributed through our 20,000 e-Subscribers and Social Media networks.

 

What is the cost of your programs?
Community Connections is an annual subscription program. Customers can choose our National Program at $8,000 or our Regional Program at $5,000. Regional Programs are based on three regions that are equally divided by Aboriginal population distribution.

 

How many Aboriginal People do you reach?
The program targets 28,000 Aboriginal Offices where 1.5 million Aboriginal Peoples live, learn, work and play.

 

When the message is delivered to a Community, is the message coming from Aboriginal Link?
We have a template and we encourage our clients to take advantage of delivering their message and brand on our template. The advantage when using our template is that Aboriginal Link is recognized as the ‘Trusted Source’ for delivering important information to Canadian Aboriginal Peoples. Our template gives your message instant credibility. It is important to understand that we have designed our template to maintain your full branding on the collateral while allowing recipients to quickly recognize it is being distributed by Aboriginal Link. However, the use of our template is optional.

 

What are Community Centric Communication Hubs?
These are gathering places where Aboriginal People meet and share information. This is where Community Bulletin Boards are located and where we deliver your message using Direct Communications. Your messages are read, circulated, and then posted on these communication boards for the wider community to read. Important information related to scholarship and educational opportunities, government programs and updates, job opportunities, and news about the community are present on these boards. These Community Bulletin Boards are the main information source for Aboriginal Peoples.

 

Can we provide pre-screening of applicants?
The Community Connections Program is a branding initiative designed to raise awareness and to demonstrate an organization’s commitment to Aboriginal engagement. All applications are directed into an organization‘s existing process.

 

How many Aboriginal Peoples have trades education?
According to Statistics Canada’s latest Census, almost 19% of Aboriginal men aged 25 to 64 report being certified in building and construction technologies and trades compared to a national average of just under 10%. Building and construction technologies and trades was the highest reported field of study within the Canadian Aboriginal Population.

 

Can you tell me about Aboriginal Link’s Social Media Connectors?
Our Social Media Marketing Program focuses on creating content that attracts attention and encourages readers to share it with their social networks. As messages spread from user to user, they resonate because they come from a trusted, third-party source. This form of marketing is driven by word-of-mouth, meaning it results in earned media rather than paid media. We view Social Media as an extension to the Traditional Community Bulletin Board.

 

How long has Aboriginal Link been in business?
The Company was started in 1999 in Ontario and currently employs more than a dozen people. We have offices in Winnipeg, Kenora, London, Penetanguishene, Sandy Lake, and Ottawa.

 

What are your success rates?
Responses can vary from campaign to campaign and are a result of many factors including interest level, timing, budget cycles, and call-to-action. Our program builds ‘community presence’ for our partners through Direct Communications using our proprietary database of 28,000 urban, rural, and remote ‘centers of influence’ where 1.5 million Aboriginal Peoples work, live, learn, and play.

 

What are the steps involved in moving forward with Aboriginal Link?
Once we have your approval to proceed, we will include your Corporate Logo on the AboriginalCareers.ca Employers section, and provide instructions on ‘How-to-Post’ on our job board so you can get started right away. Our implementation team will begin work on your Corporate Profile Page and Direct Communications collateral. Once you have approved, we will deploy these services.

 

Do we include other universities as part of your outreach?
Yes. We include all post-secondary institutions across Canada.

 

Due to the fact Aboriginal Link delivers many messages, will our message get lost in the shuffle?
No. Aboriginal Link prides itself on delivering important and relevant information to Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples. As a result, we have developed credibility as the ‘Trusted Source’ that ensures messages delivered by Aboriginal Link are circulated to the people that need to see them and then posted for the wider Community. In addition, we carefully monitor the timing of message distribution to maximize readership and message exposure.

 

How much site traffic does AboriginalCareers.ca generate?
The website traffic can be found in our quarterly report.

 

We do our own outreach. What would be the benefit of using Aboriginal Link’s services?
Aboriginal Link reaches 28,000 Aboriginal offices across Canada. This includes offices that are both on and off reserve and are located in urban, rural and remote areas. We ensure that your message contains culturally sensitive information and that the call-to-action supports your goals. We deliver your message using our ‘Preferred’ Direct Communication to recipients in the way they have requested to receive information from Aboriginal Link, thereby, ensuring your message is to be circulated to the people that need to see it and then posted for the wider Community.

 

Is Social Media used by Aboriginal Peoples?
Yes, Social Media participation among Aboriginal People mirrors that of the non-Aboriginal population. According to Dr. Callison, a member of the Tahltan Nation, “The use of Facebook is pervasive among First Nations Communities and is being used in multiple ways, across all generations. Even with Communities spread far and wide, there remains an incredible flow of ideas and all kinds of capital between the reserve and the city, forming ‘communities in motion’. In this way, Social Media has become an extension to the Traditional Community Bulletin Board.

 

What are Communication Boards?
Community Bulletin Boards are located in offices where we deliver our Direct Communications. Your messages are read, circulated, and then posted on these Communication Boards for the wider Community to read. Important information related to scholarship and educational opportunities, government programs and updates, job opportunities, and news about the Community are present on these boards. These Communication Boards are the main information source for Aboriginal Peoples.

 

Where do the applications or resumes go etc.?
Resumes are directed to our client’s process.

 

Do you have to approve the content before it is distributed?
No. There is no formal approval process. However, we can provide copy, content, technical, and creative design services as required. If using any of these services, we always provide a client a ‘Proof’ for approval prior to distribution. Once we receive content from a client, turnaround to distribution is very quick.

 

Can you provide references or testimonials?
Please refer to the Testimonials section of the ‘Community Connections Brochure’ (pages 8-11), or visit http://www.aboriginalcareers.ca/cctestimonials/.

 

How does your program fit into our current application process?
Our programs are designed to create awareness and interest in your organization and opportunities. We direct potential Aboriginal candidates into your existing process and we pride ourselves on our ability to seamlessly integrate into our client’s environment.

 

What are the program regions?
The regions are East, West, and Central and are designed to work with Workopolis’s regions.

 

Is Aboriginal Link Funded by the Government?
No. Aboriginal Link is a privately held corporation and receives no Government funding.

 

Why do organizations find it difficult to find Aboriginal candidates?
There are many factors that can limit the success organizations have in attracting Aboriginal candidates. Brand recognition and reputation can create significant barriers to recruitment, however, in many cases an organization that is under-represented in Aboriginal employees has not yet implemented a comprehensive Aboriginal recruitment strategy. Organizations should approach this initiative in the same way they manage other areas of their business: research the opportunity to gain knowledge of the Aboriginal Sector, develop plans to attract and retain candidates, identify metrics to measure the success, and review results and make adjustments to the plan. Like most areas of your business, there are no shortcuts to success. Human Resources departments need to develop and commit to long-term strategies that will demonstrate their commitment to employing Aboriginal Peoples. You have to remember the potential rewards are well worth the effort.

 

Is it more difficult to find employees who live near natural resource sites?
Potential candidates who live near natural resource sites are often located in rural or remote areas and may not have access to the same employment resources as those in more urban settings. Organizations that want to insure inclusivity in their recruiting efforts must take these restrictions into consideration. As well, many of these candidates may not have the same access to education or work experience opportunities. It is important that companies review their job postings to ensure that these requirements are truly reflective of the job and not creating unintentional barriers for potential employees.

 

What benefits do employers looking to fill jobs experience when they actively hire Aboriginal people?
Firstly, organizations will get access to a large employment pool. Aboriginal youth represent Canada’s youngest and fastest-growing population. With a growth rate six-times faster than the rest of Canadian population, the median age of Aboriginal individuals is 27 compared to 40 for non-Aboriginal peoples. Secondly, as baby boomers retire over the next twenty years, the influence and impact of Aboriginal Peoples on Canada’s economy, workforce, and social/political landscape will undergo exponential growth. As a result, innovative and socially responsible companies are looking to build business relationships with Aboriginal leaders, Communities, organizations and individuals. They see, not only a potential source for skilled labour, but also a growing and under-realized consumer base.

 

In your experience with job postings, what sort of language turns away Aboriginal job applicants, and what sort of language attracts Aboriginal peoples?
Choice of language and imagery is extremely important in attracting Aboriginal candidates. Many potential Aboriginal job seekers eliminate themselves from applying for positions because they feel that traditional postings are meant to exclude Aboriginal candidates from applying. In order to encourage Aboriginal Job Seekers to apply, employers need to demonstrate cultural sensitivity and include a specific invitation that clearly identifies the employer values Aboriginal Inclusion.

 

What are some proven-strategies that you recommend employers use to reach Aboriginal job seekers?
The most important aspect to engaging Aboriginal candidates is to build your brand and demonstrate your commitment to employing Aboriginal Peoples. One proven strategy involves developing a community presence in locations where potential Aboriginal candidates work, live, learn, and play. Aboriginal engagement should include reaching into traditional Communities where 50% of Aboriginal Canadians reside, and also the 50% of Aboriginal people that now live in urban and rural areas, but maintain their identity and traditions by participating in the ‘Cultural Community’. This distinctive ‘Cultural Community’ is not constrained by physical boundaries and is present in every city, town and village across Canada. The Cultural Community exists in thousands of associations and organizations that are focused on Aboriginal culture, health, employment, events, education, and fellowship. In order to be truly inclusive, your overall recruitment strategy needs to include a specific plan to build a community presence in both the traditional and cultural communities.

 

What role do personal relationships play when employers seek to attract Aboriginal job applicants?
Personal relationships are extremely important in attracting Aboriginal Candidates. In this case, it is the relationship that exists between the organizations brand and the Aboriginal job seeker. Aboriginal candidates will eliminate themselves from applying for a position if they don’t believe that the organization is truly committed to recruiting and retaining Aboriginal Peoples. The Corporate Brand must be viewed as the bridge between the organization and the Aboriginal Work Force.