what drives talent in canada.

The modern-day workplace compels employers in Canada to identify critical talent drivers, sometimes, non-negotiable for today’s talent. As an employer in today’s business landscape, you’re about to witness a fluid talent landscape, propelled by top push factors of the Canadian talent. The ideal employer profile perceived by talent in Canada remained relatively stable.

Furthermore, an attractive salary package still holds power at the top, without ignoring work-life balance as a key driver. If you chip away at making job stability and workplace equity your core strengths, you’re winning the race of drawing in top talent.

This statistic advises your talent strategy, beyond what you pictured. Compensation alone can’t win you the talent war. Long-term career sustainability and stable career growth provide equal footing for talent to create a strong employer perception.

Randstad’s 2025 Employer Brand Research (REBR) for Canada sheds light on the changing priorities and behaviors shaping the future of work across the nation. Gathering perspectives from a wide array of Canadian professionals, the report reveals a layered yet practical understanding of what truly matters to talent.

Discover the top seven insights and how they can shape and strengthen your talent strategy.

1. work-life balance goes head-to-head with salary in Canada.

Seeking a competitive compensation and benefits framework remains at the forefront of talent drivers in Canada. However, work-life balance supersedes compensation. Furthermore, it tops the list for talent seeking employment in some specializations. Plainly put, talent is prioritizing balance over ambition.

What does this mean for employers, such as you? To rank higher in the race to become an ideal employer, you must take a step forward to dive into talent’s nuanced expectations. Consider this data point. Work-life balance, surprisingly, means much more than compensation to digital talent.

Professional talent, on the other hand, relies on a positive and pleasant work atmosphere to gauge their employer profile. Furthermore, the perception gap around salary and benefits broadens over time, throwing a curveball at your talent strategy. Addressing this expectation-reality conundrum should stay mission-critical, even before you start developing a talent strategy.

The workplace scene in Canada also shines a spotlight on how generational priorities vary. The Gen Z workforce, a new and emerging talent wing in Canada, runs counter to typical talent needs. This talent population has dialed down the focus on compensation and benefits. They zero in on good training and equity to evaluate their ideal employer profiles.

With this, you’ve got some lessons to absorb and changes to make in your hiring strategy. Compensation still holds the weight, but not without a thoughtfully designed employee wellness plan. Your key takeaways: An attractive compensation and benefits framework still tops the list. In addition, offering flexible work schedules, sustainable workloads and support for your workforce's physical and mental health makes all the difference.

2. the Gen Z shift: growth matters more than pay.

If you think you understand how talent priorities vary by generation, think again! Randstad’s 2025 Employer Brand Research report shows distinctive priorities per generation. The line is clearly drawn, however, by Generation Z—the digital natives of today’s talent landscape.

In Canada, Gen Z leans towards career progression more than an attractive compensation framework. This expectation displays Gen Z’s unparalleled job preferences and workplace ideals. Additionally, this generation is more likely to switch jobs if their employers don’t align with their expectations.

Furthermore, Gen Z has a stronger inclination to personal growth, career development opportunities, and a fair, inclusive and positive work culture. A trend not new, Gen Z pioneers the job switching trail, with 22% switching jobs, fast.

In addition, Gen Z is the generation most active with job searches on Google and social media platforms. What lessons should you draw from this evolving workplace, distinctly influenced by Gen Z? Highlight company values, a robust in-house upskilling ecosystem, workplace inclusion and purpose. Promote the impact you make and work toward creating a standout employer brand.

3. job security and reskilling make the new career currency.

The Canadian workforce is slowly settling into long-term roles. Fewer employees are planning to switch jobs, and even fewer are following through. Building on these trends, Boomers switch jobs the least, at just 3%, displaying a risk-averse mindset when it comes to career progression.

That said, job security sustains its position in the top 3 talent motivators. Furthermore, reskilling, too, ranks high on the agenda for almost 70% of the workforce. Whether it’s your prospective or in-house talent, gaining new skills sits at the core of job seekers’ primary objectives nationwide.

Better yet, the Gen Z employees are more powerfully connected to acquiring new skills, as they have already grasped the potential this very tool holds. To reinforce this perspective, the younger talent sets have developed a firm belief that reskilling is a non-negotiable shield to protect from economic volatility and the ever-shifting employment landscape.

What picture does this talent scene paint? Your talent strategy can’t live without a reskilling plan. Fundamental to nurturing and retaining talent, internal mobility options and skills training to your workforce must be structured and clever. If you don’t offer talent this comfort, they’ll look for it elsewhere!

4. operational and digital talent plays by a distinct rule book.

The workforce segment in operational and digital roles reveals a different set of priorities. While professional talent aspires for a positive workplace and a visible career trajectory, digital talent places job security and equity above everything else. A favorable pattern for you? Digital talent doesn’t switch roles without compelling reasons.

Surprisingly, digital talent exhibits the strongest intention to switch jobs, but misses in reality. Why? While digital talent actively searches for job opportunities, they’re disinclined to make a move unless the new role offers comparable or better job security.

Differing from this perspective, the operational talent is ushering in a new micro-mindset in the talent market. Operational roles experience high turnover rates, flagging a notable retention challenge. Additionally, this fact is founded on the evidence of a below-satisfactory perception of key employer drivers by the operational talent.

Employer reputation and workplace culture outrank your business profitability for digital and operational talent. A diverse and inclusive workplace is all they want. Build a futuristic employer brand, driven by your core values and a business growth story that speaks volumes about your workplace engagement.

5. Canada is witnessing an equity rise, but on the miss.

This year, equity surpasses employee upskilling to rank as one of the three most significant talent motivators. The push, however, was equal from the employers across the nation. Data supports the notable improvement in equity scores across all critical statements compared to last year.

Supporting statistic: 7 in 10 Canadian employees rate their employer positively on equity. In contrast to the upward tick equity showed through data, minority-identifying employees have a different story to tell. 41% of the Canadian workforce classifies itself as a minority and still struggles with barriers linked to personal identity.

These challenges rooted in identity have become more pronounced in 2025, resulting in 46% of this population facing identity-centric biases. Here’s the downside: this disparity grew by 4% since last year. How can your employer brand stand apart?

Invest in meaningful DEI initiatives and turn them into measurable actions. Treat employee equity as a metric backing your workplace’s health and your workforce's well-being.

6. AI is transforming the Gen Z and Millennial attitude.

Today, 21% of the Canadian Gen Z and Millennial workforce counts on AI tools every day at work. Additionally, AI sentiment has seen a facelift in the older generations, too, with 14% of Gen X tuning in green to AI.

What does this vibe give off? On a bird’s eye view, the AI sentiment has grown stronger and more positive. Today, AI sits on a companion list of your prospective Canadian talent. This is a strong indication of almost all industries adopting AI at full throttle.

Furthermore, Gen Z and Millennials lead the race with their adoption progressing faster than any other generation at work. AI usage has seen an upward trend among digital talent, with rates surpassing both the professional and operational talent segments.

As an employer, your outlook for AI adoption should be one that instills confidence in your teams. Develop in-house frameworks that can train your staff, tackle fears pertaining to job security and stability and enable an org-wide tech-fueled transformation.

7. employee engagement is up in Canada—but can it last?

Two-thirds of the Canadian workforce is motivated and engaged in their roles. Furthermore, a recent shift shows 47% of Gen Z and Millennials now feel more engaged than a year ago. This progressive boost has also reduced employee turnover notably.

However, 33% of engaged employees are inclined to move out. This portion is less than 47% of the disengaged segment. This deficit points to the alarming need to nurture an engaged workforce. The core motivator? Work-life balance. And, the primary deterrent? An underwhelming compensation package. Next in line? A significant pie of the Gen Z population craves for a positive leadership style and workplace culture.

Key takeaways for you, as an employer? Focus on employee engagement as a practical business growth strategy. Understand the emotional and practical needs of your workforce. Develop a supportive leadership backbone, recognize your employees’ contributions and reward them fairly.

the critical question.

What drives talent in the Canada? Not compensation alone. Your talent strategy is a confluence of work-life balance, employee equity, growth and purpose. You reap an outstanding employer brand when you tailor your talent attraction and retention plans to what talent truly desires.

Your investment in people and organizational purpose defines your identity as an exceptional employer. Book a call with our expert team to devise a tailored recruitment strategy, suiting your business needs.