Canada

Most people see Canada as a gentle, easy-going North American country to the north of the United States. Many see it through the lens of a few cities (e.g. Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver) that are scattered about a very wild, rugged, and (often) cold terrain that is widely-dispersed and minimally populated. But that’s not Canada at all and Maccabeus understands that from the inside-out having worked in Canada for almost 30 years with companies like Bombardier/Volvo Bus (Montréal, Quebec), AutoCanada (Edmonton, Alberta), Magna (Aurora, Ontario), and Canadian Tire (Toronto, Ontario) – just to name a few.

Canada, like many countries in Europe, is subdivided into ten (10) Provinces and three (3) Territories. Each of the Canadian Provinces (Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Newfoundland and Labrador) and Territories (Northwest, Yukon, Nunavut) are very distinct and quite unique in many regards. Recruiting to Toronto, Ontario is very different than recruiting to Montréal, Quebec – including the cultural reality that people in Toronto use English as their common language, whereas in Montréal, French is the common language. Now, this doesn’t mean that folks in Toronto don’t/can’t speak French (among other languages) – including the vise versa for Montréal – but, it is critically-important for Executives considering roles in one of the Provinces and/or Territories to understand the Provincial, Territorial, and cultural differences. And it’s even more critical for the Executive Recruiting Firm to get this “right” from the beginning (to avoid hiring “misfires”, search “re-do’s”, etc.).

Maccabeus has been working in Canada for over thirty (30) years for both domestic and international clients and companies. Whether recruiting into the Oil & Gas Industry in and around Calgary, Alberta, the AutoMobility Industry in and around Toronto, Ontario, and/or the Transportation, Forestry, Energy, and Mining Industries in and around Montréal, Quebec, Maccabeus understands Canada from the inside-out.

Culture, Culture, Culture

Realtors and related real estate investors will regularly talk about the most important decision for making an real estate investment is “location, location, location”. At Maccabeus, we say Executive recruiting comes down to three (3) words, as well – “culture, culture, culture”. Specifically, the culture of the company (or the client), the Executive, and the Province, Region, Territory, etc.

Recruiting, while common in many ways, varies greatly by Province, Region, Territory, etc.

While it’s true that corporate vs. individual cultural fit is very important, what often gets missed is the “regional cultural fit”. Per the pie chart below, it’s important to remember how widely-dispersed Canada’s population is – as well as the legacy and Genesis of each of Canada’s Provinces and Territories. The Canadian people are some of the nicest in the world – which leads to the over-characterization of them often being considered too “soft-spoken”. Anyone who’s lived and/or worked in Canada understands full-well how hard-working, tough, and loyal the people in Canada are. Canada is not for the “tepid” Executive – even in the cosmopolitan cities of Toronto, Calgary, Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Edmonton.

At Maccabeus, we understand the Canadian Regional differences (for both Provinces and Territories) and how to apply those unique qualities across the cultural aspects of both companies (clients) and Executives (and their Families). We have recruited to just about every Province and/or Territory in Canada and from very rural, low-population areas to densely-populated city centers and surrounding suburbs. We know the differences across Canada (both regionally and from an industry perspective) not just from an Executive Recruitment Firm’s perspective, but also as Executives who have considered relocations and/or new career challenges directly for ourselves and our Families. While we have counseled hundreds of Executives to not take an opportunity based on their concerns around cultural differences (based on location and/or the company), our Partners and Staff have also declined offers ourselves as Industry Executives – opportunities that just weren’t the right “fit” for either ourselves and/or our Families. We get it.

Finding the right Executives takes a tenacity to see through the surface of experiences and to look into the intangibles behind who a leader really is as a person. To get to know the companies, clients, Executives, Families, etc. behind the search project. Maccabeus is committed to and has a strong track record of recruiting and placing Executives across a diverse landscape of industries and locations.

We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this further with you and your Board.