The demand for a deep pipeline of highly skilled workers has never been greater.
Recent BioTalent Canada labour market intelligence reports show that over the next 8 years there will be a deficit of 65,000 jobs. In order to meet talent needs, and build resiliency against future disruptions, the industry needs to adopt inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA), increase retention rates, and access untapped talent pools by training and hiring IEPs.
What is organizational resiliency?
Organizational resiliency refers to the capability of an organization to anticipate, absorb, react and adapt to internal and external disruptions and associated impacts. Fundamentally, it’s about how organizations overcome adversity to ensure sustainability.
This definition was validated in interviews with bio-economy employers, whose comments suggested three major characteristics shared by resilient organizations:
- They are agile, flexible and adaptable with their operations and internal processes.
- Their employees are engaged with leadership both formally and informally.
- They have empowered cultures stemming from engaged employees who feel they are listened to and their needs considered during times of change.
Building Workplace Resiliency Resources
The following resources were developed as part of the project, Building Resiliency and Sustainability for the Bio-economy to Withstand Disruption, funded by the Future Skills Centre, that examined the disruption and challenges faced by the sector during the COVID-19 pandemic and is designed to help employers with onboarding, retention, and recruitment. The end goal is to develop resiliency within an organization and promote a strong talent pipeline through principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility leadership (IDEAL).
- Building Workplace Resiliency: Adopting Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility
- Building Workplace Resiliency: Hiring Internationally Educated Professionals (IEPs)
- Building Workplace Resiliency: Understanding Canadian Human Rights
- Building Workplace Resiliency: Developing Organizational Culture
- Building Workplace Resiliency: Encouraging Employee Engagement
- Building Workplace Resiliency: Fostering Strong Leadership
- Building Workplace Resiliency: Leveraging Performance Management
- Building Workplace Resiliency: A Checklist for Bio-economy Employers
Enabling Change Resources
The following resources were developed as part of the Enabling Change program.
Ontario’s bio-economy is grappling with a critical labour shortage, particularly in the bio-manufacturing and processing sectors. Conventional solutions like immigrants and new graduates entering the field won’t suffice. Instead, embracing an IDEA mindset—Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility—is crucial. By tapping into diverse talent pools, including persons with disabilities who currently represent only 1% of the industry, employers can seize a significant opportunity to fill these gaps effectively. To support employers in adopting IDEA best practices when recruiting new hires, BioTalent Canada will coordinate four events within Ontario to show employers how to attract and retain persons with disabilities. BioTalent Canada is also in the process of creating tools and resources to promote the benefits of diverse and inclusive hiring. Learn more.
- Enabling Change Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act (AODA) Requirements
- Enabling Change: Benefits of Hiring Persons with a Disability
Case Studies
- Building Workplace Resiliency – Enhance organizational resiliency with the right skills
- Building Workplace Resiliency – IDEA is the cornerstone of organizational resiliency
- Building Workplace Resiliency – Building organizational resiliency with mental health supports
- Building Workplace Resiliency – How small and medium-sized enterprises can improve organizational resiliency
Building Resiliency and Sustainability for the Bio-economy to Withstand Disruption is funded by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Program. 
