Robert Half salary guide shares salary expectations from Canadian workers

TORONTO — When it comes to what Canadian workers want in today’s job market, salary remains top of mind, new research from talent solutions and business consulting firm Robert Half shows. According to the just-released 2023 Salary Guide, companies are under pressure to offer higher compensation to current staff and new hires for a number of reasons. But beyond adjusting pay, what are employers doing to attract and retain top talent in a continued tight employment market?

The following is a snapshot of numbers to know heading into 2023:

• Salaries are trending upward. To recruit skilled professionals, 42 per cent of employers are offering higher starting salaries. In addition, 79 per cent of managers who increased base compensation for new hires in the past year have also made pay adjustments for current staff.
• Perks are more plentiful. Nine in 10 companies (90 per cent) have added new perks in response to the challenging hiring market, the most common being:
  1. Mental health resources (39 per cent)
  2. Flextime (38 per cent)
  3. Wellness programs (38 per cent)
• Raise requests are coming — and employers should prepare. Despite overall salary growth in Canada, more than half of professionals (57 per cent) feel underpaid. Thirty-four per cent plan to ask for a raise if they don’t get one — or the amount is lower than expected — by year-end. Further, nearly four in 10 workers (37 per cent) would consider changing employers for a 10 per cent increase in pay.
• Professionals are showing their worth. To better position themselves for a raise, workers are:
  1. Taking on responsibilities outside their job description (41 per cent)
  2. Acquiring new and relevant skills or certifications (27 per cent)
  3. Researching salaries and sharing discrepancies with their manager (27 per cent)
• Workers remain confident. Forty-seven per cent of professionals are more likely to request a higher starting salary today compared to 12 months ago. An even greater percentage (57 per cent) feel they are in the driver’s seat when it comes to negotiating pay, perks and benefits.

“The Canadian labour market remains tight, and professionals continue to have leverage when it comes to negotiating for better pay, perks and benefits,” said David King, senior managing director, Robert Half Canada. “Keeping in lockstep with current compensation trends is a critical element of recruiting and retaining skilled talent, as is providing perks and benefits that support employees’ overall well-being.”