Human resources services

To ensure that Statistics Canada has the capacity to meet its immediate and longer-term human resources (HR) requirements, the Agency undertakes external recruitment for entry-level positions and hires a smaller number of new employees for positions above the entry level. The Agency also uses internal staffing processes to staff positions above the entry level. In general, entry-level recruitment and development positions are filled through external processes that are open to the general public and employees of the public service. These positions are advertised at jobs-emplois.gc.ca (available on Network B only).

Section 6 outlines the recruitment, resourcing and staffing activities that will be undertaken in 2010/2011 to bring the Agency’s workforce strength to the level required to support business needs.

Planned external recruitment

Based on our workforce analysis (see appendix E), the Agency experienced the peak of its retirement rate in 2008/2009. Over the next three years, an estimated average of 251 indeterminate core-group employees (EC, CS, MA, CR and EX [see appendix K for a list of abbreviations]) will leave the Agency annually. Over half of these departures (56%) are a result of retirement, which is more conducive to replacement planning if required. Statistics Canada has established its business staffing requirements, based on both new priorities (requiring additional personnel) and employees affected by internal optimization initiatives (such as Corporate Business Architecture) coupled with anticipated attrition. Employee turnover or ‘churn’ is higher among employees occupying positions in corporate support (such as PE, FI and AS [see appendix K for a list of abbreviations]) compared to those in the core group.

Statistics Canada conducts post-secondary recruitment for entry-level developmental positions. The developmental programs include rotational assignments for a duration of two years and mandatory training courses. Depending on individual performance, the recruit should be performing duties and responsibilities in a position two levels higher than their recruitment level at the end of this two-year period. Post-secondary recruitment includes indeterminate external hires with a university degree or college diploma. A number of recruitment vehicles may be used, such as the Public Service Commission’s specialized post-secondary recruitment programs, Statistics Canada’s recruitment processes, the Financial Officer/Internal Auditor Recruitment and Development Program, and student bridging for Federal Student Work Experience Program and Co-operative Education Program students.

In 2010/2011, we anticipate recruiting 94 new developmental recruits and bridging another 16 students. Even though our selection processes for entry-level positions are advertised, when an individual has completed the first year of training and has demonstrated the competencies and abilities to perform at the next level and is promoted to the next level, the staffing processes are being recorded as non-advertised. We anticipate that 210 recruit promotions from the 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 campaigns will be recorded as non-advertised.

The Chief Statistician is the deputy minister champion for the federal public service recruitment of post-secondary recruits at the University of Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg. The recruitment campaign is being planned for February 2011. For mid-level recruitment, the Agency launches internal and external selection processes to the public service at the group and level of the position that needs to be filled to create an inventory of individuals. Non-advertised processes are also used for certain cases when unique or specialized qualifications are sought.

Top of Page

Top of Page

Collective staffing: The current EC generic competition processes will be phased out, replaced by a small number of streamlined processes. This change will result in the creation of pools of qualified candidates more closely aligned with subject matter areas, and will reduce the amount of time taken to staff EC positions.

Top of Page

Staffing intentions in the regions

The regions play a significant role in helping Statistics Canada achieve its priorities. Statistics Canada hires under three different legislative frameworks: the PSEA, the Statistics Act and the Statistics Canada Census-related Term Employment Exclusion Approval Order (EAO) and associated regulations. The following illustrates estimates of regional staffing requirements for planning purposes for the next three years:

Anticipated staffing in the regions for determinate employees

A significant number of determinate employees will be hired in 2010/2011 to provide the infrastructure required to deliver the 2011 Census of Population and Census of Agriculture. The table below provides projected hiring in the regions; a similar amount will be hired in the National Capital Region to provide processing services at the Data Processing Centre in Gatineau, Quebec. Table 6.2.2 represents the team that will provide administrative, supervisory, management and corporate support to the crew leaders and enumerators of the census, as presented in table 6.2.3. All census positions have a definitive end date, with the majority of assignments ending before September 30, 2011.

Top of Page

Staffing intentions for student hiring

Statistics Canada will continue to hire from 125 to 150 students in 2010/2011.

Staffing strategies for term workforce

A significant share of the work at Statistics Canada is tied to temporary funding. As such, a portion of the workforce is hired on a temporary basis. Large shares of these employees belong to the Collection and Regional Services Branch and the Operations Branch of Census and Operations Field. These areas will again engage in a significant amount of collection activities tied to temporary funding and a share (in proportion to cost-recovery activities) of their workforce will be for the duration of a term. Similarly, in the program areas, individuals producing, analysing and disseminating the data collected for these cost-recovery projects will be hired on a temporary basis.

As of March 31, 2010, Statistics Canada employed 538 people who had been hired on a term basis. The temporary workforce is split between 68% term employment, 9% casual and 23% students. The majority of the term workforce falls within the CR, AS, IS or GA (students) groups. Fifteen percent of our term workforce is from the Alumni program.

Term employees are hired under Section 30 of the PSEA, whereas casual workers are hired under Section 50 of the PSEA.

Many of our determinate employees fall under the ‘sunset funding’ provisions of the Treasury Board Secretariat’s Term Employment Policy, which means that the work period is of a limited duration. Many of these employees are seeking indeterminate work either at Statistics Canada or at other government departments. While employed at the Agency, they have access to indeterminate job postings and are encouraged to apply. Some determinate employees are successful in moving to indeterminate status.

Occasionally, temporary funding for programs is made permanent. When this happens, an advertised independent or collective appointment process is launched. In certain cases, where circumstances warrant, appointments from term to indeterminate may be made subject to Statistics Canada’s Policy on Advertised/Non-Advertised Appointment Processes, Area of Selection, and Corrective Action.

Although the number of term workers will increase over the coming years to perform work for the 2011 Census, an Exclusion Approval Order was obtained to exclude these employees from participating in internal advertised processes.

Term workforce

The majority of the Agency’s term workforce is in the CR category. For the upcoming Census of Population and Census of Agriculture, a large number of term CR and AS positions will be filled in 2010/2011, mostly in the regional offices.

Top of Page

Statistical Survey Operations

Statistical Survey Operations (SSO) is a separate agency that was established in 1987. Prior to 1987, interviewers were considered ‘contractors’ to conduct interviewing activities. In 1987, Statistical Survey Operations was created through an Order in Council and is now recognized as a legal entity. It is identified as a separate agency in Schedule V of the Financial Administration Act.

The mandate of SSO is to collect information from Statistics Canada survey respondents regarding their business or household.

As employees of SSO, they are representatives of Statistics Canada. SSO interviewers are the face of Statistics Canada to the Canadian public. They play a crucial role in engaging respondents to participate in Statistics Canada surveys.

Statistical Survey Operations has one classification group made up of interviewers from two levels: interviewers and senior interviewers. These are the people represented in table 6.5.1 below, by region. The three regions are Western, Central and Eastern.

The interviewers are divided into two groups: those who are engaged primarily in carrying out survey activities outside Statistics Canada regional offices—computer-assisted personal interviewers (CAPI), also referred to as ‘field’ interviewers—and those whose work is primarily in Statistics Canada regional offices—computer-assisted telephone interviewers (CATI), also referred to as ‘telephone’ interviewers.

They are not considered part of Statistics Canada’s workforce.

Top of Page

Long-term planning analysis

Statistics Canada’s long-term planning (LTP) process establishes strategic priorities and re-allocates 3% to 4% of its budget to address emerging needs, meet mandatory obligations, and streamline programs and processes in our quest for excellence and running an efficient department.

The 2010/2011 cycle of the LTP was conducted in an environment of organizational change in support of the Corporate Business Architecture (CBA) initiative. 54% or 63 of the 117 full-time equivalents (FTEs) supporting 2010/2011 LTP initiatives are dedicated to CBA. The trend continues upward in 2011/2012 where 61 of 102 or 60% of FTEs in approved LTP initiatives will be CBA-related. Finally, in 2012/2013 57 of 79 LTP funded FTEs (72%) will be dedicated to CBA.

Corporate Assignments Program

The Corporate Assignments Program is designed to facilitate the movement of our developmental recruits within the organization, which represents about 50% of the corporate assignments as well as to provide a fast-tracking staffing service to further provide opportunities to develop our manpower, accelerate the start-up of projects, meet temporary increase workloads and changes in priorities.

The Corporate Assignments Program will be a useful staffing tool to reallocate staff during the 2010/2013 period when the Agency undergoes remarkable changes as a result of the 2011 Census, the CPI enhancement initiative, the introduction of the new household survey, and the Corporate Business Architecture initiative. For instance, to strengthen capacity, some of the Agency’s permanent workforce will undertake corporate assignments to work on the Census and then will return to their regular jobs once the Census is over.

All employees are eligible to apply for a corporate assignment with their director's approval. After four years in the same position, employees need no formal approval to participate. At any one point in time, approximately 10% of the entire Agency’s staff is on corporate assignment or developmental rotations.

The risk to both the employee and the manager is reduced by two key rules: employees are guaranteed the security of returning to their home positions; and the host division can initiate a termination of the assignment if the employee is not suited for the position.