Social media and technology are two of the most important aspects of employment for the youngest working generation, according to the Canada’s Top Employers for Young People competition, now in its 18^th year. The project is organized by Mediacorp Canada Inc., which also runs the annual Canada’s Top 100 Employers project.

Some of the finalists from this year’s competition include BC Hydro, Bruce Power LP, Capital Power Corporation, Epcor Utilities Inc., SaskPower and Schneider Electric Canada.

“Employers are responding to a generation that has come of age with social media,” says Kristina Leung, senior editor at Mediacorp. “With social media, everyone has a voice and feels empowered. There’s an expectation by young people that their workplace will be the same, that they can contribute and have an impact.”

As the nation’s youth unemployment rate is lower than most of the developed world, and is nearly its lowest in 40 years, young people tend to feel more confident about their employment prospects, reports Mediacorp. “In many fields, new graduates have a wide choice of opportunities – and employers are feeling the effects of a tight recruitment market.”

Add to that, technology is also changing how employees expect to interact with their employers. “The best employers are changing the way they offer key benefits like training so that they are more ‘on-demand’ and let employees learn at their own speed,” says Stephanie Leung, assistant editor at Mediacorp. “Some even offer apps that allow employees to see where they stand with various workplace benefits and annual vacation allowance.”

Over the last year, the finalists for Canada’s Top Employers for Young People (2020) have created over 56,000 job opportunities, such as summer employment, co-op placements and paid internships for students and new graduates; hired over 19,000 new grads for full-time positions; offer flexible work options, including flexible hours, telecommuting and paid personal days off; and support ongoing training and development to help young people advance in their careers – from tuition subsidies to bonuses for completing certain accreditations and courses.

The editorial competition recognizes employers offering the country’s best workplaces and programs for young people at the start of their careers. Winners are selected by the editorial team at the Canada’s Top Employers project based on the programs and initiatives they offer to attract and retain young talent.