It is clear that the dynamics and demographics of the Canadian workforce are changing. Currently, more than 50 per cent of the Canadian workforce is comprised of Millennials, those roughly born between 1980 and 2000. This is a staggering and important change for all industries in Canada. The report aims to provide organizations with new approaches and opportunities to attract, engage and most importantly, retain these workplace game-changers. With high levels of student debt and a youth unemployment rate twice the national average, the next two generations of talent have new needs, expectations and are hungry for experience. Learn how your organization can build a desirable employer brand by connecting and investing in students, foster talent despite the risk of mobility and create a nurturing environment for the next two generations of employees. There will be a direct correlation between the success and growth of your organization and its ability to attract and engage Gen Y & Z. yconic owns and operates the largest youth market research panel in Canada. Over 550,000 youth between the ages of 13 and 30 have opted in to participate in our consumer surveys. We help our partners gain key insights into the youth demographic, leading to better marketing and product decisions for the teen and young adult market. For more information, visit we.are.yconic.com.

1. Attracting and Retaining
the Next Generation of Talent

2. There is no doubt in my mind that there will be a direct correlation between the
success and growth of your organization and its ability to attract and engage the
next two generations of talent, Gen Y & Z. The Canadian economy has an aging
workforce, a major issue that cannot be ignored, yet most organizations have not
yet taken action. That is why we are excited to share the findings of our latest
talent study, to help you better understand how you can attract, engage and most
importantly, retain these workplace game-changers.
Their student debt levels are higher than any generation we’ve seen to-date.
Canada’s youth unemployment rate is twice the national average. As a result, they
have new needs, expectations and are hungry for experience.
This report is only the first step. It is what you do with this information that matters
to your long-term success.
It is clear that the dynamics and demographics of the Canadian workforce are
changing. Currently, more than 50 per cent of the Canadian workforce is comprised
of Millennials, those roughly born between 1980 and 2000. This is a staggering and
important change for all industries in Canada.
Message from yconic President & CEORob Henderson
President and CEO
yconic
50%

3. Table of Contents
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
Setting the Stage: Student Debt
& Youth Unemployment
Perceived Barriers to
Youth Employment
Alternatives to Unpaid
Internship Programs
Recipe for Attracting and
Retaining Young Talent
Looking Ahead
Key Insights: Youth Mindset
What can your organization do?
About yconic
Survey Methodology

4. Student Debt
In Canada, the average
student debt is $27,000.
Avg student debt difficult to
pay off, delays life milestones,
CBC News Canada, March
2014
Survey of Financial Security,
Statistics Canada, February
2014
Student debt grew 44.1% from 1999 to 2012,
or 24.4% between 2005 and 2012.

5. The State of Unemployment
Canada’s youth unemployment rate (15-24 yrs) is a staggering
13.7%, nearly twice the national average. While the rate may
dip for the older cohorts, at least four out of 10 of these young
people are currently seeking employment opportunities.
Canada’s National Unemployment Rate
TOTAL: 15 yrs and over
15 to 19 years
25 to 29 years
20 to 24 years
30 to 34 years
15 to 24 years
2015
March
7.4
19.5
10.6
9.4
5.8
13.7
Source: Labour Force Survey,
CANSIM, Statistic Canada,
March 2015

6. of young adults cite a lack of experience as
their number one barrier to employment
Current employment status reveals students and youth are either working part-time
or not at all. The perception of ‘lack of experience’ is perpetuated by simply not being
immersed in active employment, particularly if they are not in their desired field of study.
Employed Part-Time Not Employed
55%
44% 43%
Source: yconic Talent Survey,
February 2015

7. 46%
They are Hungry…
Source: yconic Talent Survey,
February 2015
of 19-24 year-olds are actively
seeking employment opportunities.

8. 19
Average number of resumes students
expect to send before landing a job.
59
Per cent of 15-34 year-olds disagree
that: “Finding a job is easy.”
And plan to work for it
Source: yconic Talent Survey,
February 2015

9. Young people cannot find work in their
respective field because they lack experience…
and they lack experience because they cannot
get relevant employment opportunities.
The Frustrating Cycle

10. Solution: Work for free?
Unpaid internships are debatably a potential
solution enabling students the opportunity
to gain work experience.
Would you take
an unpaid full-time
job with almost
$30k in debt?!

11. In addition to a lack of experience, yconic
found that 43% of young people surveyed
think that a lack of job opportunities and
too much competition are their biggest
barriers to finding a job.
Contributing Factors
Boomers not retiring
Older cohorts are under-employed
Number of new grads flooding the market
Source: yconic Talent Survey,
February 2015

12. Don’t have the budget for a paid
internship program?
There are several opportunities for employers to help young
people gain work experience and provide tremendous value,
while simultaneously building meaningful relationships with
Gen Y and Gen Z talent.

13. Alternative Opportunities for Fostering Talent
71% 58% 57%
Attract and engage young job-seekers and generate high
employer brand ROI with limited investment.
Mentorship
Program
Are highly
interested in
having a mentor.
Job Shadowing
Program
Are highly interested
in 1-2 day job
shadowing.
Immersion
Program
Are highly interested in
a two-week immersion
opportunity.
Source: yconic Talent Survey,
February 2015

14. A Little Help Goes a Long Way
Young people notice
when a brand takes notice
of them. Helping young
talent will ultimately help
your brand succeed.
Source: yconic Talent Survey,
February 2015
of 15-34 year-olds feel more
inclined to work for a company or
organization that invests in students.
80%

15. The Recipe for
Attracting and
Retaining Gen Y
and Gen Z Talent

16. Aside from compensation,
young professionals are driven
by and looking for these factors
when seeking employment...
Looking for...

17. 1. Balance and Culture
Important Factors in a Job:
69% 59% 50% 24%
Schedule
Flexibility
Work-life balance and company culture are key motivators. It’s important to
Millennials and Gen Z to work for a company that values healthy living and
environments. These factors impact the harmony between the people they
work with and the people they prioritize - friends and family.
Company
Location
Team
Members
Opportunity to Work
Remotely - this jumps to
42% for 25-34 year-olds.
Source: yconic Talent Survey,
February 2015

18. Source: yconic Talent Survey,
February 2015
2. Impact and Variety
Important Factors in a Job:
68% 65% 56% 48%
Interesting
and
Challenging
Work
Young people are keen to make an impact, and grow as professionals. It is
important that opportunities offer a variety of interesting tasks and challenges
– exposure to multiple projects, different team members and a line of sight of
how their work is impacting the organization are ways to satisfy this.
Ability to
Build Resume
and Work
Experience
Career
Advancement
Within The
Organization
Variety in
Job Tasks

19. Looking for ‘Recession-Proof’ Opportunities
39%
36%
29%
Government
Teaching, training or service in
a field of interest/expertise
Professional Services
(e.g. Accounting)
Top Areas of Interest
Considering the reality for many young people – academic debt, high
unemployment – it’s less surprising that industries which offer long-term
stability e.g. clear pay grades and increases, health benefits and more, top the list.
Source: yconic Talent Survey,
February 2015

20. Industries that need help attracting
Gen Y and Gen Z talent
9% 8% 7%
Oil and Gas
Interest Level:
Manual Labour Manufacturing
Source: yconic Talent Survey,
February 2015
The low level of interest across these trade-based industries will only
perpetuate the current shortage of skilled workers in Canada. It is more
important than ever to commit to a strategy that begins to evolve and align
with the needs and expectations of the next generation of the workforce.

21. Looking Ahead

22. Job hoppers or life stage context?
Understanding the context within each life stage demystifies the job hopping reputation
of young workers. Education, graduation, experience gathering and growth each
contribute to job mobility. Teens are balancing academics and a part-time job – post-
secondary and career trajectory are still in flux. Young adults are focused on gaining
experience, and older Millennials have started to gain traction on their career. Across all
life stages, it is important to provide a dynamic work environment and a clear path on
skill development – generating a strong employer brand and internal culture.
Anticipate change, movement.
38% of 25-34 year olds
37% of 19-24 year-olds
35% of 15-18 year-olds
Years Spent at Next Job
Source: yconic Talent Survey,
February 2015
Data is 7 months to
less than 3 years.
Anticipate stability,
internal growth.
Seeking relevant field experience. Anticipate mobility.
1 2 3 4 5

23. At all times…Looking to increase ‘marketability’
79% 72%
73% 61%
63% 53%
Experience in field
of study overall
Increase
confidence
Develop useful
job-related skills
A stronger
network of peers
Increase problem
solving skills
Better ability to
take initiative
‘Hard’ Skills Wanted ‘Soft’ Skills Needed
Source: yconic Talent Survey,
February 2015

24. Source: yconic Talent Survey,
February 2015 Millennials and Gen-Zers aren’t as
entrepreneurial as everyone thinks.
27%
indicated a
high interest
in pursuing a
career as an
entrepreneur.
>
Ultimately, they seek leadership and prioritize gaining valuable
work experience more than becoming their own boss…right now.
69%
40%
are interested in
employment at an
established company.
are very interested in
working at a startup or
innovative company.

25. So what?

26. Key Insights: Youth Mindset
Youth are ready and able. They want and need to gain
experience, and are open to new, innovative ways.
Youth are resilient and versatile. They are ready for
change, are adaptable and anticipate a tough road ahead.
Youth are eager to succeed. They have an appetite to
impact and contribute. They are focused on becoming
as ‘marketable’ as possible.

27. What can your organization do?
BUILD your employer brand early – learn how to connect
and invest in students.
Be prepared and open to FOSTER talent, despite the risk
of mobility.
Create a desirable environment to NURTURE employees
– offer balance, culture, variety in the day-to-day, and
opportunities for professional development.

28. How this can come to life…
…an environment that attracts.
• Consider unique innovative ways to engage youth in your business,
short or long term.
• Prioritize your employer brand strategy.
• Create and showcase a fun, flexible and professional culture.
• Offer career-building strategies and tactics.
• Expose youth to cross-functional teams and senior leaders.
• Invest in students.
• Exemplify your employer brand culture through social outings, volunteer
opportunities, and other workplace initiatives.
• Create an inclusive environment that rewards innovative thinking at
all strategic levels.
• Invest in health and well-being.
…talent for the future, create advocates.
…a favourable employment environment that will increase retention.
Build
Foster
Nurture

29. About yconic
yconic is the leader in understanding and building meaningful relationships with
students and young adults. Our social platform, yconic.com, makes life easier and less
stressful for students pursuing higher education. It is the largest student help platform
in Canada with over 825,000 active members, access to over $170M in financial
opportunities to help fund their education, and peer-to-peer support.
yconic is also a thought leader on Gen Y, Z and student behaviour because of the key
insights we are able to obtain through our platforms, including Canada’s largest youth-
focused consumer insights panel, with over 550,000 young Canadians participating in
online market research.
yconic partners with select brands, institutions, educators, and their agencies who share
our values and want to better understand, hire, and authentically build loyalty with our
youth and student audience. For more information, please visit yconic.com/corporate
If your organization values youth and wants to develop a long term,
meaningful relationship that will result in true ROI then we should chat.
Follow yconic on LinkedIn and Twitter for more youth insights.

30. Survey Methodology
In January 2015, yconic surveyed 1,385 students and young adults (15-34 years old)
across Canada, about their current employment status, their perceived barriers to
employment and what opportunities they would be most interested in to gain job-
related experience. The credibility interval for this study is +/- 2.63 per cent.