Are you recruiting for some of the most in demand jobs in Canada? This article can give some insights to help you align your recruitment strategies with industry benchmarks. Read on for more
With Canada’s job market constantly evolving, keeping abreast of the latest trends is important to recruit the best talent for the most in demand roles.
Recent research by professional networking platform LinkedIn has revealed that the skills needed for jobs have changed by 25% in the past several years. The rate is predicted to hit 65% by 2030, with AI and automation fuelling the change.
So, this begs the question: what are the most in demand jobs in Canada?
HRD digs deeper into LinkedIn’s data to find out the 10 fastest-growing roles in the country. If you’re a recruiter doing research on the most sought-after roles in Canada, this list can serve as a valuable guide. Read on and learn more about the top 10 jobs on the rise.
Canada’s most sought-after jobs: behind the study
LinkedIn examined millions of job titles using a variety of metrics to come up with the list of fastest-growing jobs in Canada. These include top skills, years of experience, industries, and gender breakdown. We will go through these parameters in more detail later.
To make it to the rankings, the role must have seen consistent and substantial growth in the platform’s membership base. Here are the 10 most in demand jobs in Canada, according to the study.
1. Growth managers
Growth managers focus on growing a company’s profits and revenue. These data-driven professionals have three core responsibilities, according to the Harvard Business Review:
- define the company’s growth plan
- coordinate and execute growth programs
- optimize the revenue funnel
The role traces its roots back to tech startups. That’s why it isn’t surprising that it’s in demand in the technology and IT sectors.
Growth management is often a senior position based on the top roles job holders have transitioned from. This explains the almost seven-year median work experience, which is among the highest on the list. A quarter of job postings are also remote while a third are hybrid, which can be a plus for those who don’t want a full return to the office.
2. Energy advisors
Energy advisors perform audits to determine a company’s energy usage and efficiency. These professionals play a key role in reducing energy consumption. With many companies working to achieve sustainability goals, demand for the role has grown significantly.
The role is in high demand in several key sectors, including business consulting, oil and gas, and real estate. Most jobs in the market are for hybrid work. Only a tenth is fully remote.
Energy advisors, however, are predominantly male. Men make up three-quarters of the workforce. Most professionals have at least three years of experience.
3. Wealth management associate
Wealth management associates offer administrative and sales support to client service teams at consumer financial firms. They are experts in wealth planning, investment strategies, taxes, and other financial services. It’s one of the most in demand jobs in Canada, particularly in the Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver areas.
Wealth management associate is among the several roles on the list where women outnumber men in the workforce. Most of the jobs in the market are office-based.
4. Diversity and inclusion specialist
With companies prioritizing ESG to attract and retain talent, diversity and inclusion specialists have become among the most in demand jobs in Canada.
Also known as D&I specialists, they craft policies the promote representation and inclusion in the workplace. They also work with recruiters to maintain workforce diversity. It isn’t surprising that the role is dominated by women. Almost four in five D&I specialists are female.
Diversity and inclusion specialists are in high demand in the non-profit, business consulting, and education sectors. Most have about three or four years of job experience.
5. Strategy associate
Strategy associates help businesses develop programs to spur growth and improve performance. For those wanting to become growth managers, this can be one of the stepping stones.
Having strong analytical skills and a deep understanding of how businesses operate is key to succeeding in the role. Many members of the workforce are relatively at the start of their careers, with a median year of experience of about two years.
This role can be a good option if you’re looking for flexible work arrangements. Three out of five postings for the job are hybrid.
6. Head of partnerships
Heads of partnerships advise and guide businesses working with external brands in meeting their objectives. This is a senior role that requires years of experience in relationship building and business management.
Many of the jobs in the market are for either remote or hybrid work. Jobseekers looking for a management role that offers flexible work arrangements, this can be a good option. There are plenty of postings in the Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal areas.
Most successful heads of partnerships have strong communication, organizational, and analytical skills. Creativity and a strong sense of empathy are also a must.
7. Labour relations specialist
Labour relation specialists are experts in resolving disputes between management and employees. They also negotiate labour contracts and coordinate grievance procedures regarding worker complaints.
Because of the nature of the relationships they handle, these specialists must have a deep understanding of employment law. Strong communication skills also allow them to mediate and resolve conflicts.
The role is in high demand in civic institutions, shipping companies, and higher education. Many of the top roles are in major cities in Ontario. Two-thirds of the current workforce consists of women.
8. Customer experience specialist
Customer experience specialists are crucial to the success of a business because they ensure that customers are satisfied with the products and services.
Women outnumber men in the workforce two-to-one. Most professionals have around three years of experience in other client-facing roles, including customer service and sales.
The role is in high demand in the aviation, technology, hospitality, and lending sectors. The top cities hiring are Montreal, Calgary, and Toronto.
9. Cybersecurity analyst
As more companies use digital channels, cybersecurity analysts have also become one of the most in demand jobs in Canada. These professionals protect businesses’ computer systems against cyber threats.
The role is in high demand in industries that handle large amounts of sensitive information, including technology, financial services, education, and healthcare. Strong knowledge of systems and networking administration, operating systems, coding, AI, and other tech skills are needed to be successful.
Just like in most tech jobs, men overwhelmingly outnumber women in the role. Many companies allow a fully remote or hybrid work set up.
10. Sustainability manager
Sustainability managers develop and implement strategies that enable businesses to operate in an environmentally responsible way. With many companies prioritizing ESG initiatives, the role has become among the most in demand jobs in Canada.
Sustainability managers must have a deep understanding of ESG issues and the challenges facing businesses. This is also a senior role that requires years of industry experience.
Currently, the bulk of the workforce consists of women. The top industries hiring are real estate, mining, and education.
Methodology for finding the fastest-growing jobs in Canada
Apart from analyzing millions of jobs from its platform, LinkedIn used a range of metrics to provide additional insights for each job title, including:
- Top skills: skills most unique to each role
- Top industries: sectors that hired the highest number of members for each role
- Top locations hiring: regions or cities that employed the largest percentage of each role
- Gender distribution: percentage of members by identified gender currently in each job
- Median years of experience: average years of work experience held before starting with the role
- Top roles transitioned from: share of transitions from another role in the past five years
- Remote or hybrid job availability: jobs flagged as “remote” or “hybrid” by the poster or containing similar keywords
The complete list is in LinkedIn’s Jobs on the Rise Canada report, along with the full methodology.
Sector-by-sector breakdown
To help you sort through the list, HRD grouped the roles under the top industries they ranked for. Here are the most in demand jobs in Canada, broken down by sector.
There are also several high-demand sectors without roles in the top 20. These include healthcare, hospitality and tourism, and law enforcement. Retail, manufacturing, and aviation have a few roles mentioned on the list.
If you’re looking to enhance recruitment strategies and employer branding, check out our Best in HR Special Reports section. Get to know the top HR leaders and the most innovative HR teams for insights that can serve as benchmarks for your own practices.
What do you think of the roles in our most in demand jobs in Canada list? What roles do you think should have been included? Let us know in the comments.
