Mountain town employers are having a hard time finding staff. Some are upping the ante

Snow might still be on the ground, but summer hiring is well underway for employers in Banff, Canmore and Lake Louise — and amid a persistently tight labour market, many are working harder to convince job seekers to apply and to stick around. 

"Our key message is to be competitive," said Michel Dufresne, director of the Job Resource Centre for Banff and Canmore, who's telling employers to raise wages and to give their staff enough time off to enjoy living in the mountain community. 

"These are things that have happened in other industries, but it doesn't happen enough in the hospitality sector."

But Dufresne said that's starting to change. 

He's noticed wages are going up for positions posted through the job centre, and employers are more open to hearing that if they don't pay enough, they likely won't be able to recruit the staff they need.

"Wages are not going to double overnight but certainly it's getting better," he said. 

Recruiting staff has always been a challenge in mountain communities, but lately it's been particularly tough. 

The pandemic forced workers in town from Eastern Canada, Quebec, Europe and Australia to head home, Dufresne said, and as restrictions have lifted they haven't yet returned in full force. Last year, that left many employers running with about two thirds of their typical staffing complement.

At the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, communications director Casey Peirce says the pandemic has made it particularly difficult to recruit people for hospitality jobs, such as in housekeeping and dining. 

"We have actually increased wages to be very competitive, and in order to attract candidates and also to retain employees once we have them," said Peirce. 

For example, the posted wage for a dishwasher at the Banff Centre has risen from $16.31 per hour in November 2021, to between $17.50 and $18.25 an hour this year, according to data from the Job Resource Centre.

Wages aren't the only strategy, Peirce said. The Banff Centre offers other benefits ranging from staff housing to discounts on gym memberships, airport parking and car rentals. 

"We're always looking for ways to make our staff life easier and better," she said. 

Even Parks Canada is getting creative to recruit staff after struggling with recruitment last year, said Jed Cochrane, a visitor experience manager.