As mentioned earlier, let’s know about the work culture in Canada! As a newcomer in Canada, or any other country, it is not that easy to adjust oneself so suddenly. Rather, what one can do is understand the local culture as soon and as fast as possible to understand the work culture as well. Down below, in the whole article we will provide some tips as to how to get familiarized with the work culture of Canada and what the work culture is like there.
How Newcomers Adjust to Canada’s Work Culture
We all know the need to have a job, especially if you are a newcomer immigrant in another country. The very first thing one can do is get to know the local culture of the country in order to assimilate in a better way and faster too. This familiarization goes a long way as this also assists in finding a job sooner. Employers are also looking for people who understand the local work culture better.
After starting a job there, you yourself will adapt with time. After all, it is only human nature to adapt and survive. The unspoken rules of work culture or the organization will be understood naturally. After this adaptation with the company’s culture, one can work well with the team and grow career wise easily.
Newcomers need to adjust to Canadian culture as soon as they can as this plays a very important role in harboring a business mind, delivering services effectively and taking steps to grow in an entrepreneurial way.
Expectations of a Canadian Work Culture
The work culture in Canada is not as different as any other culture in other societies. It is going to expect its employees to have etiquettes regarding communication, working together with people from different cultures, and be able to socialize as well. Why don’t we understand this in a better way?
Canada expects both its employees and employers to have a firm grasp of the meaning of business culture in Canada and how things work there. Canada is quite diverse culturally, and also among one of the countries that offers the best quality of life.
Another important skill that comes in handy is teamwork. Working with the team, growing with it, and achieving milestones with the team, are all an important part of the work culture in Canada.
One needs to work well with their co-workers, give a chance to their ideas and suggestions, along with sharing workload with others. Even if a co-worker is in an entry-level position they will still be treated with dignity and respect just like managers, seniors, and supervisors are to be treated.
Some Tips for Better Assimilation in Canadian Work Culture
- Language- In Canada, both French and English are spoken almost on an equal basis. However, some provinces ask you to be fluent in both writing and speaking French for business purposes.
- Do not compare- Canadians are not a fan of comparisons. Hence, comparing US business style with that of Canada’s may not be a good idea on the first day of your work.
- How to dress?- It is always safe to dress formally when going to work, but some companies like tech related or start-ups may offer a more relaxed dress code.
- All about greetings-New joinees often use surnames or the titles to address someone, however, if the host comes to first-name terms, one can also adjust to that. Also, don’t forget to maintain eye contact and have a firm handshake with others.
- Be punctual- Manners such as punctuality goes a long way, it shows you mean business, you respect not only your own time but also of others, and you are a professional. Thus, be punctual.
- Exchanging business cards- At the end of the meeting, one can change business cards or even at the start of the meeting one can do that. To have your details printed in French on one side and in English on the other side could be beneficial.
Above we have provided some points or tips for anyone who is not aware of how Canadian work culture operates. There are many more things to know on this topic even if we have only put up a few.
Characteristics of Canada’s Work Culture
It is time we discuss the characteristics of work culture in Canada.
- Canadian Working Hours- The usual working hours are 8 hours a day, which makes it a total of 40 hours a week. Sundays are, of course, rest periods. For special circumstances, the standard working hours of 40 hours a week may go up to 48 hours, but it should not exceed that limit. During the working days, employees are allowed to take a break for half an hour for every five hours of work.
- Know the minimum wage of Canada- According to the annual federal minimum wage adjustment, Canadian employees are entitled a minimum wage of $15.55 an hour, as of 1 Apr, 2022.
- Notice Periods- In the case of an employee being terminated, the employer must provide a reasonable notice for doing so. This is to ensure that the employee gets another job without much unnecessary trouble. However, it is also understandable that each territory or the province has its own regulations.
- Period of Probation- Because of Canada’s provinces and the territories having dissimilar statutory administrations, the probation period of each place has got to vary.
From the blog above provided, you might have now gotten a better view of the work culture in Canada. We have tried to provide a clearer take on how newcomers can adjust to Canadian work culture, what one can expect from work culture, what tips could come in handy and what are the characteristics of the Canadian work culture.
