Many of us, who are let's say a little older than forty, can remember a time when you expected to spend most, if not all, of your career with just one or two employers. It's not like that now I can hear you saying, but is it?

I think back to my interview for a position with British Telecom, my first and hopefully last employer. I was told that it was going to take a lot of time and money to train me and that they expected me to remain with them for my entire career, working my way up as far as I wanted to go. I was told that if I had to eventually leave to have babies, that they'd expect me to come back, even if it wasn't until after the kids were in school. (They really did that and I'm dating myself again, aren't I?) I was hired that day as were 12 others, but I think only one is still with the company. Actually, come to think of it, he's a young retiree now!

Times have changed since then as we all know and we, and now our kids, can expect multiple career paths and multiple employers in our quest for a successful career or can we?

An upcoming webinar being put on by the Conference Board of Canada called Wanted: Career Monogamy-The Changing Employment Deal will deal with the findings of a new report that suggests the recession will have a very long lasting impact on the way Canadians view their attachment to the workforce. Some key findings of the report are that security and stability are tops with employees, they have serious doubts about supporting their financial and physical health, and mobility is at a low point with many sacrificing career growth for a secure job, at least for now.

According to the release from the Conference Board, The Global Workforce Study 2010 indicates that Canadians have moved away from being a "free agent" to "the marrying kind" again seeking lifetime careers with one or two employers. This could have significant implications for employers when developing attraction and retention strategies.

If you'd like more information or would like to register for the webinar on May 31^st at 3pm, you can call 1-866-711-2262 or e-mail to publications@conferenceboard.ca If you'd like to register to receive an electronic copy of the report once it's complete, click http://www.towerswatson.com/global-workforce-study  If you do want to register, you can get the special price of $350 if you quote this code KERI, just don't tell them it was me that told you.

If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact me at carol@workforceplanningboard.com