1. The Project

The proposed West Kootenay Recruitment Agency (WKRA) will address workforce shortages for West Kootenay employers by offering targeted employee recruitment services for permanent and temporary employment as well as human resource supports including policy development and diversity and inclusion training.

The WKRA feasibility study will determine if and how recruitment and human resource services can be provided in the West Kootenay region by quantifying employer demand for services; providing options for the delivery model; and providing a recommendation for a viable financial model.

If deemed feasible, the WKRA will:

• assist employers in effectively recruiting talent to address their workforce needs;
• connect temporary workers with businesses that need to respond to spikes in demand;
• assist employers with international recruitment, resulting in greater uptake in hiring and retaining international employees;
• provide employers with the ability to have appropriate human resource policies in place; and
• provide employers with appropriate diversity, inclusion and equity training to improve their ability to recruit and train staff.

2. Recruitment Agency Description

The vision for the WKRA is a firm/entity that assists in different stages of the hiring process and acts as an intermediary between a company that’s looking to hire someone and a job seeker who is looking for employment. The services of a recruitment agency can be solicited by companies looking to recruit new employees or by individuals looking for work. When a company enlists the services of a recruitment agency, it pays a fee for that service. For the job seeker, working with a recruitment agency is always free. At the end of the day, a recruitment agency’s main function is to find the most suitable candidate for a job opening its recruiters have been asked to fill.

3. Project Steering Committee

A Steering Committee will provide direction and support to the contractor over the completion of the work. Steering Committee members include representatives from Kootenay Career Development Society, Kootenay Employment Services, Selkirk Innovates, the Castlegar and District Chamber of Commerce, Destination Castlegar, Community Futures Greater Trail, the Lower Columbia Initiatives Corporation, the Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce, and Community Futures Central Kootenay. (Please note proponents should not contact Steering Committee members directly for information on the project but should forward questions to the RFP contact awilkey@futures.bc.ca).

4. Scope & Deliverables

The Proponent will be responsible for completing the feasibility study.

Feasibility study to include:

1. Primary and secondary background research and scan of existing relevant recruitment and human resource service providers, programs, and services (includes local, regional, and national service providers);
2. Service provider consultation to inform a market assessment and gap analysis to include priorities, challenges and opportunities;
3. Employer consultation to identify and quantify market demand for recruitment assistance (locally and internationally), temporary workforce, policy development assistance, and training supports to inform a needs assessment (include fee-for-service potential and establish a list of leads for employers that would engage a recruitment agency);
4. Job-seeker consultation to identify supply-side of recruitment efforts;
5. Outline a minimum of three delivery-model options (such as private business, adding to existing non-profit, social enterprise, other), including financial models. Assess pros and cons of each model and provide a recommendation whether the WKRA concept is viable or not and if it is viable for the delivery model including rationale.
6. Final feasibility study to include, but not limited to;
   1. Background research and scan of existing relevant recruitment and human resource service providers,
   2. Market assessment, gap analysis, and needs assessment; and,
   3. Delivery model options and recommendation.

5. Project Timeline

I. Contract Awarded for Feasibility Study (June 30, 2023) – completion of RFP process for a contractor.

II. Best Practice Research & Analysis (September 30, 2023) – research recruitment agency models, capacity of potential delivery agencies, pros/cons of each approach.

III. Employer & Job Seeker Engagement (December 31, 2023) – engage employers and employees to understand demand for services including recruitment needs, temporary workers, policy development, and diversity, equity and inclusion training, and the value of service to employers.

IV. Feasibility Study Completed (January 31, 2024) – feasibility study findings provided including delivery and financial model recommendations

6. Proposal Contents

Proposals to include:

• proponent overview and relevant experience;
• research approach and methodology to carrying out the study;
• proposed methods for stakeholder consultations;
• a timeline, including anticipated milestones, to complete the study;
• a budget (include contractors hourly and total project rate; travel costs; GST if applicable; and any other expenses deemed necessary to fulfill project deliverables). Total budget is anticipated to be in the range of $40,000 – $50,000; and
• three references.

7. Criteria

Proposals will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

• Knowledge of recruitment agency and human resource service provider organizations;
• Business experience including business plan, cash flow development;
• Knowledge of the West Kootenay region; and
• Budget