Canada's Top 100 Employers (2016)

CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA CO.

CANADA’S TOP 100 EMPLOYERS 2016 Winners

S Introduction: About this year’s competition

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Methodology: How the winners were selected

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The full list: Canada’s Top 100 Employers (2016)

6 Download this magazine:

ct100.ca

C O - P U B L I S H E D B Y:

p Employees of Cisco Systems Canada, one of this year’s winners, at their Toronto head office.

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2016

CANADA’S TOP 100 EMPLOYERS 2016 Magazine Anthony Meehan, PUBLISHER

Karen Le,

VICE-PRESIDENT

Editorial Team:

Richard Yerema, MANAGING EDITOR

Kristina Leung, SENIOR EDITOR

Advertising Sales:

Kristen Chow,

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Sheetal Lala,

CLIENT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Sponsor Content Writers:

Berton Woodward, SENIOR EDITOR

Michael Benedict Brian Bergman Ann Brocklehurst Sheldon Gordon D’Arcy Jenish Bruce McDougall Michael Schiniou John Schofield Barbara Wickens

© 2015 Mediacorp Canada Inc. and The Globe and Mail.

All rights reserved. CANADA’S TOP 100 EMPLOYERS is a registered trade mark of Mediacorp Canada Inc.

p Employees at Samsung Electronics Canada Inc., one of this year’s winners.

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AND THE WINNERS ARE...

elcome to the 16th year of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers competition. Our editors have spent the better part of the past year sifting through troves of materials provided by employers as well as other research. Each year, we aim to provide a comprehensive listing of the companies and organizations that lead the nation in offering the most progressive human resources programs and forward-thinking workplace policies.

Since the first year of our competition, we have evaluated employers on eight main criteria: (1) physical workplace; (2) work atmosphere and social; (3) health, financial and family benefits; (4) vacation and time-off; (5) employee communications; (6) performance management; (7) training and skills development; and (8) community involvement. Employers are compared to other organizations in their field and region of the country.

At the end of our annual review process, our editors prepare detailed reasons for selection, explaining why each of the winners was chosen.

These reasons are published on the competition website as well as our popular job search engine, Eluta.ca, now used by over seven million Canadians each year.

Publishing detailed reasons provides transparency in the selection of winners – and helps job-seekers improve their understanding of what the best employers in their field or region offer. Our editorial team now writes over 500,000 words each

year explaining their selections, creating an invaluable guide to best-practices for employers and job-seekers alike.

This marks the second year that we have announced the competition winners in a beautiful magazine co-published with The Globe and Mail.

This magazine reaches over a million readers in print and online through The Globe’s website and Eluta.ca. We are grateful for The Globe’s important contribution to this year’s magazine.

We are pleased to launch today a redesigned online version of this magazine, which brings together our editors’ detailed reasons for selection and the stories you see in this publication. This beautiful new online format features hundreds of photos and stories on the winning employers and is easily accessible free-of-charge on any device, including mobile. The new online magazine can be read at www.CanadasTop100.com We received a record number of applications for this year’s competition, making this the most challenging year yet for our editorial team. In managing a competition such as this, it’s inevitable that we have to pass over excellent employers in choosing the 100 finalists. To these employers, we ask that you carefully review our detailed reasons for selection to see where your organization is falling short.

For this year’s winners, we congratulate you on this year’s selection and hope that you continue raising the bar for our 2017 competition.

p Before-and-after images of employees taking part in ‘Movember’ at the Bank of Canada, one of this year’s winners.

BANK OF CANADA

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t’s a significant achievement to make the list for Canada’s Top 100 Employers but dozens of Canadian organizations manage to be the best in their field year after year. So how do they do it?

The simple answer is that they’ve made their companies exceptional places to work, but that’s not enough to explain their staying power. Companies rise to the top by continuing to evolve so they get even better.

Every year. That requires a dedicated commitment to making their workplace the best it can possibly be through a wide variety of progressive and innovative programs.

DIAMOND SCHMITT ARCHITECTS INC.

Repeat winners are always finding new ways to improve, such as Stryker Canada Inc. in Hamilton that recently showed its support for new

INTRODUCTION moms and dads by increasing parental leave top-up payments to 100 per cent of salary for 26 weeks. Another consistent winner, Telus Corp. in Vancouver, just welcomed a Chief Wellness Officer to support employee efforts to make healthy choices.

Still others introduced new and brave ground-breaking measures.

Examples include the Vancouver City Savings Credit Union that became a Living Wage Employer, a program that recognizes the social and economic benefits of paying a real living wage for all its employees and service providers, and Verafin Inc. in St. John’s that joined a growing group of small- and medium-sized employers that are introducing flexible “no limit” vacation policies, letting employees decide how much

time they need in any given year.

Any employer with its head office or principal place of business in Canada may apply to the Canada’s Top 100 Employers competition, regardless of size, whether private or public sector.

With the number of new organizations making the list ranging between 20 and 25 per cent in any given year over the past decade, the challenge is clear.

–Diane Jermyn

p Employees at Diamond Schmitt Architects Inc., one of this year’s winners.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/CHRIS YOUNG

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CANADA’S TOP 100 EMPLOYERS (2016)

p Employees at Ford Motor Company celebrate the global production start of the 2015 Ford Edge at the Ford Assembly Plant in Oakville, Ont.

3M CANADA COMPANY, London, Ont. Technology manufacturing; 1,818 employees. Features a fully-equipped fitness facility at head office with free memberships for employees

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BORIGINAL PEOPLES TELEVISION NETWORK INC. / APTN, Winnipeg. Television broadcasting; 146 employees.

Encourages employees to actively volunteer and support Aboriginal initiatives in the community.

ACCENTURE INC., Toronto. Management consulting; 3,476 employees. Offers a generous IVF subsidy to employees requiring in-vitro fertilization treatments.

AGRICULTURE FINANCIAL SERVICES CORP. / AFSC,

Lacombe, Alta. Credit intermediation; 598 employees. Manages a unique “Farmin’ 101” training program for all employees without an agricultural background.

AGRIUM INC., Calgary. Fertilizer manufacturing and distribution; 3,560 employees. Invests in employee education with generous tuition subsidies, up to $5,000 each year.

AIR CANADA, Saint-Laurent, Que. Airline; 23,142 employees. Maintains a pension and benefits committee which monitors pension developments and advocates for pension protection and reform.

ALBERTA-PACIFIC FOREST INDUSTRIES INC., Boyle, Alta.

Pulp mills; 435 employees. Offers new employees an interest-free

home loan up to $25,000 when moving to the region.

ARCELORMITTAL DOFASCO INC., Hamilton. Iron and steel mills; 10,200 employees. Ensures that employees and retirees, including family members, have free access to the F.H. Sherman Recreation and Learning Centre.

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ANK OF CANADA, Ottawa. Banking; 1,511 employees. Offers unique opportunities for work exchanges with other central banks and finance organizations around the world.

BASF CANADA INC., Mississauga.

Chemical manufacturing; 683 employees. Offers maternity and parental leave top-up for new moms and dads, including adoptive parents.

BAYER, Mississauga. Pharmaceutical manufacturing; 1,639 employees.

Offers new employees three weeks of starting vacation, increasing to four after four years on the job.

BC PUBLIC SERVICE, Victoria.

Provincial government; 24,989 employees. Offers employees the stability of a defined benefit pension plan and a health plan that extends through their retirement years.

BDC / BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BANK OF CANADA, Montreal. Financing; 1,978 employees. Supports new parents with assistance in finding convenient daycare when they’re ready to return to work.

BELL CANADA, Montreal. Telecommunications; 38,822 employees. Created the national “Let’s Talk”

7 2016 W IN N E R S ( C O N T. ) initiative to support mental health awareness initiatives across Canada.

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AMECO CORP., Saskatoon. Uranium mining; 3,030 employees.

Encourages ongoing employee education and development through an impressive variety of in-house and online training programs.

CAMPBELL COMPANY OF CANADA, Toronto. Food preparation and packaging; 750 employees. Offers subsidized employee memberships to a fully equipped fitness facility at their newly renovated head office.

CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY COMPANY / CN, Montreal. Railroads; 16,888 employees. Supports numerous local and national charitable initiatives across the country.

CANADIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE, Ottawa. National security; 3,299 employees.

Allows employees to apply for an unpaid leave of absence for unique reasons, including continuing education, military service, spousal relocation, political appointments or even to run for elected office.

CANADIAN TIRE CORPORATION LTD., Toronto. Retail stores; 85,000 employees. Offers a number of communication and feedback tools to keep employees informed and capture their feedback.

assistance and contributions to a defined benefit pension plan.

CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA CO., Toronto. Computer and equipment manufacturing; 1,633 employees. Ensures everyone shares in the company’s success through profit-sharing and year-end bonuses.

COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS OF BC, THE, Vancouver. Professional organizations; 113 employees. Helps employees balance their work and personal lives through a variety of alternative work arrangements.

CORUS ENTERTAINMENT INC., Toronto. Media production and broadcasting; 1,525 employees. Offers employees a unique chance to unwind through a free summer concert series at Sugar Beach.

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ELOITTE LLP, Toronto. Accounting; 8,960 employees. Provides a generous subsidy to help cover the costs of adoption, up to $20,000 per child.

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE CANADA, Ottawa. Federal government; 748 employees. Provides

CBCL LTD., Halifax. Engineering services; 258 employees. Offers its new moms the option to extend their leave into an unpaid leave of absence.

ACCENTURE

CERIDIAN HCM, Winnipeg. Payroll services; 1,566 employees. Offers post secondary scholarships for employees with college aged children.

CIBC, Toronto. Banking; 35,438 employees. Offers retirement planning

DESJARDINS GROUP / MOUVEMENT DES CAISSES DESJARDINS, Lévis. Que. Credit unions; 38,873 employees.

Offers a daily shuttle service that runs between the Lévis head office and its Montreal location.

DIAMOND SCHMITT ARCHITECTS INC., Toronto. Architecture; 162 employees. Hosts regular massage therapy sessions in office plus lunch and learns on everything from financial planning to mental health awareness.

DIGITAL EXTREMES LTD., London, Ont. Software publishers; 208 employees. Provides a holiday shutdown period as well as four weeks of paid vacation after only four years on the job.

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LLISDON CORP., Mississauga.

Building construction; 1,505 employees. Features a full-service cafeteria, employee lounge and auditorium as well as a fully-equipped fitness

facility at their new head office.

ENBRIDGE INC., Calgary. Natural gas distribution; 6,014 employees. Established the energy4everyone Foundation to address energy poverty in developing countries.

ENERFLEX LTD., Calgary. Industrial machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers; 1,422 employees. Offers generous new employee referral bonuses, up to $3,000.

ERICSSON CANADA INC., Mont-Royal, Que. Telecommunications equipment manufacturing; 3,225 employees. Encourages ongoing employee development with generous tuition subsidies, up to $8,000 annually.

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ORD MOTOR COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD., Oakville, Ont. Automobile manufacturing; 7072 employees. Encourages employees to keep fit through subsidized access to an onsite fitness facility.

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ENERAL ELECTRIC CANADA / GE, Mississauga. Diversified technology and equipment manufacturing; 7,213 employees. Hosted a country-wide Day

q Employees at Accenture’s Toronto head office collaborating using the latest video conferencing technology.

CARSWELL, A DIVISION OF THOMSON REUTERS CANADA LTD., Toronto. Publishers: 912 employees. Encourages employees to support their favourite community organization directly with paid time off to volunteer.

CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY OF TORONTO, THE, Toronto.

Child and youth services; 749 employees. Considers previous work experience when setting vacation time for new employees.

opportunities to young people to gain on-the-job experience through paid internships, co-op programs and summer student positions.

IVANHOÉ CAMBRIDGE INC.

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p Employees at the head office of Ivanhoé Cambridge in Montreal often meet in its stunning lobby, also known as “The Parquet”.

2016 W IN N E R S ( C O N T. ) of Caring initiative last year to encourage employees to get involved in their local community.

GOLDCORP INC., Vancouver. Gold mining; 3151 employees. Manages a graduate development program which features rotational assignments across the company’s operations.

GRAHAM GROUP, Calgary. Building construction; 995 employees. Lets everyone share in the company’s success through profit-sharing, year-end bonuses and a share purchase plan.

GREAT-WEST LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY, THE, Winnipeg. Insurance; 10,224 employees. Offers a wellness account that can be used for mental, health and sporting activities

and subsidized memberships to an onsite fitness facility at head office.

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OSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN, THE, Toronto. Hospitals; 5,467 employees. Offers pension and retirement planning sessions and recently launched a new online pension centre for a more convenient user experience.

HP ADVANCED SOLUTIONS INC., Victoria. Computer systems design services; 451 employees. Provides maternity leave topup payments for the full year.

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MAX, Mississauga. Motion picture theatres; 310 employees.

Offers a subsidy for in vitro fertilization (IVF) when needed.

INTACT FINANCIAL CORP., Toronto. Insurance; 10,840 employees.

Manages a two-year graduate leadership development program for MBA graduates.

risks of its workforce through a confidential employee questionnaire, and analyzes the results to plan future programs.

ISM CANADA, Regina. Computer programming; 881 employees. Offers a variety of alternative work options including telecommuting, flexible hours, shortened work weeks and a formal earned-days off program.

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IVANHOÉ CAMBRIDGE INC., Montreal. Property management; 1,126 employees. Provides four electric car charging stations for employees to use in front of the building and over 100 e-stations at properties across Canada.

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OHNSON & JOHNSON INC., Markham, Ont. Consumer product manufacturing; 545 employees. Identifies health and lifestyle

PMG LLP, Toronto. Accounting; 6,165 employees. Offers a “Personal Care” program that provides employees with up to 50 hours of paid time-off annually to help with a range of personal matters. ’ORÉAL CANADA INC., Montreal. Cosmetics manufacturing; 1,200 employees. Recognizes exceptional performance with VIP trips to company-sponsored events, such as Luminato in Toronto or tickets to the company’s box seats at the Bell Centre in Montréal.

LABATT BREWERIES OF CANADA, Toronto. Breweries; 3,000

RAFAL GERSZAK FOR THE GLOBE AND MAIL

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p Christina Dixon, middle, assists customers in the climbing section of Mountain Equipment Co-op’s flagship store in Vancouver.

2016 W IN N E R S ( C O N T. ) employees. Celebrates employee innovation from all levels across the company through a unique “Ideas Process Awards” program.

LOBLAW COMPANIES LTD., Brampton, Ont. Supermarkets; 28,580 employees. Operates the unique “grad@Loblaw” program, a 15-month training program with full pay and benefits for new or recent graduates.

LUNDBECK CANADA INC., Montreal. Research and development; 223 employees. Manages a focused charitable program that is built around its employees’ skills and expertise with a primary focus on mental health.

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ANITOBA HYDRO, Winnipeg. Hydroelectric power generation; 6,031 employees. Encourages employees to get involved in activities outside of work through support

of an employee-led social committee.

MARS CANADA, Bolton, Ont. Food manufacturing; 480 employees. Supports employees with fourlegged loved ones through a pets at work (PAWS) policy that includes a dedicated doggie courtyard.

McCARTHY TÉTRAULT LLP, Toronto. Law firm; 1,426 employees. Encourages employees to maintain fit and healthy lifestyles with generous fitness subsidies.

MEDAVIE BLUE CROSS, Moncton, NB. Insurance; 1,921 employees. Offers a variety of alternative work arrangements to help new parents transition to their new role.

MEDTRONIC OF CANADA LTD., Brampton, Ont. Electromedical apparatus manufacturing; 700 employees. Introduced a flexible health plan that lets employees tailor their coverage to suit their evolving needs.

MONSANTO CANADA INC., Winnipeg. Agricultural biotechnology; 388 employees. Maintains the “Monsanto Fund” (since 1964) to help fund basic education programs in farming communities around the world.

NATURE’S PATH FOODS INC., Richmond, B.C. Food manufacturing; 171 employees. Encourages employees to enjoy healthy snacks and offers a fully-stocked store with products at significantly reduced costs.

MOSAIC COMPANY, THE, Regina. Fertilizer manufacturing; 2,324 employees. Offers a variety of in-house training and development courses as well as generous tuition subsidies for programs.

NOVO NORDISK CANADA INC., Mississauga. Pharmaceutical preparation manufacturing; 285 employees. Offers a dedicated “Women in Novo Nordisk” program to further advance women’s career development.

MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT COOP, Vancouver. Retail stores; 737 employees. Donates 1 percent of its annual pre-tax revenues to Canadian environmental causes.

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ATIONAL ENERGY BOARD, Calgary. Federal government; 413 employees. Features an onsite fitness centre, rooftop patio, barbecue and comfortable seating plus a personal wellness room at their new head office.

NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS CANADA INC., Montreal. Software publishers; 741 employees.

Provides a wellness account of $150 annually as well as an annual health spending account for additional coverages, up to $500.

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NTARIO PUBLIC SERVICE/ OPS, Toronto. Provincial government; 61,698 employees. Offers new parents priority placement for

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ONTARIO PUBLIC SERVICE

q Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Ontario Public Service staff taking part in the Queen’s Park Holiday Toy Drive.

11 PEPSICO CANADA

2016 W IN N E R S ( C O N T. ) their children at the Queen’s Park Child Care Centre along with a variety of alternative working options.

OPENTEXT CORP., Waterloo, Ont. Computer programming; 1,440 employees. Provides a fully equipped employee lounge, complete with foosball and video games, as well as an outdoor patio connecting directly to a walking path.

OTTAWA, CITY OF, Ottawa. Municipal government; 12,220 employees. Maintains an environmental working group that is responsible for co-ordinating environmental initiatives across the city.

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CL CONSTRUCTION, Edmonton. Building construction; 2,856 employees. Develops its people through the in-house PCL College of Construction and the impressive Centennial Learning Centre training facility that’s LEED Gold certified.

PEPSICO CANADA, Mississauga.

Soft drink and food manufacturing; 9,163 employees. Cultivates an ownership culture with a share purchase plan, available to all employees.

PROVINCIAL HEALTH SERVICES AUTHORITY / PHSA, Vancouver.

Hospitals; 10,028 employees. Offers subsidized access to an onsite fitness facility, including instructor-led classes in yoga and belly dancing, and an onsite daycare centre.

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.F. BINNIE & ASSOCIATES LTD., Burnaby, BC. Engineering services; 110 employees. Enables employees to participate in the selection of charities supported by the firm.

RAYMOND JAMES LTD., Vancouver. Investment banking; 862 employees. Manages a dedicated network for female advisers to help them expand their knowledge, expertise and business in a supportive, collaborative environment.

ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS INC., Toronto. Communications, cable publishing and subscription programming; 23,325 employees. Helps employees plan for life after work with a defined benefit pension plan.

ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, Toronto. Banking; 52,026 employees. Manages an in-house wellness program and provides financial rewards for participation in various wellness activities and

p PepsiCo Canada employees surprised passers-by in Vancouver with samples of a new Pepsi flavour.

challenges throughout the year.

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ALESFORCE CANADA CORP., Toronto. Computer programming; 1,027 employees. Recognizes exceptional employee performance through a number of rewards programs including the “Kokua” bonus program for non-sales roles.

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CANADA INC., Mississauga. Communications equipment manufacturing; 543 employees. Offers a global mobility program providing employees with an opportunity to work in Korea for up to one year.

SANOFI CANADA, Laval, Que. Pharmaceutical manufacturing; 460 employees. Moved into a new LEED certified head office, which was built with significant employee feedback.

SAP CANADA INC., Toronto. Computer programming; 2,625 employees. Offers high potential employees a chance to participate in the SAP Social Sabbatical program, where

they work with an international team of employees to solve business challenges for promising start-ups.

SASKATCHEWAN GOVERNMENT INSURANCE/ SGI, Regina.

Insurance carriers; 1,850 employees. Maintains an in-house “Community Action Team” of employees who review, investigate, and suggest where a percentage of corporate donations should be directed each year.

2,834 employees. Manages an onsite daycare facility which new parents may take advantage of when they return to work.

SOLVERA SOLUTIONS, Regina.

Computer programming; 170 employees. Offers fitness testing as part of its health plan and is located steps away from walking trails along the shores of Wascana Lake.

SHELL CANADA LTD., Calgary.

Oil and gas extraction; 9,194 employees. Helps employees find retirement residences and elder care services for those who are caring for older parents.

STRYKER CANADA INC., Hamilton. Medical equipment and supplies wholesalers; 229 employees. Increased its support for new parents with parental leave top-up payments, up to 100 percent of salary for 26 weeks.

SIEMENS CANADA LTD., Oakville, Ont. Engineering services; 4,967 employees. Offers tuition subsidies for courses at outside institutions plus provides a variety of in-house and online training programs.

SUNNYBROOK HEALTH SCIENCES CENTRE, Toronto. Hospitals; 5,721 employees. Offers a unique “Life Stages Program” that offers support to employees through all stages of life.

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY, Burnaby, B.C. Universities;

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D BANK GROUP, Toronto. Banking; 45,399 employees.

DELOITTE LLP

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p Deloitte LLP has a well-developed campus recruitment program for recent university graduates.

2016 W IN N E R S ( C O N T. ) Provides a “collaborative cafe” where employees can meet and work in a comfortable and informal setting.

TELUS CORP., Vancouver. Telecommunications; 24,241 employees. Welcomed a Chief Wellness Officer to support employee efforts to make healthy choices.

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL / TIFF, Toronto. Motion pictures; 223 employees. Moved into the Bell Lightbox centre, a custom built facility that reflects its uniqueness and status in the industry.

TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING CANADA INC., Cambridge, Ont. Automobile manufacturing; 8,476 employees. Encourages employees to drive what they build with generous discounts for the

lease or purchase of new vehicles.

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BISOFT TORONTO, Toronto. Software publishers; 3,344 employees. Organizes UbiGallery, a bi-annual competition for art students in their final year at Toronto-based post secondary schools.

UNION GAS LTD., Chatham, Ont. Natural gas distribution; 2,197 employees. Organized several indigenous recruitment workshops, in partnership with various local community agencies.

UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK / UNB, Fredericton. Universities; 1,786 employees. Offers a variety of onsite amenities including a cafeteria with healthy and special diet menus and a quiet room for meditation and reflection.

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, Toronto. Universities; 9,167 employees.

Maintains dedicated family-friendly spaces for breastfeeding or pumping and baby change stations on campus.

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ANCOUVER CITY SAVINGS CREDIT UNION, Vancouver. Credit Unions; 2,076 employees. Became a Living Wage Employer, a program that recognizes the social and economic benefits of paying a real living wage for all its employees and service providers.

VERAFIN INC., St. John’s. Computer programming; 189 employees. Introduced flexible “no limit” vacation policies, letting employees decide how much time they need in any given year.

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EST FRASER TIMBER CO. LTD., Vancouver. Sawmills; 5,393 employees. Partners with the College of New Caledonia to provide apprenticeship programs for

millwrights, electricians, heavy duty mechanics and saw filers.

WESTERN UNIVERSITY, London, Ont. Universities; 4,665 employees. Offers new parents the convenience of an onsite daycare and a pre-school program for when they return to work.

WORLD VISION CANADA, Mississauga. Social advocacy; 455 employees. Launched a new training program for high potential employees featuring academic, experiential and cross functional learning opportunities.

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UKON, GOVERNMENT OF, Whitehorse. Territorial government; 3,954 employees. Offers a community allowance to those employees living and working in remote communities.

– Diane Jermyn

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METHODOLOGY

hile a few new questions may be added each year, the underlying criteria of the selection process used to choose the winners of Canada’s Top 100 Employers remains stable.

“What does change are the answers,” says Richard Yerema, managing editor for Canada’s Top 100 Employers. “This is the important part from our perspective, since more employers answering ever more questions ultimately translates into what we document as evolving benefit programs for employees.”

areas: (1) Physical workplace (2) Work atmosphere and social (3) Health, financial and family benefits (4) Vacation and time off (5) Employee communications focused on how employers capture employee feedback (6) Performance management (7) Training and skills development and (8) Community involvement.

–Diane Jermyn

TD BANK GROUP

The criteria that the editors of Mediacorp Canada use for judging the best workplaces has stayed the same since the project began in 1999.

Competition focuses on eight key

p TD Bank Group employee planting trees, part of a national employee-led program to reclaim and beautify local green spaces.

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The Power of Influence Canada’s Top 100 Employers have an effect on Canadian life that goes far beyond their own organizations.

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GE CANADA

By Berton Woodward

ho are the most influential people in the daily lives of Canadians?

Politicians, you may say. Or educators, bankers, marketers, counsellors, religious figures.

p Aviation testing facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba operated by GE Canada, one of this year’s winners.

But how often do you consider the leaders of companies Moreover, the influence of the Top 100 themselves responsible for nearly with the best employment extends far beyond their own realm, to three-quarters of a million fullthe legions of other companies who view practices in the nation? time employees in Canada – some

Yet think about it. The companies honoured in this 2016 list of Canada’s Top 100 Employers are

743,000 people, and growing. The nation’s entire workforce is only 18 million.

these firms as the gold standard in employment and try to emulate their practices as they compete for Canada’s best talent.

PROVINCIAL HEALTH SERVICES AUTHORITY

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p The BC Women’s Hospital Perinatal Team, part of PHSA, ready to support families and newborns, delivering up to 7500 babies per year.

“The Top 100 companies are influencing Canadians every day, and our goal is to document these leaders in the hope that they will inspire change for others,” says Richard Yerema, Managing Editor at Mediacorp Canada, which compiles the Canada’s Top 100 Employers list.

The scope for improving lives is vast. Take the impact of benefits, where a generous range of supports is often seen as just the price of admission to the Top 100 list. Yet they mean so much. A new mother decides she can afford to take a full year off with her newborn thanks to her company’s maternity top-up. A middle-aged man can plan for his retirement with a clear vision, thanks to the firm’s pension and RRSP contributions. People of all ages develop longer life spans by taking advantage of their company’s fitness and wellness programs.

Or there are specialized perks that set new benchmarks. Some Top 100 companies offer tuition support not only to their employees, but to their employees’ children. A young person’s whole path in life may be changed as a result. Other companies have programs that encourage national and international mobility, meaning an employee hired in one part of Canada could end up working in another, or in the U.S., Europe or Asia. Inevitably, the whole family learns from the experience.

But perhaps the greatest influence that the Top 100 companies have on individual Canadians is in how their corporate cultures affect the way their people think and act.

Start with the words you hear a lot when you talk to CEOs and HR officers at the Top 100. “Collaboration” is one. “Innovation” is another. It’s hard to spend your day collaborating with your work

colleagues, busy thinking outside the box, and not bring that style home with you. Or to your parent-school meeting, or to a neighbourhood organization. Such values as cooperation and fresh thinking travel easily out of the workplace.

It goes deeper. Top 100 companies have a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion programs.

Sometimes these are influential in unexpected ways. One Top 100 CEO remembers getting a heartfelt note from an employee who said her participation in diversity awareness at work helped her and her husband respond supportively when their son told them he was gay. The concept of “bring your whole self to work” is now widespread among Top 100 companies, changing life for such employee communities as LGBT people, those with disabilities or those who need time to care for elderly parents – they can be open about their needs.

x Colleagues collaborating at Loblaw Companies, one of this year’s winners.

LOBLAW COMPANIES

TIFF

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p Meeting the press at the Toronto International Film Festival, one of this year’s winners.

And above all, there are the volunteers, hundreds of thousands of volunteers. Across Canada, almost every day, some group of employees somewhere is helping to build for Habitat for Humanity, fundraise for Oxfam, run for The Cure, or hold bake sales for their company’s own charitable foundation. Often their employers have given them incentives to do good, from time off to matching funds to awards of

recognition as they work with seniors or plant trees or fix up a school. The companies are also big donors in their own right. This is where Canada’s Top 100 Employers are, unabashedly and decisively, a hugely positive influence in society.

He recounts how his company entered the competition in 2013 – and wasn’t chosen. “That was kind of a reality check for us,” he says. “We then looked at what the others were doing, and we were inspired to improve our workplace experience.”

are now a role model for the rest of Canada’s employers,” Navarro says.

“And you know there are many highly competitive companies on the list, which makes you very aware of constantly needing to improve your offerings to your employees.”

To Carles Navarro, President of BASF Canada, there is no doubt that the select members of the Top 100 influence other employers in Canada.

In 2014, BASF Canada made the list, and it did again this year. “By being one of the Top 100, you feel a special sense of responsibility, because you

It’s a virtuous circle, one in which Canada’s Top 100 Employers are using their influence to lead Canadians to better lives.

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Accenture employees lead the digital revolution

ill Morris, the Canadian President of Accenture, sits in a bright turquoise chair at the large circular table in the company’s Innovation Centre in Toronto waiting for a meeting participant to beam in from Ottawa on the video screen. “It was a great day when we threw out all the phones,” he says, gesturing around the phone-free, high-tech room.

“This is a really exciting time for us and our people,” says Morris, “because they want to change the way the world works and lives.

We’re not just consultants, we implement all the way through,” working with partners including third-party technology suppliers.

“Nobody was using them. They were like museum pieces with long cords cluttering up the space. They were relics of a bygone era.”

From the video screen, Dave Telka, a Senior Manager in the Digital Practice who works with government and the private sector, chimes in to say that even late adopters are less technology resistant than in the past.

As one of the world’s foremost management consulting, technology, digital, strategy and outsourcing firms, Accenture is redefining the workforce. Many employees decide whether to work from the office, client locations or home, depending on their role and daily commitments.

The dress code depends on their agenda. Morris is wearing jeans.

Both Morris and Telka are Accenture veterans with decades of service under their belts, and Apple watches on their wrists. In a LinkedIn post, Telka writes: “I’ve been talking a lot about wearables and how they will transform the way we work. How could I talk about this without actually field testing a wearable product?”

“This is a really exciting time for us and our people because they want to change the way the world works and lives.”

Accenture used wearables in an oil and gas industry solution to enhance safety for the field workforce, and has a platform for mobile payments that can be used with smart watches. In the realm of defence and public safety, it is exploring the use of wearables to oversee troop placement and vitals tracking.

– Bill Morris, President

The office is modern and sleek with electrical outlets everywhere, sit/ stand desks and “telepresence” meeting rooms, which can be booked from every continent.

Telka wasn’t convinced of the business benefits of posting on social networks, but tried it at Morris’s urging. At first, he was disappointed in the lack of reaction, but then people started bringing up his online work.

The CIO of a big government Accenture is setting an example department approached him on as it helps Canada’s biggest and public transit and announced, best-known organizations find 0897_8.25x1.625_CanTop100Empl_AccAd_live.pdf 1 10/16/15 “I’ve been reading your stuff2:07 on PM digital solutions to drive growth drones and GDP.” Colleagues and and transform businesses.

Accenture embraces workplace technology in every aspect of our business to connect people globally.

“DIGITAL DAVE” TELKA BEAMS INTO A MEETING WITH ACCENTURE’S CANADIAN PRESIDENT BILL MORRIS

3,476 full-time staff in Canada

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prospective clients commented on another post about how Telka’s kids talk to Siri on his watch.

In a sense, Telka is building his personal “Digital Dave” brand alongside the Accenture brand.

It’s a strategy the company encourages and which has appeal to younger employees, who want, in Morris’s words, “freedom and a feeling of control.”

As much as Accenture encourages clients to use digital to improve services and engagement with clients and consumers, Telka adds that it’s also a factor internally in attracting and retaining employees.

With some 4,000 employees in

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Canada and 358,000 worldwide, Accenture offers a huge variety of opportunities. “Young people can roll on and off projects all the time,” says Morris.

Accenture’s policies of allowing choice and control extend to its charitable and corporate citizenship efforts including the key Skills to Succeed initiative where employees can help charities and achieve the company’s goal of equipping 3 million people around the world with the skills to get a job or build a business by the end of fiscal 2020. “This new generation wants to work in a place that has purpose,” says Morris.

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Planting the seeds for a rewarding career

hanks to the support of her office colleagues, Brandy Szakacs found the strength to complete her rigorous certified general accountancy (CGA) program on time and with top marks. And if her employer, Alberta’s Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), had not also paid 100 per cent of her tuition costs, about $30,000 over three years, Szakacs says she would never have made it.

“I feel empowered to make decisions on my own. It’s a great atmosphere.”

– Judi Churchill, HR Training Coordinator

“In order to get my CGA, I first had to finish my management degree from Athabasca,” says Szakacs, an AFSC Collection Specialist.

“I was taking two to four courses at a time, all while working full time. It was incredibly stressful. I would have given up financially, emotionally and mentally without that support from the corporation and my co-workers pushing me on.

“It shows the company is really committed to its employees – and it makes you want to stay around and give back to it and the people we serve. I am very thankful.”

At AFSC, everyone is entitled to full tuition support – including books – for courses and programs related to their job. If they need time off to take an exam, variable work schedules allow that to happen. Employees also get

three flex days annually that they can use for study purposes.

Educational support is one of several staff programs that has kept the provincial Crown corporation – which provides farmers with crop and livestock price insurance and loans, along with disaster relief, among other assistance programs – on Canada’s Top 100 Employers list for eight years running.

“We really believe in staff development,” says Human Resources Training Coordinator Judi Churchill. “We want our people to grow and have every opportunity for advancement.”

Churchill herself is an example of how one can move throughout the company and up the ranks. She joined the organization’s finance department in 1982, moving later to insurance before joining the HR department twelve years ago.

Another successful AFSC professional development measure is an in-house supervisory training program run with the University of Alberta in Edmonton, roughly 125 kilometres north of corporation headquarters in Lacombe. Thirty of AFSC’s some 700 employees go through the annual exercise, a key succession planning initiative.

AFSC doesn’t just look after its employees while they are on the job. It also helps them plan for life after work by providing retirement planning courses designed for workers of all ages. Phased-in retirement options, along with a defined benefit pension plan, help attract and retain employees.

Another relatively new and popular employee program gives employees

www.AFSC.ca @AFSCjobs

Let us help YOU grow your career.

AFSC’S JUDI CHURCHILL SAYS EMPLOYEES GET “EVERY OPPORTUNITY FOR ADVANCEMENT”

598 3,286 11,172 54%

full-time staff in Alberta

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a first-hand glimpse of agricultural life. Called Farmin’ 101, the two-day session is designed to acquaint newly hired employees with the producers they deal with in the corporation’s 46 offices throughout the province. Class time is supplemented with field trips that bring employees face-to-face with the likes of goat-milk farms, beekeepers, a Hutterite colony and cattle ranches, a mainstay of Alberta’s agricultural sector. “Those two days brought my job to life,” says Szakacs. “I was never a farm kid and didn’t know one crop from another before participating.”

Besides its innovative programs,

training modules accessed by staff last year

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Szakacs and Churchill agree that it is management’s respect for employees as well as worker camaraderie that makes working at AFSC special.

“Our bosses trust and respect the people that work for them,” says Churchill. “I feel empowered to make decisions on my own without worrying about being secondguessed. It’s a great atmosphere.”

For her part, Szakacs compares AFSC favourably to past employers.

“In the oil patch, where I used to work, women are not highly regarded,” she says. “But here everyone is treated the same.

Titles don’t matter. We are all on the same playing field.”

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Building a ‘culture of collaboration’ at Air Canada

o Sophie Meloche, “it was like winning the Academy Award.” That was the day she received the Air Canada Award of Excellence, an honour bestowed on only about 50 employees a year among its 28,000 high-flying staff.

President Human Resources Arielle Meloul-Wechsler. “That means we’re very focused on transparent communication with our employees.

And we are investing a lot more in them, not just in traditional technical training but in customer service skills and talent development.”

As Facilities Customer Relations Manager for Montreal, she was thrilled. “Even for me, I felt that it changed my life,” says Meloche, who has been with Air Canada for 15 years. “I have always tried to be a good worker, but winning this makes all the difference. You don’t feel you’re working in the dark. You feel like you’re part of a family. The pride that it brings is amazing.”

Meloche, for instance, recently attended training for 200 frontline employees from a variety of departments across Canada, where staff learned about the mission and vision for the company and were able to meet people from outside their own areas and learn about their jobs.

“Increasingly, we are a culture of collaboration.”

– Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Vice-President HR

Interestingly, Meloche is among the most ground-bound of Air Canada’s employees. She helps oversee the airline’s Montreal buildings – including its headquarters – as well as conference rooms, hangars, and even the keys to the cockpit that pilots must carry.

But her role is as critical as any other in the interconnected web of employees who make the airline function – and 78-yearold Air Canada is recognizing the importance of those employees as never before.

“Increasingly, we areada 8-25x1-625.pdf culture AC_banner of collaboration,” says Vice-

This was no small exercise, explains Meloul-Wechsler. More than 5,000 employees have attended similar sessions, and another 10,000 will do so by some time in 2016.

“We purposely mix the groups,” she says. “As they chat, they understand the impact they each play on the customer journey.

They realize, for example, that if you have a disappointing airport experience, you’re probably already in a bad mood when you step over the threshold of the aircraft and it makes it harder for our flight attendants. Those ‘aha’ moments have a lot of value.”

Moreover, the airline is determined to harness the ideas and energy of its staff. “We are making sure we have the best talent from across the corporation thinking through issues rather than working in silos,” she says. “All of this leads to trust, employee engagement and ultimately customer engagement.”

To stay in touch with employees, the daily e-mail that offers 11:12 AM company news and raises immediate

has a 1 airline 2015-10-02

AIR CANADA PILOTS AND FLIGHT ATTENDANTS

23,303 300 full-time staff in Canada

issues, as well as a Yammer social media site where people can instantly discuss problems and offer solutions. The corporation also uses live focus groups to monitor employee viewpoints.

This kind of collaboration on a grand scale is paying off. “For example, we have significantly moved the dial on on-time performance, first and foremost by talking about it, then putting processes in place through cross-functional teaming,” says

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WE CONNECT CANADA AND THE WORLD THROUGH PEOPLE AND TECHNOLOGY Air Canada is an equal opportunity employer

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Meloul-Wechsler. “We started seeing improvements just when we started talking about it.”

Such advances – and a range of employee ideas on such things as how to lower fuel use – have also contributed to Air Canada’s financial success, which is a further attraction to prospective employees.

Long-term staff like Meloche are pleased too. “We have a voice now,” she says. “Air Canada has become a very open-minded, employee-oriented organization.”

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People are the strength behind ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s steel

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he telephone was a novelty and so was the automobile back in 1912 when ArcelorMittal Dofasco began producing steel in the mid-sized city of Hamilton, Ont. The world has changed beyond recognition since then and so has steel-making, but this company’s people-come-first corporate ethic has never changed.

“Our people are our competitive advantage,” says President and Chief Executive Officer Sean Donnelly.

“They truly understand our customers, they develop new technologies and imagine new products. They are at the root of everything we do.”

“Everyone can provide feedback. Everybody on the shop floor is now a problem solver.”

– Gino Giardino Assistant Team Leader, Electric Arc Furnace Steel-making Facility

Less than one per cent of companies – big or small – last a century, and ArcelorMittal Dofasco has achieved remarkable longevity by relying on employees to come up with innovations to improve its processes and its products. “Improvement is driven by people,” says Donnelly, “and that’s why we have such an extensive system that allows our people to take the lead and drive our improvement and our success.”

The system is called World Class Continuous Improvement and is based on a bottom-up rather than topdown approach, says Gino Giardino, a 28-year veteran who is currently Assistant Team Leader in the electric arc furnace steel-making facility.

“The system is designed so that everyone can provide feedback and we’re getting that even from those who would not normally feel comfortable voicing their opinions,” Giardino says. “Everybody on the shop floor is now a problem solver.”

ArcelorMittal Dofasco, which is part of the world’s largest steel and mining company, currently employs 5,400 people at its Hamilton site and they work in dozens of different occupations. Research scientists develop new products, engineers work on improving processes and products, skilled operators manage equipment and systems, journeymen in 12 different trades maintain and repair equipment while a wide range of professionals handle corporate services such as accounting, marketing, sales, human resources and communications.

The company invests heavily in training and development through its global ArcelorMittal universities and the campus for the entire Americas is located in Hamilton.

Local employees can take jobspecific courses at the ArcelorMittal University or they can select from a diverse range of professional as well as personal development courses available through the inhouse learning and development department. There are courses on the basics of steel-making for those not directly involved in production while those newly elevated to management ranks can hone their skills through courses on decision-making and organizational effectiveness.

“I’ve taken numerous leadership courses, which have helped me in the position I now hold,” says Giardino. “They’ve helped me learn to manage a team and listen to new

ARCELORMITTAL DOFASCO’S GIARDINO AT WORK IN THE ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE STEEL-MAKING FACILITY

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ideas and input. That has resulted in improved performance for our team.”

The company’s healthy workplace strategy promotes both the safety and well-being of employees. The company has an extensive Health and Safety program, while an in-house team provides medical services and manages an extensive wellness program. Three on-site gyms are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and they are staffed with personal trainers who develop fitness and conditioning routines for employees.

ArcelorMittal Dofasco is currently in the midst of a large-scale

375 4,000

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workforce renewal initiative since more than half of the employees at its Hamilton facility are eligible for retirement. The company holds “play to win” orientation sessions in the spring and fall in which groups of new hires spend three days at a conference facility near Orangeville, Ont., some 80 kilometres north of Hamilton.

The orientation sessions are part of the company’s broader commitment to learning and development. “It’s not just a case of learning about your job,” says Donnelly. “It’s about stretching yourself in order to grow professionally and personally.”

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BASF turns global challenges into exciting careers

ASF Canada Inc. is part of a big global company that likes to think very big. Not just about its core business, chemicals, but about world issues.

“This is a company with a clear purpose,” says Carles Navarro, President of BASF Canada, a subsidiary of German-based BASF SE. “We set very high goals that aim to benefit society.”

In celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2015, the world’s largest chemical producer has targeted three areas in which it will harness its people’s talents to look for new innovations: urban living, food and smart energy.

“When you hire someone and you explain that you’re going to find new solutions to the big challenges that mankind faces, this excites people,” says Navarro.

As part of the 150th anniversary, the company recently held a twoday “jamming” session in which some 40 employees from across Canada came together to focus on one problem – minimizing food waste – and to propose a solution for submission to a North Americawide competition. The best proposals will get company funding.

“This is a company with a clear purpose. We set very high goals that aim to benefit society.”

– Carles Navarro, President

“Everyone was very engaged,” says Navarro. “When you realize how much food is wasted, you become very eager to find solutions.

And there is a lot we can do as a chemical company that people may not realize is within our reach.”

Based in Mississauga, Ont., BASF Canada has 12 locations across the country, primarily involved in sales and customer support. But it also has scientific operations in Saskatoon and Toronto involved in research and applications development.

Navarro says that while the Canadian company has fewer R&D personnel than some other centres, “we encourage our people to innovate in everything they do. It can be in sales, in warehousing, in quality control, in communications.”

Many of these ideas are logged as part of the company’s Simply Dare! program, and at the end of the year, the best are evaluated in a “Shark Tank” style event where the top three receive awards.

The global scope of BASF was one of its attractions for Vernon Schneider, Customer Experience Manager for the firm’s crop protection business, when he joined the marketing team four years ago. “It’s a very dynamic company,” he says.

Early on, he was able to visit global headquarters in Ludwigshafen, Germany, near Mannheim. Since then he has travelled to several U.S. locations for meetings and training, and back to Germany for a course at the Mannheim Business School.

A chemistry grad with an MBA from Queen’s University, Schneider is also impressed with the company’s commitment to sustainability. It shows in some of its Canadian crop products, such as biological inoculants produced in Saskatoon that enhance growth

We create chemistry that makes “wow” love “why”.

Learn more about BASF Kids’ Lab at we-create-chemistry.basf.com

BASF EMPLOYEES CELEBRATED THE COMPANY’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY BY PLANTING 150 TREES FOR EARTH DAY

683 2,500+

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students hosted weeks, maternity top-up pay at BASF Kids’ Lab

in pulse plants, such as peas and lentils, using natural bacteria.

And it showed in a global review of some 60,000 BASF product applications that focused on their sustainability. “We published both products that accelerate sustainability, and those that need improvement,” says Schneider. “I think that says a lot about the culture of BASF. We are always brutally honest with ourselves and always thinking about how we can improve.”

As a new dad, Schneider also likes BASF’s popular Kids’ Lab, a

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partnership with Earth Rangers in which employee volunteers help show elementary school students the wonders of chemistry. “I’m starting to think about how I can get my two-year-old as excited about science as I am, and this program does a really great job at that,” he says.

He adds that in such a sciencedriven company, “with so many employees who want to get involved in their communities, it’s tough to get on the volunteer list – the spaces go in five minutes.”

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Building a highly rewarding work LIFE at Bayer

ine is divine,” Lynda Newcomb says proudly as she notes that 2016 is the ninth year running Bayer has made the Canada’s Top 100 Employers list.

Headquartered in Mississauga, Ont., Bayer defines itself as a life sciences company with a mission to improve the health and lives of people and animals as well as contribute to a sustainable environment. And according to Newcomb, Vice President, Human Resources, this inspiring mission is reflected in its corporate culture.

“When people care about their job and where they work, very few want to leave.”

– Lynda Newcomb, Vice President, Human Resources

“Bayer is an attractive place to work, with a respectful, collaborative culture where employees make a positive difference. When people care about their job and where they work, very few want to leave,” she says.

The company has also created a modern open concept workspace to encourage staff to move around regularly and collaborate easily.

There are state-of-the-art meeting rooms, benches, a patio and a cafeteria where employees can get together.

Bayer’s culture is built on its four key values which are promoted throughout the organization. These are leadership, integrity, flexibility and efficiency, summarized as LIFE. The company’s employee recognition program rewards staff who integrate these values into how they work.

A cornerstone of the culture going forward will be Bayer’s new employer brand: Passion to Innovate, Power to Change. This new brand aims to capture how employees can succeed, what Bayer offers as an employer and why the culture is unique.

Staff interaction is energized. In its 2014 employment engagement survey, Bayer scored 92 per cent.

Global Animal Health employees who participated in an online simulation exemplify this high level of engagement, explains Dr. Carol Jakel, a veterinarian who heads the marketing team in the Canadian Animal Health division.

“Teams submitted business cases for product ideas while others put themselves forward as investors or consultants. The best ideas were then presented at Bayer’s annual global Animal Health marketing conference with the winner recognized for their innovation,” Jakel says.

Bayer also supports the community involvement of staff. It matches donations employees make to charities, up to $200 a year, and offers them two days’ paid volunteering.

Notable charities supported are the Daily Bread Food Bank and United Way. And earlier this year, two veterinarians from Animal Health volunteered with an outreach program that helps First Nations communities look after their pet dogs by showing people how to check for ticks and prevent heartworm and other diseases.

A flagship initiative is the Crop Science division’s sponsorship of the Calgary Prostate Cancer Centre’s Combines for Cure program. The sponsorship supports the Man Van, a 36-foot mobile clinic which drives through rural Western Canada offering

COLLABORATION SPACES ARE LOCATED THROUGHOUT BAYER’S MISSISSAUGA HEAD OFFICE TO FOSTER INNOVATION

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wellness advice and on-the-spot prostate blood tests to farmers.

To familiarize new employees with the company before they start, the Hello Bayer orientation program features an exclusive microsite about the company and its workplace, culture and people, explains Newcomb.

“We also provide a welcome kit with a factsheet, checklist for the first day, and benefits information.

When they arrive, new employees are assigned a buddy who takes them on a tour,” she says.

Bayer’s benefits package can be customized to the specific needs of employees. It includes

Explore Employment Opportunities at Bayer.ca and BayerCropScience.ca

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an online store where staff can purchase Bayer over-the-counter products at discounted prices.

The company has partnerships with Best Doctors and CarePath, as well as fitness centres in some locations, and offers matching retirement and savings programs.

Bayer encourages the continuing education and career development of employees by helping fund courses and training as well as providing in-house tools and resources.

“Many organizations pay lip service to supporting and developing employees, but when Bayer says it, we really mean it,” Jakel says.

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Bell Canada puts employees at the centre of ‘Let’s Talk’

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or her first time public speaking, Jessie Bower decided to wear low heels.

“I was afraid my legs would be shaking,” says Bower, a Bell Canada Information Security Specialist in Halifax.

Bower was not only nervous about appearing in front of an audience, she was also understandably anxious about the topic – her struggle with mental illness.

Almost two years earlier, Bower had been diagnosed with bipolar mood disorder and was off work recovering. But now she was back on the job and wanted to tell her story and talk about the support she had received from her employer. “Sharing one’s experience in overcoming mental health issues is a powerful way to combat the stigma and encourage others to get help,” Bower says.

“The message needs to be heard.”

“Life is full of stress and anxiety. It’s great to be in a workplace that really understands that.”

make a real difference. “One in five Canadians experience mentalhealth challenges, and it is the number one cause of workplace disability,” le Duc says.

Bell Let’s Talk has produced positive results – public awareness of mental-health concerns has jumped to 81 per cent over the past five years – and the company recently announced a fiveyear extension and an increase in its funding commitment to $100 million or more.

But Bell’s support for mental health is much more than financial.

“We were the first company to introduce a national standard for psychological health and safety at work alongside traditional health and safety codes,” le Duc says.

The company is also training all managers to be sensitive to mentalhealth issues – and has enhanced an already robust benefits program to better cover mental health care.

For her part, Bower says the support she received accounts for only part of her corporate loyalty. “I have been able to advance through the ranks to a management position,” Bower says. “My mental illness never held me back. Bell provides lots of career options and support for people to try new things.”

– Jessie Bower, Information Security Specialist

Today, Bower is an enthusiastic messenger for Bell’s Let’s Talk, Canada’s largest-ever corporate initiative dedicated to mental health. “Life is full of stress and anxiety,” she says. “It’s great to be in a workplace that really understands that.”

Bernard le Duc, Bell’s Executive Vice President, Corporate Services, says the company developed Bell Let’s Talk because it wanted to embrace a cause where it could

Indeed, as Canada’s largest communications company, the scope and scale of opportunities at Bell help attract and retain employees across the country, and include roles from working for media and sports franchises to launching the latest innovations for wireless, Internet and TV. Career development at Bell starts even before an employee’s first

Get your career moving.

Join a winning team. Apply today at bell.ca/careers Follow us

@bell_jobs

BELL EMPLOYEES ACTIVELY SUPPORT ‘LET’S TALK’ MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS, INCLUDING CLARA’S BIG RIDE

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day at work, with recruitment and onboarding. “Our new ‘Welcome to Bell’ program was developed to help create a strong connection for new employees to our team and company culture,” says le Duc. “We’ve also had great success with a new Leadership Pathway program that is designed to support career development of team members who are fairly new to a management role.”

In addition, the new Bell CareerZone website is a centralized resource to help team members create a personal growth plan and find new jobs at the company that match their skills and interests.

staff volunteer hours last year

managers completed mental health training

Combine this with a strong employee recognition program, collaborative LEED-certified workspaces and competitive compensation and benefits programs, and the numbers show that Bell’s approach is working.

Over the past five years, the company has hired more than 500 graduating students into full-time positions, and 70 per cent of open management positions last year were filled by internal candidates.

“It’s our people that make our company strong,” says le Duc, “and we want to give them every opportunity to succeed.”

your career just got better

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Working at BDC means being a ‘force for good’

n Canada’s competitive banking field, one financial institution stands out in terms of social impact. The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) became the first Canadian financial institution to win the prestigious B Corp certification, one of just 1,000 companies in 32 countries singled out for applying its business power as a “force for good.”

“We are more than a bank,” explains Mary Karamanos, BDC Senior Vice President, Human Resources.

“We are part of the community.”

“We support Canadian economic development by helping small and medium-sized businesses. They are the economy’s engine, and by helping them everyone benefits.”

“We are more than a bank. We are part of the community.”

– Mary Karamanos, Senior Vice President, Human Resources

BDC, a federal Crown corporation based in Montreal, offers loans, investments and advisory services to more than 32,000 small and mediumsized enterprises across the country.

The close relationships with entrepreneurs are what attract employees who “want to make a difference,” says Karamanos.

One such hire is Kyle Feucht, a Growth and Transition Capital Manager who works out of the bank’s Kitchener, Ont., business centre, one of more than 100 BDC locations from coast to coast.

“I get to help some very dynamic and visionary entrepreneurs,” says Feucht.

“I do a lot more than look at income statements, ledgers and spreadsheets – and it really gets me energized to come to work. I really feel like I’m helping to build a stronger economy.”

But the stimulating nature of the work and the positive social contribution one can make are only two of several positives Feucht lists about working at BDC. There’s also the opportunity and support for professional development. “The bank listens,” he says, citing his own experience.

Explains Feucht: “When I joined, I expressed my interest in working in ‘subordinate financing,’ helping companies grow and/or acquire other businesses. My managers helped me develop a plan to get where I am now.

“They were very proactive in identifying learning opportunities.

It took about 18 months for me to pick up the necessary skills and experience. A lot came through training and shadowing people already doing the job. They showed confidence in me by letting me try new things. They truly made me feel like I was a member of their team.

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“It showed me that the bank legitimately cares about my growth. That’s something that is hugely important to me.”

For Karamanos, listening to employees is key to BDC’s workplace philosophy. As proof, she points to the bank’s remarkable 91-per-cent employeeengagement rate, compared to a national norm in the mid-60s.

Also critical to Feucht is the bank’s understanding that there is life outside of the office. One tangible way BDC shows that commitment is through five flex days annually, allowing employees to pursue charitable activities or tend to other personal responsibilities.

“They appreciate the need for a work-life balance,” says Feucht.

“We’ve been on the Top 100 Employers list for a decade now, and I think that’s mainly because we pay attention to what our people are saying,” adds Karamanos. “A number of years ago, feedback from employees was that we could do a better job of communicating and that leaders needed to be more open and accessible.”

“I helped make high-risk research safer.”

– Kyle Feucht, BDC Kitchener

BDC EMPLOYEES WHO “WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE”

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As a result, engagement became a part of a leader’s annual performance evaluation. And the Bank’s engagement rate gradually rose to its current high number.

Higher employee engagement levels means more satisfied workers and that, according to Karamanos, translates into better client service.

“When employees feel good about their work,” she says, “it makes for a more positive customer experience.”

Feucht agrees. “BDC has created a workplace where everyone is engaged,” he says. “We have a mission, mandate and workplace that everyone is excited about.”

Entrepreneurs need BDC. BDC needs you.

Visit bdc.ca/careers

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Finding and nurturing local talent at Cameco

s an aspiring engineer who grew up in the northern Saskatchewan community of La Ronge, Daley McIntyre didn’t have to look far to identify her employer-ofchoice. Saskatoon-based Cameco, one of the world’s largest uranium producers, runs three mines and two mills in northern Saskatchewan and places a strong emphasis on recruiting and retaining local talent.

After working for Cameco all four summers while attaining her engineering degree at the University of Saskatchewan, McIntyre took a job in 2002 with the company’s environmental protection department at Key Lake, the single largest uranium milling facility in the world.

She has remained at Key Lake ever since, steadily rising through the ranks to her current position as Superintendent of the Safety, Health, Environment and Quality department.

“This company feels like family and this place feels like home.”

– Daley mcIntyre, superintendent, safety, health, environment and Quality

“Working here keeps me in touch with northern Saskatchewan,” says McIntyre. “People here are very friendly and they love to laugh.

Even more importantly, I get to be involved in understanding and protecting the northern environment.

This company feels like family and this place feels like home.”

Cameco, which also operates in Ontario, the U.S., Australia and Kazakhstan, is widely recognized for its diverse workforce. The

company seeks out top-quality recruits from four key employment equity groups – Aboriginal Peoples, members of visible minorities, people with disabilities and women in under-represented roles.

Today, Cameco is Canada’s number one industrial employer of Aboriginal Peoples. As well, almost half of Cameco’s employees in northern Saskatchewan are from the region.

“Our mines and mills operate on a seven-day in and out rotation,” says Lynn McNally-Power, Cameco’s Vice President of Human Resources. “This allows a large portion of our northern workforce to live in their home communities and fly to and from work.”

Cameco works hard to understand the local labour market, wherever it operates. Potential recruits are closely tracked at the community, secondary school and postsecondary level and through outreach programs and career fairs.

While these are challenging times for many commodity-based businesses, Cameco is committed to keeping its workforce stable and its recruitment efforts robust. In 2014, the company welcomed 41 summer students, 15 co-op students and 24 new graduates to its Canadian operations.

“As a number of our employees approach retirement age, we need a pipeline of fresh talent,” says McNally-Power. “And we are very mindful that, even as the industry faces challenges, top talent is always in demand and always has choices.”

Once part of the Cameco family, employees have access to a wide range of career and leadership development opportunities. One

CameCo has supported daley McIntyre’s career developMent as an engIneer

3,030 1,330 No. 1 full-time staff in Canada

staff volunteer hours last year

program, Leadership Essentials, brings high-performing employees into regular contact with leaders across the company. Cameco also sends delegates each year to the World Nuclear University (WNU) Summer Institute, an intense sixweek educational challenge aimed at inspiring the next generation of nuclear energy leaders.

McIntyre benefited from both programs. “Attending the 2010 WNU Summer Institute in Oxford, England was the most interesting thing I’ve ever done,” she says. “It was an opportunity to network with 90 amazing young professionals from 35 countries. It gave me a broader understanding of the entire

41

industrial employer years, longestof aboriginal people serving employee in Canada

nuclear industry, from a technical, social and political perspective.”

It also reaffirmed for her some fundamental values. “As populations and energy demands continue to grow, it’s important we take advantage of the clean energy our industry provides,” says McIntyre. “I’m very proud to be part of the solution.”

McNally-Power, a 27-year Cameco veteran, hears that kind of passion a lot. “We attract highly skilled people who are driven to excel,” she says.

“But they are also part of a team that really wants to make a difference in their work and in their communities.”

Canada’s #1 industrial employer of Aboriginal people Freddie & Michelle Throassie, Black Lake, SK

cameco.com

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For Canadian Tire employees, the future is digital

f you don’t believe the nearly century-old Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC) is becoming a digital company – yes, digital – just ask Daniel Tyrala.

He joined Canada’s iconic retail group in the summer of 2014 as part of its Next Generation Talent Program and is currently working as a Business Analyst on the evolution of the Canadian Tire website.

“It’s awesome,” says Tyrala, who graduated from Ryerson University with a commerce degree in Business Technology. “We are following the vision of the CEO to make Canadian Tire the most innovative retailer in the world.”

In working towards implementing that vision of President and CEO Michael Medline, the company opened its Canadian Tire flagship store in Edmonton in June 2015, featuring over 100 digital screens and advanced interactive technology to provide personalized customer service. To imagine your new backyard patio, for instance, you can put on a pair of Oculus virtual reality goggles and walk through it.

“We are following the vision of the CEO to make Canadian Tire the most innovative retailer in the world.”

– Daniel Tyrala, Business Analyst, Next Generation Talent Program

Tyrala says that the website is viewed as “a community.” This means that for the customer looking to build a backyard ice

rink, the site will not only sell the products required, but will provide instructions on how to do it and offer advice from other users.

Even Canadian Tire ‘Money’ has been digitized with the evolution of the company’s famed loyalty program. The paper ‘money’ is still in use, of course, but customers are also encouraged to download Canadian Tire’s mobile app and track it virtually.

All of which means that Canadian Tire Corporation – whose businesses include Canadian Tire, FGL Sports (which operates Sport Chek, Sports Experts and Atmosphere), Canadian Tire Financial Services and Mark’s – is in the market for techies, big-time. The retailer now has two digital labs in Waterloo, Ont., one known as the Digital Garage, the other a partner in the Communitech Hub. In Winnipeg, it runs the Cloud Nine Digital Innovation Centre, where the patio system was created. Other tech specialists operate at the company’s home office in Toronto, as well as in Calgary and Laval, Quebec, centre of operations for French Canada.

“Our digital transformation is allowing us to compete and succeed in the new age of retail,” says Chief Human Resources Officer Doug Nathanson. “We are going where our customers want us to be, and because of that, our employees are feeling an even stronger sense of engagement and excitement and passion for the company.”

Nathanson points out that Canadian Tire has a history of innovation, including Canada’s first loyalty program, its pioneering use of supercomputers, and even its

CANADIAN TIRE TECH EMPLOYEES AT WORK AT THE DIGITAL GARAGE IN KITCHENER, ONTARIO

85,000 57,000 143,652 599 total staff in Canada

staff volunteer hours last year

job applications last year

applicants for Next Generation Talent Program last year

vaunted network of dealers who run the Canadian Tire stores.

through three one-year positions within the technology team.

In recruiting, the company is mounting post-secondary co-op programs for tech students and inviting new grads to “come in and look around” in a less formal environment than a job interview, says Nathanson. The Next Generation Talent Program, designed by Chief Technology Officer Eugene Roman for high-potential young people who aspire to be leaders in technology, gives participants like Tyrala the opportunity to rotate

At the same time, the corporation is offering more training to existing employees. Recently, it re-launched Canadian Tire University, a trove of online courses covering everything from leadership development to automotive systems.

“We’ve made a significant investment in developing people,” says Nathanson. “We’re focusing on talking more with our employees about how to make sure they have a long and rewarding career path.”

Canadian Tire Corporation is proud to be one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers.

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In human capital management, Ceridian leads by example

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s one of the fastest-growing human capital management technology providers, Winnipeg-based Ceridian Canada Ltd. is very much in the business of helping other companies find, engage, develop and pay talented employees. That Ceridian applies these same lessons to its own workforce helps explain why this is the thirteenth consecutive year the company has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers.

“Our three business priorities are the employee experience, the customer experience and product excellence,” says Dave MacKay, President of Minnesota-based Ceridian Corporation, the parent company of Ceridian Canada.

“These three priorities go handin-hand. Happy employees create happy customers. And that, in turn, creates growth opportunities and profit for the business.”

“Happy employees create happy customers.”

– Dave MacKay, President, Ceridian Corporation

Ceridian takes a very deliberate approach to employee engagement.

Regular surveys check the pulse of the workforce, and the company follows up each one with key action plans based on employee concerns and suggestions. Allemployee calls and on-site town halls keep the conversation going.

“We get all our best ideas from the people who work directly with our customers,” says MacKay. Career development is another key priority. A program known as Career Talk provides manned

telephone lines where employees can seek advice on how best to pursue opportunities across the company’s operations. That advice comes back on a same-day basis.

Another ambitious program, known as Top Talent, annually brings together teams of high-performing employees from diverse parts of the business and gives them a challenging problem to solve. Three years ago, one such Top Talent team was charged with setting up Ceridian’s own registered charity, Ceridian Cares.

Since 2013, Ceridian Cares has raised and distributed over $715,000. The charity’s focus – also identified by the Top Talent team – is unique.

“Across our communities, there are people who don’t get the help they need because of their income levels,” says MacKay. “For example, if you need a wheelchair ramp to your house and you earn $35,000 a year, you can’t access the usual types of assistance and you can’t afford to do it yourself. It’s that kind of gap Ceridian Cares is addressing.”

Ceridian also strives to provide work/life balance. Initiatives include $2,000 in annual tuition support per employee and up to $5,000 for employees looking to adopt. The company also helps employees address a number of life challenges, whether it’s finding quality child or elder care or a good financial advisor.

“We want to show we are in for the long haul,” says MacKay. “People are making a commitment to us, so we need to make a commitment back to them.”

Cali Yakaback, Ceridian’s Ottawabased social media marketing specialist, joined the company three years ago – attracted, in part,

CERIDIAN’S PRIORITIES: THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE, THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND PRODUCT EXCELLENCE

1,639 350 10,412 49% full-time staff in Canada

jobs available last year

by Ceridian’s frequent placement on the Top 100 Employer list.

“I’d never worked for a company with that kind of designation,” she says.

“So I knew it would be a place with a really great culture, good benefits and excellent work/life balance.”

She hasn’t been disappointed. “This is a well-established global company, but one with a very unique startup feel,” says Yakaback. “Everyone is really passionate about what they do.

I talk to people throughout Canada and the U.S. every day and they feel like my next-door neighbours.”

job applications last year

of managers are female

She appreciates Ceridian’s Fun@ Work program, which helps sponsor a host of employee activities, including sporting events and potlucks.

Yakaback also embraces Ceridian’s stated values, one of which is optimism. “We realize this is a company that has a really bright future,” says Yakaback. “Our products are winning awards and, even cooler than that, our customers are winning awards for using our products. So it’s a really exciting time to be here.”

Better Mondays.

Human Capital Management | ceridian.ca

29

Protecting kids and strengthening families at CAS Toronto

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aking a difference in the life of a child – that’s the compelling opportunity of a career in child welfare with The Children’s Aid Society of Toronto. The agency’s mission, in keeping with Ontario‘s Child and Family Services Act, is to protect vulnerable children from abuse and neglect by ensuring they’re in a safe environment.

The CAS Toronto is the largest public child welfare agency in North America to be run as a non-profit by a volunteer board of directors.

It receives about 100 calls a day, serves over 25,000 children a year and employs 753 full-time staff.

“The most satisfying aspect for staff is helping a vulnerable child and working with families to keep them united.”

– David Rivard, CEO

“The most satisfying aspect for staff is helping a vulnerable child and working with families to keep them united,” says CEO David Rivard.

“Only about 1,600 children a year have to be separated from their families. When a youth leaves our care at age 21, often the CAS case worker has become their friend and will stay in touch with them.”

The agency continues to hire as its child protection workers applicants who have either a Masters of Social Work (MSW) or a Bachelors of Social Work (BSW). But it is also recognizes educational equivalency and relevant work experience

PROUD TO BE NAMED ONE OF CANADA’ S TOP

100 EMPLOYERS

of candidates who were trained abroad and are new to Canada.

CAS Toronto is increasingly emphasizing diversity among its hires and promotions. It has been doing outreach to racialized and other communities. “We’ve been working with a consultant during the past year to look at the issue of inclusion and equity within the work environment,” says Rivard. “Organizations need to reflect more the communities they’re dealing with.”

The front-line staff at CAS Toronto already reflect the diversity of the city, but at higher levels, racialized individuals in leadership posts are not as numerous. “So we’re instituting numerical goals for these positions,” says Rivard. “And when interviewing candidates, we’ll try to have at least one of the two or three panelists be a racialized individual.”

Nancy Ansong-Danquah, Manager of Training and Development, oversees the training available to all the agency’s staff. “One of the great things about this agency,” she says, “is that it provides opportunities to learn new skills, move around within the organization and challenge yourself in increasingly responsible positions.”

Her own career has certainly followed that path. An MSW, she began at CAS Toronto as an intake worker, moved into children’s service worker and family service worker positions, and then advanced into managerial positions.

“It’s a challenging field to work in,” says Ansong-Danquah, “but the satisfaction is high – not only in terms of client contact and case work but in collaborating with your

Because children depend on all of us

CAS OF TORONTO STAFF PARTICIPATED IN THE 2015 TORONTO-NIAGARA RIDE TO CONQUER CANCER

753

full-time staff in Canada

94

jobs available last year

fellow child welfare workers. In a hospital, you’d potentially be the only social worker in a particular unit, whereas here you have the peer support of your team. You’re able to debrief with your colleagues on a difficult case at the end of the day.”

CAS Toronto offers good pay and benefits. “Our salaries are the highest within our sector,” says Rivard. The agency ensures that employees can recharge with four weeks of paid starting vacation, and

8,497 45.2

job applications last year

years, longestserving employee

lets them take 10 paid personal days off, with the option to carry forward up to four days to the following year.

The agency lives up to its ideals about strengthening families by providing maternity and parental leave top-up payments to its new mothers and fathers. They have the option to extend their leave into an unpaid leave of absence. So it may not be surprising that staff turnover is less than five per cent annually.

Read the full editorial Reasons for Selection for all of this year’s Canada’s Top 100 Employers winners, plus the 2016 winners of our regional and special-interest competitions.

Our redesigned website now features thousands of beautiful images and stories on this year’s winners, presented in an easyto-navigate format that’s accessible on any device, including mobile. Discover valuable editorial information on what it’s like to work at any of the employers you see in this magazine.

The new online home of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project launches today at:

www.CanadasTop100.com

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Where CIBC staff volunteer, donations follow

lthough CIBC has 40,000-plus employees, its strength as a financial services leader is built on more than numbers. Most banks offer similar products and services, but what differentiates CIBC are the relationships it forges with its clients and its employees.

“It starts with team members demonstrating our values – trust, teamwork and accountability – in everything we do,” says Sandy Sharman, Executive Vice-President and Chief Human Resources Officer. “We know that we all have a role to play in offering a great experience to our clients.

Each of us knows it’s important that we consider their needs in what we do each day.”

“As a good corporate citizen, it’s our responsibility to be very visible in the community, to give back in whatever way we can.”

– Sandy Sharman, Executive Vice-President and Chief HR Officer

CIBC has always provided opportunities for its employees to deepen their connections with the communities they serve through sponsorships, donations and volunteering. That was especially evident this year with the bank’s role as Lead Partner of the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan Am Games, the largest sponsorship in CIBC history.

Over 400 employees volunteered.

CIBC has also developed some of the country’s most recognized community fundraising initiatives. As lead sponsor of the Canadian Breast

Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure, the largest single-day, volunteer-led event in Canada in support of the breast cancer cause, Team CIBC alone has raised over $42 million since 1997. Team CIBC has also raised more than $79 million through its signature CIBC Miracle Day, which supports children’s charities across the country.

While these national campaigns are high-profile, the bank contributes to a variety of less widely known local initiatives, too – 1,780 organizations in 430 communities last year – with many brought forward by its employees. “As a good corporate citizen,” says Sharman, “it’s our responsibility to be very visible in the community, to give back in whatever way we can, whether it’s donating dollars or time.”

In 2013, Jason Bociurko, District Vice President, Northwest Ontario, drew up a proposal for CIBC to support the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre’s “Exceptional Cancer Care” campaign. Coincidentally, his mother was then diagnosed with cancer and became an in-patient.

In what turned out to be his last conversation with his mother before she died, Bociurko was able to tell her that CIBC had approved a $50,000 donation to the hospital’s campaign. “She was very proud and thankful,” he recalls.

“It had such an impact on me.”

In addition to supporting community involvement, CIBC is also highly committed to helping its employees add to their skills and advance their careers. The bank invested over $64 million globally on employee training last year.

That included in-house and online

TEAM CIBC AT THE CIBC RUN FOR THE CURE

35,438 1,780 180,000 13,643 full-time staff in Canada

charities helped last year

training programs as well as full tuition subsidies for courses taken at academic institutions.

“Mentorship is also a key component in the development of our young professionals,” says Sharman. “We have mentors at the executive and management level who offer their advice on a monthly basis. There are also manager coaches to provide day to day feedback and peer mentors to give more informal support as needed.”

Bociurko’s career exemplifies the fast-track possibilities for CIBC employees who upgrade their skills.

staff volunteer hours last year

He joined the bank in 1999 as an intern in an account manager role; within two years, he was a branch manager. He then moved into increasingly senior positions, being appointed district VP two years ago.

“I always worked for strong leaders who helped me put a career plan in place,” says Bociurko. He is now paying forward that experience with the 175 employees for whom he’s responsible. “I map out with them where they want to be in two years, in five years, and help them acquire the skill set they’re going to need to get there.”

Our employees make the difference

CIBC has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers once again.

This honour wouldn’t be possible without the support and dedication of our employees.

Their efforts help ensure we continue to build the strongest bank that puts our clients first.

CIBC Cube Design & “Banking that fits your life.” are trademarks of CIBC.

jobs available last year

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When employees talk, Desjardins Group listens

hen Melissa Savio decided to look for a job in the insurance industry, she applied to only one company: Desjardins Group.

“The organization’s values were in line with mine,” she says.

The values that attracted her have not only helped Desjardins Group become Quebec’s largest employer and the sixth-largest financial cooperative in the world, they have also helped the organization achieve an employee retention rate of 96 per cent, an enviable record in any industry.

“We have some challenging jobs in this organization,” says Stéphane Pelletier, Vice-President, Talent Acquisition and Management, “so a retention rate like that is impressive.”

“We’re constantly meeting with employees to see what we can do better.”

– Stéphane Pelletier, Vice-President, Talent Acquisition and Management

Founded in 1900 in Lévis, Québec, Desjardins Group serves more than 7 million individual and business members and clients across Canada, specializing in wealth management, life and health insurance, property and casualty insurance, personal, business and institutional services.

Almost 45,000 full- and part-time employees not only work for the

YOUR TALENT IS WHAT MOVES US FORWARD CAREERS

organization but can also contribute to its management policies as members of the cooperative.

Keeping employees focused on the values of the organization presents a major challenge. “With so many moving parts, you can lose touch,” says Pelletier, who joined Desjardins Group two years ago after holding senior HR positions in the telecommunications and aerospace industries.

To ensure that every employee has a voice in its operations, Desjardins Group continually asks for feedback through its Employee Experience program. With online surveys and face-to-face conversations, employees share their ideal professional experience and make suggestions for improvement.

“Our biggest strength as an employer is our listening skills,” says Pelletier. “We’re constantly meeting with employees to see what we can do better.”

Not only does Desjardins Group invite employees’ opinions, it also acts on their suggestions.

As Melissa Savio says, “They actually do something.”

In the course of a year, more than 8,000 managers and employees change jobs within the organization. Savio, for example, joined Desjardins Group in 2006 as a Junior Claims Advisor in Toronto. Over the following nine years, she has advanced to the role of Accident Benefit Claims Trainer. “Now I train people to do the job that I used to do,” she says.

For five of her nine years with Desjardins Group, Savio worked from her home in Mississauga, west of

DESJARDINS TEAM LAUNCHES THE AJUSTO APP

38,873 5,525 full-time staff in Canada

jobs available last year

Toronto, to accommodate her family schedule and to ensure that her work didn’t detract from the quality of her personal life. “Work-life balance is an extremely important principle at Desjardins Group,” she says.

Using strong employer branding, Desjardins Group recruits in more than 20 fields of employment, and it rewards employees for their loyalty by encouraging them to enhance their skills and qualifications as they advance through the organization.

In addition to tuition subsidies for courses at outside institutions and for online and in-house training initiatives, Desjardins Group offers bonuses of as much as $1,000

20

occupational fields available

years, longestserving employee

to employees who earn selected professional accreditations.

Savio took advantage of the Desjardins Group’s active support for employee training and development, earning her designation as a Certified Insurance Professional from the Insurance Institute of Canada.

“If you know what you want to do,” she says, “they’ll help you get there.”

In addition to strong branding and attractive working conditions, loyal employees also help Desjardins Group in recruiting top candidates in a highly competitive marketplace.

“I constantly tell people that this is the place to be,” says Savio.

TEAM UP WITH 45 000 TALENTED PROFESSIONALS desjardins.com/careers

48.7

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GE employees are on a digital mission

hris Wong is a young professional engineer who joined GE Canada a little over four years ago anticipating his job would be interesting, challenging and make an impact. And he landed in the right place. “Our group is relatively small,” says Calgary-based Wong, Engineering Leader of the Heavy Oil Solutions Team. “We’re expected to be nimble, move quickly and be entrepreneurial.

We’re solving some of the industry’s biggest problems.”

His team is part of GE’s Power and Water business and they provide both products and solutions that allow oil sands producers to make better use of water and to generate power more efficiently. GE’s vast array of businesses supply the hardware, software and service expertise that make everything from jet engines, locomotives and power plants to LED lighting, water treatment facilities and magnetic resonant imaging machines (MRIs) operate at top performance.

“We want to be ahead of the wave. That takes people who are entrepreneurial and thrive on change.”

GE is on a mission to become the world’s leading digital industrial company, which means using software to make machines more productive, to reduce downtime and to cut operating costs. GE envisions being a top 10 software company by 2020.

“We want to be ahead of the wave,” says Boyle. “That takes people who are entrepreneurial, thrive on change and can apply the skills they have in new and innovative ways.”

GE has remained at the forefront of diverse sectors of the economy by recruiting top talent and by providing employees with top-notch training and development opportunities. Indeed, the company spends over $1 billion per year globally on such initiatives, and its financial management program is now in its 100th year. It grooms employees for senior finance positions by rotating them through the various businesses and exposing them to the scope and diversity of the company.

“The breadth and depth of our employee training is huge and we do a significant amount of work here in Canada,” Boyle says.

Last year, for example, GE offered 52 leadership courses across the country. They included a foundations course for high-potential employees who have recently moved into managerial roles or are about to do so, and more advanced courses for those already managing others.

– Sonia Boyle, Vice-President, Human Resources

Furthermore, for a company that has been around for more than a century, GE is far more focused on the future than the past and that is opening the door for more exciting career opportunities, says Sonia Boyle, Vice-President, Human Resources.

“I’ve been offered a lot of opportunities to improve my skills and to develop leadership ability,” says Wong. “The development programs are really well thought out.”

Along with training and development, GE offers employees other

THE BREADTH OF EMPLOYEE TRAINING IS HUGE, SAYS GE CANADA’S SONIA BOYLE

6,500 1,228 63,238 40 full-time staff in Canada

jobs available last year

ways to expand their horizons and their abilities. The company has a presence in 170 countries, says Boyle, so there are opportunities to work abroad.

As well, employees are encouraged – where possible – to move from one division to another. Boyle adds that many long-time employees have had the opportunity to work in vastly different fields, building their industrial knowledge and enriching their professional networks in

job applications last year

a way that encourages innovation through a cross-pollination of ideas across the company.

Wong can attest to the advantages of GE’s culture of openness and innovation. “My background is oil and gas, but we’re taking technologies from other divisions and applying them to this industry,” Wong says. “That’s very interesting.

And besides that, you get to work with some of the best and brightest.”

䔀砀瀀氀漀爀攀 愀 挀愀爀攀攀爀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀 眀漀爀氀搀ᤠ猀 氀攀愀搀椀渀最 搀椀最椀琀愀氀 椀渀搀甀猀琀爀椀愀氀 挀漀洀瀀愀渀礀 最攀⸀挀漀洀⼀挀愀⼀挀愀爀攀攀爀猀

years, longestserving employee

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Graham Group: building leaders

ne of Graham Group’s key employee development programs is dubbed “Building Leaders.” The double meaning is intentional. After all, Calgary-based Graham is one of Canada’s largest construction companies, charged with building everything from roads and bridges to office buildings and hospitals. But it’s also a company where employees have a direct stake in Graham’s success.

“Leadership at Graham isn’t a role; it’s a choice,” says Jeff Schippmann, Chief People Officer and Senior Vice President for Human Resources.

“Employees can buy shares in the company, supported by a corporate loan program. We also believe absolutely everyone is responsible for our collective success. If you see an opportunity, or a problem, you’re encouraged to step up and own it.”

“We focus on partnering with employees.”

– Jeff Schippmann, Chief People Officer and Senior VP for HR

Graham, which started as a small family-owned business in Saskatchewan in the 1920s, shifted to an employee-owned model in the 1980s. It has since embarked on a major expansion curve, growing from about 70 employees to 1,300 and with operations now spanning Canada and parts of the U.S. Through it all, the company has strived to stay true to what Schipp-

mann describes as typical “Prairies” values and a strong work ethic.

“This company was founded in the Prairies where integrity, reliability and quality of work were held at the highest regard. Today, we’re still committed to delivering the best projects, but our services and expertise have evolved. Now, Graham provides seamless integration of our multi-discipline construction solutions that build upon our strategic strengths,” he says. “We also focus on our client relationships and take a lot of pride in the fact we are building things people need and use.”

The tone is set from the top. President and CEO Grant Beck, a Saskatchewan native, embarks every spring on an intensive two-week tour of Graham’s far-flung operations. Beck puts himself in front of employees to answer their questions about the company’s progress and future plans.

Schippmann, an industrial organizational psychologist by training, joined Graham after a lengthy consulting career with a number of well-known companies. He says he’s never seen a work culture as open and collaborative.

“This company lays it all out when it comes to its strategy and objectives,” he says. “We focus on partnering with employees. We think it’s our job to create opportunities, while individuals are accountable for seizing them.”

While Graham offers competitive wages and bonuses, Schippmann cautions that “we are not the place to come to if you want to earn three times the market equivalent. But if you’re smart and driven and looking for some real opportunities to shine - hey, that’s what we’re all about.”

GRAHAM GROUP EMPLOYEES COLLABORATE TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS

995

full-time staff in Canada

357 8,596

jobs available last year

And that’s exactly what attracted Eben Hamilton to join Graham 10 months ago after nearly a quarter of a century in the construction industry. A native of Washington, D.C., Hamilton had just spent six years in Ottawa with an even larger construction company, and was looking for a new challenge.

Hamilton, who is Graham’s District Manager for southern Saskatchewan, wanted the opportunity to put his experience to work leading a 33-member team that is experiencing its own growth.

“Graham is a fairly large company,

job applications last year

30 charities helped last year

but one that’s very open, from the CEO down, to listening to employees about where we think improvements can be made and where the energy, time and money needs to be focused,” says Hamilton. “That’s very different from some companies I’ve worked for.”

He’s also impressed with how Graham lives its stated values, one of which is to treat employees like family.

“We treat each other with mutual respect and an understanding we’re all about doing things for the right reasons.”

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Wellness is a part of life at Great-West Life

t Great-West Life, wellness is more than just a word. “As a business, our focus is to improve the financial, physical and mental well-being of Canadians,” says Cathy Weaver, Vice-President of Human Resources, Canada. “As an employer, we apply that same philosophy to the people who work for us. We understand the link between the health and wellness of our employees and the achievement of our business objectives.”

Great-West offers its clients a variety of life, health and disability insurance, retirement savings, and investment products, both to individuals and employees under group benefits plans. It hires about 1,000 new employees a year across Canada. While many have actuarial and accounting backgrounds, a growing number are in digital services, IT and other non-financial professions.

“We understand the link between the health and wellness of our employees and the achievement of our business objectives.”

– Cathy Weaver, Vice-President, Human Resources, Canada

Staff benefit from a corporate culture that encourages them to address their wellness in the workplace and helps them achieve work-life balance.

These two themes were reflected when Great-West introduced employee wellness accounts and paid personal days in January 2015.

Both were identified as priorities in a recent staff engagement survey.

Wellness accounts can be used to pay for recreational equipment and activities. “Wellness means different things to different people,” says Weaver. “Our staff are at different stages of life, so we created a program flexible enough to fit their different needs.”

The wellness account program has already reimbursed over $750,000 in employee expenditures. For example, a Winnipeg couple, both employees, combined their allotments to buy a $600 canoe.

Exercise bikes, hiking boots and fitness class fees are typical of the more than 4,000 claims submitted.

This year, staff members don’t necessarily need to use vacation days to take care of family-related or other issues. “We recognize that ‘life happens’ to all of our employees outside of work,” says Weaver.

Flexibility is key, as staff can arrange with their own supervisors to take up to two personal days as needed.

The company maintains a team of eight nurses and three support staff at its main offices in Winnipeg, London, Regina and Toronto. They provide physical care such as immunization and screening programs, wellness education and counselling to employees, help them access the Employee Assistance Program and do ergonomic assessments.

The nurses also follow up on occupational health and safety issues and help employees return to work after suffering a disability. “Our goals are to help people stay healthy, stay well, and stay working,” says Annastasia Lambert, Associate Manager, Health Services.

Two years ago, when an employee suffered a stroke at the Winnipeg

GREAT-WEST LIFE’S EMPLOYEE CAFETERIA IN WINNIPEG OFFERS NUTRITIOUS FOOD

10,224 907 65,293 71% number of full-time staff in Canada

number of jobs available last year

office, the nurses used their expertise to fast-track an ambulance for her, then later helped her transition back to work with accommodations.

“It’s satisfying to feel we’ve made a difference in someone’s life, but it doesn’t have to be that dramatic,” says Lambert. “It can also be helping someone stop smoking or lose weight.”

Staff at three main locations also benefit from subsidized memberships at on-site fitness centres, open seven days a week. About half of employees at those locations have joined. The fitness centres offer a variety of exercise classes, and members can hire a personal trainer.

Careers are growing here We’re committed to helping talented and engaged professionals grow their careers with us.

Discover your opportunity at Greatwestlife.com Londonlife.com Canadalife.com

number of job applications last year

of employees are female

The company also promotes active lifestyles by sponsoring employee sports leagues, including 12 hockey teams (for both men and women), regular curling bonspiels and golf tournaments.

To encourage healthy eating, each of the four main company locations has a full-size cafeteria offering a salad bar and other nutritious food choices.

“Individuals are expecting more than a pay cheque,” says Weaver.

“They want a workplace that aligns with their values and where they can influence the culture.”

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Building the healthiest workforce in the country

hen it comes to healthy living, Johnson and Johnson Inc. (J&J) has set an ambitious goal. “Our aim is to have the healthiest workforce in the country,” says Louisa Greco, the company’s Canadian Managing Director. “To get there, we are committed to a ‘culture of health’ for our employees that supports wholesome choices and provides innovative initiatives to help drive and sustain those choices.”

All employees are encouraged to take a confidential questionnaire that identifies health and lifestyle risks.

The results can form the basis of a fitness regime, registration for courses to stop smoking, nutrition advice and cancer awareness, among other measures. “We want all our colleagues to know their numbers,” says Greco, responsible for the Markham, Ont.-based operation’s sale and marketing of consumer health-care products.

“If you have good products, treat employees well and serve your community, then the profits will come.”

– John Thompson, Brand Manager

To encourage good eating habits, there are free energy snacks and fruit baskets. To help staff achieve and maintain better physical health, there is an on-site, well-equipped exercise facility. Fitness and wellness consultants help address what employees have learned about their health needs.

Employee well-being is but one of the global company’s four responsibilities defined in their Credo.

Written by former chairman Robert Johnson in 1943, “Our Credo” has guided J&J for long before corporate mission statements became de rigueur. In fact, the second responsibility, to employees, ranks just behind a duty to consumers and health-care professionals.

Third comes an obligation to the community, followed lastly by the pursuit of profitability.

“If you have good products, treat employees well and serve your community, then the profits will come,” says Brand Manager John Thompson. “The happier the place, the better the work – you don’t need to chase the dollar directly.

It’s a great way to run a business.”

Thomson says that he studied the Credo in business school well before joining J&J. “At the time,” he recalls, “I thought it was all talk, but now I know better. This is the only company I know where if you are on the treadmill at 2 p.m., no one will wonder why you aren’t at your desk.”

JOHNSON & JOHNSON INC. STAFF RAISING FUNDS FOR ONE OF 51 CHARITIES SUPPORTED IN 2014

545

full-time staff in Canada

51

charities helped last year

While Thompson had his MBA when he moved to J&J five years ago, the company subsidizes others to take that degree and other educational programs. It’s one way J&J encourages professional development, but in Thompson’s case he appreciates even more that he has been given so many opportunities to learn and grow through new responsibilities.

“People have put a lot of trust in me,” he says. “It’s been great.”

their career development, either in Canada or at one of our 250 operating companies around the world.”

Adds Greco: “This year, more than 25 per cent of our employees will take on new roles as part of

There is enough flexibility in work hours to suit almost any personal need. Daily start times can be

Employee health is only one part of J&J’s consideration for worker well-being. Benefits are generous and employee lifestyle is taken seriously.

Maternity and paternity leaves include 100-per-cent salary top-ups for 18 weeks. Compassionate care leave is topped-up to full salary for eight weeks. Employees also get two days off with pay to devote to a charity.

63% of staff are female

37 years, longestserving employee

adjusted if people need to leave early. During the summer, employees have the option of working longer hours Monday to Thursday in order to take Fridays off.

J&J values employees who share both its corporate culture and its broader goals. “If you want to help Canadians make the right choices about their health, then J&J is the right place for you,” says Greco.

Adds Thompson: “J&J is a perfect match. It fits my outlook both on life and my career. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”

37

Thinking big is a natural ingredient for Labatt employees

“T

he perfect storm.”

That’s how Candy Lee describes the various elements that combine to make her job at Labatt Breweries of Canada tailor-made for her skills and ambitions.

“Because of the nature of the beer industry, it’s fun and exciting,” says Lee, a Senior Brand Manager at the company’s head office on the Toronto waterfront. “The culture at Labatt is very energetic and entrepreneurial.

If you have a great idea, you’re really encouraged to take ownership of it and run with it. The sense of speed allowed is pretty amazing.”

From its 19th century origins as a single, small brewery in London, Ont., Labatt has grown into one of the nation’s largest companies, with six breweries, 15 sales offices, and 23 warehouse and distribution centres throughout Canada. It is a subsidiary of Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch InBev, the global leader in beer and one of the world’s top five consumer products companies.

“If you have a great idea, you’re really encouraged to take ownership of it and run with it.”

– Candy Lee, senior Brand manager

In the 21st century, one of Labatt’s key tenets is continuous improvement.

This applies not only to its portfolio of 60 beer brands and how they are brewed, marketed, delivered and sold, but to the individuals who make it all happen. As a result, training and development represent a significant

investment at Labatt, says Lindsay King, Vice President, People.

Along with a highly competitive range of pay and benefits, Labatt provides employees with thousands of opportunities to learn and grow.

Ranging from self-directed studies via online courses to structured inhouse programs, content can cover everything from the fundamentals of Labatt culture to technical skills for specific jobs. Some courses, such as lessons in safety, are mandatory while others enable employees to fill particular gaps in their resumes to better position themselves for their dream job.

“We’re proud of our programs,” says King, who is also quick to point out that formal study accounts for only a small portion of an employee’s ongoing education. According to King, active, experiential on-the-job training as well as constant coaching, mentoring and collaborating impart many of the most valuable lessons.

“Each individual at Labatt has a responsibility to find, attract, retain and develop the best people,” she adds. “It isn’t just up to the HR department. We judge people by the quality of their teams.”

While having the necessary skills is important, King says Labatt looks for something else in an employee: a good fit. “There are lots of talented professionals out there, but we’re looking for people who are also willing to go the extra mile,” she explains. “We want people who are dynamic, enjoy leaping over hurdles and who can evolve as the demands on them grow.”

For Lee, the Labatt go-getter environment has made it possible to expand her horizons and thrive in the

LABATT employee Candy lee with Budweiser red lights

3,000 826 35,000 full-time staff in Canada

jobs available last year

process. Before her promotion to the marketing department in Toronto, she worked in logistics and financial analysis in Montreal, in sales in Halifax and regional marketing in her hometown of Vancouver. At every step, Lee says, she was continually challenged to take risks and come up with bigger, bolder ideas.

“They allow you to jump into the deep end, but there’s always access to

job applications last year

46

years, longestserving employee

resources, assistance and expertise,” she says. “You can always go to a manager or mentor and while they never feed you the answers, they’ll nudge you in the right direction.”

She wouldn’t have it any other way. As for the future, Lee sees a company with the size, scope and culture of Labatt as offering her ever more challenges to tackle. And more “perfect storms” to revel in.

OWN YOUR FUTURE SHARE OUR DREAM The Best Beer Company Bringing People Together For a Better World

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38

Improving patient lives is mission number one at Lundbeck

W

hen interviewing for Lundbeck Canada back in 2012, I was instantly drawn by the bright people, their team spirit and the company’s vision,” says Stéphanie Sauvageau.

With good reason. Based in Montreal, Lundbeck has been active in the Canadian pharmaceutical industry for almost two decades, marketing products for the treatment of brain diseases and oncology. Through research, development, education, and partnerships with other companies and patient organizations, Lundbeck employees are improving the quality of life for people living with brain diseases and cancer.

global talent and leadership development programs in place to support the career path of employees.

Lundbeck is extremely customer-centric, focusing intensely on its relationships with both healthcare professionals and patients, according to Domenic Maccarone, Senior Director, Sales. The company, he says, is constantly thinking about how to better support these customers.

“We have made changes to our sales network to focus more on our relationships with doctors, psychiatrists, nurses and pharmacists,” says Maccarone. “To support their needs, new sales teams have been created which include account managers as key points of contact to centralize and simplify communication.”

“Lundbeck employees are very passionate about their work and the customers they serve.”

The sales force also uses Lundbeck’s internal social network to collaborate, share success stories and provide insights and tips.

– Stéphanie Sauvageau, Scientific Advisor and MSL Manager, Oncology

“Lundbeck employees are very passionate about their work and the customers they serve. Everyone is very competent and cross-functional collaboration is high,” explains Sauvageau, Scientific Advisor and MSL Manager, Oncology.

And the company encourages staff to get involved with the local community and supports their charitable fundraising and volunteering.

Employees have participated in Ride to Conquer Cancer and Ride for Mental Health from Montreal to Quebec City, as well as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada’s annual Light the Night Walk in Montreal and other provinces.

The company is committed to the personal development of its employees, fostering their careers and promoting internally as much as possible. Sauvageau knows this first hand, as she has been promoted twice since joining Lundbeck, holding both regional customer-facing and national strategic internal roles. The company has a range of

“A Lundbeck initiative which has a deep impact on me is when former patients are invited to the head office to tell their personal stories about battling cancer or mental illnesses and how our medication helps,” says Sauvageau “It is incredibly moving as we get to see who we are really working for and the significant difference our company makes in their lives.”

LUNDBECK CANADA EMPLOYEES AT MONTREAL WALKS FOR MENTAL HEALTH

218

full-time staff in Canada

45

charities helped last year

There was also a recent sales team building exercise packing food and toiletries for “Dans la Rue”, a local charity for homeless youth.

And a group of sales employees volunteered to do gardening for the Psychiatry Department of the Royal Victoria Hospital, affiliated with McGill University, as green spaces help with the therapy of patients.

Even though there are times when the workload is high, Lundbeck promotes a healthy work-life balance. It supports and encourages employees to work remotely from home and to adjust their work schedule to be more flexible.

The company’s work-life balance philosophy is also influenced

450 57.9%

staff volunteer hours last year

of managers are female

by the mental health program “HarmoniskeTM” that was launched last year. Championed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada and based on psychological health and safety standards, the program provides Lundbeck with a framework to reduce the risk associated with mental health issues and promote positive well-being practices in the workplace.

The company also offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits package including health and dental coverage and retirement and savings options.

“Lundbeck has a special culture due to our dedicated staff,” Maccarone says. “We do meaningful work which is enriching and makes us feel good about the company.”

39

McCarthy Tétrault makes the case for strong career growth

A

s one of Canada’s leading law firms, McCarthy Tétrault believes competitiveness is a quality best left to the courtroom. Within the 160-year-old firm, collaboration is the guiding principle, and new employees are never left to sink or swim.

A mentoring program for students and associate lawyers helps ensure that. “We established the program in 2007 because our people asked for it,” says Chief Professional Resources Officer Stephanie Willson.

“Now, we are proud to say that our mentoring culture has truly been established, and continues to grow.”

Every May is designated as Mentoring Month, and a full slate of activities is organized to help highlight the program. Last spring’s edition included speed-mentoring sessions

“There’s a fundamental respect for people, which translates into our programs, policies and initiatives.”

– Rita Apa, Senior Director, Human Resources

for students, facilitated mentor meetings for new associates, and the annual signature event – an awards ceremony in each of the firm’s six offices to recognize leading mentors.

Tracie Crook, Chief Operating Officer, says mentoring is a key ingredient in the firm’s corporate culture, which emphasizes strong relationships, learning, innovation, continuous improvement, personal

well-being, diversity, and caring for the community. “We work at it all the time,” she adds. “Our commitment to live up to our core values can only be successful if our values become part of our practices.”

McCarthy Tétrault also supports employee development with generous tuition subsidies and in-house training programs. Its growing e-learning program includes Mental Health and Wellness in the Legal Profession, an online resource created by the Canadian Bar Association, the Mood Disorders Society of Canada, and Bell Canada’s Let’s Talk initiative. The recently introduced, self-paced, four-part program provides members of the legal profession and their families with education, support and resources to assist in understanding mental health and addiction issues.

One of the firm’s most important educational initiatives is its Leadership Development Program.

Created for both newly appointed and experienced managers, the training curriculum focuses on the core skills required in their management roles and McCarthy Tétrault’s core leadership competencies. “We believe that, while our leaders set the direction,” says Crook, “we also need to empower them with enhanced skills to guide their people.”

Rita Apa, Senior Director, Human Resources, says that for her personally, the ability to grow professionally at the firm has always made it a satisfying place to work during her 37year tenure there. It’s one of the two things she enjoys most about working for McCarthy Tétrault, she adds.

“My work is challenging and the firm provides me with continuous

COLLEAGUES CATHERINE MATHIEU AND SANDRA FOURNIER IN McCARTHY TÉTRAULT’S QUÉBEC CITY OFFICE

1,426 400

lawyers and staff in Canada

49

charities helped years, longestlast year serving employee

learning and growth opportunities,” she says. “Secondly, it’s the environment. There’s a fundamental respect for people, which translates into our programs, policies and initiatives.”

Concern for the well-being of its lawyers and staff is also reflected in the firm’s generous fitness subsidy.

To encourage employees to cycle to work, the fitness benefit was recently expanded to include coverage of the Bixi shared commuter bike service in cities where it’s available. “We are doing our part in promoting an active lifestyle,” says Apa, “which plays an

McCarthy Tétrault also supports employees who want to start a family, with a generous subsidy of up to $12,000 for fertility drugs related to IVF treatments and maternity leave top-ups for new moms of up to 90 per cent of salary for 17 weeks. The firm’s unique maternity buddy program helps keep parents on leave up to date about developments related to their own particular jobs and the firm as a whole.

Being recognized as a Top 100 employer for the 4th consecutive year is a great achievement. But what we’re really proud of is our people and what they accomplish for our clients. Every day.

mccarthy.ca

of managers are female

important role in staying healthy and productive at work and at home.”

Our People Make Us Better

McCarthy Tétrault LLP

71%

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41

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Working for the community at Medavie Blue Cross

unning. Walking. Cycling.

Preparing a meal. Planting a garden. Employees of Medavie Blue Cross will do almost anything for their communities.

“If you have a personal orientation toward helping others, it’s tough to find a more compelling proposition than Medavie Blue Cross,” says Greg Bambury, Medavie’s Vice President of Human Resources, in Halifax.

In Moncton, N.B., nearly 50 head-office employees raised more than $1,500 for the Heart & Stroke Foundation in an hour-long Big Bike Ride in August. In Montreal, employees supporting multiple sclerosis research sold baked goods before embarking on a 150-km bike ride through Quebec. Eric Laberge, the organization’s president and keen supporter of its culture of giving back, joined the journey.

“You’ll find more sense of purpose in one day at Medavie Blue Cross than you’ll find in a thousand days at other organizations.”

– Greg Bambury, Vice President of Human Resources

As a not-for-profit organization, Medavie Blue Cross provides health, dental, travel, life and income replacement products to small and large companies in Atlantic Canada, Ontario and Quebec and to individual customers in Atlantic Canada. It also administers various provincial and federal government-sponsored health programs.

“Our shareholder is the community,” says Bambury.

The organization contributes 13 per cent of its annual net income to the Medavie Health Foundation and its corporate Building Healthy Communities program to support health-related causes in the six provinces where its clients and employees live and work.

This commitment to community and health causes helps inspire the organization’s more than 1,900 employees to do much more than go to work every day. Backed by its Employee Causes program, which focuses on volunteerism and team fundraising, employees receive one day a year of paid time off to volunteer.

For every 50 hours volunteered by one employee to charity, Medavie Blue Cross donates $500 to that cause. It also matches collective employee fundraising with $3,000 per employee team.

Last year employees spent 1,500 hours volunteering, and those are just the hours that are tracked.

“Medavie Blue Cross really cares about making an impact in our communities,” says Sylvia Atkinson, Team Leader, Case Management Services, in Toronto. In September, Atkinson and several fellow employees walked 25 kilometres through the streets of Toronto to raise money for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

The strong community focus is just one reason why Medavie Blue Cross received more than 11,000 applications for 465 available positions last year. The organization also provides employee benefits like health insurance, a defined-contribution pension plan, a computer loan program and a $150 wellness credit that employees can apply to

MEDAVIE BLUE CROSS PRESIDENT ERIC LABERGE JOINS EMPLOYEES FOR MS BIKE TOUR IN QUEBEC

1,921 129 1,500 69%

full-time staff in Canada

charities helped last year

gym memberships, running shoes, yoga classes or similar expenses. It also makes top-up payments to new parents on maternity and parental leave to 90 per cent of salary for up to six weeks and offers an optional extension of unpaid leave, as well.

Such a supportive environment encourages loyalty, while employment policies encourage employees to advance throughout the organization.

“Medavie Blue Cross encourages personal growth and development,” says Atkinson. “I was given the chance to move up into a role I really enjoy, and I know my colleagues like seeing other employees promoted from within.”

staff volunteer hours last year

of managers are women

To employees and the community at large, Medavie Blue Cross represents the spirit of involvement. Collecting donations for a local food bank?

Employees in Charlottetown hosted a feminine hygiene product drive to restock empty shelves. Supporting Centraide in Montreal? Employees joined the March of 1000 Umbrellas, raising their bright blue brollies while walking down Saint Catherine Street.

Says Bambury, who joined the organization in 2014 after 25 years as an HR professional: “You’ll find more sense of purpose in one day at Medavie Bue Cross than you’ll find in a thousand days at other organizations.”

THANK YOU to our employees for your dedication to improving lives and helping make us one of Canada’s Top 100 employers.

42

Medtronic employees help improve healthcare outcomes

W

hen Morteza Zohrabi moved to Medtronic Canada from the public sector more than two years ago, colleagues and fellow health professionals expressed surprise. A medical doctor and a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt in quality management, Zohrabi had worked at some of the largest hospitals in Canada and for the Ontario government trying to improve the quality of health services while making systems more efficient.

He saw a role for himself at Medtronic thanks to its shift in recent years to become more than a medical device manufacturer and seller. It now also defines itself as a services and solutions company looking to provide better clinical outcomes and economic value in health care in Canada and around the world.

“What I’m doing focuses on improved outcomes, improved access and the right therapy.”

– Morteza Zohrabi, Integrated Health Solutions Consultant

“What I’m doing here at Medtronic, it’s not just helping others with efficiency,” explains Zohrabi, whose title is Integrated Health Solutions Consultant. “It focuses on improved outcomes, improved access and the right therapy.”

At a time when innovative but often expensive new medical devices and therapies test already strained healthcare budgets, Medtronic wants its employees “to become trusted resources, not just people who come in and push a product,” says André Guérin, Senior Director of Human Resources. “They

INNOVATING FOR PATIENTS AND PROVIDERS

understand the context of the customer and act as a resource and partner.”

One project that illustrates this approach is Medtronic’s collaboration with a Brampton, Ontario hospital that is part of the William Osler Health System. Brampton has one of the highest diabetes rates in the country, and wanted to increase capacity to meet the needs of the growing population and growing demand for diabetes care. As a maker of insulin pumps, Medtronic also has insights into the disease and its management.

Zohrabi worked with clinic staff and managers to try to find solutions, facilitating a five-day workshop.

“The collaboration between host and Medtronic was phenomenal,” he says. “We worked as a team.” As a result of new plans and systems implemented, efficiencies improved by as much as 60 per cent according to one indicator, which was beyond anything Zohrabi had hoped for.

Medtronic aims to show the value of new treatments beyond initial costs. “While devices are sometimes costly,” says Guérin, “the impact can save enormous amounts of money to the healthcare system.” He cites as an example a new Medtronic heart valve which is inserted in what is called a catheter-type procedure, eliminating the need for open heart surgery.

“It’s minimally invasive and the patient may be back home in a few days,” says Guérin. Risk of infection is cut as are the high costs of prolonged hospitalization.

As Medtronic grows into its new services and solutions role, it’s also continuing to integrate its business with that of Covidien, which it acquired in 2015. The merger nearly doubled its presence in Canada.

Together, we will collaborate with health systems and providers to help improve healthcare—to get the right treatment, to the right patient, at the right time in more places in Canada.

HEALTHCARE EFFICIENCY EXPERT DR. MORTEZA ZOHRABI (LEFT) WITH MEDTRONIC PRESIDENT NEIL FRASER

1,500 employees in Canada

48

jobs available last year

In its current and future leaders, the company says, it is looking for employees who are patient centric, problem solvers, borderless collaborators and system thinkers.

“These are the types of characteristics necessary to achieve our mission and vision,” says Guérin.

The benefits Medtronic employees can expect include a flexible health plan that lets employees tailor their

2,123 job applications last year

38 years, longestserving employee

coverage to suit their evolving needs, fully-equipped fitness facilities and a variety of in-house wellness initiatives to encourage healthy and active minds and bodies.

But the biggest reward is the work itself – adding value to the world of healthcare. “I believe I’m helping my colleagues, physicians and nurses, to focus on what they’ve been trained to do,” says Zohrabi.

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Speak! Nuance Communications will hear you

hen you call your bank, do you get frustrated by the verbal hoops you jump through just to identify yourself? Name, address, birthdate, PIN, perhaps even a recent transaction? If so, you will happily embrace Nuance Communications Canada, Inc. Thanks to the work of the Enterprise division, there is now technology that identifies you in a flash, just by the way you speak. “With as little as 3-5 seconds of audio, it can tell whether the caller is who they say they are,” says Tariq Yakoob, Senior Project Manager, Solutions – Enterprise. “It analyzes about 100 voice characteristics, including pitch, tone, cadence and behavioural aspects.

This can save a lot of time on the call – it can complete the authentication even while you’re still explaining your problem to the agent.”

“We give employees a lot of room. We mentor them, we empower them and we don’t stand in their way.”

– Claudia Wagner, Senior Manager, Professional Services – Enterprise

Voice biometrics is just one of the groundbreaking areas that software engineers get to work on at Nuance, part of a global company with headquarters in Burlington, Massachusetts. With its second-largest global site in Montreal, the firm recently celebrated the launch of the state-ofthe-art voice technology at two major

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Canadian financial institutions, RBC and Manulife Financial, among other customers worldwide. In voice biometrics, says Yakoob, “we represent more than 80 per cent of the commercial market. In the areas we work in, we are the leaders in the space.”

Nuance has four major market areas – Healthcare, Enterprise, Mobile-Consumer and Document Imaging. The company draws on decades of experience in speech, natural language understanding and artificial intelligence to create seamless interactions with consumer electronics, apps, cars, IT systems and much more. Nuance is also behind such well-known brands as Dragon and OmniPage, as well as Swype smartphone keyboards.

The majority of Canadian staff are concentrated in a heritage building in downtown Montreal, and boast academic backgrounds in such disciplines as computer science, engineering, cognitive sciences, linguistics and business. There are additional offices in Waterloo, Ont., and Ottawa. “We look for employees who are bright, highly motivated, great team players, good communicators and able to adapt easily to changing project demands,” says Claudia Wagner, Senior Manager, Professional Services – Enterprise.

Nuance emphasizes staff development. Nuance University provides internal training, and senior leaders mentor younger staff. The attractive range of benefits includes four weeks’ vacation, profit sharing, a share purchase plan and an on-site yoga instructor. The company also hosts a robust student internship program involving top universities in Quebec and Ontario.

NUANCE’S WAGNER, CAI AND YAKOOB (L-R) SHOW OFF A VOICE BIOMETRICS VERIFICATION PHOTO CREDIT: BILAL SKAF-HALABY

730

full-time staff in Canada

164 6,048

jobs available last year

Wagner says Nuance employees have a great deal of responsibility for their projects, even early in their careers. “We give them a lot of room,” she says. “We mentor them, we empower them and we don’t stand in their way.”

Tommy Cai, a Senior Software Engineer who worked on RBC’s voice biometrics system, agrees, noting that he has been able to deal directly with clients. “As a company they have a lot of trust in you to put you in front of the customer,” he says. “It shows a lot of confidence and support.”

job applications last year

4 weeks, starting vacation allowance

Cai joined Nuance in 2010 after completing a master’s degree in electrical engineering at McGill University, and was soon working on interactive voice response (IVR) systems. The work has meant a lot of collaboration with Nuance staff in places as far away as Germany and Australia, and Cai has also been able to travel to offices on the West Coast of the U.S. and in the U.K. It’s a very friendly company, says Cai. “I have learned and experienced so much in five years here.”

10/16/15 4:36 PM

44

OpenText: global opportunities, with the energy of a start-up

M

ark Barrenechea has no hesitation in describing the kind of people they like at OpenText Corporation: “Smart, ambitious, innovative, curious, ready to challenge the status quo, able to contribute at a very high level.”

Oh yes, and good at software.

“This is a customer-driven organization,” says Barrenechea, Chief Executive Officer for the Waterloo, Ont.-based firm.

“Innovation is key to ensuring we’re ahead of the market.”

As Canada’s largest software company, OpenText offers solutions for document digital asset management to enterprises, in the cloud, and now, even to individual users. It’s a global company, with some 8,200 employees in offices around North America and in Europe and Asia.

“Innovation is key to ensuring we’re ahead of the market.”

– Mark Barrenechea, CEO

OpenText offers people “careers in digital” that span a wide range of positions globally. On the tech side OpenText is out to attract top software engineers, developers and product managers. On the sales and services side are the account executives, solution consultants and technical support professionals.

Lisa Zangari, Chief Human Resources Officer, says much of

the company’s growth has come through acquisitions, so integrating new people is critical. “We are very value-centric, and that is apparent wherever you go across the OpenText globe,” she says. “I believe we’ve been very successful at integrating our cultures as we acquire new organizations, and ensuring that our values are central.

It’s important to us that all of our employees understand what we mean by trust, by obsessing over the customer, by excellence and of course by innovation.”

Leadership development is essential for OpenText. Its in-house Core Leadership Program helps team leaders engage and mobilize their people to deliver results.

Nearly 900 managers have now been through the program. “It has incredible impact,” says Zangari.

“This is a differentiator for us.”

And those aiming for the top jobs can be selected by the CEO and Zangari for the Leaders Circle, a 9-10 month development program for some 20 senior executives who work as a team on a single organizational issue to produce recommendations at the end. “We really leverage their brainpower,” she says. “It’s exciting.”

As a high-performing tech company, OpenText is strong on work-life balance, offering work from home and other options. “We’re not a 9 to 5 operation, we’re a 24/7 operation, so employees have a lot of flexibility as to where and when they conduct their work,” says Zangari.

Nicole Davis is grateful for that. As Technical Product and Development Operations Manager in Waterloo for teams involved with key company

NICOLE DAVIS, TECHNICAL PRODUCT & DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS MANAGER, AT OPENTEXT HQ IN WATERLOO, ONTARIO

1,440 461 15,838 full-time staff in Canada

jobs available last year

products, she had an exhilarating time working on the launch of OpenText Core, a file-sharing solution that even individuals can use. “We had a lot of late nights,” she says. “I encourage my team to take time off to recoup and to make use of our flexible work culture, or work from home.”

Kitchener-born Davis likes the global nature of the company, which has allowed her to spend time in the Munich office working with a team she was already collaborating with electronically.

Internal mobility is encouraged, and if there’s a good business reason, a Canadian staffer could

#1

job applications largest software last year company in Canada

end up working in Silicon Valley or Europe, among other places.

Davis also points to one of the hallmarks of OpenText – a large company that functions like a small one. “There’s a lot of focus on startup culture, and the drive towards more agile change,” she says. “We also talk about being passionately curious – about continually learning and continually being curious about what you do – because I don’t think you can enjoy your job if you’re not. As managers of people, we’re trying to encourage that passionate curiosity and help people reach that next step in their careers.”

45

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R. F. Binnie stays civil and punches above its weight

onathan Ho is under no illusions about his job at R.F. Binnie and Associates Ltd. “I do the stuff that everybody hates,” he laughs.

In reality, as Traffic Engineering Manager for the Vancouverbased firm of civil engineering consultants, Ho makes things better for the drivers of British Columbia.

But he admits that at public forums, people are always concerned about congestion on the roads.

Since joining Binnie in 2007 straight out of the University of British Columbia, Ho has had an impressive career path. To begin with, the company supported him through four years of qualifying for his professional engineer (P.Eng.) licence, covering his fees, giving him time off, and aiding in his training. “Binnie went above and beyond,” he says.

“Recognition is one of the huge perks of working here.”

– Jonathan Ho, Traffic Engineering Manager

In traffic engineering he has worked on some of the area’s biggest road projects, including the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler, which was upgraded for the 2010 Winter Olympics, and the Port Mann stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway. Recently, the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure chose Ho’s team to provide traffic engineering services for the entire province of B.C. In 2013, Ho was promoted to manager and invited to join the elite

group of 26 shareholders in the employee-owned firm, which has 110 full-time and 30 part-time staff.

“I think working in a smaller place, you get more hands-on work,” says Ho. “And the path to career growth is quite clear. In a bigger firm with many more employees, I might be looking at another 10 or 15 years to become a shareholder. But here, when you do good work, it’s very easy for senior management to notice it. Recognition is one of the huge perks of working here.”

Chief Operating Officer James Martens says Binnie is committed to remaining employee-owned, constantly renewing itself with new shareholders like Ho. “It’s part of our culture,” he says.

The firm is smaller than many of its competitors, he agrees, but it has long punched above its weight in its major area of provincial and municipal government projects.

“We try to keep the feeling of a small company,” Martens says.

“People feel they have access to senior management and they get treated more like a family than like employees of a large company. At the same time, we have some high-profile projects that keep their lives exciting.”

Currently, Binnie’s engineers might find themselves working on a major redevelopment of Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster or designing new roads at the giant Site C dam project in northern B.C. In addition, the firm has a contingent of landscape architects who are also working on the Royal Columbian, as well as the Abbotsford MRC sports

SENIOR TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, EDDIE BALLARIN WITH PRESIDENT, MICHAEL RICHARDSON

110

full-time staff in Canada

11

charities helped last year

complex involving three synthetic sports fields and a skate park.

“We’re looking for energetic high-performers,” says Martens.

“People who want to move their career ahead, people interested in growth, and people who want to provide high-quality engineering.”

In return, the firm offers a record of steady growth and stability as well as strong benefits, such as profit sharing, education allowances, top-ups for maternity and parental leave, and considerable mentoring and career development.

1,200

job applications last year

42

years, longestserving employee

“We do a lot for work-life balance and managing stress,” says Martens. “We try to be as flexible as possible with work hours, and we have people working from home in remote offices.”

There are also shortened and compressed work weeks available.

To Ho, the company is a place where staff feel they have a real say in the firm’s growth strategy. “Everyone has a sense of belonging,” he says, “because they feel they can be part of that growth.”

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At Raymond James, talent is for keeping

he Canadian financial services industry is like a crowded house. To stand out, Toronto based Raymond James Ltd. focuses on being client-centric, creating a diverse workplace and supporting the career development and community involvement of employees.

As an independent investment dealer, the company is dedicated to improving the lives of its clients and aims to forge long-term, personal relationships with them.

Effectively achieving this starts from within, by building the right corporate culture, explains Paul Allison, Chairman & CEO.

“Our employees are our strongest asset with their high level of integrity and professionalism. We share the same values, we have an unwavering commitment to our clients and staff turnover is very low,” Allison says.

“Our employees are our strongest asset with their high level of integrity and professionalism.”

has been at Raymond James for 10 years, holding a number of progressive client-facing branch roles before switching to her current position in the equity capital markets group in October 2014. She says the firm provides lots of training and course subsidies to interested staff and was very encouraging of her career aspirations.

“Raymond James originally helped me obtain my investment, financial advisor, options and branch manager licences and then later move into a different part of the business,” she explains. “I have never had the desire to leave the company as it has given me the opportunity to grow here.”

Seifert also has an active personal life, competing in the ITU World Triathlon Championship in Edmonton in 2014 and Chicago this year.

In addition, she participated in the inaugural Ride to Conquer Cancer in 2008 and Tour for Kids supporting the Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation in 2011 and 2012. Raymond James has helped with donations and supported her training schedule.

Raymond James entered the Canadian marketplace 15 years ago. Over that time, it has built a reputation as a caring company in the communities it serves and through the ongoing career support offered to employees.

In 2012, the firm created the Raymond James Canada Foundation to manage its expanding charitable initiatives. The foundation runs an annual giving campaign where it matches staff donations to their chosen charities. Recent causes included raising money for victims of the Nepal earthquake in 2015, the Alberta floods and the Philippine typhoon in 2013, Japan’s tsunami in 2011 and the Haiti earthquake in 2010.

Tina Seifert, Syndication Administrator, has experienced both. She

And last year a group of employees including Seifert travelled to

– Paul Allison, Chairman & CEO

Committed to making Raymond James a rewarding place to work and grow.

Thank you to our people who set us apart.

Member – Canadian Investor Protection Fund

RAYMOND JAMES STAFF VOLUNTEER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OTHER PEOPLE’S LIVES

868

full-time staff in Canada

250 1,349 151

charities helped volunteer hours for last year RJ Cares Month 2015

Nicaragua to help build a school for local children. The company was also the lead sponsor of the Prostate Cancer Foundation 2015 Father’s Day Walk/Run in B.C. Supporting female financial advisors is another significant initiative. Raymond James hosts an annual women’s network to help them expand their knowledge, expertise and business in a collaborative setting, explains Allison.

“Over half of our North American private wealth clients are women, so it’s important we encourage more female advisors in what is still a male-dominated industry,” he says.

job openings last year

And following feedback from its employee engagement survey, the company is doing more to help employees who are new parents. It has introduced maternity leave top-up payments plus parental leave top-up payments for fathers and adoptive parents.

The firm is also focused on becoming an environmentally responsible corporate citizen. It is committed to managing its offices sustainably and offers clients secure, paperless communications and statements.

“I love the Raymond James workplace culture,” says Seifert. “I wake up in the morning and look forward to coming to work.”

47

R

For RBC employees, three simple words say it all

BC uses three very straightforward, yet meaningful, words to highlight its relationship with its employees: Career, Community and Connection.

And as Canada’s biggest bank and one of its largest employers, it can deliver on these three pillars like few other companies can.

“It’s a very large organization but when you get connected, it can feel like a village,” says Jenny Poulos, Senior Vice-President, Personal and Commercial Banking Human Resources and RBC Recruitment.

In fact, whatever you want to do at RBC in terms of your career, involvement in the community, or connecting with fellow employees, there’s bound to be a program or support for you. “The flexibility and options that RBC offers are vast,” agrees Poulos.

“It’s a very large organization but when you get connected, it can feel like a village.”

– Jenny Poulos, Senior VP, Personal and Commercial Banking HR and RBC Recruitment

Just ask Dana Drover, who became the manager of a leading RBC branch in downtown St. John’s, Newfoundland, only five years after joining the bank straight out of university. “They set people up for success right from the get-go,” she says.

With a BA in English, Drover started at the bank in 2009 as a client advisor, or teller. Supported by

training, coaching and development programs, she moved through a series of roles, including banking advisor and financial advisor, before being named manager of the Aberdeen Avenue branch last year. Drover says her branch area’s combination of business clients and young professionals makes it one of the fastest growing market opportunities in Atlantic Canada.

Which makes her rise all the more impressive. “It was pretty fast, but more and more you see that happening,” Drover says. “People are moving through the continuum of their training at a quicker pace. It speaks to how supported they feel and how RBC enables individuals to reach their career potential.”

So tick “Career”, as Drover continues to discuss her path for growth with her current mentors and coaches.

What about “Connection”?

As a member of the screen-savvy millennial generation, Drover embraces RBC Connect, the bank’s internal social networking and collaboration platform for employees to interact online, whether locally or globally. She is also a member of the NextGen employee resource group, where she can reach out to her peers under 40 for mentorship or coaching, again often electronically. “I feel very well connected,” says Drover.

As for “Community”, Drover notes that “not a week goes by where there’s not something posted on Connect” about a Newfoundland and Labrador RBC branch doing something in the community. Her team supports several local causes including the Janeway Children’s Health and Rehabilitation Centre.

“Throughout the year, we’re

JENNY POULOS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, HR, RBC

52,026 6,718 52% 64.8 full-time staff in Canada

of managers are female

charities helped last year

fundraising at the branch, and then we join in the annual Janeway telethon to present our donation and help answer the phones,” she says.

To Poulos, Drover’s experiences are replicated across the bank. “This is where you see the energy of RBC come alive,” she says. “There is a collective sense that working for RBC is about making a difference.

You see that your contributions matter, and people feel proud to do what they do for clients and communities and each other. That runs right through the organization.”

In terms of growth, Drover may one day be able to participate in

years, longestserving employee

two relatively new initiatives that Poulos is a proponent of. Women in Leadership is designed to develop high-potential, non-executive women from across the bank by mentoring them and assessing the opportunities and experience they need to move up. Meanwhile, the Executive Women’s Peer Network brings together women in more senior roles for learning and networking.

At any level, Drover says, there is tremendous support at RBC for employee development.

“I think they really, invest in the people they hire.”

PROUD

A feeling that results from fulfilling a promise.

We’ve won Canada’s Top 100 Employers award 8 years running. That’s because RBC® follows through on its promise of a great work environment with high performing, collaborative and inclusive teams.

To learn more, visit rbc.com/TOP100 (R)/TM Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada.

151005-0234 Top 100 8_25 x 1_625.indd 1

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Welcome aboard: Rogers onboarding program for new hires

N

ew job stress is always a challenge. But it’s amplified when your computer’s not running, you have to borrow a colleague’s pass card to get to the washroom, and there’s no one to explain to you what all those puzzling acronyms mean.

In recognition that first impressions count, Rogers Communications Inc. has just launched an innovative onboarding program to welcome new hires. Onboarding became a priority after the Rogers 2014 CEO Listening Tour, when employees repeatedly said their experience of joining Rogers could be improved.

Change has happened. Instead of beginning their jobs whenever they’re hired, employees now start on two designated days per month. Their first assignment is in-person onboarding in Toronto, which for many means boarding a plane to company headquarters.

“The program really helps set employees up for success so they can hit the ground running in their new roles and start their career at Rogers.”

– Nancy Nazer, Senior VP of Organizational Development and Enterprise Learning

Once they arrive, they head to a new custom-built learning centre where they meet colleagues, typically 50 to 100 in each session. “There were so many different diverse groups: technicians that drive vans, trainers, people I would not have met otherwise,” says Stéfanie Cardinal, a Deskside IT Analyst, who does trouble shooting and flew in from Ottawa.

Cardinal pitched in to help with the technology bootcamp that runs alongside the three-day onboarding event. “I now know exactly what they need and the tools they need to do their jobs,” she says.

Another goal of the program is to give new employees an understanding of Rogers many and varied businesses. While it’s best known as Canada’s largest provider of wireless communications services and as a major cable television and high-speed Internet company, Rogers is also a key player in the media business. It owns radio and television properties, magazines and trade publications, sports entertainment and digital media businesses.

New hires get tours of both Sportsnet and the Chatelaine test kitchen.

Cardinal was surprised to learn about her employer’s affiliation with the Spotify music streaming service.

She especially enjoyed a workshop where participants were asked to describe something that had made them feel a sense of accomplishment as a child. “It made everyone happy,” she says. “You could see the spark in their eyes.”

Like many companies, Rogers had gone the online route with its new employee programs, so this is something of a reversal. “We wanted to provide a unified program from frontline to executive that connects people to our legacy, customers and strategy,” says Nancy Nazer, Senior Vice President of Organizational Development and Enterprise Learning.

Research shows that well structured onboarding programs have long lasting and surprising effects. New employees who attend are 69 per cent more likely to remain with their

“The best is yet to to come.”

“The best is yet come.” jobs.rogers.com

ROGERS JUST LAUNCHED AN INNOVATIVE ONBOARDING PROGRAM TO WELCOME NEW HIRES

23,325 3,956 316,960 49 full-time staff in Canada

jobs available last year

company for up to three years. Their organizations have a 54 per cent greater new hire productivity rate and retention is increased by 50 per cent.

As one of Canada’s largest employers, Rogers anticipates putting 2,000 new hires through the program annually. While it varies slightly by employee type, the content and foundation is the same.

Contract, part-time and existing employees who want a refresher course can access an online version of the program. For new hires to the Call Centre, content is integrated into the existing curriculum. Regular,

job applications last year

years, longestserving employee

full-time “office/corporate” employees all do the in-person program.

Along with a paperless administration process for new employees, they can also choose their own smartphones and other equipment. Future people managers stay on for training about what it means to be a leader at Rogers.

It’s been a major investment, but, says Nazer, “The return on our investment is going to be huge. The program really helps set employees up for success so they can hit the ground running in their new roles and start their career at Rogers.”

49

T

Samsung employees use innovation to help others

wice a year, Samsung Electronics Canada gives its staff the day off to volunteer. On October 16, its most recent volunteer day, employees could, among other things, choose to plant trees, pick up and deliver fruit, or create toy kits for Toronto’s SickKids Hospital – a Samsung charitable partner.

These special days are large-scale initiatives where employees engage in informal team building while they’re out in their communities. “It drives an incredible amount of pride,” says Christine Greco, Vice President Human Resources and Corporate Affairs.

“Technology is really an enabler to help these children meet their full potential no matter what life has thrown at them.”

– Mark Childs, Chief Marketing Officer

Twitter backs her up.

“About to start building bikes for the Samsung day of giving! More to come... @SamsungCanada #SamsungGives,” tweets Dwayne Rookwood.

“Samsung’s day of giving, 10k walk! #SamsungGives,” says Julietta Wong, who also Instagrams some photos.

Kayla Lunter, a Supply Chain Manager whose team took part in Milkweed for Monarchs, a milkweed planting initiative for butterflies migrating through Mississauga, Ont., where Samsung has its Canadian headquarters, says one of the things she really appreciates about the

Samsung Days of Giving is that it’s simple to participate.

“The company organizes them from start to finish. From arranging transportation to and from the office, to providing lunches onsite – they are making it easier for everyone to do this,” she says.

Lunter has seen Samsung’s charitable giving become more of a priority since her early days with the company in 2008, when volunteering was more about bake sales, car washes and the annual United Way campaign. But that’s not to say Samsung no longer supports individual volunteer efforts.

Greco notes that employees can also get time off to participate in smallerscale opportunities like reading to children or wrapping gifts at SickKids Hospital.

For Samsung, a huge multinational organization, global corporate citizenship efforts are anchored in supporting children’s education, healthcare and sustainability. It’s called the Hope for Children platform. Some two years ago, when employees sat down to identify their local “passion points,” they chose children’s hospitals in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, explains Mark Childs, Chief Marketing Officer.

Samsung reached out to SickKids. A day-long workshop was held where representatives of the hospital brainstormed alongside all local Mississauga employees. “The goal was to think about how our technology could help patients, families and healthcare practitioners,” explains Greco.

Samsung and SickKids will be implementing some of the ideas generated in the future. Among other initiatives,

CEO GY SEO (AT TABLE) AND MARK CHILDS PICTURED (BACKGROUND) DURING A SAMSUNG VOLUNTEER DAY

143 22,000 40

jobs available last year

job applicants last year

Samsung chose to support the hospital’s Epilepsy Classroom program, where children with intractable epilepsy use Samsung technology to develop learning skills and a sense of community with one another.

“Technology is really an enabler to help these children meet their full potential no matter what life has thrown at them,” says Childs.

As far as its own employees are concerned, Samsung has made significant new investments in mentorship, education and career development. It launched its first Graduate Program in Canada (June 2014 to April 2015) and sends Canadian employees to Korea for work exchange experiences through its Global Mobility Program.

Lunter earned a Masters Certificate in Leading Business Excellence

charities helped last year

2,500 staff volunteer hours last year

through the Schulich School of Business, taking courses offered onsite at Samsung’s office. She also participates in mentoring events held as part of the Women@SECA development program. Working with external partners, Samsung hosts speaker series, offers professional development courses and supports formal mentoring opportunities.

Other perks include new office space housing a subsidized Samsung Café, which caters to on-site and take-out needs, and the Activity Centre with gym equipment, trainers and group classes. Bright collaboration workspaces feature the latest technology, including 500+ LFDs for communications. Outside, Samsung has covered bike racks and designated preferred parking spaces for employees who carpool or drive hybrids.

DISCOVER A CAREER AT SAMSUNG CANADA. Find out more at www.samsung.com/ca/careers CAP00764001_01_E_Samsung_Top100Canada_151021indd.indd 1

2015-10-21 5:19 PM

Tell us your story If you are an exceptional employer with progressive HR programs and initiatives, we invite you to submit an application for next year’s edition of Canada’s Top 100 Employers.

For more information, please visit: CanadasTop100.com/apply Our 2017 application will be available in February.

2017

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Sanofi has a prescription for happy employees

or Caroline Guerru, working at Sanofi Canada has never been like the proverbial treadmill – unless she’s using one of the three treadmill desks that were installed in the company’s bright, spacious head office in Laval, Que. in April 2015.

As part of a global pharmaceutical firm, Sanofi Canada not only cares about the health of its patients, but the well-being of its employees, too. “They say sitting is the new smoking,” says Guerru, who joined the company 10 years ago and currently serves as an Advisor in HR and Total Compensation.

“So we want to counter that.”

“I can say from experience that we have a unique culture – one that values collaboration, openness and a positive mindset.”

– Niven Al-Khoury, President and CEO

In early 2015, Guerru joined a team of four other employees from across the company to revamp the company’s wellness program and improve employee health and well-being.

The new offering included the opportunity to join the 2015 Global Corporate Challenge, an annual, 100-day competition that pushes employees, organized in teams of seven, to individually complete 10,000 steps a day.

Teams also pursue other goals meant to boost their physical, nutritional and psychological health. “Just by participating you’re

winning,” says Guerru. “It’s about getting involved and acknowledging your own activity level.”

Sanofi Canada’s emphasis on employee engagement comes from the very top. “Our job as leaders is to provide an engaging environment where people are empowered and inspired to meet our industry’s high standards,” says President and CEO Niven Al-Khoury. “I can say from experience that we have a unique culture – one that values collaboration, openness and a positive mindset. It is a culture that is well suited to bring hope, value and innovative solutions to patients.”

The company’s Laval head office seems to symbolize that spirit.

Designed to conform to cutting-edge environmental standards, the new LEED-certified office was built with significant employee feedback and includes employee lounges, a library, collaborative workspaces, and “innovation rooms” to inspire employees and stimulate creativity. “It’s an amazing place to work,” says Guerru.

“Employees feel proud to say that they work in a green building.”

SANOFI CANADA EMPLOYEES GOT ACTIVE IN 2015 WITH THE GLOBAL CORPORATE CHALLENGE

460

full-time staff in Canada

86 14,409 36.5

jobs available last year

The company also supports a flexible, family-friendly environment, aided in part by technology. All employees work with a laptop and, depending on their role, are allowed some flexibility in their daily schedule and the ability to work sometimes from home.

At Sanofi Canada, engagement also means giving employees competitive compensation and a stake in the company’s success through a company-wide share-purchase plan. Other financial rewards include performance-based yearend bonuses and new-hire referral bonuses of up to $2,000.

Sanofi Canada provides top-up payments to new mothers or fathers, allowing them to receive 100 per cent of their salaries for up to 18 weeks, and offers alternative work arrangements that can help new parents transition to their new roles. The onsite nurse can also provide support to expectant moms as required.

Perhaps most importantly, though, employees at Sanofi Canada have the opportunity to grow in their careers.

When Guerru returned from her mat leave two years ago, for example, she was given the chance to specialize in the benefits and pension area.

“There are a lot of opportunities to learn if you’re willing to be

job applications last year

years, longestserving employee

flexible and put in a little extra effort,” she says. “We’re working for a greater cause – for patients – so people want to do an excellent job and go the extra mile.”

“Developing people is important to us,” adds Al-Khoury. “We’re global and diversified enough to offer a range of opportunities that align with employees’ abilities and ambitions – everything from key skills training to stretch assignments to international opportunities. I myself was with Sanofi in Egypt for six years, moving from public affairs to general manager, so I’m living proof of what’s possible within Sanofi.”

INSPIRED BY PATIENTS – FOR GENERATIONS We act with our partners to protect health, enhance life, provide hope and respond to the potential healthcare needs of seven billion people around the world. With our global footprint and commitment to improving access to medicines and healthcare, we work tirelessly to make a difference in people’s lives every day and transform scientific innovations into therapeutic solutions for patients.

sanofi.com

sanofi.ca

@SanofiCanada

52

Career growth at Shell builds on the company’s wide horizons

Z

oe Yujnovich was rising through the executive ranks at one of the world’s largest multinational mining companies – a professional journey that had taken her from Australia to England, the United States, Brazil and Canada -- before deciding a year ago to make a bold mid-career move.

Yujnovich joined Calgary-based Shell Canada as a vice-president of the company’s joint-venture Athabasca Oil Sands Project.

“There were a lot of things I liked about Shell and a lot of things I was looking for,” says Yujnovich. “It’s a company with very strong corporate ethics and an equally strong commitment to health and safety.”

“People here really care about what they do for each other and for our communities and for me that makes all the difference.”

– Chantelle McGivern, Commercial Deal Lead

There was another big plus from her perspective. Shell encourages employees to broaden their skills and competencies and provides plenty of opportunity to move from one line of business to another. Furthermore, Shell Canada is part of a diversified, multinational energy company with operations that span the globe and touch every segment of the oil and gas industry – from far-flung exploration to retail filling stations.

Shell has operated in Canada for over 100 years and employs some 8,700 people coast to coast. It is an integrated oil and gas company with interests

in exploration, production, refining, manufacturing and it serves consumers at over 1,200 retail stations. As well, its Athabasca Oil Sands Project joint venture accounts for 17 per cent of the country’s petroleum output.

Shell’s workforce is as diverse as its operations and includes petroleum, mining, reservoir and other types of engineers, as well as a whole range of technicians. The commercial side of the business employs professionals in finance, procurement, sales, marketing and human resources.

The company invests heavily in career planning and professional development and every employee has an individual development plan.

“I’ve benefitted from different mentoring relationships and from our formal learning programs,” says Chantelle McGivern, a Commercial Deal Lead. “The Shell Commercial Academy helps staff develop in a formal setting through courses taught, in some cases, by Harvard business professors.”

The company also has a multi-tiered management training program.

Level one – leader of teams – is for those entering the management ranks; senior leader training is for those who may be managing multiple teams; and there is still more training for those who have risen to a level where they are overseeing multiple managers.

While grooming people to move up, the company also encourages them to expand their horizons.

“Shell is very open to broadening the opportunities available to employees,” says Laurie Neilson, Manager of Mine Engineering at the Athabasca Oil Sands Project. “They work with you on

SHELL CANADA’S YUJNOVICH ADMIRES THE COMPANY’S STRONG CORPORATE ETHICS

8,700 1,000 700 5,700

full-time staff in Canada

jobs available last year

career maps to show you the full breadth of the organization.”

Shell frequently creates cross-functional teams of employees to work on special projects and to learn through on-the-job experience.

“The best learning opportunity is when you are assigned to a special project,” says McGivern. “They are often staffed with high performers so you get to learn hands-on from the best and see how critical business decisions are made.”

Shell has operations in dozens of Canadian communities and encour-

IN SEARCH OF THE ADVENTUROUS IN SEARCH OF REMARKABLE PEOPLE

Discover remarkable opportunities at shell.ca/careers.

Shell is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

charities helped last year

staff volunteer hours last year

ages its employees to contribute to their communities through charitable initiatives. The company is one of the country’s leading corporate donors and supported some 700 charities last year. Employees are entitled to paid time off to volunteer and Shell matches contributions through United Way. “People here really care about what they do for each other and for our communities,” adds McGivern, “and for me that makes all the difference.”

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At Sunnybrook, care doesn’t end with the patients

or those dedicated to the care of others, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre provides ample opportunity to engage in work that is inherently meaningful. Even so, a career in healthcare can be very demanding and stressful. No wonder, then, that the groundbreaking hospital believes that tending to the wellbeing of its employees goes hand in hand with caring for its patients.

“Our goal is to attract and keep the best people and help them develop to their full potential,” says Dr. Barry McLellan, President and CEO of Sunnybrook. “Literally hundreds of details go into creating a supportive workplace environment where people can feel they are truly making a difference.”

“Our goal is to attract and keep the best people and help them develop to their full potential.”

– Dr. Barry McLellan, President and CEO

Situated in a parkland setting in midtown Toronto, Sunnybrook officially opened in June 1948 as a veterans’ care hospital. It has grown and evolved into one of Canada’s largest health sciences centres, where a team of 10,000 staff, physicians and volunteers serves some 1.2 million patients a year. Widely recognized for its specialty programs in trauma and emergency services, cancer treatment, and high-risk maternal and newborn care, it is also a teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto.

Among the benefits Sunnybrook offers are ones aimed at making em-

ployees’ daily lives a little smoother.

This includes a variety of flexible work options (when possible), an onsite daycare facility and free membership to two onsite fitness facilities.

An award-winning Quality of Work & Life program features an array of health, safety and wellness initiatives, ranging from nutrition education sessions to injury prevention programs.

In its broadest sense, employee wellbeing includes career advancement and development, and here, too, Sunnybrook excels.

It supports continuous learning, for instance, via in-house workshops and financial assistance for career-related continuing education. The Sunnybrook Leadership Institute invests in and helps build the organization’s future leaders.

Marilyn Reddick, Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development, notes that Sunnybrook also has an excellent record of promoting from within. “All jobs are posted internally before they are advertised,” she says, adding that not all career-enhancing moves are necessarily upward. There were 978 lateral moves last year, affording staff the opportunity to learn a new job, obtain new skills and tackle new challenges.

Registered Nurse Sue Thorne has taken full advantage of the career opportunities that Sunnybrook provides. After starting work with only a diploma, she earned her nursing degree while working full-time. “Sunnybrook really encourages people to stay and grow here,” she says. “They even provided some of the courses on site.”

While Thorne has spent most of her 17 years at the hospital as a trauma nurse in the Emergency Department

SUE THORNE, REGISTERED NURSE AT SUNNYBROOK HEALTH SCIENCES CENTRE

5,721

44

full-time staff in years, longestCanada serving employee

– which cares for the highest volume in Canada of the most severely injured patients – she knows firsthand the value of a lateral move.

After spending a year in the Office of the Patient Experience, advocating on behalf of patients and their families, she returned to the E.D. with a fresh perspective, she says.

More recently, Thorne transferred to Sunnybrook’s Infection Prevention and Control Program. With Canadian hospitals increasingly concerned about rising rates of antibiotic resistant organisms, or superbugs, it is challenging work on the front lines.

9,000 65% job applications last year

managers from internal promotion

But when asked what she likes most about working at Sunnybrook, Thorne doesn’t hesitate to reply: it’s the team atmosphere. She attributes that, in part, to an infrastructure that facilitates collaboration among the various professionals who may care for any one patient.

It also stems from co-workers’ shared vision and goals.

Says Thorne: “It’s very rewarding for us all to help someone who was critically ill or injured so they get to the point where they are well enough to leave us.”

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Huge capital expansion creating new jobs at Union Gas

W

kilometres of pipeline between Cambridge and Hamilton, and the proposed construction of a 12-km pipeline between Burlington and Oakville.

When Spadotto graduated from the University of Windsor in 1991 as a mechanical engineer, she was the only woman in her year. Now, she told the female students, there are more and more women in engineering programs throughout Canada, and their qualifications open doors for them at companies like Union Gas.

“I haven’t seen capital expansion growth of this magnitude since I started 34 years ago,” says Roger Piett, Manager of Project Execution in the Major Projects Group at Union Gas. Dozens of positions were filled by qualified external candidates. As well, employees jumped at the opportunities being offered as a result of the historical capital expansion, and 218 positions were filled internally in departments across the company.

hen 70 high school girls attended a recent career program for Junior Achievement in Chatham, Ont., they could hardly wait to meet Denise Spadotto, Manager of Contract Management Conformance at Union Gas.

“It was great to see the look of inspiration on their faces when the light clicked on,” Spadotto says.

“I haven’t seen capital expansion growth of this magnitude since I started 34 years ago.”

– Roger Piett, Manager, Project Execution

Getting students enthused about a career at Union Gas is important not only for the students but for the company, as well. Over the next few years, Union Gas will require many new talented and energetic employees as it invests almost $2 billion in pipelines and other infrastructure in Ontario to meet the growing demand for affordable natural gas.

Projects range from a $300-million high-powered compressor facility on a 120-acre site in Milton, near Toronto, to the addition of 14

“We’ve seen people who could have done the same thing for their entire career posting for and accepting roles in other departments.

The calibre of internal employees applying for these roles has been exceptional, and they bring a wealth of company knowledge,” says Piett.

With its headquarters in Chatham, Union Gas already maintains 69,000 kilometres of pipeline as well as the largest underground gas storage facility in Canada.

About 1.4 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in Ontario rely on the company for their gas supply. Like Union Gas employees themselves, these customers live and work in more than 400 communities throughout the province. To support the locations where it operates, Union Gas is involved extensively in community development work, supporting such groups as United Way. With more than a dozen complex and wide-ranging projects in progress or planned over the next

We are building pipelines and careers in Ontario by putting employees first and ensuring they are inspired, highly skilled and committed to safety.

uniongas.com/careers

UNION GAS EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATE IN A TRAINING EXERCISE

2,197 272 14,352 49 full-time staff in Canada

jobs available last year

few years, the company needs capable and diverse employees.

With this in mind, Union Gas developed a five-year business case as part of its workforce diversity strategy, which outlines initiatives including outreach, recruitment, training and employee resources.

The company also organized several Aboriginal recruitment workshops, in partnership with local community agencies.

Union Gas employees are supported by a number of programs, including one that trains employees to understand mental disorders and

job applications last year

years, longestserving employee

recognize the impact of stigma. As Janice Ferguson, Vice President of Human Resources, points out, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability among Canadians 15 to 44 years of age. About half a million Canadians miss work every day because of a mental disorder, but only 33 per cent seek treatment.

“The ultimate goal is to create an environment where people feel safe and comfortable talking about mental health,” Ferguson says. “We want all our employees to feel that they’re supported and part of something special.”

It’s easy to be one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers when you have the best employees.

At Intact, we believe Insurance is not about things. Insurance is about people. It’s why we value our people as our greatest strength.

Our employees make a difference.

This is why we promise employees opportunities to grow their careers, colleagues that are inspiring to work with and financial rewards that recognize their successes.

Together, we make a difference.

Intact is Canada’s largest provider of home, auto and business insurance, proudly serving over 5 million customers coast to coast.

Intact is a registered trademark of Intact Financial Corporation. © 2015 Intact Financial Corporation. All rights reserved.

THANK YOU TO OUR

TMMC TEAM MEMBERS WHO DO A GREAT JOB EVERY SINGLE DAY

They build over 500,000 vehicles per year in Canada, and take pride in their work by always putting our customers first.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. is the proud recipient of 12 Canada’s Top 100 Employers Awards.