Greater Toronto's Top Employers (2017)

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’ O S T T N O O P R E O M T P R L E O T Y AE E 2017

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2017 11th Annual Edition

GREATER TORONTO’S TOP EMPLOYERS GRIFFITH FOODS

2017 Magazine Anthony Meehan, PUBLISHER

Karen Le,

VICE-PRESIDENT

Editorial Team:

Richard Yerema, MANAGING EDITOR

Kristina Leung, SENIOR EDITOR

Advertising Sales:

Kristen Chow,

DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS

Sponsor Content Writers:

Berton Woodward, SENIOR EDITOR

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Barbara Wickens

© 2016 Mediacorp Canada Inc. and The Globe and Mail.

All rights reserved. GREATER TORONTO’S TOP EMPLOYERS is a trade mark of Mediacorp Canada Inc.

p Griffith Foods staff fundraising for the Multiple Sclerosis Society with a special ‘burger sales’ event.

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THE GTA’S BEST KEEP GETTING BETTER

ore than 10 years ago, we launched the Greater Toronto’s Top Employers competition to shine a spotlight on the remarkable employers based in the Greater Toronto Area. From banks to software firms and institutions of higher learning, the employers in the region – and our annual list of winners – reflect the region’s broadly diversified industrial base that drives the national economy.

Since the competition’s inception, our editors have evaluated employers on eight 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 complete a detailed application process that covers these eight criteria.

To provide transparency in the selection of the winners, our editors prepare detailed reasons for selection, explaining why each of the winners was chosen. We publish these reasons each year on the

competition website as well as our popular job search engine, Eluta.ca, which is now used by over seven million Canadians each year.

We would like to thank The Globe and Mail, which co-publishes this beautiful magazine.

Through this partnership, our project reaches hundreds of thousands of Globe readers across the GTA. We also invite you to visit the magazine’s online edition, which features hundreds of additional photos and stories on this year’s winning employers: www.CanadasTop100.com/toronto For employers that do not see their organizations included on this year’s list, please keep in mind that it’s inevitable some excellent employers are passed over or omitted. If you think we’ve missed a remarkable employer, we invite you to contact our editors (see p. 48) to share your story – we would be pleased to consider your organization for next year’s competition.

For the winning employers, congratulations on making the grade – we are counting on you to continue raising the bar for the 2018 competition!

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MARK BLINCH/THE GLOBE AND MAIL

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p Tennis star Milos Raonic greets kids with cerebral palsy at Toronto’s Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, one of this year’s winners.

INTRODUCTION

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t’s tough to land a spot on the Greater Toronto’s Top Employer list. As Canada’s biggest metropolitan area, the GTA is home to a rich diversity of organizations, representing a broad range of industries in everything from technology to health care, auto manufacturing to publishing, banking to breweries. Competition is fierce among competing companies in this editorial contest, not only to be judged the best within their industry, but also in the wider GTA landscape.

In setting the bar high for workplace standards, GTA’s Top Employers have demonstrated leading-edge initiatives to engage their employees and inspire people to be their best at work. Key is a variety of ongoing support for employee education and skills development to help individuals reach their full potential, whether through subsidies for tuition or

professional accreditation, in-house training or mentoring programs.

Other commonalities in the winning group include generous top-up payments for parental leave, vacation allowances starting at three weeks, flexible working arrangements and personal days off to be used as needed, recognizing that employees have an important life outside the workplace.

As a talented job seeker, these are the companies you want to work for. As an enlightened employer, these are the companies you want to be. The win is double.

– Diane Jermyn

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’ O S T T N O O P R E O M T P R L E O T YE AE

JIM R. BOUNDS/BLOOMBERG

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2017 WINNERS p Cans of chicken noodle soup move down the production line at the Campbell Company of Canada, one of this year’s winners.

ASTRAZENECA CANADA INC., Mississauga. Pharmaceutical manufacturing; 752 employees. Offers new parents an option to extend their paid leave into an unpaid leave of absence.

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CCENTURE INC., Toronto.

Management consulting; 3,425 employees. Manages the LiveWell 365 initiative to support employee efforts to maintain or improve their health.

ASSOCIATION OF MANAGEMENT, ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL CROWN EMPLOYEES OF ONTARIO / AMAPCEO, Toronto. Professional association; 40 employees. Encourages employees to reduce their carbon footprint through a transit subsidy program.

BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP OF CANADA, Toronto. Management consulting; 200 employees. Offers up to 12 paid personal days off, which can be scheduled at employees’ discretion.

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BAYER, Mississauga. Pharmaceutical manufacturing; 1,522 employees. Provides paid time off for employees to volunteer in their local communities.

CADILLAC FAIRVIEW CORPORATION LTD., Toronto. Real estate management; 1,251 employees. Supports a number of local, national and international charitable organizations each year.

ASF CANADA INC., Mississauga.

Chemical manufacturing; 693 employees. Encourages staff to connect with colleagues from across North America through its in-house eTV employee television network.

BLAKE, CASSELS & GRAYDON LLP, Toronto. Law firm; 1,375 employees. Offers retirement planning assistance, phasedin work options and health benefits that extend to retirees.

AA SOUTH CENTRAL ONTARIO, Thornhill, Ont. Insurance and brokerages; 1,231 employees. Provides weekly onsite visits from external fitness consultants, who conduct stretch breaks plus exercise and meditation classes.

CAMPBELL COMPANY OF CANADA, Toronto. Food preparation and packaging; 595 employees. Contributes to a matching RSP plan or a defined contri-

bution pension plan, depending on the employee’s position.

CANADIAN TIRE CORPORATION LTD., Toronto. Retail; 85,000 employees.

Lets everyone share in the company’s success through a profit-sharing plan.

CAPITAL ONE BANK (CANADA BRANCH), North York, Ont. Credit card issuing; 973 employees. Provides several onsite amenities at head office, including a cafeteria with subsidized meals, a nap room and employee lounge.

CATHOLIC CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY OF TORONTO, Toronto. Child and youth services; 503 employees. Provides employees with a health spending account of up to $1,000 a year.

CENTRAL COMMUNITY CARE ACCESS CENTRE / CCAC, Newmarket.

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2017 WINNERS

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Home health-care services; 646 employees. Offers flexible hours and a telecommuting option.

CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY OF TORONTO, THE, Toronto. Child and youth services; 770 employees. Provides generous maternity and parental leave top-up payments for new mothers and fathers, including adoptive parents.

CIBC, Toronto. Banking; 36,215 employees. Manages a formal CIBC@Work program to help employees design work schedules that suit their individual needs.

CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA CO., Toronto. Computer and equipment manufacturing; 1,741 employees. Invests in ongoing employee education with generous tuition subsidies for job-related courses (to $7,500).

COCA-COLA CANADA, Toronto.

Beverage and food manufacturing; 5,252 employees. Provides opportunities for formal mentoring and in-house career planning services.

COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS OF ONTARIO, THE, Toronto. Professional organizations; 375 employees. Contributes to a defined contribution pension plan and provides retirement planning assistance.

CORBY SPIRIT & WINE LTD. / HIRAM WALKER & SONS LTD., Toronto. Liquor and wine manufacturing; 457 employees.

Encourages a culture of recognition through the iThank reward program, allowing employees to issue virtual badges to their colleagues.

CORUS ENTERTAINMENT INC., Toronto. Media production and broadcasting; 1,513 employees. Recognizes employee contributions through a number of awards including the Creative Spark Award to recognize and celebrate in-house talent.

CSA GROUP, Toronto. Professional standards organization; 722 employees.

Offers an academic scholarship program for children of employees pursuing postsecondary studies.

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IAMOND SCHMITT ARCHITECTS INC., Toronto. Architecture; 190 employees. Provides maternity and parental leave top-up payments for employees who are new mothers and fathers.

DYNACARE, Brampton, Ont. Medical laboratories; 2,012 employees. Offers flexible benefit options including a health spending account.

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LLISDON CORP., Mississauga.

Building construction; 1,721 employees. Cultivates an ownership mentality through a share purchase plan, available to all employees.

EQUITABLE BANK, Toronto. Real estate lending; 525 employees. Encourages employees to give back to local communities by providing paid time off to volunteer and matching employee donations.

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IDELITY CANADA, Toronto. Portfolio management; 792 employees.

Offers alternative work arrangements including flexible hours, telecommuting, a shortened work-week option and reduced summer hours.

FLEET COMPLETE, Toronto. Fleet and mobile resource tracking; 178 employees.

Offers referral bonuses for employees who help recruit candidates in their network.

FORD MOTOR COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD., Oakville, Ont. Automobile manufacturing; 8,140 employees.

Encourages employees to adopt healthy lifestyles through the “trifit’ wellness program.

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CI COMMUNICATIONS INC., Toronto. Public relations; 26 employees. Rewards employees who leverage their network with a New Business Incentive Program, offering a finders’ fee for new business secured and referral bonuses.

GENERAL ELECTRIC CANADA / GE, Mississauga. Diversified technology and equipment manufacturing; 7,213 employees. Offers paid internships and a unique scholarship program for women and aboriginal students pursuing engineering or business degrees.

GENERAL MOTORS OF CANADA COMPANY, Oshawa. Auto manufacturing; 8,264 employees. Created JumpStart, an affinity group for new hires with fewer than five years of experience.

GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE, Toronto.

College; 1,380 employees. Offers subsidized access to onsite daycare at the college’s main campus to employees who are new parents when they return to work.

GREAT BLUE HERON CASINO, Port Perry, Ont. Casinos; 685 employees.

Offers tuition subsidies for job-related

courses and subsidies for professional accreditation.

GRIFFITH FOODS LTD., Toronto. Spice and extract manufacturing; 334 employees. Encourages employee creativity through the Fresh Ideas Awards, which recognize innovation and suggestions for improvement.

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ALTON, REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF, Oakville, Ont. Municipal government; 1,803 employees. Launched a new internship and apprenticeship program to introduce recent graduates to public-sector employment.

HATCH LTD., Mississauga. Engineering; 2,930 employees. Provides several onsite amenities at head office including a cafeteria with subsidized meals and healthy and special-diet menus.

HEALTHCARE INSURANCE RECIPROCAL OF CANADA / HIROC, Toronto.

Insurance; 94 employees. Offers contributions to a defined benefit pension plan, retirement planning assistance and phased-in work options.

HOLLAND BLOORVIEW KIDS REHABILITATION HOSPITAL, Toronto.

Hospital; 514 employees. Provides a generous health-spending account, allowing employees to top up levels of coverage according to their personal needs.

HOME DEPOT OF CANADA INC., Toronto. Retail; 13,790 employees. Focuses its charitable efforts on addressing youth homelessness in Canada through partnerships with related community organizations.

workday.

INTACT FINANCIAL CORP., Toronto.

Insurance; 11,314 employees. Offers an onsite daycare centre, through a third-party daycare provider, when new parents are ready to return to work.

INTELEX TECHNOLOGIES INC., Toronto. Software publishers; 350 employees. Offers three weeks of starting vacation allowance as well as up to six paid personal days off each year.

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PMG LLP, Toronto. Accounting; 6,385 employees. Manages a virtual Special Parents Network to support parents of children with special physical, emotional or behavioural needs.

KRUGER PRODUCTS L.P., Mississauga. Paper products; 1,885 employees.

Increased maternity and parental top-up support for employees who are new parents, including adoptive parents.

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ABATT BREWERIES OF CANADA, Toronto. Breweries; 3,143 employees. Offers interested employees the popular Labatt Beer Mastercard that comes pre-loaded with two cases each month.

LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA, THE, Toronto. Professional organizations; 529 employees. Offers onsite instructor-led classes such as yoga, pilates and meditation as well as naturopathy and massage therapy sessions.

LOBLAW COMPANIES LTD., Brampton, Ont. Supermarkets and grocery stores; 28,481 employees. Offers tuition subsidies and a variety of in-house training initiatives.

HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN, THE, Toronto. Hospital; 5,487 employees.

Launched an online pension centre to provide employees with a more convenient user experience.

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HP CANADA CO., Mississauga. Computer technology and services; 513 employees. Offers a flexible benefits option in their health plan, allowing employees to customize levels of coverage to suit their personal needs and transfer unused credits to additional salary or savings.

MAPLE LEAF SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT LTD., Toronto. Sports and entertainment; 805 employees. Offers subsidies for professional accreditation and opportunities for formal mentoring.

ANULIFE, Toronto. Insurance; 12,868 employees. Established a dedicated council led by the president and CEO to spearhead the company’s diversity strategy.

HYDRO ONE LTD., Toronto. Electric power distribution; 5,482 employees.

Supports women in trades through a dedicated networking forum.

MARS INC., Bolton, Ont. Food manufacturing; 1,068 employees. Encourages employees to bring their furry friends to work and provides a dedicated doggie courtyard.

MAX CORP., Mississauga. Motion picture theatres; 336 employees.

Maintains two bicycles for employees to use as needed during the

MAZDA CANADA INC., Richmond Hill, Ont. Auto wholesale; 147 employees.

Works with various schools to provide paid co-op and internship opportunities

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2017 WINNERS

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throughout the year.

MCCARTHY TÉTRAULT LLP, Toronto.

Law firm; 1,435 employees. Supports employees who want to start a family with a generous IVF subsidy when needed (up to $12,000).

METROLINX, Toronto. Public transit; 3,071 employees. Encourages employees to submit ideas through the Ideas@Work initiative that will result in a better workplace, improved customer satisfaction, operating efficiencies and cost savings.

MICHAEL GARRON HOSPITAL, Toronto. Hospitals; 1,474 employees. Offers onsite massage therapy, acupuncture and reflexology services as well as guided meditation exercises.

MILLER GROUP, THE, Markham, Ont. Highway, street and bridge construction; 4,646 employees. Offers paid internships, co-op opportunities and summer student roles for students and new grads.

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OVO NORDISK CANADA INC., Mississauga. Pharmaceutical preparation manufacturing; 283 employees. Offers a dedicated Women in Novo Nordisk program to advance the career development of female employees.

employees. Allows employees to apply for an unpaid leave of absence or a self-funded leave of absence for up to one year in duration.

ONTARIO SHORES CENTRE FOR MENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES, Whitby, Ont. Hospitals; 858 employees. Offers alternative work arrangements, including flexible hours, telecommuting and shortened and compressed work-week options.

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ONTARIO PUBLIC SERVICE/ OPS, Toronto. Provincial government; 62,080

POINTS, Toronto. Software development; 180 employees. Cultivates an ownership culture through a share-purchase

LYMPUS CANADA INC., Richmond, Ont. Medical, industrial and imaging equipment; 233 employees. Encourages employees to give back to the community by providing paid time off to volunteer.

EPSICO CANADA, Mississauga.

Beverage and food manufacturing; 9,358 employees. Offers a dedicated program to help students and new grads transition to the workplace.

program, available to all employees.

POWERSTREAM INC., Vaughan, Ont. Electric power distribution; 553 employees. Offers a number of in-house apprenticeships as well as a four-year engineer-in-training program.

PRAXAIR CANADA INC., Mississauga.

Gas and related product wholesalers; 2,235 employees. Encourages employees to continue their education with tuition subsidies for courses taken at outside institutions.

PROCTER & GAMBLE INC., Toronto.

Consumer product manufacturing; 1,754 employees. Promotes health and wellness through their Vibrant Living program, including an annual health risk assessment and mental health awareness events.

FRED LUM/THE GLOBE AND MAIL

q Students proceed to the auditorium for convocation ceremonies at Ryerson University, one of this year’s winners.

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2017 WINNERS

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ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS INC., Toronto. Communications, cable, publishing and subscription programming; 23,177 employees. Offers discounts on a variety of products and services, from cellphone plans to Toronto Blue Jays tickets.

ROTHMANS, BENSON & HEDGES INC., Toronto. Tobacco product manufacturing; 789 employees. Provides three weeks of starting vacation as well as up to 10 paid personal days off, scheduled at employees’ discretion.

ROUGE VALLEY HEALTH SYSTEM / RVHS, Toronto. Hospitals; 1,725 employees. Participates in Ontario’s Nursing Graduate Guarantee Initiative, providing full-time employment opportunities to recent graduates.

RYDER CANADA INC., Mississauga.

Truck rentals and freight transportation; 1,588 employees. Maintains a generous academic scholarship program to support children of employees who wish to pursue postsecondary studies.

RYERSON UNIVERSITY, Toronto.

University; 2,958 employees. Employs a mental health co-ordinator, responsible for overseeing related initiatives across campus and within the organization’s mental health committee.

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ALESFORCE CANADA CORP., Toronto. Custom computer programming; 1,184 employees.

Provides private shower facilities for cycle commuters.

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CANADA INC., Mississauga. Communications equipment manufacturing; 517 employees. Supports the goal of increasing the presence of women in executive positions by providing development, informal mentorship and networking opportunities.

SAP CANADA INC., Toronto. Custom computer programming; 2,863 employees. Invests in employees’ ongoing education through generous tuition subsidies (up to $10,000 each year).

SENECA COLLEGE, Toronto. Colleges; 1,502 employees. Established an acces-

DANIEL ACKER/BLOOMBERG

BC, Toronto. Banking; 52,488 employees. Provides new collaborative work spaces, support for telecommuting and increased access to video conferencing technology for greater work force mobility.

p A driver returns to his truck after making a delivery for Coca-Cola, one of this year’s winners. sibility policy with the goal of making Seneca barrier-free by 2025.

SIEMENS CANADA LTD., Oakville, Ont. Engineering; 4,904 employees. Has a formal program to encourage telecommuting as a way to eliminate unnecessary driving.

SIGMA SYSTEMS CANADA LP, Toronto. Computer systems design; 103 employees. Provides paid time off to volunteer and generously matches employee donations dollar-for-dollar (to a maximum of $25,000).

STATE STREET CANADA, Toronto.

Investment banking and securities dealing; 1,267 employees. Offers generous tuition subsidies for courses both related and unrelated to an employee’s current position (to $5,000).

SUNNYBROOK HEALTH SCIENCES CENTRE, Toronto. Hospitals; 5,950 employees. Operates a convenient onsite daycare facility.

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ANGERINE BANK, Toronto.

Banking; 1,075 employees. Offers referral bonuses (up to $1,500) to encourage employees to help recruit candidates from their network.

TD BANK GROUP, Toronto. Banking; 43,273 employees. Pioneered a green building program with more than 170 LEED certified projects including more than 120 building locations with solar power generation.

TERANET INC., Toronto. Land registration; 517 employees. Offers retirement planning assistance and health benefits that extend to retirees (with no age limit).

THOMSON REUTERS CANADA LTD., Toronto. Publishers: 1,196 employees.

Manages an Early Careers Network to help early career professionals reach their full potential.

TORONTO COMMUNITY HOUSING CORP., Toronto. Administration of housing programs; 1,695 employees. Helps employees save for the future with contributions to a defined benefit pension plan.

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL / TIFF, Toronto. Motion picture promotion and film festival; 228 employees. Hosts unique film-related initiatives, in addition to TIFF, such as the TIFF Kids International Film Festival.

retirees continue their research and professional activities.

UTC AEROSPACE SYSTEMS LTD., Oakville, Ont. Aircraft parts and equipment manufacturing; 1,000 employees.

Manages a rotational skills training program with streams for employees who are early in their career as well as for experienced high-potential employees.

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ILLIAM OSLER HEALTH SYSTEM, Brampton, Ont. Hospitals; 2,994 employees. Offers tuition subsidies for courses both related and unrelated to an employee’s current role.

TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION / TTC, Toronto. Public transit; 14,256 employees. Created a Diversity and Inclusion Lens, to encourage employees to think about the unintended impacts their decisions may have on diverse groups.

WIPRO TECHNOLOGIES LTD., Mississauga. Computer systems design; 819 employees. Provides paid time off to volunteer and matches employee donations dollar-for-dollar (to a maximum of $750 per employee).

TORONTO, CITY OF, Toronto. Municipal government; 22,983 employees. Created the Partnership to Advance Youth Employment (PAYE) program, a joint initiative between the city and private-sector employers to connect youth from diverse neighbourhoods.

WORLD VISION CANADA, Mississauga.

Charitable organizations; 479 employees.

Offers employees opportunities to travel and work at its field locations for up to two years.

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BISOFT TORONTO INC., Toronto. Software publishers; 3,494 employees. Lets everyone share in the company’s success with year-end bonuses and a profit-sharing plan.

UNILEVER CANADA INC., Toronto.

Consumer product manufacturing; 1,362 employees. Supports adoptive parents with a generous subsidy to help cover the costs of adoption (to $10,000 per child).

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, Toronto.

University; 9,286 employees. Supports retiring academic personnel through an Academic Retiree Centre that helps

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MCA OF GREATER TORONTO, Toronto. Individual and family services; 1,546 employees. Offers free access to their fitness facilities, including squash courts, a pool, running tracks and exercise equipment.

YORK REGIONAL POLICE, Aurora, Ont. Police service; 2,190 employees.

Hosts a Youth Advisory Council, comprised of high-school students from across York Region.

YWCA TORONTO, Toronto. Individual and family services; 185 employees. Offers phased-in work options to help employees make the transition to retirement.

– Diane Jermyn

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METHODOLOGY Who makes the winners’ list and why?

That’s what everyone wants to know.

The editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers evaluate each employer’s operations and human resources practices using the same eight criteria as the national competition of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. Those criteria are: physical workplace; work atmosphere and social; health, financial and family benefits; vacation and time off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development; and community involvement. Employers are compared with other organizations in their field to determine which ones offer the most progressive and forward-thinking programs.

More detailed reasons for selection, explaining why each of the winners was chosen, are published on the competition’s website, www. canadastop100.com/toronto Any employer with its head office or principal place of business in the Greater Toronto Area may apply for the Greater Toronto Area’s Top Employers contest.

MARK BLINCH/REUTERS

– Diane Jermyn

p Actress Scarlett Johansson on the red carpet at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival, one of this year’s winners.

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MAPLE LEAF SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT LTD.

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p Employees at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment prepare the Air Canada Centre for the Toronto Raptors’ first home game of the season.

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KRUGER PRODUCTS LP

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p Employees from Kruger Products volunteering at a local food bank.

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q Staff from the YMCA of Greater Toronto taking the kids for a summer canoe adventure.

YMCA OF GREATER TORONTO

The Best of Everywhere

Diversity and intense competition are hallmarks of the employment landscape for Greater Toronto’s Top Employers

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By Berton Woodward

f you ask recruitment leaders about the key characteristics of the Greater Toronto Area workforce, the answer you get is pretty much Dalila Kadric.

Invariably, the first defining point any human resources executive will cite about the GTA is “diversity.” People come to Canada’s biggest urban area from all over the world and from all over the country, enlivening its culture and bringing a host of talents, skills and ideas.

In 2008, one of those people was Kadric. She is a Bosnian-born Muslim whose family was forced to flee the war that broke out in the early 1990s. They spent three years as refugees in neighbouring Slovenia before coming to Canada in 1995, when Kadric was a teenager. The family

ended up in Quebec City and Kadric did her high school there. “I had to do intensive French immersion for a year,” she says. She became fluent in three languages – Serbo-Croatian, English and French, not to mention some childhood German – and, after earning her BA in business operations

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UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

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z University of Toronto Associate Professor

of Biology Fiona Rawle, center, holds ‘walking office hours’ with students.

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14 q Employees at Ontario Shores Centre

for Mental Health Science enjoy healthy food choices at the onsite farmer’s market.

ONTARIO SHORES CENTRE FOR MENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE

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YORK REGIONAL POLICE

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p Staff Sergeant Tony Browne of York Regional Police congratulates one of the Region’s newest Canadians at a citizenship ceremony.

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TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION

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p TTC employees keep the trains running before the city’s residents begin their workday.

The Best of Everywhere (Cont.)

from the University of Ottawa, she got a job in logistics in Montreal.

Then she met and married a fellow Bosnian Canadian from Toronto, and headed down the 401. They settled in Mississauga, and Kadric joined the logistics department of Kruger Products L.P., makers of top Canadian tissue brands like Cashmere, Scotties and Purex. There she found an ideal mix – supply-chain roles she

liked and the support and mentorship she needed to develop and move forward in her career.

As her two kids came along, she was gratified that Kruger, one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers, enabled her to work from home part of the time.

Not surprisingly, she appreciates Toronto’s commitment to diversity. “I was raised in a multicultural environment,” she says.

“Now I also have the English and the French sides, and here in To-

ronto I find it is even more mixed.

I love that – every culture and every individual has something to bring to the table.”

And Kadric notes that the commitment shows in little gestures that you’ll find in the GTA but may not see elsewhere. “We’ve become so accustomed to respecting others,” she says. “The other day we had a breakfast charity event at Kruger, and one of the options was turkey bacon, for people who don’t eat pork. Obviously, they

had thought about inclusion.”

You get a sense of both the diversity and the promise of Greater Toronto’s workforce all wrapped up in Kadric: an overseas-born former refugee, of Muslim faith, fluent in both of Canada’s official languages, highly skilled – and highly selective about where she works.

For there is another phrase that human resources executives inevitably apply to the vast GTA employment marketplace – “highly

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p Employees at Seneca College welcoming the Lunar New Year in style.

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The Best of Everywhere (Cont.)

competitive”. And that means Greater Toronto’s Top Employers have to run hard to keep up with what their people need to stay engaged and on board.

MANULIFE

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Take Kadric’s own employer, Kruger Products. It recently raised its maternity and parental leave top-ups in response to what was available elsewhere. “You need to be constantly upping your game if you want to attract and retain the best of the best,” says François Paroyan, Kruger’s Corporate Vice President, Human Resources. “It’s a very competitive environment, and having benefits that are available at some of the other top employers – it matters. Constantly benchmarking yourself against the competition, whether it’s in your industry or the GTA, is important.”

Paroyan adds, however, that it’s not just about compensation.

“People are saying, ‘I don’t want to just come somewhere for a job – I want a career’. That’s what we’ve been focusing on even more – providing people with growth opportunities.”

Those themes crop up repeatedly for Richard Yerema, managing editor for Mediacorp Canada, which produced this 2017 list of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers. “Toronto is the destination city for Canada,” he says. “It’s the biggest city, the economy is booming and it attracts the most new Canadians. All the issues we write about nationally are amplified here. And it’s ground zero for policies – much of what we see in Canada we see here first, from diversity & inclusion to flexible health plans.”

p Manulife and its employees take time out to remember the fallen each year each Remembrance Day.

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HEALTHCARE INSURANCE RECIPROCAL OF CANADA

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p Employees at Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada / HIROC taking part in a larger-than-life staff event, keeping watch for the March Hare.

The Best of Everywhere (Cont.)

By that standard, we can expect to see considerably more progress in the workplaces of the nation. Approaches to diversity and inclusion in Greater Toronto become more nuanced every year – many employers now ensure there is support for introverts.

The workplaces themselves are undergoing a renovation boom in a city that always seems

to be under construction. On the way out are high-walled cubicles and coming in are openconcept workspaces with curved communal tables, few walls, a lot of glass and plenty of light.

Expanding, too, are programs for flexible work hours, especially valued by Greater Toronto employees with long commutes.

They also like “dress for your day” policies – you see a lot more

T-shirts and jeans in progressive offices now. And if you don’t feel loved, you’re not working at a Top Employer – employee recognition programs, often with peer-voted reward points, are mushrooming across Greater Toronto and spreading nationally.

And always, says Paroyan, is the ever-present need to attract talented people like Dalila Kadric, amid intense

competition, high job mobility and generational change. “There are some interesting challenges ahead for organizations and HR professionals,” says Paroyan.

“Everyone is focusing on building their talent pipeline and their leadership pipeline, to make sure they have the right human capital for the future.” And in Greater Toronto, it can come from anywhere. n

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Read the full editorial Reasons for Selection for all of this year’s Greater Toronto’s Top Employers winners, plus the 2017 winners of our other regional and special-interest competitions.

Our redesigned website now features thousands of beautiful images and stories on this year’s winners, presented in an easy-to-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.

Discover the new online home of the Greater Toronto’s Top Employers project at:

www.CanadasTop100.com/toronto

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( 2017 )

Pushing the boundaries of science at AstraZeneca

L

ike most employees at AstraZeneca Canada, VP of Human Resources & Communications Gena Restivo can easily connect her day-to-day work to a very personal, and powerful, purpose.

“We can all look to our own families and network of friends and see people who are struggling with disease and illness,” says Restivo, a 16-year veteran of AstraZeneca, a Mississauga-based biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines for treating cancer, diabetes and respiratory diseases. “We know that what we do makes a real difference in improving and saving the lives of Canadians.”

A focus on science and patients is very much at the heart of AstraZeneca’s culture. In fact, two of the company’s core values are “We follow the science” and “We put patients first.”

You get a rewarding feeling that the work you do is really having a profound impact.

Carlo Mastrangelo,

Director of Communications

“It’s an exciting time at AstraZeneca because we’re really pushing the boundaries of science to improve our understanding of the biology of many disease areas,” says Carlo Mastrangelo, AstraZeneca’s Director of Corporate Communications. “We’re advancing a growing pipeline of new medicines that aim to transform disease management in areas like diabetes, severe asthma,

ASTRAZENECA EMPLOYEES HELP PROMOTE WORLD DIABETES DAY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ACTIVE BY TAKING A HEART-HEALTHY WALK TOGETHER

ovarian and lung cancer, where there is tremendous unmet need.”

Increasingly, what is known as personalized or targeted healthcare is at the core of much of AstraZeneca’s research and development efforts.

Personalized healthcare is about matching medicines to the patients most likely to benefit from them. It involves a detailed understanding of the biology of a disease, identifying genetic biomarkers and developing tests that can identify who is most likely to respond to a targeted treatment.

This focus extends to the company’s support of leading-edge Canadian research. AstraZeneca has a landmark research partnership with the Montreal Heart Institute that involves searching the genomes of up to 80,000 patient samples for genes associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The

goal is to improve patient outcomes by ensuring that innovative treatments are matched to those individuals who will benefit the most from them.

AstraZeneca is also a founding partner of At My Best, a program that is addressing the growing burden of chronic disease by helping schoolchildren establish lifelong healthy eating and lifestyle habits. The company has also committed $1 million to Stand Up to Cancer Canada, a collaborative program aimed at advancing cancer research and treatment.

Restivo says that a strong sense of shared purpose helps explain why AstraZeneca employees routinely score very high on bi-annual engagement surveys.

It also acts as a prime attraction for new recruits.

“What we look for in external candidates is people who are passion-

Proud to be one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers

ate about doing work that impacts the health of Canadians,” she says. “We put a high value on attracting people who have curious minds and are committed to continuous learning and growth in a dynamic environment.”

The company strives to reinforce that sense of engagement through initiatives like My Science Matters, a series of lunch & learn sessions, town halls and presentations that connect employees to the latest medical advances in their pipeline as well as build understanding of the patient journey in different disease areas.

Mastrangelo recalls one recent session, in which a lung cancer patient talked about his personal journey.

“He shared a powerful and inspiring personal story about battling lung cancer, including talking about how one of our medicines had changed his life,” says Mastrangelo. “From that, you get a rewarding feeling that the work you do is really having a profound impact.

But it also drives a real sense of urgency, where there continues to be great medical need and the opportunity to help millions of Canadian patients.”

752 200 58.3% 4,983

full-time staff in Canada charities helped last year of employees are women Employee Appreciation moments shared

( 2017 )

22

At BASF, diverse employees serve diverse markets

D

iversity has played a big role in Irena Kravchenko’s career. It attracted her to Canada 14 years ago and, nine years later, it motivated her to join BASF Canada Inc., in Mississauga, where she now works as the company’s Manager of Taxation and Real Estate.

Kravchenko left her home in Ukraine to obtain a master’s degree in European business at ESCP Europe, but felt curious about life in other countries.

“I heard that Canada was open and diverse,” says Kravchenko. “So I came to Toronto, by myself, and gave myself a year. I loved it.”

While obtaining her accounting designation, Kravchenko worked for several years in Toronto before she joined BASF Canada. “I interviewed with two other companies, but I came here because of BASF’s focus on diversity and the opportunities for moving to other countries.”

I heard that Canada was open and diverse, so I came to Toronto, by myself, and gave myself a year. I loved it.

Irena Kravchenko,

Manager of Taxation and Real Estate

BASF Canada provides chemistrybased products and solutions for customers in a range of industries, from agriculture, electronics and construction to pharmaceuticals, automotive paints and coatings. With almost 700 employees and 11 production sites and offices, the company strives to create chemistry with its employees and

STAFF AT BASF CANADA’S HEADQUARTERS IN MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO

customers across Canada. While BASF offers career opportunities in roles ranging from production to finance, almost half of its employees work in customer-facing sales and marketing positions.

“Our customer profile is very diverse,” says Terri Howard, BASF Canada’s Director of Human Resources.

“For this reason, we support a diverse and inclusive workforce that drives innovation and helps us meet our customers’ needs.”

From its early days as Badische Anilin- & Sodafabrik, manufacturing aniline and sodium carbonate more than 150 years ago in the German territory of Baden, BASF has grown into a multinational organization, creating innovations such as synthetic dyes for clothing, nitrogen fertilizer, magnetic tape, polystyrene and the first threeway catalyst for automobiles. The company now operates in almost every country in the world, employs about

How does chemistry enhance your life?

Find out now at basf.ca

112,000 people and generated sales in 2015 of €70 billion.

“Diversity is a key to BASF’s success,” says Kravchenko, who is also chair of the company’s Diversity + Inclusion Council. “We make an effort to attract employees with diverse backgrounds.”

At the company’s Mississauga headquarters, Kravchenko works among staff from all parts of the world, including Poland, Brazil, India and China.

“As a European, I really admire that aspect of the company’s culture,” she says.

In addition to the D+I Council, a group of 15 employees who further the company’s commitment to fostering an inclusive and innovative workplace, BASF Canada also maintains the D+I Portal, an internal website that provides access to diversity-related resources within BASF and outside the company.

“Our commitment to diversity and inclusion and our focus on sustain-

ability and innovation is reflected in the values of the employees we strive to attract,” says Howard. “Our aim is to foster diversity and inclusion, to maximize the contribution of employees by embedding diversity in everything we do.”

With a growing family, Kravchenko intends to stay put for now, but she hasn’t lost sight of the opportunities that attracted her to BASF, including the possibility of working for the company in other countries.

In Canada, Kravchenko says, BASF supports employees in many other ways. “I really admire the work-life balance at BASF,” she says. “I have three young children, so I appreciate the company’s telecommuting option which allows me to work from home, when feasible, on scheduled days.”

For the time being, Kravchenko intends to stay with BASF in Canada, but she hasn’t forgotten the opportunities that attracted her to the company in the first place. “In the long term, my dream is to work for BASF in another country.”

670 162 6,879 50%

full-time staff in Canada jobs available last year job applications last year of board of directors are women

23

( 2017 )

Bayer supports employees to achieve their goals

W

hen Kate Dinham drives to work at the Mississauga, Ont., head office of Bayer, she doesn’t have to worry about parking.

Behind the wheel of her hybrid, she passes the first-come, first-serve, free employee lot and pulls up next to the building into a spot reserved for green vehicles like hers.

It even comes equipped with a plug-in to charge her vehicle while she is at her desk inside.

Dedicated parking for environmentally friendly vehicles is one small indication of Bayer’s commitment to building a healthier future for the global population.

“Our mission, Science for a Better Life, truly comes to life in our workplace,” says Bayer President & CEO Alok Kanti. “Our focus on innovation inspires employees to contribute to their fullest potential.”

CELEBRATING SUCCESS AT ONE OF BAYER’S EMPLOYEE EVENTS

When you are doing something to make people’s lives better, it’s a great feeling.

Kate Dinham,

Senior Brand Manager

Dinham agrees. “I love my marketing job, and when you are doing something to make people’s lives better, it’s a great feeling,” she says.

A Senior Brand Manager for Bayer’s Consumer Health foot care products, including Dr. Scholl’s, Dinham says she moved to Bayer about 18 months ago for two reasons – its positive corporate culture and its opportunities for advancement. “There’s definitely an alignment with my values,” she says. “Bayer wants to build a better planet, and they support you to develop to your potential while

giving you lots of opportunities to grow.

It’s empowering.”

For example, Dinham says previous employers would, at most, offer half-day training and development sessions while at Bayer she has already been sent for weeklong leadership courses. Adds Kanti: “Our career development programs focus on the individual strengths of each employee, rather than on their weaknesses. This motivates both employees and managers to fully explore development in a positive way.”

Another head office motivator comes from its award-winning physical space. It is truly open concept. Even Kanti’s workstation is in full view. When the facilities were renovated two years ago, the idea was to create collaboration by breaking down walls. Dinham says the openness was a

definite plus for her as a relatively new employee. “It was a great way to meet my fellow coworkers quickly and make friends with people in other departments,” she says.

This year, the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario presented Bayer with its Award of Merit, citing its “innovative new design” that lowered workstation panels and increased natural light. It also praised the new cafeteria and outdoor spaces that contribute to employee health and welfare.

Kanti is a big fan of the design. “Our GTA office is remarkable,” he says. “Our views are inspiring, with sweeping sights of downtown Toronto on one side and flight activity at Toronto Pearson International Airport on the other.”

For Dinham, the onsite gym with its 40-minute lunchtime fitness classes is also

Explore Employment Opportunities at Bayer.ca and BayerCropScience.ca

a big plus, along with the new cafeteria’s healthy and economical meals. “Bayer really does encourage well-being and self care,” she says.

Dinham also appreciates how Bayer supports her personal finance goals. The company matches employee savings contributions of up to three per cent of salary.

For stock purchases, Bayer employees can contribute up to two per cent of salary and receive a 50-per-cent match.

Bayer will also match employee charitable contributions up to $200 annually and provides two days off with pay for volunteer activities. Other perks include discounts on Bayer products, an employee recognition program that offers gifts, experiential and cash awards, as well as company-paid outings.

Employees can also personally tailor health, dental and wellness requirements under the company’s benefits program.

Says Kanti: “The mix reflects the needs of each employee, whether it be help in caring for an ill family member, starting their own family or a ski club membership. We believe supporting people the way they want to be supported makes for healthier, happier and more productive employees.”

1,584 53% 5,658 130

full-time staff in Canada of employees are women job applications last year charities helped last year

( 2017 )

24

A place with heart: CAA South Central Ontario

N

assira Powell knew right away that something was seriously wrong during a Skype call with her mother.

Working at the time as a supervisor with the travel call centre at the Canadian Automobile Association South Central Ontario (CAA SCO), Powell saw that her mother in England was all puffed up and looking very ill. She immediately made plans to be at her side.

First, Powell took vacation time for her visit. Then, when her mum received a lymphoma diagnosis and was about to undergo chemotherapy treatment, she requested a two-month leave of absence to nurse her mother back to health. “It was amazing,” says Powell. “My manager said: ‘Don’t worry, we’ll keep your job open for you when you return. Take care of your mum and do what you have to do’.”

There is a real people focus here.

You are never a number or isolated in some cubicle.

Nassira Powell,

Business Development Specialist

CAA SCO’s response, Powell says, demonstrates that it is “truly, a company with heart.” She adds: “There is a real people focus here. You are never a number or isolated in some cubicle.”

CAA SCO has more than two million members who receive much more customer service than the roadside assistance it is best known for. Travel information and the full range of insurance products are a large part of what its employees, known as associates, offer to the public. “If we want our associates to look after our members, we first have to look after our associates,” explains Mary Duncan, Chief Human

CAA ASSOCIATES PARTICIPATE IN AN EVENT TO BENEFIT THE HEART & STROKE FOUNDATION

Resources Officer, CAA SCO. “That means being compassionate and understanding when associates face personal challenges, but it also means having employee-focused programs and policies.”

One such program is Applause, a revamped employee appreciation scheme that has received multiple awards, including the 2016 Canadian HR Award for Best Recognition Program. Applause allows all CAA SCO staff to recognize anyone, especially if they do something special that demonstrates the company’s core values of collaboration, innovation, leadership or being care-driven. The program is online, making it accessible and visible to all.

Associates can accumulate Applause points that can be converted into purchasing items from a vast catalogue.

Says Duncan: “Recognition is a key driver of employee engagement. We want to reward our associates for their good work because it shows we care, and we want to encourage behaviours that drive the success of the company.”

Powell likes Applause because managers can establish a points reward system tied to a particular objective, such as selling the most travel bookings. She also likes Applause because it encourages peer recognition. “You can give a shout-out to a colleague for something that a manager might not even be aware of,” she says.

Another way CAA SCO demonstrates support for its associates is through a comprehensive wellness program. For example, its offices in Thornhill, Ont., feature a wellness room used for workouts and yoga

CAA South Central Ontario is proud to be one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for the eighth year in a row. ®CAA trademarks owned by, and use is authorized by, the Canadian Automobile Association.

Making bad days good. And good days better. is a trademark of CAA South Central Ontario. (1517-10/16)

as well as meditation in designated hours. A physical fitness consultant has been brought in to oversee activities such as running and healthy eating clinics. During last summer’s Olympics, associates who participated in a simulated walking competition to Rio were offered Fitbits at half price to track their steps to Brazil.

Next year, the wellness focus will address financial preparedness. “Money worries impact one’s health,” says Duncan. “We want to make sure our associates are financially savvy, as well as physically, fit.”

Equally important for Powell, now a Business Development Specialist in Travel Insurance Marketing, is a chance to develop new skills and experience different opportunities. When she expressed interest in moving into a leadership role, Powell’s managers made sure she received the necessary support and training. “I want always to keep challenging myself and developing,” she says. “There are tremendous opportunities here to move around and try different roles.”

Powell lives in Barrie, Ont., and her commute is more than one hour each way. “It’s no fun, but I would not keep doing it for 11 years if I wasn’t going to an incredibly positive environment,” she says. “The people are genuinely passionate – and they care.”

1,231 585 56% 3

full-time staff in South Central Ontario available jobs last year of employees are women weeks, starting vacation allowance

caasco.com/careers #driveyourcareerforward

Making bad days good.

And good days better.®

25

( 2017 )

Capital One sometimes seems more like a tech firm

C

apital One Bank (Canada Branch) is sometimes referred to as Toronto’s secret sauce, says Christina McClung, Chief People Officer for the financial services company, because most people don’t know what a great place it is to work until they’re actually hired.

That was certainly the case for John Cavan, Senior Manager of Software Engineering in Capital One’s Toronto Software Studio. Cavan joined the company about 18 months ago, and he’s already in love.

“This is easily, without reservation, the best place I’ve ever worked,” he says. “And a lot of it has to do with the opportunities the company makes available.”

This is easily, without reservation, the best place I’ve ever worked. And a lot of it has to do with the opportunities the company makes available.

John Cavan,

Senior Manager of Software Engineering

Opportunities like Gift the Code , a charity Hackathon run by Capital One in October that brought together 140 participants over 40 hours one weekend to solve technology challenges faced by six Torontobased charities. “It was a huge success,” says Cavan, “and a real opportunity for us to get out there in the technology community and encourage that social engagement.”

The event captured two of Capital One’s core values: innovation and giving back to the community. “We don’t want to be just a company that resides in Toronto,” says McClung. “We want to be part of Toronto.”

Cavan originally pitched the idea for the hackathon to Capital One executives, and

JOHN CAVAN, SENIOR MANAGER OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERING IN CAPITAL ONE’S TORONTO SOFTWARE STUDIO

they quickly gave it the green light. “When I talk to potential candidates,” says the veteran of two software startups, “I like to talk about the way we encourage people to experiment and try new things.”

The company holds Innovation Days once or twice a quarter, when associates come together during work hours to brainstorm new products or services for customers. And taking a page from the well-known TED Talks lectures, Capital One presents the C1 Tech Series, which often features technology leaders from inside the company.

The suggested donation for the talks goes back into the community, benefiting charities like Princess Margaret Hospital and the Holland Bloorview Kids Reha-

bilitation Hospital. The brand is also actively involved in programs like Girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and Beyond the Code, an annual, one-day technology conference in Toronto that’s aimed at attracting diverse groups into the field.

Capital One has worked hard to develop a creative, collaborative culture that defies many people’s expectations of a bank. “We’re really bringing in a diversity of experience and background, and emphasizing our values of excellence and do the right thing,” says McClung. “We try to instil in our associates that every voice matters, no matter where you’ve been.”

In some respects, the corporate culture is more akin to a technology firm. As-

sociates at Capital One’s head office near North York’s Mel Lastman Square can take advantage of several onsite amenities, including a cafeteria with subsidized meals and a barista, and a lounge with a foosball table and a 60-inch TV. To keep folks feeling fit and comfortable, everyone has a sit-stand desk, and there is access to a fitness facility onsite. “We like people to be able to unwind,” says Cavan, “even during the course of the day.”

Where the resemblance to a tech firm ends, he adds, is with the work-life balance. New associates start with three weeks of vacation and up to 15 paid personal days, which can be scheduled at the employee’s discretion. Capital One also supports associates who are new mothers with maternity and parental leave top-up payments that bring incomes to 100 per cent of salary for the first six weeks, followed by 75 per cent for 20 weeks. It also offers competitive parental leave top-up for fathers and adoptive parents.

“We’re one of the top companies for working moms,” says McClung. “We want people to be able to feel comfortable and feel this is a place where they can be themselves and bring their whole selves to work.”

973 50+ 37 3

full-time staff in Canada charities helped last year average age of associates weeks starting vacation allowance

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27

( 2017 )

CSA Group has a great standard for work

F

or nearly a century, the CSA Group, formerly known as the Canadian Standards Association, has been dedicated to creating a safer, more sustainable Canada. It works with industry, consumers and governments to develop internationally-accredited standards for homes, communities, workplaces and healthcare facilities.

And that lofty objective is one of the chief reasons why many people choose to work for the independent, non-profit, member-based association.

“This is a place that balances building a career with pursuing social good,” says David Weinstein, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We attract a lot of people who don’t want to work for a purely commercial enterprise.”

This is a place that balances building a career with pursuing social good.

David Weinstein,

President and Chief Executive Officer

Toronto-based CSA brings together people who represent a cross-section of society, including consumers, industry representatives and government agencies, to develop safety standards for electrical and gas products, as well as the energy and power sectors. The organization’s mandate even extends to safety in the home, the community, health care and protecting the environment.

Jonathan Fung became acquainted with CSA Group while pursuing an honours degree in business and environmental science at the University of Waterloo.

He worked for the organization twice during co-op terms, first as part of a

AN EMPLOYEE AT CSA GROUP CONDUCTS A TOE CAP IMPACT RESISTANCE TEST

greenhouse gas group in Ottawa and next with a group in Toronto developing an international greenhouse gas inventory.

“When I graduated, I was offered a permanent position working on environmental and climate change issues,” says Fung, who is currently a Project Manager with the CSA’s Sustainability Group. “That was something that really appealed to me and aligned with my values.”

Since accepting a full-time position in 2012, he has been impressed with the organization’s commitment to developing its employees professionally. “They really look for employees to take training to further their skills and to have goals in place to improve,” he says. “They

provide strong, clear paths to progress.”

Weinstein notes that the association has in recent years dedicated substantial resources to mentoring, coaching and management development programs as well as technical training. The association has also developed four paths to career development and has traning materials available for each of them.

“If they are interested in technical subject matter, they can pursue that,” says Weinstein. “We have a path that allows them to become more involved in business development and sales. We can get them involved in conducting our training programs and we also have a supervisory and management path as well.”

CSA has also introduced flex-time and compressed work weeks to accommodate the needs of its employees. “I wish I could tell you that we have one specific flex-time plan, but it’s predicated on a person’s lifestyle,” says Paul Keane, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, & Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer. “If they have daycare issues or challenges coming in early we have a number of options available and it’s worked extremely well.’

The organization also allows employees to work from home where it is feasible and many have set up home offices and taken advantage of that option.

“We’re allowed to work from home up to two days a week, subject to our manager’s approval,” says Fung. “Many of us commute long distances so it’s been very valuable to have that option open to us.”

He commutes 65 to 70 kilometres from his home in the suburban community of Burlington on the west side of the Greater Toronto, and on a good day it takes him an hour in the morning, provided he leaves shortly after 6 a.m.

“Working from home is very helpful from a productivity point of view,” he says.

722 121 47.6 47

full-time staff in Canada jobs available last year years longest-serving employee average employee age

( 2017 )

28

Balance is a big investment at Fidelity

I

n 2013, Tamara Bassilios had reached what she describes as a crisis. She loved her work at Fidelity Canada, but with two young kids at home, she felt her life was way out of balance. She thought she would have to leave Fidelity.

“It was a very stressful time,” says Bassilios, who had joined in 2004. “I felt I had to choose work or family. I really struggled with that.”

Then she found out about Fidelity’s reduced work week program. “I thought this might be a really good answer,” she says. She tested out taking a few Fridays off, and talked to her area’s senior leader.

“He was very open and willing to try it,” she says.

The result is that Bassilios now works a four-day, 30-hour week in her role as Manager, Business Planning, for the Advisor Sales Division, and she does it from home every Monday and every other Thursday.

One of the biggest advantages of working here is the amount of resources we put into people’s development.

Nancy Lupi,

Senior Vice-President, Human Resources

“It was really life-changing for me,” she says. “I feel very fortunate to be in the situation I’m in now. I am a huge advocate for these programs.”

Interestingly, Bassilios’s own supervisor also works from home some of the time, so the two make sure one of them is in the office on any given day. According to Diana Godfrey, Vice-President

FIDELITY CANADA EMPLOYEES VOLUNTEER AT THE DAILY BREAD FOOD BANK

Human Resources, up to 25 per cent of Fidelity’s staff work from home some of the time. There are also opportunities for part-time work and flexible hours, and each employee can choose a personal day and a volunteer day during the year.

“Flexibility is one of the things that sets us apart from our competitors,” says Godfrey. “That’s why we incorporated the idea of balance into our values. It’s balance of a lot of things – hours, home life, career development, and long-term profitability versus short-term gains. It

was so important to us that we made it one of the pillars of the business.”

As part of that business, Fidelity has some 775 employees at its headquarters in Toronto, on Bay Street near Queen, in three companies. Fidelity Investments Canada, with roughly $127 billion in assets under management, offers a broad range of mutual fund products to financial planners, investment dealers, banks and other institutions that deal directly with investors. Fidelity (Canada) Asset Management ULC provides investment

Outstanding employees make us a top employer. careers.fidelity.ca

management expertise, and Fidelity Clearing Canada supplies clearing and custody services to brokerages.

“The largest groups of employees in Toronto are in sales and customer service, but there are also corporate functions and a small group of Canadian investment experts,” says Nancy Lupi, Senior Vice-President, Human Resources. The company’s global scale is a major benefit, she adds.

“One of the biggest advantages of working here is the amount of resources we put into people’s development,” says Lupi. “We have a huge training budget that is spent top to bottom within the organization. We also spend a lot of time with our managers, building their coaching skills so they can develop their employees. Because as we grow our employees, we grow our business.”

Bassilios took advantage of those resources in her first few years at Fidelity, earning an MBA at night from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, paid for by the company.

It’s an example, she says, of the drive for excellence that people at Fidelity have, no matter how many hours they work.

“We don’t settle for average.”

817 173 3 957

full-time staff in Canada jobs available last year weeks, starting vacation allowance charities helped last year

29

( 2017 )

Opportunities abound at fast-growing Fleet Complete

W

hen Anna Tokareva joined Fleet Complete as a receptionist 10 years ago, she never expected to be where she is today. But she rose rapidly through the ranks and currently serves as a Program Manager for the fast-growing provider of fleet and mobile workforce management platforms.

She says the company’s supportive culture has helped her along the way.

“We truly have an open-door policy,” she notes. “From the management team to executives, you’re always welcome and free to speak. They’re always there to listen and help, if you have any challenges.”

A frontline tech-support person may be a future manager, senior manager, director or VP. It has happened before, and we would love for it to happen many times over.

Tony Lourakis,

CEO and Co-Founder.

Now in the midst of a global expansion, Fleet Complete is brimming with opportunity. The firm is hiring at a pace of about 100 professionals a year in diverse fields such as software development, technical support, IT, infrastructure, sales and marketing.

And for enthusiastic, adaptable employees who are eager to embrace the challenge of scaling globally, advancement can be quick.

“We have a fast-paced culture where people have a great influence on the work they’re doing,” says Larry Indovina, Executive VP – Human Resources. “Everyone has a real voice.”

In an era when many new graduates face precarious employment, Fleet Complete offers young people the chance to build a long-term career, says Indovina.

EMPLOYEES AT FLEET COMPLETE COME TOGETHER TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

The company is always looking for people who have the potential to grow as the organization grows, says Tony Lourakis, the CEO and co-founder of Fleet Complete, which serves companies that want better visibility around their business operations, mobile workforce, and high-value assets. “A frontline techsupport person may be a future manager, senior manager, director or VP,” he adds.

“It has happened before, and we would love for it to happen many times over.”

Through a partnership with the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, managers at Fleet Complete receive training to help them more effectively guide the company’s rapid growth and, currently, its global expansion.

To give everyone a stake in its success, Fleet Complete cultivates a culture of ownership through a stock option

plan. It also offers several other financial incentives, including year-end performance bonuses and referral bonuses of up to $3,000 to team members who help recruit candidates in their network.

In 2015, the company also broadened its benefits for families, introducing maternity and parental leave top-up payments that bring salaries for new mothers, fathers or adoptive parents up to 67 per cent of full-time levels for 52 weeks.

“Everything we do in this organization is focused around the customer experience and the employee experience,” says Indovina.

To appeal to the growing number of millennials who want downtown attractions and shorter commute times, Fleet Complete’s new office is located steps away from Union Station. The open-concept design is environmentally friendly

and offers lots of natural light along with other amenities, including a patio and an on-site gym, and a variety of coffee shops and restaurants in the immediate area.

While employees work hard, they also enjoy a friendly, fun-loving atmosphere, says Tokareva. Opportunities to socialize abound, including a variety of staff-initiated clubs and, in the warmer months, staff barbecues or boat cruises. Special events, like the annual holiday party, are always a hit. In December 2015, the company even rented a theatre for a private employee preview of the latest Star Wars movie.

Employees also come together to give back to the community through events like Ride for Heart or by volunteering one weekend a year at a YMCA camp, where they pitch in to clean up and do maintenance. The company’s charitable efforts focus on youth and environmental issues.

To encourage employees to contribute to their communities, the company matches employee donations and gives money to organizations where they volunteer their time. Just recently, a $100,000 donation was made to the YMCA, bolstering the company’s motto, “We give where we live.”

197 750 100 52

full-time staff in Canada staff volunteer hours last year jobs available last year weeks, maternity & parental leave top-up pay

In the heart of Toronto, Fleet Complete celebrates its ranking of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers 2017.

Jumpstart your career with Fleet Complete today! fleetcomplete.com/join-the-team

( 2017 )

30

GM Canada steers change in the auto industry

W

hen Bemnet Lulie went to work for General Motors of Canada in 2013, he already knew that his education had just begun.

As an engineering student at the University of Victoria, Lulie had spent a fourmonth internship as a control strategist with the company, and he knew that it supported employees who wanted to earn the credentials to advance their careers within the organization.

“One of the reasons I went to work for GM was the potential that the company offers for career growth,” says Lulie, an Algorithm Design Development Engineer in Oshawa, Ont. “From the day I started, GM has encouraged me to look beyond my initial group to learn from other areas of the business.”

GM supports my career with a wide range of training opportunities. And you can’t beat the thrill of getting to drive a new Cadillac!

Bemnet Lulie,

Algorithm Design Development Engineer

Through programs such as JumpStart, an affinity group accessible on Facebook for new hires with less than five years of experience, GM links new employees together so they can exchange ideas and add their perspective to an ongoing conversation about the company’s activities and objectives. They also provide mutual insight and support as they advance through the organization.

“Our employees are helping GM to redefine the auto industry of the future,” says Joe Piechocki, GM Canada’s General Director, Human Resources and Labour Rela-

GENERAL MOTORS OF CANADA WITH PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU AND PREMIER KATHLEEN WYNNE ANNOUNCING A MAJOR EXPANSION OF ITS ENGINEERING AND SOFTWARE WORK IN CANADA

tions. “We’ve put into place policies and practices that drive innovative approaches to refine our technology leadership.”

With more than 8,000 employees, GM Canada has competed for leadership in the automotive industry for more than 100 years. With facilities throughout the Greater Toronto Area, it continues to focus on innovative automotive systems and technologies, depending on its employees as it pursues fresh ideas and groundbreaking solutions.

Earlier this year, the company announced that it would add about 1,000 new positions over the next few years as it expands its Canadian engineering base to work on the development of new connected, autonomous and shared vehicles and mobility systems. In the process, GM Canada will open a new Automotive Software Develop-

ment Centre in Markham to complement the operations of its Oshawa Tech Centre.

GM Canada also maintains an innovation outpost at Communitech, in Waterloo, west of the GTA, where the company “challenges old approaches to traditional business practices, embraces the entrepreneurial mindset and start-up culture, and experiments and looks for new partners to help design the auto industry of the future,” says Piechocki.

With his academic background in electrical engineering and real-time vehicle communications and in his capacity as a designer of algorithms, Lulie has contributed to GM Canada’s drive to advance automotive technology. He has also enrolled in training programs to expand his knowledge and capabilities in the area of hybrid vehicle control systems.

“GM supports my career with a wide range of training and learning opportunities,” Lulie says. “It’s driving change and embracing new approaches and thinking towards developing new cars, trucks, crossovers and vehicles of the future, and I’m part of that drive.”

Like its parent organization, GM Canada remains focused on the future of the automobile, which will be electric, connected, autonomous and increasingly part of the shared economy.

“The auto industry will change more in the next five to 10 years than it has in the last 50,” says Piechocki, “and it’s a pretty exciting time to be a part of a company that is driving that change.”

Ultimately, he says, the profound changes within the industry will be positive for GM’s customers, for road safety, for the environment and for Canada’s economy.

For Lulie, the advantages of working at the company extend beyond its competitive compensation, retirement program and benefits.

“I can grow and expand my opportunities globally,” he says. “And you can’t beat the thrill of getting to drive a new Cadillac!”

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full-time employees in Canada positions in advanced tech and software engineering annual tuition assistance for salaried employees weeks, maternity & parental leave top-up pay

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( 2017 )

George Brown College fosters lifelong learning

D

uring her final year in the Special Events Planning diploma program at George Brown College, Edna Hagos had the best of both worlds – she was a fulltime student and a part-time employee.

“Working as an information officer in the Registrar’s Office was a great opportunity for me to see what working full-time for George Brown would be like,” says Hagos. After graduating in 2010, she was hired part-time as assistant to the associate registrar. In that role, she helped plan the college’s biggest event of the year: Convocation.

Hagos chose George Brown because it had a program that interested her and was unique in its delivery, including a co-op component, which provided her with the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and build the soft skills sought by employers.

The management team has been fantastic. They’re why I’ve been able to move into different roles with more responsibility.

Edna Hagos,

Registration and Audit Acting Manager

Shortly after her graduation, George Brown hired Hagos as a full-time permanent employee working as a transcript records specialist. Just over a year later, she took on the role of assistant to the associate registrar full-time, then academic records coordinator, and since August she has been Acting Manager, Registration and Audit.

“Providing opportunities for personal and career growth are important priorities and part of the culture at the college,” says

CHEF DE CUISINE OLIVER LI CONGRATULATES A CULINARY STUDENT AT GEORGE BROWN’S STUDENT-FOCUSED RESTAURANT “THE CHEFS’ HOUSE”

Leslie Quinlan, Vice President Human Resources and Organizational Development. Stories like Hagos’s are great examples of the value that George Brown places in its employees to ensure that their experience at the college is challenging and rewarding, she says.

“We are focused on creating a lifelonglearning environment that encourages employees to think about their personal development and to work with their managers to create plans to help them achieve their individual and career goals,” says Quinlan.

To support this, the college offers generous tuition assistance subsidies of up to $20,000 (lifetime maximum) for post-

secondary programs, as well as a variety of in-house and online training programs.

In addition, many Continuing Education courses cost only $20 for employees.

Hagos has taken several workshops and courses, including Excel and portfolio development, and is planning to use the Tuition Assistance Program to earn a master’s degree in education.

Another unique and powerful aspect of working at the college is that employees are united around ensuring the success and future employment of the students.

“Our brand promise is that we understand employment, and our employees work collaboratively in a team-oriented way to make sure that promise is upheld,” says Quinlan.

One of the positive features of George Brown’s downtown Toronto location is the diversity of students and employees, who reflect the diversity of the city itself. “The college strives to maintain a caring culture, where everyone can work and learn in a respectful, diverse and inclusive environment,” says Quinlan. Hagos says her co-workers reflect every walk of society, and “this enriches our work experience because it helps us relate better to the students.”

Team building and cooperation are enhanced by employee-engagement activities like “fun teams” in various departments.

For example, in the Registrar’s Office where Hagos works, “Team George” has organized outings to Blue Jays games and wine classes. There are other perks, too, including student-run fresh fruit and vegetable markets, and employees can eat affordable meals at the Chef’s House, which is staffed

by Culinary Program students.

As for Quinlan, she joined George Brown in July 2015 because she wanted to be part of an organization that was making a difference in the community and contributing in a positive way to people’s success.

“It’s satisfying to work with a motivated group of individuals who are helping support and shape the lives and future careers of our students,” she says.

1,380 66.7% 12 88%

full-time staff in Canada of the executive team are women months, deferred-salary leave to pursue personal development surveyed employees proud to work at George Brown

IT’S OUR PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. Our dedicated staff and faculty at George Brown College are committed to giving our students the skills employers value most, while motivating them to succeed and thrive. Helping students build their careers inspires us to be better employees every single day.

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32

Staff win big at Great Blue Heron Casino

W

hen employees reflect on the workplace culture at the Great Blue Heron Casino, “family” is often the first word that comes to mind.

That feeling is bolstered by familyfriendly policies, like maternity and parental leave top-up payments for new moms and dads, as well as the option to extend their time off into an unpaid leave.

Great Blue Heron, located near Port Perry, Ont., also encourages employees to plan ahead with retirement planning assistance and phased-in work options.

CEO and General Manager Arnold Block says the casino’s close-knit atmosphere is one of the benefits of an “employee-focused” culture that recognizes that happy employees make for happy guests. Many have been there for more than 10 years, and about 60 long-serving employees were among the first hired when the facility opened in 1997.

We train them well enough so they could leave, but treat them well enough that they don’t want to.

That’s the underlying philosophy.

Arnold Block,

CEO and General Manager

“We train them well enough so they could leave,” says Block, “but treat them well enough that they don’t want to. That’s the underlying philosophy.”

When it comes to training, Great Blue Heron Casino encourages ongoing employee development through tuition subsidies for job-related courses (up to $1,500) and subsidies for professional accreditation.

GREAT BLUE HERON CASINO EMPLOYEES CINDY LEHMAN AND WENDY HORNE CELEBRATE THEIR CENTRE STAGE AWARDS WITH THEIR MANAGERS

The company’s peer-to-peer recognition program, Centre Stage Rewards, plays a critical role in helping employees feel valued and motivated. The popular program offers four award tiers valued from $50 to $400. All awards are peer-nominated and are approved by a department manager. A certificate is presented and the employee can choose their prize from a wide-ranging catalogue of brand name items. Pictures of the presentations are shared on the Wall of Fame (an online newsfeed), on the backof-house TVs, and in a photo display in the casino.

Employees are often recognized for exceptional customer service, from accommodating dietary restrictions or helping a guest up a set of stairs to saving someone’s life. Guest Services Officer Cindy Lehman was recently recognized for helping a man

who fell ill locate his wife, who was on the slot floor. “It’s nice to be recognized,” she says. “It makes me feel good to come into work and do my job, and do it the best I can. And we’re all willing to help each other here.”

Recognition is also extended for demonstrating the Great Blue Heron’s eight Cultural Compass Values – such as integrity, work-life balance, or diversity – or for simply coming up with a great idea. Dual Gaming Shift Manager Wendy Horne won a top Standing Ovation Award in 2015 for creating the first Carnival Games Tournament ever held at an Ontario casino. Amid a circus-like atmosphere, players competed in four rotating carnival games for a prize pool of $50,000. It was a roaring success and has become an annual event in March.

“I was nervous because we had never done

it before,” says Horne. “But I had a lot of support from management. They had faith in me.”

The culture of family is everywhere.

When Dealer Cheri-Lei Worr’s two children were diagnosed with rare forms of cancer, her casino family rallied behind her. On the most difficult days, she’s drawn strength from the tremendous outpouring of support that has come from her co-workers in many ways, including starting and donating to a GoFundMe page, to doing her gardening at home.

In July, a few hundred employees gathered at a co-worker’s farm near the casino for a day-long barbecue and fun fair that raised over $15,000 for the Worr family, including a matching donation from the company. The theme of the day was captured in a short sentence: “We’re all Worr-iors” – a play on the family’s name and a reminder for Cheri-Lei that her colleagues were standing with her.

Today, thankfully, her daughter is cancer-free, and her son is making progress.

“Going through this,” says Worr, “it just made me realize my colleagues care about me, my employer cares about me, and I’m not going through this alone. The Great Blue Heron has been my lifeline.”

685 100 62.3% 800

full-time staff in Canada charities helped last year of managers are women performance awards given last year

Great Blue Heron Casino is proud to once again be named one of the Greater Toronto’s Top Employers.

Must be 19 years of age or older. Patrons with self-excluded or trespassed status, as determined by the Great Blue Heron Casino (GBHC) will not be eligible to participate in any GBHC promotion; and if detected at our gaming property will be removed and trespassed.

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( 2017 )

Griffith Foods offers staff a world of nourishment

W

ith almost a century of history behind it, Griffith Foods – formerly Griffith Laboratories – has worked hard over the past two years to renew and refine its corporate purpose. Starting on Jan. 15, 2016, the family-owned, Illinois-based company adopted the new name to more firmly assert its central role in the food business. It also embraced a new purpose statement: “We blend care and creativity to nourish the world.”

That wording is very deliberate, explains Jim Thorne, General Manager of Griffith’s Toronto-based Canadian head office. As a product development partner that provides food ingredient solutions to customers in some 30 countries, Griffith knows a thing or two about the power of innovative blending. Griffith has also long prided itself on being a caring company that treats employees like valued family members.

Our people like that we are working externally to serve a greater good.

Jim Thorne,

General Manager

Then there’s the aspect of “nourishing the world.” Beyond the solutions it provides for customers on a daily basis, Griffith has chosen to champion the cause of alleviating world hunger. As part of that effort, Griffith’s Canadian head office met its ambitious goal in 2016 of working with local food banks to provide one million meals to individuals and families in need.

The company has set a similar goal for 2017, while continuing to ramp up the level of volunteer engagement by its 330 Canadian employees.

EMPLOYEES AT THE GRIFFITH WOMEN LEADERS “LUNCH AND LEARN”

“In 2016, over 120 employees were involved in charitable activities, more than triple what had been the case in previous years,” says Thorne. “Our goal in 2017 is to get at least 50 per cent of our employee base involved in some kind of volunteer role.”

One new tool for encouraging volunteerism is the Griffith Cares app, which acts much like a Facebook page, allowing employees to post articles and pictures documenting their volunteer experiences.

“This is a way to recognize their service,” says Thorne. “But more importantly, it helps generate energy and interest and get other people involved in volunteering.”

Griffith’s determination to make a difference in the world strengthens employee engagement, he adds. “Our people

like the fact that, in addition to being a profitable company, we are working externally to serve a greater good.”

That’s certainly the case for Shruti Patel, who joined Griffith 11 years ago as a co-op student and is now a Quality Systems Auditor with its Canadian operations. She was recently recruited as a Griffith Cares committee member and has worked in local food banks.

“What I like is that it’s a cause greater than me,” says Patel. “In my twenties, I was always focused on my career. Now that I’m more settled, this gives me the opportunity to give back to the community.”

Patel, who says she never expected to work 11 years for one company, credits Griffith with providing her with a wealth of options for career advancement.

“I love it because I’m always learning about the food industry and the whole culture around food quality and safety. The company has helped me grow my career by constantly expanding my knowledge base and helping me understand all aspects of the food industry.”

She is also impressed by recent initiatives like Griffith Women Leaders (GWL), a series of leadership development sessions aimed at helping women, in particular, take on more senior roles in the company.

GWL, says Thorne, is part of a larger food industry effort to provide female employees with greater access to the kind of networking and mentorship required to “break through some of the glass ceilings out there.”

Adds Thorne: “The statistics are pretty clear that, at the entry level, women and men have equal opportunities in our industry. But as in a lot of other businesses, the level of female participation drops off significantly when you get to the more senior ranks.

“As a 26-year veteran of the food industry, I can tell you that there tends to be a bit of an old boy’s network over time. That’s something we need to shake up so we can have a lot more diversity at the top.”

334 9 220 43

full-time staff in Canada charities helped last year staff volunteer hours last year years, longest-serving employee

We’re proud to be one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers, a region known for ethnic diversity and world-class cuisine!

( 2017 )

34

At HIROC, it’s all about engagement

W

ith 95 full-time employees, it’s not a large organization. But neither is the Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada (HIROC) a small family company. Yet for Underwriting Associate Eileen Haghverdian, the word “family” keeps coming up when she describes the atmosphere at HIROC’s Toronto offices (there’s also a small office in Winnipeg).

“The culture is great,” says the 30-yearold, who has worked at HIROC for more than five years. “It’s very family-oriented.

Our CEO, Peter Flattery, is super-approachable. I remember when I first started he came to my desk and welcomed me to the company. He does that for everybody.”

Staff really feel like they’re making a difference in health care.

Peter Flattery,

CEO

A not-for-profit formed in 1987, HIROC provides liability insurance to more than 600 health care organizations, associations and regulated professionals across Canada, ranging from small clinics and midwives to large regional health centres and major hospitals, including Toronto’s University Health Network.

The “Reciprocal” part of the name means that its “subscribers” – the institutions it insures – are all in the same business, i.e. health care, and partner to reduce risk and prevent losses. One of the benefits of belonging to a reciprocal is that surplus is returned to eligible subscribers – since 1987 HIROC has returned over $140 million to them.

HIROC STAFF ENJOYING THE COMPANY’S ICE CREAM SOCIAL EVENT

Flattery joined HIROC in February 1988, six months after it was established.

He says employee engagement is very important to him, and the organization has implemented a number of measures to stimulate it. One is the HIROCafé, an annual event, usually held off-site, where staff are asked what’s important to them and where HIROC should be going.

“That feedback is vitally important in the creation of our strategic plan,” says Flattery. “I really emphasize to staff that what you’re talking about today is going to the board, so you’re directly involved in our planning process.”

HIROC has several other participatory programs for staff, including idea-generation sessions called the Solution Pit-Stop

and Solution Incubator. If employees have an idea or concern outside of strategic planning, they’re invited to “get a team, four or five people, and look at the issues, come up with solutions, develop a budget, and present it,” says Flattery.

And on the first Wednesday of every month, the entire staff participates in a meeting during which staff members’ birthdays, anniversaries and educational accomplishments are acknowledged. But there’s also plenty of work talk. “It’s a great opportunity to see what your colleagues from other departments are working on,” says Haghverdian.

Another camaraderie-fostering tradition, says Haghverdian, is the annual HIROCommunity event, in which staffers

donate a day of volunteering to a subscriber.

Haghverdian has participated twice in a spring garden cleanup at the Ian Anderson House, a hospice in Oakville, Ont. “Being able to go out and do something like that makes you feel good, because you’re giving back,” says Haghverdian. “But it’s also wonderful to do the garden clean-up with people you usually have only a professional relationship with. It’s a bonding experience and adds to that family culture.”

Haghverdian also says the benefits – which include a defined-benefit retirement plan, maternity leave top-up payments, flexible work arrangements, plus tuition and professional-accreditation subsidies – and the prominence of women in management positions (they fill half of them) help make HIROC an excellent workplace.

CEO Flattery, who is retiring at the end of 2016, also cites employees’ commitment to the organization’s vision (which he helped create) – called Partnering to Create the Safest Healthcare System – as a reason for their job satisfaction. That vision means HIROC actively partners with its subscribers to focus on patient safety and reducing risk. “Staff really feel like they’re making a difference in health care,” he says.

95 4 150 43

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1.800.465.7357

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full-time staff in Canada charities helped last year staff volunteer hours last year average employee age

35

( 2017 )

Cleaning up on mentoring at Kruger Products

N

o doubt about it, it’s great having fresh fruit delivered every Monday morning to the staff kitchen. And during the summer, it was fun to take every second Friday afternoon off. But what Dalilah Kadric likes most about working at Kruger Products L.P. is the training and mentoring she has received.

“This company puts a lot of effort into identifying people with great potential and giving them opportunities to develop even more,” says Kadric, who a year ago became Supply Network Planning Manager, based at the Mississauga headquarters of Canada’s biggest tissue products maker. “The company recognized that I had this potential but there were things that I needed to work on. I was given the help to focus on that.”

We really view our employees as a competitive advantage. We want to create a learning culture and give them plenty of opportunities to develop.

Francois Paroyan,

Corporate Vice President, Human Resources

Kadric says she has very strong technical skills, but admits to being a bit of an introvert. So to build her soft skills, she attended a Dale Carnegie course and then entered a six-month internal mentoring program where she was coached one-on-one by a female vice-president.

“One of the challenges I wanted to work on was being a woman in the workplace and career development as a woman, so it was great to have her as a mentor,” says Kadric.

EMPLOYEES AT KRUGER ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY

She was also selected for Kruger’s Straight As program for top and midlevel managers, exploring various aspects of leadership. “Everybody brought something to the table,” she says.

Francois Paroyan, Corporate Vice President, Human Resources, says people development is critical for the century-old company, which manufactures some of Canada’s leading tissue brands, including Cashmere, Scotties, Purex and SpongeTowels. “We really view our employees as a competitive advantage,” he says. “We want to create a learning culture and give them plenty of opportunities to develop.”

There are about 200 employees based in Mississauga, mainly in sales, supply

chain and corporate roles, helping to oversee a company with four mills across Canada and one in the U.S. It is part of Montreal-based Kruger Inc., a major supplier of pulp and paper products.

Kadric plays a key role in supporting the teams involved in the supply chain, making sure products are in the right place at the right time and forecasting supply needs. After joining Kruger in 2008, she had previously worked on the demand side, collaborating with the sales teams to do forecasting. All along, she says, she was given the support she needed to do her job, and most recently, to make the transition.

With children aged 6 and 3, Kadric also appreciates the flexible work hours

at Kruger, and she operates from home when she needs to, as do many other employees. One of her reports is far from Mississauga, working from home in Gatineau, Que. “There’s a lot of openness to that,” says Kadric. “You’re not punching in and punching out.”

Paroyan notes that Kruger recently became even more family-friendly.

There are enhanced maternity top-ups of 100 per cent for the first six weeks and 70 per cent for weeks 7 to 18. A newly introduced parental leave top-up offers 70 per cent for five weeks. And for parents of older kids, the company will reimburse summer camp fees up to $500 for each child.

The Monday morning fruit highlights a wellness program that includes a $200 wellness spending account. This fall, employees joined in a seven-week, team fitness challenge in which they were given Fitbits to monitor their achievements.

“Everyone was going around looking at their steps, their heart rate, their water intake,” laughs Kadric.

She finds the atmosphere at Kruger very open-door and down to earth. “It feels like family,” she says.

1,885 581 4,403 900+

full-time staff in Canada staff volunteer hours last year job applications last year eLearning courses available to staff

Canada’s Leading Manufacturer of Quality Tissue Products for Household, Industrial and Commercial Use krugerproducts.ca

( 2017 )

36

The Law Society makes the case for inclusion

I

t was not the sort of event you’d expect to take place in the hallowed precincts of historic Osgoode Hall on Queen Street West, home of the Law Society of Upper Canada.

In October, Mayan elder Maria Ramirez travelled from her native Guatemala to perform a traditional energy ceremony there. She was welcomed by The Honourable Justice Harry S. LaForme of the Ontario Court of Appeal as part of the event, presented in partnership with the Canadian Hispanic Bar Association to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

We’ve been very, very committed to promoting a culture of diversity where differences are respected and embraced and celebrated.

Robert G.W. Lapper,

CEO

If this doesn’t sound at all like the “Upper Canada” in the Law Society of Upper Canada, well, that is precisely the point.

The event was in keeping with the emphasis the Law Society places on diversity and inclusion, both within its ranks and in the legal professions at large.

“We’ve increasingly recognized the diverse nature of the Ontario population and, trying to reflect and address the public interest, we need to incorporate our own kind of reflection of diversity and inclusion,” says the Law Society’s CEO, Robert G.W. Lapper, Q.C. “So we’ve been very, very committed to promoting a culture of diversity where differences are respected and embraced and celebrated, and to hiring capable employees who are reflective of the communities we serve.”

Established in 1797, the Law Society

EMPLOYEES AT THE LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA SUPPORT THE PINK SHIRT DAY ANTI-BULLYING CAMPAIGN

regulates lawyers and paralegals throughout the province, ensuring the public is well-served by them. Most of the Society’s employees work at Osgoode Hall, with about 110 lawyers and 10 paralegals among the full-time staff of 529.

Lapper says that the Law Society – which is being named one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for the eleventh consecutive year – places great importance on employees’ physical and mental wellness, as well as work-life balance.

“Helping employees balance work with their personal commitments at various life stages is something we’ve recognized as important and needed,” he says. “We accommodate that by offering the option of flexible work arrangements, including telecommuting, flexible hours and shortened and compressed work weeks.

We really focus on helping employees feel they have some control over their work and that they’re supported by the organization.”

Marian MacGregor joined the Law Society as its Equity Advisor in September and is excited about the organization’s commitment to being a diversity and inclusion “role model” for the legal profession. “I think the Law Society is actually using its place in the community now more so than it may have in the past,” she says. “It’s seeing itself as a leader in ways of creating that diversity.”

MacGregor, a lawyer whose background includes heading the Community Legal Aid Services Program at Osgoode Hall Law School and getting a master’s degree in Critical Disability Studies (she is now pursuing a PhD in that area), feels

she’s landed in the right place. “There is the space and breadth to think about and respond to larger systemic issues,” she says. “There are other people here thinking about the same things and very much looking forward. That kind of energy is very powerful and is in turn empowering.”

Among the initiatives MacGregor hopes to spearhead are implementation of recommendations in a Law Society report on racism in the legal professions and a December event to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which is promoted by the United Nations.

MacGregor happens to have a disability of her own: she is legally blind, with vision of 20/200. But she says the Law Society has treated her in an exemplary fashion. “They have been very supportive of me from the beginning. It is important to set the right tone, and starting at the interview they ensured that whatever I needed was available – large font when I needed it, or the right lighting.”

This has continued, she says. “They are interested in engaging in an ongoing conversation around accommodation.

That kind of welcoming feeling is very important.”

529 71% 16 5.5%

full-time staff in Canada of executives are women events held annually to promote inclusion staff who identify as LGBTQ

Join a Top Employer that celebrates diversity, supports wellbeing and rewards performance.

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( 2017 )

Driving the brand vision at Mazda Canada

F

or Charles Spivak, being a part of Mazda Canada Inc. runs in the family. “My dad works for a Mazda dealership in Toronto and sold his first Mazda in 1976. We always got to ride in the cool cars that he brings home. That got me excited about the Mazda brand.”

During high school and university, Spivak worked summers at the same dealership as his father. While studying for an honours Bachelor of Engineering degree at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, he did a four-month co-op placement in the technical services department at Mazda Canada’s headquarters in Richmond Hill, Ont. He enjoyed the placement so much that he wanted to work for Mazda full-time.

That he had overhauled a Mazda RX-8 sports car and worked on a race team that often tested at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville cemented his love of the brand.

We look at the person’s motivation and capacity more broadly and whether they’re a good fit with our culture.

Brian McDougall,

Senior Director, HR, IT & Administration

In July 2015, a few months after graduating, he was hired for his current position as Specialist, Warranty Systems & Analysis. His day-to-day role is to improve the computer systems that record, review and process warranty claims from Mazda dealers. His second responsibility – warranty analysis – is to do monthly reports showing where Mazda Canada’s warranty costs are most pronounced, and why.

CHARLES SPIVAK AND THE MAZDA COSMO

Spivak is part of a lean team of 130 McDougall, Senior Director, HR, IT & employees at headquarters. Mazda Administration.

Canada Inc. is a subsidiary of Mazda The culture is collaborative and Motor Corporation, based in Hiroshima, customer-focused, he says. “We’ve lowered Japan. With regional offices in Montreal, silos and encouraged teamwork, not only Vancouver and Richmond Hill, Mazda within head office but with our dealer Canada employs some 150 Canadians. partners. By working together, it ensures Recent headquarters hiring has occurred everyone is aligned on Mazda’s vision and in such areas as warranty operations, parts provides a consistent customer experience operations and regional operations. regardless of their position. One of the While Mazda Canada used to hire ways we do this is by providing experiapplicants with automotive experiential training to all corporate and dealer ence specific to the job openings, now employees beyond their job function, so the company takes an expanded view they become brand ambassadors.” of applicants’ backgrounds. “We look Typical of the hands-on learning was at the person’s motivation and capacthe “Soul of Motion” event that Spivak ity more broadly and whether they’re a participated in last year when the 2016 T:9.25” good fit with our culture,” says Brian MX-5 sports car came out. “In the morn-

ing, we did in-class training about the brand, and how the vehicle was designed and engineered to deliver on our brand promise,” he says. “The afternoon was devoted to driving the vehicle, so we got to compare it with some of the other models.” He was in a similar event for the CX-9 SUV earlier this year.

One of the perks of being an employee is the opportunity to buy or lease a Mazda vehicle, on favorable terms, for oneself or relatives. The result is that the Mazda Canada parking lot is full of Mazda vehicles. Spivak, who leases a 2017 Mazda3 compact, likes being able to replace his existing ride every three or four months with a new model.

He is also an enthusiastic volunteer in Mazda Canada’s many charitable activities. Last June, he ran 11.5 km as part of the company’s 12-person team in the Oak Ridges Moraine Adventure Relay Race, which raises funds to keep the trails in good condition. “I trained for it for a month,” says Spivak. “It was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done physically.

But it was fun being with office colleagues in an outside-the-office environment.”

McDougall agrees: “It’s a good way to bring people together.”

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full-time staff in Canada jobs available last year job applications last year average employee age

T:1.75”

WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE BEHIND THE WHEEL, EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE .

T h a n k yo u to a l l o u r e m p l oye e s fo r m a k i n g M a zd a C a n a d a o n e o f th e G TA’s To p E m p l oye r s . m a zd a . c a /c a re e r s

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The big picture at Olympus Canada is diversification

W

hen CEO Bill Collins says that improving society’s health and safety is one of the most rewarding things about working for Olympus Canada, he’s not talking about taking pictures.

Although the public still associates Olympus with consumer cameras, in the era of the smartphone the camera business now accounts for just 10 per cent of the company’s global sales.

Olympus Canada’s main product line is medical devices, which globally make up more than 75 per cent of the Olympus Corporation’s annual revenue.

The most common device is the medical scope – laparoscopes, colonoscopes, endoscopes and more – all of which use camera technology for everything from diagnostics to surgery.

We are in some of the most innovative and high-growth markets.

Bill Collins,

CEO

“We are in some of the most innovative and high-growth markets,” says Collins. He notes that Olympus has captured more than 70 per cent of the global market for gastroenterology (or colonoscopy) equipment. Colonoscopy is, of course, a procedure that has become ever more common in recent decades. “It’s one of the few cancers where if you catch it in the pre-cancerous stage, you can remove the polyps and prevent an occurrence,” says Collins.

Olympus is also known for specialized microscopes, including multi-photo laser

OLYMPUS CANADA EMPLOYEES CELEBRATING AT THE ANNUAL NATIONAL SALES MEETING IN VICTORIA, BC

models that can look deep into tissue to improve diagnoses. Yet another of its businesses is devices that check the health of oil and gas pipeline walls by shooting x-rays through the ground to detect deterioration.

Surgical sales representative Darren Mortier joined Olympus Canada six years ago from another medical device company. “I saw Olympus from the outside looking in,” he says. “Some of my key accounts had a lot of Olympus equipment in the operating room and I knew they were well regarded.”

In his first year and a half, he was responsible for a specialized small product line in a large territory. Then he switched into a bigger product line in a smaller southern Ontario territory. As the company has grown and new sales

representatives have been added, he’s become more specialized again.

Along with the satisfaction of selling cutting-edge medical technology, Mortier appreciates how Olympus encourages employees to try new job opportunities.

There’s also the support he gets from colleagues in sales and at the Richmond Hill head office. “Communications have always been great,” he says in a call from the road.

Unlike Mortier, contract specialist Colin McDonald doesn’t deal with hospital customers directly. Instead, he works behind the scenes to respond to requests for proposals and prepare contracts. He also chairs what’s known as the “SocialIN” committee, working to engage employees in charitable and social events. “IN” is short for Olym-

pus’s values of integrity, innovation and involvement, which are promoted worldwide.

On a volunteer basis, McDonald and several other employees organize a wide range of activities. Colon cancer awareness is a key cause in keeping with the company’s business while campaigns for the Heart & Stroke Foundation and Daily Bread Food Bank are regular annual events. Olympus Canada also encourages employees to give back to the community by providing paid time off to volunteer and company donations to the organizations where employees volunteer.

“Family is a big component here,” says McDonald, “and work life balance.” Employees have flexibility around their workday hours, and family are invited to both a summer event and a holiday season party for children and grandchildren.

Should anyone want to preserve those memories, they can always use the cameras Olympus Canada still sells – niche products including shockproof and waterproof models and digital SLRs – for the best possible photos.

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full-time staff in Canada jobs available last year years, longest-serving employee weeks, starting vacation allowance

Our vision is to contribute to society every day by making people’s lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling. We make this vision a reality through our innovative technologies.

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At Ontario Shores, smaller means more nimble

T

here isn’t a shadow of doubt about how Matthew Rico feels about his employer, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences. “I’m always bragging about where I work,” says Rico, a Registered Nurse who joined the staff of the Whitby-based facility in 2011. “There’s a wonderful energy in the hospital and every day I wonder what opportunities are waiting for me.”

For Rico, one source of that pride is how Ontario Shores continually seeks out and adopts the best evidence-based models of patient care wherever they’re found, from Australia to Sweden. He notes that Ontario Shores is a Stage 7 hospital, an internationally recognized designation awarded only to healthcare organizations that have a completely paperless health information system.

It’s the first hospital in Canada – and the first mental health hospital worldwide – to have reached the top tier in electronic medical records (EMR) adoption.

There’s a great deal of pride that comes with providing fantastic clinical care.

Karim Mamdani,

President and CEO

Having such a secure and standardized paper-free infrastructure has practical implications for both staff and patients.

Ontario Shores takes an interdisciplinary approach to providing specialized assessment and treatment services for those living with complex mental illness, so patients may interact with a variety of healthcare and community support workers. With the EMR, each patient’s team can share a wealth of timely information, including

ONTARIO SHORES EMPLOYEE ALMA SICILIANO WITH DAUGHTER ELIZABETH, A CO-OP STUDENT IN ITS EATING DISORDERS UNIT

pharmacy orders, clinical documentation, test results and past treatments.

“It’s easy to send and receive reports,” explains Rico, who works in the hospital’s Assessment and Stabilization Unit, which provides short-term crisis intervention and treatment. “Instead of hard-to-read handwriting, everything is legible. That makes collaborating with my colleagues easier, plus it reduces the risk of errors, which is important for patient safety.”

President and CEO Karim Mamdani says Ontario Shores’ size helps facilitate its rapid adoption of innovative tools and techniques. “Change can come slowly in large organizations, but when you’re smaller you can be extraordinarily nimble,” he says. “We were able to take the initiative, implement the best methodologies and execute with success.”

Being on the leading edge has intangible benefits as well, Mamdani adds: “There’s a great deal of pride that comes with providing fantastic clinical care.”

The facility first opened in Whitby in 1919 as the Ontario Hospital for the Insane, an out-of-sight location for the overflow of psychiatric patients from Toronto. Its name, treatment methods and physical environment changed over the years alongside medical advancements and evolving attitudes towards those with mental illness.

The 1996 opening of the current lightfilled main building heralded a fresh start.

Then in 2009, the hospital adopted its present name; “Ontario” reflects its longstanding role in the province’s healthcare system while “Shores,” like the landform, represents a safe place.

ontarioshores.ca

Today, the centre and five offsite clinics serve some three million residents of eastern and northeastern Toronto, Durham Region and the City of Kawartha Lakes. As well as offering both inpatient and outpatient care, Ontario Shores advances the mental health care system through research, education and advocacy initiatives.

The Whitby site itself has a role in creating a recovery-oriented environment. The scenic grounds beside Lake Ontario offer ample opportunities for relaxation and rejuvenation. There are also recreational facilities indoors, including a yoga studio and bowling alley. Other amenities include a library, two cafeterias and Good Luck Clothing Shop. Items sell for 25 cents apiece so patients hoping to return to work can more easily afford an appropriate outfit.

Staff, who can use the facilities, can also take advantage of numerous opportunities for development and advancement. And in a workplace that can be as challenging as it is rewarding, Mamdani says Ontario Shores’ advocacy work makes a noteworthy contribution to staff well-being.

“We work extremely hard to break down barriers and create a sense of community,” he says. “It motivates people when they can see the important part they play in the bigger picture.”

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RBC looks for talent who can ‘disrupt’ banking

T

here were eight teams, 32 digitally-minded students, and a singular mission: “Disrupt us”. Must be a weekend challenge at a high-tech company, right? No, it was a summer-long internship program at the headquarters of Canada’s leading bank, RBC. It’s called Amplify, in which the bank selects highly talented students to apply innovative thinking to tough business problems. “They come in expecting a big, stiff bank,” says Leona McCharles, Senior Director and Head of Strategy Enablement in the Technology and Operations (T&O) group, “and then they see how we’re innovating – that we’re looking at things like artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies and how to apply them.”

Essentially, they’re treated like mini-startups in the organization, and they’re given some of our most complex challenges.

Leona McCharles,

Senior Director and Head of Strategy Enablement, Technology and Operations

The four-month program, which is part of a larger initiative in the T&O group that brings in more than 800 students each year, began in 2016 and has already recruited for Summer 2017 teams. “Essentially, they’re treated like mini-startups in the organization, and they’re given some of our most complex challenges,” says McCharles. “They’re asked to think about how we can work in different ways, to challenge and disrupt the bank and bring it forward.”

And the results? Already, two patent applications have come from the 2016

JESSICA MALLENDER (SECOND FROM RIGHT), A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, WORKS WITH HER AMPLIFY TEAM AT RBC

program. The innovations, all of which continue to be worked on, include a virtual assistant to help wealth advisors, an analytics tool for branch management, a travel insurance app for people on the go, digital solutions to help millennials with banking, and work on cybersecurity.

“It was a very robust and diverse set of ideas,” says McCharles. At the end of the summer, the bank gave out awards and bursaries to students who were judged by their executive mentors, or their peers, to have the best solutions.

Another result was that of the 32 participants, 26 have accepted future roles at the bank, either while they are still students or full-time when their studies are complete.

In fact, 124 of the 800 students from the larger student program are returning for full-time roles.

One of those from Amplify with an RBC job waiting is Jessica Mallender, currently studying at the University of Toronto for her Master of Information degree in Information Systems and Design.

She was part of the four-member team that worked on the tool to help manage branch technologies, which led to a patent application where she and her teammates will be listed as inventors.

The tool, she says, will bring together data that “will give the bank a better line of sight on what is happening at the branches and help them make better decisions.”

In doing the program, Mallender says, she learned new things every day.

“Through Amplify, I’ve been given a lot of opportunities to work on exciting projects and do cool things,” she says. “I’ve also been given the chance to make a name for

myself and show what I can do, which is what you want from an internship. You hope you’re not going in just to make coffee or run errands.”

Like all the four-member teams, Mallender’s was made up of a deliberately diverse group. “We had a business information student, a computer science student, a math and stats student, and an engineering-physics student. So we all took on different roles within the team.”

McCharles says the program will also consider innovative students from liberal arts, law, the sciences and other disciplines.

“An important myth to be busted is that in a technology organization, we only hire technologists.”

For 2017, she says, Amplify will expand to 16 teams of four, in the GTA and other RBC offices globally. Moreover, the bank will support proposals from students whose goal is to create their own fintech startup, potentially backed by RBC after the internship is finished.

“We’re looking at how we can disrupt the financial services industry overall,” says McCharles. “If we see good ideas coming forward, we’re absolutely open to thinking about how we can partner. We’re supporting future talent and innovation.”

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PROUD

A feeling that results from fulfilling a promise.

We’ve won Greater Toronto’s Top Employers award 9 years running. That’s because RBC® follows through on its promise of a great work environment with high performing, collaborative and inclusive teams.

Visit rbc.com/top100 ®™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada.

full-time staff in Canada charities helped last year staff volunteer hours last year years, longest-serving employee

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See the world with Rothmans, Benson & Hedges

W

hen university student Michelle Funk worked one summer as a receptionist at the Rothmans, Benson & Hedges (RBH) Canadian head office in Toronto, she had no idea that she was embarking on a promising career that would include four years in Lausanne, Switzerland. “It’s been a pretty cool journey, and I still have a few stops to go,” says Funk, now the company’s Manager of Commercial Organizational Development.

Opportunities abound for RBH employees who want to seize the initiative, according to Jackie Taylor, RBH Director of Human Resources. “People own their careers,” she says, “and we are here to guide you to your destination.”

Being in a foreign land helps you grow and learn new things, including about yourself.

RBH EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATE IN AN IN-CLASS TRAINING SESSION

Jackie Taylor,

Director of Human Resources

At RBH, professional development involves lots of variety. As Taylor puts it, “Career progression here is not a ladder, but a web.” Adds Funk: “One of the great things about Rothmans is being able to establish a career path. It’s empowering and shows the company is willing to take risks.”

Funk started in sales some 15 years ago. Looking for broader exposure, she was selected for a one year to 18-month corporate transfer to RBH’s international headquarters in Lausanne. As her assignment was running out, Funk decided to remain in the Swiss head office for another three years to better understand brand marketing. “My current job – training and developing sales and marketing teams –

really builds on the knowledge I picked up overseas,” she says.

While there are typically half a dozen Canadian RBH employees temporarily in Lausanne, other postings that fit an employee’s professional development plan are available almost everywhere around the globe. “Being in a foreign land helps you grow and learn new things, including about yourself,” says Taylor.

Overseas postings are but one of several RBH’s distinctive development measures.

There’s a summer intern program for second-year university students that often leads to them being invited back after they finish third year. And then, many of those are offered a permanent job once they graduate, quite a boon for fourth-year students worried about their futures.

RBH’s Xcelerated Development Program allows high achievers to further develop leadership and problem-solving skills in an eight-month, project-oriented exercise that participants have to perform while still handling their daily responsibilities. Teams of four or five are assigned business challenges whose solutions are often adopted by the company. Among those put into action is RBH’s employee recognition program, launched earlier this year, in which staff can single out fellow workers for outstanding performance that can lead to tangible rewards.

Another example of how RBH listens when employees speak is its new approach to distributing wellness benefits, which used to be restricted to health club memberships. Now, employees have $1,000 to

spend on a wide range of activities from new skis and bicycles to courses in flower arrangements. “We believe in a broad definition of wellness,” Taylor says.

In addition to its suite of generous benefits, RBH wants to help people understand how best to utilize them. There are counselling sessions on investment and retirement planning. On the medical side, employees are offered health risk assessments, including onsite health clinics.

In addition to vacation time, all staff are entitled to up to 10 days of personal leave that they can use for a variety of purposes, including getting married or attending their own citizenship ceremonies.

In addition, RBH provides one paid day for charitable activities of an employee’s choice. This year, 20 people from different units helped out for a day on a GTA Habitat for Humanity project, building homes for the less fortunate. They also raised some $8,600 for the initiative, nearly three times their goal.

Funk says the company benefit programs are another example of supporting employees in achieving personal as well as career goals. “This is a place you don’t have to leave to gain new experiences,” she says.

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Samsung recognizes its ‘awesome’ employees

D

onna Francis has plenty of reasons to like working at Samsung Canada. There’s the strong training and development, the volunteer opportunities, the emphasis on innovation, the global environment. And then there’s U r Awesome.

Samsung’s online recognition program lets employees and managers give each other reward points when someone has been a big help to them or done a great job. It’s known internally as one of the ways the company lives its values. For Francis, her accumulated 50,000 points in November 2014 translated to a $500 Visa card. Less than two years later, she was back up to 68,000 – $680 – and thinking about home furnishings for Christmas.

The ability of Samsung to recognize my talent and skill sets quickly was very impressive.

Donna Francis,

Human Resources Business Manager

Pretty nice bonuses. Does that mean Francis is an especially popular colleague?

“Those rewards are not at all uncommon,” says Francis, a Human Resources Business Manager at the company’s Mississauga, Ont. headquarters. “I’m not even on the high end.”

U r Awesome also allows employees to give each other a social shout-out for being helpful in smaller ways – sending over a report quickly, say, or helping prepare for a meeting. “It’s so timely,” says Francis. “And it’s really appreciated by people.

Often I get a response back by email saying, thank you so much. It changes their demeanor for the whole day.”

SAMSUNG CANADA EMPLOYEES VOLUNTEER AT A LOCAL YMCA ON THEIR ANNUAL ‘DAY OF GIVING’

Recognition is a big part of the environment at Samsung Canada, says Christine Greco, Vice President Human Resources and Corporate Affairs. “The program has had amazing uptake – around 90 per cent usage,” she says. “We’re pretty proud of that.”

There are additional rewards for Bright Ideas that employees submit. If that’s not enough, people can also be recognized with Samsung Dollars to use to buy company products, and all employees receive 500 Samsung Dollars at the holiday season.

“Our employees have a big passion for our products,” says Greco. “Providing a way for them to acquire them is important because they are our best brand ambassadors.”

And building that kind of engagement is what Samsung is all about, she notes.

“Employees who are passionate, creative and driven thrive at Samsung,” says Greco.

“Our people want to contribute to a company with a future focus.”

Samsung has about 380 employees in its Mississauga headquarters, concentrated mainly in sales, marketing and supply chain roles. They also work in corporate functions from finance to communications, and there is a small cohort of tech professionals in the Quality Assurance group.

For Francis, the modern headquarters building is another of the attractions.

Workspaces are open-concept, with variable-height desks and plenty of meeting areas. There’s an onsite gym with free lunchtime classes. And the “dress for your day” policy allows employees to wear casual clothes if it suits their responsibilities. “If

you’re feeling comfortable, your productivity level will be better,” she says.

Francis joined Samsung in 2011 as a co-op student and rose steadily to her current position as an HR partner for four employee groups. She says she was given opportunities to work on a variety of projects, and offered increasing responsibilities in a short time. “The ability of Samsung to recognize my talent and skill sets quickly was very impressive,” she says. “I wasn’t told, you have to wait a year before you can try new things. It’s more like, ‘you take the reins – let’s see what you can do with this.’

The support structure is there for people to thrive.”

She also appreciates the 60 hours of training and development that employees are strongly encouraged to take each year.

Then there is global mobility – if it suits their roles, employees may be able to work in offices from New York to Korea.

As for volunteering, on Samsung’s Day of Giving this year, Francis joined her colleagues in helping out at a local YMCA camp. “We were putting in our time, effort and sweat, not just handing out cheques,” she says. “It was an awesome experience.” This time, being Awesome was its own reward.

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Inspire the World, Create the Future.

Find out more at www.samsung.com/ca/careers

full-time staff in Canada staff volunteer hours last year average employee age weeks, starting vacation allowance

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The learning never ends at Seneca College

“W

e value learning,” says Laurel Schollen, Academic Vice-President of Seneca College in Toronto.

For a post-secondary institution that offers baccalaureate, diploma, certificate and post-graduate programs to over 28,000 full-time students, that statement may seem self-evident. But Seneca’s emphasis on learning extends far beyond its students – to more than 4,500 full and part-time employees as well, including faculty, support staff and administrators.

“Faculty members come to Seneca with industry experience and professional credentials,” says Schollen, who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in science and is currently studying for her PhD in education.

“Our role is to develop them as teachers.”

You can no longer get just one credential for your life. Your education needs to be ongoing.

Hadi Majzoub,

Academic Program Manager, School of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering Technology

As it supports employees in developing their skills, Seneca also provides them with an abundance of opportunities to take new directions in their employment within the college. Schollen herself began her 30-year career at Seneca teaching biological sciences. “I still miss it,” she says.

After 13 years, she moved into an administrative position, rising steadily to become chair of her department, then dean of applied science and engineering technology and associate vice-president.

After moving briefly to another college in

SENECA FACULTY AND GRADUATES CELEBRATE DURING A RECENT CONVOCATION CEREMONY

Ontario as academic vice-president, she computing and technology while serving returned in the same role to Seneca in as vice-president of the college’s employSeptember 2016. ees’ union. He won a national award for “I wanted to come home,” she says. support-staff excellence from Colleges & Seneca offered similar opportunities Institutes Canada. to Hadi Majzoub, now Academic ProOver that period, Seneca supported gram Manager in the college’s School of Majzoub as he studied for a bachelor’s Electronics and Mechanical Engineering degree in education from another instiTechnology. A full-time employee since tution and then enrolled in a master’s 2003, Majzoub had worked at the college program. In 2016, he moved into a manas a lab technologist while studying for agement position at the college, when he his diploma in computer engineering became an academic program manager. technology.

“You can no longer get just one “I had no expectation of staying at the credential for your life,” Majzoub says. college,” he says. “I’d worked at several “Your education needs to be ongoing.” companies as part of my co-op program at In his current position, Majzoub Seneca, and I expected to work with one works with industry to develop new of them. But when my supervisor retired, programs in his school while monitoring he suggested that I apply to the college. existing programs to ensure that they Now it’s my second home.” meet provincial guidelines. He continues Over the past 13 years as a lab technolo-T:9.25”to teach as well, and recently received his gist, Majzoub taught part-time courses in certification as an advanced instructor in

mechatronics, a multidisciplinary field that includes a combination of mechanical engineering, electronics, computer engineering, telecommunications engineering, systems engineering and control engineering.

“Our program attracts students from all over the country and the world,” he says. “It’s a global industry, and it’s looking for skilled graduates to take manufacturing into the future.”

Majzoub’s program is one of 150 fulltime and 140 part-time programs that attract students from around the globe.

Every year, more than 5,500 international students come to Seneca from countries such as China, India, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

A leader in Ontario in university and college pathways, Seneca has more than 60 partner post-secondary institutions in Ontario and worldwide, including universities in Australia, England, South Africa and the U.S., which enable students to apply their college education to obtain credit towards a university degree.

“That diversity and richness is part of being a GTA college,” says Schollen.

“It’s what brought me back.”

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senecacollege.ca

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Our passionate people are redefining education.

S:1.75”

Because we embrace diversity, innovation and excellence.

ONE OF GREATER TORONTO’S TOP EMPLOYERS 2017.

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Finding your career path at State Street Canada

A

llison Kitamura thinks beyond silos. In her 12 years with State Street Canada, she has worked in five different departments.

Starting as a foreign exchange specialist, she rose to vice president within Global Services, a role in which she identifies opportunities for automation across the company’s many business units.

State Street Canada is a financial institution that provides custody and asset management, investment management and foreign exchange services. “Since we have a lot of back-office operations, my project involves streamlining them and making processes more efficient,” she says. “I thrive on the interaction and collaboration I have with those different groups.”

Our employees are very driven, with a focus on servicing clients and building lasting relationships with those clients, as well as with the broader community.

Robert Baillie,

Head of State Street Canada

State Street encourages internal mobility, Kitamura says. “And personally, I find it challenging and interesting to continue to learn about different business units so that I don’t stagnate in my role.”

The culture within the Toronto office is very much aligned with State Street’s global corporate culture, says Robert Baillie, head of State Street Canada. “Our employees are very driven, with a focus on servicing clients and building lasting relationships with those clients, as well as with the broader community.”

The Toronto workforce comprises about 1,100 employees. State Street hires for client management, accounting, transfer agency, financial reporting and cash operations

STATE STREET CANADA HEAD OFFICE IN TORONTO

roles. In demand are business administration graduates (such as Kitamura), with a specialization in accounting, finance or economics.

Personnel who have the Canadian Securities Course, Chartered Financial Analyst or accounting designations are highly sought.

Kitamura has benefitted from the company’s support for continuing education. She received a tuition subsidy when earning her MBA degree part-time at York University’s Schulich School of Business.

Two years ago, she took a strategic leadership program offered by the company’s State Street University.

“It was my first time taking a course that was virtual, with global participants across multiple business units,” she says.

A component involved working by phone with an external business coach on career development.

Kitamura has participated on both sides of the company’s global mentorship program. This is her first year acting as a mentor. “The mentee and I meet monthly for an hour to discuss obstacles and challenges she is facing. It’s been an open relationship in terms of my providing feedback, but I get to learn from her, too. I asked to be matched with someone from a different area of the bank.”

Four years ago, Kitamura was herself a mentee. “My mentor encouraged me to branch out and join some of the employee affinity groups so that I could network and find out about other opportunities within the company.”

In addition to the traditional one-to-one, face-to-face format, State Street also offers mentorship in a group setting and online.

“Employees who are serious about their

career development and wish to further their growth take advantage of these opportunities,” says Baillie.

Kitamura has also grown through her volunteerism at State Street. For the past four years, she has chaired the global outreach committee. It organizes volunteer events for Toronto employees, such as stocking the Daily Bread Food Bank, preparing and serving meals at Ronald McDonald House and doing day-long “reading circles” at elementary schools.

She personally took part in the latter two activities in 2016, using the two paid volunteer days that State Street gives employees.

(Last year, the company contributed nearly 3,000 hours of employee time to charities.)

Kitamura also chairs State Street’s community support board, which oversees strategic grant-making. The company this year supported 22 charities in Canada, with priority to non-profits such as Pathways to Education, Youth Employment Services and 360 Kids that help upgrade the skills of disadvantaged individuals.

State Street not only matches employee donations, dollar for dollar (up to a set amount), but also matches employee volunteerism, dollars for hours. “It’s good corporate citizenship,” says Kitamura.

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Sunnybrook makes wellness a priority for all

W

orking at a trauma, emergency and critical care hospital can be one of the most fulfilling jobs there is, but there are also times the staff just needs to decompress. Employees at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre are lucky enough to be able to do so right on site at their midtown Toronto location.

Sunnybrook, which houses Canada’s first and largest regional trauma centre, is situated on nearly 100 acres of ravine parkland where employees can walk, run, ride a bike, or just get away from it all.

“We have beautiful grounds and access to the park system. People take advantage of it,” says Ru Taggar, Vice President, Quality and Patient Safety, and Chief Nursing and Health Professions Executive.

Like many of her colleagues, Taggar sometimes rides her bike to work. As part of a campaign to encourage employees to leave the car at home, Sunnybrook recently installed large secure bike cages at four separate locations on the campus.

One of the key things for me is there’s always support.

Wendy Morgan,

Director of Occupational Health and Safety

Thanks partly to Sunnybrook’s strong focus on wellness, many employees make it a point to work casual fitness into their daily routines by walking from building to building for meetings or opting to take the stairs when they can. On a big campus like Sunnybrook’s, it’s possible to rack up a lot of steps over the course of a working day or week. From one end of the Odette Cancer Centre to the other, a walk that

SUNNYBROOK HEALTH SCIENCES EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATE IN NORDIC POLE WALKING CLASSES

can also be done underground, is a full half a kilometre.

Along with its main Bayview campus, Sunnybrook also includes St. John’s Rehab Hospital, located on its own scenic grounds a few kilometres to the north, and the Holland Orthopaedic & Arthritic Centre downtown, which has easy access to public transit.

Taggar is an enthusiastic user of Sunnybrook’s gym, which operates 24/7 to accommodate staff on different shifts.

At the end of a long workday, instead of going home and crashing out on the couch in front of the TV, she often pays a visit to the gym. “It feels rejuvenating,” she says, adding that afterwards she’ll sometimes

put in a bit more time at her desk before calling it a day. “I’m hearing more and more people are working the gym into their day-to-day lives.”

Karen Fritz, a Human Resources Business Partner at Sunnybrook, is part of a group that recently helped give the gym “a bit of a facelift – there’s new equipment and we reorganized the flow,” she says.

Fritz likes the premises so much that she’ll often stop by on weekends to use the gym, which is free for employees.

Fritz has also been taking a yoga class on Wednesday afternoons for almost a decade. It’s one of a number of programs on offer including Pilates, lunch hour fitness, and, more recently during the

summer, Nordic pole walking. Wendy Morgan, Director of Occupational Health and Safety, was an early backer of pole walking, which is becoming more and more popular and has been shown to have many health benefits.

Just as employees have been able to arrange for better bike facilities, a gym makeover and new types of fitness courses, Morgan says, the same principles hold on the job at Sunnybrook, where senior leaders are quick to back good ideas. “One of the key things for me is there’s always support,” she says. “And collaboration – when you need somebody they’re there.”

Sunnybrook also has its own Leadership Institute dedicated to providing classroom and online learning opportunities for professional and personal development.

Workshops and programs include Management Excellence, Foundations of Coaching, Effective Communication, and Crucial Conversations. Since 2011, more than 9,000 staff and physicians have participated in workshops and programs.

“Our employment promise is to be more at Sunnybrook,” says Shamena Maharaj, Director, Human Resources, Organizational Development & Leadership.

5,200 6,000 48 43

full-time staff in Canada internal job applications last year years, longest-serving employee average employee age

( 2017 )

46

Share, dare and care at Tangerine

P

eter Aceto may be President and Chief Executive Officer of Toronto-based Tangerine, but he does without many of the usual perks that come with being leader of a financial institution – perks like a designated parking spot and a fancy office with a million-dollar view.

“I don’t have an office, I have a desk and my desk is right out there in the middle of the floor,” Aceto says with a measure of pride. “If I drive my daughter to school and arrive a little late, I’ve got to drive around the parking lot like everyone else looking for a spot.”

Those are just a couple of things that distinguish Tangerine from other financial institutions, which are bound by tradition and have decades of history behind them.

Tangerine, on the other hand, is a relative newcomer to the banking sector. And it takes a different approach to the business.

At Tangerine, I feel shared values amongst my peer group and am inspired by an executive committee that is comprised of 50 per cent women.

Tammy Chiasson,

Director, Client Experience Strategy and Innovation

It is a digital bank that offers a full range of retail products and services – without a network of bricks and mortar branches.

Founded in 1997 as ING DIRECT, it was acquired by Scotiabank in 2012 and had to be re-branded and re-named. Tangerine has since become familiar to Canadians through its visually distinctive TV ads.

Tammy Chiasson joined Tangerine two and a half years ago as Director, Client Experience Strategy and Innovation, after

TANGERINE STAFF ON THEIR WAY TO A COMMUNITY PROJECT THROUGH THE BANK’S #BRIGHTWAYFORWARD PROGRAM

working as a consultant to the bank. “In my previous field, I found that as I became more senior there were fewer women and people with similar values to me in my peer group and in leadership positions,” says Chiasson. “At Tangerine, I feel shared values amongst my peer group and am inspired by an executive committee that is comprised of 50 per cent women.”

The Tangerine culture is guided by four promises – We Share, We Dare, We Care and We Deliver – and it fosters teamwork, collaboration, transparency and commitment, says Aceto. “If I picked a random sample of 100 employees at Tangerine and asked them why did they join, why do they stay, what do they like about it, the overwhelming answer would be the culture,” he says. “People say they love the culture, how it feels to be here every day and how people work together as a team.”

Chiasson says the four promises resonated strongly with her when she was working as an outside consultant to the bank. “They align with my core values and made me want to work here,” she says.

“Caring, sharing and delivering are things you can apply to your personal as well as your professional life. They say people who work at Tangerine bleed orange and the promises have a lot to do with it.”

But there are other things that make it an attractive place to work – like the bowls of fresh fruit spread throughout the workplace at the bank’s Toronto headquarters, which is home to some 85 per cent of staff. Then there are the subsidized meals at the 11th-floor restaurant. Employees can choose from two hot dishes daily, custom sandwiches and an array of nutritious salads. The bank also offers each employee a $500 annual wellness subsidy that can be

You can’t be a great employer without great employees.

Proud to be named one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers.

Tangerine.ca

used for fitness classes, gym memberships or accessories like a Fitbit.

Tangerine has a department dedicated to Sponsorship & Community Investment, which partners with more than 50 charities across Canada. Employees devoted more than 8,000 hours in the past year to charitable volunteer work.

1,075 50.5% 50% 50

full-time staff in Canada of employees are women of executives are women number of charities helped last year

47

( 2017 )

William Osler cares about staff recognition

A

s a Cardiology Technician with William Osler Health System, Mella Rose has an essential role in helping to care for patients with heart disease. Using a range of high-tech diagnostic tools, she monitors and shares vital information with an interdisciplinary team of health-care providers to determine the optimal treatment for each patient.

“It’s busy, but it’s rewarding,” says Rose, who has been with Osler for 36 years. “We are a patient-focused hospital and it’s very gratifying when you can help somebody.

We can reassure patients and their families that we have a great team here and we’re doing our absolute best for them.”

We want to make sure they can sit back and bask in the limelight for a moment, before they head back to the hustle and bustle.

STAFF AT WILLIAM OSLER HEALTH SYSTEM

Joanne Flewwelling,

Interim CEO

Rose’s dedication extends well beyond the cardiac ward. She is an avid supporter of the Osler Foundation, a separate notfor-profit organization that raises money for Osler’s capital, education and research priorities. Among other things, Rose recruits donors within her department, and for the last two years has spearheaded a 10-member team from her church in an annual fundraising walkathon at Woodbine Racetrack.

“There are good connections between the community and the hospital,” says Rose. “People are willing to give for a good cause.”

Osler, located in the western regions of the Greater Toronto Area, is one of the

largest community hospitals in Canada, serving a population of 1.3 million that is among the fastest growing in the country.

Two full-service sites, Brampton Civic Hospital and Etobicoke General Hospital, provide an extensive range of acute care and outpatient and community-based services. Its newest site, the Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health and Wellness, will be open in February 2017.

For her efforts, Rose was named 2016’s “most spirited walker.” She also received a Foundation Staff Philanthropy Award which honours an employee who demonstrates leadership in philanthropy, by donating personally, as well as contributing to the culture of philanthropy at Osler.

Interim CEO Joanne Flewwelling says it’s important for Osler to recognize

employees’ achievements. “The people in our organization do great work,” she says.

“When someone has earned an award, we want to make sure they can sit back and bask in the limelight for a moment, before they head back to the hustle and bustle.”

Awards and celebrations are just a few of the ways that Osler demonstrates its commitment to its staff. Chief among them is helping individuals to reach their full potential. Osler encourages employee development through a variety of in-house and online training programs. The Centre for Clinical Excellence, for one, enables novice and seasoned workers alike to stay abreast of developments in their fields.

Osler also has formal leadership development programs so that individuals, including physicians, can become effective

team leaders. This requires good communication, something Osler takes seriously overall. Quarterly town hall meetings, for instance, are available electronically on the wards for staff who can’t leave their duties, while surveys solicit employee opinions on everything from clinical priorities to health and safety issues. And as Flewwelling notes, Osler doesn’t just seek employee input, it acts on many of their suggestions.

That’s the case with the new Peel Memorial. As well as other stakeholders, Osler consulted staff during the planning stages about which services the facility should offer. The result is a state-of-the art outpatient hospital that will offer not only an Urgent Care Centre to treat non-life threatening injuries and illnesses, but a range of innovative services aimed at preventing illness and better managing chronic disease.

Osler is also in regular contact with a variety of community partners, many of whom also stressed they want to learn better ways of managing their own health.

“We always talk about delivering a continuum of care and this shows our staff it’s not only talk,” says Flewwelling. “We want to make sure staff have the resources they need to better help their patients. It’s all intertwined.”

2,994 927 39,627 48.6

full-time staff in Canada jobs available last year job applications last year years, longest serving employee

Tell us your story If you are an exceptional employer with progressive human resources programs and initiatives, we invite you to submit an application for next year’s edition of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers. Now entering its 18th year, our national project is Canada’s longest-running and best-known editorial competition for employers.

For information on next year’s application process, please visit:

CanadasTop100.com/2018 Applications for our 2018 competition will be released in February and must be submitted in April.