Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers (2018)

2 0 1 8 WI N N E R S

A THINKING APE ENTERTAINMENT LTD.

ct100.ca/sme

2018

CO-PUBLISHED BY:

MEDIACORP

p In the reception area of Vancouver-based A Thinking Ape Entertainment Ltd., one of this year's winners.

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CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

3 DARREN CALABRESE/THE GLOBE AND MAIL

2018

5th Annual Edition

CANADA'S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018 Magazine Anthony Meehan, PUBLISHER

Karen Le,

VICE-PRESIDENT

Editorial Team:

Richard Yerema, MANAGING EDITOR

Kristina Leung, SENIOR EDITOR

Stephanie Leung, ASSISTANT EDITOR

Advertising Team:

Kristen Chow,

DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS

Ye Jin Suhe,

CLIENT SUPPORT COORDINATOR

Sponsored Profile Writers:

Berton Woodward, SENIOR EDITOR

Michael Benedict Brian Bergman Sheldon Gordon Patricia Hluchy D’Arcy Jenish Bruce McDougall Nora Underwood Barbara Wickens

© 2018 Mediacorp Canada Inc. All rights reserved. CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS is a trade mark of Mediacorp Canada Inc. Editorial inquiries: ct100@mediacorp.ca

p Staff at the Drake Devonshire, part of Drake Hotel Properties, in Prince Edward County, Ont.

Canada’s top small and medium employers think big

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any of Canada's Top Small and Medium Employers for 2018 grew significantly over the past year, reporting increases of up to 50 per cent or more in new full-time positions.

Examples include Wave, a Toronto financial services software company, with a year-over-year work-force increase of 58 per cent, and Solink Corp., a video surveillance software developer in Kanata, Ont., that expanded its work force by approximately 50 per cent. That kind of rapid growth is good news for the Canadian economy and for job-seekers since SMEs employ more than 90 per cent of the private-sector labour force.

In their drive to acquire top talent, these top SMEs typically encourage staff to become recruiters for the company, offering generous referral bonuses – of up to $5,000 in some companies – for each successful hire from an employee’s network. Other financial perks typically offered include profit sharing, year-end bonuses for all employees and opportunities to become owners through share-purchase plans. Feeling you have skin in the game creates an ownership culture where people feel inspired to make their workplace the best it can be.

Every one of Canada’s Small and Medium Employers 2018 offer competitive benefits rivalling those traditionally associated with much larger companies. Best practices include continuing support for career development, such as tuition subsidies for courses both related and unrelated to the employee’s current position, as well as for professional accreditation, plus a wide range of in-house training and mentorship programs.

The softer side of these companies shows consideration for employees’ health and comfort with progressive initiatives, such as onsite fitness facilities with instructor-led classes, flexible benefits with wellness spending accounts, fresh fruit deliveries for free healthy snacks and wellequipped lounges where staff can unwind. While foosball and video games are standard, some go well beyond the expected by providing an ice rink and beach volleyball court – hello, Waterloo-based software firm TextNow. It’s no wonder these over-achieving SMEs are thriving. It’s worth taking a look to see what they’re doing.

– Diane Jermyn

MCLEOD LAW LLP

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP): 1. A partner at Calgary-based McLeod Law LLP. 2. Some of the management team at Norima Consulting Inc., an IT consulting firm based in Winnipeg.

3. Hamming it up at Archon Systems Inc., a Toronto-based developer of inventory management software.

NORIMA CONSULTING INC.

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

4

ARCHON SYSTEMS INC.

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

AGNORA INC.

ABILIS SOLUTIONS

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FROZEN MOUNTAIN SOFTWARE LTD.

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP): 1. Employees at Abilis Solutions, a Montréal-based software developer, celebrating the company's 20th anniversary.

2. Members of the senior management team at AGNORA Inc., an architectural glass manufacturer based in Collingwood, Ont. 3. Employees at Frozen Mountain Software Ltd., based in Surrey, B.C., playing oversized Jenga.

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

DARRYL DYCK/THE GLOBE AND MAIL

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2018

2018 Winners p Bob Meggy, the owner of Great Little Box Company Ltd., at the company's headquarters in Richmond, B.C. /N SPRO INC., Montreal. Computer consulting; 70 employees. Holds an annual corporate retreat for employees in a sunny destination.

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THINKING APE ENTERTAINMENT LTD., Vancouver. Game developer; 70 employees. Provides weekly onsite yoga classes led by a certified instructor.

ABILIS SOLUTIONS, Montreal.

Computer software; 143 employees. Helps employees save for the longer term with matching RRSP contributions.

ABSORB SOFTWARE INC., Calgary.

Learning management systems; 102 employees. Provides unlimited tuition subsidies to employees for courses related to their current position.

ACCOMPASS, Toronto. Financial and benefits consulting; 36 employees. Starts new employees with three weeks of paid vacation with additional time off during the winter holiday season and up to five personal days.

ACL SERVICES LTD., Vancouver.

Custom computer programming;

238 employees. Recognizes exceptional performance through numerous rewards, including stock options, a $5,000 education bursary and one-on-one mentoring with the CEO. AGNORA INC., Collingwood, Ont. Glass and glazing contractors; 72 employees. Offers employees a $500 health spending account that can be used to cover additional health-related expenses.

ARCHON SYSTEMS INC., Toronto. Software development; 15

employees. Encourages employees to become owners through a share purchase plan, available to all employees.

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BG MANAGEMENT CORP., Ottawa. Technology consulting and business services; 50 employees. Supports employees who are new mothers with maternity leave top-up payments.

BEEDIE DEVELOPMENT GROUP, Burnaby, B.C. Real estate development; 230 employees. Provides tuition subsidies for courses

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

2018 WINNERS

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directly and indirectly related to an employee’s current position.

BENEVITY, INC., Calgary. Software developer; 324 employees. Added more than 100 new full-time positions to its work force in the past year, a year-over-year work-force change of nearly 50 per cent.

BIG VIKING GAMES, London, Ont. Game developer; 105 employees. Provides an employee lounge, complete with foosball, television, board games, hammock and a custom-made tiki bar.

BIMM MANAGEMENT INC., Toronto. Digital marketing; 61 employees. Encourages employees to become recruiters with generous new employee referral bonuses when they successfully recruit a friend.

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BCL LTD., Halifax. Engineering; 261 employees. Lets everyone share in the company’s success with profit sharing.

CHANDOS CONSTRUCTION LTD., Edmonton. Construction and project management contractors; 389 employees. Offers in-house and online training options as well as tuition subsidies for courses taken externally.

CLIO, Burnaby, B.C. Computer software; 194 employees. Provides a casual work environment with monthly mixers and poker nights, employee sports teams and a petfriendly policy that lets employees bring their pets to work when needed.

COLE ENGINEERING GROUP LTD., Markham, Ont. Engineering; 266 employees. Encourages employees to adopt healthy habits with free access to an onsite fitness facility and a dedicated wellness room.

COMMUNITY TRUST CO., Mississauga, Ont. Financial products and services; 94 employees. Offers employees a variety of alternative work options to help them balance their work and personal lives.

CONNECTED LAB INC., Toronto.

Software developer; 83 employees.

Provides an office lounge featuring healthy snacks, hammocks, hula hoops, virtual reality headsets, chess, Lego, Netflix and a beer fridge.

CORITY SOFTWARE INC., Toronto. Software developer; 143 employees. Supports a number of local, national and international charitable initiatives each year.

COWELL MOTORS LTD., Richmond, B.C. New car dealerships; 220 employees. Offers numerous financial benefits, including signing bonuses for some employees, year-end bonuses for all and referral bonuses.

CREIT MANAGEMENT LP, Toronto. Real estate investment trust; 156 employees. Provides retirement planning assistance and phasedin work options for those nearing retirement.

CROESUS FINANSOFT INC., Laval, Que. Financial management software and services; 168 employees. Encourages employees to adopt healthy habits with weekly deliveries of fresh fruit and free access to an onsite fitness facility.

CROMBIE REIT, New Glasgow, N.S. Property management and development; 271 employees. Offers employees a variety of in-house and online training programs as well as tuition subsidies for courses related and not directly related to their current position.

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EEP FOUNDATIONS CONTRACTORS INC., Stouffville, Ont. Construction; 275 employees. Lets everyone share in the fruits of their labour through profit sharing.

DIABSOLUT INC., Pointe-Claire, Que. Computer software; 85 employees. Encourages employees to keep their skills up-to-date through generous tuition subsidies with no annual maximum.

DIAMOND SCHMITT ARCHITECTS INC., Toronto. Architecture

7 firm; 199 employees. Reaches out to the next generation through apprenticeship programs, co-op opportunities and paid internships.

DISTRICT M INC., Toronto. Software developer; Montreal, 39 employees. Provides a casual work environment where pets are welcome, along with a fun and busy social calendar.

DRAKE HOTEL PROPERTIES, Toronto. Hotels and restaurants; 115 employees. Offers a unique workplace culture and atmosphere with employee events and celebrations throughout the year.

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SENTIRE INC., Cambridge, Ont. Cyber security; 245 employees. Supports employee efforts to adopt healthy habits with a wellness spending account.

EVENTMOBI, Toronto. Software developer; 74 employees. Supports parents-to-be with maternity and parental leave top-up payments with the option to extend their leave into an unpaid leave of absence.

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LAMAN SALES LTD., Saskatoon. Retail, farm machinery and equipment, and home fitness; 291 employees. Provides head office employees with free access to an onsite fitness facility as well as an outdoor pond skating rink in winter.

FLEET COMPLETE, Toronto. Fleet and mobile resource tracking; 190 employees. Offers matching RRSP contributions and year-end bonuses available to all employees.

FRESCHE SOLUTIONS INC., Montreal. Computer systems design; 128 employees. Recognizes exceptional performance through a number of initiatives, including onthe-spot awards and peer-to-peer recognition.

FRESHBOOKS, Toronto. Software publishers; 248 employees. Provides an employee lounge with video games, foosball, a pool table, massage chairs and remote-controlled race cars.

FROZEN MOUNTAIN SOFTWARE LTD., Surrey, B.C. Computer software; 29 employees. Provides a nap room for those who need a break during a busy day.

FULLER LANDAU LLP, Toronto.

Accounting; 110 employees. Encourages employees to reach out to their community with up to two paid volunteer days and in-kind donations for volunteerism.

FUSION PROJECT MANAGEMENT LTD., Vancouver. Interior design; 42 employees. Provides a modern downtown office, complete with ball chairs for alternative seating options.

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REAT LITTLE BOX COMPANY LTD., The, Richmond, B.C. Box manufacturing; 257 employees. Offers reserved parking for 20- and 30-year employees, carpoolers and hybrid auto drivers.

GROUPHEALTH GLOBAL BENEFIT SOLUTIONS INC., Surrey, B.C. Health benefits plans; 144 employees. Provides regular deliveries of fresh fruit and vegetables plus occasional treats such as ice cream, popcorn, popsicles and cake.

GSOFT, Montreal. Computer software; 205 employees. Added more than 60 new full-time positions in the past year, a work-force growth of 44 per cent.

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ARBOUR AIR GROUP, Richmond, B.C. Airline; 286 employees. Offers a busy social calendar celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers and retirements throughout the year.

HARVARD DEVELOPMENTS INC., Regina. Commercial real estate management and development; 159 employees. Offers academic scholarships for employees’ children.

HYPERWALLET SYSTEMS INC., Vancouver. Financial transaction processing service; 239 employees.

Created more than 50 new full-time jobs, a year-over-year work-force change of 30 per cent.

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

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MCDOUGALL INSURANCE BROKERS LTD., Belleville, Ont. Insurance; 305 employees. Supports local and national charitable initiatives each year, focusing on youth, the environment, animals and community development.

MCLEOD LAW LLP, Calgary. Law firm; 116 employees. Offers a variety of alternative work options, including flexible hours, telecommuting and earned days off programs.

MESSAGEPOINT INC., Toronto. Communications management software; 63 employees. Provides a health spending account, allowing employees to top up coverage as needed.

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ATURAL RESOURCE SOLUTIONS INC., Waterloo, Ont. Environmental consulting; 38 employees. Offers opportunities for the next generation to gain career-level experience through co-op placements and summer employment.

DARREN CALABRESE/THE GLOBE AND MAIL

p Mike McDerment, CEO and co-founder of FreshBooks, with his dog Monroe at the company's head office in Toronto.

2018 WINNERS

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NTEGRATED SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANTS LTD., Calgary. Environmental consulting; 61 employees. Offers tuition subsidies to employees for courses related and not directly related to their current position, with no annual maximum.

INTELLIGENT MECHATRONIC SYSTEMS INC. / IMS, Waterloo, Ont. Automotive telematics technology; 118 employees. Considers previous work experience when setting individual vacation entitlement for new hires.

INVESTORCOM INC., Brantford, Ont. Computer software; 89 employees. Encourages employees to become recruiters with generous new employee referral bonuses.

IQMETRIX, Vancouver. Computer software; 380 employees. Provides

an employee lounge area complete with a wine fridge and two taps of craft beer.

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ACOB BROS CONSTRUCTION INC., Surrey, B.C. Construction; 197 employees. Added almost 40 new positions in the past year, an increase of just under 25 per cent year-over-year.

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ANETIX LTD., Toronto. Digital customer acquisition software; 117 employees. Allows all employees to receive their birthday off every year.

KEYSTONE ENVIRONMENTAL LTD., Burnaby, B.C. Environmental consulting; 79 employees. Manages a generous year-end bonus program available to all employees.

KINAXIS INC., Ottawa. Software developer; 307 employees. Provides numerous onsite amenities,

including a quiet room for meditation and religious observance.

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AWTON PARTNERS FINANCIAL PLANNING SERVICES LTD., Winnipeg. Financial planning; 60 employees. Offers phased-in work options to help those nearing retirement make the transition.

LEFT COAST NATURALS, Burnaby, B.C. Organic food manufacturing; 55 employees. Offers environmental bonuses to encourage employees to make practical, sustainable lifestyle changes such as cycling, walking or taking public transit to work.

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ARTINO CONTRACTORS LTD., Concord, Ont. HVAC contractor; 83 employees. Helps employees save for the future with contributions to a defined benefit pension plan.

NEXT LEVEL GAMES INC., Vancouver. Game developer; 75 employees. Cultivates a dynamic work atmosphere and culture with numerous social events and celebrations throughout the year, including picnics and camping weekends.

NICOLA WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD., Vancouver. Investment management; 143 employees.

Encourages employees to volunteer with paid volunteer time as well as matching charitable donations.

NORIMA CONSULTING INC., Winnipeg. Information technology consulting; 59 employees. Offers generous referral bonuses as an incentive for employees to recruit candidates from their personal networks.

NORTH ATLANTIC, St. John’s. Petroleum refining and distribution; 146 employees. Offers academic scholarships for children of employees.

NORTHFORGE INNOVATIONS INC., Gatineau, Que. Computer

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

2018 WINNERS

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software; 67 employees. Provides an employee lounge equipped with video games, table tennis and table hockey, onsite yoga classes and shower facilities.

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THINKWRAP COMMERCE INC.

LYMPIA FINANCIAL GROUP INC., Calgary. Trust company; 219 employees.

Added 46 new full-time positions, a year-over-year change of more than 25 per cent.

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ERLEY-ROBERTSON, HILL & MCDOUGALL LLP / S.R.L., Ottawa. Law firm; 113 employees. Offers generous bonuses for employees who refer candidates from their personal networks.

PETERSON, Vancouver. Real estate development and management; 181 employees. Offers the option to extend maternity leave into an unpaid leave of absence.

POINTS, Toronto. Customer loyalty program software; 181 employees. Recognizes exceptional performance through numerous awards, including the Hi5 peer-led recognition program.

PROPHIX SOFTWARE INC., Mississauga. Software developer; 162 employees. Offers numerous social events and celebrations throughout the year including mini golf, bowling, a Halloween costume contest and Jenga tournaments.

PROSERVEIT CORP., Mississauga.

Information technology services; 50 employees. Offers subsidies to employees for professional accreditations as well as full tuition subsidies for courses related to their current position.

PUSHOR MITCHELL LLP, Kelowna, B.C. Law firm; 122 employees.

Encourages employees to give back to the community with paid time off to volunteer.

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.F. BINNIE & ASSOCIATES LTD., Burnaby, B.C. Engineering; 139 employees.

p Employees at Thinkwrap Commerce Inc. take a moment to enjoy the company’s large kitchen and common area in their Kanata, Ont., head office.

Opened a new office in Calgary, increasing its full-time work force by approximately 20 per cent.

RELIABLE CONTROLS CORP., Victoria. Technology manufacturing; 123 employees. Offers phased-in work options to help those nearing retirement make the transition.

ROCKY MOUNTAINEER, Vancouver. Rail tour operators; 240 employees. Created 47 new full-time positions in the past year, a year-over-year increase of nearly 25 per cent.

ROHIT GROUP OF COMPANIES, Edmonton. Real estate development and management; 145 employees. Hosts an annual company “Rotreat,” shutting down operations for three days and journeying to a five-star resort.

ROMA MOULDING INC., Woodbridge, Ont. Picture frame manufacturing and distribution; 99 employees. Lets everyone share in the company’s success with profit sharing.

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ALES BEACON CONSULTING INC., Chester, N.S. Business consulting; 46 employees.

Offers tuition subsidies, in-house and online training initiatives, mentoring and financial bonuses for the completion of some courses.

SILVACOM LTD., Edmonton.

Computer software and consulting; 66 employees. Offers numerous social events and celebrations throughout the year, including an awards banquet, family picnic and the Silva Cup video game tournament.

SMART & BIGGAR/FETHERSTONHAUGH, Ottawa. Law firm; 384 employees. Provides maternity and parental leave top-up payments to new mothers and adoptive parents as well as a small top-up for fathers.

SOLINK CORP., Kanata, Ont. Video surveillance software; 27 employees.

Expanded significantly in the past

year, increasing its full-time workforce by approximately 50 per cent.

STARTEC, Calgary. Commercial refrigeration systems; 112 employees. Encourages employees to plan ahead with retirement planning assistance services and matching RRSP contributions.

SYSGEN SOLUTIONS GROUP LTD., Calgary. Information technology consulting; 50 employees. Offers generous referral bonuses as an incentive for employees to recruit candidates from their personal networks.

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EXTNOW INC., Waterloo, Ont. Software publishers; 73 employees. Offers a variety of onsite amenities including a cafeteria with free meals daily, an ice rink and a beach volleyball court.

THESCORE, INC., Toronto. Internet publishing; 205 employees.

Encourages employees to become owners through a share purchase program, available to all employees.

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

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THINKWRAP COMMERCE INC., Kanata, Ont. eCommerce services; 82 employees. Encourages employees to lead active, healthy lives with a subsidy for gym memberships.

TRACTION ON DEMAND, INC., Burnaby, B.C. Marketing consulting; 270 employees. Encourages employees to volunteer with one paid day each year.

TRICO HOMES INC., Calgary.

Housing construction; 115 employees. Encourages employees to apply their skills and work collaboratively to develop innovative solutions through the inhouse Trico Innovation Lab. TRIHEDRAL ENGINEERING LTD., Bedford, N.S. Computer software; 31 employees. Starts new employees with three weeks of paid vacation with up to six weeks for long-serving employees over their careers.

TRISURA GUARANTEE INSURANCE CO., Toronto.

Insurance; 108 employees. Helps employees get an early start to their summer weekends with early closings from Victoria Day to Labour Day.

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BERFLIP, Toronto. Cloudbased marketing software; 80 employees. Offers onsite weekly fitness classes hosted by a professional instructor, including yoga, kick-boxing and Krav Maga self-defence courses.

UKEN STUDIOS INC., Toronto.

Game developer; 77 employees.

Offers flexible work hours and telecommuting work options to help employees balance their work and personal lives.

UPSTREAM WORKS SOFTWARE LTD., Vaughan, Ont. Software developer; 67 employees.

Encourages employees to recruit their friends with generous new employee referral bonuses for every

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successful hire.

ALARD GEOMATICS LTD., Edmonton. Surveying and mapping; 89 employees.

Encourages healthy choices with a variety of fresh fruit in the employee lounge and sheltered parking for its bicycle commuters.

VELOCITYEHS CANADA, Oakville Ont. Software developer; 87 employees. Features telecommuting workstations at their head office.

VERAFIN INC., St. John’s.

Specialized financial software; 248 employees. Provides two kitchen areas stocked with free healthy snacks, from breakfast cereals to cookies.

VOONYX INC., Lac-Beauport, Que. Computer software; 29 employees.

Offers new employees four weeks of starting vacation allowance, time off for winter holidays and four additional paid days.

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AVE, Toronto. Financial services software; 128 employees. Added almost 50 new positions last year, a 58-per-cent increase in personnel year-over-year.

WELCH LLP, Ottawa. Accounting; 265 employees. Offers a variety of alternative work options, including telecommuting, flexible hours, earned days off, compressed and shortened work weeks.

WESGROUP EQUIPMENT LLP, Surrey, B.C. Industrial machinery and equipment distribution; 171 employees. Supports ongoing employee development through apprenticeship and in-house and online training initiatives as well as tuition subsidies for courses at outside institutions.

WILD ROSE BREWERY, Calgary.

Breweries; 57 employees. Provides an onsite pub where employees can enjoy the fruits of their labours.

– Diane Jermyn

UKEN STUDIOS INC.

2018 WINNERS

p Staff at Uken Studios Inc. working on the next blockbuster video game.

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METHODOLOGY

anada’s Top Small and Medium Employers is an editorial competition that recognizes exceptional small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across Canada. The competition is limited to private-sector commercial

organizations with fewer than 500 employees worldwide. Non-profit organizations are not eligible.

The Top 100 editors at Toronto-based Mediacorp Canada Inc. evaluate employers according to the

2018

same eight key areas used for judging in the national competition of Canada’s Top 100 Employers: physical workplace; work and social atmosphere; health, financial and family benefits; vacation and time off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development; community involvement.

Employers are compared with other organizations in their field to determine which ones offer the best workplaces and forward-thinking human resource policies. Whether an employer has positive employment growth is also a factor in determining the winners. As well, the unique initiatives of each employer are taken into account.

– Diane Jermyn

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

PETERSON

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DISTRICT M INC.

CLIO

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP): 1. Employees at Vancouver-based Peterson, a real estate developer and manager, in one of the company's open-concept workspaces.

2. Staff at Montréal-based District M Inc., an online advertising exchange, enjoying a bagel breakfast.

3. Rian Gauvreau and Jack Newton, cofounders of Clio, a software platform for law firms based in Burnaby, B.C.

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP): 1. The comfortable, open-concept workspace at Toronto-based Fleet Complete encourages collaboration.

2. The employee lounge at Northforge Innovations Inc., an IT consulting firm based in Gatineau, Que. 3. The light-filled offices of Croesus Finansoft Inc. in Montréal, a developer of portfolio management software for the banking and finance sectors.

NORTHFORGE INNOVATIONS INC.

CROESUS FINANSOFT INC.

FLEET COMPLETE

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CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

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A THINKING APE ENTERTAINMENT LTD.

q Tired of the rudimentary algebra, this dog dreams of tomorrow's challenges at Vancouver-based A Thinking Ape Entertainment Ltd.

The SME Sweet Spot Canada’s Top Small and Medium Employers 2018 offer values, family and fun while benefits continue to improve

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By Berton Woodward

great sage once said that Canada’s Top Small and Medium Employers are like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re going to get. So true. Even the names bear the promise of huge variety. Take these few examples: Great Little Box Company. Integrated Sustainability Consultants.

Uberflip. And even, A Thinking Ape. Moreover, what they do is equally varied. Great Little Box makes, yes, boxes in Richmond, B.C. Integrated Sustainability offers water, waste and energy management out of Calgary. Toronto-based Uberflip helps companies create a “content

experience” with their marketing. And A Thinking Ape dreams up digital games in Vancouver.

These companies are among the more than 1.1 million small and medium-sized enterprises in Canada, which employ over 90 per cent of the Canadian workforce. But this list contains only 100 of them – the crème de la crème among employer applicants. All are commercial operations with fewer than 500 employees. Given how different what they do is, you might think they are also very different at heart. But in fact, it’s not hard to find common themes in their success as employers. And heart has a lot to do with it.

You frequently hear the word “family” when talking to people about SMEs, or “smees” as they’re known. “There is a very family feel here,” says Frank Laxshimalla, Manager, Facilities Engineering, at Integrated Sustainability, which employs a lot of scientists and engineers. Stuart Torr, its founder and President, says that was part of the concept from the start, underlying the company’s drive to “build something remarkable”. “From that comes the sense of family, that loyalty which really evokes a passion for each other,” he says. “It’s very much a work hard, play hard mentality, with an unusual sense of caring.”

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

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RELIABLE CONTROLS CORP.

WAVE

SILVACOM LTD.

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP): 1. Derek and Andrew, employees at Edmonton-based Silvacom Ltd., collaborating at the company's map table.

2. Employees at Reliable Controls Corp., based in Victoria, B.C., show their colours in the company's annual Halloween contest.

3. A software engineer enjoys a lighter moment at Toronto-based Wave, which develops accounting software for small businesses.

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

SME SWEET SPOT

Continued

Great Little Box Company is literally about family. Founder and owner Robert Meggy and his wife Margaret built the company, son-in-law Brad Tindall is President, and his wife Christine and Bob’s brother Alan are also involved.

“It’s a very family-oriented operation, and we try to have that feel throughout,” says Tindall. It clearly works. Customer Solutions Coordinator Carrie Dawson, an 18-year veteran, loves the personal touches the Meggys bring, including flowers from Bob on Valentine’s Day. She talks about the “love and affection” spread by the founding couple.

And as another sage once said, the family that plays together stays together. So typically at the Top SMEs there are regular pot lucks, catered lunches, team-building sessions, game days, movie nights, ping pong

competitions – and for some, big trips. The Great Little Box Company staff all went to Mexico last year to celebrate strong results. Try arranging that in a huge corporation.

But one of most noticeable aspects of so many SMEs is a determined founder with a strong culture of values. Often these people start out in a big company, but find they have a vision that can’t be achieved in a large, structured environment. Torr left “an amazing job” at a global engineering company in 2010 to form Integrated Sustainability. “My wife said I would not be happy until I tried,” he says. “I recognized she was right. It’s hard to be an entrepreneur in a large corporation.”

To create A Thinking Ape with his partners, Calgary-born CEO Kenshi Arasaki left Amazon in Seattle and set up shop in Silicon Valley, and later Vancouver, to pursue a

15 passion for digital chat that evolved into a series of highly popular games.

When you ask such CEOs what the advantages are of working for their company, they rarely point to pay or benefits.

“It’s mostly related to our core values,” says Arasaki. “What I talk about with new employees is self-improvement.

When you’re placed in an environment where you’re on the bleeding edge of things, your rate of growth is exponential. This contrasts very heavily with bigger and more established companies where it’s a straight-up 9 to 5 job and you have immense amounts of security and comfort. If you compare the two after a couple of years, you’ll see that the person who has been in the more challenging environment will be orders of magnitude more effective at their job.”

Uberflip President and Chief Marketing Officer Randy Frisch, a co-founder, also talks about putting culture and

GREAT LITTLE BOX COMPANY LTD.

q Employees of Great Little Box Company Ltd. based in Richmond, B.C., hiking to St. Mark's Summit in Cypress Provincial Park, overlooking Howe Sound.

values first. “One of our values is creating great experiences – we’re obsessed with that from a product perspective.

And that translates into the work environment. We put a lot of effort into making this a very open and collaborative space for people to work in.”

Richard Yerema, Managing Editor for Mediacorp Canada Inc., which manages the competition, notes that these varied companies consistently expand the benefits they offer, bringing them increasingly into line with larger firms.

“So you have that unique entrepreneurial culture of a SME, combined with a traditional suite of benefits that you once might have expected to see at only larger employers,” says Yerema. “For many people, that's the holy grail: a fun, interesting, engaged workplace where you can still get a good maternity topup or a good retirement savings plan.”

The chocolates are sweeter than ever. n

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP): 1. Keeping it real with a guest appearance

by DJ Fase at Drake One Fifty restaurant in Toronto, part of Drake Hotel Properties.

2. An employee of software developer Voonyx Inc., based in Lac-Beauport, Que., staying ahead of the curve.

3. Employees of Jacob Bros Construction Inc. at the Box Canyon Hydroelectric Project, in the McNab Creek watershed on the north side of Howe Sound, B.C.

VOONYX INC.

JACOB BROS CONSTRUCTION INC.

DRAKE HOTEL PROPERTIES

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CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

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Even as it grows, /N SPRO maintains a small-business feel

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hen she first joined Montreal-based /N SPRO Inc. seven years ago, Elisa Piserchia was employee number 38.

Initially hired as a consultant for the professional services company for the IT industry, Piserchia was able to work from her Toronto home while also travelling across the country to work on projects and meet customers. A few years later, she moved into management, right before the company experienced real growth. But even though the numbers have changed – /N SPRO has just over 90 employees in Canada and the U.S. but is now part of a much larger company – the small-business culture remains.

In those earlier days, she really grew to understand the culture. “When you’re small, there aren’t as many redtape corporate policies, so it was really more of a family culture and everyone helped everyone – it was considered that we are one team and we will do whatever it takes together to achieve our goal,” says Piserchia, Vice-President of Operations for Canada. “And it’s really that mentality and that drive and that DNA that we carried forward, even in our growth.”

It’s not just a job, it’s like a family.

Elisa Piserchia

Vice-President of Operations for Canada

Having a good fit with that mentality is something /N SPRO (“en-spro”, named for an SAP software command)

THE /N SPRO TEAM AT THE COMPANY’S ANNUAL RETREAT IN MEXICO

looks for in all employees. They want people who take the initiative, who can work on their own as well as within a team and, Piserchia adds, they want people who care. “It’s not just a job, it’s like a family. You’re becoming a part of something bigger than yourself.”

And keeping the family together is a priority at /N SPRO. Employees are encouraged to work hard and follow their interests, and there is no shortage of opportunities to move around the company, as Piserchia knows from her own experience. “It’s not just about us giving them opportunities, it’s about them taking them as well,” she says.

“We don’t want people to stay in their boxes.”

Awesome People.

LOVE MONDAYS. www.n-spro.com

Eliot Boucher-Rioux graduated from university three years ago and started as a consultant at /N SPRO. “Right off the bat they provided me with a lot of training and many great mentors,” says Boucher-Rioux, now a Service Delivery Manager. “I started in a junior role and then after some months of experience with senior project managers, I got the chance to be a project manager on my own.” If he’d worked somewhere else, he adds, he’d likely have had to wait much longer for the opportunity. /N SPRO has a high retention rate, and that’s something the company’s leadership works hard to maintain.

“We know especially with the millennials we have to keep them engaged,

we have to keep them challenged and we have to make them see there’s a place for them to move,” says Piserchia, “so we’re constantly finding ways to do that.”

Boucher-Rioux appreciates the entrepreneurial dynamic at /N SPRO, the accessibility of the leadership, the flexibility to travel or work from home, and the big projects. “With /N SPRO we’re able to work on projects that are with major clients,” he says.

“And we’re having more and more projects internationally so we have the opportunity to work with businesses that are abroad.”

Still, it’s not all work at /N SPRO. A social committee finds plenty of opportunities for the staff at the busy, high-energy organization to have fun and relax together – everything from lunches, happy hours and board game nights to virtual yoga. And at the end of every winter, the entire staff is invited to the corporate retreat for teambuilding and networking -- typically a weekend at a warm, sunny resort.

“We’re always looking for ways for us to network and build our relationships,” says Piserchia, “because that’s what makes our culture stick.” n

70

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

680

JOB APPLICATIONS RECEIVED LAST YEAR

38

YEARS, AVERAGE AGE OF ALL EMPLOYEES

15

YEARS, LONGESTSERVING EMPLOYEE

A Rizing Company

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

18

A Thinking Ape welcomes thinking people

K

enshi Arasaki, co-founder and CEO of Vancouverbased digital games company A Thinking Ape Entertaininment, makes two unusually bold promises to people who come to work for his firm.

“The first thing we offer is that we will attempt to help you do your life’s best work,” he says. “We will give you challenging projects with as much ownership as you can take, and as much professional development and skills training as we can give you.”

And the second thing? “When you come into the office, you will be surrounded by the smartest colleagues you have ever worked with.”

Arasaki says that focusing the company’s outreach on these two points “makes recruiting and retaining really, really great people very easy.”

When you come into the office, you will be surrounded by the smartest colleagues you have ever worked with.

Kenshi Arasaki CEO

A Thinking Ape was founded in Silicon Valley in 2008 by Arasaki, a native Calgarian, and two partners, who eventually moved the company to Vancouver to find a more stable workforce than the job-hopping Valley. The mobile games, which originally grew out of an online chat platform, involve a strong sense of mass community among players of such varied titles as “Kingdoms at War” and “Party in my Dorm”. “Clans” from the games are known to plan real-world vacation trips together, and there has been more than one marriage of couples

THE FRONT RECEPTION AREA AT THE HEAD OFFICE OF A THINKING APE

who met while playing. In-app purchases fund the company.

Arasaki says the company recruits its people from across the country, including a strong contingent from the University of Waterloo, as well as internationally – “wherever we can find great people” – and pays relocation expenses for successful candidates.

“We’re currently in growth mode,” he says. “We’re hiring software developers, machine learning engineers, data scientists, game artists, 3-D artists, user acquisition analysts, player experience champions and product designers – basically every category.”

Working at A Thinking Ape is built around the company’s core values, such as ownership. “I talked with a group of interns today and they were very surprised at how much responsibility

they get,” Arasaki says. For all employees, such responsibility is tied to strong mentorship and learning, including a $1,500 per year stipend for individual training and development.

There is also free catered lunch once a week, free snacks, in-office massage, gym subsidies, arcade games – naturally – and this year a Christmas gift of a Nintendo Switch gaming system for everyone.

There’s one other perk – “we have wonderful arguments,” says Arasaki.

“It takes a lot of getting used to for an intern or a new employee to come and tell me, the CEO, that I’m wrong, and here’s the data to back it up. But once they get a handle on it, it’s very, very liberating.” He also points to a strong sense of humour, notable in the latest game title “Kingdoms of Heckfire”. “One

WE BUILD COMMUNITIES athinkingape.com/jobs

thing we’ve embraced as a company is that we’re very weird.”

Software Development Engineer Geoff Gollmer has experienced all of those elements, starting as an intern and then joining full-time in June 2015. From the first day, he says, the experience was exceptional. “You’re always being challenged, but to a degree you can achieve,” he says. “And it gives you this opportunity to prove to yourself you’re capable and to grow at an insane rate.”

He recalls proposing ideas as an intern that he then worked on when he joined.

“That was a validating moment,” he says.

At the company’s downtown Vancouver location, there is an easy-going environment full of bean-bag chairs and whiteboards. “It’s all about openness, and the ability to talk to anyone about anything at any level for pretty much any reason,” says Gollmer.

Core hours are set as 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., so people arrive and leave at various times depending on work and lifestyle. There are unlimited sick days, with an assumption that people won’t abuse them. In all ways, says Gollmer, “there’s a lot of employer trust in everybody that we hire.” n

52

FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES IN CANADA

29.5

AVERAGE AGE OF ALL EMPLOYEES

19

CO-OP PLACEMENT STUDENTS IN 2017

477

BURRITOS SERVED FOR CATERED LUNCH LAST YEAR

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

19

Abilis Solutions encourages teamwork and camaraderie

T

hey have a saying at Montreal-based Abilis Solutions: “We have star teams, not teams of stars.”

And Costin Ungureanu is proud to be a member of the “star” team responsible for developing the company’s state-ofthe-art Offender Management Software currently in use or in implementation in prisons and community corrections facilities across the U.S. and Australia.

“I’m the connection between our customers and our development team,” says Ungureanu, whose title is Product Owner. “We’re constantly improving our software so that it stays aligned with market needs. We promise our customers that we will never be obsolete, and we really mean that.”

The product is one reason why Ungureanu likes going to work every day, but the corporate culture at Abilis Solution is another. “We encourage delegation, development, respect, diversity and fun,” says President and Chief Operating Officer Alain Elbaz.

This isn’t just a place to work.

It’s also a place with freedom to learn and grow.

Alain Elbaz

President and Chief Operating Officer

Last year, the company set up a committee of employees to define its corporate culture and they came up with four core values: integrity, diversity, teamwork and passion. “The employees felt heard,” says Elbaz.

“Their voice was important.”

The company recruits software developers, database administrators,

ABILIS SOLUTIONS STAFF MEETING IN THE COMPANY’S INFORMAL ‘TOUCH POINT’ AREA

business analysts and solution architects, as well as people with degrees in engineering and information technology. “Retention is critical for us,” says Elbaz. “We need to keep our staff for as long as possible because the ramp-up time on our products is long.”

The commitment to the employee begins from day one when Gwennaelle Degrigny, Director of Recruitment and Onboarding, welcomes all new recruits.

She briefs them on the history of the company, its vision, its values and its products and services. She also introduces them to everyone and pairs them up with a “buddy” who can support them in a variety of ways, from taking them out for lunch to helping them locate documents on the company network.

“I want new employees to feel comfortable in their new environment and feel like a part of the team right away,” says Degrigny. “I meet with them often during their first three months to make sure everything is fine.”

The company maintains core hours between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. when everyone is expected to be at their desk, but employees choose when they start and complete their work day. Elbaz adds that team members can also work from home when necessary since everyone can access the company’s network remotely.

“I have a four-month old baby at home so I need the flexibility,” says Ungureanu. “What I really like is that management is aware that people have families. It’s a great balance between

personal life and professional life.”

Abilis goes to great lengths to promote camaraderie among colleagues by organizing regular social events throughout the year, such as a maple syrup event in the spring and a staff Christmas party. Others are held late on Thursday afternoon and include summer barbecues and a wine-tasting in the fall.

The company has a multicultural workforce that includes people from all parts of the world and it holds events to reflect that diversity, including Lunar New Year and a Brazilian social complete with Brazilian music, food and punch.

“This isn’t just a place to work,” says Elbaz. “It’s also a place with freedom to learn and grow”.

But apart from all that, the work itself is exciting, says Ungureanu.

“The domain we’re active in – correctional services – is amazing,” he says. “We’re making an impact on the security of communities, the staff working in prisons and the offenders.

It’s a big responsibility, but it’s very interesting work.” n

143

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

75

JOBS AVAILABLE LAST YEAR

3,198

JOB APPLICATIONS RECEIVED LAST YEAR

48%

OF MANAGERS ARE WOMEN

At Abilis Solutions we're humble, but proud.

In our growing company, we believe everyone makes a difference.

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

20

Absorb Software stays tight-knit amid fast growth

A

bsorb Software, makers of Absorb LMS (Learning Management System), is the kind of place where careers thrive, sometimes in unexpected ways.

The Calgary-based company’s current Product Manager started there as a technical writer, while its Vice President of Operations began as a senior programmer. “There are people who join us in one capacity but who are high achievers and have the potential to do something quite different two or three years down the road,” says Absorb CEO Mike Owens. “Through mentoring and supporting continued education, we try to help them succeed.”

Founded in 2003, Absorb uses its homegrown, software-as-a-service LMS to allow companies to efficiently train their own employees in a variety of learning fields. Currently with about 160 employees, Absorb is on a significant growth curve; the company expects to add up to 300 employees over the next three years.

During that same time, it will be opening additional international satellite offices in the United States, China and Australia.

There’s no empire-building or standing on titles here.

Mike Owens CEO

Through all of that growth, the company is determined to stay true to its tightknit, collaborative workplace culture.

“Our most important operating value is responsibility, both to our clients and each other,” says Owens. “That includes being respectful of everyone else and helping each other succeed.”

ABSORB SOFTWARE EMPLOYEES AT THE COMPANY’S ANNUAL LAWN BOWLING EVENT IN CALGARY

Owens uses what he calls “the coffee pot analogy” as an example.

“If the coffee machine is empty and you make another pot, you are doing a favour for the person who has to grab a cup right before heading into a meeting. Leaving an empty pot is not a good workplace culture practice. Little details like that make it a more enjoyable place to work, by getting rid of the minor frictions and allowing us to solve the big problems together.”

Open communication is another key priority.

“There’s no empire building or standing on titles here,” says Owens.

“Everyone’s opinion is valued and we expect good ideas to come from everywhere, including concerns about how management is performing.”

To help foster a team spirit, Absorb

sponsors several off-site social networking activities, including an annual lawn bowling event as well as “movie days” two or three times a year. For the latter, a movie theatre is rented out during office hours for employees and their families (the latest Star Wars screening proved to be a big hit).

Laura Sykes is Support Manager for Absorb’s client success and client advocate teams. “I like helping people and this position allows me to do that,” she says. “It’s really fun to meet with clients, hear what they want to achieve and then see it through to completion, ensuring they get value for what they purchase.”

She also enjoys the variety of work.

“All of our clients use Absorb’s services in different ways, so you really have to understand their needs. It means you

are constantly facing new challenges. I can honestly say I’ve never had a boring day here.”

In terms of work-life balance, Sykes appreciates that Absorb encourages employees to stick to an 8-4 or 9-5 work schedule.

“While I sometimes choose to stay later than that, I’m never asked to do so,” she says. “I know the owners and executive team want employees to have that balance; it aligns with the workplace culture they want to create.”

Sykes has also taken to heart Absorb’s strong focus on career growth and promoting from within, whenever possible.

“There are so many opportunities here.

So if someone comes to me expressing interest in moving into another position or team, I make sure everyone who might be involved in the decision is aware.

We then all work together to make it happen.”

Both Sykes and Owens agree the best thing about Absorb is the quality of people they get to work with.

“I love the product and I love our clients,” says Owens, “but it’s the people here who make me smile as I come into work every day.” n

150

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

71

NEW PEOPLE HIRED LAST YEAR

5,715

APPLICATIONS RECEIVED LAST YEAR

34

AVERAGE AGE OF ALL EMPLOYEES

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

21

‘Walk! Laugh!’ How Accompass builds a winning culture

I

n a boardroom of Accompass, a benefits, investment, and compensation firm in midtown Toronto, a consultant touched an orange paper torch to a big-screen TV to light a virtual flame. While the rest of the world watched the official opening of the Winter Games in South Korea, Accompass employees applauded the beginning of their own Olympic Challenge.

“Our employees make Accompass a special place to work,” says President Sarah Beech, “and we show our appreciation to them in a variety of memorable ways.”

With 36 full-time staff, Accompass holds quarterly town hall meetings to keep them informed of significant developments. It also encourages team-building through events like a Survivor-style challenge, a family baseball day, a heart-healthy smoothie bar on Valentine’s Day and a Super Bowl chili contest.

It’s as much about the right fit for the person coming in as it is for us, so it’s really a two-way street. As a result, we have very low turnover.

Sarah Beech

President

To support employees in leading healthy lives, Accompass provides a wellness account where employees can earn dollars by competing in company challenges. “So walk! Laugh! Take a minute to breathe!” says a company tweet.

As for the torch-lighting ceremonies in February, Accompass’s version might have lacked the glamour and hooplah

ACCOMPASS TAKES A PATIENT AND DELIBERATE APPROACH TO HIRING THE RIGHT PEOPLE, FOR ITS CLIENTS AND ITS CULTURE

of the proceedings in PyeongChang, but the company’s employees clearly demonstrate the three core values of Olympic sport in their work for the firm: friendship, respect and excellence.

The same spirit motivates them to serve their clients and keep them informed about everything from the most expensive drugs through changes in pension legislation to the impact of Ontario’s new minimum wage on employer budgets.

From its origins in 1997, Accompass has been a leading independent benefits, investment and compensation firm.

Designing and managing programs for clients ranging from smaller companies to global enterprises, Accompass employees address numerous strategic, financial, and regulatory issues involv-

ing benefits & health, investment & retirement, executive compensation, and broad-based compensation.

“We try to foster a spirit of ownership and accountability with our staff,” says Beech. “This helps us create a stronger sense of community and camaraderie among our team and a desire to help us achieve our business objectives.”

Within a strong, diverse team environment, Accompass employees deliver exceptional service to their customers, says Beech. “Every role is critical. Everyone has a voice, and we encourage new ideas.”

Not surprisingly, it can take time to land a job at Accompass. Candidates may meet with executives and staff several times before receiving an offer.

“It’s as much about the right fit for the

person coming in as it is for us, so it’s really a two-way street,” says Beech. “As a result, we have very low turnover.”

Interviews with the management team at Accompass gave Kelcey DeCoste a chance to see first-hand evidence of strong leadership, she says.

“I felt that there was a lot I could learn from them. I also had an opportunity to see how personable the management team is, and it was clear through our discussion that they’re accessible and great listeners, and committed to building a great team.”

After two years with the company, DeCoste is now pursuing her designation as a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist. “They also support me in attending conferences, workshops, and networking events.”

Based on its five-year plan, Accompass will continue to grow steadily, which will require additional hiring.

“But we’ll continue to be very deliberate and patient about bringing the right people on board,” says Beech. “We’ll continue to look for employees who are different and who have a passion for client satisfaction and for being an active part of a winning culture.” n

36

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

8

JOBS AVAILABLE LAST YEAR

140

JOB APPLICATIONS RECEIVED LAST YEAR

50%

OF EXECUTIVE TEAM ARE WOMEN

BUILDING HIGHER TOGETHER. Thank you to our extraordinary team for your spirited dedication and commitment to growing and building on our great story.

BENEFITS & HEALTH | INVESTMENT & RETIREMENT | BROAD-BASED COMPENSATION | EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

accompass.com

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

22

At BIMM, careers thrive on creativity and flexibility

T

he first time Meaghan Vigar worked for BIMM, friends employed elsewhere in the Toronto advertising industry told her that she didn’t appreciate how lucky she was. After interning there, Vigar started full-time at BIMM immediately upon completing the Advertising Copywriting graduate certificate program at Humber College.

It was her first job, she says, so she had no idea about working conditions elsewhere. Then Vigar left BIMM to join a large ad agency – and soon realized how right her friends had been.

Long hours, a relentless pace and the tedium of working on just one account all took a toll, Vigar recalls.

Fortunately, BIMM welcomed her back. That was six years ago and Vigar has flourished. As Associate Creative Director she works with others at the data-driven creative agency to develop award-winning campaigns for a variety of high-profile national and international clients.

Everyone here is so supportive and encouraging. They really do care about how you’re doing and they want you to be happy.

Meaghan Vigar

Associate Creative Director

“You don’t stagnate when you can work on more than one account at a time,” says Vigar. “The work feels new all the time.”

Interesting and stimulating work is clearly a BIMM strong suit. So too is its workplace environment.

BIMM goes out of its way to foster a culture that is as supportive as it

BIMM EMPLOYEES AT THE COMPANY’S HEAD OFFICE IN TORONTO

is entrepreneurial, while ensuring everyone on board can enjoy a healthy work-life balance.

The numbers tell the story.

According to President & CEO Mike Da Ponte, the turnover rate at BIMM is just 18 per cent, compared with 30 per cent for Toronto ad agencies overall.

Not only that, Da Ponte says about 25 per cent of resumes come from former employees and their friends.

As BIMM competes with global ad agencies to serve clients in Canada, it makes the most of being independent and nimble. “We don’t have to march to the drum beat of a New York City head office,” Da Ponte explains. “Our first priority is to make the client shine and we’re free to do whatever it takes to make that happen. This means employees with an entrepreneurial bent can be really creative and thrive here.”

In 2008, Da Ponte and co-owner Roehl Sanchez decided to move the agency more fully into the digital realm. Today, an innovative approach to creativity through technology and data analytics takes the guesswork out of marketing and advertising, says Da Ponte. (Brian Bimm, who founded the agency in 1980, is retired but continues to consult with the pair.)

In 2012, BIMM signaled its transformation by moving from a stale mid-town high-rise into a beautifully renovated historic building in Toronto’s unique Distillery District.

The space includes a comfortable lounge and an outdoor deck where employees can enjoy free healthy snacks. The agency also provides onsite massages and yoga classes.

BIMM further demonstrates its commitment to employee well-being

Thanks to every one of our BIMMERS for helping us get to Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers (2018)

with initiatives that contribute to work-life balance. Staff, for example, can work from home one day a week as appropriate. The measure started as a pilot project, but proved so popular it became an on-going program.

“This is a life changer,” says Vigar who, as both the mother of a fouryear-old and a commuter with a 150-km round-trip daily trek from Bowmanville, Ont., appreciates the flexibility. “Everyone here is so supportive and encouraging. They really do care about how you’re doing and they want you to be happy.”

Employee development is also a priority at BIMM. While some courses cover job-specific material, Da Ponte asserts that everyone has access to training and education. This can range from in-house sessions on financial literacy to intensive three-day seminars at Western University’s Ivey Business School.

Some of the lessons can serve the trainees throughout their lives, says Da Ponte. He adds: “We want people to know BIMM isn’t just a good place to earn a paycheque, it’s a first-rate place to have a career.” n

61

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

59%

OF EMPLOYEES AREWOMEN

750

STAFF VOLUNTEER HOURS LAST YEAR

34

YEARS, AVERAGE AGE OF ALL EMPLOYEES

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

23

Clio empowers leaders to help their people thrive

“I

t changed my life.” That’s not the usual sentiment you might expect from someone who just completed leadership training, but it’s how Clio Customer Success Team Lead Roshini Sakhrani sums up the experience.

For a company of over 250 employees, Vancouver-based Clio has adopted a sophisticated and ambitious approach to leadership development. The company recently created a six-week program called Basecamp, Clio’s Foundational Leadership Training Program, designed to develop the core skills needed to be an effective manager and leader.

I’m learning every day how to be the best version of myself. That’s the best investment in my career I’ve ever had.

Roshini Sakhrani

Customer Success Team Lead

Clio, which provides legal practice management software to law firms, is one of Canada’s fastest-growing technology companies. As it grows, the company is committed to ensuring managers share a common understanding about their role as leaders and how they can help all team members to thrive, both professionally and personally.

The Basecamp program consists of three phases: a two-day offsite session; six weeks of self-directed online learning and learning circles that apply the lessons to the day-today work environment; and a one-day offsite session to reflect on learnings and create a leadership vision moving forward.

Four key skills are emphasized throughout: feedback, accountability, coaching and communication.

Sakhrani says Basecamp provided her with some essential tools and resources for

OPEN OFFICE SPACES AT CLIO ENCOURAGE COLLABORATION AND TRANSPARENCY ON PROJECTS

being a better team leader – as well as a renewed sense of the strength of the Clio community.

“I felt really empowered to have better conversations with my team,” she says.

“I learned how to ask more open-ended questions, be more creative and think outside the box. I came back realizing you can’t treat people on your team all the same; what might work well for one might not for another.”

She also valued connecting with other leaders and tapping into their knowledge and expertise.

“I learned that, while you are not going to win every day, just knowing there’s a community there to support you means we can take our challenges and turn them into strengths at the end of the day.”

Transparency and inclusivity are a big part of how Clio views effective leadership. By candidly sharing feedback and

experiences, individuals and teams become stronger. In fact, the organization’s performance metrics are shared with all employees, a practice that allows employees to take ownership of their personal role in growing the business.

In addition to making her a better leader, Sakhrani says the experience has helped her grow as an individual. “I’m learning every day how to be the best version of myself,” she says. “That’s the best investment in my career I’ve ever had.”

While Basecamp is currently focused on company leaders, the goal is to ultimately have all employees go through a version of the program.

“We want everyone to have access to this tool kit,” says Lyndsey Hannigan, Clio’s Director of Talent. “The core skills in the program are important for everyone, not just managers.”

Hannigan, who co-created and facil-

Transform your career at Clio.

We’re proud to be a team of driven, passionate, award-winners.

Join us at clio.com/careers

itates the Basecamp program, says she learned a lot from the process.

“A program like this raises the bar for everyone, myself included. The expectations of my team are now higher. I don’t get away without giving actionable performance feedback, offering solid coaching, communicating clearly and holding myself and my team accountable. All of that is a lot of work, so I’m learning that the theory is easy, but the practice is tough.”

Basecamp is just one of many ways Clio supports professional and personal growth. The company offers RRSP-matching and thoughtful parental leave, sponsors year-round learning events, and provides a series of wellness initiatives, including yoga, boot camps and a running club. The Clio Cares program provides employees up to $2,000 annually for a range of mental health services, including counselling.

“We really invest in people’s physical and emotional well-being,” says Hannigan, “and the Basecamp experience is part of that as well. What I’m learning, along with everyone else, is there’s a really strong community of people here I can lean on and who I trust deeply to help me grow.” n

250+

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

26

JOBS AVAILABLE AT END OF 2017

3

WEEKS STARTING VACATION ALLOWANCE

2.5

DAYS OF PAID VOLUNTEER TIME PER YEAR

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

24

Design thinking spurs innovation at Community Trust

C

ommunity Trust recognizes and promotes promising employees. Just ask Tanya MacLean, 27, who joined the Mississauga, Ont.-based financial institution as a receptionist in February 2016 and, within nine months, advanced to her current position as Mortgage Servicing Specialist.

“I didn’t have any mortgage experience previously, but for two months before I accepted the new role I sat with the mortgage specialists and learned what they did,” says MacLean.

“I felt good that management saw how hard I was working as a receptionist and took a chance on me and furthering my skills with the company.”

Fast-growing Community Trust now has 110 employees, up from 94 a year ago. It prides itself on being a flexible alternative to large, traditional lenders.

“We are a very open culture,” says Christopher Humeniuk, President and CEO. “We believe in transparency and communication between all levels of our organization.”

It’s very rewarding for staff not only to contribute their ideas but to see them used and implemented.

Christopher Humeniuk President and CEO

Humeniuk focuses on three key elements in growing that culture: health and resiliency, both for the company and for its employees; technology that improves both customer experience and employee efficiency and engagement; and an innovation strategy based upon the concept of design thinking.

MEMBERS OF THE WOMEN’S INITIATIVE COMMITTEE AT COMMUNITY TRUST

Community Trust adapted design thinking in early 2017 from Stanford University’s d-school, a hub for innovation, collaboration and creativity which builds on methods from the design field to help people unlock their creative potential.

“It’s brainstorming on steroids,” says Humeniuk. “It’s an approach that encourages participants to share ideas.” Two or three times a month, Humeniuk personally facilitates a design thinking session, either with a particular department or with a varied group of employees. He values the feedback he receives, for example, on better ways to engage with customers or to foster work-life balance among employees.

Community Trust’s managers, team leaders, working groups and commit-

Employ? Please, we empower.

(It’s so much more fun that way).

tees are all encouraged to use design thinking, too. As many as eight groups of four or five employees gather in the same space. Everyone writes their ideas down and then posts them on to boards.

Some 2,000 sq. ft. of office space has been turned into an “innovation lab,” equipped with sofas, bean-bag seats and white boards. Staff can lie down on the floor and exchange ideas. “It’s very rewarding for staff not only to contribute their ideas but to see them used and implemented,” says Humeniuk.

To promote inclusiveness and diversity, Community Trust has launched the Women’s Initiative, an effort to identify gender-related barriers to advancement within the organization. Some 60 per cent of

the company’s managers are female, mirroring the 65 per cent of total employees who are female. MacLean, one of five employees selected to advise on the initiative, says they will survey both female and male employees on issues that may hinder career advancement.

For the past four years, Community Trust has done an annual employee engagement survey. The results have placed the company in the top quartile for organizations of its size. Every year, organizational vision has ranked as one of the top drivers of employee engagement at Community Trust. So, too, has the company’s support for professional development.

Business unit heads are expected to identify training opportunities specific to their teams. “We set a target every year for learning hours,” says Humeniuk. “For outside courses, we cover the costs in full and make sure employees are given time to study for their exams.” MacLean plans to take courses in the mortgage field. “I like to keep my mind busy acquiring knowledge,” she says. n

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60%

OF MANAGERS ARE WOMEN

2,040

HOURS OF EMPLOYEE TRAINING

3

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CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

25

Fun ‘disconnects’ connect people at Connected Lab

A

t Toronto software product development firm Connected Lab, regular “disconnects” are integral to the company’s DNA. The signature disconnect event every year is an all-staff, three-day summer excursion to Algonquin Park, the massive wilderness provincial park some 300 km north of Toronto. “We leave our laptops and cellphones behind and recharge our bodies and brains instead,” says company CEO and Co-Founder Mike Stern.

Stern explains: “We all need to make time to disconnect from our high-paced tech world. While the Algonquin trip is for fun, the experience also develops self-reliance and teamwork. And we hope people learn something new about themselves.”

Indeed, learning is a critical Connected Lab value, in tandem with a desire to teach. There are no silos where people guard their skills and expertise.

Knowledge-sharing even affects how the company is organized. Instead of designers and engineers occupying separate divisions, Connected Lab brings them and others together in teams, in a Harry Potter-like house structure, where levels of experience are also mixed.

We leave our laptops and cellphones behind and recharge our bodies and brains instead.

Mike Stern

CEO and Co-Founder

That willingness to share knowledge is what attracted Software Engineer Yasaman Marcu to Connected Lab some 18 months ago. “I had heard about its open-mindedness, which is very important to me,” she says. “At Connected

EMPLOYEES AT CONNECTED LAB WORK TOGETHER TO FOSTER A CULTURE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lab, everyone shares their expertise and is willing to be taught. If someone knows something special, they tell others. Nothing is held back.”

For Stern, learning and teaching is key to running a successful high-tech business, especially one that is only four years old and needs to continue growing by attracting the best and the brightest.

“We compete with the big tech companies as well as those in our size category,” he says. “We need the best people in their field, but that’s not enough. We want people who are committed to getting even better.

“So we hire people who are ambitious.

They come here to learn and build their skills. That makes for a more meaningful workplace, which in turn helps attract like-minded people.”

He adds: “We are all on a joint mission

to build better products, and everything we do, from our hiring practices, org structure and training opportunities, is centred on achieving that mission.”

Connected Lab also looks to recruit people who are “kind,” an elusive quality that nevertheless is a core corporate value. “Kindness, among other things, means being respectful,” explains Stern.

“One way for managers to show it is by celebrating positive achievement in performance reviews as well as in our weekly and quarterly Values Awards.”

For Marcu, kindness is also demonstrated in the company’s receptiveness to new ideas. “All feedback is encouraged,” she says. “Even after I first joined, I felt my ideas were valued.”

Employee referrals play a big part in recruiting people who share Connected Lab values. “Our people know what it

Build Better Products connectedlab.com/careers

takes to fit in here,” Stern says. “They are such a valuable hiring resource that we have doubled the referral bonus to $4,000.”

The office, as befits a start-up, is open concept with Stern and his executive team in the centre. To relieve the daily stress, there are disconnects such as onsite yoga sessions and “awesome” fresh healthy snacks, according to Marcu.

Several times a year, the seven company “houses” compete over consecutive Friday nights to see who puts on the best socials.

The recreation room includes game consoles along with tables for pool and ping-pong. “Playing ping-pong for just 10 minutes is really refreshing,” Marcu says. “You go back to your desk with your brain cleared and energized.”

She cherishes the disconnects because the work at Connected Lab is highly challenging. “We service major global clients on important stimulating projects,” Marcu adds. “We have to be at our best.”

While Marcu appreciates the company’s concern for work-life balance, she is most motivated by the work, itself.

“You really have a chance to grow here,” she says. “You learn a lot, you won’t get bored. And you have fun!” n

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5,010

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50%

OF MANAGERS ARE VISIBLE MINORITIES

200

STAFF VOLUNTEER HOURS LAST YEAR

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

26

Crombie REIT develops properties – and employees

I

n January 2017, Trevor DeGeer joined Nova Scotia-based Crombie REIT after several years working for a major financial institution and quickly concluded that he had made a good career move. “Being in a smaller company, you get exposure to a number of departments and groups,” says DeGeer, a Senior Analyst in the development division. “The learning curve is steep, but you learn more than you would at a larger company.”

Established in 2006, Crombie REIT invests in high-quality real estate where people live, work, shop and play. With 286 income-producing properties nationwide, Crombie’s portfolio comprises approximately 19.2 million square feet. The company is focused on steady income growth through the ownership, operation and development of high-quality grocery and drugstore-anchored shopping centres, free-standing stores and mixed-use developments, primarily in Canada’s top urban and suburban markets.

If someone shows an interest in growing their career, we start off with a personalized leadership development plan.

Cheryl Fraser

Chief Talent Officer and Vice-President Communications

DeGeer’s group is responsible for enhancing the value and revenue-generating potential of existing properties, by redeveloping them or by adding to mixed-use residential to enable sustainable growth of communities.

DeGeer has the opportunity to work with a broad array of outside professionals, including developers, planners, architects, engineers and financial analysts. He also works directly with municipal governments and community organizations. His group is responsible for obtaining municipal zoning approvals.

GLASS-WALLED COLLABORATION BOOTHS ALLOW FOR CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS IN AN OPEN SPACE AT THE OFFICES OF CROMBIE REIT

Crombie employs its own in-house real estate and other professionals as well, including business analysts, engineers, accountants, financial analysts and talent and communications specialists, says Cheryl Fraser, Chief Talent Officer and Vice President Communications.

“We look for people who have an interest in real estate, a background that fits and the energy and drive to have some fun at work,” says Fraser. “We want people who have the ability to be nimble and adapt to whatever we’re doing.”

Crombie also offers people the flexibility to grow and change direction professionally.

“We give our employees the opportunity to learn and do different things,” says Fraser.

“If they come in as a chartered accountant, some day they can do leasing or property management or get into development.”

New employees go through a 90-day

onboarding program that involves coaching and mentoring and the company also has a robust professional development program.

It includes both formal and informal learning. Fraser says the company has funded employees who were pursuing MBAs and others who took university-level professional real estate programs.

“If someone shows an interest in growing their career, we start off with a personalized leadership development plan,” she says. “We developed an assessment tool to help people understand what their challenges are as well as their opportunities.”

Crombie places a great deal of emphasis on health and wellness within its workforce. Some of its larger offices have on-site gyms while others have access to shared fitness facilities within office complexes.

“We have a gym in the office tower next to our building,” says DeGeer, who works in

Leader in Canadian Real Estate Find Your Space

crombie.ca

the Mississauga office. “I use it every day.”

The company offers its employees flexible work arrangements, including working from home, to help them meet family obligations, make it to medical or dental appointments or to manage difficult commutes in major urban areas. “The flexible work arrangements are fantastic,” says DeGeer. “I’m big on being in the office, but when life gets in the way Crombie is incredibly supportive.”

Crombie has properties in dozens of communities across the country and has made a corporate commitment to giving back to the communities it serves through charitable or volunteer initiatives.

The company helped furnish a house for a Syrian refugee family that was being re-settled in Nova Scotia and regularly encourages employees to take the lead when it comes to volunteering. From food banks in Calgary, Toronto, New Glasgow and Halifax, to charity bike rides and dragon boat fundraisers, the Crombie team sees the greater picture when it comes to community investment, says Fraser.

“We really think about enriching neighbourhoods,” she says. “We believe in giving back to the communities where we’re located.” n

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44

JOBS AVAILABLE LAST YEAR

1,096

JOB APPLICATIONS RECEIVED LAST YEAR

300

STAFF VOLUNTEER HOURS LAST YEAR

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

27

Diabsolut helps employees dictate their own future

S

even years ago, when human resources professional Sally De Rosa joined Diabsolut, a technology implementation and consulting firm, she was tasked with streamlining its HR processes. Diabsolut, based in the Montreal suburb of PointeClaire, Que., had just landed a big contract and needed to grow quickly beyond just 10 employees.

De Rosa then realized that other small and medium-sized businesses could also benefit from the cloud-based system she devised with a development partner. In 2016, HRWize became one of Diabsolut’s four pillar businesses, with De Rosa as President and Chief HR Officer. For De Rosa, the company’s encouragement to launch HRWize reflects its nurturing of employees’ ambitions.

Whichever way you’d like to grow at Diabsolut, there’s an option for you.

Stephen Sugumar Solutions Consultant

“What I love the most about Diabsolut is that one of our values is ‘intra-preneurship’ – driving innovation within the business,” says the 30-year-old, who is also Diabsolut’s Vice-President of HR. “We are always hearing out new ideas to see if we can productize them. I’m not the only one in the organization that’s been able to see through an idea like that.”

But De Rosa notes that Diabsolut supports employee advancement in other ways, too. “I think a lot of companies say, ‘Yeah, you can grow,’ but at what pace? We’ve become this organization that really allows you to dictate

DIABSOLUT TEAM AT THE COMPANY RETREAT IN CANCUN, MEXICO

your own future and provides you with the tools to make sure that it happens.”

That is achieved through things like a customized onboarding process for each employee and monthly performance reviews; the latter cut the turnover rate from 26 per cent in 2016 to 13 per cent the following year. De Rosa notes that the firm also has buddy systems, mentors and coaches, as well as subsidies for tuition and professional accreditations.

Diabsolut started an internship program a few years ago that aims to bring students back for part-time and/ or summer work and eventually lead some of them to full-time jobs. Stephen Sugumar is one of three former interns who worked at the firm while getting his software-engineering degree at Concordia University. He now has a perma-

nent position as a Solutions Consultant and does some software development in the Field Service Management (FSM) line of business.

While an intern, he was given all kinds of training. “When I joined as a full-time employee, I already had about two years’ worth of experience, so I was able to get right into the role,” says the 24-year-old, who moved to the company’s sales division in 2017. “In the past year, I’ve grown exponentially. Diabsolut is delightedly willing to help grow personal and career skills to maintain a quality understanding of the software and of being an employee. Whichever way you’d like to grow at Diabsolut, there’s an option for you.”

After three months’ probation, Diabsolut employees can, if they wish, work at home one or two days a week,

depending on their role. Still, Sugumar prefers to go to the office five days a week, in large part because of the camaraderie. “People are lovely here. You can go knock on anybody’s door, tap on anybody’s shoulder, even from another department, to talk. There’s no, ‘Oh, my boss is going to get angry that I’m not working.’ It’s a very sort of open office in that we’re here to help each other out.”

De Rosa says the company actively fosters that environment with regular lunches, pot lucks and happy hours.

There are also bi-monthly lunch-andlearns and a breakfast club, the latter featuring a remote employee who talks about who they are and the job they perform via video conferencing. “Those are ways we can bring the company together so that we can get to know each other beyond just our roles,” she says.

Diabsolut also offers fitness subsidies, bonuses, profit-sharing and a savings plan. Early in 2017, in the wake of a what De Rosa calls a “killer” 2016 for the company, the annual staff retreat took place in Cancun, so employees enjoyed a winter getaway at the company’s expense. n

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134

TRAINING SESSIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS PAID FOR IN 2017

Customer Focused. Community Minded. People Strong.

Visit: www.diabsolut.com/careers

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

28

At district m, stock options help keep young talent

M

uch analysis has been devoted to deciphering what the new generation values in a job. JeanFrançois Côté has given it a lot of thought, too – and he appears to have figured it out. Côté is co-founder and CEO of Montreal-based district m Inc., a programmatic advertising company that develops unique software products and services for the ad and publishing industries. And 80 per cent of his employees are millennials.

Making sure all of the people who work at district m – whatever their ages – are happy and engaged has been a priority for Côté, who started the company five years ago and has grown it to become the sixth-largest ad exchange in North America. “We know we can only be as good as the people who work here,” he says. “I spent time, money and effort to make sure people love working here.”

For a company this size, it’s still a very startup-ish mentality, and we’re able to position the work and the goals front and centre.

Emil Torma

Vice-President of Programmatic Solutions

A “game changer” for district m is that in late 2016 Côté gave stock options to all employees – his “districters” – of a year or more with the firm. “All these young professionals dream of being entrepreneurs,” he says. “They want to live the dream but don’t necessarily have the means to. I say, ‘Guys, this is your business; it’s our business. Let’s do the

EMPLOYEES AT DISTRICT M TAKING PART IN THE COMPANY’S ANNUAL KICK-OFF EVENT

right thing to make sure we build up something unique here.’ ” It was, he adds, one of the smartest moves the company has made.

Emil Torma joined district m in 2016 after working in the industry for a while. “Before I joined, I just felt that district m was doing a lot of really exciting things that you just don’t get to do working for a broadcaster or print company,” says Torma, Vice-President of Programmatic Solutions. “That’s why I made the move.”

A real draw for Torma is that district m puts accountability for tasks, projects, targets and achievables onto the individual. “It’s very focused on delivering its targets and its goals but making everyone accountable and part of the team contributes to those

goals,” he says. “For a company this size, it’s still a very startup-ish mentality, and we’re able to position the work and the goals front and centre.”

From his own experience at other corporations, Torma says “you feel so disconnected from the point of the business, and you’re just part of a department that’s working on something but not really part of the whole picture.” At district m, essentially everyone is involved in the projects.

“And everyone is focused to really deliver what they’re tasked to do.”

Because a company like district m attracts younger people, the company is committed to employees’ education and training. It has helped several employees through their MBAs and has financed university classes for others.

Want your work to matter?

Become a districter.

And every year, it welcomes five interns, particularly in the tech and sales departments. That commitment is a win-win for all involved: for the young employees, it’s support for continued development; for district m, it’s helping employees transform into skilled entrepreneurs who can undertake initiatives and help the company develop its next big product.

There are few 9 to 5 jobs at district m, but employees are compensated for their hard work with a competitive salary, a light-filled office in the vibrant Mile End neighbourhood, and plenty of events and post-work activities. All staff go to a resort for the annual planning meetings in September, there’s a company soccer team and a yearly ski event, among other things.

“Now, people look for where they want to work – they look for the perks,” says Torma. “And all that is there. We want to build a business that attracts talent. We’re a young, vibrant tech company, and that’s where a lot of the younger demographic who are coming out of school with tech degrees or social science/management degrees want to work.” n

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YEARS, AVERAGE AGE OF ALL EMPLOYEES

3

WEEKS, STARTING VACATION ALLOWANCE

districtm.net/careers

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

29

At Flaman Sales, the family means business

J

acey Schuler was expecting her second son when she replied to an ad on the Internet to work for Flaman Sales Ltd. in Saskatoon.

When she got the job, her family became even bigger than she’d expected.

“I’d often driven past the Flaman Fitness store on Circle Drive,” she says, “but I didn’t know much about it. I had no background in fitness other than chasing my children around.”

As Schuler quickly discovered, the range of equipment and products carried by Flaman retail and rental outlets in Saskatchewan, B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Montana extends far beyond fitness equipment, playground accessories and home appliances for seniors.

“You don’t realize how big the company is until you start working here,” she says.

It wasn’t always so big. The company began in 1959 in Southey, Sask., about 55 km north of Regina, when Frank Flaman bought 10 grain bins for his own farm operation at dealer pricing.

Needing only four, he sold the other six for a profit and decided to start a business.

My father brought in a load of treadmills one day, and we started selling them. Now we’re the largest retailer of fitness equipment in western Canada.

Don Flaman President

From running his own farm, Flaman knew that farmers needed some equipment such as post pounders, manure spreaders and horse trailers only once or twice a year, so he began renting equip-

FLAMAN SALES TEAM MEMBER HAL PREPARING TO MEET WITH CUSTOMERS AT A SUMMER TRADESHOW

ment as well. Still based in Southey, Flaman Sales Ltd. is now a retailer and rental outlet of agricultural equipment and accessories, cargo, flatdeck, horse, stock and utility trailers, grain cleaning machines, screens, bucket elevators and accessories and security products.

“My dad is a fitness nut,” says Don Flaman, who took over the management of Flaman’s operations in Saskatchewan with his two brothers, Rudy and Steve. “He brought in a load of treadmills one day, and we started selling them. Now we’re the largest retailer of fitness equipment in western Canada.”

In addition to its retail outlets, Flaman sells its equipment online through its website and on TV through The

People together, doing what’s right, making a difference.

Shopping Channel, which keeps Jacey Schuler busy.

As the receptionist and administrator at Flaman Fitness in Saskatoon, Schuler answers phones, greets customers, balances accounts, helps with filling orders from The Shopping Channel and the company’s e-commerce site and arranges deliveries from Flaman’s 10 retail stores.

Even with almost 300 full-time employees, Flaman has maintained its culture and character as a family business.

The company maintains a significant presence in the communities where it operates, while the Flaman Foundation, set up by Frank Flaman in 2005, supports local and global charities such as World Vision, Operation Eye Sight and

Sharing Hope and Agriculture Resources of the Earth (SHARE).

“We’re in a lot of small communities,” says Don Flaman. “People are born and raised there, and they want to stay there. They’re proud of the way we give back to the community.”

The pride is mutual. Flaman Sales depends on good employees not just to keep the business running smoothly, but to help it to grow, as well.

“We’re constantly trying to improve our services,” says Flaman. “Good employees make a world of difference.

They may tell us about new products they think might fit into a line, improvements to existing lines or better ways to display things. They’re critical to our operations.”

Monthly social activities such as bowling, skiing and Roughriders football games reinforce the family atmosphere. “And a lot of family work here,” Schuler adds. “The manager is married to the niece of the owner. And the daughter of my son’s Grade 1 teacher now works for the company.

“I’m sure if I dropped in to the Edmonton store, they’d make me feel like part of the family, too.” n

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JOBS AVAILABLE LAST YEAR

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33

YEARS, LONGESTSERVING EMPLOYEE

www.flaman.com

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

30

Fleet Complete helps employees connect with success

I

t took just eight months before Sai Prapagharan’s work received formal recognition from her new employer, Fleet Complete, a Toronto-based “Internet of Things” software-solution company with a global reach. But Prapagharan, a Fleet Complete Senior Product Owner, felt recognized and appreciated even before she joined the firm.

“It is such a welcoming place,” she says, describing the atmosphere when she arrived for her job interview. “Everyone says ‘hi’ when you walk through the office. There are glass walls; there are no boundaries here.”

At Fleet Complete’s latest semiannual staff meeting, President and CEO Tony Lourakis – “Tony” to Prapagharan and the rest of the 250 employees in Canada – called Prapagharan up to the stage to receive her employee award for “Innovation,” embodying one of the company’s core values. She won the honour for creating and producing a new product that met a customer’s key needs.

As a tech company, we are in a traditional male-dominated industry – but that must change.

Larry Indovina

Executive Vice President, Human Resources

Says Prapagharan: “As a young person, as a new employee, it was awesome to be recognized like that. It shows Fleet values hard work, no matter from whom.”

Indeed, Fleet Complete takes seriously the growth of all employees. It has to, simply to keep pace with its phenomenal growth. Revenue is up more than 375 per cent in the past five years. Meanwhile, the company, celebrating its 20th birthday this year, is acquiring firms around the world in its quest to become a global

FLEET COMPLETE STAFF AT A TECHNICAL RECRUITMENT FAIR

leader in developing state-of-the-art software that helps companies connect with vehicle fleets, mobile assets and mobile workforces in real time.

The key challenge for Larry Indovina, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, is managing rapid growth through hiring and retaining “great” people. “To continue our success, we need our people to be ‘A’ players,” he says. “And they are: we hire personnel who want to grow their careers and take on new challenges.”

To support their development, Indovina says, “we provide a platform for people to do great things. In such a fast-growing environment, there is always a way to contribute.”

Acquiring new skills and fitting into new ventures is critical to fueling the

firm’s growth. Among other educationsupport initiatives, Fleet Complete partners with the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management to help its employees prepare for added responsibilities. “Last year, we promoted more than 20 people,” says Indovina. “That’s nearly 10 per cent of our total headcount in Canada. It shows people have – and take – an opportunity to grow.”

And they have fun while doing so. On Thursdays, senior management and staff mingle for a Happy Hour at the end of the day. There are always free snacks, coffee and tea that employees can enjoy while playing ping-pong or video games in the staff lounge. Among the year-round social activities is a boat cruise on Lake Ontario or a Blue Jays Game, both just steps from company headquarters. The

office itself is a seven-minute walk from Union Station, Toronto’s main commuter hub. Meanwhile, Fleet Complete encourages employee well-being through subsidized memberships at the onsite gym and health-care spending accounts.

Compensation and benefits are generous. There are year-end bonuses for top performers, while employee referrals can garner up to $5,000 per hire. Staff RRSP contributions are doubled, up to $1,200 annually. But Indovina is most proud of Fleet Complete’s maternity leave program. It was recently hiked from two-thirds to three-quarters of salary for a full year. “As a tech company, we are in a traditional male-dominated industry – but that must change,” Indovina says.

“We want to do the best to support all our employees.”

As a result, Fleet Complete boasts that nearly half (46 per cent) of its managers are female, including the recent hire of an Executive Vice President, Corporate General Counsel.

For her part, Prapagharan appreciates the perks but is motivated by the opportunities to develop. “I’m learning every day,” she says. “That’s the main goal – always to improve yourself.” n

250

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15 20+

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PROMOTIONS LAST YEAR

In the heart of Toronto, Fleet Complete is proud to celebrate its ranking as one of

Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers (2018) Join our expanding and thriving team today. fleetcomplete.com/join-the-team

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

31

Fresche looks for tech people both young and older

W

hen Leo Lymberopoulos decided to look for a new job three years ago, he soon zeroed in on one company where he’d like to work: Fresche Solutions Inc. The Montrealbased information technology provider specializes in modernization solutions for legacy platforms, notably IBM i.

An IT specialist with a 24-year track record, Lymberopoulos thought Fresche sounded like a good fit.

“I was looking for a new employer where I could add value and Fresche fit my check list,” he says. “Right from my first interview with them, I could tell they really care about their people and I became even more enthusiastic when I heard about all the opportunities for advancement.”

Today, Lymberopoulos is Director of Expertise Resourcing, Department of Application Services, where he heads a team that helps customers leverage the value in their aging IT systems. Companies make substantial investments in the purchase and customization of their systems, Lymberopoulos explains, but there comes a day when the systems can be tweaked no further. Fresche helps clients assess their business needs and guides them through the process of adopting long-term strategic solutions.

We delegate a great deal of responsibility and accountability to our teams. For team members, that can lead to a powerful sense of contribution.

Andy Kulakowski

President & CEO

Founded in 1976, Fresche had about 100 employees for much of its history.

THE EVENTS TEAM AT FRESCHE SOLUTIONS ATTENDING AN INDUSTRY TRADE SHOW

But thanks in part to mergers and acquisitions, it has grown rapidly in recent years. Also, demand for Fresche’s services has soared as companies look for help as growing ranks of retirement-age IT employees leave, taking their skills with them.

Fresche now has more than 400 employees in seven offices worldwide, including ones in India, Australia, Scotland and two each in the U.S. and Canada. They serve a combined client base of 22,000 global companies, including well-known brands like Adidas, Avon and Staples. Fresche can equip them with a varied portfolio of products and services and even augment their staff.

The head count continues to grow.

Maria Anzini, VP, Human Resources, says Fresche is looking for both seasoned professionals and recent grads.

While some companies are beset by inter-generational discord, that’s not the case at Fresche, says Anzini, an employee since 1989. For one thing, the company’s business model means the different generations need one another. “We’re an ‘M-to-M’ company – midrange to mobile,” says Anzini, adding it’s how Fresche combines legacy experience and present-day skills that is of such benefit to customers.

Whatever their stage of life, Fresche personnel enjoy competitive pay and benefits, including a share-purchase plan and new employee referral bonuses. The company invests in employee development with a variety of in-house and online training programs, and supports work-life balance with flexible hours and a work-from-home policy.

Anzini says Fresche conducts quarterly rather than yearly reviews so employees

es u to mploye Top o y k e e ear!

Than mazing achiev utive y c s a our lping u th conse e 4 for h for the SME

always know where they stand and what they can do to improve and advance. She adds the reviews, in turn, provide the feedback the company needs to ensure people have the tools and resources they need to excel.

According to President & CEO Andy Kulakowski, this approach arises from Fresche’s core values. Among them: creating an environment that makes it enjoyable to work with and for the company, and doing what it takes to make the client successful and happy.

That’s why, he says, Fresche looks beyond potential employees’ technical skills to soft skills like customer acumen, and whether they thrive in a collaborative workplace culture.

“We delegate a great deal of responsibility and accountability to our teams,” says Kulakowski, who’s been with Fresche since 1986. “For team members, that can lead to a powerful sense of contribution.”

For Lymberopoulos, Fresche has more than lived up to his expectations and the collegial atmosphere is a key reason why. “No one person has all the answers, but as a team we can deliver great results.” n

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32

YEARS, LONGESTSERVING EMPLOYEE

3

WEEKS, STARTING VACATION ALLOWANCE

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32

Fuller Landau offers employees much more than perks

M

ost businesses have to manage workload ebbs and flows, and that’s especially true for accounting firms. For them, the first four months of the year are extraordinarily busy – and very stressful. At Fuller Landau LLP, a Toronto-based audit, tax and advisory firm, the company shows its appreciation for staff long hours and hard work during “busy season” with a series of energizing events including weekly massages and smoothie breaks, followed by an activity-based party and dinner on the final tax-filing day.

But that’s not all. The day after busy season wraps up, the office doors are locked. Says Fuller Landau HR Director Jill Daiter: “Our team goes above and beyond to get the work done. They deserve a paid break. We tell them, ‘Tomorrow is all about you. No work allowed.’ ” We are always striving to create a fun atmosphere and a healthy work-life balance.

Jill Daiter HR Director

As well, staff often receive a post-taxseason gift. Last year, it was a monetary bonus. Another year it was an iPad. “We are truly grateful for their dedication,” says Daiter.

Those are far from the only examples of Fuller Landau’s year-round recognition of effort and concern for employee well-being. “We are an accounting firm, but we’re not just driven by numbers,” Daiter says. “We are always striving to create a fun atmosphere and a healthy work-life balance.”

TEAM MEMBERS AT FULLER LANDAU PARTICIPATING IN A CHARITY EVENT

She adds: “We don’t micromanage.

Our people are mature and responsible professionals, so we are flexible as to their hours and working from home.

It’s all about trust and respect.”

In the summer, Fuller Landau offices close at 1 p.m. every Friday, and there is another full day off, Summer Day, when the company’s more than 125 staff from its Toronto and Hamilton offices enjoy another social activity, such as whitewater rafting or a professionally organized scavenger hunt.

Staff pursuing their Chartered Professional Accountant designation receive tuition reimbursement and time off to study. Those who pass their final certification exam are taken out to dinner by the partners to celebrate.

Lengthy service is also well rewarded.

At every five-year anniversary, employees

are treated to a getaway, such as a spa weekend or holiday, at company expense.

For five years of service, the getaway is worth $500; at 15 years it’s $2,000.

But all those perks – and other workplace benefits such as an internal mentorship program and a relaxed dress code – are not what attracted Amandeep Sohi to Fuller Landau. Indeed, Sohi turned down a slightly higher salary at a competitor. “I wanted to set down roots, so a friendly atmosphere and an opportunity to grow was important to me,” she recalls. “The interview process was so positive, I immediately felt welcome.

“I also had a chance to meet with one of the firm’s female partners. I could see that the glass ceiling wasn’t an issue here.” In fact, at Fuller Landau, half of the managers are female and

there are various initiatives in place to further encourage women in leadership.

As for growth opportunities, Sohi has clearly benefitted. She joined as an intermediate associate, got promoted to a senior associate, then became a manager, and is now a senior manager in the Audit and Assurance team. All in just six years.

Regarding the firm’s generosity, Sohi says: “The company recognizes and rewards the effort we put in. Rather than just saying thank you, they go the extra mile. It’s not really necessary, but it’s definitely appreciated.”

Meanwhile, during busy season, some of the accountants still find time to help out after hours and on weekends at tax clinics sponsored by the profession’s provincial association.

Their dedication last year earned Fuller Landau first place honours at the Local Firm Level.

Staff also participate in a range of other charitable initiatives, including the Ride to Conquer Cancer and another for juvenile diabetes. “It all shows that our people take pride in giving back,” says Daiter. “And we certainly take pride in them.” n

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FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

38

YEARS, AVERAGE AGE OF ALL EMPLOYEES

52%

OF EMPLOYEES ARE WOMEN

25

YEARS, LONGESTSERVING EMPLOYEE

Experience the difference at Fuller Landau LLP

OPPORTUNITY IS KNOCKING....

Visit us at www.fullerllp.com/careers Proud to be one of Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers of 2018

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

33

Fusion Project staff see what it’s like to be homeless

O

ver the past two years, rain or dry, executives and staff at Fusion Project Management Ltd. sleep – or try to – in an outdoor parking lot. A piece of cardboard is their mattress, and a sleeping bag is their only bedding. “It was the most humbling experience of my life,” says Jackie Kenmare, a Junior Project Manager with the Vancouver design build company.

This past year, Kenmare, including founder and CEO Nicholas Boyd along with Principal Randy Cheng, volunteered to forgo a night in their own beds in support of Covenant House, a shelter and support agency for homeless youth. In the process, the company’s 58 employees raised more than $66,000 for the cause.

Says Cheng: “It was an eye-opener. It made me realize, somewhat, the street life experienced by troubled youth in our own backyard through no fault of their own.”

For her part, Kenmare says: “Before we went outside, we heard these young people’s stories. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.”

I now have a clear focus for the first time in my working life and feel that I belong and can grow in this place.

Jackie Kenmare

Junior Project Manager

She adds: “The company’s and the employees’ support for this initiative shows how we all care about the community we live in, especially its youth.

We had more volunteers than there was space for them to sleep. It brought us all closer together; it’s special to be part of that.”

FUSION PROJECT STAFF RAISED OVER $66,000 FOR A LOCAL CHARITY TO REDUCE HOMELESSNESS

After a spasmodic work career, Kenmare joined Fusion Project two years ago – and she intends to stay.

“I’ve never been so taken care of,” she says. “Everyone has a three-year development plan that is reviewed every three months. They really want you to succeed. As a result, I now have a clear focus for the first time in my working life and feel that I belong and can grow in this place.”

Explains Cheng: “Employees are regularly asked, ‘Where do you want to be and how can we help you get there?’ ” Potential obstacles are identified, along with solutions, whether in internal cross training or external professional development at company cost.

“We empower employees so they can succeed,” says Cheng. “If they succeed, we succeed.”

He adds: “If someone doesn’t work out in a certain role, we provide them with the necessary support or find another place where their skills are a better fit. We don’t give up on them.”

There are other reasons why Kenmare feels she comfortable at Fusion Project.

“They really respect work-life balance,” she says, citing the free healthy fruits, vegetables and snacks that are always available. “And there’s an Italian espresso machine.”

Flexible hours allow Kenmare to pursue outside interests. “If I have to leave early for a volleyball tournament, no problem.” Or if she wants to go to the gym, the company picks up her membership cost.

Financially, Kenmare appreciates that the company offers generous compensation that makes it easier living in one of the world’s most expensive cities. Fusion

Project matches one-half of employee RRSP contributions, up to three per cent of salary. There are profit sharing and year-end bonuses tied to meeting personal goals. These bonuses typical range from several to many thousands of dollars.

Says Kenmare: “We work hard, and we are well rewarded.”

Kenmare also values the openness in the work place, both physically and in attitude. “There are no egos here,” she says. “Speaking up and asking for help is encouraged.”

Cheng, who works near Kenmare in a pod to “get closer to the staff pulse,” says that openness is a mantra at Fusion Project. “We believe in creating a safe environment,” he says, “where it is safe to come forward with a problem, whether it be professional or personal.

“We also want feedback, whether it’s positive or negative. After all, that’s the only way we can become even better.”

The formula seems to be working.

“Going to work is fun,” says Kenmare.

“I genuinely love waking up in the morning and looking forward to going to the office. I’ve never been able to say that before.” n

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FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES IN CANADA

3

WEEKS STARTING VACATION

8

CHARITIES HELPED LAST YEAR

12

YEARS, LONGESTSERVING EMPLOYEE

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

34

Uncontained enjoyment at Great Little Box Company

T

hink of it as fun in a box.

At the Great Little Box Company in Richmond, B.C., employees take their work seriously, but they also have a lot of serious fun.

Last year, for instance, the entire team went to San José del Cabo in Mexico for a resort weekend, because the company hit its profit target. This year they’ll go to Las Vegas. And given how many events they have at home, you’d be forgiven for wondering if they get any work done at all.

“We do a lot of recognition programs to show employees that we care,” says President Brad Tindall, the son-in-law of founder and CEO Robert Meggy.

“We have a very active social committee and a lot of events every year. One of the barometers my father-in-law has always used is that if employees are attending social events, they’ll probably be with you a long while. So we put on a variety of events to get people socializing and spending time away from ‘just the job’.”

We try to make people feel they’re not just coming to work every day.

Brad Tindall President

Examples? A chartered fishing trip on the Fraser River. Ice cream days in the summer. A family picnic at the water park. Bowling. Curling.

Archery tag. “We do a day every year where people bring their dogs to work,” says Tindall.

But wait, there’s more. A golf tournament. Appropriate food for lunch

THE GREAT LITTLE BOX LEADERSHIP TEAM CONTINUES TO GROW AS IT BECOMES A ONE STOP PACKAGING COMPANY

during cultural holidays, such as Lunar New Year. Flags on the wall for every nationality represented in the workforce, currently 37. There is also a wellness program and a 24/7 on-site gym.

“We try to make people feel they’re not just coming to work every day,” says Tindall.

The work they do involves making a wide range of custom and stock boxes, displays and labels in a 250,000-square-foot plant, aimed at business customers in B.C., Alberta, and Washington state. Meggy bought the company out of receivership in 1982 and with his wife Margaret built it into a multi-million-dollar firm with five major product lines and a very loyal workforce. “We still have employees No. 2, 3 and 5,” says Tindall.

Although it’s a private family company, most employees can tell you how much it’s making. “Every month we share financial statements and revenue projections with our employees, and we give back 15 per cent of the profit equally to them,” says Tindall. “We try to encourage an ownership mentality.

It goes right down to the people on the floor who are running the machines or moving product around on a forklift.”

But wait, there’s more. At every monthly meeting, two peer-nominated employees receive an Award of Excellence of $500 to donate to a charity of choice. For couples, there is a gift voucher on every fifth anniversary to take their partner to dinner.

And then there’s the “bucket list” event held last year, when, after several

rounds of voting on people’s written dreams, two employees were given $5,000 each and an extra week of vacation to make their dream come true.

One went to the Philippines to surprise Mom on her 80th birthday, while the other acquired expensive graphics software for a side business.

Carrie Dawson has watched the Meggy family’s company grow for 18 years, starting in payroll and now as Customer Solutions Coordinator, Paperboard Division. “The atmosphere is wonderful here,” she says. “We work really hard, and we’re rewarded for that.”

She enjoys the trips, the profit-sharing and the events, but “it’s also the day to day stuff.” On Valentine’s Day, she says, “you can’t imagine how many treats there were here, and Bob Meggy brought around flowers for all the ladies.”

As a single mom in recent years, she remembers being able to bring her young daughter to work when necessary. “It’s lovely to work for a company that supports work life and home life,” she says. “We’ve grown a lot but we still have a small-business culture. There is so much love and affection.” n

275

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

60%

OF EXECUTIVE TEAM ARE WOMEN

75%

OF EMPLOYEES ARE VISIBLE MINORITIES

35

JOBS AVAILABLE LAST YEAR

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

35

GroupHEALTH offers challenging work – and fun

W

hen it comes to building a positive workplace, GroupHEALTH Benefit Solutions CEO Matt Houghton believes that time is just as important a currency as money. “It doesn’t make sense to work somewhere you don’t like for five days a week just so you can enjoy the other two,” he says.

“That’s why our biggest priority is to hire the right people for the right job – and then make sure they enjoy what they are doing.”

At Surrey-based GroupHEALTH, this is done through a vigorous screening program for potential employees, beginning with a very detailed job posting that lets applicants know exactly what the position is about and what success would look like for them three, six and 12 months down the road. Several rounds of interviews ensue, with a strong focus on whether or not the applicant is a good fit for GroupHEALTH’s collaborative, informal and challenging workplace culture.

People here take pride in their work and then they own it.

Everyone feels like they can make a difference.

Ferdinand Espedido IT Project Manager

Technical skills and experience are certainly important, says Houghton, but it’s even more critical that employees are able to live the company’s core values.

“One of those values is ‘play nice or leave’,” he adds. “We really do look for people who are team-oriented, have respect for their fellow human beings and want to have a great work environment.”

Other values include ‘do what’s right’ (even if it costs the company money, do

GROUPHEALTH EMPLOYEES AT THE COMPANY’S ANNUAL SUMMER PARTY

the principled thing); ‘think hard, work smart’ (find innovative ways to do the task at hand more efficiently); and ‘have fun and laugh lots’ (even on the toughest days, a sense of humour goes a long way).

GroupHEALTH is an innovative provider of employee group benefits and sees itself as a creative “disruptor” in a very staid insurance industry. By creating new software solutions and developing innovative benefit products, the company works with clients to make sure they can continue to afford to provide employees with first-rate benefits.

The focus is on managing costs and claims – the two root causes of spiralling benefit expenses.

GroupHEALTH is also on an aggressive growth path; Houghton says the company has grown by 250 per cent over the past five years alone.

That makes for a fast-paced workplace, with plenty of opportunity for career growth in both the Surrey, B.C. and Barrie, Ontario offices. To provide work-life balance, the company gives employees every second Friday off – 26 long weekends every year. It also organizes and subsidizes fitness programs and trainers, brings fresh fruit into the office every day and makes a point each month of celebrating employee birthdays.

Ferdinand Espedido joined GroupHEALTH as an IT Project Manager five years ago. He was impressed that the company wanted to shake up the insurance industry through the use of innovative software applications and techniques. But he was also taken with the people who recruited him, whom he describes as “relaxed, casual and calm.”

How’s it* going? (*your career)

Espedido says GroupHEALTH meets his needs on multiple levels. “I want to be challenged and constantly learning and I get that here. But I also appreciate that this is a company that is open and not afraid to do new things to help employees manage stress levels while still being productive and hitting aggressive growth targets.”

He cites the “Happy Friday” program as a key example. “I look forward to that every second Friday off; it’s really my time. I didn’t realize how that would really help me in what can be a fast-paced environment.”

Espedido also takes advantage of company-sponsored “fitness boot camp” sessions that take place at a nearby gym twice a week after work.

“I’ve been doing that for a year and I feel really great about where I am physically. And that translates into my overall well-being.”

He believes the company has done a good job in keeping true to its values even during a period of rapid growth.

“People here take pride in their work and then they own it. Everyone feels like they can make a difference.” n

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FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

60%

OF MANAGERS ARE WOMEN

96

JOBS AVAILABLE LAST YEAR

4,602

JOB APPLICATIONS RECEIVED LAST YEAR

Join our award-winning team www.grouphealth.ca/careers

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

36

Integrated Sustainability brings professionals together

B

y its very nature, Integrated Sustainability Consultants Ltd. is a place where professionals engage in a wide diversity of thinking about water, waste and energy issues. That’s because the Calgarybased firm was designed to combine specialized engineering and scientific expertise in those areas in a one-stop shop for industry, a less common mix than you might think.

“We wanted to build a company where we could bring engineers and scientists together and get them to collaborate on solutions,” says founder and President Stuart Torr. “In most companies, that is quite significantly broken, and engineers and scientists can’t come together and be the specialist team they want to be. Often companies will be forced to use two or more different firms.

“We put a flag up asking people who wanted to build a career in water to come together as a family group,” says Torr. “That’s the prime differentiator for us – we are a specialty home for water professionals.”

We put a flag up asking people who wanted to build a career in water to come together as a family group. That’s the prime differentiator for us – we are a specialty home for water professionals.

Stuart Torr

President

This family has grown rapidly to include engineers and scientists with post-graduate degrees as well as construction managers, technicians and skilled trades. The eight-year-old company offers services that support

INTEGRATED SUSTAINABILITY STAFF AT THE COMPANY’S ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY

companies “from idea to implementation” on projects involving water, waste and energy management, particularly for the oil and gas industry in Alberta and the mining industry in B.C. There is also a Vancouver office.

Torr readily agrees that companies have not necessarily seen sustainability as their first priority. “Our whole philosophy is to support industry in doing the right thing and drive sustainability practices into their inner fabric,” he says. “We are always working to push the envelope.”

The company looks for people who are “very courageous in problem-solving,” says Torr. “Our people are encouraged to come to the table with new ideas, to not be shy about breaking out of the mould. It invokes quite a creative culture.”

In return, Torr has promised that employees will own 50 per cent of the business

over time – so far, it’s at about 25 per cent.

“I believe it’s important to recognize that hard work came from everyone, not just a founding few people or myself,” he says.

The company has a flexible working environment, in which some people work from home and two people are based in the relatively remote (and beautiful) B.C. locations of Nakusp and Salt Spring Island.

There is also an active employee committee known as CHEWS – for Community, Health, Environment, Wellness and Safety – which puts on events from “March Madness” fitness competitions to pot lucks, as well as community engagement activities.

Women in the company can attend the “Fabulous Ladies” group to talk about such issues as stress and work-life balance.

Frank Laxshimalla, Manager, Facilities Engineering, finds that “the culture is pretty incredible.” After joining in 2013

a unique ComBination of engineers and sCientists that Push the Boundaries of ConVentional solutions

Calgary | VanCouVer | grande Prairie | BarBados

www.integratedsustainaBility.Ca

as a lead electrical engineer, he was able to move through various teams before recently returning to manage the group he started in.

“During my interview, I said I would like to grow beyond my discipline,” he recalls. “I wanted to understand how the big picture works. In joining, it was pretty neat to see I was surrounded by conscientiously engaged go-getters – a work hard, play hard mentality.

Everybody was very supportive of each other and cross-pollinating, learning from each other. Within a project we can have scientists, engineers, regulatory environmental specialists, even aquatic specialists at the table to tackle problems from a very holistic view.”

Laxshimalla also remembers when his appendix burst and he was hospitalized. In the end, he had to take three months off, but he had “incredible support” from the company. “Everybody helped me get back on my feet,” he says. “There is a very family feel here. We share our personal stories with each other, we share our professional successes and failures with each other.

It makes our company a very special place to work.” n

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FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

20

POSITIONS AVAILABLE IN THE PAST YEAR

36

YEARS, AVERAGE AGE OF ALL EMPLOYEES

5

CHARITIES HELPED LAST YEAR

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

37

Driving a high-tech route to the future at IMS

T

he path that led Jenna Scharman to Intelligent Mechatronic Systems Inc. (IMS) is not the typical route many take to employment in the IT sector. Instead of a degree in one of the STEM fields, she graduated university with a double major in Spanish and French. Her first full-time job was with a commodity parts distributor, but seeking a more stimulating workplace, Scharman joined tech leader IMS in October 2014.

It’s also fair to say that the Waterloo, Ont.-based provider of award-winning connected car and telematics technology is not your typical tech-sector employer.

IMS prioritizes hiring potential high performers from all walks of life. The company, consequently, is not only uncommonly accepting of international education and designations, more than half of its workforce is female, a high percentage in what remains a male-dominated field.

We work hard, we play hard. It’s a place where you can really flourish.

Jenna Scharman

Information Technology Coordinator

This diversity, among numerous reasons, is why Scharman describes IMS as a great fit for her desire for exciting work in a friendly, fast-paced environment.

At first, her entry job entailed directly supporting the company’s growing roster of international clients, which includes insurers, governments and consumers.

After a year, Scharman asked for mentoring and cross-training and she was soon on the inside track to technological growth and proficiency. She is now an

THE MODERN, OPEN WORK ENVIRONMENT AT IMS ENCOURAGES TEAMWORK AND COLLABORATION

Information Technology Coordinator, which includes a focus on data security and privacy matters.

“We have a great open door policy where management is very receptive to any conversations you want to have with them,” she says. “I’ve received a lot of one-on-one coaching sessions, plus IMS was really helpful with more formal instruction.”

Founded in 1999 and built on R&D, IMS has some 200-plus patents and patents pending, with operations focused in North America and Europe. It is the leader in the fast-growing field of insurance telematics and usage-based insurance. IMS products provide insights on how and where a car is driven, enabling insurers to offer rates based on driver behaviour or to reconstruct accident scenarios.

In turn, the technology gives drivers feedback on their driving habits. As well,

governments use IMS technology as a cost-effective alternative to toll roads and expensive infrastructure. The ultimate goal is to make transportation and driving safer, smarter and greener.

In 2014, IMS established an Employee Focus Group which now has 12 employees chosen by their respective departments.

One of their key findings was that employees wanted more effective communications from management, especially in terms of what their priorities should be.

“Employees have a lot of valuable information to share, especially when it comes to doing their jobs,” says Chief Corporate Officer Jeoff Shiekh. “We took their feedback seriously and hired a consultant to help us realign our business processes. We are all now marching in the same direction.”

Shiekh has seen a number of chang-

es since he joined IMS in 2008. Back then it operated out of a timeworn office building, but rapid growth led the company to move into an open-concept, light-filled building. Here employees can enjoy 20-minute chair massages, health and wellness classes with accredited instructors, daily snacks and weekly breakfasts, or take advantage of an onsite rejuvenation room.

Also among the initiatives aimed at reducing on-the-job stress and creating a collegial workplace culture are numerous social activities. The company, for instance, celebrates diversity and culture through a variety of festivals, including Cinco de Mayo, International Women’s Day, and an International Potluck Buffet where everybody provides a dish.

IMS offers a competitive pay and benefits package. But according to Shiekh, that’s only the starting point. “Waterloo Region is very competitive when it comes to hiring top IT talent,” he adds.

“What really attracts people is often a little more intangible.”

As Scharman sees it, IMS has the mix right. “We work hard, we play hard,” she says. “It’s a place where you can really flourish.” n

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FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

>50%

FEMALE EMPLOYEES

13

PROMOTIONS IN 2017

17

YEARS, LONGESTSERVING EMPLOYEE

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

38

InvestorCOM helps its people grow with the company

W

hen Rick Burbridge joined InvestorCOM Inc. in Brantfiord, Ont., he saw a promising future not just for the company but also for his own career.

Under increasing regulatory scrutiny and the influence of emerging technologies, Canada’s financial services industry was changing rapidly, and InvestorCOM was positioned to support the industry as those changes occurred.

“At the time I was applying, it jumped out at me as a company on the verge of something big,” says Burbridge, who had worked for three years at a larger organization after graduating from Western University with a bachelor’s degree in business management and organizational studies.

“I came into the business with a keen personal interest in financial services and investing, which was the market that the company was attempting to break into. And there was a skills gap on the planning and analysis side, which I was able to fill and help expand as the business grew.”

We encourage a team-first culture where we all support one another. We also believe in building a company that feels like a family.

David Reeve CEO

Five years later, InvestorCOM has become a leading provider of financial technology and outsourcing services to banks, asset managers, insurance companies and investment dealers. Its communications services involve document composition, delivery, compliance, mar-

EMPLOYEES AT INVESTORCOM SUPPORTING A LOCAL CHARITY

keting, reporting and analytics. Among its services, the company processes data generated by millions of client transactions and transforms the information into relevant customer communications, such as disclosure documents and marketing tools. And as the financial industry transforms its paper-based processes into digital, InvestorCOM has positioned itself as its clients’ “Bridge to a Digital Tomorrow.”

In the process, InvestorCOM has more than doubled in size, to 89 fulltime staff, and Burbridge has become the company’s Director of Financial Planning and Analysis. He’s also a goal-scoring stalwart on the company’s hockey squad, which plays twice a week against other local companies at Brantford’s Wayne Gretzky Arena.

“Our clients rely on our team to be an extension of their company,” says David

Simple Compliant Communications

Reeve, InvestorCOM’s CEO and co-founder. “To attract and develop people with this client-first focus, we encourage a team-first culture where we all support one another. We also believe in building a company that feels like a family.”

InvestorCOM encourages employees to expand the scope of their responsibilities and supports their ambitions with education, training and mentoring from the company’s senior leadership team.

For Burbridge, the company partially funded his pursuit of his designation as a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), which he’d begun when he first joined the company. It also tailored his role so that he could meet the designation’s required professional development experience.

Now he has set his sights on a more substantial role in the company as Chief

Financial Officer at the same time as he aspires to reach the top of the accounting profession.

To help him achieve his objectives, InvestorCOM recently hired an experienced CFO to address the immediate needs of the company while serving as a mentor for Burbridge.

“She’s given me a chance to get involved in senior-level discussions that I’d never be exposed to in my current role,” he says.

As InvestorCOM continues to grow, Burbridge and his fellow employees will share in their company’s success through its established profit-sharing program.

Like Burbridge, they’ll also be able to “design their own career,” Reeve says.

In the meantime, Burbridge appreciates the family-like atmosphere as well as the opportunity to share in its success as it grows larger.

“You can get to know all your co-workers by their first name and what makes them tick outside of just a professional working relationship,” he says.

“We’re bigger than a start-up that might struggle with resources but smaller than a corporation that might be bureaucratic and slow.” n

89

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

17

JOBS AVAILABLE LAST YEAR

986

JOB APPLICATIONS RECEIVED LAST YEAR

53%

OF EMPLOYEES ARE WOMEN

YOUR BRIDGE TO A DIGITAL TOMORROW www.investorcom.com

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

39

iQmetrix employees embrace life-altering philanthropy

T

he central gathering hub in every regional office is much appreciated, as is the soundproof “Zen Room” where employees can escape for a bit of mindfulness, a nap, or just a brief “brain break.” For many, however, the real appeal of being an iQmetrix employee is balancing interesting and challenging work with the opportunity to be part of something bigger – including lifealtering philanthropic endeavours in under-developed parts of the world.

Founded in 1999, iQmetrix is a software company that provides backend and front-of-the-house software solutions for retailers in Canada and the United States. In addition to its head office in Vancouver, iQmetrix has satellite offices in Regina, Winnipeg, Denver and Charlotte, North Carolina.

IQMETRIX STAFF AT THE COMPANY-WIDE ANNUAL RETREAT IN MEXICO

It starts to open your eyes about doing these things not just at work, but in your personal life as well.

Kelly Markewich

Team Lead, Client Management

Each year, all iQmetrix employees with at least one year of service are invited to attend a paid, seven-day retreat (employees with less than one year service, as well as family members, can also attend on a subsidized basis). This year’s retreat, held in February, was in Puerto Vallarta, a popular resort destination on the Mexican coast.

But this wasn’t just a chance for employees to reconnect and hit the beach.

In addition to a series of team-building presentations and employee recognition events, all iQmetrix staffers spent a part of that week volunteering on behalf of

five area orphanages. The initiatives included bringing children from the orphanages to the resort for the day, doing computer repairs, donating and delivering items like tables and freezers – and replacing a worn-out and muchloved trampoline.

At an earlier annual retreat in Nicaragua, iQmetrix volunteers helped build three schools and dug trenches to bring water to some 200 homes in a small village that until then had no access to clean running water.

Kelly Markewich, iQmetrix’s Regina-based Team Lead, Client Management, describes these and other community-minded efforts as transformative.

“There are so many things I’ve been involved in that I would have never done without iQmetrix,” says Markewich, who has worked for the company

Innovate. Contribute. Grow.

WHERE YOU CAN BE YOU

since 2001 (he was, in fact, employee number seven). “It starts to open your eyes about doing these things not just at work, but in your personal life as well.”

Back at home, employees are also given four paid volunteer days per year and receive matching grants from the company for funds they raise for charitable or community causes. It’s all part of staying true to iQmetrix’s operating values, summed up in the acronym, SLICCE, which stands for speed and agility; lifestyle; innovation; community; character; and environment.

“We look for people who embody all of those values in a positive way,” says Krystal Ho, Director, Corporate Relations.

They also look for potential employees who are ready to embrace the company’s collaborative, informal and

entrepreneurial-minded workplace culture.

“This is a place where people can innovate and grow,” says Ho. “So we want self-starters and those who yearn to learn.”

Fitting into the culture, she adds, is the single biggest factor when it comes to hiring decisions. “It’s important that you’re able to work with the team and foster shared learning. It’s always about ‘we rather than me’.”

A generous vacation package, flexible work hours and trusted sick days help promote work-life balance. Employees also get a paid seven-week sabbatical for every seven years of service – a chance to step back and reflect on their career path or simply spend more time with family and friends.

The company also puts a strong emphasis on a fun and enjoyable workplace. Employees have access to weekly fitness classes, sports teams and hobby groups.

“The friendships and bonds that develop out of all this translate directly into how effective we are in our work,” says Markewich. “It’s positive for everyone involved.” n

380

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

4,638

JOB APPLICATIONS RECEIVED LAST YEAR

18

YEARS, LONGESTSERVING EMPLOYEE

197

CHARITIES HELPED LAST YEAR

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

40

Kanetix looks to be ‘super-smart’ about insurance tech

I

f you like good benefits, it’s hard to imagine you’ll get a better health and insurance plan in a mediumsized company than you do at Kanetix Ltd. That’s because helping people choose insurance and financial products is what Kanetix is all about.

But benefits are only a small part of the attractions at this 19-year-old Torontobased technology firm.

“One of the key things I care about is the employee experience,” says President and CEO Andrew Lo. “I want to make sure it is meaningful, exciting, full of opportunity and that employees have the ability to explore. We pride ourselves on being innovative and super-smart.”

Kanetix is, as Lo calls it, “the Expedia of insurance and financial services.” Its websites offer users sophisticated comparison shopping for a wide variety of types of insurance and personal finance products in Canada, including car, home, travel, life, health and even pet policies, plus credit cards and mortgages. The company also builds technology and develops digital marketing programs for major corporate clients in the insurance industry. Or to put it another way: “We are Canada’s largest digital customer acquisition platform for insurance and financial services companies,” says Lo. We don’t say ‘no’ a lot, because we want to encourage innovation and creativity.

Lydia Ku

Marketing Campaign Manager

This means the company employs a lot of software developers and a lot of insurance experts as well as a range of

KANETIX STAFF AT THE COMPANY’S OFFICE IN TORONTO

corporate functions, notably in digital marketing, among its 140 staff members. “Insurance knowledge is not a requirement,” Lo says. “The requirement is a passion for learning and growing and experimenting.”

And having fun. “We do a lot of events,” he says. “We hold our Christmas party in February, to get it away from the December period, and we call it Festivus.” Some departmental team-building events have included go-karting and axe-throwing, and there are annual hackathons to generate new business ideas.

Alongside his gender-balanced leadership team, Lo holds a monthly meeting for all employees, making use of a 100-inch screen in the open-plan office as he updates the company’s plans, gives out kudos and celebrates work anniversaries. A games area and in-office

yoga classes and massage services help employees relax, and people get their birthdays off.

The recently updated health plan is all-digital, using an instant-reimbursement claims app plus cards for prescriptions and travel, and includes flexible coverage for dental, vision and services like massage therapy. “We’re a digital company so we wanted a fully digital benefits package,” says Lo. Lydia Ku, Marketing Campaign Manager, likes the benefits, but she especially likes the culture at Kanetix.

“Even though it has been around since 1999, we’re more like a startup culture,” she says. “The company doesn’t put much emphasis on hierarchy. We encourage ideas, and there are no bad questions and no bad answers. We all get together and brainstorm. Everyone matters.”

Ku joined Kanetix in May, 2016 as a social media specialist and has been promoted twice since. She has found a lot of support for employees to try new things. “Not everything we put out will work, but they’re not afraid of me failing, as long as you learn from it,” she says. “We don’t say ‘no’ a lot, because we want to encourage innovation and creativity.”

She, too, points to the regular events at Kanetix, including a Friday social and free lunches on certain days. Ku has also done well in the hackathons, which last 24 hours and pairs people from various different departments.

One winning solution she worked on updated a tool that allows the public to punch in their postal code to see whether they pay too much for insurance. “It gave us a lot of coverage on the PR side,” she says.

Ku says she is very proud of how she has been able to develop professionally at Kanetix in a short time. “Upper management puts a lot of resources into career development,” she says. “They really care about what I want to do, and they will help me grow into the person I want to be.” n

140

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

20

JOBS AVAILABLE IN PAST YEAR

36

YEARS, AVERAGE AGE OF ALL EMPLOYEES

5

CHARITIES HELPED LAST YEAR

Looking for a fun and innovative place to work?

We’re hiring!

kanetixltd.ca/careers

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

41

It’s all in the extended family at Keystone Environmental

M

any companies strive for a sense of family among staff, but Keystone Environmental Ltd. goes the extra distance. The Burnaby, B.C.based environmental consulting firm, which has projects across Canada, makes a real effort to recognize its staff in a number of different – and fun – ways.

One is the tenure awards, handed out at the annual Christmas Party to employees who achieve 10, 15, 20 and 25 years of Keystone service. To come up with the best rewards, the company contacts their family members or significant others to find out what the employee would value most. “We enrolled one employee in a race-car driving school in Phoenix, Arizona,” says President Raminder Grewal.

At Keystone Environmental, employees are not a number.

They’re a name, they’re a face – they’re part of our extended family.

Ray Bertani

Chief Operating Officer

Typically, the reward is an experience, not a product. “We’ve sent several families to Disneyland and other family-friendly destinations,” adds Grewal. “One employee was given tickets for two to Hong Kong so he and his new wife could visit his grandmother, who had been unable to attend his wedding.” Keystone believes it’s important to include the families and/or significant others in these rewards to make them more meaningful and promote the company’s extended family philosophy.

Socializing the team is a priority at Keystone: there are regular staff-appreci-

RAMINDER GREWAL, PRESIDENT OF KEYSTONE ENVIRONMENTAL LTD., WITH STAFF PARTICIPATING IN A FOOSBALL BATTLE ROYALE

ation and personal-development lunches, in-house yoga classes, monthly birthday cake parties, celebrations of Cinco de Mayo, Diwali and Lunar New Year, and several annual events to which spouses and children are invited. “At Keystone Environmental, employees are not a number,” says Chief Operating Officer Ray Bertani.

“They’re a name, they’re a face – they’re part of our extended family.”

Zahra Pirani, a project engineer with Keystone since September, is impressed by how welcoming and collegial the company is. When she joined, Keystone was facing a tight submission deadline, and many people were putting in long hours. “Raminder was really supportive of all of us,” she recalls. “Of course, he was working on the submission too. But noticing that people were spending more time at the office, he

would bring in food for them throughout the week. It was a small gesture but it means a lot to people who are putting in a lot of hard work to know that they are being recognized.”

Pirani also appreciates the company’s open-door policy – senior management is very accessible. “It makes you feel like you’re part of a team and that they value your opinion, which is huge.” Keystone recently established an innovation committee, of which Pirani is a member, so that staff from all departments and at various levels can offer input about how to do things better.

Another plus for Pirani is the overall sense of camaraderie. During the big push in the fall, she says, “when people would finish their own work, they wouldn’t just say, ‘I’m done,’ but would go out of their

way to see if they could help others. It felt like everyone had everyone else’s back.”

And she says the firm gives back to the community, participating in initiatives such as Movember, Bowling for Big Brothers and raising money for the Union Gospel Mission and other local charities.

Keystone, which gives employees annual bonuses and matches their RRSP contributions, is committed to promoting from within. In fact, Grewal – who started with the company in 2000 as a junior field engineer – says its goal is “to one day get to the stage where we only hire entry-level employees and just continue to move everyone up through the ranks to fill more senior positions.” The company provides numerous in-house training opportunities and ensures employees get regular feedback about their progress toward career goals.

The company is undergoing a period of growth and has recently completed renovating and expanding its office space, which also gives them access to a very large patio. Grewal and Bertani – along, no doubt, with their staff – are looking forward to many outdoor lunches and barbeques and more opportunities to celebrate the Keystone family. n

95

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

24 800+

YEARS, LONGEST SERVING EMPLOYEE JOB APPLICATIONS RECEIVED LAST YEAR

38

YEARS, AVERAGE AGE OF ALL EMPLOYEES

Our Strength is Our Team!

Join Our Team www.keystoneenvironmental.ca

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

42

Martino HVAC creates a great atmosphere for staff

J

.P. Pangilinan had just completed a community-college program in heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) when a friend suggested that he contact Martino Contractors Ltd. about a job.

Pangilinan knew that Martino HVAC ranked among the best companies in the industry, and he learned more about it when he met with the founder’s son, Jeff Martino, at the company’s headquarters in Vaughan, Ont. To get there, he drove for 75 minutes from his home in Courtice, east of Toronto.

Martino told Pangilinan about the reputation that his company had earned in the HVAC industry. He showed him the positive feedback and high ratings that the company had earned on social media. And he told him about the company’s high standards and the expectations that Martino HVAC places on its 83 employees to live up to them.

We try to be upfront. We don’t want to put people in a position where they can’t be successful, for the sake of the organization and for the person we’re hiring.

Jeff Martino

Vice President, Sales & Marketing

“We do a thorough screening before we hire a candidate,” says Martino, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We try to be upfront. We don’t want to put people in a position where they can’t be successful, for the sake of the organization and for the person we’re hiring. Our goal is to be the best new construction and residential HVAC company. If they want to work at a company like that, this is a good place for them.”

MEMBERS OF THE MARTINO HVAC BASEBALL TEAM

Pangilinan agreed. A job with Martino HVAC was exactly the opportunity he’d been looking for, even if he had to commute every day for two hours.

Before he joined the company as a customer service rep, attending to scheduling, troubleshooting and warranty issues, Pangilinan had spent more than six years in the financial industry as a business analyst and mortgage specialist.

When he realized that his future didn’t lie in finance, he decided to change careers and spent two more years educating himself about HVAC. “It was a real change from working in a bigger company,” he says. “Here, we have open dialogue with people, and we build relationships even with the owners.

I see Jeff every day.”

“We try to be progressive,” says Martino. “We treat people with respect,

and we maintain a professional environment where everyone feels comfortable.

They see senior managers and owners working beside them, so they don’t feel that there’s a big separation or too much hierarchy.”

Founded in 1987 by Jeff ’s father, Mike, Martino HVAC focuses on designing systems, manufacturing components, installing and servicing equipment, and providing indoor air solutions for residential new construction, custom homes, retrofits, and light commercial applications throughout southern Ontario.

While employees work together on the job, they build closer relationships through company-supported activities like bowling nights, golf tournaments and industry volleyball and baseball teams. “We get to mingle with builders

in the region,” says Pangilinan, who now works in outside sales, visiting homes to prepare for installations, “and it definitely gets us involved with the community.”

Through an Education Assistance Program, the company supports employees with training and certification they need to advance their careers. And with two full-time HR professionals on staff, Martino HVAC is preparing a Management Development Program to prepare employees for leadership roles.

Employees like Pangilinan can take advantage of their relationships to enhance their knowledge of the business.

“I work sometimes with our installation manager to see what I should look for when I’m quoting on jobs like converting to a tankless water heater,” says Pangilinan.

So far, Martino HVAC’s focus on high standards has paid off, for Pangilinan and the company alike, in the form of referrals and repeat business for the company.

In the meantime, Pangilinan no longer spends two hours a day getting to and from work. “I bought a house a few kilometres away,” he says. “Now it only takes me 12 minutes.” n

83

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

6

JOBS AVAILABLE LAST YEAR

1,200

JOB APPLICATIONS RECEIVED LAST YEAR

40

YEARS, AVERAGE AGE OF ALL EMPLOYEES

Thank you

to our exceptional employees for their dedication to building a strong customer centric company.

2017 Trade Contractor of the Year

martinohvac.com

Benefits & Health • Professional & Technical Development • Community Involvement

2010•2011•2014

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

43

Innovation has helped McLeod Law become a ‘virtual firm’

O

ne thing you don’t hear too often is someone who works at a law firm appreciating the work-life balance they’ve achieved. Lawyers and their staff are famous for long hours and punishing workloads. But Debbie Egan, a Legal Assistant, has worked at Calgary-based McLeod Law for the better part of 20 years and two children, and the support she’s received through all life’s events and challenges is what’s kept her coming back.

“We’re all under the same stresses and we have things going on in our personal lives as well as our work lives,” says Egan. “They really appreciate and support the staff, not only for the dedication to our jobs but on a personal level as well.”

We understand that staff are the vital engine to this law firm and to the clients.

Michael Kwiatkowski

Partner

Since its founding more than 35 years ago, the mid-sized law firm has undergone massive changes, thanks, in part, to a couple of strategic plans.

Michael Kwiatkowski has been with McLeod Law since his articling year, in 2007. There are six practice areas within the firm, so there’s not only lots of diversity but also a great deal of internal business generation between lawyers. “We’re a full-service shop,” says Kwiatkowski, a Partner at the firm and member of firm’s Executive Committee. “We can handle anything for any client, except for tax and criminal.”

STAFF AT MCLEOD LAW VOLUNTEERING FOR CALGARY MEALS ON WHEELS

McLeod is unique in that it has two offices – one in downtown Calgary and another, larger one in the south end of the city. Each office serves different clients and attracts staff and lawyers with different needs.

The south office, for example, is in the middle of bedroom communities.

“My assistant can wait for the bus with her son and 10 minutes later she’s at work, as opposed to commuting downtown,” Kwiatkowski explains. “The guys downtown live in condos and walk to work. It serves a dual purpose – both to clients, and staff and lawyers.”

In both offices, though, McLeod Law has lately undergone a “huge

revolution,” Kwiatkowski says.

“We’ve been very innovative, particularly in the past five years – everything from having technology in the boardrooms to telephone systems that dictate messages right to your iPhone.” The changes have meant that most work can be done from anywhere. By becoming a “virtual firm,” as he calls it, “we have come a long way to increase production and it’s also increased client satisfaction, which is on the top of our priority list.”

Indeed, at a time when some in the legal industry are feeling the pinch because of easier access to justice for the non-legal professional, client

satisfaction is more important than ever. “It’s a very competitive environment,” says Kwiatkowski, “and if you don’t change, if you don’t adapt, firms will either die or shrink to the point where they’ll get swallowed up by another firm.”

But McLeod couldn’t be doing better. “We’re on a total upward curve,” he adds. “Our employees appear to be happy, our lawyers are happy, our retention is good.”

The staff ’s dedication and hard work is rewarded with great compensation and perks, according to Egan, from the benefit plan, personal leave days and flexible work hours, to the Friday breakfasts and the RSP matching for the staff. There’s also an Idea Forum, through which employees’ ideas or concerns are sent to a designated lawyer, who will respond within 48 hours.

“We understand that staff are the vital engine to this law firm and to the clients,” says Kwiatkowski. “We want to make them feel this is not just a workplace; they spend a lot of their time here, their input is valuable and listened to.” n

114

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

30%

OF EMPLOYEES HAVE TENURE OF OVER 10 YEARS

3

WEEKS STARTING ANNUAL PAID VACATION

3

BONUS TYPES: ANNUAL PERFORMANCE, LOYALTY AND LONG SERVICE

Thank you to our people for making us one of Canada’s Top Small and Medium Employers.

Learn more about joining our team at: mcleod-law.com/careers

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

44

Nicola’s entrepreneurial spirit inspires its people

K

yle Westhaver took a position in Toronto with one of Canada’s big banks after earning a bachelor of commerce degree, but quickly realized that working for a major institution wasn’t what he was looking for long-term. Last summer, he joined Vancouver-based Nicola Wealth Management as a financial advisor in the Toronto office and immediately felt at home in a smaller, more entrepreneurial organization.

“They choose their people very carefully and they really invest in them,” says Westhaver. “When I was hired they brought me to the head office in Vancouver where I had the opportunity to be mentored by the most senior advisors and managers in the company.”

That included company founder and Chief Executive Officer John Nicola, who at one point was looking for someone to help him prepare an article to be published in an investment newsletter. “I was only with the firm two months, but I put my hand up and it ended up being a great opportunity,” says Westhaver. “At a big bank you don’t even see senior management. At Nicola, I had an opportunity to work intimately with the founder.”

We want to give everybody the opportunity to improve and develop their skill sets.

Vanessa Flockton

Senior Financial Advisor

Nicola founded the firm that bears his name in 1994 to advise

JOHN NICOLA, CHAIRMAN & CEO, AND DAVID SUNG, PRESIDENT OF NICOLA WEALTH MANAGEMENT

affluent families, entrepreneurs and professionals on managing their investments, taxes, estate planning, insurance and philanthropic giving.

Currently, the company employs 32 advisors and has over $5 billion in assets under administration.

Vanessa Flockton, a Senior Financial Advisor, joined Nicola several years ago after starting her career in commercial banking with a large financial institution. “I really like the entrepreneurial spirit at the firm,” says Flockton. “I have an interest in management and leadership and said that was one of my long-term career goals. It’s what I’d like to do and it has evolved into taking on a leadership

role within the advisory group.”

As a smaller, company, Nicola has traditionally relied on informal mentoring in which newly-hired advisors work alongside their more senior colleagues for as long as three to five years. “They have an opportunity to work with a lot of different people,” says Flockton. “They learn how to make presentations, for example, by participating in client meetings and can pick a style that works best for them.”

The company is currently in the process of developing a more formal program to train master advisors, which will create opportunities for both new and experienced employ-

ees. “The idea is that we want to give everybody the opportunity to improve and develop their skill sets,” says Flockton.

Nicola is very cognizant of the demands placed on employees with young families or challenging commutes and so allows for flexible work hours as well as the option of working from home. Flockton says some staff members start at 6 a.m. and leave early while other arrive at 9:30 a.m. and work late.

John Nicola is a strong believer in “sharing the pie”, as Flockton puts it, and so all employees can earn performance bonuses and participate in profit-sharing. “Both have a significant impact on overall compensation so there’s an incentive on everybody to get us where we want to go,” she says.

The company also allows employees to take one paid day per year to do volunteer work – usually a group activity organized by the Nicola Wealth Management Gives Back committee.

“Being engaged in the community and charitable giving is definitely part of our culture,” says Flockton. n

143

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

28

JOBS AVAILABLE LAST YEAR

54%

OF EMPLOYEES ARE WOMEN

25

CHARITIES HELPED LAST YEAR

For over 20 years, Nicola Wealth Management has provided sophisticated financial advice and investment management to Canada’s entrepreneurs, affluent families, and foundations.

Vancouver | Kelowna | Richmond | Toronto | www.nicolawealth.com

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

45

Positivity and compassion power ProServeIt

W

hen Heather Hisey fell at home and smashed her heel, she was confined to her home for several months. Her bosses at ProServeIT Corporation did more than send a Get Well Soon card and a bunch of flowers.

Instead, they arranged through a local restaurant to deliver meals for three days to her and her family. “That’s typical of their caring attitude,” says Hisey.

“If people are experiencing a personal emergency, the company is incredibly supportive – the level of compassion makes ProServeIT really stand out.”

For President Eric Sugar, caring sincerely about employees is what makes ProServeIT special. “We are in a highly technical business,” Sugar says, “but we focus on the personal, whether it is the customer or the employee. Technology can’t help without the person behind it.”

He explains: “You can have phenomenal technology, but you will have awful productivity if it is being implemented by unhappy people. To be competitive, you need the magic of a positive workforce with leading-edge technology.”

We want people who want to help other people.

Eric Sugar President

Creating a happy – and productive – workforce starts with picking the right people. “When hiring, we always look at the personality,” Sugar says. “It’s all about attitude. We want people who want to help other people. We want people who want to grow.

PROSERVEIT STAFF AT A TECH SUMMIT CONFERENCE

“We also want people with a passion for learning, a passion for experimentation and who feel comfortable in a family-oriented office. Rarely do we focus on technical skills – we can bolt that on later.”

Indeed, professional development is integral to working at ProServeIT. “Our business works at a frantic pace,” says Sugar. “If we stop learning, we will fall behind. But we also emphasize soft-skills training so staff can grow as a person.”

Hisey, officially the company’s Administrative Assistant but, according to Sugar, “the glue that binds us,” is also involved in the hiring process. She sums up the process this way: “We look for people who enjoy being with other people, someone who would go nuts if they had to sit in a corner alone on

their computer.”

ProServeIT, specializing in migrating Microsoft technologies to the cloud, is a managed services, custom software development and technology consulting company based in Mississauga, Ont., but with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Paris and Vietnam. That global reach allows for 24/7 customer service so employees everywhere can put in relatively normal shifts.

“Work can get pretty intensive, and it’s important for people to unwind at home,” says Sugar, who has been with the company almost since Day One in 2002, starting as a consultant and working his way up to the executive ranks before becoming president three years ago in a management buyout.

Sugar makes sure ProServeIT doesn’t demonstrate its caring nature only in

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION SPECIALISTS CLOUD TRANSFORMATION, MANAGED SERVICES, SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT & TECHNOLOGY CONSULTING

times of employee distress. Newborns are greeted with baby baskets, and there are also housewarming gifts. “A small gesture or a thank-you can go a long way in creating a positive workplace,” he says.

ProServeIT will even reject or dismiss a client who it feels isn’t a right fit for its people. Indeed, clients have been dropped if they are rude to ProServeIT staff. “If someone needs to vent, they can pick up the phone and vent to me,” Sugar says. “But don’t abuse our people.”

Employees are also well looked after financially. There’s profit sharing for everyone, employee RRSP contributions are matched up to three per cent of salary, and employee referral bonuses can reach $2,000. The health plan is so structured that up to $1,000 of unused benefits can go back to the employee.

However, it’s the “personal touch” that Hisey says makes ProServeIT an “amazing” company to work for. She had a varied work experience before joining ProServeIT nine years ago, everything from an HR specialist to an immigration officer. “I’ve never experienced such camaraderie anywhere else,” Hisey says. “And fun – and compassion.” n

52

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

200

JOB APPLICATIONS RECEIVED LAST YEAR

38

AVERAGE AGE OF ALL EMPLOYEES

18

YEARS, LONGESTSERVING EMPLOYEE

Thanks to our amazing team for continuing to help improve people’s lives by driving the adoption of cutting edge technology!

www.ProServeIT.com | Cloud@ProServeIT.com

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

46

Making life-changing experiences at Rocky Mountaineer

D

uring his first few days on the job of Vancouverbased Rocky Mountaineer, President Steve Sammut went down to the station to meet a train returning from a two-day trip.

He watched as guests poured out of the train, hugging their hosts and exchanging phone numbers. One guest approached him and asked what he did; when he told her, she hugged him. “It made such an impression on me,” says Sammut.

“It really is magic that happens on board that train.”

There’s no doubt that one of the things that makes Rocky Mountaineer so special is its product: scenic rail tours through spectacular terrain. In fact, the company’s purpose is to be the creator of life-changing experiences. “It sounds lofty but it’s really what we try to do for every single guest, even though we have thousands and thousands every year,” Sammut says. “We always remind ourselves that for each individual this is a dream trip, so we want to make it a great, memorable occasion for them.”

People here have a lot of passion for the product.

Anthony Chamy

National Sales Manager, Canada

To do that, they need to have team members who are united in that goal and who approach it with as much excitement as the guests. After 10 years of running his own business, Anthony Chamy was a bit hesitant about working for another company.

ONBOARD HOSTS AT ROCKY MOUNTAINEER GREET GUESTS ON THE FIRST DAY OF THEIR JOURNEY

But all his fears were alleviated after a few phone calls with people from Rocky Mountaineer. “No matter who I was talking to – from all levels in the company – everybody was extremely open, personable, intelligent and friendly,” recalls Chamy, recently promoted to National Sales Manager, Canada.

Four years since that call and his initial impression has held up: “There’s always the sense that everybody’s on the same side.”

Employees are kept in the loop about the company’s plans so they feel they are all working together toward the same goal. “We really try hard here to let people know what we’re doing, why we’re doing it and

where they fit in,” Sammut adds.

“And then we try to keep them updated on the progress we’re making.”

Sammut and Chamy believe that at the end of the day, Rocky Mountaineer’s success is directly related to the people who work there. “The people here have a lot of genuine passion for the product,” Chamy notes. “You can feel it oozing out of them.”

The company invests in many kinds of training for its team, including leadership and development courses led by professors from both the University of British Columbia and Harvard, and provides plenty of opportunities for employees who wish to advance their careers. “We empow-

er our team members to put as much time as they want into developing their careers,” Sammut says.

Many employees mentor and train others, get involved on boards or speak at local organizations. “We really try to get out there and play a part in growing our industry,” says Sammut. The company also encourages team members to be involved in the community with company-sponsored volunteer time. “I regularly hear colleagues saying they’re off to the Boys and Girls Club or doing auctions to raise funds for the club,” says Chamy. “It makes me proud to be part of that.”

Employee turnover is low for full-time, year-round employees, and about 75 per cent of Rocky Mountaineer’s seasonal team returns every year – a pretty big number, as Sammut notes.

“There’s a strong belief that people are the most important asset of the company,” adds Chamy. “I think that’s what enables Rocky Mountaineer to keep talented people longer, because you really feel valued and part of something special.” n

240

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

9,725

JOB APPLICATIONS RECEIVED LAST YEAR

27

YEARS, LONGESTSERVING EMPLOYEE

50%

OF EMPLOYEES ARE WOMEN

IT’S NO ORDINARY JOB. IT’S THE BEST JOB EVER. Thanks to our team for creating life changing experiences every day and making us one of Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers.

Want to be part of the magic?

Learn more at RockyMountaineer.com/careers

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

47

JOE DI STEFANO

Home is where the work is for Sales Beacon staff

“I

jokingly tell people that the commute from my coffee maker downstairs to my office upstairs is really hard,” laughs Lesek Demont, director of sales for Sales Beacon Consulting Inc., which manages sales and marketing projects for companies. “The only obstacle in my way is my golden retriever.”

Like almost all other Sales Beacon’s employees, Demont works from her home. The company is almost entirely virtual, with just a small office (in a restored beach house) in the village of Chester, N.S., where, typically, only a handful of people are working at any given time. Demont herself resides in rural Nova Scotia.

Most of her colleagues are also located in small Canadian communities, with a concentration in Atlantic Canada.

I believe the reason our team is really good at project management is because they’re extremely efficient at getting things done so that they can maximize their flex time and pursue their passions.

Cynthia Spraggs

CEO

CEO Cynthia Spraggs, who took over the 11-year-old firm in 2011, says she shares the values of those who started the Sales Beacon. “It was people who really wanted work-life balance, who wanted to not commute to an office, and didn’t want to move someplace else for a job.

They wanted to stay in their small communities with their friends and families and have interesting, rewarding careers.”

Spraggs notes that some employees are avid surfers whose flexibility of hours

SALES BEACON’S TEAM ENJOYS THE PERKS THAT COME WITH MEETING ANYWHERE

and work venue allow them to “make that surf break” near their homes or to travel to Costa Rica for the waves in winter. She is an avid traveller herself, and has performed her job while trekking in the Himalayas, Bolivia and Bhutan, among other places.

“I believe the reason our team is really good at project management is because they’re extremely efficient at getting things done so that they can maximize their flex time and pursue their passions,” she says.

Many other Sales Beacon employees, 60 per cent of whom are women, enjoy the freedom to spend time with family.

That’s the case for Demont, who is the stepmother of two adolescent girls and, in addition to being director of sales, provides services to one of the company’s biggest clients, Cisco.

“I came from a job where I needed to commute at least an hour each way twice a day,” she says. “Being there when the girls get home from school is amazing, especially given that I see them only half the time. It provides a lot of flexibility around being able to take them to their activities or attend things like their daytime choir performance.”

Another boon of working from home, says Demont, is that she’s healthier. “I don’t get exposed to all the colds. People in other workplaces go to the office when they shouldn’t because of the fact that they have only so many sick days.”

Demont studied chemistry and math in university, and then worked for a nutritional supplement company. She cites herself as an example of another Sales Beacon positive: its willingness to “think outside the box” and hire people with

diverse backgrounds. Spraggs maintains that’s how she gets the best recruits.

“Give me a mother of five who has to get the kids up and off to school and coordinate all their after-school activities – unbelievable. I always say it’s the people who organize surprise birthday parties who are perfect for us, because they have a natural project talent. I’ve hired a lot of certified project managers without that talent and they just couldn’t adapt to this super-fast, scope-changing, people-wanting-everything-yesterday environment.”

Still, new recruits are put through a rigorous training program of 50 to 70 hours to learn Sales Beacon’s specialized project methodologies. “They come in, they get a mentor,” says Spraggs. “Depending on their experience, it can be three months before they’re finished their initial preparation.” The company pays for Internet and telecommunications, and it offers tuition subsidies and bonuses for completion of some courses.

Sales Beacon also gives back. When full-time employees don’t have projects on the go, they might be assigned to local non-profits to continue honing their skills while continuing to earn their n salaries.

46

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

50%

GROWTH IN THE PAST THREE YEARS

21 - 67

AGE RANGE OF EMPLOYEES

80%

OF EXECUTIVE TEAM ARE WOMEN

Outmaneuver.

A new approach to managing projects.

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CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

48

It’s all about teamwork at law firm Smart & Biggar

F

ew would have a better perspective on how Smart & Biggar has grown to be one of the largest boutiques for intellectual property law than Keltie Sim Luft.

Thirty-two years ago, when Luft joined the Toronto office of the firm, she was one of only 10 people. In those days, it was policy that all lawyers had to learn the whole business.

“To people on the outside, the field of intellectual property is very specialized, but once you’re in it, it seems like a huge field,” says Luft. “You really had to be a jack of all trades.”

It’s a wonderful place to be because so much has changed and is changing.

Keltie Sim Luft

Partner and Chief Inclusion Officer

Within eight years, Luft had become the company’s second female partner – and the first to become a mother – in the firm’s history. Today, she serves as Chair of the partnership, and is also the company’s first Chief Inclusion Officer. “It’s a wonderful place to be because so much has changed and is changing,” she says. Luft also heads up the firm’s new Diversity and Inclusion program – a particular passion of hers.

The company is full of engineers and scientists, in addition to lawyers. “And because of that, historically it’s been a lot of men,” she says, adding that there are more women at the company now than in the past. “There is so much support for diversity and inclusion and so much enthusiasm,”

SMART & BIGGAR TEAM MEMBERS COLLABORATING AT THE COMPANY’S TORONTO OFFICE

she adds. “The mere fact that we’re all starting to talk about it will lead to many changes in the firm.”

Another one of those changes is the introduction of formalized teams for each major client. Comprised of everyone who works for that client, from the most junior law clerk to the most senior lawyer, the teams meet regularly to discuss all aspects of the firm’s relationship with the client.

“It’s a fantastic initiative,” says Luft.

“Everyone at all levels is included and considered to be a valued member of

the team with input – and it’s great for client service.”

Team members are also paired with coaches to help them achieve their full potential professionally and personally, a huge benefit for employees like litigation associate Renaud Garon Gendron, who articled at the Montreal office before coming on full-time.

Coaches meet regularly with the newer recruits and help them to understand everything from how to develop new business to important conferences to attend. They also provide feedback

and encouragement and are an ear for any issues or problems. “It’s easier to know where you stand, what your progression is, what’s in front of you,” says Garon Gendron. “It helps you to stay motivated and keeps you moving forward. That person is kind of your champion and is in your corner.”

That culture of teamwork permeates across all offices of the firm. In Vancouver, for example, Erica Nath is not only a Legal Administrative Assistant but also serves as a ‘team coordinator’, supervising and coaching about seven people. The variety in her job keeps things interesting. “I can be working on my own patent prosecution file or I can be guiding a team member,” she says. “It’s rewarding for me and I’m never bored.”

In Montreal, Garon Gendron also appreciates that the culture of the firm provides the best of both worlds. “In terms of pay, services and online resources – we are up there with the big players,” he says. “But here at Smart & Biggar, it has more of a boutique feel.

I was impressed by the fact that it was easy to get to know everybody even though it is a large national firm.” n

384 100+

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA YEARS OF HISTORY

400

FLEX DOLLARS EACH YEAR TO PERSONALIZE BENEFIT PLANS

10

CHARITIES HELPED LAST YEAR

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CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

49

Startec: where ‘everyday mavericks’ find ways to succeed

A

t Calgary-based Startec, the workplace culture is centred around the concept of “everyday mavericks.” Startec’s core value statement defines an everyday maverick as a person who is driven to find a better way, collaborates from start to finish and is challenged to find the solutions that best serve customers’ needs. Resourcefulness, integrity and “imagining so far outside the box we don’t see a box” are some of the other defining characteristics.

Startec is comprised of two operating companies, with common ownership and culture. Startec Service focuses on industrial refrigeration, serving cold storage, meat packing, food processing and recreational ice facilities. Startec Compression & Process specializes in providing process, refrigeration and rotating equipment solutions for the oil and gas sector.

Being an ‘everyday maverick’ is about diligence, drive and persistence.

Joel Cawthorn

President, Startec Service

Joel Cawthorn is President of Startec Service and his sister, Kristi Cawthorn, is President of Startec Compression & Process. These two operating companies are supported by Startec Corporate Services for accounting, HR and IT, providing a consistent infrastructure.

When interviewing potential employees, Startec seeks people who fit the mold of an everyday maverick. “We don’t look for just technical skills and aptitude; we want someone who shares our core values,” says Joel.

Because it’s sometimes difficult to determine that from a resume or even

EMPLOYEES AT STARTEC OPENING THE COMPANY’S NEW EAST LAKE ASSEMBLY FACILITY IN SE CALGARY

an interview, Startec often finds its best prospects through referrals from existing employees. “If one of our own recommends someone from outside, that’s usually an indication that the person will be a good fit,” says Kristi.

A strong workplace culture also serves as a key retention tool. “We have a very low turnover rate,” says Kristi. “People continue to work here not only for career opportunities, but because there’s a sense of family.

We support that through things like the Maverick Milestone Program, which celebrates personal milestones like the purchase of a new home or the birth of a child.

“Our feeling is that, if it’s something you’d do for your brother or cousin, then let’s do it for our employees, because we are all part of one big family.”

Startec employees are also united by a shared commitment to high performance

standards and delivering the best results for customers.

“Being an everyday maverick is about diligence, drive and persistence,” says Joel.

“We have high expectations of our employees and there’s a high level of energy in the workplace. There’s a buzz of enthusiasm that’s infectious.”

Startec takes a very structured approach to employee engagement. On the shop floor, each workday begins with an “adrenaline meeting,” a 12-minute huddle that reviews the previous day’s accomplishments and challenges and outlines the goals for the day ahead.

All Startec managers hold one-on-one meetings with staff on either a weekly or bi-weekly basis. “This creates a whole rhythm around communicating and is tremendously efficient from a business perspective,” says Kristi. “It’s the oppor-

tunity for employees to get the undivided attention of their manager.”

Work-life balance is encouraged through a flex time policy as well as social and recreational activities.

Nathan Preet, a plant manager at Startec, is also manager of the company’s social committee. He helps organize participation in the annual obstacle course race known as the X-Warrior Challenge.

This includes 12 “boot camps” that help employees get in shape for the event.

“It’s a giant team-building exercise and translates directly to the workplace,” says Preet. “When you come back, you are already a team; those people are more apt to help each other out and it builds a positive momentum from there.”

Preet describes Startec as a company with a very open work environment where employees have a healthy respect for one another. Asked what he enjoys most about working there, Preet’s response is immediate and emphatic.

“Hands down, it’s the people,” he replies. “We are surrounded by people who share the same values and commitments.

We get to build a product in a good environment. It’s hard to put a price on that, but it’s definitely worth something.” n

140

FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES IN CANADA

33

JOBS POSTED LAST YEAR

42

YEARS, SINCE THE COMPANY WAS FOUNDED

36

YEARS, LONGESTSERVING EMPLOYEE

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

50

Fairness is paramount at Trihedral Engineering

R

od Tonietto took a big gamble when he sold his family-owned manufacturing company, uprooted his wife and two young children and left his native Brazil in early 2017 to settle in Halifax, N.S. He looked for work for seven months and had a number of interviews, but no offers.

Then, fortune smiled on him. A Brazilian friend and fellow émigré posted on Facebook a link to a job opening at Halifax-based Trihedral Engineering Limited.

“I didn’t have many prospects and was feeling down, but I applied,” recalls Tonietto. “They gave me an aptitude test and the following week called me for an interview. Two weeks later, on a Friday evening, I got a call from the president, Glenn Wadden, and he offered me a job as a project technician.”

Tonietto jumped at the offer and hasn’t looked back. Trihedral designs software used to monitor and control processes in industrial facilities, such as waste water treatment plants, power generation, air traffic monitoring systems, 911 emergency alerting systems, marine systems, national broadcasting networks and even subsea oil production infrastructure.

We treat employees, customers and suppliers the way we want to be treated.

Barry Baker

Vice President

“One of our founding beliefs is we follow the golden rule,” says Vice President Barry Baker. “Fairness is paramount. We treat employees, cus-

PROGRAMMERS, ENGINEERS AND SALES STAFF AT TRIHEDRAL WORKING TOGETHER

tomers and suppliers the way we want to be treated.”

Take, for instance, the company’s approach to overtime. Under a complex regime introduced by the provincial government, employers do not have to start paying overtime until an employee has worked 48 hours in a week. Trihedral created a plan called T-Points under which employees earn one point per hour when they work between 40 and 48 hours. A point is worth $12.50 with the company paying all income taxes. Once they have accumulated enough points, the company buys them a “toy” and these have included such things as flatscreen TVs, cameras and cell phones.

Unlike many employers these days, Trihedral has resisted the move to cubicles. “We’re an office company,”

says Baker. “Everyone has an office with a door. If someone needs to talk to their wife or their kids they can close the door and do it privately.”

Furthermore, the offices are adjacent to exterior walls so everyone has a window, in some cases overlooking Bedford Basin with the ocean on the horizon. Interior spaces are used for meeting rooms, a games room with a pool table and a small gym equipped with treadmills, elliptical machines, recumbent bicycles, weights and yoga mats.

Trihedral pays the annual accreditation fees for its engineers and other professionals and subsidizes tuition for job-related courses. The company also allows flexible working hours, although employees are expected to be at the office between 10 a.m. and

4 p.m. They also have the option of working from home, but must notify their manager or supervisor.

“We work as teams, but it’s hard to have teams if people are dispersed or working remotely,” says Baker. “You can’t walk into somebody’s office and say, ‘I don’t understand this. Can you help me out?’”

The company holds a series of social events throughout the year, including Grey Cup and Super Bowl parties and a summer barbecue lunch.

Late on Friday afternoons there are chips-and-nacho gatherings before everyone leaves for the weekend.

The highlight for many employees is the annual Christmas party at the oceanside White Point Beach Resort.

The company rents cottages for each employee and their families and treats everyone to dinner as well as breakfast the following morning.

“I was invited and had only been with the company for 11 days,” says Tonietto. “My colleagues said ‘Wait till you see how many parties and barbecues we have in the summer.’

The company keeps surprising me with everything they do.” n

32

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

5

JOBS AVAILABLE LAST YEAR

200

JOB APPLICATIONS RECEIVED LAST YEAR

46

YEARS, AVERAGE AGE OF ALL EMPLOYEES

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

51

Trisura fosters a friendly and supportive culture

J

enna Radford made a big transition three years ago when she moved from the hospitality industry – where she had started her career – to Toronto-based Trisura Guarantee Insurance Company.

She was impressed from the start.

“It was a completely different experience the moment I walked in the door for my first interview,” says Radford, a Senior Business Analyst.

“The human resources team kept me informed on what the next step was, what the timelines were and what the expectations were.”

She had an equally pleasant experience on the day she marked her first anniversary with the company. “I commute to work and always check my emails when I get on the train,” says Radford. “I had an email from our President, Mike George, congratulating me. I thanked him, not thinking I’d get a response, but we had a great exchange. It really blew me away.”

It was a completely different experience the moment I walked in the door for my first interview.

Jenna Radford

Senior Business Analyst

Trisura is a fast-growing company that provides a range of insurance policies and programs for corporate and commercial clients through a network of 150 brokers located from coast to coast in Canada. Besides Toronto, the company has offices in Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver.

TRISURA EMPLOYEES RAISING MONEY FOR CHARITY

“We promote a work environment and a culture that is employee friendly and supportive,” says George, who co-founded Trisura in 2006. “Whether they’re here six months, six years or their whole career, I want employees to look at their time with Trisura as the best of their career.”

The company generally hires people with backgrounds in business, finance or insurance for underwriting positions – a job that involves assessing risk and determining the price of coverage. But Trisura recruits lawyers for its legal department, IT professionals to run its systems and people from outside the insurance industry for other positions.

It also has a robust student co-op program. Any given time, Trisura has three to four university students on staff for four-month placements and that can grow to eight in the summer.

New hires, especially in underwriting, work with small teams of three to four employees and benefit from coaching and mentoring from their more experienced colleagues. As well, all new employees go through the company’s Mentoring Our Values and Principles program. Up to 12 employees from across the country come to Toronto for a pair of threeday workshops, one in the fall, the other in the spring, in which company leaders and outside facilitators

teach networking, communication and negotiation skills.

“We really try to have people understand our culture and what makes us unique,” says George. “I kick off each session and sit through most of them so I get to know people throughout the organization.”

Trisura actively encourages its employees to upgrade their skills and covers the cost of job-related accreditations. Radford recently completed the Certified Business Analyst Professional program and the company picked up the tab. “The company is hugely supportive of continuous education,” she says. “They really want everyone to make sure they’re upgrading their skills.”

Employees are permitted to work from home and the company agrees to flexible work hours, depending on family commitments and commuting times. Offices close early on Friday afternoons all summer.

“Commute times can be terrible and people have massive responsibilities at home with kids and families so we try to be as flexible as possible,” says George.

“It’s a differentiator for us.” n

122

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

22

JOBS AVAILABLE LAST YEAR

38

YEARS, AVERAGE AGE OF ALL EMPLOYEES

74

CHARITIES HELPED LAST YEAR

What Makes a Winning Team?

Enthusiasm, passion, and an unwavering belief that we can do it better.

Learn more at www.trisura.com a step above Trisura Guarantee Insurance Company is a Canadian owned and operated Property and Casualty insurance company specializing in niche insurance and surety products. We are a proud supporter of the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

52

In Uberflip’s values, culture comes before revenue

I

f you need a measure of Uberflip’s confidence in its own future, just have a look at its new space in downtown Toronto. The six-yearold tech company, which supports businesses’ content marketing efforts with a variety of digital techniques, has just moved into a place designed to host twice as many people as it currently employs.

“We’ve invested well over $1 million into the buildout alone,” says Randy Frisch, President and Chief Marketing Officer. “It’s going to allow us to grow from about 110 employees as we are now to about 240.” And the source of that confidence? “I think we’ve been doing the right things for a long time, and now we’re fortunate that the market is aligned in a lot of ways to the things that we’ve been preaching.”

UBERFLIP FOUNDERS RANDY FRISCH AND YOAV SCHWARTZ AT CONEX

If we put our culture first, it’s a lot easier to make business decisions that will lead us to success.

Randy Frisch

President and Chief Marketing Officer

Uberflip calls what it preaches “The Content Experience”. It helps companies bring together and highlight various forms of their marketing content, including videos, blogs, webinars, social media posts, e-books, presentations and more, and channel it in engaging ways to many different types of customers, often in the business-to-business sector. “In today’s marketing, getting content in front of the people you want to connect with means personalizing that delivery – to

segments, to individuals, to specific accounts – and that’s really hard for a marketer to achieve at scale,” says Frisch.

As for the 30,000 square feet of new space, located in a former radiator factory near Toronto’s Liberty Village, “it’s got a pretty cool vibe,” he says.

“The ceilings are something like 25 feet high. It’s just gorgeous.” There’s a gym, a 35-seat room for internal training, a large meeting area with a stage for community events, game tables and – reflecting a core value of diversity – non-gender-conforming bathrooms.

A lot of Uberflip’s workplace spirit is based on its core values, says Frisch.

“One of them is ‘culture, then product, then revenue’. The idea is if we put our culture first, it’s a lot easier to make business decisions that will lead

Love Where You Work

us to success. Figuring out what we stand for is where it starts.” The key words, which apply to both the people and the product, he says, are being valuable, relevant and consistent.

People’s reasons for deciding where to work go beyond what they earn, he notes. “Do they believe in what they’re helping to build, and do they feel they have a career path? We do a lot of things to communicate what our vision is, and we really invest in people’s careers.” There are town halls and lots of team-building events for the vision, and career guidance that includes a $1,000 annual allowance for professional development.

The company also has a strong belief in giving back, with one per cent of revenue growth going to charity.

Last year, $25,000 went to SickKids

hospital in Toronto. Uberflip also makes some of its space available at no charge to start-ups and other members of the tech community for meet-ups and events. It annually hosts Startupong, with over 800 players in the tech community playing ping pong to support SickKids.

Adam Brophy, a Senior Account Executive, joined Uberflip in 2014 as a business development representative on the sales team, and says he’s seen “a huge amount of change” in that time, including a quadrupling of the workforce. “But we’ve been able to keep a great culture – some of the nicest people I’ve ever worked with,” he says.

“I never get those feelings on Sunday nights – ‘oh, no, another work week.’

I enjoy what I do and it’s primarily because of the people.”

Brophy says he has had great support in being able to develop his career and understand the full sales process.

Even in sales, revenue does not come first, he says, echoing Frisch. “People come first,” says Brophy. “It’s making sure we have all the right people in place and everybody’s happy, and then the rest should take of itself.” n

110

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

64

JOBS AVAILABLE LAST YEAR

6,045

JOB APPLICATIONS RECEIVED LAST YEAR

28

YEARS, AVERAGE AGE OF ALL EMPLOYEES

We create great work experiences.

Visit us at uberflip.com/careers

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

53

Shout-outs for going above and beyond at VelocityEHS

S

arah Zych is dedicated to meeting clients’ needs. As Customer On-boarding Manager for VelocityEHS Canada in Oakville, Ont., she helps mid-market customers with the set-up, training and overall implementation of the software products they buy from her company. The VelocityEHS solutions enable customers to reach their environmental, health, safety and sustainability goals faster.

“Juggling the number of customers can be challenging, especially when dealing with a variety of personalities and different objectives,” says Zych. “Time zones can be challenging, too, as we have customers in Europe and Australia, not just Canada and the U.S. On a weekly average, we are talking to eight to 10 customers a day.”

The workplace culture here is unique in that everyone, regardless of what job they are doing or function they have, is considered important to the success of the company.

Nikki Buchan HR Manager

VelocityEHS currently has 87 employees in Canada, up from 60 last year at this time. “The workplace culture here is unique in that everyone, regardless of what job they are doing or function they have, is considered important to the success of the company,” says Nikki Buchan, HR Manager. “No one group or person is more important than any other. We are all working toward a common goal.”

The company has recently redefined its values. These are: Champion

VELOCITYEHS CANADA EMPLOYEES PLANTING TREES DURING A TEAM-BUILDING EVENT

customer success; Build open and honest relationships; Choose simple; Be humble; and Make a difference.

Employees who reflect those values receive peer-to-peer recognition. “If someone did something to help you out that goes above and beyond – say they stayed late to help you accomplish something – you send a shout-out to them,” says Buchan. “It’s a note saying this person helped me in this way.”

Once a month, the company holds a High Five breakfast, where staff who have received shout-outs spin a virtual wheel on the wall. Gift cards are given as prizes, at the platinum, gold and silver levels. Zych has won two platinum awards, as well as several silver ones, in her two years at VelocityEHS. For new employees, the company runs a two-week on-boarding program

called AccelerateU, which features indepth instruction by multiple teachers.

After completing the training, the new hires are certified not only on their product knowledge but on their awareness of the VelocityEHS values. “It’s the best on-boarding training I’ve ever received,” says Zych.

All employees can attend regular Lunch & Learns and access online training known as Skillsoft, which covers workplace issues such as the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and harassment.

Zych found it useful to take a half-day seminar on Emotional Intelligence.

“We send employees to conferences and reimburse their tuition costs if they take courses related to their role or to a role they wish to move into,” says Buchan. “Project management courses

JOB TITLE: Senior Software Developer EXPERTISE: Coding & axe throwing www.EHS.com/Cool-Jobs

are popular, as are IT-related courses.”

VelocityEHS also supports the local community. The company gives employees one paid volunteer day annually and matches staff ’s charitable donations up to $500. Among the beneficiaries are the Canadian Cancer Society, the United Way and the Humane Society. Up to 20 employees at a time volunteer at Burlington’s Food for Life Food Bank. Zych and other employees have used their volunteer days to participate in tree-planting at Oakville parks. “I don’t have a green thumb,” she says, “but I did okay.”

The company’s benefits package includes matching RRSP contributions and covering up to $2,000 annually in paramedical services, such as physiotherapists and chiropractors.

Sixty percent of its managers are women, so VelocityEHS takes a keen interest in promoting work-life balance.

“If people need to work from home a few days a week, that’s fine,” says Buchan. “If it makes sense for staff to come in earlier and leave earlier due to traffic or responsibilities with children, they have the freedom to do that. We don’t view it as a privilege.” n

87

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

23

JOBS AVAILABLE LAST YEAR

460

STAFF VOLUNTEER HOURS LAST YEAR

60%

OF MANAGERS ARE WOMEN

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2018

54

Wesgroup is equipped with a friendly culture

K

yle Hallet knows his Bobcats.

A Heavy Duty Service Technician at the Kelowna, B.C. dealership of Williams Machinery, a Wesgroup Equipment company, he specializes in the Bobcat brand of compact construction equipment. He does pre-delivery inspections of new equipment and diagnostics and repair of used equipment.

When Hallet moved to Kelowna eight years ago from Alberta, he didn’t have a job awaiting him, but pitched his work experience at two other Bobcat dealerships. “I came into the dealership every week and checked if there were any job openings,” he says. “When someone did leave, I was the first guy to get the call.”

In 2017, 15 applicants got the call from Surrey, B.C.-based Wesgroup Equipment to fill new positions. (Wesgroup Equipment is the parent company of Westerra Equipment and Williams Machinery, distributors of material handling, compact and heavy equipment to the construction, forestry, agriculture, mining, landscaping, and logistics sectors.)

The company is large enough that it can offer opportunities for career development and growth, yet small enough that every employee can make a difference.

Dhar Dhaliwal

CEO

Wesgroup Equipment, which currently employs 170 people, hires technicians, parts reps, sales reps and sales support as well as corporate services such as finance, accounting, HR, marketing and IT. The workplace culture is down-toearth, friendly and collaborative, says Dhar Dhaliwal, CEO. “The company is

WESGROUP EMPLOYEES TAKING A STAND AGAINST BULLYING

large enough that it can offer opportunities for career development and growth, yet small enough that every employee can make a difference. We are entrepreneurial, and our people are empowered to find better ways to service our customers and improve our processes.”

Employee development is a priority. Each employee participates in creating their annual development plan with their manager.

This can include opportunities for on-thejob training, volunteering on committees, attending conferences, taking courses and pursuing post-secondary education.

“We encourage all employees to be learning continuously,” says Dhaliwal.

“It’s not just one path for everyone; different staff have different needs. For technicians, much of the training is on the equipment, whereas our accounting team is enrolled in professional accounting programs.” The learning session called Customer Experience Skills is, however,

Do What You Love.

Hands On. www.W E S G R O U P E Q U I P M E N T. com

mandatory for all. “It was very useful in showing how to communicate with customers and build trust,” says Hallet.

In addition, he has done eight Bobcat factory training courses and 80 online university courses, becoming a gold-certified Bobcat technician. “They are definitely invested in making sure we can diagnose problems quickly and efficiently,” says Hallet.

The company’s W.E. Care Committee works with the team across the province to support the communities where they live and work. To fund breast cancer research, employees participate in the Run for the Cure and the company’s signature Pink Forklift Program, where profits from the rental of pink forklifts go to the Canadian Cancer Society. “When our salespeople are renting the fleet, they inquire of customers whether they want the pink forklifts in aid of breast cancer research,” says Dhaliwal.

They also find several opportunities to support the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foun-

dation through the annual Building for Kids Charity Golf Classic and Jeans Day. “As an industrial equipment dealer, we work hard to diversify our work force,” says Dhaliwal. Wesgroup employs women as managers, parts reps and salespeople. “Our complement of female staff throughout our organization is growing,” he says. Staff are also diverse in age and ethnicity.

The company’s values guide its interactions, both internally and with customers, on a daily basis. Those values are Build Trust, Be a Team Player, Support Community, Be Customer Focused, and Deliver Results.

The G.R.I.T. Awards Program enables employees to nominate co-workers for exceptional display of the company’s values and for exceptional service to customers or to each other. The monthly award winners are reviewed annually, with consistently high performers selected for True G.R.I.T. Awards, which include a four-day trip for two to a warm destination in January. This year, three employees, including Hallet, were rewarded with a trip to San Diego. “I was almost stunned when I heard I won,” he says. “It was nice to be recognized for my efforts.” n

171

FULL-TIME STAFF IN CANADA

67%

OF EXECUTIVE TEAM ARE VISIBLE MINORITIES

10

CHARITIES HELPED LAST YEAR

103

STAFF VOLUNTEER HOURS LAST YEAR

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