Canada's Top 100 Employers (2023)

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CANADA’S TOP 100 EMPLOYERS

2023 MAGAZINE

Anthony Meehan,

Editorial Team: Richard Yerema, EXECUTIVE EDITOR Kristina Leung, MANAGING EDITOR Stephanie Leung, EDITOR Chantel Watkins, ASSISTANT EDITOR Juliane Fung, RESEARCH EDITOR Sonja Verpoort, RESEARCH ASSISTANT Jing Wang, RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Advertising Team: Ye Jin Suhe, MANAGER, PUBLISHING Chariemagne Kuizon, JUNIOR COORDINATOR Vishnusha Kirupananthan, BRANDING & GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sabrina Wu,

SENIOR CONTENT & PUBLISHING SPECIALIST

Brian Bethune

Deb Bourk

Abigail Cukier

Mary Dickie

Jane Doucet

Steve Frank

Don Hauka

Patricia Hluchy D’Arcy Jenish Kelsey Rolfe Diane Sims Nora Underwood Barbara Wickens

© 2022 Mediacorp Canada Inc. and The Globe and Mail. All rights reserved. CANADA’S TOP 100 EMPLOYERS is a registered trade mark of Mediacorp Canada Inc. Editorial inquiries: ct100@mediacorp.ca

For many Canadians, these are disquiet ing times. On the one hand, employers continue to experience difficulties finding applicants for available positions, with the job market staying the strongest it’s been in living memory. Job-seekers feel confident not only about finding new positions, but negotiating decent terms and working conditions. Employers are responding with progressively better workplace policies and HR benefits.

Yet it’s hard to miss the sense of unease that many Canadians are feeling. Inflation, which began appearing in 2021, has increased the cost of living to the point where people feel the pinch at the grocery store or when taking their family to a restaurant. In response, central banks have raised interest rates rapidly (perhaps belatedly), send ing housing prices and discretionary spending downwards.

It’s tempting to point to current events – like the war in Ukraine or trade disruptions with China –as the primary cause of our unease. But the reality is that evidence of a shifting economy has been building for several years. In Canada, four-fifths of our labour force growth has come from immigra tion – it’s hard to imagine how we didn’t expect inflation and tight employment markets to follow when the pandemic reduced this number to zero.

Besides the sharp drop in immigration, the pan demic brought less visible changes that are also keeping Canada’s job market tight. Over the past two years, there’s been an exodus of workers aged

55+ from the job market, but we no longer have the younger workers to replace them. For these younger employees, the pandemic also brought a reluctance to stay in (or join) industries that can’t offer remote or hybrid work possibilities.

For employers, there’s a newfound awareness that it’s more important than ever to offer a compelling value proposition for employees. This year marks the 23rd edition of our Canada’s Top 100 Employers project: if there’s a lesson to be learned from all these years, it’s that there are no shortcuts for employers. To be an exceptional employer means paying attention to detail and improving.

In the pages of this year’s announcement magazine, you’ll find a catalogue of best practices that chronicles the magnificent and the mundane when it comes to what the best employers offer. The common thread is that each of these initia tives addresses a need that competing employers have overlooked. To do so in an imaginative way that other employers can emulate is often the tip ping point that lands many of this year’s winners on our list.

The year ahead will undoubtedly bring con fidence and unease in equal measure, but tight labour markets aren’t going away anytime soon. Employers would do well to study the winners chronicled in this year’s announcement magazine to glean the best initiatives that can be brought into their own organizations.

– Tony Meehan

Sponsored Profile Writers: Berton Woodward, SENIOR EDITOR

p Staff at Saint John-based Irving Oil producing a virtual holiday coffee house showcasing employees’ musical talents and raising money for local charities — the company doublematched all employee donations.

PUBLISHER

IRVING

INTRODUCTION

As people transition back to the office, Canada’s Top 100 Employers 2023 have been listening to what people want – through employee surveys, town halls and conversa tions around the virtual water cooler – and it’s not the way it used to be.

Nearly three years ago, most people travelled to their workplaces as a matter of course. Then the pandemic hit and suddenly everyone went to work at their kitchen tables. They got more comfortable with remote technology and the cat’s ever-increasing ego on Zoom. Productivity continued to improve, along with work-life balance. It’s no

wonder so many workers don’t want to return to stressful commuting – at least not full time.

For the winners of this year’s competition, selected by Mediacorp Canada Inc., flexibility is the answer as they continue to set the standard for doing business in Canada with best practices. In many cases, that may mean simply going with whatever works best for the worker. For instance, Hatch asked employees to share feedback on their profes sional goals, personal wellness, and where, when and how they would like to work, in order to develop individual plans to suit each employee’s needs.

Likewise, after conducting an

employee survey on the return to the office, Digital Extremes is offering full-time remote, full-time in office and hybrid work options. The company is also enticing people back with a head office that features massage chairs, healthy snacks, arcade and video game stations and an onsite fitness facility with subsidized memberships.

As another example, BASF recently moved offices to better adapt to increased levels of hybrid work. The new location boasts open concept designs plus collaboration and innovation spaces for connect ing – and also incorporates a number of green features, including a living wall, electric vehicle

charging stations and external green spaces.

But while flexible work arrange ments have become more important than ever, job seekers should also look at what else Canada’s Top 100 Employers 2023 have to offer. There are opportunities for career development, continuous learning, community involvement, financial incentives and generous health benefits, including increased mental health services. After all, the last three years have not been without stress – and helping employees manage that is a high priority for many of this year’s Top 100.

– Diane Jermyn

COLAB

q CoLab team members taking part in a hackathon at the company’s St. John’s headquarters.

202 3 WINNERS

3M CANADA COMPANY, London, Ont. Technology manufacturing; 1,842 employees. Supports ongoing employee development through a wide range of formal in-house training initiatives as well as generous tuition subsidies.

ABB CANADA, SaintLaurent, Que. Engineer ing and technology services; 2,971 employees. Encourages physical health by providing free access to virtual fitness classes and participating in an annual global health challenge.

ABORIGINAL PEOPLES

TELEVISION NETWORK INC. / APTN, Winnipeg. Television broadcasting; 152 employees. Offers

northern living allowances and housing allowances for its Iqaluitbased employees.

ACCENTURE INC., Toronto. Professional services; 5,682 employ ees. Manages a dedicated mental health group to help educate and empower employees as well as a Mental Health Ally program.

ADOBE SYSTEMS CANADA INC., Ottawa. Software publishers; 342 employees. Encourages employees to become recruiters for the firm with generous new employee referral bonuses, up to $2,000 depending on the position.

AGRICULTURE FINANCIAL SERVICES CORP. / AFSC, Lacombe, Alta. Insurance and lending for

agricultural producers; 491 employ ees. Helps employees take responsi bility for their health through a health spending account as part of their health benefits plan.

ARCELORMITTAL DOFASCO G.P., Hamilton. Iron and steel mills; 4,765 employees. Offers academic scholarships for children of employees who wish to pursue post-secondary education, up to $2,500 per child.

ASSEMBLY OF FIRST NATIONS, Ottawa. Indigenous government; 147 employees. Provides maternity and parental leave top-up of up to 93 per cent of salary for up to 50 weeks for mothers and 93 per cent of salary for up to 35 weeks for fathers.

BANK OF CANADA , Ottawa. Central bank; 2,035 employees. Supports hybrid work arrangements, including the option to work from home as well as other flexible options.

BASF CANADA INC., Mississauga. Chemical manufacturing; 1,089 employees. Moved to a new location designed to better adapt to increased levels of hybrid work, with open concept designs and collaboration and innovation spaces for connecting.

BC PUBLIC SERVICE, Victoria. Provincial government; 33,041 employees. Prioritizes the profes sional development of its employees,

p ABB Canada develops the next generation of leaders through a global trainee program, lasting 18-24 months, that features three or four challenging assignments in several countries.

launching a new centralized learning hub for corporate learning in the past year.

BDO CANADA LLP, Toronto. Accounting; 4,478 employees. Conducted two firm-wide mental health surveys to gauge employee well-being and maintains an internal My Wellness resource centre.

BELL CANADA, Verdun, Que. Communications; 34,983 employees. Introduced the “Bell Workways” initiative to help employees develop hybrid work models that offer greater flexibility, collaboration and support in how and where employ ees work.

BEST BUY CANADA LTD., Vancouver. Retail; 5,214 employees. Encour ages employees to support charitable initiatives by offering $15 for every hour spent volunteering and doubles it to $30 per hour during National Volunteer Week in April.

BIOVECTRA, Charlottetown. Pharmaceutical manufacturing; 570 employees. Introduced maternity leave top-up for new mothers as well as parental leave top-up for fathers and adoptive parents.

BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP CANADA ULC, THE, Toronto. Management consulting; 475 employees. Organized a mix of in-person and virtual events over the past year including in-person end of summer bashes, virtual cocktail-making classes and virtual scavenger hunts.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

CORP. / BCI, Victoria. Portfolio management; 608 employees. Offers a buddy program to parents returning from maternal and parental leave, matching participants with employees who returned from leave in the past year.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BANK OF CANADA, Montreal. Secondary market financing; 2,556 employees. Encourages employees to become recruiters for the firm with generous new employee referral bonuses, from $2,000 to $2,500 depending on the position.

p Employees at Aboriginal Peoples Television Network / APTN in Winnipeg.

APTN

p Kristin Bennett, asset engineer co-ordinator at ArcelorMittal Dofasco in Hamilton.

ARCELORMITTAL

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP):

1. Videoconferencing and the latest workplace technology help employees at Bell Canada connect with their colleagues across the country.

2. The 2021 year-end holiday party for Boston Consulting Group/BCG employees in Toronto.

3. A Bank of Canada security assessment analyst at a company event in Ottawa.

M.TENAGLIA/BCG

BANK OF CANADA

2023 WINNERS (CONT.)

CAE INC., Saint-Laurent, Que. Aviation and defence systems; 4,456 employees. Moved to a global flexible vacation program, enabling employees to request time off as needed or wanted, without any fixed limits.

CANADA ENERGY REGULATOR, Calgary. Federal government; 539 employees. Helps employees plan securely for the future with contributions to a defined benefit pension plan, retirement planning assistance and health benefits that extend to retirees.

CANADA REVENUE AGENCY / CRA, Ottawa. Federal government; 55,588 employees. Offers a pre-retire ment transition program, allowing employees to reduce their workweek by up to 40 per cent while maintain ing regular benefits and pension contributions.

CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY CO., Montreal. Railroad transporta tion; 16,402 employees. Developed a formal framework that lets employ ees design flexible work options in keeping with their roles.

CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY LTD., Calgary. Railroad transporta tion; 9,138 employees. Matches 100 per cent of all employee donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada or the American Heart Association as part of its charitable program.

CARLETON UNIVERSITY, Ottawa. Universities; 2,516 employees. Offers a minimum of four weeks starting vacation as part of its focus on employee well-being.

CASCADES, Kingsey Falls, Que. Paper products; 7,233 employees. Offers free memberships and a range of instructor-led classes, both onsite and virtual, at its onsite fitness facility.

CIBC, Toronto. Banking; 40,048 employees. Opened its new global headquarters designed around a new workplace strategy that includes a blend of onsite and offsite work, with flexibility to work where employees are most productive.

CITI CANADA, Mississauga. Banking; 2,297 employees. Supports new parents and parents-to-be with fertility support payments to $24,000, as well as an adoption subsidy to $30,000.

CLIO, Burnaby, B.C. Computer software; 708 employees. Helps employees manage unexpected challenges, offering compassionate leave top-up to care for a loved one, to 100 per cent of salary for up to 16 weeks.

COLAB SOFTWARE INC., St. John’s. Software; 67 employees. Maintains an unlimited vacation policy as well as a dedicated office closure over the winter holidays with full pay.

COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, THE, Vancouver. Professional organizations; 165 employees. Implemented a permanent hybrid working model, with employees working up to three days a week from home.

CREATIVE OPTIONS REGINA INC., Regina. Mental health support services; 216 employees. Launched a leadership development program to help prepare young leaders for career advancement.

DANONE CANADA, Boucherville, Que. Food manufacturing; 544 employees. Renovated the head office to create open, flexible and collaborative working spaces along with telecommuter workstations for offsite employees.

DENTONS CANADA LLP, Edmon ton. Law firm; 1,357 employees.

p BC Investment Management employees Minh Tran (left) and Lincoln Webb meet in a common area at the agency’s Victoria head office.

BCI

PHOTOS (L-R):

1. Timothy Branch, superin tendent of locomotive maintenance for Ontario and Quebec at Canadian Pacific, was recently recognized by the CEO for his work on developing a leadership training program.

2. Salwa Salek, equity, diversity and inclusion chief at Desjardins Group

J.ALVOEIRO/DESJARDINS

2023 WINNERS (CONT.)

Offers exceptional and inclusive family-friendly benefits, including adoption assistance of up to $25,000 as well as $15,000 for fertility procedures.

DESJARDINS GROUP / MOUVEMENT DESJARDINS, Lévis, Que. Financial institution; 48,129 employees. Updated its flexible work policies to offer three flexible work arrangement options, including 100-per-cent onsite, 100-per-cent offsite and combinations of both.

DIAMOND SCHMITT ARCHITECTS INC., Toronto. Architecture; 268 employees. Is piloting a formal mentorship program, pairing senior team members with junior staff for professional development.

DIGITAL EXTREMES LTD., London, Ont. Software publishers; 349 employees. Surveyed employees on the return to the office and will offer full-time remote, full-time in office and hybrid work arrangements.

EMERA INC., Halifax. Electric power generation and distribution and gas distribution; 2,468 employees. Offers extensive in-house training pro grams, including paid internships and formal engineer-in-training programs for younger employees.

EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CANADA, Gatineau, Que. Federal government; 37,334 employees. Offers subsidized onsite child care for employees working at the organization’s Gatineau head office.

ENBRIDGE INC., Calgary. Energy infrastructure; 7,384 employees. Offers a formal wellness program that encourages a variety of activi ties, including team step challenges, a month-long mindfulness chal lenge, health assessments and biometric screenings.

EXPORT DEVELOPMENT CANADA, Ottawa. International trade financing and support; 2,019 employees. Launched a new benefits plan to provide employees with

increased flexibility in determining appropriate coverage options.

FIDELITY CANADA, Toronto. Portfolio manage ment; 1,407 employees. Offers secondment opportunities to let employees try out different roles and a job exchange program that lets employees trade roles for up to one year.

FORD MOTOR COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD., Oakville, Ont. Automobile manufacturing; 6,570 employees. Supports ongoing employee development through generous tuition subsidies for courses related and not directly related to their current position.

FOWLER BAULD & MITCHELL LTD., Halifax. Architecture; 43 employees. Lets everyone share in the company’s success with profit sharing and year-end bonuses.

FRESHBOOKS, Toronto. Software publishers; 505 employees. Features a common area, kitchen, library,

massage chairs and a wellness room at head office, as well as shower facilities, bike storage and repair facilities for cycle commuters.

GHD CANADA HOLDINGS INC., Waterloo, Ont. Engineering; 1,694 employees. Helps employees plan for the future with retirement planning assistance and matching RSP contributions.

GSOFT, Montreal. Computer software; 300 employees. Maintains an unlimited time-off policy and implemented a flexible work policy, enabling eligible employees to work almost anywhere, including outside of Canada, for up to 150 days.

HATCH LTD., Mississau ga. Engineering; 3,653 employees. Launched a Manifesto Driven Workplace Guideline to help employees find better work-life balance and develop individual plans to suit each employee’s needs.

HERSHEY CANADA INC., Mississauga. Food manufacturing; 851 employees. Manages the SMILE peer recognition program, enabling employees to award redeemable points to colleagues who demonstrate one of the company’s five global behaviours.

HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN, THE, Toronto. Hospitals; 6,129 employees. Offers extensive wellness programming to encourage employ ees to make healthy choices for their physical, social and mental well-being.

IGM FINANCIAL INC., Winnipeg. Financial services; 3,818 employees. Hosts organizationwide and division-specific employee forums to help keep employ ees connected.

IMPERIAL OIL LTD., Calgary. Oil and gas production and distribution; 5,429 employees. Offers generous/ full tuition subsidies up to $20,000 annually, and more than 10,000 in-house and online courses available in various learning styles.

p Employment and Social Development Canada employees attending an Indigenous awareness event.

INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

CANADA, Ottawa. Federal govern ment; 6,160 employees. Helps cultivate the next generation of talent through paid internships, summer student roles and co-op opportunities.

INTER PIPELINE LTD., Calgary. Petroleum transportation, storage and natural gas liquids processing; 1,159 employees. Offers up to 12 paid flex days to help employees balance work and family commitments.

IQMETRIX, Vancouver. Computer software; 368 employees. Encourages employees to put their health first with an unlimited paid sick day policy and coverage for mental health services as part of its benefits plan.

IRVING OIL, Saint John. Petroleum refining, distribution and retail; 2,586

employees. Developed a formal flexible work program that provides employees with the opportunity to develop a hybrid work schedule adapted to their role.

KELLOGG CANADA INC., Mississauga. Breakfast cereal manufacturing; 345 employees. Encourages employees to provide their feedback and help select charitable initiatives for support as well as matching financial donations for hours volunteered.

KEURIG DR PEPPER CANADA, Montreal. Coffee distribution and brewing equipment; 1,445 employees. Lets employees extend maternity leave into an unpaid leave of absence and offers phased-in work options when they return to work.

KPMG LLP, Toronto. Accounting; 9,926 employees. Maintains a Working Parents Network and

recently launched a Special Family and Friends Network to support parents of children with special physical, emotional or behavioural needs.

LABATT BREWERIES OF CANADA, Toronto. Breweries; 3,681 employees. Encourages employees to get involved with community and charitable initiatives with two paid volunteer days off annually as well as a generous matching donations program.

LEAGUE INC., Toronto. Computer software; 281 employees. Implement ed paid Wellness Days for employees to take one paid day off each quarter to relax and recharge, an unlimited paid time off policy and unlimited coverage for mental health services.

LOBLAW COMPANIES LTD., Brampton, Ont. Supermarkets and grocery stores; 31,708 employees.

Encourages ongoing employee development through role-specific learning paths, upskilling and re-skilling programs, and a newly launched enterprise-wide learning platform.

L’ORÉAL CANADA INC., Montreal. Cosmetics manufacturing; 1,421 employees. Starts most new employees with three weeks of paid vacation and recently increased vacation up to four weeks after just five years of employment.

MANULIFE, Toronto. Insurance; 11,925 employees. Supports hybrid and work-athome options, and offers wellness consultant services for workstation set-up assistance, including for home office set-ups.

MARS CANADA, Bolton, Ont. Food manufacturing; 1,530 employees. Offers coaching for new caregivers

2023 WINNERS (CONT.)

p At Ford Motor Company of Canada, employees receive generous training subsidies (to $6,000 annually) to help ensure their skills stay current.

2023 WINNERS (CONT.)

and parents as they return from maternity and parental leave to help them adjust to their new roles.

MCCARTHY TÉTRAULT LLP, Toronto. Law firm; 1,576 employees. Taps into employee feedback and ideas through the idea+eXchange program, and has successfully implemented more than 110 ideas from employees since the program’s inception.

MCELHANNEY LTD., Vancouver. Engineering, surveying and mapping; 1,041 employees. Incorpo rates employee feedback when reviewing its benefits and offers a range of in-house programming to address well-being.

MEDAVIE INC., Moncton. Medical insurance and health services; 5,855 employees. Encourages a culture of continuous learning with tuition subsidies for courses related and not directly related to their current positions.

MEDTRONIC CANADA ULC, Brampton, Ont. Electromedical apparatus manufacturing; 701 employees. Provides a monthly internet subsidy of $50 for employees who work remotely or in a hybrid model as well as computer monitors, key boards and ergonomic chairs.

MONDELĒZ INTERNATIONAL, Toronto. Food manufacturing; 2,210 employees. Increased maternity and parental leave top-up payments for employees who are new mothers, fathers and adoptive parents and recently doubled its adoption subsidy for adoptive parents.

NUTRIEN INC., Saskatoon. Phosphate, nitrogen and potash fertilizer manufac turing; 5,666 employees. Features an onsite fitness centre, state-of-the-art tech, ergonomic furniture, a dedicated wellness space and a quiet reflection room at its LEED-certified head office.

OPENTEXT CORP. , Waterloo, Ont. Software publishers; 2,669 employees. Offers financial benefits ranging from matching RSP contributions, a share purchase plan

L.CARUANA/FRESHBOOKS

p George Kyriakis is senior director of business development and partnerships at FreshBooks in Toronto.

p Saint John-based Irving Oil offers a flexible work program that includes hybrid work options.

IRVING

2023 WINNERS (CONT.)

available to all employees and corporate discounts for home computers and software.

PCL CONSTRUCTION, Edmonton. Commercial, institutional, industrial and civil construction; 2,697 employees. Helps employees plan for life after work with retirement planning assistance along with a defined contribution pension plan.

PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE CANADA LTD., Toronto. Book publishers; 270 employees. Adapted its wellness benefit during the pandemic to become more holistic, allowing employees to use it for most anything to support overall well-be ing, including home cleaning and food ordering.

POMERLEAU INC., Montreal. Construction; 2,472 employees. Supports a formal well-being committee focused on both physical and mental health initiatives, including 24-hour access to online health services as part of its health benefits plan.

PROCTER & GAMBLE INC., Toronto. Consumer product manufacturing; 1,618 employees. Established a new hybrid work model, called Workdays, that helps employees design a hybrid work schedule to fit their roles.

RIO TINTO, Montreal. Mining; 11,512 employees. Maintains hybrid work options for administrative personnel and continues to help subsidize home office set-up with money and through ergonomic consultations.

ROSS VIDEO LTD., Ottawa, Ont. Audio and video communications technology; 825 employees. Encour ages employees to become recruiters for the firm with generous new employee referral bonuses, from $500 to $5,000 depending on the position.

ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, Toronto. Banking; 60,966 employees. Extended its annual national Employee Giving Campaign worldwide with over 80 per cent of

p Labatt Breweries of Canada provides staff with two paid days off annually to volunteer with local charities.

LABATT

p An employee of McElhanney Ltd. surveying a familiar landmark in downtown Vancouver.

MCELHANNEY

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP):

1. Mentorship is an important part of the training program at Edmonton-based PCL Construction.

2. An employee of Pomerleau Inc. works with a construction robot on a site inspection at Place Ville Marie in Montreal.

3. With six mines in Saskatchewan, Nutrien is the world’s largest producer of potash.

4. An employee of SaskEnergy, a Crown corporation that delivers natural gas, drops off a carbon monoxide detector for an elderly resident.

SASKENERGY

POMERLEAU

PCL

NUTRIEN

employees contributing to over 9,500 charities in 28 countries.

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS

CANADA INC., Mississauga. Communications equipment manufacturing; 625 employ ees. Increased mental health benefit coverage, adding clinical counselling support as well as introducing wellness initiatives to raise aware ness and understanding.

SANOFI CANADA, Toronto. Pharmaceutical manufacturing; 1,933 employees. Updated its work from home policies including a range of flexible working arrangements and a one-time allowance to purchase needed home office equipment.

SASKENERGY INCORPORATED, Regina. Natural gas distribution; 1,120 employees. Adopted a new formal remote work program allowing eligible employees to work from home for up two days per week.

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC CANADA INC., Mississauga. Industrial automation and controls; 1,951 employees. Introduced a Recharge Break Program that lets employees purchase up to 12 weeks of extra paid leave time (with costs shared by the company).

SHELL CANADA LTD., Calgary. Oil and gas production and distribution; 3,522 employees. Encourages employees to support initiatives in their communities with up to three paid volunteer days along with matching charitable donations for volunteer work.

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY, Burnaby, B.C. Universities; 3,432 employees. Offers employees full tuition subsidies for courses related and not directly related to their current position as well as a variety of in-house and online training programs.

SOBEYS INC., Mississauga. Supermarkets and grocery stores; 27,378 employees. Supports ongoing employee development throughout their careers, including paid internships, apprenticeships, mentoring, in-house and online training programs.

STRYKER CANADA ULC, Water down, Ont. Medical equipment and

supplies wholesalers; 666 employees. Starts new employees with three weeks of paid vacation and considers previous work experience when setting starting vacation entitlements for senior personnel.

SUNCOR ENERGY INC., Calgary. Crude petroleum and natural gas extraction; 18,379 employees. Enrolls new employees in a defined contribution pension plan, offering a one-time option to switch to a hybrid plan when their age and years of service equal 50.

TD BANK GROUP, Toronto. Banking; 59,100 employees. Renovated many of its workspaces in preparation for employees returning to onsite work and ensured employ ees had proper furniture, technology and support for their home offices.

TECK RESOURCES LTD., Vancou ver. Mining; 8,944 employees.

Supported hundreds of local, national and international charitable initiatives with an emphasis on health and well-being, inclusion, and sustainable livelihoods and environmental stewardship.

TELUS COMMUNICATIONS INC., Vancouver. Telecommunications; 25,474 employees. Expanded its suite of virtual care offerings, including virtual health care services, and offers a dedicated expense, up to $1,000, for employees to fund their home offices.

TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFAC

TURING CANADA INC. / TMMC, Cambridge, Ont. Automobile manufacturing; 10,009 employees. Offers a variety of impressive onsite amenities, including a fitness facility, employee lounge, quiet room, outdoor walking trails, baseball and basketball courts, and a community garden.

B.HORSMAN/SCHNEIDER

UNIVERSITÉ DE MONTRÉAL, Montreal. Universities; 5,667 employees. Encourages employees to continue their education through an employee tuition waiver program as well as a variety of in-house and online training programs.

UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK / UNB, Fredericton. Universities; 1,816 employees. Developed a formal remote work policy that includes hybrid work and fully remote work from home arrangements, plus the use of shared and hotel office space for employees to reserve as needed.

VANCOUVER CITY SAVINGS CREDIT UNION, Vancouver. Credit Union; 2,423 employees. Encourages employees to leave the car at home through a

p Mississauga-based Schneider Electric Canada recently introduced a Recharge Break program that allows employees to purchase up to 12 extra weeks of additional paid leave at subsidized rates.

transit pass program, discounted ride-sharing service and an employ ee cycling incentive.

VANCOUVER COASTAL HEALTH, Vancouver. Hospitals; 18,936 employees. Supports employee development throughout their careers, including paid internships and apprenticeships, mentoring, in-house and online training programs, plus subsidies for tuition and professional accreditation.

VERAFIN INC., St. John’s. Special ized financial software; 778 employ ees. Maintains a results-focused work environment, allowing employees to work when and where they are most productive.

WESTERN FINANCIAL GROUP INC., High River, Alta. Insurance and financial services; 1,931 employees. Surveyed employees and managers to better understand work preferences, and established a formal working committee to oversee its return-to-work plan that offers flexible working options.

WEST FRASER TIMBER CO. LTD., Vancouver. Sawmills; 5,880 employ ees. Designates a portion of its pre-tax profits to charitable and community giving following a “give where we live” approach, with most donation dollars decided with employee feedback.

WORLD VISION CANADA, Mississauga. Charitable organiza tions; 378 employees. Launched new formal WorkAway Guidelines for remote and hybrid work arrange ments and adapted the physical office space for onsite work.

YUKON, GOVERNMENT OF, Whitehorse. Territori al government; 5,156 employees. Encourages ongoing employee development with tuition subsidies and a new online learning platform that features a variety of mobile-friendly course offerings.

– Diane Jermyn

p Vancouver-based Telus Communications improved its benefits plan to include virtual healthcare.

p Dr. Olivier Leogane, section head of the faculty of arts and science, MIL Campus, Université de Montréal

TELUS U d M

q St. John’s-based Verafin offers a results-focused work environment that allows employees to work when and where they are most productive.

METHODOLOGY

While the selection process to choose the winners of Canada’s Top 100 Employers by Mediacorp continually evolves to include new questions that reflect changes in the workplace, the underlying methodology has not significantly changed since the project began in 2000. The competi tion is and remains a catalogue of best practices.

To select the winners, the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers by Mediacorp compare each organization’s policies to others in their industry and region to see if they’re a leader. Each employer’s application is judged by rigorous criteria in eight key areas: (1) Physical workplace; (2) Work atmosphere & social; (3) Health, financial & family benefits; (4) Vacation & time off; (5) Employee communications; (6) Performance manage ment; (7) Training & skills development; and (8) Community involvement.

Canada’s Top 100 Employers by Mediacorp is an annual national competition. Any employer with its head office or principal place of business in Canada may apply, regardless of size, whether private or public sector.

– Diane Jermyn

The Workplace Revolution

Canada’s Top 100 Employers are grappling with the fastest change they’ve ever seen

Every once in a while, a complete disruption upends a major part of society. You could look back to the impact of electricity on the home. Or to the internet on commerce and communication. And in 2022, you have to add the astonishing effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the workplace – in just two years.

“In the previous 20 years, the changes in employment practices we

tracked were evolutionary in nature,” says Richard Yerema, executive editor at Mediacorp Canada, which runs the Canada’s Top 100 Employers competition. “Benefits and policies would improve and expand, one by one over time. But the last couple of years has really challenged every body in how to manage the work place. It’s been revolutionary in its speed.”

The big change, of course, is that

vast numbers of Canadian office workers continue to work from home at least part of the time, and it’s pretty clear things will stay that way long after the pandemic is consid ered completely over. Many, if not most, of the winners of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers (2023) competition have instituted some form of hybrid work program. Staff often come to the office only when necessary, or, say, on a regular two days a week,

while many others are, with their employers’ agreement, working remotely full-time.

Naturally, employees whose job requires an in-person presence are at their work site – many stayed throughout the pandemic. But it’s difficult to find any Top Employers who are insisting that all employees come to the office five days a week, every week. “I’m not aware of any,” says Yerema.

p Bernard Lord, CEO of Medavie and former premier of New Brunswick, speaks with employees at the company’s head office in Moncton, N.B.

MEDAVIE

Leaders among the Top Employ ers are still assessing the impact. One of the most sagacious is Bernard Lord, CEO of the health company Medavie and former premier of New Brunswick, from 1997 to 2006.

“The pandemic and what happened in 2020 forced us all to reconsider some of the things we thought were unchangeable,” he says, “and we accelerated change significantly because we had to.” Now, with the new systems in place, he says, “the relationship between the employer and employee has changed. It is transforming what employees expect.”

That’s very clear in recruitment, where the ability to work remotely has become a critical piece for applicants. “It’s one of the first things they ask,” says Lord. “Can I work from home? Do I have to be in the office all the time? What are your rules? And three years ago, no one would ask that question.”

For reform-minded leaders like him – “I am a progressive Conserva tive,” he likes to say – the whole underpinning of traditional workplace life is being swept away. “It’s just ignited this desire to be far more flexible, and move away from what I call the Industrial Age philosophy of work, where every body has to be a clock puncher and be there at a certain time, eight days a week, and take 10-minute breaks. Now people work from home, they may have kids, so they work six hours and then do the other two later.”

But for Lord, there’s a next step in flexibility, especially since part of his company’s business is emergency

“Now people work from home, they may have kids, so they work six hours and then do the other two later.”

–Bernard Lord, CEO MEDAVIE INC.

p Suncor employees Michel Dupasquier and Gisele Tong working at the company’s Montreal refinery.

J.STANG/SUNCOR

p Mary Tiessen, a sign language interpreter at the Government of Yukon, at a Whitehorse press conference.

A.MAITLAND/GOVT. OF YUKON

WORKPLACE REVOLUTION (CONT.) continues, “but we’re forcing ourselves to ask those questions, to say, Okay, what’s the next step in this evolution of work? What’s the next step of making this environment even better for the top talent so they choose us?”

medical services, where everyone has to be on site for their shift. It is time itself. “Maybe some people are willing to work only four days a week. Can we accommodate that? Or people want to work eight months in the year and have four months off back to back. Is that possible?

“Now, we’re not there yet,” Lord

All of which is very relevant amid Canada’s much chronicled labour shortage – “it’s real,” Lord says.

Kristina Leung, managing editor at

Mediacorp Canada, notes that in the past two years, many employees have felt a sense of disengagement. “Folks have been taking the time to reevaluate and think about what’s important to them. There’s a lot of selectiveness – where do I want to spend my time, what kind of environment, what kind of organiza tion do I really want to commit to?

“That means employers really

need to shore up what they offer in order to compete in the market. And, of course, they also want to retain the folks they have, and that means ensuring that they’re feeling engaged and appreciated and seen and heard and valued.”

Good advice in the middle of a revolution.

– Berton Woodward

q Dr. Erik Scheme, is an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton.

ABB Canada aims for more equity and inclusion

committed to the organization,” says Dika. “I want to give even more to my work so I can be successful and provide a beautiful life for my babies. My day has a purpose.”

Katie Bessette, country human resources manager, says the global parental leave program forms part of ABB’s Global Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Strategy 2030, launched in 2020. It clearly defines the company’s efforts to ensure inclusion and equal treatment of all, regardless of gender, ability, age, ethnic origin or sexual orientation. This new program awards each parent an opportunity to spend more time with their newborns and lends itself to creating a balance between career and family responsibilities.

is one of the key goals of the Global D&I Strategy, through which the company plans to attract the best team of talent in its industry and to ensure the same development and career opportunities for everyone. Over the last year, the company has taken a wide range of steps to foster a fair and inclusive work environment, including doubling the proportion of women in senior management positions worldwide by 2030.

“ABB not only puts programs in place, but deploys financial and human resources to make them happen,” says Bessette. “In addition to the many local initiatives, the global group has a spe cific agenda and timetable for moving the company forward and achieving its D&I goals.”

When Ali Dika’s wife gave birth to twins this summer, the first-time dad took seven weeks to be home with her and their newborns – part of a new genderneutral parental leave program at global technology leader ABB Canada.

Dika, the Montréal-based company’s product marketing director for the Smart Buildings division, says taking a few days off at the beginning and then returning to work wouldn’t have been the same experience.

“When I’m working, I’m focused on emails, meetings and solving problems,” says Dika. “If I was working during the day, I wouldn’t be able to spend the right time and energy with the family. Taking parental leave for this period of time allowed me to

connect with my newborn twins and offer my wife support.”

Dika credits both his direct manager and the human resources director for encouraging him to take advantage of the benefit, which is open to all employees regardless of gender or position in the company.

“It’s all about spending time to create a bond with the babies at this young age and building memories with the family,” says Dika. “You cannot buy it.”

Dika says having support from human resources and ABB to spend this time with family without negative consequences to his career was extreme ly important to him, as it is for all new parents. It also made him realize the importance of this kind of personal time for colleagues as well.

“Now that I’m back, I feel even more

“The previous program was focused on who gave birth versus who are the supporting parents,” says Bessette. “Our new gender-neutral program, rather than being based on gender, is more focused on the primary and secondary caregivers. This allows us to accommodate a couple who are the same sex or a couple who has adopted.”

Bessette explains that gender equality

“Every meeting I attend is tinged with diversity. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still much work to be done, but we have the tools and the support of senior management.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 ABB Canada incorporated a new gender-neutral parental leave program to support employees starting new families.

“Taking parental leave for this period of time allowed me to connect with my newborn twins and offer my wife support.”

— Ali Dika Product Marketing Director, Smart Buildings, Electrification Business, Canada

AFSC takes employees’ pulse in a new world of work

Funnell’s experience shows the potential for advancement at AFSC. During her interview, she discovered that others on the panel had started in positions similar to the one she was interviewing for. She emerged as the successful candidate and began working in the Client Care Centre.

Funnell soon found she wanted to shift into the human resources field. She took advantage of online learning opportunities and found a position in learning and development.

Supported by a government grant and AFSC, Funnell is pursuing an online university program in human resources while she continues to work.

can pick up trends and identify opportunities for improvements.

Funnell also belongs to an employeeled resource group of younger staff who meet and discuss opportunities and concerns with a wellness coordinator.

“The organization is always looking to improve. I feel safe giving feedback and I do feel like my feedback is taken seriously,” she says.

And there is much that isn’t workrelated. “AFSC made a critical contri bution through a difficult year in the agriculture industry and people are tired,” says Kay. “Wellness is a priority.”

Not long after Amanda Funnell began working at Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), she had a chance to job shadow in the Client Care Centre. A colleague showed her around and she remembers the energy of the different teams, especially the corporate learning team.

“Everyone was smiling and welcom ing. I hoped I would be able to stay with this company,” says Funnell, now a learning and development advisor.

AFSC’s network of 38 branch offices across Alberta provides loans and insurance to agriculture producers. At the central office in Lacombe, about 125 kilometres south of Edmonton, team members work in a range of depart ments including finance, digital services and marketing. Many AFSC employees are also producers, so they understand the challenges and rewards of farming.

Funnell’s positive start with AFSC is not unique. The experience begins with a diverse interview panel. From

there, newly hired team members can familiarize themselves with the organi zation and their role through an online, onboarding module.

The attention to employee experience reaches throughout the organization. AFSC introduced flexible working arrangements during COVID-19 and there continues to be a hybrid work environment with in-person and remote work, depending on the role.

CEO Darryl Kay sees advantages to the new, remote environment. It can help with work-life balance and has opened up new opportunities for AFSC team members. With hybrid work, someone in an outlying branch office can take on a temporary assignment or or a permanent corporate role.

“From a succession planning perspec tive, people experiencing and learning about other areas of the organization helps them see the big picture and experience success in their role – and advance in the organization as well,” says Kay.

— Darryl Kay CEO

Another way the hybrid environment has enhanced work at the organization is through improved avenues for team members to provide input. Virtual town hall meetings help Kay and the executive team share information with the organization and allow for questions and comments from all team members. Results of engagement measures are shared with the entire AFSC team along with a plan to address them.

AFSC has introduced short, “pulse” surveys to keep in touch with team members. With questions on capacity and work-life balance, the corporation

There is mental health training and team members are encouraged to take their vacation breaks. Additionally, there is quarterly team-building time, a couple of hours in an afternoon to put work aside and have fun together.

“At AFSC, people are important,” says Kay. “We are dedicated to im proving team member experiences and creating a positive work environment and culture.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 AFSC has a network of 38 branch offices across Alberta that provides loans and insurance to agriculture producers.

WE’LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE TOGETHER.

“At AFSC, people are important. We are dedicated to improving team member experiences and creating a positive work environment and culture.”

The Assembly of First Nations is about building relationships

carries out support tasks such as finance and human resources. Many employees work on cutting-edge issues such as residential institutions, climate change, education and child welfare.

With, yes, lots of travel, says AFN CEO Janice Ciavaglia, noting that staff visit communities all over the country and attend international conferences.

from the University of Ottawa. Elders and Knowledge Keepers provide opening and closing prayers to start and end meetings and are available for consultations, along with a mental health counsellor. Ottawa staff, now coming to the office two days a week, also engage in fun activities, including staff feasts and staff Halloween costume competitions.

It was, literally, a dark and stormy night. Dakota Edwards-Barber and her colleague from the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) had rented a small car back in Gander, Nfld., and were trying to find their homestay in Miawpukek First Nation, also known as Conne River. “There were no streetlights, it was pouring, and we were completely lost,” EdwardsBarber recalls. Suddenly, out of the gloom, emerged a pickup truck with a powerful light. To their relief, it was their contact, the director of education for the First Nation, who had got out of bed to lead them to their destination.

To Edwards-Barber, that story tells a lot. For one thing, it’s the nature of the job. Travel is a part of working at the AFN – just about everyone is on the move throughout the year. Edwards-Barber, a policy analyst for the Languages and Learning sector, was

invited to Miawpukek First Nation to update the chief and council on First Nations education policy at a national level. “I just remember thinking, ‘how lucky are we that we are greeted with such amazing hospitality.’ He just dropped everything to come and get us.”

“It really highlights how important it is that we’re building relationships with First Nations across the country. That’s what we’re here for: to build those relationships, amplify their priorities, and advocate on behalf of our Peoples.”

Based in Ottawa, the AFN is a unique organization that balances First Nations traditions with modern methods to pursue its goals for the good of First Nations individuals and communities. Along with its political leadership, a national chief and regional chiefs, its 170-strong secretariat de velops policy, manages outreach and

But it’s not really about the journey, she says. “It’s about how we’re embraced when we get there, like a family. You’re able to see many different aspects of the community that I think at other organizations – non-Indigenous organizations – you wouldn’t be able to experience.”

While the AFN does look for employees with “lived experience” of the issues they’re dealing with, says Ciavaglia, the staff includes both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. “We welcome all cultures and ethnicities. We welcome all gender identities. One of the great things about working in an Indigenous orga nization is it’s very welcoming.”

Edwards-Barber, who grew up in Ottawa with a First Nations mother and a Caucasian father, has found the AFN to be an “awesome and culturally supportive environment” since joining in 2017 after graduating

And the work is very meaningful. Along with various First Nations education policy mandates, including working on the AFN’s It’s Our Time Education Toolkit, a teaching resource for First Nations and non-First Nations people, she works with the AFN’s National Youth Council that advises secretariat and executive leaders. “A lot of these youth council members go on to be politicians or regional chiefs,” Edwards-Barber says. “It’s fantastic that our organization recognizes that youth aren’t just the leaders of tomorrow, they’re actually leaders of today.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 The Assembly of First Nations provides a culturally supportive environment.

“One of the great things about working in an Indigenous organization is it’s very welcoming.”

— Janice Ciavaglia CEO

Employees drive community outreach at BASF Canada

three areas. That’s why we’re getting such high participation in all our social engagement activities across Canada.”

Employees also want the company to support local organizations they care about and that make a difference, so BASF has a matching donations program as well as paid time off for vol unteering. BASF’s agriculture business recently made a $500,000 donation to Calgary-based STARS air ambulance, winning very positive feedback from employees.

ideas of employees across the organi zation is quite exciting,” says Chaffey. “There is an energy, enthusiasm and passion to also bring the rest of the employees on board to be ambassadors and spokespeople. That’s helped amplify the existing initiatives we have and is getting us back on track in facilitating volunteering for Kids’ Lab or coordinat ing Run for the Cure across the country, and other social engagement activities driven by the company.”

With colleagues coming back into the office, Chaffey says the company felt people needed a strong sense of purpose and intent, and to engage with each other and do things face to face that they couldn’t do before.

—

Planting trees alongside her colleagues from BASF Canada Inc. last May, Marlena Mista saw them in a different way than on the production floor or behind their desks. Sure, it was hard work digging holes the right size and packing the soil – but people had fun helping each other and were proud of the 130 trees they’d planted that day beside a local walking trail.

“Tree planting has been an exciting activity to bring employees together and engage in communities across Canada, particularly where we live and work,” says Mista, communications manager at BASF Canada Inc., a world-leading chemical manufacturer with Canadian headquarters based in Mississauga, Ont. “We really focus on aligning our social engagement with our business values, so sustainability is an obvious choice.

We’ve also been offering activities where all employees can engage and learn, not just by donating to a cause that we care about, but actually physically making an impact.”

The employee response has been so enthusiastic that people often ask to bring their families along, she says. Much of the company’s social engagement is employee-driven.

“We create chemistry for a sustainable future, so the three areas we focus on are sustainability, STEM education – such as our BASF Kids’ Lab, which is a series of free, hands-on, chemistry-focused experiments for kids six to 12 years old – and diversity, equity and inclusion,” says Mista. “It’s something our employees know that as a company we stand for, but it’s also very rare to find an employee who isn’t personally passionate about one of these

Nicholas Chaffey, head of people for BASF Canada and a member of BASF’s Canadian leadership team, says that having these core areas of focus and alignment is helpful for employees to understand where the company is directing funds and where they want to create value and impact from a societal perspective.

As executive sponsor for the recently formed Social Engagement Committee, Chaffey says that it’s not just this corporate entity deciding where it’s going to allocate funds to certain charities, but really a group of senior leaders, managers and employees across businesses as well as geographically across the country.

“Bringing that group together and seeing the collaboration in the creative

“People were excited to get back together and energized by some of these initiatives, such as planting trees,” says Chaffey. “Seeing that all come to life so crisply in such a short period of time has been the highlight for me over the past two years.”

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 BASF Canada employees planted 130 trees in a local community last May as a social engagement activity.

“We really focus on aligning our social engagement with our business values, so sustainability is an obvious choice.”

Marlena Mista Communications Manager

At BDO Canada, people know they’re valued

emerged from the pandemic, many employees have been able to work on different projects because of virtual engagement. “Employees like the flexibility of being able to work from home some of the time, and the ability to build social goodwill with some level of in-person times,” says Suppa. “With a hybrid work model, we’re learning and showing what purposeful office work means.”

time off of up to seven weeks, which she and her husband have used to travel to Miami, Peru and Mexico City. Last year, she bought a snowboard through the employee wellness reimbursement program. “We don’t see the sun that often here, so when it’s nice out we’re encouraged to get outside,” she says.

Sethi also finds great value in professional-development programs such as a three-year technical tax program she aims to complete in 2024. “The program consists of planning strategies, case studies and discussions, and it’s helping me understand in more detail the systems I use in my day-today work,” she says.

In 1995, Kerri Plexman interviewed for a position at the Toronto office of BDO Canada LLP after graduating from university. During the interview process, she was introduced to several senior partners. “I liked the feeling I got about the workplace culture when I met everyone,” she says.

BDO Canada is an assurance and accounting, tax and advisory firm with locations across the country. During her career there, Plexman has been promoted eight times, most recently to managing partner, talent and culture.

CEO Bruno Suppa describes the firm’s aspiration for internal development and growth as a corporate ‘lattice,’ rather than a ladder, encour aging employees to move around. He

joined BDO Canada’s audit team in 2004, left in 2009 to pursue an external opportunity, then returned in 2011 to take on a new role of senior manager, firm development. “During my career, I’ve seen firsthand the power of varied experience to make me a better profes sional and a better leader,” he says.

Four partner positions later, Suppa was appointed CEO in 2022. “When I came back, I discovered what a quality mentor looked like,” he says, citing Plexman as one of his mentors (she, in turn, lists Suppa as one of hers). Starting in January 2023, through the Young Leaders Cabinet, Suppa plans to meet virtually with half a dozen junior employees across Canada for 90 minutes once a month.

Thanks to a hybrid work model that

Tanya Sethi joined BDO Canada’s Vancouver office as a fully remote em ployee in May 2021 after immigrating from India in 2019. “I wasn’t sure how that experience would work in terms of getting to know my colleagues,” she says, “but now I’m working at the office twice a week, which fulfills those social needs and helps build team spirit.”

Originally hired as a senior tax consultant after connecting with a BDO Canada partner on LinkedIn, Sethi was promoted to tax manager seven months later. It didn’t take long for her supervisor to recognize the tax and managerial experience she’d had in India. Now she leads a highperformance tax team overseeing two direct reports and multiple new hires.

Work-life balance is important to Sethi, who appreciates the extended

Above all, Sethi appreciates that her input and ideas are valued. “The partners are open-minded and always ask how we can do things better,” she says. “You feel like you can take more initiative because you know you’ll be heard if you share a need or a concern.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 Employees at BDO Canada form a cycling team and ride to raise funds for myeloma awareness.

“With a hybrid work model, we’re showing what purposeful office work means.”

— Bruno Suppa Chief Executive Officer

Working as fast as the future at Bell Canada

In a world of breathtakingly fast change, it’s important for the organization to have a fresh infusion of talent and ideas. “We hire about 1,000 students every year and this is a combination of interns and new grads. A big portion of our hiring is STEM focused,” says Sheth, referring to science, technology, engineering and math.

century are not those who can read and write, but those who can learn, unlearn and relearn,” says Sheth. “That cycle is so important for our industry because technologies change so often. Things can become irrelevant within a year.”

The company offers a rich array of learning materials and resources through what it calls Bell U. “If you happen to be in a particular position and want to learn something from a technology standpoint, you can access a universe of course content, materials and resources online,” says Minka.

“You can enroll in a course within Bell and get the training that way.”

— Anuja Sheth Senior Vice-President, Technology Services and Information Technology

Minka adds that all leaders at Bell are encouraged to make time for professional development within their teams, be it technical development, leadership, diversity or mental health learning and resources, which means understanding where employees want to take their careers and assisting them on their journey. 

Today, the typical lifespan of digital products, services and applications may often seem short to consumers, but that is what makes work so exciting at Bell Canada, where keeping pace with the perpetually evolving digital landscape is job one.

“The whole digital universe is continually expanding,” says Anuja Sheth, senior vice-president, technology services and information technology at Bell Canada. “Think about machine learning, the internet of things, the cloud, the endless new streaming services. These technologies and services are powering the digital experience of the future and we’re invested in all of

them.”

Eloi Minka, director of digital media development with Bell Media, leads a team responsible for creating the soft ware that powers Bell Media’s expansive suite of digital offerings, which includes the Crave streaming service as well as websites for media properties like TSN and the French-language Réseau des sports.

“Those websites have to be built, they have to be maintained and they have to be operated,” says Minka. “In addition, for all those brands we also have applications. And, these days, we have to be present pretty much everywhere our customers are on every type of device.”

Some come out of university knowing where they want to start and can contribute from day one, especially new graduates who may have had two or three internships with Bell. Others will go into a rotational program in which they work in different business units.

Given the scale and scope of Bell, that can be advantageous. “As I always say, if you think about our products and services, there are many companies within the company at Bell,” says Sheth. “You can fill so many roles.”

Bell also supports employee professional growth through mentoring and career planning, which very often involves upgrading skill sets or learning new ones. “The literate of the 21st

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 Bell Canada invests in its next generation of leaders through mentoring and career planning.

“If you think about our products and services, there are companies within the company at Bell. You can fill so many roles.”

Innovation and purpose inspire Best Buy employees

put on sale. And it was a hit. Creative ideas aren’t just used to boost sales – Best Buy makes a difference in communities as well. Last holiday season, stores offered Canada’s first-ever shopping bag that transformed into gift wrap, making it environmentally conscious while raising money for BGC Canada. The company supplies tech to schools and hospitals and even offers online STEM courses. Retail teams can choose local charities and causes to support.

purpose and creates something that’s really rich,” he says.

“At Best Buy, you’re making a difference. You can work on social impact projects, you can come up with great ideas to change the way that people shop and you can be a highly valued part of a team while doing it.”

The combination of shared purpose and meeting new technological fron tiers is what helps Best Buy attract and retain talent in the ultra-competitive tech retail space.

You’d think having weathered the COVID-19 crisis – and rising to the challenge of providing the technology people and businesses needed to survive the pandemic – employees like Jeremy Ramnanansingh would want to take a breather and a vacation. But the Best Buy Canada senior manager, retail marketing is getting revved up for the new normal.

“You can tell companies that are well run by how they handle change. Best Buy has proven its ability to pivot, be flexible and adapt,” says Ramnanansingh.

“We embrace the opportunity to continue innovating. Best Buy provides me and my team with everything we need to solve complex problems for customers in a highly collaborative atmosphere.”

Headquartered in Vancouver, Best Buy is Canada’s largest consumer electronics retailer and most visited multichannel retailer. The company’s purpose is to “enrich lives through technology.”

During the pandemic, Best Buy helped meet the demand for more and easier ways to use technology as well as developing systems like curbside pickup to protect customers’ health. Now, the world is changing again and Best Buy is changing with it.

“There’s this contagious energy of wanting to solve things, within the company and the outside world, through the power of technology,” says Polly Tracey, vice president and chief communications and public affairs officer.

“For our employees, there’s a joy in leading change together. We find ener gy and innovation feed off each other and we’re often addressing long-term and short-term solutions for different things, at the same time. At this point, agility is ingrained in our culture.”

Ramnanansingh’s team has the freedom to come up with innovative ways to reach out to customers as partners in a shared enterprise. They came up with the novel idea of holding a social media poll to ask customers which product they thought should be

“I think there’s something really magical when your own personal purpose aligns with the company’s purpose and creates something that’s really rich.”

“Of course, we have good benefits, but it’s having meaningful work that connects with your own purpose and goals that makes people want to stick around,” says Tracey.

“We provide the opportunity for talented individuals to progress, to speak up, to bring new ideas and to always be respected by colleagues, those who are like-minded or different. We want everyone to feel able to fulfil their potential.” 

Retail Marketing

— Jeremy Ramnanansingh Senior Manager,

An initiative close to Ramnanansingh’s heart is the Mentorship and Accelerator Program to identify and partner with Black and Indigenous tech entrepreneurs. This gives these innovators access to Best Buy marketing and product develop ment capacities and the support they need to get their products to market.

Best Buy creates a culture that encourages employees to be the best while having fun living the company’s principles. In Ramnanansingh’s experience, that’s rare.

“I think there’s something really magical when your own personal purpose aligns with the company’s

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved. 5,223 31 100% 15

full-time staff in Canada years, average age of all employees job-related tuition subsidies for corporate roles weeks, maternity leave top-up pay



Best Buy brings technology to communities through charitable and social action programs.

Proud to be one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers.

The sky’s the limit for employee growth at BCI

BCI has a post-pandemic hybrid model where employees can work two days at home and three in the office. As COVID-19 restrictions ease, Mall appreciates reconnecting with colleagues he hasn’t seen since the out break of the pandemic. The head office in downtown Victoria has a renewed energy, with an active seventh-floor recreation space where employees can mingle over the foosball and ping pong tables or socialize over lunch.

Achievement British Columbia where employees have delivered over 100 financial literacy programs since 2014 that have reached more than 2,600 students across the province.

“It’s really a world-class culture on all levels. BCI creates opportunities for the young people on my team where they can go work in Vancouver, New York or London [opening in 2023] and grow their careers,” says Mall.

“There are very few places in the finance world where you can do that. The uniqueness of BCI is that you’re given the opportunity to be part of new investment and business strategies from the ground floor.”

For Jatinder Mall, the best part about working at British Columbia Investment Management Corp. (BCI) is knowing he can be in the middle of finalizing an international, $100 million transaction at 7 a.m. and still be confident he’ll be able to pick up his kids after school.

“I have the time set on my cellphone so I don’t forget,” laughs Mall, manag ing director, private debt.

“It’s part of the flexibility and insis tence on work-life balance at BCI. It’s not a nine-to-five job. You don’t have to be at your desk to get your work done.”

Headquartered in Victoria, BCI provides investment management services for B.C.’s public sector. As one of the largest asset managers in Canada, it has over $211 billion in assets under management. BCI’s investment returns help provide pensions to more than 715,000 plan members and provide stability for insurance premiums paid

by employers and auto owners. With offices in Victoria, Vancouver and New York City, it’s a global company.

BCI’s size and growth allow it to pro vide employees opportunities to pursue many career paths and professional experiences. Mall’s private debt team also has the autonomy to create unique investment opportunities and solutions for clients. Because managers trust their employees, BCI’s teams are free to think outside the box in a collegial, professional and collaborative culture.

“We want our employees to come to work knowing that what they do and what they bring to the organization is valued and respected along with their ideas, and that their opinions are lis tened to,” says Norine Hale, executive vice president, human resources.

“We have such incredibly smart people working here. Their unparalleled dedication to their work is what creates our culture. They really care about what they’re doing and why they’re doing it.”

Social events and charitable work strengthen company camaraderie. Holiday parties, summer picnics, and other events are employee-driven. From pizza lunches to formal dinners and outdoor activities, every team has their traditions. With Mall and his team, it’s the bad dad joke of the day. Employees are also given two paid days to do community work at a charity of their choice and departments often use them for team-building events.

Connecting with the local communities is another hallmark of BCI’s corporate culture. Employees actively support the annual United Way campaign, which has raised $1.2 million since 2000. They also lead the company’s partnership with Junior

Hale says she’s seen numerous entry-level employees work their way up to senior positions in the company, something she’s especially proud of.

“If you want to grow your career at BCI and to be supported as an employee, I would say the sky’s the limit,” says Hale. 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 Jatinder Mall, managing director, private debt (left), and Norine Hale, executive vice president, human resources, at British Columbia Investment Management Corp.

“The uniqueness of BCI is that you’re given the opportunity to be part of new investment and business strategies from the ground floor.”

— Jatinder Mall Managing Director, Private Debt

Supporting entrepreneurs is a passion at BDC

promoted three times. “That first role was the best ever because I worked closely with Canadian entrepreneurs in a lot of different sectors and industries,” she says. In 2016, she moved to a regional field coach position for the Québec region, where she created and implemented a coaching strategy for new BDC employees.

best practices in place – she made the deadline, but she didn’t do it alone.

“People are always available for a call or a coffee to offer input and advice,” she says.

One of the things Paulin likes best about BDC is that it’s a “living orga nization” that has constant movement and energy. “There are always new tools, discussions and challenges,” she says.

Hudon believes that listening to your people, and integrating new perspectives, goes a long way toward employee retention and satisfaction.

“Our colleagues have opinions, and I’m impressed by how capable they are about sharing their opinions because they feel they’ll be heard,” she says.

In 2021, Isabelle Hudon was working as the Canadian ambassador in Paris when she was approached about her interest in becoming president and CEO of Montréal-based Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC). “I did my due diligence and knew right away I would accept this job,” she says. “I was ready to serve my country within a business environment.”

BDC is a financial institution that helps create and develop strong Canadian businesses through financing, advisory services and capital, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises. Returning to Canada was a homecoming for Hudon, who hails from Montréal. “I knew of BDC’s mandate to support entrepreneurs,

that the organization was innovative and that there was an incredible level of talent here,” she says. “We are all purpose-driven by the passion we feel for helping entrepreneurs.”

Hudon encourages employees to grow across the organization. “I’m a great believer in internal mobility, knowing we win as an organization when we promote from within,” she says. “I am proud to say that 44 per cent of our permanent positions are filled internally.”

Support comes from various avenues – leaders, mentorship, professional development – but it starts with the willingness of each employee to seek new opportunities. Laury-Ann Paulin is one such employee.

Since joining BDC as an account manager in 2011, Paulin has been

“I had the chance to go across Canada, and I saw that every BDC business centre had their own team cultures, which was eye-opening,” says Paulin. In 2018, she began working with more people from outside Québec as well as at head office. Then in 2022, she moved into her current role as Lead for a Better Bank under the newly created Impact Program.

“There is everything in place to support our career ambitions,” says Paulin. “Natural progression in your career path is always encouraged and supported. The message we’re given is not to be afraid to try new things, and to learn from our mistakes.”

When Paulin began her current role, she reviewed and streamlined an online financing process, then implemented it by working with development teams across Canada. She had only eight weeks to put a blueprint for

“There is a high level of appetite to learn within this organization,” Hudon adds. “If you are willing to stretch yourself, we definitely support that. Because of this, you can have an exciting career at BDC.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 Business Development Bank of Canada supports employees seeking new opportunities and career development.

No other bank is doing what we do.

“I’m a great believer in internal mobility, knowing we win as an organization when we promote from within.”

— Isabelle Hudon President and CEO

At CAE, career development is not a simulation

operations to take part in a series of learning opportunities offered virtually as well as in-person for a week in Montréal, intended to inspire and develop women within CAE to take the lead and ownership of their careers.

CEO and all the company’s executives, and established the role of chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer.

CAE also has seven employee resource groups, including Mozaic, a group for employees with special needs and families of people with special needs; embRACE focused on creating a safe space where employees can work without any biases about race or ethnicity; Prism, supporting the LGBTQ2+ community and LIFT, a group for women in aviation and technology.

Strategic Growth, Civil Aviation Training and Flight Training Operations

In her 10 years at Montréal-based CAE Inc., Sandra Rouphael has held seven different positions, each with progressively more responsibility and a wider mandate. Early on, for instance, she was the first woman to oversee the machine shop and paint shop in the Montréal plant that manufactures flight simulators, among other high-tech products.

Currently, she is head of business performance and strategic growth for civil aviation training and flight training operations. “I’m responsible for the growth and evolution of our civil aviation simulators and training centres worldwide,” says Rouphael. “I’ve had the opportunity to grow because CAE always works on developing its people.”

CAE is a 75-year-old Canadian hightech powerhouse that operates globally. The company is a world leader in the development of simulators used in civil aviation, defense and security and health care. Some of its simulators are used to train pilots and others to generate mission scenarios for military leaders;

doctors, nurses and students train on the company’s suite of medical simulation manikins.

As a high-tech company, CAE naturally recruits a wide range of engineers, says Dan Sharkey, senior vice president of global human resources. “But it’s broader than that,” says Sharkey. “We need flight instructors, program managers, data scientists, digital product strategists, financial, HR and communi cations specialists, which creates a lot of opportunities within CAE.”

And once employees are hired, they are offered a host of opportunities to grow professionally. “We focus on the development of our people,” says Sharkey. “We have a series of devel opment programs that we continually update. Our learning platform offers 16,000 different resource materials in a variety of formats.”

The company’s 12-month DARE program is offered to high-potential and high-performing female employees every other year. In July 2022, the company selected 32 women from across its global

“I developed my internal network and learned a lot from other women in the program,” says Rouphael, who has participated in a previous program. “We had several conferences and I met women who are vice presidents or on the board of directors. So, there’s lots of potential for women at CAE.”

The company’s leadership develop ment program brings together 25 to 30 promising employees for six to eight months of training, where participants are assigned to teams and asked to develop solutions to actual business challenges.

“It’s fantastic for employees because the work they do is on issues that need to be fixed,” says Sharkey. “Then they share those outcomes and their recommendations at our annual senior leadership strategy sessions reviews.”

Apart from training, CAE places a high priority on its inclusive culture and its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. It created a diversity, equity and inclusion council which includes its

CAE allows hybrid work arrange ments for employees who can work remotely or from the office. The company has introduced a flexible vacation plan that allows employees to adjust their time away in order to meet personal needs. It also allows employees to take unpaid sabbaticals.

“Whatever the case may be, family circumstances or travel, they have the opportunity because we believe in the accountability of our employees,” says Sharkey. 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 CAE employees meet in the open and collaborative workspaces at the company’s Montréal headquarters.

“I’ve had the opportunity to grow because CAE always works on developing its people.”

— Sandra Rouphael Head, Business Performance and

CN drives the next generation of railroaders

Development Program, CN offers opportunities across its many departments to current and graduating students, including internships, co-op placements and the Operations Management Development Program. Students hired are assigned projects with goals and objectives, ensuring they are getting valuable work experience while CN benefits from the influx of new ideas.

When Inderpreet Deol was graduating with her mechanical engineering degree in 2020, she saw a Canadian National Railway Company (CN) posting for its Engineering Development Program. Deol applied and was accepted to the inaugural round of the program.

“I come from a mechanical background, so I was nervous to not have the right knowledge, but the idea is that you learn through the program. Everyone was so kind and open. They shared their experiences and knowledge and that made it a lot easier,” says Deol, who is now a design and construction officer with CN.

As part of its commitment to preparing the next generation of CN’s workforce, the 12-month program is designed to help participants develop skills and knowledge by providing opportunities to learn multiple aspects of the railway business. This includes one month of onboarding training and

three to four rotational assignments based on a participant’s preferences and CN’s operational needs.

At the end of the program, participants present a project to the engineering leadership team and are placed in a permanent position in one of the engineering departments.

Deol says spending a few months in the field during the program was a highlight of her time so far with CN. “We got to learn what everybody does in different aspects of the organization,” she says. “You get the opportunity to travel and meet a lot of people. It was a really exciting opportunity. And it helps you to understand the job.”

During her rotations, Deol shadowed an assistant track supervisor and worked with track standards to learn all the rules of the railway and their purpose. She also worked on a variety of projects with the design and construction team, where she was hired full time.

In addition to the Engineering

“My manager, Kristina, is adamant about making sure that I have all the training in place and is always asking if there is something new that I want to try.”

— Inderpreet Deol Design and Construction Officer

Deol also appreciates CN’s collaborative philosophy and has worked with other departments across the organization. “It helps to understand how they work and how their department interacts with ours. It shows how we really are one team and how we impact each other,” she says. When new Engineering Development Program participants reach out to Deol, she encourages them to take full advantage of the opportunity. “I tell them not to shy away from opportunity in the railway,” she says. “It is not something many people learn about. But once you do, you appreciate its history and all that it does.”

Habib agrees. “As a first-generation Canadian, I am proud to be a part of something that contributes to our economy and our quality of life. A good reminder is the CN slogan, ‘If you eat it, drive it or use it, chances are we move it.’” 

Frishta Habib, manager, early career programs, says that CN recognizes that one of the biggest challenges for new graduates is a lack of experience once they arrive on the job market. “CN provides training and development opportunities for students to gain skills and experience, as well as a path to join CN full time once they graduate,” she says. “They also benefit from our engaged leaders who understand the importance of early talent.”

Deol sees this in her own experience. “My manager, Kristina, is very adamant about making sure that I have all the training in place and is always asking if there is something new that I want to try,” she says. “Having that opportunity is very beneficial.”

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

moving CN is hiring



Inderpreet Deol, design and construction officer (left), and her manager, Kristina Boka, manager, design and construction (right), at CN.

Canadian Pacific engineers great opportunities

railway operating in Canada and the United States, CP offers a wide range of operational and professional career paths in multiple communities. And that spells opportunity, says Mike Foran, vice president, market strategy and asset management.

“There’s no shortage of new opportunities for those who want to stretch themselves,” he says. “Whatever division you’re in, no matter your level, there’s a variety of ways to grow and develop your career.”

Foran is equally proud of CP’s storied history and the significant role it continues to play in the Canadian economy. Completed in 1885, the railway physically united Canada and played a major role in the promotion of tourism and immigration, among other things.

“I really like where the organization is going,” says Foran, looking toward CP’s investments in 21st century innovations, both technological and societal. Diversity is a core value at CP, he adds, and the company is commit ted to supporting a representative and inclusive workplace.

For her part, Zaharia says she has felt welcome and respected since her first day at CP. And like Foran, she’s excited about how CP is preparing for the future, especially when it comes to the company’s sustainability and climate change initiatives. One development has her particularly excited – CP’s pioneering hydrogen-fuelled freight locomotive project aimed at reducing emissions from its operations.

For Courtney Zaharia, a fortuitous casual remark

led not just to a job with Canadian Pacific (CP), but to the sort of dynamic career she once feared was out of reach.

In 2008, she was working as a bartender in her hometown of Lethbridge, Alta., after determining the college program she’d enrolled in wasn’t a good fit. As luck would have it, an off-duty local CP work crew was in the restaurant when one of them told Zaharia the company was hiring and that she should “check it out.” She did, liked what she saw, applied and was hired.

Zaharia says part of what initially attracted her to working at CP was its comprehensive pension and benefits package. That might not be a priority for many 23-year-olds, but she had her reasons.

“I may not have known what I

wanted, but I knew exactly what I didn’t want – to work low-paying jobs with no security and no prospects for the rest of my life,” Zaharia says. “With CP, I saw they offered newcomers good opportunities for advancement, and to me that meant a bright future.”

How right she was. Straight away, she received extensive classroom and field training to be a conductor, a position with wide-ranging responsi bilities for bringing a train safely to its destination. The training was equally intensive for her promotion to locomo tive engineer driving the trains.

In 2018, Zaharia and her husband –who also works for CP, where she met him – moved to Winnipeg to be closer to his family. She has since been promoted to the position of coordina tor, field placement, where she’s passing on her accumulated knowledge and skills to new trainees.

A Calgary-based transcontinental

Over the years, CP grew and diversified, at times owning such varied assets as steamships, hotels and airlines. In 2001, it spun off its subsidiaries to focus once again on the core business of railroading.

“Other railroads are talking about it, but CP went ahead and designed and built an actual hydrogen-fuelled locomotive,” she says. “It’s the first one in North America – how cool is that?” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 At Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, employees have opportunities for career growth and development, including extensive classroom and field training.

“There’s no shortage of new opportunities for those who want to stretch themselves. Whatever division you’re in, no matter your level, there’s a variety of ways to grow and develop your career.”

— Mike Foran Vice President, Market Strategy and Asset Management

Discover a smart, caring community at Carleton

of faculty and professional services, she gained insight about herself and also her colleagues.

“If it’s true that you attract what you are, then Carleton does a bang-up job of attracting and retaining great people,” says Simmons. “I love that Carleton hires like-minded people who want to be part of its mission to have a huge impact globally through teaching students and conducting research.”

great careers. But faculty research is also vital, and students – from undergrad uates to PhDs – are often involved in it. “Our integrated academic mission combines both teaching and research,” says Bacon.

Bacon is also happy to hear employee-advancement stories like Simmons’. “The advantage of a large organization is you can grow internally from position to position,” he says. “Career-development opportunities are frequent – we’re in the education business, so we offer lots of profes sional development, everything from courses on how to support students to Indigenous culture.”

Thirty years ago, Kristine Simmons’ father, who had retired young from the navy, joined Carleton University’s security team. When he had a stroke, the Ottawa-based university took good care of him – something his daughter never forgot.

“Carleton’s HR team was amazing supporting me filling out Dad’s insur ance paperwork,” she says. “After that experience, I always had it in the back of my mind I’d like to work there.”

In 2007, Simmons got her wish when she became Carleton’s accounts payable supervisor. A January 2008 promotion to acting business opera tions manager became a permanent position that June – a role she describes as an ‘adrenaline rush’ every day.

“Everything is fast paced, and my teams and I are often called upon to

support unique and complex business from across the university,” says Simmons. “We are advocating for both the employees and our employer. This office, and the university in general, attracts people who really care about other people.”

Throughout the years, Simmons has received coaching and mentorship in her roles. “There’s so much opportu nity to go in any direction you want,” she says. “I could move away from accounting altogether and know I’d be supported – the only limit to what you can achieve here is the limit you place on yourself.”

One of Simmons’ favourite career opportunities is Carleton Leader, which develops leadership capabilities aimed at creating positive work environments that embrace innovative and transfor mative practices. Joined by members

Benoit-Antoine Bacon, who was appointed president and vice-chancellor in 2018, is one of those like-minded people. “Carleton is perfectly aligned with my values and what moves me as a person,” he says. “It’s a smart, caring place, and a real community of people who are always willing to help, from students who are lost on campus to teams striving to meet the highest standard of diversity and inclusion.”

Bacon is also proud of the tremen dous strides the university has taken in its wellness programs, including offering Healthy Workplace workshops (Simmons recently attended one on eldercare to learn how to better support her aging mother). “We recognize that working at Carleton is a personal journey as well as a professional one,” says Bacon.

At Carleton, the main goal is enrich ing students’ experiences so they’ll have

Above all, Carleton is a warm com munity where employees can feel free to be themselves. “It’s a wonderful place to learn, work and teach,” says Bacon. “And it’s exciting to be in the business of building a better world through service to students and research and innovation.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 Team members cultivate a welcoming and inclusive environment at Carleton University.

OTTAWA, CANADA

“Carleton does a bang-up job of attracting and retaining great people.”

— Kristine Simmons Manager, Business Operations

CIBC finds innovation in diverse backgrounds

his capability and expressing keen interest in the technology.

He finds it gratifying that CIBC focuses on sustainability. And, he says, “What I really love is that we’re continually innovating to make the client experience more seamless. You want to have a great experience using the banking app or getting a mortgage or a line of credit or a credit card, and faster, with the help of technology.”

specializes in tech for CIBC’s retail banking business, focusing on digital transformation for key strategic platforms. Continually improving the client experience through digital innovation, she says, “is about creating an ecosystem where our team members can come to the table with their authentic perspectives and ideas for developing the best products so our front line can spend more time advising clients.”

How Wais Mohamed came to be director, technology architecture on the enterprise architecture

team at CIBC is an example of how recruitment that strays from traditional networks can yield some of the best hires.

After completing a master of science degree specializing in big data and business intelligence at the Escuela de Negocios Europea de Barcelona in 2020, Mohamed went on to work for a few Canadian organizations, honing his technological skills and diving deeply into cloud technology and blockchain ecosystems.

He also became involved with the Black Professionals in Tech Network, and that led to his job at CIBC, which the 30-year-old joined about 10 months ago, working remotely in Ottawa.

“One of the Black Professionals in Tech members reached out after seeing my LinkedIn page,” he recalls.

“I learned how the association has strong relationships with big companies in financial services and technology.

A couple of weeks later, she told me about an opening at CIBC as a director on the enterprise architecture team.

I hadn’t pictured myself working at a bank. What convinced me was CIBC’s commitment to diversity and developing young talent.”

Among other things, Mohamed – a blockchain expert – is one of CIBC’s lead stakeholders on Carbonplace, a new carbon credit settlement platform for the voluntary carbon market that makes the secure and transparent transfer of certified carbon credits easier, a key element in achieving net-zero targets. He became a part of the project, he says, by demonstrating

For Alysse Anderson, who is CIBC’s Toronto-based vice-president of retail front-line platforms, one of the best things about the company is how it welcomes and supports self-starters from diverse backgrounds. She began part-time in the call centre about 15 years ago, as she pursued a separate career in the creative arts industry, later rising through the ranks and getting a broad and unique range of experience across retail banking.

“CIBC is an amazing employer because there’s room to grow,” she says. “And I’ve had a lot of great leaders who embraced my creative background as an asset and told me to lean into it. The culture, the ability to work with leaders and team members like that, is what makes this fun. It feels like a family.”

In her current role, Anderson

In the past, she has worked on the launch of CIBC’s first remote sales platform, digital client onboarding and CIBC Goal Planner. “CIBC is very, very aware that we are no longer being compared to just banks,” she states. “Wouldn’t you expect a company that’s protecting your money and focusing on building your wealth to be a leader in the digital space? You want advice and experiences that are unique and personal and I really do feel CIBC is leading the charge.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 Alysse Anderson, now vice-president of Frontline Tools and Enablement, started at CIBC in a client account management role.

“What I really love about CIBC is that we’re continually innovating to make the client experience more seamless.”

— Wais Mohamed Director, Technology Architecture

Creative Options Regina takes a gentle approach

“This sector is defined by high turnover, burnout and little to no training, which is unfortunate,” says Lavis. “But when you invest in people, it’s a valuable investment and it helps you retain your workers because they know they’re important to you.”

employees are

for, they in turn provide the utmost care to the people we support. And that’s what has shaped our practices and been the foundation of the work we’re doing.”

— Michael Lavis CEO

and celebrations, like barbecues in the summer, Christmas parties, activities for both the employees and the people we support.”

Valamootoo also appreciated receiv ing a care package sent to employees during the pandemic. “These types of initiatives make you want to do your best work, because you know that your employers recognize what you’re doing and want to celebrate you in some way,” she says. “It’s the sense of pride that we have working for COR that makes us want to increase the strength of the organization.”

When Michael Lavis moved to Saskatchewan in 2009 to launch Creative Options

Regina (COR), a for-impact, charitable organization that provides support services for people experiencing disability, he was inspired by Gentle Teaching, a non-violent approach to supporting marginalized people. But it soon became clear that its concepts of companionship and community should be applied to everyone who works for COR and everything they do.

“We realized it needed to be woven through the fabric of the entire

we’ve applied it across our organization, to all our processes and practices.”

COR employees support hundreds of people living with a wide range of disabilities and complex conditions across Regina. “It became key to start with the caregivers, the people who provide that support,” Lavis says.

“Caregiving is an incredibly difficult job, and we needed to ensure that they were feeling safe, valued, respected and cared for.”

That meant creating a supportive community by providing multiple ways for employees to connect, communi cate and get help when they need it.

There are also many opportunities for informal social connection and celebration of the COR family’s diverse cultures. The workforce includes employees with roots in 55 different countries, as well as members of indige nous and LGBTQ+ communities.

Joana Valamootoo is a cultural advisor who leads events, programs and cultural training designed to bring COR together to celebrate diversity and nurture a culture of belonging at the organization.

“I love learning, and I have had many learning opportunities here,” says Valamootoo, who’s originally from Mauritius. “Gentle Teaching, learning

For Lavis, it’s all about building relationships and making people feel safe, valued and respected. “What we have realized over a number of years is that when our employees are cared for, they in turn provide the utmost care to the people we support,” he says. “And that’s really what has shaped our practices and been the foundation of the work we’re doing.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 A Creative Options Regina home support team at an informal social gettogether, practicing the organization's culture of gentleness.

“When our

cared

Desjardins helps staff reach their full potential

Mississauga, Ont., had the opportunity to be an ambassador, she jumped at the chance. “I’m always excited to join something new and see it grow and develop.”

Lee, who’s been with Desjardins since 2001, says corporate underwriting is a particularly unique role, with different product lines, invigorating challenges around understanding and categorizing risk, and regulatory frameworks to follow. “I know there has been a lot of interest in our team and department in the past, so I’m looking forward to those requests.”

career roles,” she says. “That teamwork and sharing of information has always been part of the culture.”

The organization also has an internal human resources system that allows employees to fill out a profile with their job aspirations and qualifications. The platform’s machine learning capabilities show employees the career paths of people who’ve been in their role before, which Malboeuf says is meant to open their eyes to internal possibilities and to help them think about what skills they need to develop to reach the next step in their career. Desjardins plans to upgrade the system early next year.

The path to a dream job can feel a little unclear – so Desjardins Group is helping its employees grow in their careers and explore internal possibilities with help from their colleagues.

The organization recently launched the Passionate Professionals Network, which is meant to support employees’ career development and interests at the cooperative by connecting them with their peers and helping them learn about opportunities within the organization.

The social media-style platform began with 200 employees across the country acting as ambassadors for their respective jobs. Curious employees can read about the different jobs, watch pre-recorded ambassador videos to

learn more about a given role, and reach out directly to ask questions about their qualifications and skills, day-to-day work and more.

Marc-André Malboeuf, vicepresident of human resources at Desjardins, says the Lévis, Que.-based cooperative financial group started with the 200 ambassadors representing the most common roles, with plans to expand to other roles in the future.

“The slogan we’ve used is to explore your possibilities and find your passion, and that represents the mission we’re trying to put forward,” Malboeuf says. “We encourage the fulfilment of our employees in every area of their life so they can reach their full potential on a personal and professional basis.”

When Jennifer Lee, a corporate underwriting advisor for Desjardins in

We’re not just a potential employer. We’re the employer of choice for over 56,000 people. There’s a difference.

“Of course, 50-odd thousand people seems like a big organization, but we’re trying to make it as familyoriented and close-knit as possible.”

— Marc-André Malboeuf Vice-President, Human Resources

“Of course, 50-odd thousand people seems like a big organization, but we’re trying to make it as family-oriented and close-knit as possible,” Malboeuf says. “That’s what we’re trying to build as an organization in that network, that employees feel they’re comfortable enough to go to colleagues to ask those questions.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

The Passionate Professionals Network is just the latest evolution of Desjardins’ supportive approach toward employees’ career development, Lee says. During her career, which she began as an insurance agent before graduating to an underwriter and then to her current role, she says she’s always had opportunities to be coached both formally and informally, and the ability to job-shadow roles she was interested in.

“Desjardins is a very human company. Everyone here is really open to sharing their career journey and their

full-time staff in Canada weeks of maternity leave top-up pay weeks of vacation after first year, plus leave options of employees are women

Find out for yourself! Join the Desjardins team. desjardins.com/careers

 Client Relations associates of the newcomers team, Desjardins Group.

Emera finds purpose in the world’s changing energy needs

to Nova Scotia.

Emera’s vision for a clean energy future is just part of what makes it an attractive employer. “Diversity, equity and inclusion [DEI] are a key part of our DNA,” says Roberts. “It started with an employee-led vision and passion about the need to make an active commitment to DEI.” Emera listened and turned employee ideas into company-wide programs and commitments.

things like innovation happen.”

Ewer was manager of finance for Nova Scotia Power for four years before assuming her current post at Emera. She says having various Emera subsidiaries to move around in has meant “continuous opportunities and challenges for myself, professionally, that have given me a lot of fulfilment in my work. It’s great, when you think about your potential career growth, to know that it’s not just limited to roles within one company.”

After Hurricane Fiona hit the Maritimes on Sept. 24, more than 400,000 customers of Nova Scotia Power, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Emera Inc., were left without electricity. The moment it was safe to do so, hundreds of powerline technicians, damage assessors and engineers spread out across the province to start tackling the massive job of restoring power to homes and businesses.

“The damage was unprecedented,” says Mike Roberts, chief human resources officer for Emera Inc. “I’m so proud of our teams at Nova Scotia Power and Emera for their unwavering commitment to our customers.”

Emera Inc. is the parent company to Nova Scotia Power and other electric and natural gas utilities in Atlantic Canada, the U.S. and the Caribbean. Serving more than 2.5 million custom ers in total, Emera has been focused on reducing carbon dioxide emissions for

nearly two decades, a focus Roberts says is only reinforced by severe storms like Hurricane Fiona.

“It’s hard not to attribute the increasing severity and frequency of weather events to climate change. Every member of our team plays a key role in advancing our strategy of delivering cleaner, reliable energy. And we’re all doing our part as we work toward our net-zero vision for 2050.”

Emera’s commitment to decar bonization includes directing 60 per cent of its capital investment over the next three years to cleaner energy and reliability projects, notes Roberts. By 2025, Emera plans to have reduced CO2 emissions by 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, and to close its last coal-fired unit by 2040. To support this, the company has invested heavily in wind and solar generation, as well as major transmission projects such as the Maritime Link, which is bringing clean, hydro electricity from Labrador

“We train our employees around unconscious bias,” he continues. “And last year, we created a $5-million Emera fund to support organizations that are advancing DEI in our communities. In the first year alone, we committed to almost $2 million to support social justice and equality initiatives focused on supporting under-represented groups.”

For Emily Ewer, who has been with the company since 2016, Emera’s focus on environmental, social and gover nance (ESG) issues is a real inspiration, as is the collegial and inclusive culture. “Everyone is very approachable,” says the corporate controller. “We work as a team to advance Emera’s strategy and the goals of our particular group. And it’s through that collaboration that

The Emera culture fosters informal mentorships, she notes, but there are also formal mentorship programs. One example of the latter, says Roberts, is the firm’s Leadership Academy, which currently has 270 participants. The company is also co-op-friendly, bringing in more than 125 postsecondary students every year, he adds. “They bring a great sense of energy to the workplace, great ideas, and many of them become permanent employees.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 Emera is committed to providing inclusive, equitable workplaces, enabling career development opportunities and supporting its communities.

CHAMPIONING SUSTAINABILITY STARTS WITH A GREAT TEAM

“Every member of our team plays a key role in advancing our strategy of delivering cleaner, reliable energy.”

— Mike Roberts Chief Human Resources Officer

Respectful workplaces energize employees at Enbridge

allows our people to bring their best ideas and creativity to the work we do,” says Melissa Moye, chief human resources and inclusion officer.

“That’s essential given the speed at which our business is changing. We succeed together by creating a workplace where the best ideas can come from anywhere.”

as well.

“We take work-life balance very seriously. Our employees buy into our values and have a sense of collective purpose. I think that’s the key thing that sets us apart as an employer,” says Moye.

In the ever-changing energy sector, Enbridge has built an environment where employees like Quartarone feel grounded, supported and able to ride the wave of rapidly developing technolo gies. Whether she’s helping a team leader take advantage of digital technology to increase employee adoption or providing communication and training assistance, she knows her company community will be there to support her.

When Christina Quartarone started working at Enbridge Inc. as a co-op student 15 years ago, she had no idea she was taking the first step on a career path that would bring her to the cutting edge of her profession. But she quickly realized the company’s culture of innovation and continuous learning would empower her to succeed.

“I’ve met so many special people along my journey here who have inspired and challenged me,” says Quartarone, organizational change management specialist. “I’ve also developed strong relationships with my fellow employees. They’re more than colleagues, they’re friends.”

Headquartered in Calgary, Enbridge safely connects millions of people to the energy they rely on every day through its North American natural gas, oil or re newable power networks and its growing European offshore wind portfolio.

It is a large, diverse enterprise that offers employees multiple career paths. Quartarone and her colleagues have the opportunity to create their own, personalized individual development plan to support professional growth. She’s also benefited from a strong mentorship program where she learned from experienced senior employees.

In addition to in-person training, Enbridge enhances its focus on career development using technology to pro vide visibility, access and opportunity to employees, enhancing a focus on skills development and continuous learning.

Enbridge takes a “total well-being” approach to supporting its employees, built on its core principles of safety, in tegrity, respect and inclusion. Constant communication and an open, accessible corporate structure encourages honest discussions and the exchange of ideas.

“We have a culture that values inclusion, which focuses on feeling safe and a sense of belonging for all. This

Tomorrow is what we make it.

The company’s holistic approach to employee health includes an emphasis on mental well-being, with the recently launched mental health program geared towards reducing stigma and encour aging employees to identify if they are struggling and to seek help from the employee assistance program.

Enbridge places a high value on its employees being connected with the communities in which they work. In 2021, the company made more than 1,600 community investments worth over $21 million. Employees volunteered over 25,000 hours outside of work, contributing to communitybased organizations. In this year’s United Way campaign, they raised $5 million for the charity across North America.

Employees also keep connected with their teams via social activities, such as celebrating milestones like work anniversaries or significant career accomplishments. Flexible work hours and generous vacation time allow them to keep connected to family and friends

“One of my leaders told me to always follow your shining star. They’ve always been there to encourage me to push me to take me out of my comfort zone and have faith in myself that I can succeed,” says Quartarone.

“My leaders make me feel like I’m the one who shines.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

And we’re making it happen today. By bridging to a cleaner energy future. Always reaching higher on a pathway to net zero. And looking for the brightest minds to help get us there.

Tomorrow needs you. Join one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. Visit enbridge.com/careers.

Tomorrow is on.™

 Enbridge employees working in the collaborative environment of its Technology + Innovation Lab are encouraged to present creative and bold new ideas.

“My leaders make me feel like I’m the one who shines.”

— Christina Quartarone Organizational Change Management Specialist

For EDC, caring for employees leads to happy clients

the pandemic, yet we have been able to maintain a very high level of employee engagement. When I ask new staff what they love about EDC, they say it’s very collegial and that the company really does care about their experience. And we believe that leads to a great customer experience.

“One area where we put significant focus,” she continues, “is diversity, equity and inclusion. We do have a very diverse workforce and employees feel that we are a very inclusive employer.”

on this. Even if you’re not dealing with it directly, there’s a good chance that a colleague is and might need those resources to feel that they are not alone.”

On the volunteerism side, notes Vincent, one day every year employees are encouraged to go into communities on company time on its Community Investment Day and participate in organized volunteer opportunities.

“We also have several giving campaigns in which EDC matches employee donations, as happened with relief in the wake of Hurricane Fiona. We provide up to two paid working days per year for employees to volunteer in their communities.”

Several years before the arrival of the pandemic, Export Development Canada (EDC) –the Ottawa-based Crown corporation that helps Canadian businesses expand internationally –began allowing hybrid work arrangements for employees. And that has been a great boon for Montréaler Cathy Beauvais.

Beauvais recently took on a new role as sustainable finance guarantee initiative owner. She leads one of EDC’s key environmental, social and governance initiatives – the roll-out of the organization’s sustainable finance guarantee, designed to help Canadian companies in carbon-intensive sectors transition to more sustainable business models.

And with the hybrid system, says Beauvais, an employee for 15 years, she

has been able to achieve greater worklife balance. “I have two small boys, so it really helps me. You’re not losing the time it takes to get to the office, and it makes things a whole lot easier.”

On days when she does need to be in the office, she adds, her leaders are very understanding if, for example, she needs to take a longer lunch break to attend an event at her sons’ school or to volunteer for a food bank in her Montréal neighbourhood, a commit ment that is very important to her. “It means a lot to me that leadership allows such flexibility and recognizes that you are fully committed and trusts that you’re doing the honest thing.”

EDC has a very supportive culture, says Patricia Vincent, vice-president of human resources, operations and employee wellness. “Close to 30 per cent of our employees have joined since

— Cathy Beauvais Sustainable Finance Guarantee Initiative Owner

For Vincent, EDC’s overall mandate is a galvanizing force for employees –and has been especially motivating during the pandemic. “We help companies of all sizes seize business opportunities around the world, helping them to grow and flourish.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

At the same time, she says, in the past year EDC has ramped up its focus on mental health and has endeavoured to reduce the stigma around mental illness. “We have offered learning opportunities for both employees and leaders in this realm,” she notes, “and now offer the Workplace Mental Health Leadership certificate program to our leaders.”

As for Beauvais, she notes that among the family and mental-health issues the organization has addressed in recent years is the strain on families that are supporting older parents. “They’ve done a lot of training sessions

 Export Development Canada employees show their support for inclusion at the Pride parade in the National Capital Region.

“It means a lot to me that leadership allows such flexibility and recognizes that you are fully committed and trusts that you’re doing the honest thing.”

Community and compassion reign at Fidelity

That feeling of being trusted led Martino to apply for two more co-op terms before landing a full-time role at the company. “Since day one my colleagues have encouraged diverse thinking and new ways of doing things, which has empowered me to bring bold ideas to the table,” she adds. “I credit much of my growth at Fidelity to my colleagues and the culture we are a part of.”

obligations and more.”

The company also enhanced its benefits package, introducing virtual health care and home delivery from pharmacies to help keep people safe. But Fidelity is always re-evaluating the support it provides to employees.

To address the growing need for psychology coverage for employees and their family members, the company doubled those benefits. They also introduced a peer group of employees who are trained to provide information about mental health services to other employees, and the company partnered with Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health on a turnkey mental health program for staff.

“If people can bring their whole selves to work, if they feel that the organization understands the issues that they’re facing, they can feel more com fortable at work and more supported at home,” says Godfrey. “It makes for a better environment everywhere.” 

“Trust and integrity are Fidelity Canada’s guiding principles, and the bedrock upon which Fidelity’s culture and business practices are built,” explains Diana Godfrey, senior vice-president of human resources and corporate affairs. “We value authentic conversations and create programs that help our colleagues, their family and the community thrive.”

Over the years, Godfrey has worn a number of different hats – a testament to the fact that there are nearly endless possibilities for career development at Fidelity. “I always said yes to any opportunities that presented them selves, and there have been many,” she

says. “I’ve moved laterally, up through promotions, and everything I’ve done, I learned from.”

Drawn in part by all the career possibilities, sustainable investment analyst Julianna Martino started her career at Fidelity as a co-op student while studying finance and economics. “I heard really great things about Fidelity’s culture, the atmosphere and the learning opportunities – and my experience was just that,” she says.

“The people were welcoming, the culture was embracing, and the work made me feel like a trusted member of the team, with a large amount of responsibility. It was clear I was making a meaningful impact at the firm and was valued for my efforts.”

Martino is a committee member of the Women’s Leadership Group, one of many employee resource groups at Fidelity. “It’s something I’m really passionate about,” she says. “Fidelity’s community is unparalleled.”

Amid the height of the pandemic, Fidelity’s response was true compas sion in action. “We’re proud of how Fidelity shifted to remote work, and the commitment of our colleagues who maintained their exceptional work performance during unprecedented times,” says Godfrey. “The firm was quick to set up employees with necessary equipment, provide an allowance for home office equipment, establish flexible work hours to accommodate family and caregiving

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

full-time staff in Canada

increase in mental health benefits last year, totaling $5,000 paid hours of volunteering in the community in home office support per employee



Fidelity Canada builds community through company-supported employee resource groups.

“Since day one, my colleagues have encouraged diverse thinking and new ways of doing things, which has empowered me to bring bold ideas to the table.”

— Julianna Martino Sustainable Investment Analyst

Diversity creates a thriving workplace at GHD

ensure that communities both within Canada and elsewhere in the world have safe water.

“We also have a strong focus on future energy and have experts who provide solutions to help society transition from fossil fuels to clean energy sources,” says Chris Hunter, executive general manager.

says Varkey. “I feel like we’re one company. We have a vested interest in accomplishing good things together.”

“Being employee-owned is quite empowering for all employees,” Hunter says. “I’m excited because we manage our business differently than our peers by making decisions based on the long-term benefit versus short-term objectives of a stock exchange. I just think it’s a wonderful mindset.”

GHD offers hybrid work arrange ments and part-time work, as well as in-house mobility to allow flexibility for employees.

The company’s goal is to have 40 per cent women on board by 2025. Hunter says new recruitment tactics are in the works.

— Chris Hunter Executive General Manager, GHD in Canada

Alice Varkey has held a variety of roles in project management and as an engineer across North America in her 19 years with GHD Canada Holdings Inc. But her new passion is being chair of the Asia-Pacific Community for Empowerment (ACE) group. It’s one of 10 global employee resource groups at GHD, all promoting inclusion and diversity with the goal of fostering an environment of belonging and trust.

“We celebrated Asian Heritage month and heard from our Canadian and US colleagues from various Asian backgrounds and religions,” says Varkey. “I was born in India but didn’t know much about other countries across Asia, so I learned quite a bit. I

think it promotes awareness.”

“I believe inclusion and diversity make people thrive,” she adds. “I believe diversity of thought makes an organization thrive.”

GHD is a professional services firm specializing in several sectors: water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transpor tation. The company is committed to its vision of making water, energy and urbanization sustainable for future generations.

An example of their work is directly related to current challenges the world is experiencing related to stormwater and floods. These issues strengthen the need for effective water management. GHD works with public and private water agencies and communities to

Hunter notes that other company resource groups include women, young professionals, Black empowerment, Rainbow alliance, Indigenous Peoples, Hispanic people, military veterans, neurodiverse and people with both visible and invisible disabilities.

“Belonging to and participating in our resource groups increase understanding and build a sense of community where all people can thrive,” says Hunter. “Imagine coming into a workplace where you can be your true self, where you can pour all your energy into doing what you really love to do each and every day.”

Another key component of GHD for both Varkey and Hunter is that the company is employee-owned.

“I love that we’re employee-owned,”

Varkey continues to be excited by GHD and the investment it is making in its people. “These are just some of the reasons why I’m happy at GHD,” she says. “It’s genuinely a company I love working for.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 GHD is committed to making renewable energy sources for future generations.

“Imagine coming into a workplace where you can be your true self, where you can pour all your energy into doing what you really love to do each and every day.”

Hatch is dedicated to ‘the pursuit of a better world’

governing manifesto, which declares its passionate commitment to ‘the pursuit of a better world through positive change’ and emphasizes its partnership with its clients, some of whom have been associated with employee-owned Hatch since it was founded over six decades ago.

in the face of climate change,” says Saskatoon-based Fedoroff, “or as we in Saskatchewan are, building new potash mines to deliver much-needed fertilizers for the farming community around the world. Or, the project StLouis has just wrapped up, rebuilding an industrial furnace in Sorel-Tracy, Que., while the plant remained in operation.”

“When you think about the manifesto, which you do regularly, it changes your way of working, even if not always consciously,” says St-Louis, whose Hatch career has taken her from Iceland to South Africa. “When you consider acting locally but thinking globally, or acting like an owner or as though you are with the client, it affects everything you do.”

The best part of the annual leadership awards at Hatch Ltd., says Montréal-based senior engineer Véronique St-Louis, is that going into the event you know you’ve been nominated by your colleagues, but not yet who has won. “Just like the Oscars!” she laughs, recalling her own award a year ago. “Listening to the description, I was just starting to think, ‘is he talking about me?’ when my name was called.”

St-Louis was thrilled with the recog nition, but it paled beside other factors that have fostered her strong loyalty to the global engineering and professional services giant, which she joined straight out of university 20 years ago.

When the chemical engineer wanted

to switch her career focus from technical work to project control man agement, Hatch could not have been more supportive. “If you’re not happy in the job that you are doing now, this company will explore every possible role in their business,” she says. “And if you need more training for something, they are always there for you. Hatch sent me to a project management class held during our work time and paid me during those hours.”

“That’s a core part of Hatch culture,” says Mike Fedoroff, regional managing director for Western Canada. “Training employees, not just in technical skills but in how to work together more effectively, is always the key to success.”

It’s embedded within Hatch’s

“And that fusion of common inter ests cannot be accomplished,” Fedoroff adds, “without an identical relationship between company and employees. We’ve always been a flexible organization. We’ve always cared for our employees. Just as we develop longterm relationships with clients, we have to have those strong – and flat, not hierarchical – connections with each other and have each other’s backs.”

“Hatch makes the manifesto part of new-employee orientation,” he says. “A senior staff member will sit down and discuss the manifesto with them, in a way that allows the vision, mission and values that we as a company embody to be captured and foster positive behaviours when working with clients and each other.”

“It helps instill pride and dedication in Hatch employees involved in building a port system that is resilient

“You think about your work, you innovate all the time and you say, ‘You know what? I think I’m going to change this practice,’ to better align with the way we want to be.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.



Hatch’s diverse teams build the extraordinary, solving the problems of today and challenges of tomorrow.

“When you consider acting locally but thinking globally, or acting like an owner or as though you are with the client, it affects everything you do.”

— Véronique St-Louis Senior Engineer

People love the culture and growth opportunities at IGM

develop relationships and work collaboratively, and big enough to have a variety of enterprise-scale work,” says Currie.

One example of the opencommunication atmosphere is how IGM came up with its hybrid work model. With input and feedback from employees, the company determined that the approach most aligned with its culture and size was one based on dialogue, flexibility and inclusion.

connected. “We have had 10 wellness days for years and there’s lots of flexi bility,” says Lemieux. “People don't feel guilty taking time off.” These days are in addition to vacation, company-wide days off, summer hours and short-term disability.

Sixteen years ago, when Valérie Lemieux joined IGM Financial Inc., one of Canada’s leading wealth and asset management companies, she found a workplace that really suited her. “I love learning and trying new things,” she says. “IGM encourages people to expand their skills. I've had development plans throughout my time here and have had so many opportunities to grow and take on new challenges.”

Based in Montreal, Lemieux is cur rently the director of practice support at IG University – part of IGM’s IG Wealth Management division (its other divisions are Mackenzie Investments and Investment Planning Counsel). IG University offers an array of courses and professional accreditations for the firm’s cross-country network of financial advisors.

Lemieux treasures another facet

of the company – its consultative, open-communication culture.

“Everyone here, including our senior executives, is very approachable. I’ve often been involved in projects and strategic initiatives with senior leaders, working side by side with them. And I’ve learned a lot from them – they’re very inspiring.”

IGM's collegial culture is also important to chief human resources officer Cynthia Currie. “The lack of traditional hierarchy makes this a unique place,” she notes. “Whether you work with IG Wealth Management, Mackenzie Investments, Investment Planning Counsel or any of our corpo rate functions, there isn’t that formality when interacting with executives. I personally get a lot of emails from employees at all levels.

“We often say that we are the perfect size: we’re small enough that we can

“IGM encourages people to expand their skills. I've had development plans throughout my time here and have had so many opportunities to grow and take on new challenges.”

— Valérie Lemieux, Director of Practice Support, IG University

Instead of having a rigid set of structured rules that govern days in the office, IGM has identified work that is better done in person, such as interviewing, on-boarding new team members, networking and collaborating on complex problem solving. Employees and their leaders can determine the combination of in-person and remote work that best helps achieve their goals.

IGM is also deeply committed to holistic wellness, supporting employees to be emotionally balanced, physically thriving, financially secure and socially

Currie, meanwhile, takes pride in the fact that IGM has been lauded as one of Canada’s most sustainable corporations and a leading corporate citizen. She cites the company’s commitment to breaking down barriers in the financial sector for historically under-represented groups, including women and Black employees, as well as its focus on sustainable investing among other things.

“We do a lot of outreach with our communities,” she adds. “And our commitment to environmental, social and governance criteria is something that prospective employees ask about. It makes us an incredibly attractive organization.”

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

full-time staff in Canada

job applications received last year  of employees are women charities helped last year

Proud to be recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers

 Employees at IGM Financial raising money for Alzheimer’s research with their families in Winnipeg.

People ‘take care of each other’ at Inter Pipeline

sometimes called out to a remote site in the middle of the night, Hiebert appreciates that the company has his back even if there’s no one else with him. Employees in these situations are equipped with a “working alone” satellite monitoring device connecting them to a call centre. If anything goes wrong, help will quickly be on the way.

complex project gave him the chance to learn new skills, work with people from across the company and bolster his confidence.

“We always give our employees opportunities to learn and grow. We believe that if you have employees that are empowered and understand they can make decisions and drive initiatives forward, you create a place where others will want to come to work,” says Oliver.

—

Kyle Hiebert could tell the second he walked in the door of its Brooks, Alta., offices that he wanted to work at Inter Pipeline.

“I came in and everyone’s like, ‘Hey Kyle, how are you doing? Welcome. Have a coffee.’ They were all laughing and so welcoming and friendly,” says Hiebert, an electrical technician who has been with the company for eight years.

“I knew this was a fantastic atmo sphere that I’d enjoy working in.”

Headquartered in Calgary, Inter Pipeline is a world-scale energy company engaged in the transporta tion, processing and storage of energy products across Western Canada. Part of the Brookfield Infrastructure family

marketing professionals, engineers and analysts.

With so many employees in such varied positions at worksites across Alberta, Inter Pipeline maintains a collegial and supportive work culture by practising accountability, empower ment and mentorship.

“When new employees start, many get to learn from people who have been here for a number of decades and that creates continuity and a feeling of fam ily,” says Breanne Oliver, vice president, people and stakeholder relations.

“Our longest-serving employee has been with us for 45 years and now it’s people like Kyle that are carrying on and mentoring the next generation coming in.”

Safety is a top priority at Inter Pipeline. Comprehensive training programs are just part of the company’s commitment. As a specialist who is

Oliver says that’s just a small part of the company’s holistic approach to employee health.

“We have a ‘work hard, play hard and take care of each other’ culture. Our people are giving it their all every day. But we also offer lots of opportunities to enjoy social moments and volunteering in the community with each other,” she says.

“That helps create mental wellness and it’s part of how we care about the whole person, not just the person at work.”

Along with competitive benefits; education support; training and a flat, accessible workplace culture, employees gain opportunities to expand their careers by working on special projects. Hiebert was given the chance to represent his district while working on a motor control centre upgrade. The two-year commitment to the large,

For Hiebert, work-life balance is very important and he appreciates the company’s flexible work schedule that gives him every other Friday off. It’s a culture and package that fits him and he’s not thinking of working anywhere else.

“I feel valued, listened to and well compensated for what I do. If you want to advance your career, you’ve got the support to do that,” he says.

“I feel really proud and lucky to work at Inter Pipeline.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

Our talented team brings a passion for communities and a commitment to safety excellence each and every day. Inter Pipeline is ready for the future, and the future is bright.

INTER PIPELINE IS PROUD TO BE ONE OF CANADA'S TOP 100 EMPLOYERS

Learn more about us and our career opportunities at interpipeline.com

 Inter Pipeline makes it possible for employees to build friendships while volunteering in the community.

“I feel valued, listened to and well compensated for what I do. If you want to advance your career, you’ve got the support to do that.”

Kyle Hiebert Electrical Technician

Irving Oil evolves in line with its core values

up with an innovative solution.

With a hybrid work model intro duced in early 2022, Verner appreciates the flex time he spends at the new “home” office, which opened in 2019 and received a LEED Silver designation in 2021. The connection to the outdoors is a focal point throughout the building, with a roof skylight on the 11th floor that floods the interior space with natural light. An outdoor terrace on the fifth floor further allows

including blood collection. “We have a one-company approach to physical and mental health and wellness,” says Beach. “We’re committed to supporting our employees in those areas.”

Supporting the broader community is also a priority for Irving Oil. For 20 years, the company’s flagship community program, Fuel the Care, has provided fuel gift cards to families travelling to receive medical care for their child. “By partnering with hos pitals across Atlantic Canada, Québec and New England, we are thankful to have been able to help more than 80,000 families so far,” says Irving.

In 2011, when Daniel Verner graduated from Dalhousie University with a degree in mechanical engineering, he looked for a job in the energy industry that wasn’t too far from his family in Cape Breton, N.S. The company that ticked all the boxes was Saint John, N.B.-based Irving Oil.

Founded in 1924 in Bouctouche, N.B., Irving Oil is an international energy company that, for nearly 100 years, has been grounded in a commitment to people – employees, customers, communities and partners.

Since Verner’s first role as a mainte nance engineer, he has been promoted four times to his current position as project manager on the energy transition team. “To be a part of our company’s efforts to lead through the energy transition is exciting, and I am motivated by the work and the team every day,” he says.

The field to which Verner refers encompasses projects that respond to the need for a more sustainable energy future, such as decarbonizing existing business assets and creating and developing lower carbon solutions.

“I’ve always been interested in projects that deliver on the needs of customers while also contributing to a better future for all,” he says. “At Irving, I feel like I’m not just an employee, but I’m working together with like-minded people toward common goals.”

As co-chair of the ‘All In’ employee resource group, Verner enjoys encouraging people from across the organization to contribute ideas to support the company’s culture of bring ing your whole self to work, whether that’s in sustainability, innovation or diversity and inclusion. For example, the company hosts regular hackathons – half-day workshops where employees are given a problem, then try to come

— Daniel Verner Project Manager, Energy Transition Team

direct outdoor access for employees.

“The thought that went into our new home office was to create a workplace where our employees feel appreciated, connected and inspired,” says Sarah Irving, executive vice-president and chief brand officer. “You really see the value of the building when you walk through it – it’s great to see people working together in the unique work spaces offered throughout the space,” adds Jennifer Beach, chief human resources and corporate administration officer.

The building also has a café with healthy take-home options, a gym with fitness classes and a health centre with nurses who provide a variety of services,

Never far from Irving’s mind are the values on which the company was built and the work over many years of her father, Arthur Irving, Irving Oil’s chair man. “These values of commitment to our people and to our customers help lead us into the future with a company and a team we are all very proud to be a part of,” she says.

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 Irving Oil embraces the energy transition while maintaining energy security for its customers.

“At Irving, I feel like I’m not just an employee, but I’m working together with like-minded people toward common goals.”

As Tony the Tiger might say, work at Kellogg is GRRREAT!

opportunities.”

People from the finance organization move into sales or sales team members go into the marketing or supply chain teams, Chow continues. “This deliber ate approach makes them better general managers and builds our culture, which is what drives business. And culture is what makes the difference here.”

and overwork during the lockdowns, and Kellogg aimed to help employees struggling to balance work and home to prioritize. “I’m proud of the fact that we’ve introduced so many new programs over the last couple of years, whether it be our Day of Wellness, volunteering opportunities or making our pregnancy and parental leave much more inclusive.”

Those are all areas of solid, culture-building employee engagement, says Chow, “where I’m hoping that we're leaders, because we know we do our best at work when we feel well and healthy.” There are other areas, though, where he hopes Kellogg isn’t far in front of the pack.

Patricia Antonio revels in the variety of work her unusual position at Kellogg Canada Inc. brings her. Her dual roles as a total rewards manager and HR business partner “allow me to work on full-scale HR activities from recruitment to performance management,” she says, “and on total rewards, the high-impact initiatives that really make a difference in the day-to-day lives of our people and their families.”

Her job also put Antonio on the committee to design and manage Project Koming Home, Kellogg’s post-pandemic office reopening last April. Greeted by photo booths, a variety of engaging events and some of the most iconic corporate symbols in business history – think Tony the Tiger and his companions Snap, Crackle and

Pop – the cereal company’s employees arrived to what Antonio recalls as “an electric atmosphere that let people really know that our office is officially reopened, and you CAN come back into it.”

That conditional verb, indicating staffers could but needn’t return to the office five days a week, is as much a part of Kellogg’s employee-focused workplace culture as the flexibility inherent in Antonio’s hybrid position, according to company president Tony Chow.

“We are a smaller and leaner organization in Canada,” Chow says, “and we are constantly looking for ways to develop our people. So Kellogg invests in people’s careers, both for their own learning and to get them ready for future leadership roles, so we’ve been giving them cross-functional

As for Kellogg Canada’s version of the hybrid remote/office policies evolving across North America, the company built on its past practices. Even before COVID-19 lockdowns, it was already operating on a 60-40 model, with workers required in the office only three days a week.

“When we went 100 per cent remote in lockdown,” says Chow, “we were very glad to have had the previous experience. It’s not as though all of a sudden communication stopped, ending all those conversations that were happening in the hallways or the creative meetings that just happened on a whim. Our people had already found ways to continue them through the virtual environment, and we found ways for the broader organization to connect as a whole.”

The hardest part of adapting to total remote status, the president says, was “unplugging people.” All companies had to deal with burnout

“One of the things that I’ve been driving is mental-health benefits. Here in Canada, we’ve significantly enhanced those over the last 12 months. Hopefully, other companies are doing that too,” Chow says. “I wouldn’t want to be unique there.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 Newly hired employees at Kellogg Canada join company president, Tony Chow, on an office tour and meeting.

Creating better days and a place at the table for everyone through our trusted food brands

Kellogg Canada is proud to be recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers!

“Culture is what drives business. And culture is what makes the difference here.”

— Tony Chow President

Coffee, beverages and careers at Keurig Dr Pepper Canada

calls the ‘rock wall’ approach. “When you go climbing, you don’t always go straight up,” says Vézina. “Your next professional move is not always your boss’s job. It could be a lateral move. It could be with another team.”

The company also uses the 70-20-10 per cent rule to developing talent, where new knowledge and skills acquired come mostly from being provided with varied and challenging work opportunities. In a company as diverse as KDP Canada, employees can explore new skills through projects, move from one team to another or be given stretch assignments.

“We take a holistic approach to learning,” says Lavoie. “It allows us to tap into different aspects of our work force. We’ve had a variety of coaching sessions offered to our teams, from diversity & inclusion and leadership to negotiation skills and mental health training. KDP Canada cares not only about growing high-quality talent but also the well-being of the person behind the work.”

Indeed, Lavoie is particularly proud of how the company handled the pandemic. “All the teams across Canada worked together to ensure that we maintained a sense of community within the company and kept everyone motivated,” she says.

Marc-André Vézina has been working for Montréal-based Keurig Canada Inc., doing business as Keurig Dr Pepper Canada (KDP Canada), for nearly 10 years, but most days he feels like he’s only getting started.

“The company keeps innovating and growing,” says Vézina, general manager of the Van Houtte Coffee Services subsidiary. “I’ve had so many opportunities to evolve and improve myself, it doesn’t feel like I’ve been with the same organization.”

Almost everyone in Canada is familiar with the name Keurig, the brand of countertop appliances known for producing quality coffee one cup at a time. In fact, KDP Canada is the third-largest player in the beverage industry and offers a wide variety of hot and cold products, marketed under more than 60 leading brands, such as Canada Dry, Mott’s Clamato, Van

Houtte and Timothy’s.

Hence the ample opportunities for professional growth and development. Vézina, for his part, started as a project manager with no managerial responsibilities. These days, he leads the company’s commercial division, Van Houtte Coffee Services, which has 420 employees working in 30 locations across the country and serves 27,000 business customers.

Amélie Lavoie, senior director of human resources for KDP Canada, joined the organization five years ago after a career spent in human resources and operations. “It’s been such an amazing adventure since I joined KDP Canada. I like to say I have the most interesting job in Montréal,” says Lavoie.

Professional development and career planning are key components of the talent and engagement strategy at KDP Canada. The company helps employees to advance through what it

“The company keeps innovating and growing. I’ve had so many opportunities to evolve and improve myself, it doesn’t feel like I’ve been with the same organization.”

— Marc-André Vézina General Manager Van Houtte Coffee Services

“We couldn’t change what was happening in the world, but we did everything in our power to safeguard the health and safety of our employees as our top priority and ensure our teams felt supported and cared for during those challenging times.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

“We’ll provide you with the tools and coaching you need,” says Lavoie “so you can test yourself, learn and develop the required skills with a project or assignment.”

Although KDP Canada believes you develop most of your skills by doing the work, it still invests in coaching and mentoring, and traditional training. The company also supports employees who want to further their knowledge through a tuition reimbursement program.

 Over 30 employees from Keurig Dr Pepper Canada took part in a special fundraiser this year, raising money to help children suffering from a critical illness.

Inclusivity drives digital innovation at KPMG

and employees thrive,” says Chase. “We analyze today’s emerging trends so that we can provide ideas, strategies and technologies that enable our clients to leverage new opportunities and mitigate evolving risks.”

In February 2022, shortly after investing in cryptoassets, KPMG pur chased a work of digital art from World of Women (WoW), an international collective committed to promoting women artists who account for only a fraction of all art sales in the emerging sphere of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

thing” among KPMGers, says O’Brien. “It’s a great reminder, especially to young women, how much technology is becoming integrated into our daily lives – but also how invested KPMG and leaders like Nancy are in our growth and careers.”

In keeping with its long-standing commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity, KPMG has more than 30 active People Networks across the country. O’Brien says the mentoring she’s received in one of the groups, the Women in Technology community, has contributed to her sense of belonging.

Karly-Anna O’Brien says that when she joined KPMG LLP in Canada in early 2021, she wasn’t especially tech savvy. She had the digital skills typically needed for everyday living but had never envisioned a career centred on cutting-edge technologies.

“I wasn’t into programming or coding or anything like that,” says O’Brien who works in the supply chain management consulting practice. “In fact, I found it a bit intimidating.”

Not anymore. Thanks to the confluence of two key KPMG priorities – innovation and inclusivity – O’Brien is among the growing ranks of women at the full-service audit, tax and advisory firm who’ve acquired a range of confidence-inspiring digital and data-driven capabilities.

KPMG provides a wide variety of tools and learning opportunities to help its people develop throughout their careers, including high-tech skills training and upskilling programs.

O’Brien says that the firm’s

mentoring programs also provided plenty of support and encouragement on her venture into a field where women have traditionally been under-represented. So, when she was promoted in September 2022 to senior consultant in the supply chain management consulting practice, she felt not just prepared, but empowered.

“I’m now leading an implementa tion for a supply chain system for a multi-national client,” she says. “I really love that KPMG made it happen for me by supporting me, helping me learn and giving me the opportunity.”

Staying ahead of the curve with innovation has always been key to keeping pace with evolving market and client needs, says KPMG’s Nancy Chase, partner and national leader of risk consulting. Now, however, she says the pandemic combined with disruptive technologies dramatically increased the need for a digitally capable workforce.

“It’s imperative that we stay relevant through innovation to help our clients

— Nancy Chase Canadian National Leader, Risk Consulting & Advisory Business Unit Leader, Regions East

The acquisition was meant to lead by example, says Chase; now that the firm has gone through the process, it’s well-positioned to guide clients in creating and executing their own corporate NFT strategies.

At the same time, she says, KPMG chose WoW because the mission and values of the two organizations are closely aligned. Both are committed to representation, inclusivity and equal opportunities for all and Chase says the hope is the purchase will encourage more women to work in the digital sector as the next iteration of the internet takes shape.

Buying the WoW NFT was “a big

KPMG’s WoW NFT purchase simply reinforces the message she’s in the right place at the right time, O’Brien says. “KPMG may be global, but they truly make sure that every voice is heard,” she adds. “I can’t imagine leaving KPMG because I can move throughout the firm both locally and globally to achieve my goals and aspirations.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 Inspired by KPMG in their recent purchase of a WoW NFT (left), Karly-Anna (top right) and Nancy (bottom right) pave the way for women in technology.

“It’s imperative that we stay relevant through innovation to help our clients and employees thrive.”

Labatt aims to create ‘a future with more cheers’

over the past two years.” Indeed, Bea Grubesic, Labatt’s vice-president, peo ple, would cite 1 in 12 when speaking about the brewery company’s plans to ‘dream big to create a future with more cheers.’

Reflecting on Labatt’s 10th anniversary on the list of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, Grubesic mentions the encouragement and support she has found in her own 16-year career. “The Mill Street innovation is one of many great examples of how a supportive, forward-looking company acts.”

earliest days as a local brewery, when founder John Kinder Labatt donated 1,000 pounds of flour to a London, Ont., soup kitchen during an economic depression in 1859.

More recently, in September, when Hurricane Fiona hit the East Coast, Labatt mobilized its Canadian Disaster Relief Program and shipped nearly 100,000 cans of drinking water. Since 2012, the program has been deployed from coast to coast, offering assistance during natural disasters and public health emergencies.

“Our team in the East Coast anticipated the conditions of the storm and immediately started working with the Emergency Measures Organization to help our colleagues and local communities in need to deploy safe drinking water,” says Grubesic.

Two years out of Queen’s University, Hannah McClenaghan is already handling major responsibilities for Labatt Breweries of Canada.

After a year of training that rotated her throughout the company, the assistant brand manager began work with one of the company’s craft brands, Mill Street Brewery. “At the brewery, I led all of our innovation projects from product ideation through packaging and liquid concepts to sales,” says McClenaghan.

“And one of the product launches was 1 in 12.” The new beer – a New England-style IPA with tropical New Zealand hops – is remarkable enough on its own. But even more so in the extensive way it symbolizes Labatt’s culture, employee engagement and overall ethos.

The name comes from an arresting statistic – only one in 12 brewers in the craft beer industry are women, and fewer still are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) women. It’s a ratio that the highest levels of the company want to see change significantly. The beer was created by an all-woman team at Mill Street, and launched in partnership with the Liquor Control Board of Ontario – which has its own diversity initiative, Spirit of Inclusion – and to whose scholarship fund Labatt donated $20,000 for a BIPOC woman enrolled in Niagara College’s brewing program.

Excitement over the innovation was company-wide, says McClenaghan, “and the support from the sales team was huge.” Small wonder, she adds.

“The biggest thing that always stands out about Labatt for me is the culture of learning and support that I’ve gotten

Last year, Labatt launched its new global purpose, ‘Dreaming big to create a future with more cheers,’ “and our employees are at the heart of creating that future.” says Grubesic. “When we’re tapping into the collective power we create together, we win together.”

Employee engagement and the company’s internal capabilities are an essential focus for Labatt, Grubesic says. “We’re always looking for new ways to meet life’s moments, dream big to move our industry forward, and make a meaningful impact across our communities.”

Labatt’s connection to the commu nities it operates in and the people it serves has always been at the forefront of its philosophy. Its community contributions date back to Labatt’s

“Engagement with employees, consumers and communities is what we do every day to ensure Labatt continues to be an excellent place to work.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 Labatt Breweries of Canada employees at the product launch of 1 in 12, a beer created by an all-woman team.

“When we’re tapping into the collective power we create together, we win together.”

— Bea Grubesic Vice-President, People

Gratitude is contagious at Manulife Canada

To build Podium, Irshad says Manulife drew on research that has found showing gratitude is linked with greater happiness and positive emo tions, improved health and stronger relationships with colleagues.

“It does create a positive culture. We’re celebrating success together. And we are a big company with crossfunctional work projects, so this is just an easy tool for people to access and provide real-time recognition,” he says. “Sometimes we forget to do that dayto-day, and this reminds us to do that.”

connection, interactivity and informal discussion.”

Buker praises the company’s Fuel Up Fridays program, which during the pandemic gave employees a half-day of dedicated learning and personal development every second Friday of the month, followed by a half-day off.

Elaine Buker is coming up on her 20-year anniversary with Manulife Canada. It’s the team spirit across the organization and the care that her colleagues and managers show for her, she says, that’s kept her at the company for so long.

Working as a service representative for group benefits client relations, Buker says her team and manager “collaborate every day. We’re always reaching out to each other, bouncing questions off each other, and it just shows how much we care about each other and our customers.”

One of the ways she feels that support is through Manulife’s Podium program. Launched in 2020, Podium is available to employees across Manulife’s global franchise to recognize or thank any member of the company.

Employees are given a number of

points at the beginning of the year that they can give to others at different reward levels, and those who’ve received kudos can bank those points and spend them on rewards. To date, there’ve been more than 1.2 million recognitions globally, and 96 per cent of employees have participated.

“It feels like I am getting noticed for the work I’m putting in, not just in the organization but for clients as well. It makes me feel a part of the team,” says Buker, who’s used points from Podium to get gift cards and is saving up for an Apple watch. “And when I get a recog nition, I want to give one to someone else. It really creates this culture of gratitude, and it’s contagious.”

No one’s immune from catching the bug. “I get super excited when I have a notification that I have a Podium recog nition,” says Naveed Irshad, president and CEO of Manulife Canada.

“It feels like I am getting noticed for the work I’m putting in, not just in the organization but for clients as well.”

— Elaine Buker Service Representative, Group Benefits Client Relations

Irshad says the company has been building community among employees with a range of programs, including its Elevate health and wellness program, launched last year, which hosted four sessions on the themes of healthy activities, mindfulness, eating well and demonstrating gratitude.

“Essentially our philosophy is, if we can promote greater connectivity we should try it,” says Irshad, who was recruited for one of the virtual sessions to do stretching and strengthening with colleagues. “It was tough during the height of the pandemic not to have that personal connection, and this was one of the tools that I relied on for that

Now with employees on a hybrid work schedule, Fuel Up Friday offers a dedicated afternoon of learning each month where employees can choose to learn about topics such as data analytics, ESG (environmental, social and governance) or communication skills, and can participate either indi vidually or as part of a group. Buker has dedicated her time to mindfulness and presentation skills, among others.

“Throughout the pandemic we all had so much extra to worry about,” she says. “Being able to have a morning full of learning and then the afternoon off to spend with family and friends was really appreciated.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved. 11,925

 Manulife creates a collaborative culture focused on employees' health and well-being.

Fostering belonging attracts talent to Medtronic

make presentations about Indigenous culture or offer learning initiatives to employees Canada-wide.

Thanks to the ERG’s efforts, as part of Medtronic’s annual month-long volunteering campaign, the company continued to increase awareness of Canadian Indigenous culture in June 2022. Every Tuesday for six weeks, the ERG hosted a lunch-and-learn with a group of employees and studied the Indigenous Canada course from the University of Alberta.

funding, program components and quarterly business reviews. “Our executives take them very seriously –they aren’t just after-school clubs.”

Dodd has worked at Medtronic, the world’s largest medical technology firm, for more than 12 years and was recently appointed to her current position. “The tradition and culture for Medtronic,” she says, “have really been consistent across geographies in terms of understanding that diversity and inclusion are going to make a company better.”

As part of Medtronic Canada’s commitment to its employees’ physical and mental well-being and to celebrating diversity, the medical technology company supports staff-led employee resource groups (ERGs) that bring together various communities within the company.

“For Medtronic, the focus on employees’ traditions and cultures has brought people together locally and across geographies,” says Sheri Dodd, president of Medtronic Canada.

For Guy Losier, a respiratory therapist and advanced parameters and ventilation specialist at Medtronic, the focus on diversity and inclusion has been meaningful. Based in Moncton, N.B., the 55-year-old discovered some two decades ago that his mother, who had been adopted as a child, had some

Indigenous (Mi’kmaq) heritage.

A few years after this revelation, Losier became a member of the New Brunswick Aboriginal Peoples Council, the voice for off-reserve Indigenous residents in the province. Joining the group, he says, was a positive and eye-opening learning experience that gave him a rich appreciation of Indigenous culture and life experiences in Canada.

Propelled in part by the discovery of unmarked graves of First Nations children on the sites of former residential schools, Losier decided to bring that awareness to his workplace in 2021.

He went on to spearhead a new em ployee resource group at Medtronic for First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples (FNIM), through which he and FNIM community members meet regularly to

“Diversity and inclusion aren’t simply talked about in an email or at a town hall –they are embedded in the way that we share patient stories, in our hiring and interviewing process and in how we innovate.”

— Sheri Dodd President

“A lot of people took part and they really enjoyed it,” Losier recalls. “We shared history on Aboriginal peoples’ challenges since colonization, and knowledge of Aboriginal culture.”

According to Dodd, its ERGs reflect Medtronic’s deep commitment to diversity and fostering belonging, and ensuring all employees are recognized. “I’m proud that Medtronic Canada represents the customers we serve,” she says, “and that everyone, regardless of their gender or background, can grow at Medtronic.”

She says that the firm’s ERGs have

Overall, Dodd says, Medtronic recognizes that supporting employees’ well-being helps serve its customers. “All employees play an important role in helping to achieve our mission to improve lives. Diversity and inclusion aren’t simply talked about in an email or at a town hall – they are embedded in the way that we share patient stories, in our hiring and interviewing process and in how we innovate.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

Careers that change lives

Do meaningful work, make a difference, and improve lives – starting with your own.

 Guy Losier, respiratory therapist and advanced parameters and ventilation specialist at Medtronic, spearheads an employee resource group for First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

Employees can dream big at Mondelēz International

your destination role and what it will take for you to get there. And your manager helps you find opportunities to get the experience you need,” Tandon says. “I love that, because it allows you to dream big.”

p.m. On Well-Being Fridays, after 2 p.m., employees can choose to go for a walk, go out with family, start a weekend trip or do strategic work without interruption.

“It has helped people reconnect with their families and themselves and to balance the craziness of the work week,” Manocchio says.

The culture of employee development at Mondelēz International can be illustrated through Navneet Tandon’s career path.

Tandon, the director of quality for the Canadian business unit, started at the snack food company eight years ago as a continuous process engineer at its East York bakery in Toronto. Soon, she was responsible for a third of the vol ume produced at the plant, including the launch of Oreo Thins.

“Being new to the organization, I felt they had faith in my abilities. I valued that very much,” Tandon says.

When she was later approached to lead supply chain for that site, it was a position that was out of her comfort zone. But she took it on with her manager’s encouragement. “I think having a leader that had my back was so important for me,” she says.

Tandon then took on a stretch assignment, with a position as operations leader at the company’s

Bertrand Halls plant in Scarborough, also in Toronto, before taking her current role, which is a switch from the plant environment to a corporate role.

“I have been given the opportunity to really flourish. I think it came with knowing I had all of the support structure behind me,” Tandon says.

In addition to a supportive environ ment, Mondelēz’s formal programs help employees thrive. Tandon graduated from the company’s Leadership for Performance program, which involves six months of preparation, including one-on-one mentorship, and culminates in a one-week training session at Mondelēz’s global headquarters in Chicago, where participants work on building their skills to develop as leaders.

All employees map out their career paths using talent profiles based on their interests and skills. “You have a very clear format to have a targeted discussion with your manager about where you want to see yourself, what’s

Liza Manocchio, senior director, people lead at Mondelēz Canada, also has had a career trajectory shaped by Mondelēz’s culture of employee development. In her current role for a year-and-a-half, Manocchio has been with the company for 22 years and worked in different countries. She transitioned her career from legal into human resources and initiated her international career through a trainee assignment in New York City.

“I can’t sit quiet for too long without having an opportunity to be involved in a bigger project or a new position,” she says. “Mondelēz provides all kinds of opportunities. It’s not a place where you get bored.”

In line with its philosophy of providing opportunities to grow, Mondelēz puts a lot of trust in its em ployees through its hybrid and flexible work format.

Its Simply Work program means there are no meetings before 9 a.m., between noon and 1 p.m. or after 5

Employees can choose where they want to work, with an eye to being in the office for the three Cs – collabora tion, co-creation and connection. “So, for large team meetings or parties, we come together in the office,” Manocchio says. “When you need to create or need a safe space to get something done, you can work from home; when you need the human connection face-to-face, you collaborate in the office.”

“We are outcome-driven, but also values-led. We trust people to work flexibly and be productive. We show empathy and we encourage belonging and connection.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 The collaborative culture and work space at Mondelēz International allows for connection and sense of belonging.

“I have been given the opportunity to really flourish. I think it came with knowing I had all of the support structure behind me.”

— Navneet Tandon Director of Quality, Mondelēz Canada

Work with a purpose is deeply rooted at Nutrien

and also in its mines and refineries, which operate 24/7.

Employees in mine and refinery locations have the option of working four 10-hour days per week or working nine days over two weeks with every second Friday off.

For now, corporate employees are encouraged to come to the office at least three days a week in order to foster collaboration and teamwork, while working two days from home to allow for greater work-life balance.

surface. “The business acumen training has been invaluable,” she says. “We were able to directly engage our potash experts with questions about supply chain, operations, finance, markets and research.”

Recently, Nutrien has introduced a software platform called SuccessFactors, with an app, to facilitate communi cation and connectedness across its diverse sites and operations. Employees can download the app to their phones and use it to input personal information, such as address changes or requests for vacation time. They can also use it to develop career plans, communicate with their leaders or check for job postings.

Five years ago, Ashlee Daye took a contract position as change management consultant with Saskatoon-based Nutrien Inc., but within a year she received an offer for a permanent position – an offer she couldn’t refuse.

“There’s tons of opportunity to grow and develop at Nutrien,” says Daye, who is now senior manager, IT strategy and change.

But that opportunity wasn’t the end of it. “What impresses me about Nutrien is its purpose as a company,” she says. “We help feed the world, which is a pretty noble pursuit.”

Nutrien is the world’s largest provider of crop inputs and services. The company produces potash from six underground mines in Saskatchewan, nitrogen from refineries in Alberta and the U.S. and phosphates from mines in the U.S. – all of which are essential components of fertilizers.

Apart from all that, Nutrien serves growers and producers directly through its network of over 2,000 retail outlets in Canada, the U.S., Latin America and Australia.

“Everybody wants to work for a good leader and be part of a great team,” says Aaron Fornwald, vice-president, human resources, business partners. “And a company’s purpose is critical to most employees.”

And not only that, but how it works to fulfill its purpose. Three years ago, Nutrien introduced its culture of care, with health and safety in all its aspects as a top priority. Physical safety is a critical factor in nitrogen refineries and underground potash mines.

“We talk about the whole human being,” says Fornwald. “It’s about men tal health and creating a safe workplace for everybody.”

Nutrien has introduced flexible work arrangements at its corporate settings

Daye, for one, has relished the flex ibility. “I often work from home,” she says. “It’s quiet. It helps me integrate work with my personal life and I can still collaborate easily with colleagues outside my corporate office in Calgary.”

She has also been offered plenty of opportunity to grow and develop professionally. This past August, she began a year-long program through the Nutrien Academy. She has joined some two dozen other high-potential women at similar levels who are being given exposure to the company’s diverse operations.

They recently spent a week at the Saskatoon head office learning about the potash business, including a tour of a mine located a kilometre below

The company is poised for significant growth. Fornwald says Nutrien is looking to boost its workforce by 300 employees in Saskatchewan alone in order to increase potash production from 15 million tonnes this year to 18 million by the end of 2023. 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 The volunteer program at Nutrien offers employees time off to volunteer in their communities.

“By harnessing the diverse talents our employees bring, we will achieve our purpose together.”

— Ashlee Daye Senior Manager, IT Strategy and Change

OpenText is determined to break down all barriers

action, starting by speaking with Black employees in the company.

“He started processing information and came to a point where he felt the future of the company, of everything, was around being sustainable and inclusive,” says Thomson. “That turned into the OpenText Zero-In initiative centred around three pillars: Zero Footprint, Zero Barriers and Zero Compromise, all with ambitious targets.”

science, transparency and integrity, by supporting accountability, and helping foster a culture of “tech for good.”

“I really love the word ‘barriers’ because while diversity is something that you can measure, there are a lot of barriers to equity,” says Thomson. “That’s where the goals fit – of having 40 per cent of women in leadership and gender parity in our key roles because tech sales and engineering are usually male-dominated.”

“The most important thing I do on the recruitment side,” adds James, “is removing any kind of barriers in the process, whether that be screening, interviewing or educating hiring man agers on things such as unconscious bias.

Early this year, Deb James travelled to Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont., to offer internship opportunities to 16 Indigenous students enrolled at the university.

James, a senior manager of talent acquisition for Waterloo Ont.-based software giant OpenText Corporation, was able to place the students in groups across the company, including marketing, human resources, IT and engineering. She says it was a humbling experience.

“The students didn’t need to have any experience in tech,” says James. “They’re incredibly passionate, intelligent and driven individuals. What we wanted to do was break down barriers and provide an opportunity for a digital career path that these students might not otherwise have. I feel that at OpenText, we really did open some doors.”

OpenText’s partnership with Lakehead is part of its ‘Navigator’

internship program and the company’s larger ‘Zero Barriers’ initiative focused on the advancement of equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I).

“Some of the students were graphic designers, some were doing data analytics or software development,” says James. “We trained them and they were able to work virtually from their often remote communities. All had a mentor from our Indigenous ally and allies affinity group, one of our employee resource groups.

“The program is an ongoing part nership with the goal of hiring these students full time when they graduate if they want to consider OpenText. It’s been a fantastic, really successful program.”

Yvonne Thomson, vice president of ED&I, says the seed of the Zero Barriers initiative actually began in 2020 when OpenText’s CEO, Mark Barrenechea, was so moved by the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis that he took

For Zero Footprint, OpenText committed to an emissions reduction target of 50 per cent by 2030, from a baseline of fiscal year 2022, as well as zero-waste to landfill from operations by 2030. The company is also prioritizing helping customers move to the cloud.

For Zero Barriers, the company committed to having a majority ethnically diverse workforce, 50/50 gender parity within key roles, and 40 per cent women in leadership positions at all management levels – all by 2030. OpenText also extended its internship program, partnering with Howard University, a historically Black university in the United States, to hire interns who can work virtually.

For Zero Compromise, OpenText committed to achieving its Zero Footprint and Zero Barrier goals via a values-based approach rooted in

“For me, this starts with the early careers of interns and new grads. I feel like we’re at the ground floor building these programs and supporting Zero Barriers. We’re stronger when we have a diverse workforce.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 Pride banners raised at OpenText’s Waterloo headquarters in support of Pride Month 2022.

“I feel that at OpenText, we really did open some doors.”

— Deb James Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition

Employee ownership drives engagement at PCL

the 116-year-old Edmonton-based company ultimately stem from the same reason PCL has landed on the list of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for 14 consecutive years. “We are 100 per cent owned by our employees. Our ownership model means that everyone is an owner and has responsibility for our success.”

and part of their journey.”

Such programs cement PCL’s community ethos and facilitate career advancement, resulting in over 600 promotions company-wide last year. These programs are crucial tools in Carter’s job, which the VP sums up as recruiting top talent and keeping them engaged.

Carter herself, like Blom after her, arrived at PCL through its extensive educational outreach, moving from a post-secondary co-op term to full-time employment. Retention isn’t an issue, with a healthy number of employees in the company’s quarter-century club and even a few in the half-century club.

Madison Blom fondly recalls her first days working at Parliament’s Centre Block. Her PCL Construction team was about to begin the most complex heritage rehabilitation project ever undertaken in Canada. The assistant superintendent says one of her favourite moments was when the PCL team went inside and she could see what interested her the most: exactly what’s holding up this country’s most iconic structure.

“It’s amazing to see the trusses and structural members behind the centuryold craftsmanship we walk past every day,” she says. “We spend multiple hours reviewing how we’re going to dismantle some of the stonework, fig uring out how it was put together, and

wondering how they ever manoeuvred some of the heritage assets – there are heritage elements 20 feet long!” It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Blom agrees, and one that PCL was uniquely positioned to offer.

“Not very many construction employers in this country can build projects to the scale we can,” says Harmony Carter, PCL’s vice president, people and culture. When it comes to “the stadiums and the arenas, power plants, roadways, even hospitals in all their complexity,” not to mention Centre Block Rehabilitation, “we’re there for the big iconic projects that impact our communities.” Building communities, legacies and people are PCL’s three purpose pillars.

For Carter, the size and success of

Through PCL’s strong mobility program, employees who relocate can take advantage of opportunities to develop their careers quickly. In 2021, more than five per cent of the company’s workforce transferred to different locations to take on new roles and projects.

“We like to put people with the best expertise at our projects and surround them with people who can learn from them,” says Carter. That can be on the job or in one of the many courses where the company’s veterans pass on what they know to their newer fellow employee-owners.

Then there are the leadership courses like the one in which Blom is enrolled. “There is no other company that invests in leadership programs like PCL does,” Carter says. “Not just for highpotential individuals, but also programs that allow any employee to come in and make leadership part of their role

It’s all directly connected, Carter says, to the ownership model and the long-term thinking and commitment it fosters. It’s no wonder Blom, 28, takes joy in looking years ahead to a time where, “one day my kids will walk through Centre Block and I can say, ‘I was there.’” 

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 Madison Blom is an assistant superintendent at PCL Construction working on the Centre Block Rehabilitation project.

“Our ownership model means that everyone is an owner and has responsibility for our success.”

— Harmony Carter Vice President, People and Culture

Penguin Random House creates pathways into publishing

participating in career panels at events like Brampton’s Festival of Literary Diversity. There are also plans to send staff into colleges and universities to talk about publishing opportunities and demystify the industry.

Penguin Random House Canada is a founding sponsor of the Indigenous Voices Awards for emerging Indigenous writers. “The financial support is im portant, but we also hold information sessions with the finalists, and we’re publishing an anthology of winners,” says Chong.

the different perspectives have made us better publishers. They’ve allowed us to speak to audiences in new ways, and work with booksellers and writers in new ways.”

The company also created a monthly forum for its BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) employees. “It’s a place where people who grew up thinking that publishing would never be a viable career for them can find a community, learn from other people’s experiences and develop that sense of belonging that is so crucial,” says Chong.

When Anika Holder took on her role as vicepresident of human resources at Penguin Random House Canada Ltd., one of her main goals was to advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at the venerable Toronto-based publishing house. “DEI is super important to the organization, and a major priority for me,” she says. “I wanted to be part of a culture where I could bring my whole self to work, including my identity as a Black woman, and this company has allowed me to do that.”

Holder, along with CEO Kristin Cochrane, is executive sponsor of an employee-led group tasked with revamping the organization’s internship program and using it to increase diversity in the emerging talent pool, and ultimately across the workforce.

“Historically, internships have been the main way aspiring publishing professionals get into the industry,” explains Anita Chong, executive

editor at the company’s McClelland & Stewart division and a member of the DEI committee. “We redesigned the internships to make them a more valuable educational experience for participants, and create opportunities for them to be real team players. Our program has set a new standard for the industry in Canada.”

The plan has included extending in ternships from three to six months and shifting the remuneration from an hon orarium to an hourly wage. Working with HR, committee members have created a speaker series featuring company leaders, and a buddy system to connect interns with colleagues in other departments and learn about different aspects of publishing such as design, production and sales.

They’ve also broadened the program’s outreach to draw a more diverse group of interns. That includes leveraging social media platforms to advertise job opportunities more broadly and building community partnerships by

“The different perspectives have made us better publishers. They’ve allowed us to speak to audiences in new ways, and work with booksellers and writers in new ways.”

— Anita Chong Executive Editor

“We want to go beyond donations to build deeper relationships,” Holder explains. “We’ve been working with Vibe Arts, an organization that sup ports arts education and mentorship for Black youth, to help young artists find pathways into publishing. The next step will be to get into high schools, because it’s not just about who’s ready to work, it’s also about those who are thinking about where they’re going.”

“I’m so proud of what we’ve done to recruit talent,” says Chong. “Having staff from a wide range of backgrounds and communities brings new perspec tives. That’s the beauty of diversity –

Holder says she’s constantly inspired by the team’s DEI efforts. “Being part of a company where you can align your core values with its core values is really important, especially for those entering the workforce,” she says. “Having people want to join us and stay with us is great. And we’re getting an excellent response from applicants with no previous publishing.” 

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full-time staff in Canada books donated last year charities helped last year of executive team are women

Changing the world, one book at a time.

Learn more about why we’re one of Canada’s top employers penguinrandomhouse.ca/careers

 Employees at Penguin Random House Canada volunteering at a Jays Care charity event during the pandemic.

Pomerleau builds up buildings – and its people

in learning and accelerating their development,” she says.

Diallo says her managers and mentors at the company have been very supportive while she works towards her professional engineering designation, a qualification that takes four years of work experience after graduation. The company’s education module on changing health and safety standards, she adds, “helped me understand what safety is on site and how to deal with certain situations.”

big motivation for people.”

Part of that innovation has been taking on work with social impact, like affordable housing and green projects, as well as becoming more intentional about its environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals. The company hired an environmental services and sustainable development director in 2019, and more recently hired an advisor to help the company partner with Indigenous communities and released its first ESG report in 2022.

When Fatoumata Diallo was a young girl, her dad took her to the construction site where he worked and placed his hard hat on her head. Looking back, she knows that site visit sparked her interest in working in the industry.

Today, she wears a hard hat of her own as an assistant project manager for Pomerleau Inc., the company she’s worked for since graduating university with a civil engineering degree in 2011. It’s a long tenure for someone still early in their career, and she says it’s thanks to the company’s focus on mentorship and professional development, and its welcoming culture.

“I was given an opportunity to learn and grow and try out different areas of the business, and I was mentored throughout,” says Diallo, who works for the Canadian building division in Toronto. “I’ve just been able to nourish that part of me that loves construction.”

The company considers professional development key to supporting and retaining staff, says Isabel Pouliot,

executive vice-president of talent, culture and sustainable development.

“We’re a large organization with different divisions so there’s a lot of internal possibilities. We’re able to provide training and make sure people develop transferable skills so they can take advantage of the internal mobility opportunities here,” she says.

In 2019, the company launched its PX³ ecosystem of in-house professional development programs specific to its business, which include training for newly or soon-to-be-appointed directors, soft skills and manager training for superintendents. It has in-house training designers and also works with external vendors to provide more general training opportunities, like health and safety. Pomerleau is working on developing a manager 101 program that Pouliot says is aimed at accommodating far more people.

Pouliot notes the company recruits young talent intensively: 65 per cent of employees have less than five years of seniority, and the average employee age is 41. “The idea is to support them

“It’s challenging and interesting for employees, because we’re actually changing the way construction is being conducted in Canada.”

— Isabel Pouliot

Executive Vice-President of Talent, Culture and Sustainable Development

Pouliot says the company’s commitment to employees’ professional development speaks to two of its core values, adaptability and innovation. Pomerleau – one of the largest general contractors in Canada with projects in the residential, commercial, institution al, industrial, civil and infrastructure sectors – is committed to being an early adopter of technology and acting as an industry leader, she says.

“It’s challenging and interesting for employees, because we’re actually changing the way construction is being conducted in Canada,” says Pouliot. “We can say that with pride, and it’s a

Diallo is currently working on a student residence for the University of Toronto Scarborough that will be one of Canada’s most energy-efficient buildings. She says it’s rewarding to know she’s working on projects people will appreciate.

“That sense of building something that’s going to be used and is going to be helpful, that people will enjoy, that happiness is why I love going into work every day.” 

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full-time staff in Canada

employer-paid health plan, with family coverage charities helped last year

job applications received last year

talent-pomerleau.ca/

 PX³ is a training centre for Pomerleau employees, based in Québec City.

At Rio Tinto, respect is key to inclusion and diversity

feel the same. I’m very passionate about representing diversity, talking about it and working on different initiatives to make sure all people are included and equal.”

Ivan Vella, chief executive for Rio Tinto Aluminium, says the company is committed to a workforce that is representative of the communities in which it operates and a culture where all people feel heard, valued and respected. Still, there’s always room for improvement, he says, and Rio Tinto is evolving its approach to inclusion and diversity.

corresponding committee at each of its sites in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean.

“We know the changes we want to see will take time and that it's not about making quick fixes,” says Vella. “Everyone has a role to play in making this change and I am proud to be part of this crucial work.”

Nepton, who serves on the regional committee, is seeing first-hand the impact that Rio Tinto’s broader perspective on inclusion and diversity is having. And like Vella, he says it makes him feel proud.

“For me, it’s clear that Rio Tinto’s growing focus on inclusion and diversity is extremely positive,” he says. “Mentalities are changing, openness has greatly improved, and I think the initiatives have influenced managers to become more ‘human.’

“It shows me that Rio Tinto wants employees to feel cared for, to feel mentally and physically safe. And this is what I love to see from Rio Tinto.” 

Michael Nepton says that for as far back as he can remember, he wanted to work for Rio Tinto, a leading mining and metal company. When he was growing up, both his parents worked for the company and he hoped to follow in his father’s footsteps as a manager.

Determined to reach his goal, Nepton earned a degree in chemical engineering. Summer internships with Rio Tinto Aluminium confirmed he was on the right track and in 2015 he was hired full-time.

Nepton is now a reduction manager at Rio Tinto’s aluminum smelter in Laterrière, a community in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region

of Québec. As well as managing operations, his responsibilities include leading a team of 17 supervisors and ensuring the safety and well-being of some 200 employees and contractors.

Nepton says that what he enjoys most about his day-to-day work is in teracting with people. He has a special interest in understanding how women and other minorities in the workforce feel, their expectations and how they are being integrated in the plant.

“I’m an Indigenous person born outside a reservation, in Saguenay,” Nepton says. “When I was young, I would have preferred to be like everyone else.

“Now, I am 100 per cent proud of who I am and I want to help others

“Before, we were focusing more on objectives, on goals and on numbers to be reached,” he says. “Now, we are acting and putting in place real initiatives to improve at our core. I feel like we moved from theory to practice, with caring and sincere intentions.”

In 2021, Rio Tinto launched its Everyday Respect in the Workplace Task Force to help understand, prevent and respond to harmful workplace behaviours such as sexual harassment, bullying and racism, Vella says.

It’s just one of a number of recent initiatives. In 2022, Rio Tinto augmented its regional diversity and inclusion committee for its aluminum operations in Québec by introducing a

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 Underground miner and operator at the Diavik Diamond Mine of Rio Tinto.

“Everyone has a role to play in making changes and I am proud to be part of this crucial work.”

— Ivan Vella Chief Executive, Rio Tinto Aluminium

Future-focused skills are the new currency at RBC

few years, plus the accelerated rate of technological change, have permanently altered the way people live and work, says Lisa Melo, vice president, learning and performance.

“How we adapt to the new realities of a rapidly changing world can make the difference between merely surviving and thriving. We want to empower employees to reach their full potential.”

resources to help simplify and enhance the employee experience.

RBC is also including artificial intelligence in its plans to make it easier for employees to find jobs internally that match their skills and development interests.

Melo says that each year about 25 per cent of employees transfer internally. But learning and development isn’t only for them, she says, citing how people happy in their current jobs will need to continually hone their skills just to keep pace with the evolving needs of their clients.

As director, designer enablement, at RBC, Nadia Kaakati says she’s thrilled to be in a role she couldn’t have imagined existed just a few short years ago. After all, she points out, she started down an atypical IT path, earning a degree in philosophy before changing direction and obtaining a graduate degree in information systems design.

“People ask me if that philosophy background has been a problem and my answer is ‘absolutely not,’” says Kaakati, who has been promoted twice since joining RBC in 2017. “I’ve been really fortunate to have had managers who saw something in me and they pushed me –in a healthy way – to take on challenges and seek opportunities outside my comfort zone.”

Her experience reflects how, at companies like RBC, it’s not just about the degree jobseekers hold, but the skills they bring to the table as well as those they can develop along the way.

As well as skills training, RBC provides a variety of programs to help employees accelerate their careers. In

2022, Kakaati graduated from the inaugural offering of STEPS, a leadership and development program for women at RBC.

Before that, she’d taken part in RBC’s 12-week Social Impact Learning program, a volunteering initiative that pairs employees and community partners to seek solutions for long-term change. Kakaati describes it as a “winwin” experience.

“It meant a lot to me to contribute to one of the charitable organizations that’s important to our community,” she explains. “Plus, non-profit work needs different skills so I was able to expand my skill set. I discovered that I really enjoy supporting and mentoring others.”

Kaakati is now using those skills as she leads a multi-disciplinary team of designers in Personal & Commercial Banking. In turn, the team supports internal customers with educational programs, upskilling and career growth.

RBC, one of Canada’s largest employers, has a long history of nurturing employee careers. Still, the disruptions and uncertainties of the last

— Lisa Melo Vice President, Learning and

Performance

To keep pace, RBC has significantly expanded its learning and development programming. In May 2022, RBC announced it had committed $200 million to further enable employees to achieve their career and life goals, Melo says.

“How we adapt to the new realities of a rapidly changing world can make the difference between merely surviving and thriving,” she adds. “We want to empower employees to reach their full potential.”

RBC used employee input to design the career development components of the multi-year investment. As a result, the learning opportunities target the most valued areas, Melo says.

This includes more future-focused programs featuring experiential and work-integrated learning where

They’ll find there’s a learning opportunity for everyone at RBC, from mandatory bank training to modelling effective leadership.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach,” says Melo. “Skills are the new currency and we’re enabling employees to learn when and how they need to update their skills, using formats and models that suit them.” 

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full-time staff in Canada job applications received last year years, longestserving employee of employees are women

 Lisa Melo, vice president, learning and performance (left) and Nadia Kaakati, director, designer enablement (right), at RBC.

SaskEnergy staff help lead its transformation

on is enhancing engagement with local Indigenous groups through collabora tion. The company supports Indigenous organizations and events through sponsorship, awareness and employee participation, and awards scholarships to Indigenous students who show leadership, academic achievement and community involvement.

to attend an upcoming leadership devel opment program. SaskEnergy also offers training and mentorship programs for employees through LinkedIn.

“These programs opened me up to new experiences and brought me to where I am in my career,” Sawdey says. “They allow employees to build on their skill sets and develop the tools to grow into expanded roles and adapt to the changing business environment.”

Mark Guillet was a lawyer in private practice when he joined SaskEnergy Incorporated for a threemonth contract to provide legal work. Thirty-two years later, he is still there.

“What has kept me here – I even moved cities to be here – are the people and the constant change and transformation,” says Guillet, who is now president and CEO.

One more recent transformation Guillet is excited about is the company’s environmental journey. “Environmental stewardship has always been part of what we do as a company, but it really has grown,” he adds. “We are saying ‘How do we become better and help our customers become better?’ I am really proud of the enthusiasm and involvement of our employees in developing the roadmap to reach our environmental sustainability goals.”

SaskEnergy has made a commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 35 per cent by 2030. “When we started asking how we achieve this, we

saw our employees rally around,” says Guillet. “One of the leaders in our environment group started meeting with employees to have discussions and gather ideas. Our employees came up with incredible ideas and we have taken those ideas to develop a roadmap of where to focus our work.”

SaskEnergy’s commitment to the environment was recognized by the Canadian Gas Association with three Environmental Stewardship Awards in 2022. The company was honoured for its environmental screening tool, which allows operational and engineering teams to screen new gas line projects for any environmental, heritage and geohazard impacts. It was also recog nized for implementing technology that captures vented natural gas from the company’s transmission compressors, redirecting it into the engine air intake for use as a supplemental fuel, as well as for providing rebates to customers who replace old natural gas equipment with high-efficiency models.

Another area SaskEnergy is focusing

The company also begins conversa tions early when planning work close to Traditional Land, Crown land or a First Nations reserve, providing resources and responding to governance processes to support regulatory and contractual requirements. Elders can also provide guidance as part of gas line construc tion activities. Through SaskEnergy’s Indigenous procurement agreement, the company seeks out vendors and contractors for its projects with Indigenous owners or employees.

Dionne Sawdey, a business manager with customer service, has worked for SaskEnergy for 16 years. She appreciates the company’s learning and develop ment programs.

She has participated in its manage ment development program, which runs sessions four times a year, and is excited

Sawdey also appreciates SaskEnergy’s communication around corporate direction. The company provides a strategy roadmap for the next three years. “If priorities shift or if something has changed, a communication goes out to employees,” Sawdey says. “This allows employees to see the company’s direction and goals.”

“It’s important to have a sense of where we’re headed as an organization, and then how my team fits in to that and how we can contribute to the success of the company.” 

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 SaskEnergy provides training and mentorship programs for employees to advance their career development.

“I am really proud of the enthusiasm and involvement of our employees in developing the roadmap to reach our environmental sustainability goals.”

— Mark Guillet President and CEO

Mutual trust makes Schneider an impactful company

Gonzalez and Guichard, who both later passed through in-company women leadership courses, had found themselves working for a company that, in the VP’s words, puts a premium on employees “willing to go outside their comfort zones.”

“The more someone feels safe to speak up, the better we can perform, the better we can innovate, and the better we can deliver to our clients.”

— Claire Guichard Human Resources Vice-President Canada

intentional flexibility and increase our focus on employee well-being. We also wanted to empower managers and their teams to decide how they wanted to collaborate, how often and when they wanted to come back to the office, whether for a brainstorm or a lunch, so they could create moments that matter to them.”

It was Schneider’s way of engendering trust in its employees, the VP continues. “By showing our trust in them, that we believe they can be counted on to perform, it also instills a sense of stability, belonging and psychological safety that is resonating across the company.”

Estefania Gonzalez, now the end user sales director for Schneider Electric Canada Inc., was working in her native Spain for the French multinational when she was invited to join its Canadian arm. What began as a temporary position has since evolved into a 13-year stay, along with a husband she met here and two children, aged six and three.

The globe-spanning digital automation and energy management powerhouse, Gonzalez appreciated, had shown no hesitation in asking a woman to take on a foreign assignment. But she recalls feeling a little unsure about her future prospects as her first pregnancy arrived.

“I was determined to take a year’s maternity leave, but after I returned, would I still be able to advance?” she wondered. “I spoke to my superiors and the people around me, and they were totally reassuring because

Schneider’s policy and culture were totally supportive.”

They were right, Gonzalez says. “So much so, second time I took 14 months mat leave!” Throughout, Gonzalez has continued to scale the ranks at Schneider.

Clear echoes of Gonzalez’s story can be heard when Claire Guichard, Schneider’s human resources vicepresident Canada, talks of the launch of her 20-year career. As a new grad from a university in France’s Brittany region, and seeking English fluency, Guichard headed as far afield as she could, to Australia.

There, she took English classes by day and worked in an Italian restaurant at night, where she met three HR workers who arranged a three-month training program for her. Back in France, when she applied for an apprenticeship at Schneider, Guichard was struck by how her interviewers “really liked that story.”

In 2021, when Schneider asked Guichard what she wanted to do next –which was to get deeper into sales HR in a place where her daughters could learn English in the same immersive manner as their mother – the company offer came quickly: how about Canada? “Well, I didn’t think too much, right? Just had a discussion with my husband and we said, ‘Wow, let’s make it happen.’”

“Schneider itself is willing to leave its own comfort zone,” says Guichard. “We know we cannot deliver anything to our clients if we don’t have that engagement from our people, and that requires trust between employees and leaders.” So Schneider Electric Canada moved beyond the global corporation’s already flexible approach to the post-pandemic work life, Guichard says, “We really wanted to provide

That in turn is a vital and necessary key to Schneider being what all its employees want it to be, Guichard believes – an impactful company. “The more someone feels safe to speak up, the better we can perform, the better we can innovate, and the better we can deliver to our clients.” 

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 Schneider Electric Canada offers employees paid time off to volunteer with local community groups.

Pillars of progress power a greener Shell Canada

company we’re building and executing a business strategy that not only cares about returns to shareholders but we’re recognizing we have to be a force for good for the community," says Shell Canada president Susannah Pierce. “We need our people to represent society so that we are inclusive and respect and reflect diversity.”

inclusive organizations in the world. A place where everyone feels valued and respected and has a strong sense of belonging. In support of this goal Shell offers flexible work schedules, hybrid work schedules and inclusive benefits. In addition, the company actively supports diversity employee resource groups and has an ombudsperson for any employees with work concerns.

The fourth pillar is respecting nature by protecting the environment, reduc ing waste and enhancing biodiversity.

Development manager Colin Wickenheiser and his team of 25 engineers, geologists and economists from Shell Canada Ltd. explore and safely develop natural gas found 2,000 to 3,000 metres below the surface in Alberta and British Columbia. It’s exhilarating to drill into the time when Western Canada was an inland sea, spanning over 250 million years.

“Unlocking the geological potential in Western Canada is thrilling, and the other part of the story that’s really exciting is Shell Canada’s participation

the path to net-zero emissions, which is key to Shell’s ‘Powering Progress’ strategy driving the company forward. The goal is a net-zero world where society stops adding to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and begins reducing them.

“We’re stepping directly into energy transition through investing in renewable energies and new energies,” says Wickenheiser. “We’re very much moving society in a march towards net-zero emissions. We’re constantly evolving to powering progress.”

The four pillars supporting Shell’s

Shell is evolving from an oil-and-gas company to an all-round energy firm with a goal to become a net-zero emissions enterprise by 2050 or sooner. Replacing high carbon intensity fuels with lower carbon intensive energy such as biofuels, low carbon hydrogen and renewable power are part of the net-zero emissions pillar. These new energies will eventually replace the current supply mix and provide more returns to shareholders, an essential pillar of the business.

What also enthuses Wickenheiser is

“The energy we produce needs to be the energy that will meet the world’s needs and protect the planet,” says Pierce. “We have to recognize that when we build infrastructure, or provide energy to consumers, part of the production, transmission and consumption has an impact on nature. And our nature is exhaustible. We need to respect our air, land and water.”

She adds, “Our success depends on all four pillars.” 

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 Susannah Pierce is the president of Shell Canada.

“The energy we produce needs to be the energy that will meet the world’s needs and protect the planet.”

— Susannah Pierce President

Sobeys feeds the hearts of its far-flung employees

who promote these and many other initiatives. There are also champions for such measures as food rescue, in which stores donate products to local food banks. “It’s a very heart-warming process,” says Jo.

Along with Safeway, the company’s banners include Sobeys, IGA, FreshCo, Foodland, Longo’s, Lawton’s Drugs and several more in various parts of the country. In total there are some 1,500 stores in 900 Canadian communities. “I like to think this is one of corporate Canada’s greatest success stories,” says Simon Gagné, chief human resources officer. “This is a 115-yearold company that started in a small town in Nova Scotia and has grown to 130,000 employees coast to coast – not too bad!”

And one of the values we get a lot of credit for is our community engagement. People want to make sure they share the values of an organization, that it’s more than a food company and that it’s making a difference. I think our employees are really proud of the work we’re doing.”

For example, Sobeys has a Community Action Fund for stores to invest locally as managers see fit. An initiative for child and youth mental health launched in partnership with the Sobey Foundation in 2020 has already contributed more than $12 million to 13 children’s hospital foundations across Canada. And as Jo noted, Sobeys has been paying a lot of attention to diversity and inclusion.

Jo also points to Sobeys’ high retention rate. “Some of the employees I started off with have now been with the company for 20, 30, even 40 years,” she says. “After 14 years, I still feel like a newbie.” 

It’s common for employees to say their workplace is like a family, but for Sung Jo, there’s extra meaning in the idea. Her work at Sobeys Inc. actually reminds her of her family.

Jo is a store manager in Calgary for a Safeway store, one of the Stellarton, N.S.-based company’s many grocery brands across Canada. She started at Safeway as a student part-timer in the deli department in 2008, not long after she lost her mother. “It was part of the healing process, because there were all these mothers from different countries and they were all working together,”

she says. “I saw pieces of my mother in all of them.”

Jo had come with her family from South Korea when she was 10, and her dad has instilled in her a love for Korean culture. So the support for diversity evident at Sobeys impressed her from the start. “I was getting to know the team and atmosphere, and after less than a month, I absolutely fell in love with the place.”

At her store, like many others, em ployees are encouraged to get together for events like potlucks of Filipino food and other cuisines. Sobeys has champions for diversity and inclusion

— Sung Jo Store Manager, Calgary

Beyond the retail aisles, those employees fill many other roles. “With our stores, distribution centres and offices, we can provide great careers for almost every job you can imagine,” Gagné says. “We have engineers, lawyers, pharmacists, graphic designers, forklift operators, food scientists, nurses, truck drivers – we have them all.”

One of Sobeys’ key attractions is that it is value-driven, he says. “That’s one of the things that differentiates us.

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

in Canada (as of March 2022)



Sung Jo, store manager, Calgary (left) and Simon Gagné, chief human resources officer at Sobeys.

“After

Great colleagues and career paths keep people at TD

level of commitment to growth and development for talent at all levels. “We’ve made significant investments in training across the bank to ensure that colleagues can see new and more varied career paths. We also include investment in our leadership through formal and informal programs,” says MacInnis, who leads a team responsible for both strategic as well as day-to-day communications with the bank’s 1,100 branches.

a team of four managers who excel in strategic communications. Getting to that level of accountability and responsibility involved professional and personal development.”

This caring and supportive culture has always been core to TD. During the pandemic, this defining feature of the employee experience was amplified through the authenticity and empathy demonstrated by senior leaders and mirrored by their colleagues. “During the pandemic, the bank took a very proactive approach,” says Harrison.

“It encouraged you to take time for yourself, focus on your mental health, physical health, diet and nutrition and provided information and links to several well-being resources.”

Gregory Harrison began his career as an advertising copywriter, first for a major Canadian retailer and later moved into marketing communications working for a Crown agency, but he was always interested in working in the financial services industry. When he decided to change direction professionally, TD Bank Group was the first place he looked.

“I was a customer,” says Harrison, senior manager, region communica tions, community of practice. “My customer experience was impressive ‒so was my investment experience. I thought if I’m this impressed, what would it be like to work there?”

That was in the fall of 2004 and, 18 years later, Harrison is still with the bank. “One of the reasons for my lon gevity at the bank is its welcoming and

inclusive culture which goes a long way to attract, develop and retain talent.” Harrison says. “I’ve found that you can fulfill many of your career aspirations within the organization.”

Melissa MacInnis had a wellestablished career before she joined the bank. A native of Prince Edward Island, she worked as an aide in the Ottawa office of a local member of Parliament, served in the Prime Minister’s Office, then left the political world to join a mergers and acquisitions firm.

“I was going to tuck into TD Bank for a couple of years and then go on to some other things,” says MacInnis, as sociate vice-president, branch banking. “That was 10 years ago. I have found the people here are incredibly smart and they’re incredibly human.”

Apart from that, MacInnis has been impressed with the bank’s

Gregory Harrison Senior Manager, Region Communications, Community of Practice

From well-being and career devel opment to supportive leadership, the strikingly human culture described by Harrison and MacInnis is undoubtedly a key reason TD continues to be one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

“A person can start at the branch in a customer-facing role and advance through district, regional and corporate roles,” she says. “When I’m at a table with working groups I always hear beautiful stories of someone who’s an executive now, but started as a university student while in school.”

The bank’s commitment to coaching, mentoring and professional develop ment benefits employees at all levels. “I entered the bank as a stand-alone contributor in corporate and public affairs,” Harrison says. “I wasn’t leading a team of direct reports. Now I lead



Gregory Harrison, senior manager, region communications, community of practice and Melissa MacInnis, AVP, branch banking, at TD Bank.

“One of the reasons for my longevity at the bank is its welcoming and inclusive culture which goes a long way to attract, develop and retain talent.”

—

Teck’s resources make possibilities almost endless

a new opportunity, and Teck supported that.”

Later, while she was raising young children, Willman left her job to work part-time as a consultant. Teck was one of her clients. “Teck is about doing things the right way,” says Willman, who returned full-time to the company in 2016. “I’ve been on all fronts with Teck – at an operating mine, with them as my client and now I’m working on maintaining Teck’s closed properties. I love what I do and I always feel supported.”

One of Spence’s colleagues organized and hosted an event for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation which more than 200 employees attended virtually and in person. “As individuals, we have the opportunity to ideate, create and host an event like this,” Spence says. “People don’t say no to a good idea. They might ask questions and you might have to do a bit more homework, but at Teck good ideas are welcomed and appreciated independent of organizational structure and position.”

For a company the size of Teck –more than 10,000 employees globally –there is still the feel of a family business, especially among teams. “The culture is really important for us,” says Willman. “We make sure we have people with strong skills but having positive overall culture and a strong safety culture is really important as well. It’s intertwined in everything we do.” 

It was initially the reputation among Canadian miners of Vancouver-based Teck Resources Limited (Teck) that drew Cassandra Spence to the company –first to a position in Newfoundland, then to Vancouver and now at Teck’s Red Dog Operations in northwestern Alaska, with a stop in Santiago, Chile.

“Teck has business operations in multiple regions, multiple jurisdictions, and there’s a wealth of potential careers to choose from,” says Spence, deployment specialist of RACE, Teck’s digital innovation program. “We can change roles or switch between projects without having to

start all over again with a new organiza tion, a new culture, new people.”

Kathleen Willman, director of environmental legacies, has had the opportunity to see and experience Teck from different angles – as an employee at various times and as a consultant to Teck, working in Canada and the United States. Starting fresh out of school with a summer job at the now reclaimed Sullivan mine site in Kimberley, B.C., Willman moved into a full-time role. After a few years, Willman transferred to Red Dog Operations.

“I enjoyed the U.S. and Canadian experience,” she says. “I was looking for

Advancement and professional devel opment are encouraged, with graduate level business programs, language training and access for all employees to Udemy, a learning platform. Willman has had access to coaching as well as to leadership programs. And she encourages the engineers and other professionals who work for her to attend a conference every year.

“Teck is committed to their em ployees,” she adds. “We want to retain talent, and if a person has plateaued at a particular operation, we want to look for other opportunities for them.”

Employee input is valued as well.

full-time staff in Canada

employer-paid health plan, with family coverage years, longest-serving employee charities helped last year

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved. 9,000 100% 56 610

 An employee at Teck Resources Limited working at a steelmaking coal operations in Elkford, B.C.

“We can change roles or switch between projects without having to start all over again with a new organization, a new culture, new people.”

— Cassandra Spence Deployment Specialist, RACE

TELUS is committed to the well-being of its team

their own issues with anxiety, sharing how people can manage a mental health issue with the right tools and support and still be successful at work at the highest levels. Sandy McIntosh, exec utive vice-president, people & culture and chief human resources officer, says the reaction to those revelations has been fantastic.

$5,000 benefit,” says McIntosh. “We were surprised so many activated the Calm app, but people used it at night to do mindfulness and help their children with anxiety. It was what people needed at the time.”

As people transition back into the office, she says, what they want and need is more human interaction along with continued flexibility.

“People want to continue working from home and coming into the office when they want, but what we’ve found is that they’re coming into the office with more purpose than before, often for a social event,” says McIntosh.

Every spring and fall, Candy Fu, project manager at TELUS Communications Inc., champions her favourite wellness program at work – the TELUS Well-being Challenge, a four-week company-wide initiative focused on healthy activity.

“Our team members get really excit ed about it,” says Fu. “Every day, people encourage each other and share to see what we’ve accomplished, whether that’s 10,000 steps or virtual yoga. It feels like we’re doing this all together although we’re spread out across Canada.”

The popular program fits in well with the Vancouver-based company’s holistic approach to wellness, covering physical, psychological, social, financial and environmental well-being, reflecting a strategy designed with cultural evolu tion in mind. The activities are designed

in different types of healthy activities in a way that’s meaningful and personal ized for them.

Fu, who works from home, says the wide variety of wellness programs that TELUS offers are important to her because of their built-in sociability, so she doesn’t feel isolated from her co-workers. She also appreciates the array of benefits and resources, including $5,000 for mental health support annually and access to mental health employee assistance programs, plus a free premium subscription to the mental health app Calm.

“Booking a virtual mental health consultation through the TELUS Health MyCare app made me realize it was easier to access mental health care than I had thought,” says Fu. “Our leadership also stepped up to make us more comfortable about getting support. I can talk freely with my staff about mental health care programs.”

Over the past year, senior executives opened up to team members about

— Sandy McIntosh Executive Vice-President, People & Culture and Chief Human Resources Officer

“Being social is a necessary part of the culture. There are some team members that we hired in 2020 and 2021 who have never met their manager in person.”

“Our flexible approach to working supports well-being so that people can have the balance they need,” she says. “We have an incredibly strong culture.” 

“People have come out and started sharing stories about their challenges with anxiety and other issues,” says McIntosh. “When senior leaders start talking to us about their own vulnerability and using the mental health support that we’ve put into place, it opens up the culture and makes us stronger.”

Currently, about 25 per cent of employees and their families access their mental health benefits annually and over 11,000 are active users of the Calm app.

“During the pandemic, we had a very big uptake on counselling and therapy and are still getting a good uptake where team members are using that

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 Candy Fu, project manager at TELUS Communications Inc., gives back to her local community.

“When senior leaders start talking to us about their own vulnerability and using the mental health support that we’ve put into place, it opens up the culture and makes us stronger.”

Employees thrive in a culture of support at Vancity

equity and people officer.

“Most employees want to work at an organization that’s purpose-driven. They want to know their time matters, that what they do is impactful.”

Committed to social justice since its founding, Vancity creates an envi ronment where employees live its core values of equity, diversity, inclusion and Indigenous reconciliation.

directly with employees.

Vancity employees also have flexible work hours and time off. Toth appre ciates the freedom to take days off to care for family, whether it’s a sick child or an elderly parent, and not have that questioned, which was her experience at previous employers. It’s one of the things that has kept her at Vancity for 28 years. It offers new parents maternity and parental leave top-up payments at 85 per cent of salary for up to 18 months.

“Work-life balance is important at Vancity. We’re encouraged to stay healthy in mind and body and there are so many health, education and additional benefits that I otherwise financially wouldn’t be able to afford,” she says.

One evening during the pandemic, Ilene Toth realized there was a missing piece to connecting her fellow employees with the mental health services offered by Vancouver City Savings Credit Union (Vancity). She had no hesitation in coming up with a solution and presenting it to her supervisor. Now she’s Vancity’s mental health consultant.

“For me to feel safe enough to go to my leader and do that, and for them to not just listen but to act, speaks volumes about Vancity,” says Toth.

“My voice and opinions are valued and embraced. This organization knows that when we work together, we can figure things out and get things done that make our lives better.”

Vancity is Canada’s largest communi ty credit union with 54 branches and

over 560,000 members. Headquartered in Vancouver, it offers financial services to B.C. communities from Abbotsford to Alert Bay and has $33 billion in assets under its administration. It’s been part of the province’s financial and social landscape since 1946.

Toth’s work takes her to all those branches, where she joins team meetings to discuss mental health issues to break the stigma and encourage employees to take advantage of the comprehensive resources Vancity provides. It’s part of the credit union’s culture of caring for its employees’ overall health and career growth.

“As Canada’s largest credit union, we offer employees a lot of career options where you can work your way up and get experience in a variety of areas, which I think is really appealing to a lot of people,” says Janelle Aaker, chief

“One of Vancity’s great strengths is we reflect the communities we work in. There’s just something about a Vancity branch when you walk in and the music is playing in a laid-back atmosphere,” says Aaker.

“People are having conversations, laughing and greeting each other. There’s such a sense of belonging and community I’ve never felt in a financial institution.”

Aaker says transparency and constant, open communication is fundamental to creating the level of trust and dialogue needed to ensure employees and managers work as a team. Vancity provides multiple touch points like town halls, online updates and live chats so leadership can speak

“It’s all about the people – we just keep getting better and better at taking care of each other every year. I’m just super excited to see what the future holds.” 

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

Vancity employees are empowered to speak directly with leadership about their work and well-being.

“Most employees want to work at an organization that’s purpose-driven. They want to know their time matters, that what they do is impactful.”

— Janelle Aaker Chief Equity and People Officer

Vancouver Coastal Health puts wellness first

neck strain and prevent injury. Benefits also extend into workplace wellness, including a confidential support line to report bullying, harassment, racism, discrimination and issues involving Indigenous cultural safety.

With health care ever-changing, VCH also fosters a culture of continuous learning and a spirit of innovation. That makes employees and medical staff better able to cope with new technologies, evolving disease threats and the impact that climate change is having on health care. Employees like Schmidt appreciate online learning programs like the Telehealth simulations that allow her to consult with her colleagues across B.C.

annually in grants across the VCH region to support more than 100 community partners, supporting health promotion programs and projects. Employees and medical staff give back via participation in initiatives like the Saa ust Fund, which provides financial support to Indigenous patients and clients and their families in need.

It’s that sense of shared mission, belonging and the opportunities for career growth that keep employees and medical staff engaged and connected, whether they work in the big city of Vancouver or in small rural communi ties like Schmidt does.

Gwen Schmidt may work in a small, remote community on British Columbia’s central coast, but she knows that when there’s an emergency, she can count on all the resources that Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) can provide.

“I have a lot of supports outside of Bella Coola, from pharmacy to professional practice and many others,” says the patient care coordinator. “I have a big book of people I know I can contact if I need anything.”

VCH delivers health care for 1.2 million people, from suburban Richmond to B.C.’s central coast. With more than 26,000 employees and medical staff, VCH is a hub of healthcare innovation, research, academic expertise and clinical excellence, and also provides specialized care to patients throughout the province.

With such a huge geographic region and variety of urban and non-urban

communities to serve, VCH offers high-quality health care based on its foundational pillars of Indigenous cultural safety, anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion and planetary health. Also ingrained into the culture is a deep commitment to taking care of the health of VCH employees and medical staff.

“Our values are the foundation of the health care services we provide to our patients, clients and residents, as well as our staff and medical staff,” says Vivian Eliopoulos, president and CEO.

“We also firmly believe that our employees must take care of themselves so they can take great care of others.”

With employees and medical staff still on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, the range of health benefits and services available to them is comprehensive. They include unique features like a therapy dog program to address burnout and boost morale, and a mobile chair massage to relieve

“At VCH, you can stretch, grow, have excellent working relationships and feel part of a team – it’s a very nice feeling.”

— Gwen Schmidt Patient Care Coordinator, Bella Coola

“We have the courage to innovate, the agility to act and adjust, the commitment to respond and the compassion to do so with care and perseverance,” says Eliopoulos.

“Health care professionals feel a calling or a sense of duty to help. While working in health care can be incredibly challenging, it’s also really rewarding.”

VCH also connects with the many communities it operates in. Since 1997, it’s given more than $4 million

“I like my job, I like coming to work in the morning. I know everybody on a first-name basis and they know me. You feel like you’re an insider when you walk in the door,” she says.

“At VCH, you can stretch, grow, have excellent working relationships and feel part of a team – it’s a very nice feeling.” 

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full-time staff in Canada participants annually in leadership development activities of executive team are women weeks, parental leave top-up pay

 Vancouver Coastal Health fosters employee engagement with a shared mission, sense of belonging and opportunities for career growth.

Western Financial aims for exceptional experiences

support Ukrainian employees amid the war in Ukraine. Soon there will also be an Indigenous group that will involve DeVos. Western Financial promotes special awareness days throughout the year, including National Day for Truth and Reconciliation/Orange Shirt Day and Nelson Mandela International Day.

Embracing diversity involves a serious commitment that Western Financial pledged when creating a DEI lead role in the summer of 2020, in response to the worldwide outrage at the death of George Floyd that May. Since then, diversity measures have intensified, including adapting workplace designs for people who are physically challenged. All this came in conjunction with building stronger DEI connections with customers and communities.

progress in your career. There’s training we can take and we are encouraged to take. If you want to dip your toes into a different area, Western guides and supports you so you can be the best in this industry,” she says.

Another measure for DEI is employ ment equity surveys.

“We ask our people for feedback through multiple channels and take action based on what we hear,” says Rachkowski. “We are focused on continuous improvement and seek ways to transform each and every day. We celebrate our differences and have created a culture where open, honest discussions occur at all levels.”

Those open discussions have helped build DeVos’s confidence within Western Financial.

Cora DeVos, an Inuk from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, has lived dark, bleak years as the daughter and granddaughter of terribly abused residential school survivors, but her four-and-a-half-year career with Western Financial Group Inc. has offered support, encouragement and inclusion.

“Western was very attractive to me even before I applied because I did my research and I could get behind their guiding principles of truthfulness and loyalty because that’s how I live my life. Everyone is so supportive and we have such a loving and caring office,” says DeVos, a personal lines insurance advisor in the Vermilion, Alta., branch.

“I’ve had customers sit at my desk and speak about Indigenous people like I wasn’t one of them, but Western helps its people and even customers to be

more accepting and accommodating,” she adds.

Headquartered in High River, Alta., Western Financial provides personal and business insurance at more than 210 branches from British Columbia to the Maritimes. Incorporating a diversi ty, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategic plan for all its people is paramount.

“We are on a journey that focuses on the DEI of all our people because we care,” says Kristy Rachkowski, chief people & culture officer. “The thing that makes Western a unique employer is that we are very focused on delivering an exceptional employee experience, because we know that if we take care of our team members, they will take great care of our customers.”

One way has been establishing employee resource groups for Pride, women in leadership, Asian employees, single/working parents and even one to

“As we move forward and start planning for the new year, we are keenly focused on employee devel opment, on enhancing our efforts on DEI, and on talent management and succession planning so that our people can have rewarding career paths for the long term within our organization,” Rachkowski adds.

DeVos couldn’t agree more. “They are very supportive if you want to

“I can talk to my co-workers or manager about anything and that speaks volumes to me about Western,” she says. “Honestly, they are my second home, my second family.” 

Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail's editorial department was not involved.

 Western Financial Group Inc. has established employee resource groups as part of their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts that are central to the company’s strategic plan.

“If you want to dip your toes into a different area, Western guides and supports you so you can be the best in this industry.”

— Cora DeVos Personal Lines Insurance Advisor

World Vision Canada inspires staff with its mission

and advocacy organization focused on child well-being. Along with child sponsorships, it helps fund and organize development work in com munities and is on the scene during disasters, ranging from the 2010 Haiti earthquake to the Ukraine refugee and humanitarian crisis.

priority on staff well-being, she says. “We’ve become more intentional with our focus on holistic well-being,” Augustine says. During the pandemic, the organization added an additional five wellness days for staff and a $500 health spending account. Moreover, there are six ‘Orange Days’ – paid days off added before or after statutory holidays.

Augustine adds that World Vision managers make sure they are taking a pulse check with their team members on a regular basis through one-on-one meetings and tools that help support a proactive dialogue around capacity and priority setting.

As manager of the contact centre workforce at World Vision Canada, Nasho knows just how important the work is that she and her colleagues carry out each day. Donors are constantly on the lines to support World Vision’s mission – to empower boys and girls and to help them overcome poverty and injustice, often in very difficult places to be a child. In fact, Nasho has long been a deep part of the mission at World Vision, sponsoring children throughout her 15 years at the organization. Cindy, who lives in Guatemala, is at least her third. The opportunity to serve the most vulnerable children in the world has kept Nasho enthusiastically working for the organization since arriving at the Mississauga, Ont., headquarters while finishing her English degree at the University of Toronto. Part-time work

soon turned into a full-time job.

“It was this amazing opportunity for me,” she says. “They had this flexibility, they were an organization that lived my values, and they were committed to helping the most vulnerable children and their communities. It lit this flame of compassion in me that is still burning 15 years later. I feel inspired by what we do on a daily basis.”

With strong mentoring from her supervisors, Nasho moved through a series of roles to take on her current position in 2021. “The people here have really supported me since day one, doing whatever it takes to get me to that next level,” she says. “I’ve felt I’ve been mentored, supported and empowered in my career journey.”

A registered charity, World Vision Canada operates independently but is allied with World Vision International, the global Christian relief, development

Chief people officer Chris Augustine notes that remote work, which began as a result of the pandemic is continuing, with 87 per cent of employees oper ating from home, and staffing across Canada increasing. Roles are diverse and include connecting with donors, working on fundraising and marketing or designing and helping monitor the impact of technical programming. Expanding the organization’s digital reach is also a goal.

“We need talent who bring their skills to our agile environment,” says Augustine. “Our employees want to make a difference for millions of children around the world who are living in a very tough situation. We know we can collectively and individ ually use our gifts and talents to invite Canadians to help these children reach their full potential.”

The mission is both rewarding and challenging, so it’s critical to put top

Nasho says she also likes World Vision’s practice of setting at least one afternoon a week with no meetings, and the weekly gatherings that include opportunities to pray together, to help people feel uplifted. “It’s a really wonderful environment to be part of,” she says. 

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 World Vision Canada employees gathering for the organization's first in-person event since the pandemic.

“The people here have really supported me since day one, doing whatever it takes to get me to that next level.”

— Connie Nasho Manager, Contact Centre Workforce

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