Published annually since 1992, The Career Directory is Canada’s longest-running and best-loved career guide for new graduates.
Each year, our editorial team reviews thousands of employers to determine the academic qualifications they seek in younger job-seekers.
The result is a wonderful, free guide that helps new graduates find student jobs that make the most of their university degree or college diploma.
Match your degree or diploma with employers that actively recruit new grads with your educational qualifications!
Anthony Meehan, PUBLISHER
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
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© 2022 Mediacorp Canada Inc. and The Globe and Mail. All rights reserved. GREATER TORONTO’S TOP EMPLOYERS is a trade mark of Mediacorp Canada Inc. Editorial inquiries: ct100@mediacorp.ca
For residents of Canada’s largest metropolis, the shorter days of December come as a welcome respite. Like the rest of the nation, the Greater Toronto Area has paid a heavy price since the arrival of the pandemic, both in economic but especially human terms. But as with the calendar, life is slowly returning to normal and GTA residents are back to living socially again, both at home and in the workplace.
The great debate of the age, of course, is whether companies and other organizations can thrive and prosper with much of their staff still working from home. In this year’s announcement magazine, you’ll find a catalogue of best practices when it comes to what the region’s best employers are doing to accommodate employees who want to continue working from home as much as possible. Hybrid work arrangements are here to stay, we are told, as many employees seem uninterested in returning to a life of commuting and presenteeism that existed before the pandemic. The pandemic, for all its bleakness, gave many working Canadians a gift more precious than salary or advancement: they now had more time outside of working life, something they are hesitant to give up.
For managers, employers and perhaps the country at large, the benefits of hybrid work have been less obvious. Having happier employees obviously is a plus for employers and the country at large. Yet there is deep unease whether hybrid work creates teams that allow organizations to succeed in the face of strong challenges. A global study by Microsoft Corporation this fall concluded, remarkably, that only 12% of leaders were confident their remote teams were actually productive. This might
seem extreme, but most dispassionate observers would agree that something has been lost with the shift to hybrid work – and it’s an open question whether such organizations can adapt to rapidly changing times.
In urban areas like the GTA, much of the debate around hybrid work actually sidesteps long-neglected problems in public transportation, housing, income distribution and (if you are brave) perhaps even the role of modern finance. Undoubtedly, each of these problems has long presented a Gordian Knot for policymakers, but hybrid work has made a convincing end-run around them and offers respite for working Canadians, for now.
Outside the hybrid work debate, the range of existential problems confronting organizations is rapidly coming into focus. Profound changes caused by demographics, a warming climate, the collapse of decades-old supply chains and inflation make it clear that the old ways of doing business simply won’t work anymore. These tidal changes are causing every employer to reevaluate how their employees get the work done and, in some fields, whether the organization’s product or service is still viable at all.
Fortunately, this year’s winners of the Greater Toronto’s Top Employers competition are a step ahead of other organizations when it comes to treating their employees well – and steering clear of the cross-currents making the journey bumpy for all organizations. In the following pages, we hope you enjoy the detailed survey of their efforts that our editors have assembled for this year’s announcement magazine.
– Tony Meehan
As we look to the future, the Greater Toronto Area’s Top Employers 2023 are leading the way in shaping the post-pandemic workplace.
While many initiatives are still being piloted, the winners of this year’s competition – selected by Mediacorp Canada Inc. – have been quick to respond to employee feedback about how, when and where they want to work. It turns out people like working from home, at least part of the time, even if the kids are occasionally underfoot. So for any organization competing in the GTA’s fierce talent market, flexibility is de rigueur, with
Introductionfull-time in office, hybrid and remote options on offer where possible to accommodate individual needs for work-life balance.
Typically, it’s not the same old office. Many employers used time over the pandemic to reimagine their physical space, redesigning for collaboration and upgrading communication technologies so employees can connect seamlessly with others from wherever they’ve chosen to work that day. For some progressive employers, such as Amex Canada, that includes allowing employees to work from outside the country for up to four weeks a year.
GTA’s top employers have also been busy adding perks to draw people back to in-person connectivity. CIBC’s new workplace strategy offers employees the flexibility to work where they’re most productive, but its new global headquarters in downtown Toronto entices with an onsite fitness facility as well as more than 500 bike parking spots.
While these top organizations set the standard for doing business in Canada with best practices, they also continue to push the boundaries. Many recently increased top-up payments for new parents as well as expanding who’s included. For example, HarperCollins
Canada and Harlequin Enterprises took steps to ensure its top-up policy would be inclusive of all families, with beneficiaries of top-ups defined simply as primary caregivers and secondary caregivers.
Employee wellness is another priority for all, with several companies doubling their budget for mental health last year. League Inc. went even further by offering paid wellness days quarterly, as well as unlimited coverage for mental health services as part of its benefits plan.
When it comes to innovative and progressive ideas, these are the employers to follow.
– Diane JermynACCENTURE INC., Toronto. Professional services; 5,682 employees. Increased its maternity and parental leave top-up policy from 85 per cent of salary to 100 per cent of salary.
ACCOR, Toronto. Hotels; 8,500 employees. Encourages ongoing employee development with tuition subsidies for courses taken at outside institutions.
ADP CANADA CO., Toronto. Payroll services; 2,520 employees. Offers eight fully covered virtual mental health counselling sessions per year for employees and their families.
AIG INSURANCE COMPANY OF CANADA, Toronto. Insurance; 417 employees. Helps employees plan securely with contributions to a defined contribution pension plan as well as a savings plan with a 100-per-cent company match.
ALECTRA INC., Mississauga. Electric power distribution; 1,503 employees. Supports employees who want to start a family, offering parents-to-be a subsidy for IVF if needed.
AMAZON CANADA, Toronto. Electronic shopping; 47,482 employees. Offers paid internships and formal mentoring programs for employees early in their careers.
AMD / ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC., Markham. Computer technology manufacturing; 2,870 employees. Encourages employee innovation through its annual Innovation Showcase for employees to share ideas for new products, enhanced performance or optimization.
AMEX BANK OF CANADA, Toronto. Credit card issuing; 1,733 employees. Offers a licensed onsite counsellor that
employees can meet with confidentially at no cost, plus a separate benefit for mental health practitioners.
ARUP CANADA INC., Toronto. Engineering; 407 employees. Offers profit-sharing for all employees as well as generous referral bonuses for employees who successfully refer a candidate from their personal network.
ASTRAZENECA CANADA INC., Mississauga. Pharmaceutical manufacturing; 1,063 employees. Helps employees manage unexpected challenges, offering compassionate leave top-up for those called upon to care for a loved one.
AVIVA CANADA INC., Markham. Insurance; 4,423 employees. Provides tuition subsidies with no maximum as well as financial bonuses for designation completions.
BASF CANADA INC., Mississauga. Chemical manufacturing; 1,089 employees. Incorporates numerous green features, including a living wall, electric vehicle charging stations, enhanced recycling systems and external green spaces at its new offices.
BDO CANADA LLP, Toronto. Accounting; 4,478 employees. Conducted two firmwide mental health surveys to gauge employee well-being and maintains an internal My Wellness resource centre.
BLAKE, CASSELS & GRAYDON LLP, Toronto. Law firm; 1,340 employees. Added a flexible workplace wellness reimbursement policy that reimburses employees for a wide variety of wellness-related activities and programs.
BORDEN LADNER GERVAIS LLP, Toronto. Law firm; 1,490 employees.
Celebrates exceptional performance through a variety of programs, including the Éminence Awards for exceptional client service, innovative ideas and mentorship.
BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP
CANADA ULC, THE, Toronto. Management consulting; 475 employees. Organized a mix of in-person and virtual events over the past year to cater to all employees’ needs.
CAAT PENSION PLAN, Toronto. Pension plan; 311 employees. Updated its wellness program during the pandemic to offer online yoga and a full subscription to the Calm app, plus a wellness spending account.
CAMPBELL CO. OF CANADA, Mississauga. Food preparation and packaging; 160 employees. Invests in the education of current and future generations, offering academic scholarships to children of employees, as well as generous tuition subsidies for employees.
CANADA GOOSE INC., Toronto. Apparel manufacturing; 3,850 employees. Offers a variety of financial benefits, including matching RRSP contributions, referral bonuses and discounts on the company’s apparel.
CANADIAN STANDARDS ASSOCIATION / CSA GROUP, Toronto. Testing, certification and related services; 728 employees. Deployed a comprehensive mental health training plan to ensure all employees can recognize and respond to mental health concerns.
CAPCO, Toronto. Business consulting; 390 employees. Offers ongoing events such as forest bathing, yoga in the park, and a mental health book club hosted by Capco’s mental health committee.
CENTENNIAL COLLEGE, Toronto. Colleges; 1,236 employees. Organizes wellness huddles to share information and resources on nutrition, ergonomics, work-life harmony, stress and psychological wellness.
CERIDIAN HCM INC., Toronto. Human resources software and services; 2,144 employees. Provides up to ten paid sick days per year, as well as coverage for mental health practitioners as part of its benefits plan.
CGI INC., Toronto. Information technology; 10,829 employees. Offers tuition
subsidies at accredited educational institutions, a variety of in-house training programs and support for external learning.
CHEP CANADA CORP., Mississauga. Logistics and shipping container services; 750 employees. Fast tracks high-potential recent grads with a two-year graduate development program with the goal of promotion to a people manager.
CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY OF TORONTO, Toronto. Child and youth services; 707 employees. Offers retirement planning assistance and contributions to a defined-benefit pension plan plus phased-in work options for employees nearing retirement.
CHOICE PROPERTIES, Toronto. Real estate investment trust; 293 employees. Donated over $400,000 and 1,200 hours of employee time to Canadian charities in support of mental health initiatives last year.
CIBC, Toronto. Banking; 40,048 employees. Opened its new global headquarters in downtown Toronto, designed around a new workplace strategy that includes a blend of onsite and offsite work.
CI FINANCIAL CORP., Toronto. Financial management services; 1,543 employees. Provided all employees with a $500 credit to purchase home office equipment and has continued to provide the same $500 credit for new hires.
CITI CANADA, Mississauga. Banking; 2,297 employees. Encourages employees to become recruiters for the firm with generous new employee referral bonuses, up to $5,000 depending on the position.
COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS OF ONTARIO, THE, Toronto. Professional organizations; 403 employees. Helped ensure employees stayed physically active over the past year with free virtual fitness classes throughout the week – yoga, pilates, Zumba and meditation.
COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL CANADA, Toronto. Commercial real estate services; 2,529 employees. Recognizes employees with a variety of awards, from a quarterly recognition from the CEO to innovation and rising star awards.
CONNECTED LAB INC., Toronto. Software developer; 149 employees. Introduced
policies to “work from anywhere” in Canada or anywhere in the world for up to 30 days.
CORUS ENTERTAINMENT INC., Toronto. Media production and broadcasting; 3,076 employees. Offers in-house training options such as Corus University, QuickCoach, and Corus Café, a new platform for employees to learn about different teams and roles.
CREDIT VALLEY CONSERVATION AUTHORITY / CVC, Mississauga. Environment, conservation and wildlife organizations; 235 employees. Offers a defined benefit pension plan and retirement planning assistance, plus phased-in work options to help those nearing retirement manage their transition.
CRH CANADA GROUP INC., Concord. Concrete manufacturing; 3,520 employees. Helps the next generation of talent gain career-level experience through summer employment and co-op placements in a variety of disciplines.
DIAMOND SCHMITT ARCHITECTS INC., Toronto. Architecture; 268 employees. Is piloting a formal mentorship program, pairing senior team members with junior staff for professional development.
DISTRIBUTEL COMMUNICATIONS LTD., Toronto. Telecommunications; 514 employees. Helps employees prepare for the future with matching RSP contributions as well as phased-in work options to help those nearing retirement transition.
DREAM UNLIMITED CORP., Toronto. Real estate development; 551 employees. Provides tuition subsidies, in-house and online training programs and subsidies for professional accreditations.
DURHAM COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY, Oshawa. Colleges; 785 employees. Maintains a dedicated working group responsible for reviewing the college’s diversity strategy as well as exploring best practices.
DYNACARE INC., Toronto. Medical laboratories; 2,378 employees. Offers paid personal days to help employees balance family commitments, up to 10 paid days per year.
DYSON CANADA LTD., Toronto. Appliance manufacturing; 226 employees. Offers a phased-in return to work to employees who are new parents to help as they transition to parenthood.
ECCLESIASTICAL INSURANCE OFFICE PLC, Toronto. Insurance; 82 employees. Encourages employees to expand their horizons with a personal development subsidy for learning and personal interest that is unrelated to work.
EDGEWOOD HEALTH NETWORK INC., Toronto. Individual and family health services; 352 employees. Provides 10 paid sick days per year, coverage for mental health services as part of its benefits plan and access to the Elevate mental health program.
EF EDUCATIONAL TOURS, Toronto. Educational tour service; 98 employees. Rolled out its flexible work program in the past year, allowing employees to work remotely two days per week with company-provided laptops and monitors.
EY, Toronto. Accounting; 7,318 employees. Offers an extensive range of family-friendly policies, including a child care subsidy that covers 100 hours of subsidized in-home or centre-based backup care.
FIDELITY CANADA, Toronto. Portfolio management; 1,407 employees. Manages a unique “Voice of the Employee” innovation program to encourage employee feedback and cash awards for suggestions implemented by the company.
FORD MOTOR COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD., Oakville. Automobile manufacturing; 6,570 employees. Offers generous discounts on employee purchases (including eligible family members) for up to four new Ford vehicles annually.
FRESHBOOKS, Toronto. Software publishers; 505 employees. Implemented no-meeting Fridays as well as half-day Fridays, and has always offered a range of alternative work options.
FUNDSERV INC., Toronto. Financial transaction processing; 112 employees. Implemented three corporate-wide mental health days off and doubled its coverage for mental health services.
GENERAL MILLS CANADA CORP., Mississauga. Food manufacturing; 618 employees. Offers a paid day off to volunteer and matches the generosity of its employees to a maximum of US$1,000 per year.
GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE, Toronto. Colleges; 1,419 employees. Maintains a 12-month sabbatical leave program for longstanding employees, paying up to 80 per cent of salary while they rest, recharge, and pursue personal interests.
GLAXOSMITHKLINE INC. / GSK, Mississauga. Pharmaceutical manufacturing; 1,573 employees. Introduced the formal Performance with Choice program to help manage the return to work for individual employees.
HALTON, REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF, Oakville. Municipal government; 2,238 employees. Supports ongoing training and development through a number of initiatives, including leadership development programs, in-house
1. Toronto-based HIROC helps employees plan for life after work with a defined benefit pension plan and retirement planning assistance.
2. In Oakville, Ford Motor Company of Canada provides generous staff discounts on purchasing new vehicles.
3. Employees of Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan / HOOPP at the organization’s head office at One York Street in Toronto.
apprenticeships for skilled trades and paid internships to recent graduates.
HARPERCOLLINS CANADA LTD. AND HARLEQUIN ENTERPRISES ULC, Toronto. Book publishers; 314 employees. Features a health spending account in its benefits plan, allowing employees choice and flexibility in determining coverage, plus a separate allotment for mental health practitioners.
HATCH LTD., Mississauga. Engineering; 3,653 employees. Launched a Manifesto Driven Workplace Guideline to help employees find better work-life balance and develop individual plans to suit their needs.
HEALTHCARE INSURANCE RECIPROCAL OF CANADA / HIROC, Toronto. Insurance; 117 employees. Provides parental leave top-up payments for employees who are new mothers or fathers, including adoptive parents.
HEALTHCARE OF ONTARIO PENSION PLAN / HOOPP, Toronto. Pension plan; 835 employees. Offers an in-house wellness program called Thrive that delivers regular virtual wellness challenges to help employees achieve their health and wellness goals.
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.
HOLLAND BLOORVIEW KIDS REHABILITATION HOSPITAL, Toronto. Hospitals; 527 employees. Manages a unique Advantage points program to encourage employees to engage in healthy activities, providing redeemable points which can be exchanged for paid time off.
HOME DEPOT CANADA, Toronto. Retail; 36,497 employees. Offers a share purchase plan available to all full-time
employees, profit-sharing, referral bonuses and employer RSP contributions.
HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN, THE, Toronto. Hospitals; 6,129 employees. Provides an on-the-spot platform that enables employees to recognize their peers, leaders or staff for demonstrating the organization’s values.
HP CANADA CO., Mississauga. Computer technology and services; 683 employees. Created the HP Employee Relief Fund to help employees who need financial assistance as a result of a disaster or personal hardship.
HUMBER RIVER HOSPITAL, Toronto. Hospitals; 2,553 employees. Honours longstanding employees through dedicated long-service awards and recognizes employees for going above and beyond the call of duty with Humber Hero awards.
HYUNDAI AUTO CANADA CORP., Markham. Automobile wholesale; 236 employees. Offers compassionate leave top-up of 75 per cent of salary for up to 15
weeks when employees are called upon to care for a loved one.
IAMGOLD CORP., Toronto. Gold ore mining; 740 employees. Extended its parental leave policy to fathers and adoptive parents, offering top up of 90 per cent of salary for up to eight weeks.
INDEPENDENT ELECTRICITY SYSTEM OPERATOR / IESO, Toronto. Electric power distribution; 919 employees. Provides a defined benefit pension plan and health benefits that extend to retirees, with up to 100 per cent premium coverage and no age limit.
INTERAC CORP., Toronto. Financial services; 485 employees. Maintains a peer-to-peer recognition platform, enabling colleagues to recognize others for going above and beyond and encourages managers to submit award nominations for exceptional work.
INTUIT CANADA ULC, Toronto. Software publishers; 646 employees. Encourages employee involvement with
up to five paid days off per year to volunteer for charitable organizations.
KELLOGG CANADA INC. , Mississauga. Breakfast cereal manufacturing; 345 employees. Encourages employees to help select charitable initiatives for support as well as encouraging employees to volunteer their time with matching financial donations.
KINROSS GOLD CORP., Toronto. Gold mining; 251 employees. Offers a range of financial incentives, including signing bonuses for some, year-end bonuses for all, and a share purchase plan for all.
KLICK HEALTH, Toronto. Digital marketing; 1,042 employees. Provides maternity leave top-up for new mothers and recently introduced parental top-up for fathers and adoptive parents.
KOHO FINANCIAL, Toronto. Commercial banking; 221 employees. Operates as a fully remote organization and provides $1,000 for remote office setup and a $600 internet or cell phone subsidy.
KPMG LLP, Toronto. Accounting; 9,926 employees. Facilitates transparent two-way communication, hosting open Q&As at every firm-wide town hall and taking quarterly pulse surveys.
KRUGER PRODUCTS L.P., Mississauga. Paper products; 2,280 employees. Provides maternity and parental leave top-up payments as well as giving employees the option to extend their leave to an unpaid leave of absence.
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 each year and a generous matching donations program.
LEAGUE INC., Toronto. Computer software developer; 281 employees. Implemented paid wellness days, an unlimited paid time off policy and unlimited coverage for mental health services as part of its benefits plan.
LIQUOR CONTROL BOARD OF ONTARIO / LCBO, Toronto. Liquor distribution; 4,043 employees. Created a multi-year mental health strategy and maintains a wellness hub to share resources on items such as nutrition,
financial health, physical activity and mental health.
LOBLAW COMPANIES LTD., Brampton. Supermarkets and grocery stores; 31,708 employees. Offers a wide range of discounted products and services through the colleague discount program as well as through the online WorkPerks program.
LOOPIO INC., Toronto. Software developer; 203 employees. Is a remote-first workplace and provides employees with a one-time home office allowance as well as a monthly mobile allowance and internet/ incidental allowance.
MANULIFE, Toronto. Insurance; 11,925 employees. Supports hybrid and work-at-home options, including providing wellness consultant services for workstation set-up assistance and home office set ups.
MARS CANADA, Bolton. Food manufacturing; 1,530 employees. Offers coaching for parents returning to work after maternity and parental leave as well as coaching for managers to help them better support employees upon their return.
MATTAMY HOMES LTD., Toronto. Real estate development; 1,474 employees. Paid out nearly $4-million in special “COVID bonuses” as a thank you to employees for their hard work during a challenging year.
MAZDA CANADA INC., Richmond Hill. Automobile wholesale; 165 employees. Offers paid time off during the summer, dedicated paid time off during the winter holidays and paid personal days – in addition to annual vacation entitlements.
MCCARTHY TÉTRAULT LLP, Toronto. Law firm; 1,576 employees. Taps into employees’ feedback and ideas through the idea+eXchange program, successfully implementing more than 110 ideas from employees since the program’s inception.
MCMILLAN LLP, Toronto. Law firm; 680 employees. Is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), and maintains an EDI council and advisory group to help identify priorities for the firm.
MEDIA.MONKS, Toronto. Advertising; 280 employees. Provides subsidies for tuition and professional accreditation and helps employees grow in their careers with
mentoring and leadership development programs.
MEDTRONIC CANADA ULC, Brampton. Electromedical apparatus manufacturing; 701 employees. Offers a number of flexible work arrangements and has introduced a formal hybrid work policy designed around three workplace categories.
MERCER (CANADA) LTD., Toronto. Human resources and business consulting; 940 employees. Prioritizes employee well-being through a monthly benefits newsletter, health and wellness experts during monthly town halls and a wellness spending account.
METROLINX, Toronto. Public transit; 4,622 employees. Helps employees plan securely for the future with contributions to a defined benefit pension plan and retirement planning assistance.
MICHAEL
TORONTO EAST HOSPITAL NETWORK, Toronto. Hospitals; 1,511 employees. Manages a Staff in Need Fund to support employees and their families who have endured a recent crisis resulting in personal financial hardship.
MONDELĒZ INTERNATIONAL, Toronto. Food manufacturing; 2,210 employees. Increased maternity leave top-up payments for new mothers and parental top-up for fathers and adoptive parents, as well as doubling its adoption subsidy.
MULTIPLEX CONSTRUCTION CANADA LTD., Toronto. Commercial construction; 173 employees. Makes access to mental health services more accessible, offering coverage of up to $3,000 per year for mental health practitioners.
MUNICIPAL PROPERTY ASSESSMENT CORP., Pickering. Real estate appraisal; 1,811 employees. Offers regular wellness programming to encourage employees to prioritize their physical and mental health, including guest speakers, online resources and meditation sessions.
NELSON EDUCATION LTD., Toronto. Publishers; 143 employees. Offers paid time off during the summer and winter holidays, in addition to a starting vacation allowance of three weeks.
OLYMPUS CANADA INC., Richmond Hill. Medical, industrial and imaging equipment; 268 employees. Supports numerous local, national and international organizations each year and encourages employees to get involved by offering two paid volunteer days and matching employee donations.
OMERS ADMINISTRATION CORP., Toronto. Pension funds; 2,498 employees. Employs a Chief Medical Officer to drive its focus on health and wellness, and provides a wellness spending account and mental health coverage as part of its benefits.
ONTARIO DENTAL ASSOCIATION, THE, Toronto. Professional organizations; 58 employees. Offers compassionate leave top-up for those called upon to care for a loved one, to 80 per cent of salary for up to eight weeks.
ONTARIO ENERGY BOARD, THE / OEB, Toronto. Provincial energy regulation; 201 employees. Appointed a mental health executive champion, responsible for supporting positive and open discussions around mental health and well-being.
ONTARIO MEDICAL ASSOCIATION / OMA, Toronto. Professional organizations;
307 employees. Organizes activities for mental health awareness week and offers a generous mental health practitioner benefit of up to $3,000.
ONTARIO POWER GENERATION INC., Toronto. Electricity power generation; 10,657 employees. Offers generous contributions to a defined benefit pension plan and health benefits that extend to retirees, with no age limit and 100-per-cent premium coverage.
ONTARIO SHORES CENTRE FOR MENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES, Whitby. Hospitals; 951 employees. Provides tuition subsidies for courses taken at outside institutions and a variety of in-house and online training programs.
ORNGE, Mississauga. Air ambulance services; 629 employees. Helps employees plan for the future with retirement planning assistance services and save for the future through a defined benefit pension plan.
PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE CANADA LTD., Toronto. Book publishers; 270 employees. Offers three weeks of starting vacation allowance, moving to four weeks after their first year on the job.
PEPSICO CANADA, Mississauga. Soft drink and food manufacturing; 10,954 employees. Introduced a formal hybrid work program, called Work that Works, to provide a formal framework to help guide its return-to-work program.
PHILIPS CANADA, Mississauga. Healthcare and consumer products; 591 employees. Offers numerous time-off programs that allow employees to rest and recharge, as well as pursue personal goals.
POINTS.COM INC., Toronto. Customer loyalty program software; 274 employees. Offers a unique “Summer Fun” program where the company cover the costs of an activity for ten or more employees – such as the CN Tower Edgewalk.
PROCTER & GAMBLE INC., Toronto. Consumer product manufacturing; 1,618 employees. Established a new hybrid work model, called Workways, that helps employees design a hybrid work schedule to fit their roles.
QUESTRADE INC., Toronto. Financial investment services; 1,146 employees. Gives employees as much flexibility as possible, with no mandates as to the number of days employees spend in office.
RIOCAN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST, Toronto. Real estate investments; 592 employees. Created a health and wellness committee in response to employee needs and enhanced its benefits over the past year.
ROTHMANS, BENSON & HEDGES, INC., Toronto. Tobacco and cigarette manufacturing; 728 employees. Encourages employees to volunteer in their local community with four paid days off each year and manages a dedicated giving back program.
ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, Toronto. Banking; 60,966 employees. Extended its annual national Employee Giving Campaign worldwide with over 80 per cent of employees contributing to over 9,500 charities in 28 countries.
RSM CANADA LLP, Toronto. Accounting; 819 employees. Prioritizes mental health and well-being by offering mental health coverage as part of its benefits plan and access to a personalized platform.
R.V. ANDERSON ASSOCIATES LTD., Toronto. Engineering; 381 employees. Helps employees adopt healthy habits through regular wellness events and
campaigns organized by an employee-led wellness committee.
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS
CANADA INC., Mississauga. Communications equipment manufacturing; 625 employees. Starts its new employees with 4.2 weeks of paid vacation, moving to a maximum of six weeks of paid vacation over their career.
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 furniture and office supplies.
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.
SCOTIABANK, Toronto. Banking; 36,790 employees. Expanded its mental health coverage from $3,000 to $10,000 in the past year as a result of employee feedback.
SENECA COLLEGE, Toronto. Colleges; 1,567 employees. Offers a variety of opportunities for employees to pursue ongoing education and development, including paid professional development leave.
SINAI HEALTH, Toronto. Hospitals; 3,717 employees. Enhanced diversity and wellness programming internally and launched a one-year self-care spending account of $1,000.
SLALOM ULC, Toronto. Consulting; 835 employees. Offers access to the Care@ Work program to help employees manage family care needs, such as child care, senior care, pet care and special needs care.
SOBEYS INC., Mississauga. Supermarkets and grocery stores; 27,378 employees. Encourages employees to provide feedback on which charities to support, as well as being encouraged to give through matching employer donations.
SPIN MASTER LTD., Toronto. Children’s toys and entertainment; 765 employees. Offers a generous starting vacation of four weeks and additional paid time off during the winter holidays.
STANLEY BLACK AND DECKER CANADA CORP., Mississauga. Tool and hardware manufacturing; 1,391 employees.
Promotes wellness and healthy work-life balance through a number of initiatives, including an annual Get Fit challenge and a program on healthy eating habits.
TARION WARRANTY CORP., Toronto. Insurance; 335 employees. Encourages employees to plan ahead with retirement planning assistance and a defined contribution pension plan and extends its health benefits to retirees.
TD BANK GROUP, Toronto. Banking; 59,100 employees. Supports ongoing employee career development through the online self-directed TD Thrive career development platform, paid education days and generous tuition subsidies.
TECHTRONIC INDUSTRIES CANADA INC., Markham. Power equipment and tools; 654 employees. Celebrates employee successes and achievements through a variety of initiatives, including an annual President’s Award and the Einstein Idea awards.
TERANET INC., Toronto. Land registration and information systems; 927 employees. Hosts an annual awards ceremony to honour and celebrate achievements, including the innovation award and annual core values and leadership award.
THALES CANADA INC., Toronto. Aerospace systems; 2,070 employees. Encourages employees to adopt an ownership mentality through a share purchase plan, available to all employees.
THOMSON REUTERS CANADA LTD., Toronto. Publishers; 1,317 employees. Introduced its new Flex My Way initiative, building on existing flexible work arrangements and featuring new programs such as the Work from Anywhere policy.
TMX GROUP LTD., Toronto. Stock exchange; 1,347 employees. Implemented its Future of Work program offering employees three work style choices – fully remote, hybrid, or primarily in office.
TORONTO, CITY OF, Toronto. Municipal government; 22,062 employees. Reaches out to the next generation through paid internships, co-op programs and summer student roles.
TORONTO COMMUNITY HOUSING CORP., Toronto. Housing programs; 2,494 employees. Encourages staff to be healthy and active through internal wellness programming, a wellness blog, an on-demand library of virtual fitness classes and corporate wide challenges.
TORONTO ZOO, Toronto. Zoos and botanical gardens; 273 employees. Increased coverage for mental health services and employs an in-house mental health first aid trainer who can offer certification to staff at no cost.
TUCOWS.COM CO., Toronto. Internet domain name registrar; 568 employees. Adopted a remote-first work model, allowing teams to work however and wherever works best for them.
TVO MEDIA EDUCATION GROUP, Toronto. Educational media; 412 employees. Revamped its diversity, equity and inclusion committee, focusing on building allyship and supporting equity-seeking groups, and conducted employee focus groups to identify gaps.
UKEN INC., Toronto. Game developer; 89 employees. Offers 10 company paid Wellness Days to help ensure employees disconnect from work, and recently increased starting vacation allowance to four weeks.
UNILEVER CANADA INC., Toronto. Consumer product manufacturing and distribution; 885 employees. Provides generous coverage of up to $15,000 for IVF fertility treatments and up to $10,000 in subsidies to help parents with the cost of adoption.
UNITED WAY OF GREATER TORONTO, Toronto. Charitable organizations; 185 employees. Offers phased-in return-to-work options for new parents as well as supporting a partnership with Kids and Company for emergency daycare services.
UNITY HEALTH TORONTO, Toronto. Hospitals; 5,974 employees. Invests in ongoing learning and development for its employees, with an annual training budget of $1.4-million across the organization.
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, Toronto. Universities; 11,502 employees. Manages a number of structured mentorship programs to promote a culture of learning and development among staff and faculty.
VISA CANADA CORP., Toronto. Payments technology; 199 employees. Promotes a healthy work-life balance through a Wellbeing Hours program, giving employees Friday afternoons off during the summer.
WALMART CANADA CORP., Mississauga. Retail; 44,437 employees. Encourages associates at all levels to contribute their innovative ideas for improving the organization’s operations through its Pitch It! platform.
WORLD VISION CANADA, Mississauga. Charitable organizations; 378 employees. Launched new formal WorkAway Guidelines for remote and hybrid work arrangements, as well as adapting the physical office space for onsite work.
XEROX CANADA LTD., Toronto. Computer technology and services; 1,752 employees. Features an extended assistance plan offering 24/7 access to health services as
part of its health plan, as well as a dedicated mental health practitioners benefit.
YAMAHA MOTOR CANADA LTD., Toronto. Motorized vehicle and equipment wholesale; 206 employees. Gives employees the flexibility to work from both home and office through a new hybrid work model.
YMCA OF GREATER TORONTO, Toronto. Individual and family services; 3,152 employees. Launched CMHA’s Not Myself Today portal, which supports employee mental health by providing access to educational modules, activities and resources.
YORK REGIONAL POLICE, Aurora. Police service; 2,404 employees. Opened a
6,600-square-foot Wellness Hub facility to offer education and support related to physical, psychological, social and spiritual health.
YWCA TORONTO, Toronto. Individual and family services; 256 employees. Supports employees who are new mothers with maternity and parental leave top-up payments, as well as parental top-up for new fathers and adoptive parents.
ZURICH CANADA, Toronto. Insurance; 518 employees. Lets employees select a level of health benefits coverage that suits their needs through a flexible health plan.
– Diane JermynAny employer with its head office or principal place of business in the Greater Toronto Area may apply for the Greater Toronto Area’s Top Employers by Mediacorp contest. Competition is tough as the region is home to over 40 per cent of Canada’s business headquarters, with many exceptional workplaces. Here’s how the winners are decided.
The editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers evaluate each employer’s operations and human resources practices using the same eight criteria as the national competition of Canada’s Top 100 Employers.
Those criteria are: physical workplace; work atmosphere and social; health, financial and family benefits; vacation and time off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development; and community involvement. The criteria have remained the same since the competition’s inception.
Employers are compared to other organizations in their field to determine which ones offer the most progressive and forward-thinking programs. More detailed reasons for selection, explaining why each of the winners was chosen, are published on the competition’s website, www.canadastop100.com/toronto
Some days you’d never know it, but the numbers are clear.
Traffic in the Greater Toronto Area is still well down compared to three years ago. And there’s a pretty clear reason: people simply aren’t travelling to their workplaces as much as they did before the pandemic.
Richard Yerema has noticed it. As managing editor for Mediacorp Canada, which runs the Greater Toronto’s Top Employers competition, he’s especially tuned in to workplace trends. And he lives in the far northeast of the Greater Toronto Area, so when he has to make the long drive to the office downtown, he sees it.
“I have anecdotally noticed that Mondays and Fridays are a lot lighter on the road,” he says. “I think it’s becoming a standard that on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, people may come into the office, then try to extend their weekend.”
And yes, there is corroboration of that perception in Google’s COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports, based on location data. In October 2022, for instance, fewer people were located in GTA workplaces at the beginning and end of the week than in the middle, while their overall presence in workplaces in the GTA was down by some 25-35 per cent against the pre-pandemic period. Use of public
transit locations was also much lower – as much as 30 per cent less in some GTA areas – while the City of Toronto has said that the number of cars on its roads is only 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. Traffic rates measured by TomTom are also still lower than 2019.
Which demonstrates, of course, that the workplace revolution continues to unfold, and it’s unlikely to return to past practice. Virtually all of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers allow their office staff to work remotely at least some of the time, even if others, such as hospital workers or zoo keepers, must arrive on site each day. In fact, in deskdriven Greater Toronto, which is Canada’s
biggest centre of corporate headquarters and highly dependent on tech workers, remote arrangements reign supreme.
“The trend is that wherever possible, employers will introduce hybrid work or flexibility,” says Kristina Leung, senior editor for Mediacorp Canada. “And when you talk about commuting, which might be two or three hours every day, it’s an especially valuable thing that an employer can give – they are giving back time to employees. That factors highly in terms of how employees feel engaged.”
She notes, though, that Top Employers are a special breed, and many have had such progressive policies in place for years.
1. At Toronto-based Spin Master, employees start with four weeks of annual vacation, with additional paid vacation during the winter holidays.
2. At Multiplex Construction, new moms receive maternity leave top-up (90 per cent of salary, to 17 weeks), with an option to phase-in return to work.
3. Besides working with fabulous animals, staff at Toronto Zoo receive tutition subsidies to $1,500 annually, whether or not a course is related to their current position.
“It used to be called telecommuting or working from home and now it’s remote or hybrid,” she says. “I think it’s just being spotlighted much more, as well as formalized – offering a one-time or annual allowance to set up your home workstation, and maybe subsidies for monthly internet and cell usage.”
To Simon Gagné, chief human resources officer for Sobeys, “the hybrid model is here to stay.” For office workers at the supermarket chain, flexible policies are firmly in place. “But you know,” he adds, “there’s a lot of added value to leadership in having the employees be in the office on a regular basis, even if it’s not five days per week, because of all the collaboration, the synergy, the culture – it’s important.”
Canada’s tight labour market also weighs heavily. “We have some markets where we’re really struggling even to get a cashier,” Gagné says. “And in Toronto it’s all around the data, the IT, with corporate Canada being here. We’re all fighting for the same talent.”
Financial services companies like Questrade Inc. feel that competition keenly. “Today, there is a labour shortage,” says president and CEO Edward Kholodenko. “And you really have to be sharp in what it is that you’re offering employees.” Questrade has improved its flexibility, time-off and mobility policies and, like many employers, stresses its greater purpose in improving life for its clients. “Feeling you’re doing something important is a big motivator,” says Kholodenko.
Balance is also a key element. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., better known in the tech world as AMD, has notably increased time off with extra days for long weekends, brought in a dedicated benefit for mental health practitioners and added a tool to help boost emotional well-being. Game developer Uken Inc. offers 10 wellness days annually in addition to four weeks starting vacation, and allows employees to “work from anywhere” and create their own work schedule.
“Employers really need to pay attention to what other industries are doing, and even what’s happening within employers themselves,” says Yerema. “You have to be very adept, not just with your competition, but within your own organization, to hold your talent.”
Otherwise, there’s another employer just down the road.
– Berton WoodwardAfter graduating with an honours degree in economics from York University in 2017, Ahmad El Mogharbel was interested in joining a company with a global brand and strong corporate values. AIG Insurance Company of Canada (AIG Canada) proved an ideal fit.
Since joining AIG as a risk analyst, El Mogharbel has worked his way up to become distribution leader for Central Canada. AIG colleagues and managers supported him every step of the way.
designation in Canadian risk management as well as a sales mastery certificate.
In addition to professional development, El Mogharbel benefited in 2021 from a new AIG Canada program that provides fathers with paid parental leave.
“I had just become a first-time father and I received three weeks paid parental leave in addition to my usual time off,” says El Mogharbel. “That allowed me to be with my wife and help take care of our newborn baby.”
Supporting working families is a key priority for AIG Canada. For example, the company’s maternity leave program was recently re-designed to be more integrated and holistic.
“We found if someone is off on an 18-month maternity leave, they could become very disconnected with their work colleagues,” says Lynn Oldfield, president and CEO of AIG Canada. “So we now give them the option of connecting with colleagues during their leave. Only if they elect to, these touch points serve to keep our colleagues informed about larger organizational initiatives.
AIG Insurance Company of Canada ensures employees are provided a healthy work-life balance including paid time off and an all-volunteer employee resource group focusing on working families.
“I feel like AIG is my second family,” says El Mogharbel. “This is a workplace built on mutual loyalty. We learn from and support each other. And the more you invest in the company, the more the company invests in you.”
From the outset, El Mogharbel participated in the AIG Early Career Analyst Program, a structured, two-year learning and development program for recent graduates who are new to the insurance industry. As part of that, he travelled to AIG’s corporate headquarters in New York City where he received technical, professional and leadership training, and worked with colleagues on strategic projects.
The company continued to support El Mogharbel as he acquired his professional
“We’ve also created a peer parent network so that, when you come back, you will be paired with another employee who is also a new or recent parent.”
AIG Canada also recently launched a new all-volunteer employee resource group on working families, which is organizing conferences and other events focused on family life.
AIG Canada further supports work-life balance with a generous paid time off policy that provides even new graduates with 26 annual paid days off which they can use for vacation, illness or personal matters.
“Ensuring a healthy balance between work and life results in more productive and committed employees,” says Oldfield.
AIG Canada also believes strongly in giving back to the community. Key focus areas include communities faced with natural or man-made disasters and helping individuals and families seeking better health and self-sufficiency.
“Our purpose as an organization is to put people’s lives back after a loss,” says Oldfield. “So it’s in our DNA to support communities where we live and work.”
Diversity and inclusion is another key priority, whether it’s advancing gender equality, providing conscious inclusion
full-time staff in Canada volunteer time off days per year
training or actively recruiting and supporting candidates from diverse under-represented communities.
“Diversity and inclusion absolutely makes us a better employer and a more successful company,” says Oldfield. “When you are putting the customer first, then your employee base should reflect the clients and communities you serve.”
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.
of executive team are women
personal employerpaid days off
Learn more at AIG.ca
Ensuring a healthy balance between work and life results in more productive and committed employees.
— Lynn Oldfield President and CEO
Every time Candace Gary has wanted to jump-start her career growth, her managers at Alectra Inc. have been there for her.
“I was motivated by leaders who provided me encouragement and support to help me grow and succeed in all the different positions I’ve had at the company,” says Gary, manager, IT administration.
Alectra
— Candace Gary Manager, IT Administration“I’ve been encouraged to try different roles and it’s left me with a great feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. I feel appreciated and successful as an individual, which is fantastic.”
Headquartered in Mississauga, Alectra is a leading energy company, serving over one million customers and three million people in the greater Toronto, Hamilton, Guelph and Niagara areas. As the second largest municipally owned electric utility in North America, it’s committed to supplying sustainable energy through innovation and new technology.
The Alectra family of companies came together in 2017 with the merger of several municipally owned utilities. Forging a common vision and uniform corporate culture was a top priority. The company took a holistic approach to employees’ professional and personal well-being. Key to that was getting employee buy-in to the company’s goals and principles.
“When you bring cultures and people together with such diversity, you can create a very good outcome by embracing core values like inclusion, innovation and teamwork,” says Brian Bentz, president and CEO.
“We have an inclusive space where people feel safe, connected and supported. Their careers are reflected in our corporate and community values, and that’s very inspirational.”
Alectra employees work in a culture of caring with wellness hard-wired into the company’s fabric. In addition to benefits like its annual $400 healthy living reimbursement, which covers fitness equipment purchases, employees received a $1,000 recognition payment from the company in 2022, thanking them for their work during the pandemic.
The focus on employee well-being extends beyond the company’s offices. Outside of work, Alectra employees participate in events like the Ride to Conquer Cancer, the Walk a Mile in Their Shoes campaign and other events that encourage physical fitness as well as connecting with their community.
Employees stay connected with each other via a comprehensive social activities program that continues to change in the postpandemic era. At the beginning of the pandemic crisis, nearly 700 gingerbread house kits were sent out so employees could share their experiences of putting them together. In the “new normal,” weekly videos continue to celebrate employee achievements and milestones.
Alectra also supports promoting diversity through education. It partners with York University to provide the Alectra Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Undergraduate Awards for Black and Indigenous students. A similar program for racialized individuals has
been established with the Directors College at McMaster University.
Bentz says employees are at the cutting edge of the massive changes in energy supply and distribution, leading the way to a greener planet. That’s helped the company attract and retain top talent in the competitive energy space.
“You can be part of a company that’s making a real difference and focused on the future. You can be part of that change,” he says.
“We’re a growing company, so there’s lots of career opportunities and the chance to make a meaningful difference.”
The family-first, employee-centric vibe
has kept Gary at the company and its predecessors long-term. She appreciates how she started out as a summer student processing invoices and was supported to become an IT manager. And she loves coming into the office.
“You can literally feel the electricity at work – there’s so much positive, friendly energy in the environment,” she says.
“Alectra wants to grow you, develop you and have you be the very best version of yourself, which is great.”
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.
really does care about its people – there’s so much positive, friendly energy in the environment.
When Derek Hooey joined Amazon Canada in 2019, he buckled up for what has turned out to be a non-stop journey of learning, growth and career development. “There are endless opportunities to grow my career at Amazon,” says Hooey, who works as a learning operations manager. “You get opportunities to grow your skills from the get-go, working alongside top managers and senior leaders. That’s pretty unique.”
You’re going to get a lot of opportunities to move yourself way out of your comfort zone and learn a lot of things about yourself that maybe you didn’t even realize.
— Tamir Bar-Haim Managing Director, Head of Global Expansion, Amazon Ads and Toronto Tech Hub Co-Site Lead
work,” says Tamir Bar-Haim, managing director and head of global expansion at Amazon Ads, which has a large team at the Toronto Tech Hub.
“We treat our employees as owners. We hire smart, capable, talented people and empower them to make decisions, knowing they’re going to make some mistakes along the way.”
Core to Amazon’s corporate culture is its 13 employee affinity groups. Hooey is a chapter president of ‘glamazon,’ the company’s affinity group focused on the LGBTQIA+ community. He’s worked at other companies that did not have similar support networks and welcomes Amazon’s approach to celebrating inclusivity. Recently, the company provided funding to give operations associates in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal the opportunity to attend an Amazon Pride event.
“At Amazon, they want to celebrate each employee – it’s a very different mindset,” says Hooey.
Amazon Canada has more than 39,500 employees across Canada, including more than 2,000 at its Toronto Tech Hub, spread across three permanent offices in the city’s downtown core. The Greater Toronto Area is also a hub for Amazon's world-class operations and logistics network, including a number of local fulfillment centres, sortation centres and delivery stations. Amazon keeps its employees engaged and healthy with benefits, training and education.
“It’s important for us to create space for our employees to bring their whole self to
“The company is very hands-on in its approach to diversity and inclusion. Getting the opportunity to work with such a diverse group of people and getting to know them on a personal level is really fulfilling.”
In 2021, Amazon added a new leadership principle, in which it strives to be ‘Earth’s best employer.’ This includes offering an exciting work atmosphere where no two days are the same. And having fun is also part of the job description. Whether it’s taking advantage of social events like salsa dancing lessons or entering a friendly competition to match a manager with their baby photo, Hooey and his colleagues are encouraged to play as hard as they work.
Connecting with communities is another
core company value. In 2020, Amazon donated more than $10 million to charities and not-for-profit organizations across Canada. Amazon’s community engagement pillars focus heavily on supporting children and families. For example, Amazon Future Engineer Canada is a comprehensive childhood-to-career program that increases access to computer science education for children and young adults from underserved and underrepresented communities, working in partnership with organizations including Canada Learning Code, Kids Code Jeunesse and TakingITGlobal.
For Bar-Haim, one of Amazon Canada’s key employee engagement principles is
making sure people aren’t afraid to fail. Sometimes when you’re swinging for the fences, you pop out. And that’s okay with him.
“If you want to take risks, work in a diverse environment with endless learning and development opportunities – then there’s no better place to be than Amazon,” he says.
“You’re going to get a lot of opportunities to stretch yourself way out of your comfort zone and learn a lot of things about yourself that maybe you didn’t even realize.”
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.
Carlo Mastrangelo began working with AstraZeneca Canada Inc. in senior roles more than 18 years ago. He credits his growth in the company to great managers, mentors and the opportunity to put his hand up when new projects and challenges are available.
“I’ve had great opportunities to step into new spaces, projects and roles,” says Mastrangelo, now head of corporate affairs, communications and sustainability. “This includes working on global projects, organizational change and an area I’m particularly passionate about – AstraZeneca’s sustainability initiatives.”
part of an employee’s original career path,” says Kiersten Combs, country president, AstraZeneca Canada. “We’re growing careers and building leaders for the longer term, not only for the next role.”
The company invests in people development through on-the-job stretch assignments, self-led learning opportunities, programs targeting key needs such as female leadership and early careers, as well as overall leadership programs. These are in addition to tuition reimbursement and partnerships with universities to hire new graduates and develop talent early in their career.
AstraZeneca employees reside all over the country, with a large number of roles headquartered in the GTA. The organization also continuously innovates their people practices to ensure they are staying relevant to changing workplace needs.
“It’s clear employee expectations of their employer are evolving,” says Combs. “We believe face-to-face collaboration is an important driver of innovation, but that we need to balance this with flexible working arrangements.”
AstraZeneca is a science-led biopharmaceutical company that employs roughly 1,200 people in Canada who research, develop and market innovative medicines. And the company is serious about staff development, whether in new roles, project work or expanded responsibility.
Development is a key priority at AstraZeneca. Over 90 per cent of employees reported they feel they’ve learned a new skill in the last year. And 40 per cent of employees reported taking on a new or “stretch” assignment.
“AstraZeneca will take a risk on a development assignment in an area that’s not
The company took early steps during the pandemic to strengthen supports for the health and well-being of employees and their families. “Our leadership actively listens to employees,” Combs says. “Both face to face and through engagement surveys.”
A key area of focus for AstraZeneca is continuing to foster a strong inclusive environment. Both Combs and Mastrangelo believe that a team is at its most creative when it is made up of people who think differently from one another, in an environment where different views and perspectives are welcomed and valued.
And now more than ever, employees are drawn to the company’s focus on developing
life-changing medicines in such areas as cancer, asthma, diabetes and COVID-19.
Both Combs and Mastrangelo were attracted to AstraZeneca for its purpose.
“I’m incredibly proud of the work we’re doing collectively to deliver new innovative medicines and hope for patients,” says Mastrangelo. “By taking bold action on sustainability, we’re also helping to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time – from climate change to access to health care –
supporting a healthier future for society and the planet.”
“I meet people whose lives have been improved by our medications,” says Combs, “and I share that with our team – that working at AstraZeneca also helps improve the lives of Canadians.”
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’re growing careers and building leaders for the longer term, not only for the next role.
— Kiersten Combs Country President, Canada
When Gladys Rose Bamba interviewed for a job at BASF Canada Inc., a world-leading chemical manufacturer, earlier this year, one of the major draws was its competitive total rewards compensation and benefits package. The company recently announced new enhancements after an overall benefits review based on employee feedback.
Surprisingly for Bamba, a millennial and now a talent acquisition advisor at BASF, the company’s pension plan and RRSP benefits were top of her list, right up there with its wide range of learning and development opportunities.
I feel valued as an employee. There’s so much power in collective feedback.
— Gladys Rose Bamba Talent Acquisition Advisor“People say I’m young to be thinking about pensions, but I want to look ahead to make sure I have a stable future in the long run,” says Bamba, who came to Canada as an international student. “Not only does BASF contribute to my pension, it also matches my voluntary pension contributions dollar for dollar, so they're putting in money for my future – that’s huge.”
Flexible health benefits were another attraction, as Bamba feels strongly that wellness is critical in a world still reeling from the pandemic. She appreciates that her flexible benefits allow for massage and
chiropractic treatments which she says helps her feel healthier and more productive after sitting at her computer on workdays. Being able to take a week’s vacation three months after starting was another nice perk she hadn’t expected.
“It’s so important to pause and disconnect for your mental health,” Bamba says. “BASF has made this easier for me to do with generous vacation days, as well as a fitness and wellness reimbursement program. I’m able to join fitness classes and buy workout equipment without stressing about the costs.”
Vacation entitlements are just some of the company's significant updates in its holistic review. Nick Chaffey, head of people, says that the total rewards umbrella includes pension plans, employee and family assistance programs, flexible work options and much more.
The review process included employee surveys and an extensive number of employee focus groups where people could voice their opinions and share what they value.
“The process, which had to be virtual at the time in 2021, was extremely valuable for the employees,” says Chaffey. “It wasn’t sitting around a table behind closed doors and deciding what’s best just based on industry feedback and trends. We really took a bottom-up approach with employees contributing and engaging during the process. This allowed us to build a holistic approach focused on internal employee feedback and research.”
Chaffey says the feedback from employees has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly on health benefits. The company “very much looked at family elements” and individual offerings when it came to coverage, an important point as many employees
are mid-career with families.
“One of the changes was to introduce a robust health care spending account that’s completely funded by the company,” says Chaffey. “It allows for a lot more flexibility where people can draw from that fund and utilize it the way they want versus being tied to a fixed benefit model. Another was an overall increase in vision and dental benefits, which was a big ask from employees. We heard them and made that increase.”
Bamba says what she appreciates most is
how much the company listens.
“It’s one thing to ask for feedback, but then having an action plan, doing it right away and communicating it clearly really reinforces the culture of engagement in this company,” says Bamba. “I feel valued as an employee. There’s so much power in collective feedback.”
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 world needs innovation, we need you
When Charlotte Zhen joined the Toronto office of the professional services firm BDO Canada LLP as manager, value creation and analytics in April 2021, she was earning an MBA parttime. Worried she might be overwhelmed with starting a new role while completing the program, she was relieved to discover that her team proactively offered ongoing flexibility and support. “Everyone was careful not to overbook me in meetings and constantly checked in to make sure I wasn’t overwhelmed,” she says.
in focus groups and events for diversity and inclusion.
Zhen also appreciates BDO’s hybrid work model, in which she works one or two days a week in the Toronto or Oakville office, while the rest of the time she visits client sites or works from home. “One of the things I like most is that it’s truly a collaborative environment,” she says. “We’re all here to support each other.”
One of the things I like most is that it’s truly a collaborative environment.
— Charlotte Zhen Senior Manager, Value Creation and Analytics
Zhen was promoted to senior manager on her team, a step she worked toward with the support of her senior leaders. “My team made it comfortable for me to discuss my career goals openly from the get-go,” she says. “My senior leaders have really helped to expose me to opportunities to support those goals.”
As an Asian woman, Zhen appreciates BDO’s diverse management team, which includes female leaders of colour. “I’ve had mentorship discussions with many of them, and I’m learning how we can improve experiences for minorities,” she says. To help achieve that goal, she has participated
Support comes from a focus on mental health and wellness, and encouraging employees to strive for work-life balance. Zhen cites the firm’s Do What You Love spending allowance, which she used last summer to hike in Jasper and Banff with friends. “You can put it toward whatever brings you joy,” she says.
Brion Hendry joined BDO’s Markham office as a junior accountant in 2003, fresh out of university. Now a partner and the GTA leader of the assurance practice, he also appreciates the firm’s emphasis on carving out time to pursue professional and personal goals. “You do what you need to do in terms of meeting your work commitments, but the firm recognizes and values your personal commitments and self-development,” he says.
Like Zhen, Hendry likes the hybrid work schedule, where he moves among the three GTA offices and also works from home, allowing him to spend more time with his family because he doesn’t commute on those days. “The pandemic was a wake-up call that opened my eyes, because I thought I was flexible before it,” he says. “Now our teams really feel like they have permission to use the flexible model, and so do I.”
In 2010, Hendry did a six-month secondment at BDO’s office in Sydney, Australia. While he enjoyed that experience, he chose to return to Canada. “It’s where
my friends and family are, and I grew up in BDO’s Markham office,” he says. “It was an easy decision to come home.”
When Zhen works at one of the offices, she benefits from sitting at open-concept spaces that are designed for collaboration. She also enjoys having lunch with co-workers on the buildings’ rooftop patios in warm
total partners and employees in Canada weeks, personal time off (max)
weather and after-work socials. “Every time I go into the office I feel so much joy because I really like working with my team,” 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.
of employees are women charities helped last year
The three core values at CAAT Pension Plan are integrity, impact and teamwork. Since joining the organization three years ago, Bolu Ogunjobi has seen all of those values in action.
“From the start, I saw the chance to put my mark on something,” says Ogunjobi, a data architect with the pension provider’s IT team. “I was involved in helping build a stronger data management structure for CAAT. Every step of the way, I found people wanted to hear my ideas and were open to implementing them.”
A team approach was key to the success of that initiative. “We very much have a ‘one team’ philosophy here,” says Ogunjobi. “It’s all about pulling together and making sure everyone is on the same page.”
it’s usually discussed with our committee first, so leaders can get a sense of how the employee base will react,” she says. “It goes back to that idea of collaboration and listening to each other, which I think is pretty cool.”
Julie Giraldi, chief human resources officer, says CAAT’s past, present and future success revolves around its strong workplace culture.
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” she says, quoting management guru Peter Drucker. “An organization can have the best strategic plan, but if it isn’t aligned to people and culture, the organization will fail to execute on its strategy.”
The three pillars of CAAT’s culture are connection, collaboration and celebration.
Strong and regular communication between leaders and employees is critical to supporting that culture, says Giraldi, as is a clear focus on team-building and recognition of individual and organizational achievements.
One of Canada’s leading providers of sustainable defined-benefit pensions, CAAT has been on a significant growth path.
will have an income for life.”
In terms of integrity, Ogunjobi says CAAT is very transparent with its employees about its goals, strategies and values.
“For example, our CEO holds monthly town halls, where we are all invited to ask questions and bring forth our ideas,” she says. “Everyone is aware of where we stand and the direction we’re moving in.”
Ogunjobi is also a volunteer member of CAAT’s employment engagement committee, which acts as a point of connection between senior leaders and employees.
“If there’s a new initiative being rolled out,
Four years ago, the organization had about 80 employees; today that stands at about 350, with plans to grow to 500 in short order.
Currently, CAAT serves a membership of 80,000 members, including pensioners; that’s expected to grow to 400,000 over the next two decades.
Such a level of growth, in part during a pandemic, has required being even more deliberate about culture and values.
“We take a lot of time to explain to people our purpose,” says Giraldi. “I really want everyone in the organization to fully understand that the work we do allows our members to retire with dignity, knowing they
Continuous learning and development is another key to engaging employees, including through online tools like CAAT Academy, which gives people resources to help build their careers.
Being responsive to employees’ needs and desires remains critical, says Giraldi. A good example: CAAT’s recent adoption of a hybrid work model as the pandemic eases, so that employees can have a range of options for working both in-person and virtually.
Taken together, it seems to be working. CAAT’s latest annual survey showed employee engagement had increased from 76 per cent in 2019 to 88 per cent in 2022.
“This happened as our workforce grew rapidly in size and we navigated the pandemic,” says Giraldi. “That suggests our strong culture is alive and well.”
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.
Everyone is aware of where we stand and the direction we’re moving in.
— Bolu Ogunjobi Data Architect
Ram Kumar knew there was something different about Campbell Company of Canada when the business development manager began the interviewing process there a few months before the pandemic arrived. “It was a very good vibe. There’s a big brand on the building and all those famous products, but the interactions and the relationships through the interviews were fairly intimate,” he recalls.
office on their input.”
The company wanted a plan rooted not just in science and safety, she continues, but in transparency, trust and mutual give-andtake. “We really wanted to listen and solicit feedback from our employees and that’s what brought us to Respect the Band.”
Those who chose a red wristband were indicating that others should keep their distance; a yellow band meant it was okay to approach an individual, but no physical contact; a green band indicated handshaking was welcome.
— Cadia Head of Research and Development“The people I met at Campbell were interesting personalities – passionate and realistic about who they were and where they wanted to go, and I just thought, ‘Yeah, this is cool.’”
It’s stayed that way for Kumar, who thinks his workplace has great people and a great culture in constant interaction. “There’s a healthy balance in that conversation,” he says, “producing constant tweaks that bring constant movement in the right direction.”
That’s at the heart of Campbell’s goals, says Cadia Jackman, who leads research and development for the company in Canada and sits on the executive leadership team. “We want our people to feel real, safe, valued and heard, and we based our flexible return to the
“We have many employee resource groups,” Jackman says, “including OPEN, our LGBTQTS+ network; BRG, the Black Resource Group; the Asian Network; the Women's Inclusion Network, known as WIN, and many more.“ Last year OPEN invited Ladybird Fancypants to do a virtual drag queen story reading, she adds. “It was a story of inclusion for our attendees and their kids, one that said ‘you are safe here.’”
Kumar, a member of the Asian Network, says the way Campbell fosters open communication about even difficult subjects is one of the finest aspects of the company.
“If you had no prior exposure to this kind of culture, and you think, ‘isn’t the workplace just about work?’ you might have to take a second or two to recalibrate. But they are necessary conversations – we don’t come into the workplace like drones anymore –and they create relationships and not just monetary-based transactions.”
It’s all part of building a trust between company and workforce that frees both to become more deeply involved in their wider communities, according to Jackman and Kumar. “We are also citizens, neighbours and friends to people outside of work,” says Kumar, “and a lot of the activities that we
employee resource groups do let us really address those bigger conversations.”
Jackman agrees. “Our programs enable our employees to participate in different opportunities to give back to the community we live in.”
That extends from relief efforts for Hurricane Fiona, where Campbell matched 50 per cent of employee donations, to an annual donation of over half a million pounds of non-perishable food items to the
Daily Bread Food Bank, to a park cleanup during working hours.
“That park is heavily used by little kids and parents near us,” says Kumar, who took part, “and it was just an ad-hoc decision to go clean it up, one of the cooler things we can do.”
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.
volunteer hours last year
We want our people to feel real, safe, valued and heard, and we based our flexible return to the office on their input.
Jackman
Reyna Santamaria sometimes feels as though she’s starting a new job every couple of years, when in fact she joined CSA Group in 1999 as an IT trainer and has stuck with the organization ever since.
“There’s been a lot of investment in technology since I started,” says Santamaria, who is currently senior manager, information technology. “Every two years or so I’ve had a different role, involving different technologies and different teams.”
its purpose and mission aligns with their personal values. CSA Group is dedicated to health, safety, and sustainability, objectives it pursues through two organizations: its non-profit standards development organization and its commercial testing, inspection and certification (TIC) business.
CSA Group’s TIC business tests and certifies many products to confirm that they comply with applicable safety and performance standards. If a product meets the necessary requirements, a recognizable CSA-mark is applied, helping to instill peace of mind and confidence that the product will operate safely and efficiently.
We have many employees who have been with us for over 20 years. They are highly specialized professionals who continually find interesting things to do. We empower them with the support, information and tools they need.
— Tia Wetmore Vice-President,Talent and Career Development
Longevity is the norm, rather than the exception, at CSA Group. “We have many employees who have been with us for over 20 years,” says Tia Wetmore, vice-president, talent and career development. “They are highly specialized professionals who continually find interesting things to do. We empower them with the support, information and tools they need to grow their careers with us.”
Apart from that, many employees are committed to the organization because
“We have a lot of highly skilled and technical people at CSA Group, including many engineers who have chosen to start or grow their careers with us,” says Wetmore.
Certifiers, for example, can advance through several well-defined levels based on on-the-job training and mentoring. “As you progress, you become a subject matter expert,” says Wetmore. “You’re responsible for increased levels of interaction with customers. You can lead teams or move into management.”
The standards and TIC sides of the organization complement one another, which allows employees to move from one to the other. They can also advance along clearly delineated career paths.
Those who work in corporate functions such as IT, human resources, marketing and finance can take advantage of learning and development opportunities to advance their careers as well.
“Most of my experience until about five years ago was as a project team member managing technology implementations and applications,” says Santamaria, who has transitioned to a management role. “I enjoy
technology, but I enjoy people more. I love developing them, growing the team, bringing a team together.”
She has completed two modules of CSA Group’s manager development program, one dealing with leading virtually, the other focused on situational leadership.
As a manager, she relies on the organization’s performance development program, which CSA Group has dubbed development dialogue, to help her team members grow and progress. The program involves formal
mid-year and year-end reviews, as well as predefined career paths for most positions across the organization.
“We have a mapping process so you can look at your role and other roles in the organization, and then develop a series of development goals to get you to where you want to be next,” says Santamaria.
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 years, longest-serving employee
annual mental health coverage weeks, maternity leave top up pay
Everyone at Capco knows the hashtag #BYAW (“be yourself at work”). For the global technology and management consultancy, BYAW is more than just a slogan; it’s at the core of Capco’s workplace culture.
“We are a highly diverse and inclusive organization on almost every metric,” says Gary Teelucksingh, CEO of Capco Canada. “We are also very different in terms of our backgrounds, personalities and talents. At Capco, we are about empowering individuals to bring the best of themselves to the workplace and in service of our customers.”
The brightness of our culture is coming back to what it was before the pandemic. I actually think it will be even stronger.
— Gary Teelucksingh CEOOne of the ways Capco helps empower team members is through very deliberate mentoring.
“When a person joins our organization, they are assigned a career coach,” explains Teelucksingh. “That coach is your guide and point of continuity, often through multiple projects. They help you engage and succeed. They represent you in our annual performance reviews and will ultimately recommend you for promotion.”
Encouraging people to be themselves at work is also the driving force behind Capco Cares, a series of community and charitable initiatives the company helps sponsor and
promote.
Whether it’s building homes for Habitat for Humanity, supporting Junior Achievement or organizing cycling rides to fund cancer research, all of these initiatives began at the behest of individual employees.
“It’s not about us telling them to go out and do good,” says Teelucksingh. “It’s about people being themselves, finding things they deeply care about and then enlisting our help to achieve good things.”
The pandemic presented a unique set of challenges for Capco’s close-knit culture. Because of its role in delivering technology services to business clients, Capco was in high demand. The company’s workforce grew by more than 50 per cent during the pandemic.
“Prior to the pandemic, I’d describe Capco as a group of high-performing people who functioned almost like a family,” says Teelucksingh. “People genuinely enjoyed working and socializing together. But now you have more than half of our workforce whose experience of our culture has been almost entirely virtual.”
As more people return to work in person, Teelucksingh finds that the esprit de corps of experienced employees is rubbing off on the more recent hires.
“The brightness of our culture is coming back to what it was before the pandemic,” he says. “I actually think it will be even stronger.”
Despite her relative youth, Morgan Balch has experienced the Capco culture on both sides of the pandemic.
Balch got her first exposure to Capco five years ago as an 18-year-old bachelor of commerce student hired for a four-month co-op term.
“It immediately felt like something
special,” says Balch. “Even though I was so young and so new, I felt my voice was being heard and I was having an impact.”
Balch worked a second co-op term starting in May 2020, at the height of the first wave of COVID-19. A year ago, she onboarded virtually into her current full-time position as a resourcing management analyst with Capco’s human resources department.
Balch, whose job involves matching Capco consultants with project clients, is becoming more fully immersed in the company culture as a new hybrid work model takes root.
She volunteered to help plan a recent town hall on diversity, equity and inclusion. She also participates in Women at Capco, which promotes networking and is running a charitable campaign to help women who experience periods of poverty.
“I’m really grateful for the opportunities provided to me as a young professional,” says Balch. “It’s been very fulfilling.”
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
employer-paid health plan premiums, with family coverage
years, average age of all employees weeks, parental leave top-up pay
TO THE
TEAM FOR BEING NAMED GREATER TORONTO’S TOP EMPLOYERS!
At its national meeting last summer, amidst the discussions of the Mississauga-based company’s achievements and goals, CHEP Canada Corp. employees assembled backpacks full of healthy food to support a non-profit organization that provides sustenance to individuals in need.
“That is why I love working for CHEP, because of the selfless attitude the company has to its employees and to its customers,” says Bella Malvoisin, bilingual recruiter and human resources operations specialist.
says Frank Bozzo, vice president and general manager, CHEP Canada & Pallecon North America.
“We’re setting the ambition to pioneer truly regenerative supply chains. It means breaking the link between consumption and harm to the environment and society. And it means moving from degenerative systems that waste resources to regenerative models that restore nature and strengthen society.”
For a company to be so aware and mindful of the impact it has on the environment, and to look for ways to do better, is amazing.
— Bella Malvoisin Bilingual Recruiter and Human Resources Operations Specialist
Malvoisin is also proud of the sustainability program run by the pallet and container pooling services firm. “For a company to be so aware and mindful of the impact it has on the environment, and to look for ways to do better, is amazing. To lead by example and align with customers who think the same way shows that CHEP is thinking long-term.”
The sustainability program is part of CHEP’s Step into the Positive initiative. “The program is about putting back in more than we take from the world. We are working to help create a nature-positive economy with reuse, resilience and regeneration at its core,”
CHEP Canada’s sustainability goals include its Australian parent company, Brambles, enabling the sustainable growth of two trees for every tree CHEP uses; limiting temperature increases to 1.5 C, including a Paris Agreement-aligned carbon emissions target for its supply chain; and sending zero product materials to landfills.
This commitment to protecting the environment extends to customers’ supply chains by providing shared and reusable pallets, crates and containers and through its Zero Waste World initiative, which enables retailers and consumer goods companies to create more sustainable supply chains.
The program brings together major manufacturers and retailers to find new ways to meet growing consumer demand while shrinking the impact of their operations, and aims to eliminate packaging and food waste and empty transport miles.
Malvoisin says these initiatives also shape how employees behave. “It makes us accountable to ourselves, our company, our customers and our environment,” she says. “Zero waste and living by giving back to the world translates to my everyday life, including going the extra measure to recycle, reduce garbage and so on.”
The company aims to have a positive influence on employees in other ways, too. CHEP has committed to having at least 40
CHEP has committed to having at least 40 per cent women in management roles by 2030.
per cent women in management roles and double the number of women in its plants by 2030. The company takes time to celebrate individual and team successes and milestones and holds monthly events such as barbecues, socials, fun outings and the yearly national meeting.
Employees also come together to support their communities, including three days of paid volunteer time each year per employee, partnerships with food banks, tree planting and shore cleanups.
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 weeks, maternity leave
pay staff volunteer hours last year of employees are visible minorities
Supporting families in crisis is not an easy job. Despite this, the average tenure for an employee at Children’s Aid Society of Toronto is over 14 years. Raquel Britton is one of those dedicated individuals, having supported children, youth and families in need since 2008.
Britton started as an intake worker, doing initial assessments, before moving on to providing ongoing services for families. Now as one of the agency’s anti-Black racism practice integration leads, she's making sure that staff and Black families are fully supported.
about my cases and what I’m struggling with, and my team understands how challenging the work can be and is always ready to help. And anytime I’m making a decision, I’m never making it on my own – it’s very collaborative.”
She also appreciates the agency’s focus on employee well-being. “There are lots of supports,” she says. “We have Employee Assistance and peer support programs, and the flexibility to take time off when we need to. It’s not just about what’s going on with the families we work with, it’s also what’s going on with you so you don’t get lost in the mix. It’s a job that demands a lot of you, and in order to do it you have to take care of yourself.”
We’ve worked hard to align our departments, so if you’re in finance or HR, you still have a stake in child safety.
— Lisa Tomlinson Interim CEO“It’s hard to describe if you’re not in the field – you have to live it to understand it,” says Britton of working in child welfare. “There are a lot of processes, but once you meet people, you realize they’re not processes. Even though you’re meeting them at a challenging time, it’s still about personal connection and building relationships.”
Britton says the main reason she has stayed so long is the support she gets from the agency and her colleagues. “You’re never a unit unto yourself, you work in a team,” she says. “I talk to my supervisor all the time
Interim CEO Lisa Tomlinson, who’s also a long-time employee, agrees. She stresses the importance of strong and supportive training and supervision, health and safety programs, flexible hours and competitive benefits in recruiting and retaining staff and preventing burnout.
“It’s not a single solution – you have to have multiple pieces,” she says. “And not just for child protection workers. Our admins, for instance, are at the front door when families arrive in tears. We’ve worked hard to align our departments, so if you’re in finance or HR, you still have a stake in child safety. I tell HR we can’t do this work without a healthy workforce and robust processes for hiring, supervision, health and safety and so on. It all goes hand in hand.”
Tomlinson is proud of the fact that CAST’s human resources and union leaders worked together to create an equity hiring strategy that identifies employment vacancies for qualified candidates from all equity deserving groups.
“It’s important for us to build leaders, and I don’t just mean senior managers but leaders in the sector, leaders in the work,” she says. “In much of the training we offer, the engagement, the supervision, it’s about building leadership. While not every worker will choose to become a supervisor or a
director, they are still leaders in the work they do in advocating for children and youth.”
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.
Two years after Angelica Muere graduated from the University of Toronto with an honours bachelor of arts degree, her career path was uncertain. In 2015, six months after joining CREIT – which would eventually be acquired by Choice Properties REIT – as an administrative assistant, she met with chief operating officer Rael Diamond to discuss her development.
When the time came for Choice Properties to refresh its branding and redesign its website in 2020, she was given the chance to lead the projects.
“I had a manager who not only mentored me but also sponsored me by putting my name in the hat for projects I could learn and grow from,” says Muere. “I am most engaged when given the space to get creative, solve new problems and contribute to strategy development.”
“It’s the people who make the difference –they’re a wonderful, engaged group who want to do what’s in the best interest of the organization and for their team,” says Diamond. “Internal movement is very important, so we do our best to help our people develop.”
— Angelica Muere Director, Social Impact, Marketing and CommunicationsHeadquartered in midtown Toronto, Choice Properties is a leading real estate investment trust that creates enduring value through the ownership, operation and development of high-quality commercial and residential properties. “After building a relationship with Rael, who had come to know my strengths and interests, I asked where he thought I could add value to the business,” says Muere, now director, social impact, marketing and communications. “I wanted guidance on how I could enhance my skill set and create opportunity for myself.”
Diamond, who later became president and CEO of Choice Properties, encouraged Muere to earn a brand management certificate, then follow it with a projectmanagement certificate through the organization’s tuition-reimbursement program.
In 2019, Muere started the organization’s Choice Cares program through which employees fundraise and volunteer for local charities across Canada. In 2021, she collaborated with leadership to develop Choice Properties’ diversity, equity and inclusion framework.
Most recently, Muere has been tasked with building a social impact team and long-term programming to further advance the “social” pillar of their environmental, social and governance strategy. “I feel grateful to have a job that allows me to put my skill set and values into action,” she says.
Choice Properties’ CORE values stand for care, ownership, respect and excellence. “Our values make us better and tie us all together,” says Diamond. “They’re tangible in the way we treat each other and how we conduct business.”
Currently, Choice Properties has a hybrid work model in place. “We get the best of both worlds – working from home eliminates my commute, giving me more time to see
family and friends or hit the gym,” says Muere, who works at the office at least twice a week. “But some days, being in the office provides a better experience, like when you’re having a collaborative work session.”
To encourage connections, Diamond sends a weekly email to colleagues. “There’s care from the top down,” he says. That care is evident in regular communication coming in the form of quarterly town halls and biannual “culture days,” which in 2022 will
take place in person for the first time since the pandemic began.
“If you want to work in real estate, Choice Properties is the best entity,” says Diamond. “We have stable properties, a strong culture and phenomenal growth opportunities, both now and in the future.”
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 of managers are women
weeks, starting vacation allowance for managers day off for “summer” Fridays
I am most engaged when given the space to get creative, solve new problems and contribute to strategy development.
When it comes to career advancement at CI Financial Corp., Clydie Spencer knows all about it. Spencer was a political science student looking for a part-time job when she started in the mailroom at CI 23 years ago, and she has never looked back.
“I knew very little about the financial world at the time,” recalls Spencer, who’s now a financial advisor and manager, national advisor services, for the Torontobased global asset and wealth management company. “But after joining CI, I became intrigued and excited to learn more about what it entailed.”
We know that to fuel a highperformance culture we have to care for our employees and ensure they have a collaborative, positive environment to work in.
— Manisha Burman Chief Human Resources Officer
So Spencer learned. With the encouragement and support of CI management, she took courses paid for by the company and moved steadily ahead. “I’ve had six or seven different positions that led me to where I am today, and I’ve always felt supported,” she says. “CI has a great women’s mentorship program that I joined many years ago, and I’ve had formal and informal mentors along the way. Everyone has been so welcoming and helpful.”
Chief human resources officer Manisha Burman says the company recognizes the importance of professional development for employee success. “We support people’s career growth by paying for courses, whether they take them inside or outside CI,” she says. “And as they earn credentials, they earn more to recognize those credentials. We’ve seen many people taking on expanded mandates and leading exciting projects, which is another important area of growth in addition to the formal learning.”
Burman also stresses the company’s commitment to employee wellness. “We’ve always had a very competitive benefits plan, and during the pandemic we added personal days and doubled employees’ mental health resources,” she says. “That commitment was amplified during COVID, but it’s been part of our culture for many years. We know that to fuel a high-performance culture we have to care for our employees and ensure they have a collaborative, positive environment to work in.”
CI’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is also longstanding, Burman says. “I’m proud to say that 40 per cent of management positions are occupied by women and people of colour. That’s not a reaction to industry trends, it’s part of who we are and why we’re successful. We need the best talent with a rich range of backgrounds to succeed.”
As a member of CI’s diversity and inclusion committee, Spencer helps promote a culture of inclusion through communications and social events. She also notes the company’s support of a number of charities.
“One program is very dear to us,” she says. “It’s known as Ray Day, named in memory of the late Ray Chang, who served as CI’s chairman and CEO and was well known for
CI employees open the Toronto Stock Exchange to
the launch of its new exchange-traded funds.
his philanthropic works. So Ray Days are paid time off to volunteer for a charity of your choice.”
During the pandemic, the company held online gatherings to make sure no one felt isolated. “It was a time when everyone came together,” Spencer says. “One of the things I love about CI is that it’s like my work family. I feel a sense of pride, of belonging.
full-time staff in Canada
Very early on I had the sense that I mattered and I belonged to a team, and that feeling has never left. I feel valued, and when an employee feels valued they give so much more.”
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.
of management jobs are held by women and people of colour
employer-paid health plan, with family coverage billion in assets under management
Proud to be recognized as one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers www.cifinancial.com
Alex Christodoulou has been working at Toronto-based Connected Lab Inc., which is now part of Thoughtworks, for more than eight years – since the company was a scrappy start-up and he was its first full-time engineer. As the business-to-business product development firm has grown over the years, Christodoulou has grown with it, working his way up the career ladder through engineering management into a director role, and leapfrogging over to an outward-facing client experience and revenue position.
host presentations on professional and personal development topics. The company also offers a $2,000 yearly education credit for employees.
“If you ask Connectors why they join, it’s often to work on really exciting products, but ask why they stay and it’s the teaching and learning,” says Chiasson. “We’re working hard to recruit and retain the best talent, and the best talent happens to be really generous with their knowledge and have a growth mindset.”
These initiatives are part of the company’s employee-first culture, she says. “We don’t have a business if we don’t have great people.”
We’re working hard to recruit and retain the best talent, and the best talent happens to be really generous with their knowledge and have a growth mindset.
— Tammy Chiasson President“I need to be always pushing toward some new learning opportunity to keep my role fresh and to challenge me personally, and there’s always been that kind of opportunity at the company,” says Christodoulou, now group engagement director. “One of our core values is teaching what you know and learning from others, and I think that goes hand in hand with being presented new opportunities for growth.”
Teaching, learning and curiosity have been a part of Connected’s DNA since it was founded, says Tammy Chiasson, the company’s president. Every week, Connected holds demo sessions for employees to show off ongoing projects, and runs its highly popular Connected Clinics, where employees
How the company attracts and retains those people has undergone some revision in the past few years. It rolled out performance bonuses for everyone, regardless of tenure or seniority, at the beginning of 2022. And after its acquisition by Chicago-based software company Thoughtworks in April, the company harmonized its total rewards program to keep the best of both offerings.
The pandemic also prompted some major changes. While Connected had a very office-centric culture with plenty of perks, such as regular free lunches and yoga and meditation rooms, during the pandemic it moved to a remote-first approach. “What I find most exciting about that is where we invest our money in employees is now more meaningful,” says Chiasson.
Individuals and teams have the freedom to pick whether they’ll work at home or from the office, and employees now have the ability to work anywhere across Canada, which has expanded Connected’s geographic footprint. Staff can also work anywhere in the world for up to 30 days.
With employees now more distributed, Chiasson says Connected has been more deliberate about staying, well, connected. It hosts two in-person events every year for
Team members at Connected can choose to work anywhere across Canada, or anywhere in the world for up to 30 days.
which it flies staff into Toronto from across the country, and its in-office demos for GTA staff are followed by a social event. The company also provides funds for hubs of employees outside the GTA to get together on the same day.
Connected’s employee resource groups (ERGs) have also helped staff build community, and in some cases help those from under-represented communities navigate the technology sector.
Christodoulou is part of the Pride ERG,
which recently organized a dim sum drag brunch with the Asian and Pacific Islanders ERG, and hosted education sessions and get-togethers during Pride month.
“It’s a really vibrant group of people sharing experiences, and is really meant to provide support for people,” he says. “I do feel appreciated and have a community here.”
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Join our team of ambitious product builders: connected.io
Chris McColl started working at Dufferin Construction – a division of Concord, Ont.-based CRH Canada – in 1995, and has been employed there ever since, first in the health and safety department, then rising through various divisions with increasing responsibilities before landing at his current position as vice-president of construction for Ontario and Western Canada.
“The company’s leaders are very supportive and flexible. They encourage you to take ownership of the work you’re doing,” she says. “And they push me to achieve my best work, which is very inspiring.”
Thaker also appreciates the company-wide emphasis on employee well-being and site safety. “CRH believes in putting health and safety first at all costs – everyone is united in this common goal,” she says. “It’s comforting to have this idea in the back of your head that your employer cares about your safety. It makes it a special place to work.”
CRH has launched a number of programs to encourage the advancement of women in what has traditionally been a very maledominated industry. One is the Women’s Employee Resource Group (WERG), which McColl sponsors and Thaker recently joined.
— Pooja Thaker Engineer In Training“There are a lot of opportunities for advancement,” says McColl of CRH, one of the country’s largest building materials and construction companies. “And it’s not necessarily linear. We have an aggregate division, a concrete division, a cement division and a construction division. It’s an interesting place when it comes to opportunity. Most people don’t come off the street into leadership roles, they come from the ground up.”
Indeed, CRH provides valuable work opportunities and development programs for students and graduates through initiatives like Engineer in Training (EIT). As an EIT at Dufferin Aggregates, Pooja Thaker works in the soil management department, helping to rehabilitate quarry sites with soil drawn from construction projects across Ontario that’s clean and free from contaminants.
“I am interested in being more involved in WERG as a platform for learning, mentoring and networking,” she says. “I think it will help me to be more confident and able to speak up and present my ideas in front of the company and the management team, and ask more questions.”
Thaker says she has been encouraged to share her ideas, and was given the opportunity to implement one of them: a safety program for aggregate sites.
“I created safety cards to be handed out to truck drivers entering our sites,” she says. “They are pocket-sized safety guides that remind drivers to follow our safety protocols and to wear personal protective equipment when they get out of their truck. It educates them on the traffic rules, speed limits and signals for our sites, and provides contact info in case they see a potential concern. We ask them to sign the card and keep it with them whenever they come to our sites.”
McColl appreciates the fact that CRH
divisions like Dufferin Construction can retain their identity and values within the larger organization. “Dufferin Construction was founded back in 1912. Even 100 years later, the family cultures of our companies aren’t lost; they’re embedded in our communities,” he says. “‘Operate locally but be responsible globally’ is one of our mantras, and it makes sense.
“Being part of CRH allows you to be entrepreneurial and a solution provider for what your market needs, but you also have a huge company behind you that supports you and gives you opportunities to do more.”
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At CRH Canada and its Demix, Dufferin and Ontario Redimix businesses, people are our priority. Browse our open positions to find the job that will start your future with us.
One of the things that really drew Tsering Yangki to Dream was its work on the athletes’ village for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto – not the structures themselves, necessarily, but the partnership between governments, non-profits, academics and more that brought the village together.
“It is that partnership and how you can create scale and address social and environmental concerns by working collaboratively,” says Yangki, head of real estate finance and development.
You
One of Dream’s pillars is ‘community first.’ “We focus on affordable housing or attainable housing, energy resource efficiency and climate resilience,” she says. “You have to empower the ecosystem for all of us to do well. We are long-term investors in the community.”
One ongoing project, for example, is a mixed-use project in the former athletes’ village in the Canary District. In partnership with Anishnawbe Health Toronto, Dream is working on the first purpose-built Indigenous community hub in North America. Canary Block 10 will include condominiums, rental properties, a health centre, retail space, day care and offices, among other things, for Indigenous-owned businesses.
“New employees are attracted to Dream’s purpose,” Yangki says. “We empower decision-making and believe all ideas are good ideas. It doesn’t matter where or who it comes from, and that flatness and meritocracy on views and innovation provides agency to teams to participate. And then they’re invested.”
Samson Oke worked briefly with Dream in 2015 to help the company move its technology over from one building to another, but was subsequently drawn back two years later to apply for a full-time role by what he’d seen of the company’s culture. Now a senior technical support analyst, Oke appreciates the importance the company puts on its employees’ well-being – from social activities to benefits that have been updated to favour mental and physical health – and the encouragement to grow one’s career.
“I got promoted last year, and the aim was to help me grow into the role,” says Oke, who came from his native Nigeria to Canada in 2013. “There’s encouragement, especially from upper management, for people to come out of their shells and take on challenges. It’s sometimes scary but it’s worth it.”
In fact, Oke’s manager told him recently that the aim was for Oke to become a manager one day. “There’s no age discrimination or cultural discrimination,” he says. “I was given this opportunity and I appreciate every moment I am able to put in my best for the organization and for the greater good of society.”
Indeed, Yangki thinks that’s one of the key components for Dream – how the company engages and empowers the younger people who work there. “It’s creating the pipeline of talent,” she says.
Dream has an analyst program through which employees have the opportunity to
work for six months in any department of their choosing. “That’s how you maintain and create raw talent,” she adds. “It’s not just the culture and the values; it’s the whole ecosystem that we are a part of as well. People are proud to work here. It’s a
purpose-driven company with purposedriven people.”
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.
years, average age of all employees charities helped last year
have to empower the ecosystem for all of us to do well.
— Tsering Yangki Head of Real Estate Finance and Development
Sometimes great innovations arise from challenging situations. Don Lovisa, president of Oshawa- and Whitby-based Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology (DC), is proud of the way his teams stepped up to continue teaching and protecting students and staff during the pandemic.
“We developed a hybrid model with online and in-person teaching,” he says. “Students who required hands-on learning in a shop or a lab came in and received the experiential learning we’re known for. We had vaccination policies, and masking and screening at the doors. We maintained a safe and healthy environment, and the students graduated on time. We’re proud of that. And now we have faculty and staff who are really good at providing hybrid services.”
launched an idea management portal where people can share their ideas. It’s really fun because we’ve engaged hundreds of our employees in a conversation about where we’re going as a college and how we can lead the way. And we’re sharing those stories through social media and getting an incredible response.”
Lovisa is also proud of the open and welcoming culture he’s helped to shepherd at Durham College during his 14 years as president.
“It’s a culture of innovation and collaboration, a friendly culture,” he says. “I’m often reminded of that when I hear new employees describing the welcome they’ve received at DC. Everyone puts out a hand to say hello and ask how they can help.
We encourage people to have fun in their jobs, and we celebrate what we do and the fact that we help people of many different ages, backgrounds and cultures succeed.
— Don Lovisa PresidentLovisa also created a committee of eight employees from different faculties and departments called the Innovation Disruption and Catalyst group.
“We started a college-wide conversation about working differently and exploring where the future opportunities are, and it’s grown and grown,” he says. “We just
“We encourage people to have fun in their jobs, and we celebrate what we do and the fact that we help people of many different ages, backgrounds and cultures succeed. At Convocation you can’t help but feel proud of the work we do.”
That feeling is echoed by Jason Vassell, a former police officer who’s now a professor in DC’s Protection, Security and Investigation program, teaching courses in different areas of law enforcement.
“I didn’t plan to leave the police, but when I experienced the culture here, I made the decision,” he says. “I taught part-time for one semester, and when a full-time job opened up a colleague said I should go for it. Right away I had people supporting me, which was impactful. And I had mentors who helped me navigate the college environment. I learned a lot, and whenever I had a question, they would help.”
Vassell is a mentor himself now, and he has taken advantage of many opportunities for professional development at DC,
including workshops and conferences. He also values the support he’s received for initiatives he has introduced or joined, such as a sporting competition called the Justice Games and the Black Students Success Network. He recently won the Faculty Award of Excellence, which will be acknowledged at an awards dinner. Award recipients also receive a monetary gift to put toward professional development opportunities.
“At DC they do a good job of acknowledging your efforts and achievements, and they have an open-door policy that
I really appreciate,” he says. “It’s easier to communicate and relate face to face.
Says Lovisa: “You have to find a mechanism for people to share their ideas, and listen to them. It’s been a fun journey so far, and we’re hoping these efforts will take us in some new directions and help us prepare for the future as we continue to lead the way as a college.”
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.
executive team are women months, maternity & parental top-up pay (up to) charities helped last year
Sheerena Foster joined Dynacare Inc. in 2011 because she saw opportunities for a growing career in the health-care field.
“I started as a float employee, filling in for people on vacation or sick leave,” says Foster, who had already spent eight years in the financial industry before returning to school for one year to qualify herself for a new career.
to assume more responsibility as they become familiar with its operations.
“We could see a talent shortage coming,” says Donna Fagon-Pascal, vice president of human resources, “so we committed ourselves to a program called the Dynacare Difference.”
Supported by the company’s executive team, the program encourages individual employees to identify their career objectives and to monitor their progress as they pursue them.
We have much better success with talent that we grow within the company. We identify talent, provide coaching and lay out an individual development plan to help them to meet their goals.
— Donna Fagon-Pascal Vice President, Human ResourcesAfter a year, she applied for a position as team leader. Since then, she has advanced through the company and was recently appointed as a district manager, responsible for five regional managers who oversee 35 community labs.
Based in Brampton, life sciences organization Dynacare operates laboratories in Brampton; London; Ottawa; Edmonton; Winnipeg; Dobrin, Que. and Laval, Que. With some 3,000 employees, the company also maintains patient services centres throughout Canada. Dynacare is more than a lab with operations spanning from employer wellness, digital, insurance and speciality diagnostics.
Foster is one of many Dynacare employees who have been encouraged by the company
“Most employees create an individual development plan,” says Foster, “which includes an individual in the company who can guide them. When I started, I was paired with the director of lab services.”
Foster herself now acts as a mentor for her five regional managers as well as team leaders within her district.
“We have much better success with talent that we grow within the company,” says Fagon-Pascal. “We identify talent, provide coaching and lay out an individual development plan to help them to meet their goals.
“Discipline is key,” she adds. “Each of us has to hold ourselves accountable for furthering our plan.”
To ensure that employees have the resources they need to achieve their goals, Dynacare provides a wealth of in-house and online learning and development programs, and commissions courses from external providers, as well.
“I’ve taken courses in marketing and leadership,” says Foster, “and my mentors have recommended books and other learning tools to help me with my plan.
“Also, if an individual wants to transition from one area of the company to another, the organization will make every effort to align them with the resources and individuals to help guide them on their path.”
The concept of movement within the
company is critical to developing capable leaders, says Fagon-Pascal. “We provide financial recognition incentives to individuals to encourage them to take on a more senior role temporarily. It could be a secondment or an acting role if someone goes on leave for two to twelve months.”
In her management role, Foster has identified leadership candidates and encouraged them to assume more responsibility.
“I remember when I became a manager six years ago, I recognized certain characteristics in one of my team leaders,” she says. “I saw her becoming a leader herself and recommended courses that she could take to
Ontario.
help her. She took the challenge, and now she’s a regional manager.”
“The initiative has been really successful,” says Fagon-Pascal. “When people step into a stretch role, it’s amazing how they mature as leaders.”
The amazement is mutual, says Foster.
“When I started as a float employee, I never imagined where I’d be now,” she says. “It gives me joy to see a new person and let them know that the possibilities here are endless.”
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.
years, longest-serving employee
It is impossible to talk about Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc and its 50 years of operations in Canada without using the words “giving back.” Because for half a century, that is what the company and its employees have done for diverse communities across Canada. It’s even part of the company values.
Founded in the United Kingdom in 1887 to protect churches from the consequences of fires, Ecclesiastical – which provides customized insurance to arts, cultural and educational institutions; charities and non-profits; faith communities and retirement homes – is part of the Benefact Group, which gives all available profits to charity.
Who we are as a company is really what drives me to do good every day.
— Mary Santoianni-McGolrick Senior Underwriter“I think it’s what appeals to people who are drawn to the company,” says president David Huebel. “There’s a strong sense of pride in the giving back.”
And that pride is extra strong right now, as Ecclesiastical has had its biggest giving year yet – $750,000 has gone into its Community Impact Grant, to be awarded to local charities. The grant was launched in 2017 and has awarded $2.4 million to over 200 charities since then. “We had twice the number of applications for the grants this year, so that shows the need is greater than ever,” says Huebel.
Much of this year’s focus will be on food insecurity, and Ecclesiastical has also launched a corporate partnership with Food Banks Canada. Over the next couple of years, that will involve donations to fund its After the Bell program and employees volunteering their time. Fifty thousand dollars is also going to Indspire – a “phenomenal charity,” Huebel says – which invests in the education of youth in Indigenous communities.
“Who we are as a company is really what drives me to do good every day,” says senior underwriter Mary Santoianni-McGolrick, who has been at Ecclesiastical for 24 years. “It’s changed me personally and professionally.”
Employees are also able to nominate a charity of their choice to receive $5,000 through the Movement for Good program. Throughout the years, Santoianni-McGolrick has had the opportunity, as do all employees, to do plenty of hands-on volunteer work. “Everything we do is to give back to the community,” she adds. “It’s good to come to work every day knowing that you’re making a difference.”
Recognizing that everyone has been through a lot over the past two and a half years, Ecclesiastical has added some new ways for people to come together and stay engaged. A new town hall format opens up the speaker’s floor to employee emcees for a business topic of the month, which always includes an update on the company’s initiatives. There are monthly social gatherings, a regular ‘Lunch with the President’ and more.
The company also beefed up benefits to increase employees’ transportation subsidies, among other things, and to provide $500 (increasing to $1,000 in 2023) to anyone to take a course not related to their position. (Ecclesiastical already pays for courses related
to professional development, including designations).
“When we introduced it, someone signed me up for a pizza-making class and we had a lot of fun,” says Huebel. “It was really just, how do we do things differently for people to
keep them engaged as well as recognizing the challenges they’re going through?”
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.
Early in 2022, when Tammy Sergie took on the role of senior director, people and culture, at the national mental health and addiction services company Edgewood Health Network, Inc. (EHN Canada), she discovered something that both surprised and delighted her. The president and CEO of EHN Canada, Joe Manget, makes a point of leading a hike for patients in the park-like grounds at Bellwood Health Services, the company’s Toronto facility, every second Friday.
other. Our people are the biggest asset to the organization.”
Noah Mugenyi, a primary clinician at Bellwood, agrees that the hospital’s committed team approach is key. He has direct experience of the trauma that can lead to mental illness and substance abuse: he grew up in war-torn Uganda, and he and his older brother were both captured and forced into becoming child soldiers. Noah lost his older sister in the war and, later, his older brother died as a result of alcohol addiction and scars of trauma that had not been dealt with.
He has learned that a consolidated approach is crucial to helping people surmount trauma and addiction. “All of us at Bellwood really have that vibe of team spirit,” he says, “which I think is an essential ingredient for facilitating wellness for the people.
“This is a relationship-building community. Whether we’re cleaners or doctors, we all look at our clients as the main purpose for us to get up every day.”
“It speaks to the fact that we all believe our patients’ health and their journey to recovery is the responsibility of all of us, from administration to clinical practitioners to support and maintenance staff,” says Sergie. “All our employees work really hard to address what we consider the true pandemic of our society, which is mental illness and addiction. There’s a lot of heart in what our people do and how they approach work, because we believe we save lives.
“We work together to support our patients in areas where public health care is not able to support the community,” she continues. “Our employees work with individuals who are in a space in their lives where they need a lot of support, so our teams also work very closely together to support each
One of the many ways in which EHN Canada supports its workforce, says Sergie, is its belief in grooming its staff and promoting from within. “We take every opportunity we can to move our employees through their career path before turning to external markets to fill a position.”
That translates into an array of in-house and external training opportunities. “We do a good job of assessing people’s potential and then equipping them with the right tools and resources for their growth,” she says. “We subsidize a lot of our staff who are interested in completing their master’s or PhDs.”
As an example of the focus on advancement through the organization, she cites Bellwood executive director Joanna Anderson, who started as a substance abuse counsellor in 2017 and moved up through
senior roles, also serving as executive director at EHN Canada’s Gateway Treatment Centre in Peterborough, before she assumed her current position in February 2022. “That’s something you wouldn’t see in the public sector,” Sergie observes.
She adds that the CEO-led walks also speak to the fact that Bellwood is located in what she calls “an absolutely breathtaking” – and healing – setting, adjacent to
Sunnybrook Park. “We’re able to offer our patients and employees the opportunity to go for a walk in a ravine with beautiful hikes. Connection to nature is very important to us and is actually part of some of our clinical programs.”
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.
of board of directors are visible minorities
employer-paid health plan, with family coverage
Canada’s top treatment network is also one of Toronto’s top employers.
EHN CANADA
All our employees work really hard to address what we consider the true pandemic of our society.
— Tammy Sergie Senior Director, People and Culture
In the summer of 2010, Cameron Broderick spent one week temping at the Boston office of EF Education First. “I thought, this is a pretty cool company, and I kept EF on my radar,” he says. At the time, he had no idea that seven years later, he’d relocate to the Toronto office of EF Educational Tours, where he’d fall in love with both the team and Canada.
I love that my work is meaningful and that it has an impact – it’s much more than a paycheque.
— Cameron Broderick Director of Sales
Two months after that temping gig, Broderick joined EF as a full-time, faculty-led program co-ordinator. The global company, which offers educational travel, language and cultural exchange programs, works primarily with high school teachers and other community leaders in Canada. When one of the Boston-based presidents transferred to the Toronto office, he asked if Broderick was interested in moving there too. Initially, he hesitated.
“I said not right now, but a year later it came up again, and I said, why not?” says Broderick, now director of sales in Toronto and a permanent Canadian resident since 2021. “You can’t just encourage others to travel and not travel yourself. I’m the first person in my family to hold a passport, and I went to Spain on a class trip in high school, which was the best experience I’d ever had. Then I studied in Spain in university.”
Broderick often gets emails from parents
saying their children return from an EF Tours trip abroad more confident and globally-minded. “I love that my work is meaningful and that it has an impact – it’s much more than a paycheque,” he says. “The world is a better place when people get to know each other a bit better.”
Throughout his career with the company, Broderick has benefited from coaching and training programs such as Hello Year One, a one-year curriculum for all new team members, and Very Colorful Book Training, a one-year management program. “It was natural to find mentors and leaders along the way in Boston and Toronto,” he says. “My mentors have always encouraged me to share my ideas.”
Broderick describes EF Tours as a fast, nimble company with no corporate ladder – in fact, he often sits at the same open-concept workspace as president Alison Hickey, who joined in November 2020 when everyone was working remotely. Now back to three days a week in the office, “I love sitting on the floor surrounded by people on the phone,” says Hickey. “I can say, hey, Cameron, tell me about that call, is there anything we can do better?”
Throughout her career in varied industries, Hickey cites a common thread – her ability to lead teams through change. Change was overwhelming during the pandemic, especially the first year. “My main goals when I arrived were making sure we were holding our teams together and staying closely connected to our customers during a time when they couldn’t travel,” she says.
In February 2022, EF Tours sent its first post-pandemic group of students to Iceland for 10 days, with safety protocols in place. “It filled our cups back up,” says Hickey. “After being isolated in our homes for so long, we
EF Educational Tours staff benefit from development programs and mentorship forming global connections with their colleagues.
want to connect people more than ever, both here at our offices and around the world.”
of
transformation of the students who have experienced our tours impacts all of us every day.”
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.
global employees in 119 countries hours, leadership training for new managers in year 1
careers.ef.com
Educational Travel. Language. Cultural exchange. Academics.
Laura Schlee knew she wanted to become a chartered professional accountant (CPA) when she joined EY Canada in Toronto in 2016.
A graduate of the Ivey Business School at Western University with an honours degree in business administration, Schlee’s ultimate objective was to work with not-for-profit organizations where her work would have a social impact.
People join our firm because they want to be part of a purposedriven organization where they can make a difference and create meaningful change.
— Jad Shimaly Chair and CEOShortly after she joined the firm, EY Canada (formerly known as Ernst & Young) began to develop a program called EY Ripples. EY Ripples was designed by EY’s global organization as a corporateresponsibility volunteer program to mobilize the business skills, knowledge and expertise of more than 300,000 EY employees around the world to support youth, underrepresented groups, entrepreneurs and sustainability initiatives. The program supports EY’s global long-term goal to positively impact one billion lives around the world by 2030.
Initially, Schlee participated in the program in her spare time. “It was something I could do on the side,” she says. But that was then.
EY Ripples projects can include anything from developing a strategic scaling plan for Earth Day Canada, creating a technology roadmap for Up With Women and delivering workshops for Black entrepreneurs in association with the Federation of African Canadian Economics.
Schlee and her fellow Ripples volunteers worked with the Climate Reality Project Canada (CRPC), an organization founded by former U.S. vice-president Al Gore. The project tackles climate change by focusing on greenhouse gas emissions and on education and grassroots action as the solution.
In Canada, the organization collects policy information, but it wasn’t readily accessible to the public on its website.
“So some of our data analytics people set up a dashboard on the CRPC website,” says Schlee. “Now people have easier access to climate information that they can apply to address the crisis.”
The EY Ripples program emerged from the culture that pervades EY, not just in Canada but throughout the global organization as well.
“People join our firm because they want to be part of a purpose-driven organization where they can make a difference and create meaningful change,” says Jad Shimaly, chair and CEO, EY Canada.
As she became more involved in the program, Schlee devoted increasing amounts of time to its activities and became instrumental in organizing volunteers. “I loved the work more than my day job,” she says.
Her enthusiasm for the program did not escape the notice of her managers. In 2020, they appointed her to lead the program full-time as assistant director, national EY Ripples corporate responsibility leader.
In 2022, with a three-person staff, EY
Ripples engaged 2,000 volunteers, supporting 125 initiatives and impacting 760,000 lives in Canada through its three key areas of focus. Those involve helping young people and underserved groups develop skills they need to find meaningful work, supporting entrepreneurs to help grow smaller for-profit and not-for-profit enterprises, and accelerating sustainability in businesses to aid progress towards a net positive circular economy.
“EY Ripples empowers our people to give back to the communities in which we work and live,” says Shimaly.
For EY, the program attracts young people who value its contribution to social
welfare. “Every time we get a new cohort of university graduates, many say they chose EY because of the EY Ripples program,” says Schlee.
For Schlee the EY Ripples program has fulfilled her initial ambition when she became a CPA.“I love the culture at EY,” she says, “but I never thought I’d have this opportunity at the firm. It’s quite literal when we say we’re creating a Ripples effect of change through our communities across Canada.”
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 exceptional EY experience. It’s yours to build.
What if you could personalize your career like you do your playlists?
What drew Ahfaz Toor to Fidelity Canada was the organization’s diverse and inclusive culture – both important values for Toor, business development manager, a proud Muslim, person of colour and member of the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
“Workplace belonging is embedded in Fidelity’s corporate culture and is evident on their website, social media, and at trade shows and events,” says Toor. “Until joining Fidelity, I had never felt so welcomed and valued. Everyone is dedicated to promoting inclusion – it’s a team effort.”
changes. Despite these changes, it continues to operate on the values of integrity and honesty, and the opportunities have always been abundant.
“I’ve been able to take on different projects and roles, reporting to different parts of the organization,” says Godfrey. “I embraced every opportunity that surfaced and encourage colleagues to do the same.”
In the last two years, Toor has gone through half a dozen training courses. “You’re always set up for success,” he says. “They make sure you’re not just learning soft skills, but also transferable skills and product knowledge.”
Fidelity’s tuition reimbursement program demonstrates that the firm values my contributions and wants to see me grow and achieve my goals.
— Ahfaz Toor Business Development ManagerToor was also drawn to Fidelity by the opportunities for personal and professional development; in fact, in just over two years, he was promoted three times. “Among the highlights of working here are the incredible training and mentoring programs and just how much they support you in terms of continued education and career growth,” he adds.
Diana Godfrey, senior vice-president of human resources and corporate affairs, has been with Fidelity for 27 years and has seen the organization go through many
Each employee in Toor’s department is paired with a senior mentor and a junior mentee for regular meetings and check-ins. Toor is also working toward his chartered financial analyst (CFA) accreditation with the company’s full support. “CFA isn’t an easy feat, nor is it a small financial investment,” he says. “Fidelity’s tuition reimbursement program demonstrates that the firm values my contributions and wants to see me grow and achieve my goals.”
Fidelity is celebrating having everyone back together in the Toronto office after months of COVID-19-related separation. A barista who comes into the office four days a week was meant to be a temporary treat but has become part of the Fidelity family, says Godfrey. To mark the return to office, the company has hosted nearly 100 lunches and treat days from local vendors and small businesses across the communities where they live and work. “It’s really about finding ways to connect people,” she says.
Online fundraising, too, has transitioned back to in-person activities. Employee-run groups provide education on diversity and help the company identify where charitable
giving may help most. “Community outreach and engagement is a priority to our employees, and we want to support them,” says Godfrey. “We have established a culture of giving at Fidelity, and we continue to champion corporate initiatives that build on this mission and enhance employee satisfaction.”
And there was one silver lining to COVID-19: Fidelity created a charitable giving group that brings all employees together to help the company determine where and how it can best support others.
“The pandemic helped us understand that charitable giving and supporting those in need is more important than ever,” said Godfrey. “It’s really important that our employees have a voice in this conversation, and so we have aligned with causes that mean the most to them. Ultimately, we want everyone to feel gratification and a sense of purpose.”
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.
reimbursement
Feel empowered to grow and supported to be your best.
Working from home is easier for some organizations than others. When the pandemic forced George Brown College to switch temporarily to online classes, it presented serious challenges for an institution that is largely focused on handson education.
“The kind of learning we provide is very tactile,” says Susan Bowrah, vice-president of people and culture at the Toronto-based college. “We’re not paper and pen like most university courses.”
instructions on how to develop flavour and taste and provide exemplars for them. I saw it as a challenge and a learning opportunity. We figured out ways to deliver great education in an online atmosphere.”
The college leadership’s collaborative approach was key to that success, he adds. “They solicited feedback from employees in each division. We were tasked with coming up with plans and ways we could support our learners, because at the end of the day, this job is all about supporting students.”
We’re a learning organization, and we invest in our staff to make sure they too are investing in their growth, beyond what they do day to day.
— Susan Bowrah Vice-President, People and CultureThat is particularly true for the college’s Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts, where Jason Inniss instructs aspiring chefs in a range of food preparation skills that have traditionally been taught in person. But having to come up with online teaching methods ended up being a valuable learning experience for himself as well as for his students.
“Obviously cooking is not easy to teach online, but it can be done,” Inniss says. “The one thing we missed was being able to taste students’ food. But we were able to teach other things that we might not have considered before. We had to conceptualize
Bowrah echoes that point. “It’s a very student-centric culture – you feel it when you’re here and in the way people talk and behave,” she says. “Whether you’re talking about support staff or faculty, there’s such a passion and a belief in what we do.”
George Brown also supports its employees, offering an extensive benefits program that includes professional development courses, parental leave top-ups, flexible hours, mental health services, wellness days and a paid professional development sabbatical program of up to 12 months that’s available to employees who have been with the college for six years or more.
“We’re a learning organization, and we invest in our staff to make sure they too are investing in their growth, beyond what they do day to day,” explains Bowrah. “The professional development leave can be tied to your career or a different kind of learning. It’s a way for people to get out of the workforce for a bit and focus on themselves. It really encourages creativity and self-development, and we see a lot of value coming from it.”
Bowrah also appreciates the remarkable range of programs the college offers, from health sciences, information technology and the arts to social and community services, construction trades and much more.
“It’s great to see the diversity of what we do,” she says. “We call ourselves a small city. We are surrounded by industrial kitchens, childcare centres, a dental clinic, construction shops and arts studios. Our room for staff training is right below the dance studio, and when we hear the music and dancing, it
reminds us that there’s learning happening upstairs as well as in our room. It’s a reminder of why we’re here.”
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.
years, longest-serving employee
parental leave top-up pay
THE FUTURE THAT AWAITS YOU
Adam Lis loves going into the office some days and not going into the office on others. Mostly what he loves is having the freedom to decide after his employer, global biopharma company GlaxoSmithKline Inc. (GSK), introduced Performance with Choice, a hybrid working model that allows employees to choose the way they work best to drive performance and support personal well-being.
The hybrid working model launched globally last year and came to life for GSK Canada employees with the opening of their new Mississauga headquarters, equipped with the latest technology for live interaction from home or office.
draws him in, particularly after two years of working remotely.
“A big advantage of going into the office is developing my team and connecting with colleagues – essentially, building that work culture,” says Lis. “When our legal team had students come in, meeting in person helped create a sense of community and team dynamics as well as accelerating their transition. It’s more challenging in a purely remote setting.”
Another draw for Lis is that he enjoys the atmosphere of the office – a bright, modern, innovative workspace with impressive technology.
The hybrid working experience has been great for me from both a performance and a personal happiness perspective.
— Adam Lis Legal Counsel“I can choose where I want to work based on what my day looks like, or what’s happening in my personal life,” says Lis, legal counsel. “There’s no concrete requirement to be in the office at a specific time.
“Having that work-life balance and knowing that your employer trusts you is a huge part of being able to do your best work,” he says. “The hybrid experience has been great for me from both a performance and a personal happiness perspective.”
While sometimes Lis likes to work from home, the need for in-person collaboration
“GSK has been brilliant in providing technology that gives you immediate connectivity within the remote setting, but there are certain perks you can only get from being in the office,” says Lis. “One I personally enjoy is the teaBOT, a six-foot robot that creates a customized cup of tea for you from 18 different kinds of loose-leaf teas. It’s a nice little benefit.”
Perry McLean, head of operational excellence, says it was important to make the office appealing to employees who had become used to working at home. That included fun innovations like the teaBOT (a Canadian-made invention), and a dedicated gym for employees, to draw people in to experience the benefits of working in the office.
“We were lucky because we had started the process of moving offices before the pandemic, so we had an opportunity to really inventory and decide on the best technology for us,” says McLean.
“We wanted state-of-the-art technology that encouraged both in-person effectiveness as well as in-person and virtual collaboration. Even if part of the team is working remotely
and part is in the office, they can still work together in real time.”
McLean says they also took the time during the pandemic to continue learning from employees about how they were adjusting and what they would like. While safety and personal well-being were at the top, people wanted the flexibility to work in a way that supported and inspired them to work at their best, whether at home or in the office.
“We’re really committed to having
outstanding people who can thrive, so it was critical to create the new hybrid work environment they wanted,” says McLean.
“We continue to check in with employees on a regular basis and are not afraid to pivot if we need to change something. I think this is the key for us to meet our ambitions in the future.”
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 unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together.
Talita Snyman was already established in the human resources field in South Africa in 2014, when the 33-year-old decided that if she was ever going to move into a more technical career, it was now or never. “I don’t deal with changes in a small way,” Snyman says dryly. “So I packed up, moved to Ontario to attend Sheridan College, and eventually my journey brought me to Hatch Ltd.”
From the get-go I was saying, ‘I want to be challenged,’ and Hatch offered those opportunities.
— Talita Snyman Mechanical DesignerAt every step along the way, from her co-op stint to company training, Hatch Ltd. provided exactly what she was looking for. “From the get-go I was saying, ‘I want to be challenged’,” says Snyman, “and Hatch offered those opportunities, whether in the office or to travel. As a mechanical designer I am based in Mississauga, but we do work with clients all over the world. Hatch is such a vibrant place, and management is so accessible, something I initially wasn’t used to, coming from South Africa, which is still very hierarchical.”
“Hatch has a value of being a flatconnected organization,” says Mike Fedoroff, the company’s regional managing director for Western Canada. “This value, among others, creates the culture to challenge people with new and exciting opportunities. Everyone is
unique and during their career with Hatch can achieve positive change for our clients, themselves and the communities we work and live in.”
The global engineering and professional services giant is governed by a manifesto that declares its passionate commitment to “the pursuit of a better world through positive change.” Hatch believes, Fedoroff says, “that as the infrastructure, mining and metals, and energy sectors undergo profound change to provide what is needed for electric vehicles, our employees will play a key role in helping Canada and the globe in adapting to what climate change brings us.”
So embedded within the manifesto is a commitment to partnership not only with clients, some of whom have been associated with employee-owned Hatch since it was founded over six decades ago, but also with its workforce.
“The accessible management means there’s no, ‘we’re doing it this way because I say so’ at Hatch,” says an appreciative Snyman. And the committed partnership with employees, she adds, has seen managers “actually go out of their way to ensure I got the training I needed, and to give me the chance to see my designs be implemented in the field.”
One of the Hatch design areas in which Snyman is involved is refractory design – brick linings – for smelting furnaces. That means, she laughs, “I get to play 3D Tetris,” often in real time. “We just recently completed a project in Quebec where I was involved from the initial design and was present for the entire installation. I got to see the first brick go in and watched while they put in the last one. That was very special and very satisfying for me.”
Snyman’s career at Hatch, marked by professional development and satisfying
collaboration with other employees – not to mention the 3D Tetris – has fully justified packing her bags and sailing off into the unknown eight years ago, she believes. “I am very happy I had the opportunity to join with Hatch, and I know there is still so much
more personal and career growth I can do here.”
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 a conversation one day with a friend in the insurance industry, Caitlin Duncan heard about an organization called the Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada (HIROC).
With a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Guelph, a certificate in human resources management from Sheridan College and a passion for health care, Duncan was looking for an employer that would provide her with a purpose. “It’s important to me to feel as if I’m making a difference,” she says.
“We attract many of our new employees through our own people,” says CEO Catherine Gaulton. “Our people are our best advertisement.”
Even meeting online, Duncan was impressed by her co-workers. “I was amazed by how passionate everyone is here,” she says. “Everyone in the organization makes a difference, every day. I’m always telling my friends about it.”
The enthusiasm of Duncan and her fellow employees might have helped to attract several new recruits to HIROC, whose full-time payroll grew during the pandemic to 117 people. “New employees expose us to what’s going on in the world,” says Gaulton.
“We look to see what young people need, such as benefits tailored more to their lifestyle, a health spending account to enhance traditional medical and dental coverage, for example, or more money for eyeglasses.”
To remain current, HIROC conducts an annual market review.
HIROC sounded promising. A non-profit insurance organization made up of more than 700 not-for-profit health care organizations across Canada, HIROC focuses on the safety of its subscribers and those they serve while helping them to mitigate risk and reduce loss. It also returns surplus funds to its subscribers – more than $200 million since 1987.
Duncan’s friend referred her to a vice-president at HIROC. After several online meetings and interviews, Duncan was hired in May 2020 as a human resources generalist and provided with a monitor, keyboard, mouse and headset, ready to start working for HIROC from home.
“Our staff appreciate that we listen to them,” says Duncan, who contributes to HIROC’s annual employment engagement survey.
Before the pandemic, HIROC employees had the option of working at home one day a week. When the office re-opened in May 2022, employees made it clear to Gaulton and her staff that the organization needed a different model.
“Based on their feedback, we developed a hybrid model, where employees spend two days a week at the office and three days at home,” she says. “Flexibility is now key.”
After almost two years at home, Duncan was happy to set foot in the office as a full-time employee for the first time since she started working for HIROC.
“I’m a people person. I really value
in-person interaction,” she says. “Even a short conversation as I grab a coffee makes a difference to me. And face-to-face interaction is really important for maintaining our culture.”
When she takes her laptop to the office after a 30-minute subway ride, Duncan appreciates other initiatives to support employee well-being, such as ice cream socials, team meet-ups and an employee-run equity, diversity and inclusion initiative that
often includes guest speakers.
Returning to the office had other benefits as well, says Duncan, who until then had encountered individuals solely on Zoom calls. “When I finally met other employees in person,” she says, “I was surprised at how tall some people were.”
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 attract many of our new employees through our own people. Our people are our best advertisement.
— Catherine Gaulton CEO
Adrian Mitchell went to work for the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) 21 years ago because he knew some good people there.
“I came for the people and ended up staying for the mission,” says Mitchell, senior managing director of public equities. “One thing that stands out is the clarity of our objective. We’re here to pay pensions for people in health care, some of whom might be on their feet for 12-hour shifts and may be working more than one job to get by.”
When you create psychological safety to allow people to be themselves, it drives innovation.
— Elena Palumbo-Sergnese Senior Vice-President, Human ResourcesThe Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan is a defined-benefit pension plan for the hospital and community-based health care sector. Based in Toronto, HOOPP serves over 420,000 members and has close to 1,000 employees.
“When I think about investing for our members, it has to begin with investing in our staff,” says Elena Palumbo-Sergnese, senior vice-president, human resources.
There are three key areas where HOOPP invests in its employees. The first is to ensure employees have access to health and wellness programs, including mental health. HOOPP also has strategic initiatives to improve equity, diversity and inclusion, as well as varied employee development opportunities.
The organization has formal development programs for every stage of an employee’s career. In finding and cultivating talent in its investment division, HOOPP recruits university graduates who are at the beginning of their career and introduces them to different aspects of investment management through its rotational program.
Across the organization, there are customized leadership programs available to staff at various levels in the organization. And HOOPP offers secondment opportunities and access to work on different projects to improve an employee’s breadth of knowledge.
The ability to promote from within the organization is key to the success of HOOPP. Palumbo-Sergnese, who started her career at HOOPP as a learning and development manager, is an example of this. Through opportunities to take on new responsibilities, she gained the breadth of knowledge she requires for her current executive role.
In addition to development opportunities, HOOPP recognizes that the need for a robust wellness program has never been more important as the impact of COVID-19 has continued. Mental health support is a big part of this strategy. Managers take a learning module on how to recognize and respond to mental health issues in their staff.
HOOPP has approached the return to work since the pandemic through a lens of flexibility, recognizing that people may have anxiety about coming back. In their transitional, hybrid work model, employees are requested to work in the office 20 per cent of the time.
Palumbo-Sergnese sees mental health not only as a health issue, but also as something that should be supported by equity and diversity initiatives. “For us, we’re creating
a culture of belonging to support all of our employees.”
HOOPP’s long-standing commitment to inclusion was formalized in 2021 with its five-year equity, diversity and inclusion strategy. The strategy is designed to engage at all levels of the organization, with formal training and a two-way dialogue enabled through employee resource groups. Because of HOOPP’s culture, Mitchell made a conscious choice to be transparent at work about belonging to the LGBTQ+ community. He shared the news with colleagues when he got married and happily brought his husband and children to a variety of
company events and activities. “It shows something about the organization’s embrace of diversity and the safety of being different in the organization.”
Palumbo-Sergnese believes that the focus starts with the participation of the board of trustees. “The equity, diversity and inclusion strategy is a key differentiating factor at HOOPP,” she says. “When you create psychological safety to allow people to be themselves, it drives 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.
WORKING TOGETHER TO DELIVER ON OUR PENSION PROMISE
Barbara Collins, president and CEO of Humber River Hospital (HRH), is proud of what she considers the core values of the hospital, located in Toronto’s west end. “We have three values: compassion, professionalism and respect. And in healthcare they’re easy to remember because that’s CPR – cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.
want to integrate those values into your lifestyle, to show them when you’re working in the field.”
In a profession where wages are regulated, HRH has to compete with other healthcare institutions to retain employees. Graca says the hospital’s 26-week maternity and parental leave top-up pay is particularly valued now that she’s expecting.
But she’s also appreciative of other programs, like meal cards so staff can get hot meals when working shifts during holidays, and the volunteer-run “Kindness Cart,” stocked with treats and knickknacks staff can pick from.
“It’s a way for the hospital to let us know that we’re remembered and they appreciate what we do for them and the patients.”
— Barbara Collins President and CEO“I think these are values, especially in an organization like a hospital, where you can engage and retain people who share the same values as you, provided you demonstrate those values as an organization,” says Collins. “So we have to show that we understand what our staff are going through, we have to provide an environment where people can be professional, and we have to respect everybody.”
Ashley Graca is a registered nurse at the hospital, and echoes Collins when talking about how the hospital enacts programs aimed at employee appreciation and retention. “Humber does have those core CPR values, so knowing that and linking that to your personal life and work at the hospital is really important,” says Graca. “You really
Graca talks about “rounding” – regular formal meetings between staff and management at all levels to get a reading on the health of the hospital as an organization, and reward staff who have distinguished themselves. “It’s a time when people can recognize other peers, and that helps the staff build their confidence. They feel appreciated, and it creates a more comfortable environment.”
Collins – herself a nurse – agrees that rounding is crucial to staff morale, especially in the wake of events like the pandemic. “There are serious questions we ask; we spend a couple of minutes getting to know each other – ‘What’s working? What’s not working? Is there one thing I can help you with today? Is there somebody I can thank or recognize on your behalf that has done a really great job, that has demonstrated living our values?’”
Hiring from within is also a priority, and helps explain strong staff retention. “How can we fund some education for you, so you
can move into another role?” says Collins. “You might move from a medical unit to a critical care unit, from environmental services to food services, to a pharmacy tech – growth opportunities are important.”
Graca says she benefited from this, taking courses in critical care and chemotherapy that have helped her advance at the hospital since she started there over three years ago.
“Humber does look at growing from
within, looking at employees in the organization first and allowing them to grow before they look for external candidates,” she says. “I’ve certainly experienced it, and I know that any employee who’s willing to grow has the ability to do so.”
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.
years, longest-serving employee of managers are women
full-time staff in Canada
of employees are visible minorities
We have to show that we understand what our staff are going through, we have to provide an environment where people can be professional, and we have to respect everybody.
When Don Romano came on as president and CEO of Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. nine years ago, he was on a mission. Inspired by his own Southern California upbringing and a famous saying of author and management consultant Peter Drucker that “culture eats strategy for breakfast,” Romano wanted to shake things up.
Like a lot of international companies whose headquarters are on other continents, Hyundai in Canada was a star in the industry in terms of its products but was lacking when it came to culture, says Romano.
Hyundai is also a key sponsor for BGC Canada (formerly Boys and Girls Club of Canada), which serves marginalized communities across Canada.
The icing on the cake, as Romano calls it, is all the activities that are organized for Hyundai team members – so many, he adds, that senior leaders have trouble keeping up.
“They really try to make sure that there are opportunities to get involved and meet people in different departments,” says Rebecca Giancola, a marketing specialist for Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury division.
They do a great job of keeping everyone connected, keeping that family and positive environment going.
There are sports teams and pickup games, monthly speakers, event-planning committees and employee resource groups. “They do a great job of celebrating the wins that we have as an organization and as a brand,” she adds. “They really make sure that everyone feels like they’ve contributed to the successes.”
—
Rebecca Giancola Marketing Specialist, Genesis“Our industry is just a disaster when it comes to diversity and considering the welfare of the employees as the main driver of success,” he says. “If you look at our customer base, they looked nothing like anybody in this office. And how do you relate if you’re a 60-year-old white guy that’s been raised in the auto industry?”
Fast forward, and much has changed, through scholarships to encourage Black and Indigenous Canadians to reach upper levels in the auto business and recruitment practices that aim to ensure that diverse applicants are given equal consideration.
Giancola joined Hyundai straight out of university and confesses that as a young female she was “a little bit intimidated.” But she was quickly put at ease, and for the past six years has found everyone to be supportive in helping her achieve her goals, providing her with mentors, resources and tools to get where she wants to go.
“They’ve always encouraged people to speak up and not be afraid to share different ideas,” she adds. “They do a great job of keeping everyone connected, keeping that family and positive environment going – and now, being back in the office, we’ve picked up right where we left off.”
What Romano started at Hyundai appears to have taken on a life of its own. “It’s like a giant ball that you can barely move, but once you get it going it begins to pick up its own momentum,” he says.
But don’t take his word for it – the proof
is in the numbers, which is something Romano puts his faith in. “At the end of the day, if you don’t have representation – which is a statistical representation – you’re never going to be your best. And so we focus on the numbers.”
In nine years, Hyundai has gone from less than 20 per cent of team members identifying as minority to 48 per cent; after dipping a little during the pandemic, some
38 per cent of team members are female. “We still have a lot of work to do,” Romano adds. “But I think diversity within the organization leads to other aspects of a strong culture, because when people feel accepted, they do their best.”
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.
tuition-related subsidies
employer-paid health plan, with family coverage
When Kelly Silva looks at a resume or interviews a job candidate, she’s not looking for just another employee to fill a vacancy. She’s looking at how she and the IAMGOLD Corporation team can make them shine like the gold nuggets the company mines.
“It’s about seeing a person’s potential and how we can guide them to become superstars in the organization,” says Silva, senior manager, talent acquisition.
“We’re not just hiring people to participate. We’re hiring people to ensure we give them what they need to be successful and be part of a fantastic team.”
health and safety.
“Zero Harm means embracing diversity, having respect for others and fostering an environment where everybody feels safe to bring their full authentic self to work,” Silva says.
“IAMGOLD ensures its employees are taken care of and happy, including their physical, mental and financial wellness, which is really nice.”
The company has reinvented its benefits package and other supports to be more responsive to a diverse range of employees, offering greater coverage and more flexibility. Training and education programs are expanding as the mining sector becomes increasingly high-tech. Employees can tailor their own personal wellness and career paths.
IAMGOLD ensures its employees are cared for, including their physical, mental and financial wellness, which is really nice.
— Kelly Silva Senior Manager,Talent Acquisition
IAMGOLD owns and operates gold mines internationally and in Canada. With its headquarters in Toronto, the company is committed to accountable mining through strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices.
IAMGOLD is determined to transform the way in which mining companies are traditionally viewed. The team at IAMGOLD is creating an environment where more women, Indigenous peoples and individuals from all walks of life feel safe and appreciated. A key to that is IAMGOLD’s Zero Harm policy, designed to continuously improve
“We’re working on developing programs such as wellness, enhanced medical spending accounts and other benefits to create a curated, personal experience for employees,” says Dorena Quinn, senior vice-president, people.
“It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. People are at different life stages and the decisions they make are very personal. Our employees tell us what they need and want, and we listen.”
Flexible work hours encourage work-life balance. Employees have options to work from home or in the office, as part of a hybrid flexible work model. Silva appreciates the flexibility afforded by hybrid work, as well as IAMGOLD’s summer hours program which allows for a modified work week, giving her the opportunity to have Friday afternoons off during the summer months.
IAMGOLD makes an impact in the community. Last year, IAMGOLD employees raised over $25,000 in support of men’s health for Movember. The company also helps the
IAMGOLD is expanding its training and education programs so employees can tailor their own personal wellness and career paths.
communities it operates in globally – a point of pride for its employees. Initiatives include sponsorship of 100 youth to participate in the Giants of Africa program, part of a four-year, $100 million commitment to Burkinabe youth in Burkina Faso.
Socialization helps employees bond and form friendships. Prior to the pandemic, the company’s head offices were a foodie’s delight, with events like Lunar New Year and Cinco de Mayo serving up a variety of cuisines from around the globe.
IAMGOLD works hard to keep its corporate culture uniform across its operations – no easy feat with so many different workplaces in so many countries. The key is
constant communication, with employees and managers taking advantage of multiple online and in-person ways of keeping in touch. For Quinn, it’s also critical to the cultural transformation at the company.
“Our employees, communities and stakeholders are all part of this journey we’re on,” she says.
“In that conversation, we haven’t got all the answers. That’s when we’re looking at you. We want you to be part of the conversation and the change.”
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.
employer-paid health plan, with family coverage
When Kadra Branker was a program advisor in the energy efficiency division at the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), she could see the impact of her work in the real world. Business owners benefitted from IESO’s incentives for energy efficiency projects. For example, LED lighting improved not just an industrial complex’s electricity bill but its employees’ workspace.
of that clear purpose. Being able to work with so many smart, passionate people who care about ensuring there’s reliable and affordable electricity in Ontario is a big part of what keeps me motivated.”
The IESO manages Ontario’s power grid in real-time, governs its electricity market and plans out its future energy needs to support sector evolution.
It is that greater good that drives so many individuals that work here, from those who are operating the system in real-time to those who are planning it out for the long term.
— Robin Riddell Vice-President, Human ResourcesToday, in a new role as the senior advisor to the vice-president, planning, conservation and resource adequacy and the COO and vice-president, markets and reliability, where Branker works with both the operations and the long-term planning teams, she’s able to suggest areas of integration, and see conversations start based on her ideas.
The potential for real-world impact, and the organization’s purpose-driven mandate, was what initially attracted her to the IESO in 2019.
“Energy is one of those basic social goods we all need. It’s something I and other employees at the IESO are very passionate about,” Branker says. “We’re at the heart of the electricity system and our efforts are part
“We’re tasked with ensuring there’s an electricity system that’s affordable and available where and when it’s needed,” says Robin Riddell, vice-president of human resources. “That’s quite a lofty purpose, but it is that greater good that drives so many individuals that work here – from those who are operating the system in real-time to those who are planning it out for the long term.”
Riddell, who has worked at the IESO since she was a summer student more than 35 years ago, says that being a purpose-driven organization that serves Ontario resonates with employees and candidates alike.
“I’ve relished and enjoyed my career here for many years, and ultimately I want to provide an experience for people where they’re glad to be here and their work experience is one that they take with them their whole life,” she says. “We want to make it really clear to individuals joining the IESO that this is an organization that’s doing things for the social good.”
Riddell notes that her ability to grow her career from student to VP is due in part to the organization’s focus on employees’ internal career growth. The organization has professional development programs including learning weeks and formal career development plans. When an employee identifies an area of the IESO’s business they’re interested in, or a particular role, they set a development plan with their manager
that could include both in-house and external professional courses.
When Branker began discussing her career interests with her former manager and other colleagues, they helped guide her to her current role by encouraging her to take courses on decision-making and effective networking skills, as well as content-related classes on how the IESO operates and plans for the future and its risk-management process. “I like that there’s a combination of a formal process and a supportive culture that enables your career growth,” she says.
As Ontario’s energy sector continues its massive transformation toward renewable, zero-carbon sources of electricity, the IESO’s
career development programs will become more relevant, Riddell says. At its most recent learning week, titled “Navigating the Future,” a series of sessions hosted by internal and external speakers were focused around three energy transition-related themes: decarbonization, digitalization and renewal.
“We want to make sure that as needs evolve and opportunities change, we’ve brought our employees along and given them different sets of skills to move into new and different roles,” Riddell 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.
full-time staff in Canada
of executive team are women
years, longest-serving employee weeks, maximum vacation allowance
Shivani Kapoor remembers the first thing that happened when she began working in 2021 at Interac Corp., one of Canada’s original financial technology companies, or fintechs. “When I started, I was invited to join the Women at Interac employee resource group, and so many women in the company welcomed me and made sure that I was comfortable.”
At a company where 57 per cent of the executive team are women, that would have been a big welcome. “I’ve had women leaders say to me that if I do need help, I have their support,” recalls Kapoor, who works as a senior manager of technology delivery for infrastructure and operations.
of the organization,” says Caroline Stephens, chief human resources officer. “Creating an inclusive workplace is a priority. We are proud to have an executive team with more than 50 per cent female representation. Interac is committed to action, and we will continue to drive this commitment forward alongside our board and shareholders.”
Kapoor, previously a consultant working with the country’s top five banks, says that brand recognition was the first thing that led her to join the organization, which received nearly 38,000 job applicants last year. Nearly a year later, she says she’s thrilled at management’s openness to her ideas and suggestions.
Creating an inclusive workplace is a priority. We are proud to have an executive team with more than 50 per cent female representation.
— Caroline Stephens Chief Human Resources Officer“It’s very encouraging to see that there is a community at Interac that is so welcoming, and that celebrates women leaders and their achievements, so that’s very inspiring to me.”
A leading provider of financial technology services in Canada, Interac has a deep commitment to encouraging diversity and inclusion in the workplace, recognizing eight dimensions of diversity including gender and gender identity.
“We do have a focus on female representation, especially at the higher levels
“One of my favourite things about Interac is the open-door policy with leadership. I can just walk up to anybody and talk about my ideas about how we can streamline and there is no pushback. They encourage you to move it to the next level and make sure you’ve been heard.”
Stephens says that the shift to remote work in 2020 helped managers “let go of creating a rigid space” and realize flexibility and results aren’t mutually exclusive. All employees, from entry-level to the CEO, are now free to choose their mode of work, whether it’s full-time at the office, hybrid or at home.
“It was a huge ‘a-ha’ moment for our team leaders,” says Stephens. “Not only did it add to the well-being of our employees to allow remote work, but it increased productivity the likes of which this company has never seen.”
She says empowering employees with this flexibility is core to what the company calls #InteracLife – offering employees the benefits they say matter most, including investing in their career development through
games and catching up.
coaching and learning opportunities, providing 100 per cent company-covered benefits and RRSP contributions, and giving them extra time off during the summer months.
According to Stephens, treating employees well and empowering them to innovate does more to inspire hard work than
implementing firm in-office policies: “It’s not about the clocking in - it’s about the value you bring and the contribution you provide.”
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.
One of the many things Penny Savoie loves about Kellogg Canada Inc. is how “it offers me the opportunity to wear so many different hats,” says the company’s senior manager of corporate affairs.
“Whether that’s leading brand PR initiatives or helping the marketers launch new products or working with our employees to help them give back to the community,” she says, “we get to work closely, collaboratively and across functions together. It makes every day a little bit different.”
and goals, and I think that really helps us grow personally and live as a company with a heart and soul,” Shah says. “From an overarching Kellogg standpoint, what makes us feel really proud as employees is our Better Days Promise with specific goals to advance sustainable and equitable access to food across the world by 2030.”
In Canada, Kellogg has donated over $5 million and 60 million servings of cereals and snacks to breakfast programs since 2015, adds Shah. And every year around World Food Day (Oct. 16), local Kellogg employees gather to give back to the community.
— Mona Shah Chief Legal Counsel and Human Resources OfficerThe cross-functionality is directly tied to Kellogg Canada’s smaller size, and brings more than variety to Savoie’s daily life. “Everyone here knowing one another and bringing diversity of thought and perspective to the table really helps me with all of our philanthropy work and charitable contributions,” she says.
Mona Shah couldn’t agree more. As someone who began at Kellogg Canada as legal counsel, moved into human resources, saw those departments merge, and is now the company’s chief legal counsel and human resources officer, Shah believes her own career neatly encapsulates Savoie’s point.
“We’ve got a tight organization where people know each other’s strengths, desires
“Most recently,” says Savoie, “when we were at a sales meeting for the first time since the pandemic, we got together as teams and built 22 bikes for an Etobicoke partner we’ve been supporting for the past 15 years.” Both the goal and the process appealed to Shah: “If you do team-building, why not do team-building that benefits the community?”
The tight-knit nature of the Kellogg workforce is evident elsewhere too. “The company recognizes that its employees also have causes that are close to their heart,” Savoie says.
Kellogg’s volunteer benefit policy affords employees two days of paid leave every year to volunteer at an organization of their choice, and through Kellogg Canada Cares the company will donate $100, up to a maximum of $500, to a charity for every 10 hours of volunteer service there by an employee.
“It can’t just be about what we stand for, but also about what the employees care about too,” says Savoie.
Then there’s care for employees. As pandemic stress increased, Kellogg tripled its financial contribution for mental health programs, and increased the type and number of eligible service providers. “The
feedback that we’ve received has been phenomenal,” Shah says. “You never know who is suffering. You never know who needs more help. You just have to make it available.”
And make that availability known as well, she continues, which works best when courageous employees trust their co-workers and employer enough to take the lead. When the equity, diversity and inclusion council put together a lunch-and-learn on autism
and what it is like to be a family member or caregiver, a Kellogg employee spoke.
“The courage, the vulnerability, the love, the raw emotion that you could feel from him was incredible,” says Shah. “As was the support that he received afterwards.”
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.
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 Greater Toronto's Top Employers!
At Kinross Gold Corporation, everyone dreams of winning a LOVA (Living Our Values Award). The highly coveted annual awards are a peer-to-peer recognition program for Kinross employees who are making a difference in their workplace or the community they serve.
Nicky Pitt, director of talent and engagement, says that while internal employee recognition is woven throughout the gold mining company’s culture, the LOVA is extremely special.
to the company’s Toronto headquarters for week-long events and the opportunity to get to know the corporate office staff. This year, winners from 2020 and 2021 were celebrated alongside the 2022 winners since their in-person events had been postponed due to COVID-19.
“We want to create an amazing experience for them,” says Pitt. “For some winners, this is the first time they’ve ever travelled. There’s a big awards gala, and volunteers from our corporate office who speak different languages take them and their guests to sights around Toronto and to Niagara Falls.
— Kairo Cunha Senior Manager,“Our values guide the nomination process, whether it’s the employee’s commitment to putting people first, outstanding corporate citizenship, high performance culture or rigorous financial discipline,” says Pitt.
“We ask nominators to provide specific examples of how their colleagues are generating change to help them stand out from all the applications we receive – over 3,600 across our global operations this year. Then we select eight winners – two employees who best embody each of our four values.”
Because it’s also a global award, winners can be from any of the company’s different mine sites, offices and projects in Canada, the U.S., Brazil, Europe, Chile or Mauritania. Kinross flies all the winners and a guest of their choice (plus interpreters)
“We’re always creating more opportunities for recognition, including promoting our women in mining and making sure we’re listening to their needs,” says Pitt. “We do a lot of fun things socially, but also from a conscious perspective, such as mental health week and Breast Cancer Awareness Month, as well as through the lens of diversity and inclusion. We’ve gotten a tremendous response to all those initiatives.”
Kairo Cunha, who won a LOVA in 2020 in the rigorous financial discipline category for identifying new cost-saving efficiencies on projects at Paracatu in Brazil and Bald Mountain in Nevada, says he felt humbled but also proud of himself and the people who helped him win that honour.
“If you do well, you will be recognized,” says Cunha. “Kinross also promotes internally as much as possible. I’ve seen so many people progress internally to different roles and I’ve been able to support the career development of others as well because we have that culture of prioritizing people within the organization.”
Now a senior manager, mine planning, in Toronto, Cunha joined as an intern in 2011 when he was just 19 years old and working
on his mining engineering degree. What he appreciates most are the opportunities he’s had to travel and work collaboratively with the mine site teams.
“You have an opportunity here at Kinross to make an impact and do interesting projects that can actually move the needle for the company,” says Cunha. “It’s a very open culture where you can talk with people from all different levels. Plus, the company has a culture of combining what you want in
full-time staff in Canada
weeks, maternity leave top-up pay
terms of your own career development with what the business needs, so it’s a win-win.”
“You’re encouraged to work hard but also to balance work-life, so it’s a fair place,” he adds. “The company doesn’t just take from you, they give as well. It’s very balanced, which is where it should be.”
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job applications received last year
charities supported last year
It’s a very open culture where you can talk with people from all different levels.
Mine Planning
Brittney Ieraci knows how important it is that employees take good care of themselves, both physically and mentally – after all, she’s a senior manager with KPMG in Canada’s human resources and employee experience team in Toronto.
That knowledge, however, provided little solace when Ieraci herself was on mental health-related leave in 2018. She says she found the prospect of returning to work daunting.
Based on that interaction, Ieraci felt she had the support and guidance she was looking for, which gave her clarity on what she needed to do next. This resulted in turning her efforts towards becoming a mental health champion as well.
Although KPMG has a wide range of initiatives promoting inclusion, diversity and equity, Ieraci realized there wasn’t a formal volunteer group or People Network to come together as a mental health community and support one another with education and allyship.
Sometimes our mental illness lies to us; it tells us that we can’t do things, that we’re not strong, that we’re alone, and that is just not true.
— Brittney IeraciBacked by the GTA senior leadership team, Ieraci worked with a group of passionate individuals to create a GTA Mental Health Network. It launched in May 2022 to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week.
“Within one day, we had over 90 people join,” says Ieraci, who serves as co-chair of the network.
Senior
GTA Human Resources and Employee Experience Consultant
Manager,“Even though I had a treatment plan that was working, I didn’t think I could go back,” she recalls. “Sometimes our mental illness lies to us; it tells us that we can’t do things, that we’re not strong, that we’re alone, and that is just not true. The best way to overcome this is by being open and authentic. There’s courage in being vulnerable and sharing your story.”
And that’s exactly what she did. With the help of a fellow colleague, Ieraci reached out to Denis Trottier, KPMG in Canada’s chief mental health officer – one of the first roles of its kind in corporate Canada.
Its membership continues to grow, as does its range of activities and events. Ieraci also launched a special podcast series titled, ‘This is me: Unfiltered,’ which talks about all things mental health and averaged four times the number of listeners over any other KPMG podcast in the first week.
Sebastian Distefano, regional managing partner, GTA, says that creating the network was the right and much needed next step in the firm’s ongoing commitments and actions promoting employees’ mental resiliency.
“Our region took things to the next level with the trailblazing actions provided by Brittney,” he adds. “Mental health is an important issue that impacts us all and Brittney showed a lot of courage in tackling it head on.”
Ieraci is also co-chair of the firm’s GTA Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee,
which aims to bring together champions and role models from the more than 20 People Networks in the GTA to foster positive change both within the firm and the community.
“We’re working to break down silos and connect our People Networks to amplify their voices and foster real organizational change,” she says.
The committee’s work epitomizes how KPMG’s commitment to inclusion, diversity and equity continues to grow and evolve, Distefano says.
Other examples, he says, include participating in an official capacity in the GTA Pride Parade for the first time in 2022,
a new mentorship program for the East Asian Network and collaborating with the non-profit organization ‘Specialisterne’ to recruit and retain neurodiverse talent.
Distefano notes that the caring, inclusive and values-led people in the GTA are truly what sets us apart in the region.
“We know that we’re stronger when we’re united. By working together, we can take care of ourselves and each other so that everyone can reach their full potential by bringing their whole selves to work.”
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mental health benefit
People Networks creating a sense of belonging
In her eight years with Labatt Breweries of Canada, Calgary native Kelsey Milsap has been all over Canada. Currently the company’s senior trade marketing manager in B.C., Milsap was at Labatt’s national office in Toronto last spring, working on the brand activation team, when she began co-ordinating a new and unexpected project. Milsap led the Canada-wide introduction of a new tribute beer, Chernigivske, made in the U.S. in the style of the original Ukrainian recipe, which has been brewed in Ukraine since 1988. As part of an international effort by Labatt’s Belgium-based parent company AB InBev, all gross profits from the sale of Chernigivske beer are going to the CARE Ukraine Crisis Fund aimed at providing humanitarian relief efforts for those impacted by the conflict in Ukraine.
population of Ukrainians outside of Ukraine. So this is no different. We do a lot of local relief efforts from floods and fires to the pandemic, and this is the exact same, just on a global scale.”
Bea Grubesic, Labatt’s vice-president, people, concurs. “This has been such a moment for us at Labatt,” Grubesic says. “It’s very meaningful to our employees that we as a company are present and providing support in moments of crisis. This project is a very big point of pride for us when we think about our communities in Canada and how the crisis in Ukraine affects a major Canadian community. It’s important to us that Labatt plays a role, and does so in a significant way — not only by using our combined global power to achieve it, but by providing 100 per cent of those proceeds for communities that need it.”
For the vice-president, showcasing in Canada one of the most popular beers in Ukraine while supporting a major national community is something that connects perfectly with Labatt’s core commitments.
“Beer is local, the ingredients are local, the sales are local, and we want to make sure the impact that it has is local as well.”
— Bea Grubesic Vice-President, PeopleIt was intense, time-sensitive work, Milsap says, but also something she simply expected from a company with the values Labatt lives by. “It was all-hands-on-deck with this project,” she says. “But we have 175 years of being involved in supporting our communities and employees across Canada – and we have the second-largest
The fact the project was organized out of the national office, with its concentrated and diverse workforce, adds Grubesic, helped push it “from hyper-local to hyper-national.”
Given the close relationships Labatt maintains with its partners, from grocery chains to beer stores, Chernigivske beer – instantly identifiable by the Ukrainian national colours in its packaging – appeared in retail outlets across Canada in short order.
“From start to finish it was done very, very quickly,” says Milsap. “We wanted to get it to the market and into the hands of
our customers, so they could contribute as soon as possible, and we did – which goes to show the agility and adaptability of our teams, even when working globally meant a whole other added layer.”
And it shows as well, Grubesic says, the values and capabilities shared by the company and its deeply engaged employees.
“We dream big about moving our industry forward and meaningfully interacting with the communities we work in, and we do that by working together.”
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full-time staff in Canada years, longest-serving employee
years, average age of all employees weeks, maternity leave top-up pay
It’s very meaningful to our employees that we as a company are present and providing support in moments of crisis.
In 2019, Karen Rossetti, Toronto-based senior director, store operations and support, for the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), took a two-year medical leave. At the end of it – despite the fact, she says, “that I had all of my numbers to retire” and some of her friends encouraged her to do so – she chose to return to work in 2021.
A big part of our culture is investing in our people, both leadership and front-line employees. It’s really the key to our success.
— Karen Rossetti Senior Director,Store Operations and Support
“I have a great sense of pride in what I’ve achieved here,” she says, “especially as a woman in this industry. I love the LCBO, the people I work with and the people I work for. I feel like I still have so much more to give, and I'm still learning.”
Rossetti’s deep loyalty to the LCBO and the opportunities it has given her go back some 40 years, to when she was 18 and started as winter-term help. She went on to part-time work for the Crown corporation, and that helped her pay for university. After graduation, she became a permanent employee, and grew through the ranks over the years.
“The LCBO has always prided itself on the training that's available for employees,” she says. “There’s an array of formal training,
but there’s also a lot of informal coaching and mentoring. A big part of our culture is investing in our people, both leadership and front-line employees. It’s really the key to our success.”
For Lilian Riad-Allen, senior director of workplace health, safety and wellness, the LCBO also has a culture of caring for staff’s physical and mental well-being. “We’ve had a really robust COVID response and we’ve amplified our commitment to whole-person health in our everyday business,” she says.
“We look at physical health and infection prevention but also well-being, and having an appreciation for how hard it has been for people emotionally. For example, we launched a comprehensive mental health training program, and 93 per cent of our people leaders have completed it.
“We’ve also had fireside chats, in which we really open the conversation to bring down stigma by having some of our most senior leaders speak to their personal and familial situations with people experiencing mental health conditions in the workplace.”
Riad-Allen has had personal experiences with the LCBO’s sensitivity to employees’ emotional needs. “A month before I started my job, in the early days of the pandemic, my mom was diagnosed with a terminal condition,” she recalls. “None of us knew what the pandemic was going to be, but for someone in my role, it was quite demanding.
“The LCBO allowed me the space to be there for my mom,” she says. “It’s the people here and it’s the small things people do to see the humanity behind the employee – that makes all the difference. After my mother passed away last year, I felt safe to share this really personal situation. The level of compassion and empathy that came through really deepened my commitment to the
organization. This is best-in-class leadership in action.”
Even before joining the LCBO, RiadAllen was drawn to the organization’s values, citing Spirit of Sustainability, LCBO’s social impact platform. “We’ve partnered with Pride Toronto, Women's College Hospital Foundation and with Ontario Forests to plant trees, among others. It’s an amazing way to give back to our communities and the province.”
Meanwhile, for Rossetti, one of the things that convinced her not to retire was the opportunity to coach and mentor to grow talent, just as the LCBO had done for her. “I’ve spent more than half my life here,” she says, “and seeing the potential in others is really what drives me.”
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There is a world of opportunities at the
ackie Thomas’ daughter is 14 months old, a happy and excitable little explorer who has the cutest laugh. And from before she was born, to today, Thomas’ employer, Manulife Canada, has been a part of her life.
Thomas, a manager in the company’s group benefits business, had known since her early 20s that she wouldn’t be able to carry a child. Years later, she learned it would be possible for her to go through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) for egg retrieval, and she would need a surrogate to carry her child. But as she started to look at her options, she was confronted with a “very daunting” price-tag, she recalls.
I was nervous at first but cautiously optimistic,” she says. “As I learned more about the benefit, I was floored that my employer was able to make my dream of having a family a reality.”
Today, she says, she’s able to use her benefits to cover hearing aid and speech language pathology related to her daughter’s congenital hearing loss. “Not only did it help to bring her into the world, but it’s also going to support us now and into the future.”
I was floored that my employer was able to make my dream of having a family a reality.
— Jackie Thomas Manager, Group BenefitsOne round of IVF is approximately $20,000 – though Ontario provincial health care covers one round for patients who meet certain criteria – and surrogacy can cost tens of thousands more, according to fertility patient groups Conceivable Dreams and Fertility Matters Canada.
In late 2019, around the same time that Thomas was starting to make plans, Manulife announced it would roll out a new benefit in 2020 that would cover up to $20,000 of employees’ surrogacy or adoption-related expenses.
“After being told becoming a mom was out of the question since I was 18 years old,
The company’s adoption and surrogacy support are just one of a suite of familyplanning benefits and initiatives, which also includes fertility coverage, 20 weeks of paid maternity leave and 12 weeks of paid parental and adoption leaves. In 2023, Manulife will further expand its family planning support by significantly expanding its fertility benefits to cover medical and drug costs without cycle or dollar limits, or any lifetime maximum.
Those offerings are part of the company’s commitment to meeting a wide range of employee needs, says Ashesh Desai, Manulife’s head of group benefits. The insurer also offers coverage for gender affirmation procedures that fall outside of provincial health-care coverage, and $10,000 of annual mental health care coverage.
“One of the things we’ve learned is colleagues have different needs at different points in their lives, and so we need to meet those people at those moments, because we want to ensure everyone is supported through important life milestones,” Desai says.
Desai, who’s been with Manulife for just over half a year, says it has been “quite rewarding” to be part of an organization that supports employees in starting or growing
their families.
For Thomas, Manulife’s support wasn’t just financial. Navigating IVF and surrogacy is complicated, filled with medical procedures, legal contracts and plenty of paperwork, but the company’s benefits team helped guide her through the process.
“Because it was a newer benefit, they were really excited to see what the outcome would be,” she says. “Going through this and with
the support of someone outside of my immediate family kept me powering through. It was nice to have someone check in, and I even sent them pictures after she was born. And now that I’m back from parental leave, I’ve had the most incredible support.”
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Make your impact. When you grow we grow.
Ariana Azhari knew her future would be built with Mattamy Homes Limited after she learned about its commitment to the environment. Now, as a senior manager, finance, with its GTA Low Rise division, she says sustainability is key when building homes.
“As a millennial, I have certain values and sustainability is big, especially since I have young children,” Azhari says. “Historically, home building hasn’t been seen as the most environmentally friendly activity but it’s different at Mattamy. We’re building with a lens of preserving as much nature as we can.”
forefront of the conversation in the design and building of our homes. It’s exciting and important. Mattamy is very focused on moving the needle forward in how we build homes that are less impactful on the environment and how we create the way those houses operate.”
For example, Mattamy is building 350 single-family homes in Markham entirely powered by a geothermal district energy system.
“It’s important to recognize that you’re going to need to do different things in different places. So, the opportunity to do geothermal in Ontario makes sense. Then you flip to Calgary or Edmonton and solar is more effective. We are aiming to create houses that consume or create less greenhouse gases,” Carr says.
However, there’s another cornerstone for building Mattamy’s future.
Mattamy is Canada’s largest new-home construction and development firm, with single-family homes, townhouses and multi-level condo communities stretching across the GTA, Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton plus 11 markets in the United States. A specific sustainability project within a development in Mattamy’s Ottawa region impressed Azhari most.
“There were endangered species of frogs on some land that we purchased,” she says. “The land development team built a pond in the marsh so the frogs wouldn’t just survive but thrive. A year later their number had increased.”
Adds CEO Brad Carr: “It’s an example of how we put the environment at the
“Our employees are pillars that construct greatness,” Carr adds. “We’re fostering a company and a culture that allows people to be their best selves and to really grow their careers. So, while we build homes, we also want to build careers for our team members.”
Azhari had lived in and loved a Mattamy house several years before being recruited for her role, but she knew the company’s culture would be the real key to her decision.
“I took the first interview and it just blew me away, then every conversation just got better and better,” she says. “There was a real genuineness and it just resonated with me. I appreciate a company’s culture above all else and I wanted that sense of team, because you see who you work with often more than your own family.”
Azhari adds that Mattamy’s corporate culture includes benefits such as an annual physical fitness reimbursement, a matching
RSP program, a flexible benefits plan, a hybrid work model and a female mentoring sponsorship program called WiN@Mattamy. “Sometimes I have challenges balancing my personal life and my professional dreams and desires. It’s terrific to be part of the WiN@Mattamy program where I can bounce ideas off someone who’s been
through it and receive some great advice,” she says.
“Joining Mattamy I knew was the right decision. And it definitely was.”
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weeks parental (including adoptive) top-up pay employer-paid health plan, with family coverage
Our employees are pillars that construct greatness.
— Brad Carr CEO
During one of its monthly town hall meetings, a Mazda Canada Inc. employee asked whether the company could enhance its benefits for mental health counselling. So the leadership team did some research, and promptly increased the company’s coverage for mental health services.
To Krista Kelly-Gombocz, director, people and culture, this is an example of Mazda Canada’s genuine care for its employees and its intentional approach to supporting them. “Employee well-being is of paramount importance to us, and with safety being our top quality standard, we want to ensure the safety of all of our employees, which includes promoting physical and mental health and well-being,” Kelly-Gombocz says.
nature at least three times a week in August. Employees at the Mazda Canada head office logged 220,000 active minutes during the challenge, the most out of any group registered.
“This is an example of how our employees want to work together and be part of a team, and how they understand the importance of physical health and its direct impact on mental health,” Kelly-Gombocz says. “People encouraged each other to get active and do something different to benefit their overall well-being.”
It allows them to have the conditions in place to flourish and to love their jobs and be productive and motivated and innovative and creative.
— David Klan President and CEOThe company also increased the amount of its annual Wellness Fund for each employee, which employees and their dependents can use toward activities that support their wellness, including physical activity costs, meditation or art classes or a mental health app subscription.
Through the CX-50 Minute Challenge, a partnership with ParticipACTION, Mazda Canada encouraged its employees and all Canadians to spend 50 minutes in
To develop the company’s flexible workplace policy, Kelly-Gombocz’s team solicited direct feedback from and collaborated with employees and leaders through a series of surveys and discussions. The flexible workplace model launched in September and 90 per cent of employees are now classified as hybrid, with the flexibility to work from a Mazda office or from home. The company also provided employees with a one-time stipend toward the purchase of ergonomic equipment for their home office.
Another initiative aimed at supporting employee wellness is the inclusion of a Meeting Governance guideline, which includes strategies to reduce the quantity and increase the quality of virtual meetings to help give back employees’ time. Among guidelines, agendas and content must be provided at least 48 hours in advance, so participants can review and come to meetings well prepared. Hour-long meetings end 10 minutes early so attendees have time to take a break in advance of their next meeting.
Mazda Canada also introduced summer Fridays this year, with all employees working only a half day every Friday from June to September. “We want to ensure the health and well-being of all of our staff, so this is
Mazda Canada offers an annual fund for each employee and their dependents to use toward wellness activities.
a way to provide more time for work-life balance and self-care,” Kelly-Gombocz says.
David Klan, president and CEO, says these initiatives help employees reach their full potential. “It allows them to have the conditions in place to flourish and to love their jobs and be productive and motivated and innovative and creative,” he says.
“I am fiercely proud of these initiatives. I think these investments are substantial
and they mean a lot to our employees. They help everybody feel even more tightly connected to the company and to know they are supported by the full leadership team and each other. People have to feel safe and valued to realize their full potential.”
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full-time staff in Canada
job-related tuition subsidies
employer-paid health plan, with family coverage weeks, maternity and parental leave top-up pay
David Singh has been helping to incorporate new technologies at Brampton-based Medtronic Canada for nearly 30 of Medtronic’s 50 years in Canada.
From the start, Singh, senior director, IT, has been acutely aware that employee well-being and productivity are supported by people’s ability to effectively connect and collaborate. “If you can use technology to enable and protect the culture at the same time, it’s a win for everyone,” he says.
supporting 26 different regions across two continents – just one example of why it’s so important for us to have tech communications solutions.”
The pandemic accelerated the adoption of several digital communications tools, both synchronous and asynchronous, says Singh. “We don’t look at technological tools from an IT perspective,” he continues. “We ask, what business problem are we trying to solve?”
We’re in the healthcare technology business. We’re constantly looking for ways to apply technology to improve both the customer and employee experience.
— David Singh Senior Director, ITMedtronic is a leading global healthcare technology company, with over 95,000 people in 150 countries worldwide dedicated to alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life. From miniaturized pacemakers to minimally invasive laparoscopic instruments to patient monitoring systems, Medtronic’s innovative therapies address 70 different health conditions, including Parkinson’s, diabetes and a number of heart diseases.
Staying connected is critical. “We look for ways to continuously improve the employee experience for easy communication with anyone in the country and around the world,” says Singh. “My team operates from multiple locations, with eight different offices
When the world shut down overnight, his team focused on supporting and empowering employees to continue to engage with each other, as well as with patients and healthcare providers, virtually.
“It really makes a difference when we can see who we are talking to and have a sense of connection with our peers and customers,” he says. “One of our goals in IT is to help drive collaboration as effectively as possible in a digital environment.”
For Singh, the virtual and hybrid environments enabled by his team also “level the playing field” when it comes to active participation in meetings. “Some people who may have felt intimidated in a strictly face-to-face setting feel more confident contributing in this new work environment,” he says. “We are seeing more creativity and diversity of thought than ever before.”
Alex Naccarato, a senior digital specialist in Medtronic’s diabetes business, agrees.
“There’s a lot of open communication here,” says Naccarato. “In my job, I work closely with teams from all over North America – a crack squad of experts – and I always feel comfortable speaking up when I have something to say, even though I’m a younger employee.”
With digital tools and technology continuing to evolve, roles like his that focus
on external communications are important in reaching people outside Medtronic, such as patients and customers.
As he lives with Type 1 diabetes himself, Naccarato feels a special connection with those looking to use Medtronic insulin pump systems to help improve the management of their condition.
“I help patients connect with the company, literally and figuratively,” he says of his work in digital marketing and social media, which helps the company stay on the leading
edge of systems it uses to interact with its diabetes community. “It’s cool that I’m in digital, but I know my work contributes to helping better people’s lives.”
Adds Singh: “We’re in the healthcare technology business. We’re constantly looking for ways to apply technology to improve both the customer and employee experience.”
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Do meaningful work, make a difference, and improve lives – starting with your own.
From the moment he started working for Mercer Canada in Toronto in 2021, Christian Figueiredo says the firm made every effort to help him feel he belonged there. This included connecting the recent university graduate with other employees in an instant support network.
For Graham, it's a clear example of a consulting firm practicing what it preaches. Mercer works with employers to design and manage benefits programs with a focus on employee well-being, including their physical, emotional and financial health.
The pandemic posed unprecedented challenges when the majority of Mercer Canada’s employees were working from home. Acting on the same advice it was providing clients, the firm asked its people managers to stay in regular contact with their teams to make sure employees were getting the support they needed.
Graham says this was especially important for analyst-level new hires like Figueiredo who were also working remotely but, unlike their colleagues, had never worked in the office.
“Mercer made sure my buddy system included someone just a couple of years into their career right on up to very senior colleagues,” says Figueiredo, an actuarial analyst on the Wealth team in Toronto. “They all made me feel welcome and valued.”
Angelita Graham, partner and office leader in Toronto, says Mercer takes onboarding seriously, providing consultant training. People managers, for example, support colleagues by setting expectations and helping them understand what it takes to develop in their careers, and how Mercer will help them achieve their goals.
“People want to know what the future looks like,” says Graham. “At Mercer, you’ll be supported and mentored by a community of peers and leaders who will help you to learn, grow and advance your career.”
“We didn’t want anybody to feel isolated or alone,” Graham says. “We arranged lots of virtual opportunities for them to interact with colleagues and feel connected to the firm.”
After extensive planning for a safe and healthy return to the office, Mercer has adopted a flexible, hybrid model. Graham says that a higher percentage of Generation Z works on site, more often than other generations.
It’s an opportunity, she adds, for those who were onboarded during the pandemic to expand their networks as they can meet face to face with people they simply never had an opportunity to encounter virtually.
Mercer’s inclusive culture also facilitates community building via its various business resource groups such as Mercer Cares, PRIDE and the Rising Professionals Network.
Figueiredo says that among the people he routinely interacts with, both formally and
informally, are some of the firm’s most senior leaders. But until he started working there, he adds, he didn’t understand what it meant when others spoke highly of Mercer’s “flat culture.”
Given his undergraduate degree in actuarial science, Mercer was an obvious choice for him as a potential employer, he says. Then, as he researched the firm, he was impressed by both its purpose, making a difference in people’s lives, and its first-class benefits package.
Now, he says, Mercer’s non-hierarchical workplace environment tops the list of reasons he enjoys working there.
“The senior leaders are very approachable and eager to assist because they care about you as a person,” he says. “I can’t imagine that happens everywhere, but it’s invaluable when you’re just starting your career.”
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— Angelita Graham Partner & Office Leader, Toronto
Lauren Giroux was recently among a group of Mondelēz International employees participating in a career fair, talking to university students about opportunities available at the organization.
“There were employees from across the organization who came out. Mondelēz provides many opportunities like this outside of your day-to-day function. If you have a passion about something, there is an opportunity to get involved,” says Giroux, people lead, enabling functions.
I think part of what makes Mondelēz magical is that you work with fantastic people and make those valuable connections.
— Lauren Giroux People Lead, Enabling Functions“You also always have the ability to just be yourself. We all travelled together to the career fair, and we had so much fun. And we had all just met each other. I think part of what makes Mondelēz magical is that you work with fantastic people and make those valuable connections.”
Mondelēz produces a wide variety of popular snacks, from chocolate bars to cookies. In Toronto, it makes, among others, Peek Freans, Oreo cookies, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk and, ever since 1924, Dad’s Cookies.
Chantal Butler, vice president, marketing, who started at Mondelēz in 2022, says she quickly noticed the atmosphere of connection and caring.
She attributes part of this to the company’s approach to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I). This includes a diversity hub, where team leaders can find resources to help them bring DE&I education and activities to their departments. The company also runs structured programs, such as DE&I training and employee resource groups. Led by employee volunteers, the resource groups focus on five different areas. Giroux leads the Indigenous group.
“We educate our colleagues so that they’re mindful of how they may or may not be contributing to a welcoming space. We also empower them with real-life options to go out and make things happen within their roles,” Giroux says.
Employees are also encouraged to bring forth ideas and feedback. For example, when building the new company headquarters in Toronto, Mondelēz included a prayer room and foot washing stations for employees who follow this ritual for religious reasons. Also based on employee feedback, employees now order uniforms off a common order form –instead of separate ones for men and women – so they can order whatever makes them feel more comfortable and confident.
“We are empowering people and letting them know it is safe to bring forward these ideas,” says Giroux. “And so many people are coming forward and sharing ideas and helping to make this a better workplace for everybody. You don’t have to be in a specific role or have a specific title to do this.”
Another way Mondelēz shows care for its employees is through learning and development opportunities, says Butler.
This includes six-to-nine-month leadership development programs that help nominated employees develop managerial skills and on-demand, digital programs for
all employees on topics including negotiation skills, Finance 101 and Mondelēz-specific how-tos.
Butler is participating in GM Academy, a six-month program that helps leaders from across the globe optimize their performance. Participants learn from the company’s global human resources team and from colleagues from across the company using real Mondelēz case studies.
“There is continuous improvement no
matter what level you’re at. You learn more about how to be as effective as possible in your job and I think this gives people confidence,” Butler says. “It also increases engagement. I feel heavily engaged in the company when I feel like it is investing in my progress and learning.”
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After earning a degree in civil engineering in her native country Iran, and a master’s at the University of Toronto, Banafsheh Tabibzadeh was advised that a consulting company would be the best place for a young woman to launch a career in engineering. But a guest lecturer from the Toronto-based construction management firm Multiplex Construction Canada changed that perception.
“What really made me comfortable and happy with Multiplex is that they really advocate for and support women in construction,” says Tabibzadeh, a project coordinator at Multiplex. “My team is super supportive. There’s no difference between men and women. They give you the same opportunity as the male employees.”
Construction is very fast paced. It’s challenging. It really shows your capabilities to come up with solutions very quickly because sometimes there is no time to waste.
— Banafsheh Tabibzadeh Project CoordinatorTabibzadeh currently works on site, some days in a hard hat and safety boots, at a 541,000 square foot residential complex comprising townhouses and two, 10-storey condo towers in the Toronto suburb of Oakville. “Construction is very fast paced,” she says. “It’s challenging. It really shows your capabilities to come up with solutions very quickly because sometimes there is no
time to waste.”
Multiplex is a global construction management firm founded in Australia in 1962 and established its Canadian subsidiary in 2011. Since then, Multiplex has played a significant role in transforming the urban landscape of the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area. The Oakville project is one of nearly three dozen projects the company has built in Canada, worth over $1 billion.
To date, Multiplex has sourced its candidates through various methods: direct applicants to their Careers Page, Referrals and from within their global Multiplex network of employees. Currently, they also partner with select colleges and universities within the GTA such as occupational health and safety students from Toronto Metropolitan University and building innovation management students from George Brown College.
“We typically hire third – and/or fourthyear students to do a co-op term with us where they get the practical experience they require,” says Anisa Yusuf, vice-president, human resources. “If they perform well and they are the right fit for the company, we’ll bring them back for their second term or hire them if they are graduating. They become familiar with Multiplex and get to know the culture, and if it’s the right fit for them as well.”
Under the current leadership, the culture of the company has been transformed over the past three years, she adds. “It’s a more transparent and collaborative environment,” Yusuf says, “We don’t operate with a top-down approach. We are collaborative. Everyone is heard and encouraged to bring forward their ideas.”
The company is also investing in professional development and career planning.
Multiplex provides career kits to its field management staff as part of its investment in professional development and career planning.
“We’ve developed career kits for our field management staff at every level from site administrator up to general superintendent,” she says. “The kits outline what the career path looks like for each position, what you need to accomplish in terms of experience and the competencies you need to in order to get to the next level.”
Apart from offering the opportunity to move vertically, up the proverbial corporate ladder, employees can also consider the possibility of working abroad, in Australia where Multiplex serves 6 regions, or the United Kingdom where the company
also operates.
“Multiplex is a global company,” says Yusuf. “We encourage our employees to express their interest in working in other regions and have a global management system that we use to track talent. We’ve had people go to the UK to grow their careers. That’s an attractive option for someone who wants to live abroad for a while and obtain international experience.”
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full-time staff in Canada
of employees are visible minorities
years, average age of all employees
employer-paid health plan, with family coverage
www.multiplex.global
Our purpose is to construct a better future
As senior manager, surgical marketing, at Olympus Canada Inc., Lindsay Kingsborough sometimes has the opportunity to go into operating theatres and see her company’s medical equipment in action. It’s been a poignant reminder of why she loves her job.
“At the end of the day, we know our true customer is the patient on the table,” says Kingsborough. “That’s hugely motivating and fulfilling for everyone at Olympus.”
as it responded to complex supply chain challenges as well as the need to service and repair critical medical equipment.
During the early part of the pandemic, the company’s service and repair facility in Richmond Hill was split in two to increase social distancing and reduce employees’ potential exposure to COVID-19.
“We essentially went from being one big production facility to splitting into two smaller, identical sites,” says Jonathan Tom, a service engineering specialist at the Richmond Hill facility.
At the end of the day, we know our true customer is the patient on the table. That’s hugely motivating and fulfilling.
— Lindsay Kingsborough Senior Manager, Surgical MarketingBased in Richmond Hill, Olympus Canada is part of a global company that specializes in providing and servicing medical technologies, including minimally invasive therapeutic tools and diagnostic equipment.
Since joining Olympus Canada eight years ago, Kingsborough says she has been impressed with the collective passion of her colleagues to “help make people’s lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling.”
Key to that, she adds, is a shared commitment to live up to the company’s core values of agility, empathy, integrity, a long-term view and a sense of unity.
Those values helped shape Olympus Canada’s response to the pandemic.
The company proved extremely agile
Team members willingly changed their shifts and hours of work, in some cases working night shifts for the first time in their lives.
As the pandemic eased, and more non-elective surgeries resumed, there has been a new set of challenges for Tom and his colleagues.
“We’ve been doing everything possible to ensure hospital equipment is serviced and repaired so that more surgeries and procedures can take place,” he says. “To see the direct impact of our work has definitely been a big motivating factor.”
As part of a global company, with operations in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia, Olympus Canada team members are accustomed to collaborating with colleagues across several time zones.
To promote work-life balance, team members are encouraged to schedule meetings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, leaving Mondays and Fridays free for other critical work. Sensitive to time zone differences, they strive to ensure that the meetings don’t infringe on employees’ early mornings and evenings. Unnecessary emailing on weekends is discouraged.
The pandemic accelerated initiatives that were already underway at the global company to offer flexible work options.
“Olympus has made the decision that hybrid and remote work models are here to stay,” says Kingsborough. “The emphasis is on ensuring that, when we have in-person hours, it is a meaningful opportunity to collaborate and connect. Outside of that, we’ve embraced a model of empowering and enabling teams to work in ways that work best for them.”
Whether in-person or virtual, Tom says the
company values collegiality and teamwork. “Managers definitely encourage and respect our input and ideas, which they rely upon when it comes to making key decisions,” he says. “So the one thing I tell any new hires is not to be afraid to communicate your opinions and thoughts. The team culture here creates a synergy that is quite special.”
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to Making People’s Lives, Healthier, Safer and More Fulfilling
As a member experience employee
at OMERS Administration Corporation when the COVID19 lockdowns began two years ago, Jordanna DiBenedetto found the abrupt switch to remote work wrenching.
“I’m a very social person,” says DiBenedetto, “and my job at the time was to travel around Ontario and speak to members about their pension plans. Now we had to create new ways to support them. Through digital resources from virtual employer training to online one-on-ones, we have kept the conversation going.”
also in close contact with people across the province who serve us day in and day out –police officers, firefighters, sanitation staff, educational staff – and it’s really rewarding to give back to those people.”
Nancy Nazer, OMERS’s chief human resources officer, had a remarkable pandemic experience of her own. She joined the pension fund giant in April 2020 as a lockdown arrival. “I only really had a chance to meet people during the interview process,” she says. “Once I joined, it was the first time in my career speaking to a large global organization by leveraging technology and hoping I was making those people connections.”
I’m a big advocate of asking, listening and understanding, and putting the right actions in place.
— Nancy Nazer Chief Human Resources OfficerThe change to her role encompassed more than DiBenedetto’s daily activities on behalf of the retirement system for Ontario municipal employees. “OMERS has fabulous employee resource groups, individuals we can speak to and a community focus that encourages us to lean on each other,” the member experience lead says. “I know myself – I’ve had to explore those options.”
For DiBenedetto, the caring nature of her workplace matches the meaningful nature of her work.
“I have family members who have OMERS plans and I’ve seen the impact,” says DiBenedetto. “It hits close to home when your family members and friends are impacted by the work you do. But I’m
Yet 90 days into her new job, Nazer was able to declare OMERS “feels like home to me, like I’ve joined a family” during her first dial-in organization-wide community session. “I still hadn’t met more than a dozen people in person,” she recalls. “But there was just something different, very welcoming and supporting, about OMERS.”
Since then Nazer has aimed to further entrench consistent communication. “I’m a big advocate of asking, listening and understanding, and putting the right actions in place,” she says. OMERS has put an engagement survey in place that allows it to benchmark itself internally, and drive a culture of trust and inclusivity in order to maintain the workforce it expects to need. “Employees are in the driver’s seat and we can’t forget that there is a war for talent,” says Nazer.
“Things like wellness have taken on an entirely new meaning in terms of emotional wellbeing,” she adds, “and we need to listen to our employees in terms of what matters to them and differentiate ourselves in that regard.” For some female employees, gradual
return – whether from remote work or maternity leave – is key. “I just ran into somebody on my own team who’s gradually returning from pregnancy leave and she said that makes a huge difference in terms of making it easy for her to transition back.”
DiBenedetto, too, has doubled down on paying forward the pandemic support she received from her employer. “I’m currently the chair of the Social Inclusion and Diversity committee for my specific area, which I joined during the pandemic,” she
says. Her committee coordinates often with other employee groups, like Briefcase Parents and Women@OMERS, bringing in speakers and “amplifying each other’s voices,” she says.
“I just really want to make sure everyone here, whether you’re new or never had to use these resources before, knows OMERS has them.”
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For much of her five years with the Ontario Dental Association (ODA), government relations assistant Jenna Berndt has operated under pandemic conditions, working from home. When she comes to the office, though, there’s one thing she can’t help but notice.
“At every all-staff meeting, there are always people celebrating their five, 10, 15, 25 and 40 years with the organization” she says. “At the ODA, they care so much about our well-being, making sure that this is an enjoyable place to come in and work, making sure that we're rewarded for our hard work.”
sometimes decades – having that knowledge base is extremely important, for sure.”
It’s a place where people want to stay, he says. “We’re not an enormous organization, and we have had this tradition of being considered as a family.”
Berndt, whose background is in human resources, says the ODA recognized abilities she hadn’t imagined when she started working at the company.
“There’s lots of job security, and there are lots of opportunities for us to improve. I wrote my own job description with my boss. They saw that I had some strengths in certain areas and asked, ‘how can we improve upon that and grow?’”
We’re not an enormous organization, and we have had this tradition of being considered as a family.
— Frank Bevilacqua CEOEmployee retention is a major priority for an association where one staff member is closing in on nearly five decades working there. And for CEO Frank Bevilacqua, these long-term employees are a sign of success.
“As any employer will tell you, a high turnover rate obviously speaks to some issues at that particular organization,” he says. “Lost productivity, the costs associated with staff turnover are all challenges that employers would prefer to avoid.
“But having that historical knowledge in our case, where you’re dealing on the advocacy front, where issues do carry on for years,
So at the start of the pandemic, Berndt started taking courses in political science at the University of Guelph, paid for by the ODA. “There was experience I was lacking, like writing policy, so we looked at what the best university course would be to make me more rounded in my job,” she says.
“Because you need very specific experience for this position ‒ the people skills, the organizational side and the events – but I didn’t have experience in the policy side, so this course has helped me a lot.”
Bevilacqua says this sort of educational support is organizational policy. “We do look at promoting folks internally, and we want to make sure that individuals remain challenged,” he says.
“If it’s somebody that we want to develop further for a position at a manager’s level, for instance, we will certainly do that. If it’s individuals that require specialized knowledge because of what they do, we want to make sure individuals are at the leading edge when it comes to that area.”
Remote work was challenging for a lot of employers, but the ODA’s generous support
policies made it possible for employees to enjoy more than just improved home office spaces, daycare and gym memberships.
“Working remotely has been amazing,” says Berndt. “I’m in Kingston, and we have a personal spending account now tied into our benefits, which is extremely expansive.
“For instance, I’m getting a puppy and I’m allowed to use some of my benefits on
full-time staff in Canada weeks, maternity leave top-up pay
puppy school. It’s incredible and has given us so many opportunities for work-life balance. It just makes you feel so appreciated, because we should be able to spend our benefits on what benefits us.”
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years, longest-serving employee
job-related tuition subsidies
Every day, Jackie Noel and her team of three field calls from some of the 43,000 members of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA). “Questions about managing their practice are most common,” says Noel, the association’s manager of practice management and education. “They ask about billing, staffing, maintaining medical records and more. Every day is different.”
We think every day of our objective, to make the life of physicians better so they can look after our families, our neighbours and our communities.
— Allan O’Dette CEOAfter 25 years at the OMA, Noel says she has many answers at her fingertips. “But some calls require input from different areas of the association. Then I’ll confer with my colleagues, coordinate a response and we try to get back to the caller within 24 hours. Depending on the complexity of the question, it may take longer.
“Physicians are busy,” she adds. “They need a quick response.”
Founded in 1880, the OMA represents the political, clinical and economic interests of physicians, residents and medical students in the province, and runs programs to encourage healthy living practices and illness prevention.
Noel says she and her staff can receive
more than 50 inquiries a week depending on the trending issue, and they strive to accommodate each caller with intelligence and efficiency. “We try to address their every need,” she says.
Noel’s approach to her work corresponds precisely to the objectives set four years ago when Allan O’Dette joined the OMA as CEO with a mandate to transform it into a fast-paced, nimble and member-centric organization.
“We set objectives for the OMA’s staff of more than 300 employees,” says O’Dette, “one of which focused on membership.
“Among many initiatives, we started conducting monthly town hall sessions with our members to make sure that we understood what they wanted and that we could deliver.”
The meetings not only enable the OMA’s members to interact with its staff, they also provide employees with a purpose, O’Dette says. “They know the importance of the work that our 41,000 member MDs do and they know that they help them to do it better.”
In addition to conducting town hall meetings, the OMA also administered the largest consultation project in its history, with input from thousands of doctors, generating a strategic plan for health care. “That’s how employees became member-centric,” says O’Dette.
Over her 25-year career with the OMA, Noel has taken full advantage of the association’s emphasis on continual learning, both on the job and through internal and external educational programs.
“I’ve got my project management certificate,” she says, “and I’m currently enrolled in a business innovation course at the University of Toronto.
“And when I had my kids, the OMA
supported me to work and be a mom at the same time. Being a mom is a job in itself.”
Noel credits her team’s leadership for providing opportunities for her advancement. “We have great leadership here,” she says. “They’re my mentors. They’ve helped me immensely in my career.”
As a woman of colour, Noel also appreciates the OMA’s new initiatives around diversity and inclusion.
In hiring staff, Noel says she looks for people with experience in health care. “They
also have to demonstrate empathy and emotional intelligence, with an aptitude for active listening.”
All this helps the OMA further its goals. “We think every day of our objective to make the life of physicians better so they can look after our families, our neighbours and our communities,” says O’Dette.
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300+ 60% 70% 17
full-time staff in Canada of managers are female of employees are female weeks, maternity leave top-up pay
The OMA is proud to be one of Doctors. We lead you to better health.
strive Jackie Noel, manager of practice management and education, and her team at OMA respond to requests from its 41,000 physician members.
As a 24-year veteran of Ontario Power Generation (OPG), Nancy Celentano has always appreciated the wealth of opportunities that come with working for one of the largest electricity generation companies in North America.
Starting as an administrative assistant, Celentano has worked in fields as diverse as costs and scheduling, finance and security, as well as her current role as communication services manager.
individuals known as key influencers, volunteer “cultural ambassadors” who bring employees’ input and ideas forward from every level of the company.
“Culture is about growth and change,” says Celentano. “That’s what drew me to this, because I wanted to be part of something that would make a difference.”
One OPG grew out of an employee survey that showed many wanted a better sense of how they fit into a company that employs some 10,000 people.
One OPG is based on three pillars. The first is efficiency and good judgment, which is all about finding the best ways to be productive together.
“I’ve benefited all along the way from leaders and mentors who have become not just colleagues, but also friends,” she says. “These are people I could turn to for advice and support. I’m lucky enough to now be able to do that for others, so it’s kind of like paying it forward.”
That’s also why Celentano was excited to get involved with the company’s One OPG initiative, which over the past six years has been helping to evolve a workplace culture focused on engagement, collaboration and giving employees a greater sense of ownership over driving improvement and change within the company.
Celentano is a volunteer member of the One OPG culture action team, which meets regularly to look at new ways to make the workplace more inclusive and collaborative. The action team meets quarterly with
“It’s not about the boss saying ‘this is how it shall be done,’” says Mel Hogg, OPG’s chief administrative officer. “It’s the people in the plants, on the floors and in the back offices who are generally going to have the best ideas about how to drive positive change.”
The second pillar, she notes, is facilitative leadership.
“This is about empowering everyone to act and lead. It’s also about ensuring that when employees do have great ideas, they are championed by managers and senior leaders.”
The third pillar is about having a clear focus on outcomes and results.
Taken together, says Hogg, One OPG has created networks and communication channels that helped the company meet the singular challenges of the pandemic.
“We had the advantage that we were already talking about our culture,” she adds. “By talking about the things we value as a company, we were better equipped to be agile and adjust to some pretty extreme circumstances.”
Hogg believes another unifying factor is OPG’s vision for “electrifying life in one generation.”
OPG has an ambitious climate change strategy, which includes the goal of being a net-zero carbon company by 2040. OPG is also committed to being a catalyst for achieving “net zero” across Ontario.
“We want to be a leader in transitioning to a more electrified world and, therefore, a cleaner, greener world,” says Hogg.
The company has also embraced other progressive goals, including an action plan
for advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and an equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) strategy that is driving OPG to become a global ED&I leader by 2030.
“These are all exciting initiatives and a good way to encourage people to come and work for us,” says Hogg. “People want to be part of something that is meaningful and driving positive change.”
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full-time staff in Canada years, longest-serving employee of executive team are women of board of directors are women
Explore an exciting career in clean energy jobs.opg.com
generation Be the generation to power a brighter tomorrow.
This is about empowering everyone to act and lead.
— Mel Hogg Chief Administrative Officer
Employees and patients at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences make it a mini-multicultural community. So, investing in inclusion has been a key focus this year, says the centre’s top executive.
“It’s an incredible multicultural society and when we look at our workforce, we’re quite representative of our communities,” says Karim Mamdani, president and CEO. “Our staff wanted us to invest in diversity, inclusion, equity and anti-discrimination and we agreed.
and people’s experiences within Ontario Shores. We have had workshops, group and one-on-one sessions,” Moore says.
Adds Mamdani: “If we learn as providers about the things that cause us pain, and cause us to be excluded, we can also understand what it means for our patients.”
Moore’s first event at Ontario Shores was organizing a special week to honour Indigenous Peoples on Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, September 30.
“We asked our employees to take pledges to do small acts of reconciliation, just to take steps forward,” she explains.
Every one of us has a story where we felt we weren’t part of the group.
— Karim MamdaniPresident and CEO
“I think the reason is because all of us have felt misunderstood. Every one of us has a story where we felt we weren’t part of the group,” he adds.
Ontario Shores, tucked between Whitby and Lake Ontario, has provided mental health care for more than a century, often to people with severe mental illness, through outpatient care and a 340-bed hospital. Now it has invested in a new employee role.
Shauna Moore is the recently hired diversity, equity and inclusion lead. “In a variety of settings, due in parts of my identity, including the colour of my skin I have felt excluded.”
And for mental illness, individuals often feel they are not included, or don’t feel safe. “So, I’ve started conversations about identity
As well, the centre will open a smudge room for both employees and patients to use. For centuries, Indigenous Peoples around the world have practiced smudging, the act of burning herbs and traditional medicines in a small pot, to clear away negative energy and make room for peace.
“We’re also opening doors by developing relationships with the Indigenous partners in our area, encouraging our staff to learn more about Indigenous history and culture,” Moore adds.
Yet another way Ontario Shores is opening doors this year is through a new partnership with Rogers TV Durham to produce a monthly television show.
“The show is really focused on a conversation around mental health and wellness, and increasing awareness about the hospital and the services we provide," Mamdani says. “Guests will include people with lived experiences, clinicians, leaders in various fields of mental health and administration who support our organization, and our patients.”
The outreach is purposeful, he says. “We really want this focused on our community,
over 20 years and is a positive ambassador of the organization.
Siciliano has been an Ontario Shores employee
so they know about our services but also how to get educated about mental health and what to look out for.”
And on the horizon in 2023 is a Wellness Financial Fair with different vendors and financial organizations to offer advice or support to staff.
“We also realize that one of the big challenges everyone is facing is the cost
of living and the effects of inflation,” says Mamdani. “We want to give staff access to information they might find helpful and supportive to their own financial wellness.
“We’re always focusing on wellness.”
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Aparamedic working in land ambulances most of her career, Vanessa Widdup took a position with Ornge and ended up flying all over northern Ontario.
“It’s been an unbelievable journey,” says Widdup. “On each call we might fly 45 minutes to an hour to a nursing station in a remote Indigenous community.”
Geography is a major determinant of health for Ontarians; patients in northern and rural Ontario face inequitable access to care and may suffer adverse outcomes as a result. The air ambulance and critical care transport provider for Ontario, Ornge, uses planes and helicopters, as well as critical care land ambulances, to care for patients in hard to reach areas. Though its head office is in Mississauga, many Ornge employees work throughout the province.
During COVID-19, Widdup took part in Operation Remote Immunity. Ornge staff coordinated and carried out the distribution and administration of vaccines to northern, remote First Nations communities.
“We’d go to the homes of people who couldn’t get out and they were feeling so fortunate and happy we were there,” Widdup says.
And remote work means that Ornge paramedics can take care of patients far from hospitals, doctors and nurses.
“We are among the organizations with the highest scopes of practice in North America, from newborns to geriatrics and all conditions,” says Michael Longeway, director of clinical affairs. “This organization believes in professional development.”
Longeway himself started with Ornge as a primary care paramedic, the entry level. He had wanted to be a paramedic since he was a child. He worked his way through advanced care, advanced care flight and finally the critical care paramedic program. “I’m still certified,” he says. “I do the odd shift. I still love the work.”
— Michael Longeway Director of Clinical Affairs
From her base in Sioux Lookout, Widdup’s close-knit team provided advanced care paramedic services to Indigenous communities, as well as Thunder Bay and Kenora. Calls for help with childbirth were common. “Every day is different, from trauma to paediatrics,” says Widdup.
In terms of annual skills maintenance and improvement, the average number of hours of education activities for paramedics in Ontario is 16 to 24. Ornge breaks education into two sections so that operational and safety training doesn’t eat into the clinical training time, which is about 96 hours a year.
Ornge paramedics receive two full days of clinical training annually where doctors observe and offer feedback. In addition, every base in Ontario has full simulator training equipment so that staff can learn every month. The clinical practice leads do paramedic work 50 per cent of their time, while the other 50 per cent is spent leading development.
All managers and directors go through an interdisciplinary leadership development program. This gives managers from aviation, clinical, operations, finance, legal and more an opportunity to hear about each other’s triumphs and successes, and promotes internal collaboration.
At Ornge, there is also concern for mental wellness, including peer-to-peer support and operational pauses after a difficult call.
“Ornge is filled with highly motivated people who come every day to take care of
some of the sickest patients in Ontario,” says Longeway.
“To a paramedic, Ornge stands out because the critical care program you complete is the highest ranking you can achieve,” says Widdup. “One of my college instructors worked with Ornge. I wished I could be like him. Seven years later, I am.”
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Philips Canada encourages its employees to always bring their true and authentic selves to work.
Even if that means, as it did for Jean-Francois Alleno, taking time off.
Alleno, a clinical specialist manager who has been with the health technology company for 16 years, took a year-long leave of absence in 2019. He had put pressure on himself to act in a way that seemed more “corporate” to fit the manager role. Eventually, he says, that pressure took a toll and he felt exhausted.
A big company initiative over the last few years has been, ‘Life is better when you are you.’ They want you to bring your whole self to work.
— Jean-Francois Alleno Clinical Specialist ManagerA yoga and meditation teacher, Alleno spent his year off participating in workshops and retreats and developing skills that were important to him. When he returned to Philips in November 2020, Alleno felt he could bring his true self into his role.
“The company allowed me to do that and gave me that time in order to develop myself,” Alleno says. “That time in my life has changed the way I work with my colleagues and the way I manage my team.”
Part of this change has included holding meditation and yoga sessions for his colleagues. Alleno hosts these sessions as the chair of the Philips Canada Culture
Committee and co-chair of its wellness pillar. The committee provides employees the opportunity to shape the Philips work culture and connect the day-to-day work experiences. This is done through the committee’s three pillars – fun, wellness and diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Every workplace has pressure and employees have goals they need to achieve. People need time to relax and to have fun,” Alleno says. “I think it's important for the company to hold a space for people to be themselves.
“A big company initiative over the last few years has been, ‘Life is better when you are you.’ They want you to bring your whole self to work because that makes a huge difference in your performance and the relationships you can have with your colleagues.”
Darran Fischer, managing director, says Philips values the different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences each employee contributes. “We value those differences because they make us stronger as an organization. We also understand that it is not only important to acknowledge each other’s differences but to show our employees that we embrace them,” he says.
Philips recently hosted a panel discussion in honour of National Coming Out Day, where participating employees shared their stories. “It was amazing to see the overwhelming support these individuals received from their colleagues," says Fischer. “Every comment was in support of those individuals sharing who they truly are and encouraging them to be proud. I am grateful to be part of a company that proactively creates safe spaces for its team members and celebrates employees’ differences.”
The company also created a Women’s Leadership Group, which works to build a
community of confident women who can develop themselves professionally through mentorship, networking, developing leadership capabilities and giving back to the community.
“It is employee development and learning programs like these that truly help our employees succeed,” says Fischer. “However, beyond those programs, it is the ongoing support, empowerment and encouragement they receive from their leaders and their peers that help them feel their best at work. Those are also the same principles that allow them
to feel it’s safe to share when they don’t feel their best.”
Alleno appreciates working for a company that values its employees for more than their work skills. “They value you for being a human,” he says. “They value the skills you are going to bring to the company but, they also value you for who you are. That really resonates with me and my colleagues.”
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.
Things changed a lot for Rachel Bai when she arrived at Questrade Inc., Canada’s fastest-growing online broker. A recent graduate in management from Western University, she had tried working for a big bank but found she couldn’t get the career support or collaboration she needed.
No matter what position I’ve held, I feel my voice has been heard. That’s something I really appreciate.
— Rachel Bai Product Manager, Self-Directed InvestingThen she joined Questrade as a customer service specialist in late 2017. “So on day one, I told them I had a background in marketing, and this is something that I would like to work on in the coming years,” she says. Her supervisor suggested she write a business plan for marketing. “I handed it in the next day – he was surprised at how quickly.”
Soon after, Bai was invited to do a presentation of the plan. Impressed, the leaders gave her a four-month secondment in marketing, followed by a promotion to team lead in customer service.
Bai was later promoted to assistant product manager and then promoted again to product manager, self-directed investing in the product management department, where she works with marketing and software developers to ensure customers get the best
experience possible in their online trading and investing.
To Bai, that kind of support and responsiveness defines Questrade. “We have this open-door policy,“ she says. “You can approach your manager or other people whenever you want, with a question or an opinion or just to tell them about some of your ideas. It’s really cool.”
In fact, she finds the corporate culture “very open-minded.” “No matter what position I’ve held, I feel my voice has been heard. That’s something I really appreciate, and I feel supported as well.
“It’s also a very diverse environment. On my team, I’m from China, and we have people from Bangladesh, Brazil and Britain, all coming together and sharing our cultures. It’s nice.”
President and CEO Edward Kholodenko says flexibility, collaboration and supporting the mission are key at Questrade. “We are really focused on hiring people who are committed to doing everything on behalf of the client,” he says. “Our mission is to help Canadians become much more financially successful and secure. And so the staff that join us are really becoming a part of something bigger than themselves. We’re here for the long term to really help Canadians to do something good.”
The company’s newly renovated office space at Yonge and Finch is especially attractive, he says. “We offer our people the choice to work where they can thrive, be most productive, and best serve our customers,” he says, but he adds: “Everybody loves the team collaboration that you get face to face when you’re there. Certain days tend to be a little busier, and some teams say, hey, why don’t we all get together on a Thursday, for example, and we’ll order a team lunch.”
The new offices feature stand-up desks, foosball, ping pong, a basketball area, collaboration spaces and video conference rooms. Bai is a fan. “Along with those amenities, it’s a nice area with lots of restaurants”, she says. “And our building is over the final station of the subway, where you can enter your office directly. Definitely a great feature!”
1,559 93%
full-time staff in Canada of staff are clear how their work contributes to company goals
Bai adds: “My journey at Questrade has been filled with opportunities, challenges, excitement and fun. I am grateful to be part of the growth.”
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.
92%
paid job-related training; up to $5,000 unrelated tuition subsidy feel supported to use flexible working arrangements
As Toronto regional director, marketing and citizenship, for RBC, Joanne Durham knows her colleagues are motivated to support a worthy cause. Indeed, with responsibilities that include coordinating various teams that organize the annual RBC Race for the Kids, she has keen insight into how hard they’re willing to work to give back to their communities.
All told, the Toronto race has raised over $20 million for the Family Navigation Project at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. The non-profit program assists those aged 13 to 26 with mental health and addiction issues and their families in navigating the health-care system.
That’s not all. Since the first Race for Kids in New York City in 2009, tens of thousands of participants in cities throughout RBC’s global footprint have raised over $70 million for children’s charities worldwide.
Whether they run, raise funds, donate or help out the Race for the Kids in other ways, they become agents of social change, and creating a positive social impact is at the core of how RBC does business.
— Kris Depencier Regional President, Greater Toronto
Even so, she had some pre-race jitters: after a two-year hiatus, would participants return to an open-air event in 2022? Since 2013, the race had carved a five-kilometre route through Toronto each September. But like many fundraisers during the pandemic, the 2020-21 races were held as virtual events.
Then RBC adopted a hybrid format, holding both virtual and in-person races –and Durham had her answer.
“On race day, it was just so inspiring to see that sea of blue,” she says, referring to the T-shirt-clad runners and volunteers thronging Yonge Street. “And because it was the 10th anniversary of the event, you could sense an extra level of excitement.”
Most of those participants are RBC employees – from entry level to the senior leadership – and their friends and family. And many feel a personal connection to the cause. That’s the case for Greater Toronto’s regional president, Kris Depencier, a runner, a top fundraiser and a mother of three aged 12 to 23.
Like many parents, she’s experienced first-hand the importance of supporting their kids’ mental wellness and managing the side effects of extended isolation during the pandemic. She has also helped one of her children work through the tragic death of a friend.
“As a parent, it breaks my heart to know that only a small percentage of children and youth in Ontario who struggle with some form of mental health problem will ever receive the appropriate treatment,” Depencier says.
“The pandemic has made the need even greater,” she adds. “The number of young people seeking help from Sunnybrook’s Family Navigation Project has more than doubled. RBC fundraising efforts will help them obtain the care they need.”
The Race for the Kids is part of the bank’s broader commitment to mental well-being, both in the workplace and the community.
For employees, RBC increased its core mental health benefit to $5,000 from $3,000 per year. As well, programs such as Employee Care and myHealthCare Navigator enable employees to access a wide spectrum of in-person and online resources and supports.
RBC Future Launch, for its part, is a 10year, $500-million program to prepare young people in the community for the jobs of tomorrow. To overcome some critical barriers to reaching their full potential, the program, among other things, helps them access mental well-being supports and services.
Depencier says that employees who participate in the Race for the Kids also connect with RBC’s purpose to help its clients thrive and its communities prosper.
“Whether they run, raise funds, donate or help out in other ways, they become agents of social change, and creating a positive social impact is at the core of how RBC does business,” 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.
full-time staff in Canada years, longestserving employee
job applications received last year of employees are women
It’s more than a job. Your work at RBC makes a difference in clients’ lives and in our communities. Kris Depencier, regional president, Greater Toronto at RBC, participating in Race for the Kids to support mental well-being.
The pandemic highlighted the importance of mental health in the workplace, and with ‘caring’ as a focus at RSM Canada, the firm has taken this to heart.
During the pandemic, RSM Canada introduced weekly “Mental Health Minutes,” easily digestible infographics offering tips and tricks to enhance the work week. That level of care makes the professional services firm one-of-a-kind, explains Rhonda Klosler, chief operating officer.
People sometimes think that seeking help is a sign of weakness but admitting it and solving it is a sign of strength.
— Rhonda Klosler Chief Operating Officer“Our genuine, caring culture at RSM is absolutely our differentiator and I think our focus on mental well-being in the workplace makes us unique,” Klosler says. “We have normalized conversations and challenges around mental health and well-being, which all too often feel taboo in business. For people to perform at their very highest, they need to be authentic, so helping individuals helps the business grow.”
The Toronto-based firm offers audit, tax and consulting services to industries ranging from manufacturing to technology to consumer products and more. In addition to its Toronto location, RSM Canada has offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Kitchener, Red Deer and Vancouver.
Klosler joined the partnership’s predecessor firm while in university, and she says that by 2017, she and the leadership team were prepared to go bigger. Working with RSM International to launch RSM Canada opened up both national and global marketplaces.
“RSM Canada is creating a culture that supports well-being in the workplace and I’m so proud that resources like our Mental Health Minutes are being used by the broader RSM team, including in the U.S., with interest across RSM’s international network,” Klosler says. “We are proud to be thought leaders for mental health and well-being within the firm.”
“Focus on the future, not the past” is a sample topic, and fittingly, RSM Canada’s benefits look beyond the pandemic to what a new workplace needs. It has increased counselling benefits for employees and family members, for example, and Klosler is open about the fact that she uses that service.
“People sometimes think that seeking help is a sign of weakness but admitting it and solving it is a sign of strength,” Klosler says. “I’ve shared that I’ve been using counselling for my family along with the difference it has made, and that’s quite an incredible message for employees to hear from a leader in the organization.”
RSM Canada has also moved to a flexible, hybrid work environment with some employees working full-time remotely and some going to the office more often to meet with team members or clients.
“We are here to serve our clients, so we’ve empowered our employees as to how to do that. If you treat your people well, they in turn treat your clients well and that results in financial success,” Klosler explains.
Being caring is one of RSM Canada’s “5 C’s” characteristics. It’s a core set of employee
behaviours along with being curious, collaborative, courageous and critical thinkers, according to Brandon Braganza, RSM Canada management consulting director.
“Those characteristics underpin RSM’s purpose to deliver the power of being understood to our clients, colleagues and communities,” Braganza says. “Our 5 C’s don’t stop at our office doors. We bring these attributes into client engagements, which cascades into a more enriched talent experience for employees. As a result, creating
value for our clients comes authentically and enables us to bring diverse perspectives in curating tailored solutions.”
Klosler sums up: “We have spent the last two years building awareness. Now, our goal is to continue as caring leaders, to engage in conversations, to lead with empathy and to empower our people to ask for the help they need.”
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 years, average age of employee of employees are women weeks, maternity leave top-up pay
Proud to be one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for 2023!
At RSM, we have built a culture that is more than just a tagline. Respect, integrity, teamwork, excellence and stewardship are core values that we carry with purpose and pride.
Learn more at rsmcanada.com
Visit rsmcanada.com/aboutus for more information regarding RSM Canada and RSM International.
Painting a home interior or constructing a house roof is always “different, interesting and fun,” Zohair Anwar says. But when those activities are part of his company’s involvement in Habitat for Humanity, adds the project manager at Schneider Electric Canada Inc., “they’re also great ways to give back to the community.”
Based at the French multinational’s Canadian headquarters in Mississauga, Anwar is a frequent witness to Schneider’s commitment to local communities, from local park clean-ups to planting trees across the GTA with paid time off. Seeing the company’s values in action is a large part of Schneider’s appeal for Anwar.
and a management focus on their well-being.
“There is a genuine drive within the different teams to help each other, and a leadership that is striving to become more accessible to everybody else,” he says. “I’ve been here for eight years and I’ve noticed that shift in management, and it’s working, I can see the results.”
Anwar is also a member of one of Schneider’s company-sponsored but worker-led employee resource networks (ERNs), the Toastmasters, where, he says, “we really enjoy helping people with their public speaking and leadership skills.”
The GTA’s diverse talent pool means our Mississauga hub is where the representatives of all six employee resource networks reside.
— Angela Salemi Talent Management & DEI Leader“We’re very focused on playing our part in making the world a more sustainable place,” he says. “Whether it’s with the actual technologies that we make and sell, or those local initiatives, there’s always that constant focus on sustainability. It’s not just a slogan, it’s something that the people at Schneider live every day.”
That is part and parcel of Schneider’s exceptional workplace, Anwar says, along with equally exceptional fellow employees,
The diverse ERNs are found throughout Schneider offices, says Angela Salemi, Schneider’s talent management & diversity, equity and inclusion leader, but “the GTA’s diverse talent pool means our Mississauga hub is where the representatives of all six employee resource networks reside.”
The ERNs have grown over the years, she notes, with the Multicultural Alliance being the newest and WISE (Women in Schneider Electric) the oldest. In addition to them and Toastmasters, there are also LGBTQ+ and Allies, Wellbeing, and Sustainability. “WISE was already established and quite robust when I arrived at Schneider in 2017,” Salemi says. “Multicultural Alliance, though, is actually new to us in Canada. We just opened that last year, after employees realized there was a need and came forward.”
Her job title – talent manager – also captures Schneider’s employee-focused culture. Salemi was asked to take on the challenge a year ago, a role that involves her presenting the same challenge to other employees, asking them “to go outside of their comfort zones to work on projects and development opportunities that really keep them engaged.”
Anwar received a similar invitation two years ago, when he was asked if he’d be interested in taking on the role of project manager for his team, which did not previously have such a position. “It was a bit of a stretch for me,” he recalls, “but I was very well-supported. Schneider is a company
that definitely looks favourably on people willing to explore and try new things, but it’s also very supportive when they do.”
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.
Since joining Toronto’s Seneca College in the mid-1990s, Clara Vozza has continually been inspired by two things: the ever-changing nature of the work, and the feeling she gets each time she walks in the doors at Newnham Campus on Finch Avenue East. “Seeing the students gives me the greatest buzz of energy,” she says.
seven campuses across the GTA. Caroline Riley, vice-president of human resources, has partnered with Vozza to assess how and where employees want to be. “The pandemic gave us an opportunity to reassess what it means to come onto campus to work,” says Riley.
— Clara Vozza Director, Human Resources Initiatives and Change ManagementThroughout her career there, Vozza has been a student herself, taking Seneca’s adult education certificate and an organizational development course through Queen’s University (Seneca reimburses tuition). Professional-development initiatives such as these have led to six promotions and her current role as director of human resources initiatives and change management. “If you want to grow your career here, the doors are open in abundance,” she says.
Faculty, support staff and administrators are offered professional development leaves of up to one year to further their learning, and Seneca’s own continuing education courses charge nominal fees. “We don’t just talk about postsecondary education – we’ve opened the doors wider to help our people pursue it,” says Vozza.
Although Vozza is based at Newnham, her responsibilities encompass Seneca’s
At Seneca’s main campuses, many workspaces have been redesigned in a “hotelling” model to encourage informal, open-concept collaboration. “There’s a cross-pollination now, in that you could have HR employees sitting with members of the marketing or facilities management teams,” says Riley, who joined Seneca in April 2022, attracted by the institution’s leadership during the pandemic. “And with our new hybrid model, there is more flexibility to work on campus or at home.”
There’s no place Mark Solomon would rather be than on campus interacting with students. A member of Henvey Inlet First Nation south of Sudbury, he joined Seneca in 2006 as manager of Aboriginal student services. “That was one of the first opportunities I saw for a management position in Aboriginal student services,” he says.
For Solomon, Seneca feels like home –after all, it’s where he met his wife, Amy, who was also working in student services. “Over the years, I’ve been approached by recruiters but I’ve turned them all down,” he says. “Seneca is a vibrant community that cares. I’m listened to here, and I’m doing impactful work and am well compensated.”
More responsibilities came to Solomon over time, including a promotion to dean of student services and Indigenous education, before he moved into the new role of senior advisor to the president on reconciliation and inclusion in May 2022. “The fact that this role is self-funded by Seneca and not grant
money shows as institutional commitment to Indigenous students,” he says. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for Seneca to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action.”
In addition to always asking students what they need and acting on what they say, Solomon enjoys leading campus tours to point out Indigenous art and architecture, including Odeyto, the Indigenous centre at Newnham Campus that was named one of the top 10 Canadian architecture projects of 2018. He has also been working toward building empathy and compassion into
Seneca’s curricula, from making Indigenous ribbon skirts in the fashion arts program to introducing Indigenous healing methods in the nursing programs.
“The students are the best part of Seneca, and their success is all of our success,” says Solomon. “Their understanding of how the world works, and their eagerness to be part of the world, is contagious in the best possible way.”
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.
If you want to grow your career here, the doors are open in abundance.
It was a fascination with whales that started Eli Browne on the path to working for – no, not Greenpeace – a major Canadian grocery chain. But now, as director of corporate sustainability in Mississauga for Sobeys Inc., she oversees policies that are sure to make the environment better for all creatures, not least humans and whales.
“Back in grade five, we did a project on whales, and from then on I loved whales, I loved marine mammals, and I wanted to be a marine biologist,” she says. She did a marine biology degree at the University of Guelph, but discovered she preferred environmental management, so she went on to get a master’s at what is now Toronto Metropolitan University. After a few years in the food industry, she joined Sobeys in late 2019, just in time to help ramp up some key environmental initiatives.
People want to make sure the company makes a difference, not only on the bottom line but also in the society, the community, in which they're involved
— Simon Gagné Chief Human Resources Officer“We were the first in Canada to eliminate single-use plastic checkout bags,” she says. That started in early 2020, shortly before the pandemic hit. At the time, she notes, such a measure was under discussion by the federal government, but Sobeys was well out in front by implementing it immediately. The federal ban will only take effect at the end of 2023.
Amid the pandemic, Browne plunged into Sobeys’ food rescue program, which donates surplus grocery items to food banks and other agencies nationally in partnership with Toronto-based Second Harvest. “We needed to accelerate because the need became so great as a consequence of the pandemic and its economic hardships,” she says. “It wasn’t just packaged food – people were so happy to get fresh asparagus and other things they hadn’t seen before.”
Meanwhile, Browne worked on Sobeys’ new emissions targets, announced in July – net-zero direct emissions by 2040 and net-zero indirect emissions by 2050. Now, in line with those targets, she says, the chain is planning major changes to its methods – “it’s exciting.”
Sobeys will work to electrify its vehicle fleet, use renewable energy for its stores and renovate for more energy efficiency. It will also focus on its food cooling systems. “Those refrigeration units not only suck up a lot of energy, but they're filled with refrigerant gases that are also greenhouse gases,” says Browne. The company is even readying a pilot program to potentially replace Styrofoam meat trays with a bamboo version.
What all of this says about Sobeys, Browne adds, is that “we care about these issues, and that we recognize the importance of taking bold action. I’m extremely passionate about this space. The impact that we can have is what I'm motivated by.”
Well-educated employees like Browne also demonstrate the mix of personnel at Sobeys, notes Simon Gagné, chief human resources officer, who is also based in Mississauga. People still rise to senior leadership after starting at the checkout counter, he says. “We invest a lot in developing internally and
giving opportunities to our employees.
“But with data, AI, loyalty programs, grocery retail is becoming more and more a science rather than an art. The person running our e-commerce business is an MBA from Stanford, but we still have on our team the vice-president who came up from the store. So the diversity of leadership is impressive.”
Echoing Browne’s respect for Sobeys’
social commitment, Gagné says employees and potential recruits are drawn by the company’s values. “People want to make sure the company makes a difference, not only on the bottom line but also in the society, the community, in which they're involved.”
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 (as of March 2022) years, longest-serving employee
maximum vacation allowance
Sonja Torbica, associate vice-president, operational excellence, began her career at TD Bank Group working the midnight shift at a contact centre while she was studying for a PhD in linguistics. That was 26 years ago. Today, she leads a team responsible for improving the way TD delivers value to its customers across the enterprise.
representative at TD Bank branches across the GTA while working on her undergraduate degree. That was sufficient exposure to the bank to know she wanted to work for the organization when she graduated.
been given the opportunity throughout my career to grow in areas I never would have considered without the encouragement of leaders who cared.
I’ve
Torbica says she is enjoying a rich and rewarding career with impact across the Bank and in her local community in the GTA. “I’m still with the bank due to all the continuous learning as well as the caring and inspiring leaders,” she says. “I’ve been given the opportunity throughout my career to grow in areas I never would have considered without the encouragement of leaders who cared.” She was sponsored by her managers to take part in professional development and mentoring programs that teach women how to be effective and authentic leaders.
Nilujah Shanmugam, associate vicepresident, business banking, started her career as a part-time customer service
“It allowed me to build a network, learn about the bank and connect with many leaders,” says Shanmugam, who has been with the organization for 19 years holding a variety of roles, including customer-facing branch positions and senior corporate roles. “I had tremendous support from my colleagues.”
Shanmugam has taken advantage of the bank’s internal Women in Leadership program, which holds panel discussions, development workshops and networking sessions throughout the year.
“We bring together a diverse group of colleagues, including many leaders from across the bank, to learn from different perspectives and champion initiatives in support of women,” says Shanmugam. “One of the many benefits of these events is the ability to learn about growth opportunities across the bank.”
Although coming from different areas of the bank, both Shanmugam and Torbica agree that for such a large organization, TD does a great job supporting employees at all levels, which contributes to its inclusive culture.
“We receive clear communication about enterprise strategies from senior management to keep everyone well informed,” says Shanmugam. “Leaders do a very good job of sharing information in transparent and authentic ways throughout their business lines.”
This support holds true even when it’s not business as usual. “They kept us well informed during the pandemic,”
Sonja Torbica, associate vice-president, operational excellence (left), and Nilujah Shanmugam, AVP, business banking, at TD Bank.
Shanmugam says. “While we had strategies and protocols from the enterprise, our leaders across each region were very hands-on. We had up-to-date information and the resources we needed to quickly pivot to working from home while seamlessly continuing to support our colleagues, customers and communities.”
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.
TD is proud to be one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers.
Anative South African, Bruce Badenhorst loves going into the African Rainforest Pavilion at the Toronto Zoo, where he works as a plumber. “To be in Africa very early in the morning when I do the rounds, and all the birds are waking up and chirping in the tropical rainforest, it just sounds brilliant. These are sights and sounds I’m quite accustomed to and it’s really nostalgic. It’s one of the big perks of working here.”
an attractive workplace.”
Badenhorst may be proof of that perspective. He freely admits that he had no special knowledge about animals before he began working on the pipes and drains of the sprawling, 500+ acre zoo property in northeastern Toronto in 2019. After living for a decade in the U.K., where he met his Canadian wife, the couple moved to Durham Region and the zoo was conveniently next door.
But he’s a changed man now. The polar bear pool is another of his favourite places. “We have two males that are always wrestling and just playing with each other in the pool. And then you have Juno – she almost looks like a synchronized swimmer.” He has also worked in the Hippo House. “The two hippos stay in a protected area, but they’re still watching you, observing you. It just reminds you that you’re not working at an average place.”
This is a pretty common reaction among people who work at the zoo, according to president and CEO Dolf DeJong.
“We are surrounded by amazing folks who really believe in our mission to connect people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction,” he says. “A lot of folks choose to do their work at the zoo because of that mission – you know, food service folks or other individuals on the front line who could take their craft to a lot of places. They choose to do it here because they believe in what we do.
“We’re grateful to them for that and we hope that the fact that on their break they can go and visit a one-horned rhino or check in with the lemurs is part of what makes this
He echoes DeJong in describing his colleagues. “It’s a lot of passionate people,” he says. “And that’s not just the animal keepers – it’s everyone in general, the trades and the horticulture people and everybody who works here. They have a real passion for the animals.”
DeJong says the workforce has a wide variety of backgrounds, from biology or psychology degrees to trade certificates or lived experience. Moreover, employees can move into quite different roles, he says, “whether it’s people starting in retail and ending up working in our not-for-profit fundraising, or Zoomobile drivers growing into guest experience leads, or restaurant services and custodial staff who end up working in animal care. It really goes across the board.”
The zoo also hires a large coterie of
seasonal workers in warmer months, he notes. “We’re looking for individuals who may have a history with their zoo or with conservation organizations, or even where their high school or early university or college study has helped them get a deeper appreciation and affection for the natural world.”
There are flexible work arrangements available for office folk, but needless to say,
people who work on site come in each day. DeJong calls his people “activists.” “These are real activists who care deeply, who organize fundraisers, who really put their time and money where their mouth is. They’re inspiring.”
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.
years, average age of all employees of managers are women
full-time staff in Canada
employer-paid health plan, with family coverage
Connecting people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction. Open year-round!
Learn more about job and career opportunities at your Zoo at torontozoo.com/jobs
We are surrounded by amazing folks who really believe in our mission to connect people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction.
— Dolf DeJong President and CEO
Laura Douglas began working with Unilever Canada Inc. on an internship and it led to her being hired into the Unilever Future Leaders program. She worked for two years abroad in London at the Unilever global headquarters on the Dove Self-Esteem project.
“We ended up presenting, with youths, at the United Nations on the need for young people to have access to self-esteem education,” says Douglas, now lead of Dove brand in Canada. “It’s always been important to me to be able to help others.”
We aim to tackle two of the worlds’ biggest issues: climate change and social inequality.
— Gary Wade President, Unilever Canada
Established over 100 years ago, Unilever is one the world’s largest consumer goods companies. It specializes in beauty and well-being, personal care, nutrition, ice cream and homecare. Its portfolio includes such iconic brands as Dove, Axe, SheaMoisture, Vaseline, Knorr, Hellmann’s, Breyers, Magnum, Ben & Jerry’s, Seventh Generation and Vim.
“We aim to tackle two of the world’s biggest issues: climate change and social inequality,” says Gary Wade, president of Unilever Canada. “Unilever believes that our purpose-led, future-fit business model delivers superior performance.”
The company’s purpose is to make
sustainable living commonplace. It does this by working in a variety of areas, including diversity and inclusion, waste reduction, plastic pollution and regenerative agriculture, through its partners and its brands. The Dove brand, for instance, works to build self-esteem and body confidence while Hellmann’s is involved in reducing food waste.
And purpose extends to its employees. Unilever Canada offers a number of programs to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. Women represent over 50 per cent of the workforce, and 50 per cent or more across all levels of leadership.
Employees have an opportunity to give back to the community. In addition to three days of paid leave to do volunteer work, the company has an annual day of service. On this day, all staff are given the opportunity to volunteer for an organization linked to their personal passion, doing anything from tree planting to sorting food at a food bank to giving blood.
Each employee develops a “Future Fit Plan,” Unilever’s version of the traditional development plan. It gives individuals the opportunity to bring their purpose, wellbeing, skills and career aspirations together to enable them to develop both life and career goals. The Future Fit Plan could be worked through with a mentor or leader and takes the whole self into consideration.
In the Future Leaders Program, Douglas had two formal mentors who were senior directors – one for marketing and one a career sponsor and coach. She’s kept those relationships.
“I’ve had great mentors to guide me personally and professionally,” says Douglas. “One of the best parts of my work is that everyone is really here to help each other.”
Douglas now oversees a team of marketing professionals and feels confident in her role as a manager because of the mentoring she has received. She is also encouraged that many of the resources deployed by Unilever during the pandemic have remained in place, such as virtual counselling services and 24/7 online access to a doctor.
In the return to work following the pandemic, Unilever has not mandated a number of days employees need to be in the office. Each team has developed a hybrid working charter that outlines how they will
come together to collaborate, create, connect and celebrate.
“People are at their best when they work in a way that makes sense to them,” Wade explains.
“To me, it’s important to have value alignment,” says Douglas. “At the end of every day, I can look back and say I’m able to live my purpose through my 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.
full-time staff in Canada of managers are women
of executive team are visible minorities weeks, maternity leave top-up pay
There’s a certain kind of person who commits themselves to helping those who are less fortunate, experiencing homelessness or dealing with substance use in a big city. Those are the people who work at Unity Health Toronto – an integration of St. Michael’s Hospital (founded in 1892), St. Joseph’s Health Centre (1921) and Providence Healthcare (1857).
“This is a place that has its values in front to such an extreme level,” says Manson Locke, vice-president, people and chief human resources officer of Unity Health Toronto. “And that legacy of caring for people who are the most marginalized in our society is the same kind of care and focus that we turn inside on our staff.”
person, and the values are nothing without them,” Locke says, “and our leadership team feels that they have a really significant obligation and purpose to care for those employees.”
As a fourth-year student, Joel Persaud was drawn to St. Michael’s by its reputation. “They call it the Urban Angel, but that’s truly what it was like,” says Persaud, a nurse in the Trauma-Neuro Intensive Care Unit (TNICU). “I thought it’d be a great experience both to expose myself to that level of care and to be able to help and serve people from different populations.”
Because Unity Health is an end-to-end health network, there are plenty of opportunities to move around, and it is encouraged. “When they take you in, they really invest in you and suggest training for different positions,” says Persaud.
— Manson Locke Vice-President, People and Chief Human Resources Officer
Five years after that integration, the network has become a leader in world-class specialty care, from neurosurgery and complex cardiovascular and cardiac care to treatment, education and research in multiple sclerosis, as well as advancing scientific knowledge through groundbreaking research that impacts patient care. Yet Unity Health remains true to its missions set out by the Sisters of St. Joseph over 100 years ago.
“That just attracts a special kind of
He took advantage of that by enrolling in the highly regarded, fully sponsored threemonth-long ICU course at George Brown College. “It was hard being in school, but it was great to be able to just focus on it while being supported by my manager and by St. Mike’s,” he says. “It definitely keeps me and a lot of my colleagues going, knowing that we’re encouraged to go on and do bigger things.”
Supporting the employees has huge benefits for Unity Health too, particularly for specialty departments like critical care, Emergency and operating rooms. “We take it on ourselves to put opportunities out there for staff to acquire that education so they can go and learn on paid time and have their certifications paid for,” says Locke. In return, Unity Health has been able to retain many of those people.
“We have programs to give them access to
obvious things like tuition reimbursement, but they can come forward with their desire to do certifications and to do presentations and to be able to grow their careers any way they want,” he adds. “And I think that’s what’s helped us respond to the human
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.
Over a lunch hour or sometimes at the end of a work day, Tasha Ismail engages her co-workers with deep dives into hard questions concerning inclusion and diversity (I&D), maybe focused on a book or movie or something in the news.
Ismail, director of government engagement at Toronto-based Visa Canada, has a passion for social equity. So when she joined Visa in 2021, she quickly became involved in I&D committees, both as an opportunity to meet people and as a way of driving change. The committees are composed of employee volunteers from all units and levels across the office.
providing education and training or just celebrating together, to make it more inclusive.”
There have been many speakers in the visionary series, which is so popular that it’s recorded now so employees who can’t attend live can watch later.
“As a person of colour, you see yourself in their journey,” says Ismail. “That’s what the visionary series is about – bringing in people who are successful telling their stories about overcoming challenges. It’s very motivating.”
Our vision is to ensure that our talent is really representative of the great cultures that make up our city and country.
— Stacey Madge President & Country Manager
“We work together to coordinate events and programs that educate and engage the team about social equity and I&D,” says Ismail. “Sometimes it’s internal, such as our culture club, which provides a safe space for open discussion, or external as in our visionary series, where we invite leaders to talk about their personal and professional journeys.
“I feel we’ve really had an impact on the people in our office with our initiatives, whether through having good conversations,
President & country manager Stacey Madge came to Visa Canada after a retail banking career where she worked with people from 30 different countries across Latin America and the Caribbean. She says these experiences helped her recognize the value diversity brought to the engagement of people and their performance in business.
“Our vision is to ensure that our talent is really representative of the great cultures that make up our city and country,” says Madge. “It’s about celebrating the uniqueness of our different cultures and building understanding among our people of different backgrounds.”
As Visa Canada has grown, she says, the company has brought people in from other countries and different cultures to work in the Canadian office, and in global roles outside of Canada, so it has really been able to benefit from all these diverse candidates.
“The biggest beneficiary of building diversity at all levels, including leadership and team diversity throughout the entire organization, is in diversity of thought,” says Madge. “What I found is that we have a culture where the quality of ideas has significantly improved and the willingness of people to challenge the status quo and introduce brand new ways of thinking is
Visa Canada supports a culture where differences are respected and employees are comfortable to be themselves.
much greater.”
Challenging the status quo is something Madge encourages, but first it’s essential to have a culture where people feel differences are respected and are comfortable to truly be themselves.
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 voluntary turnover last year of executive team are women
Parul Kundra knows that when the rubber hits the road, Yamaha Motor Canada Ltd. will be there to help shift her career into high gear.
“They make sure all employees are taken care of with educational assistance, overall wellness and communication – there’s such an alignment with our goals and objectives that we’re all on the same page,” says Kundra, supply chain lead.
corporate culture. Employees chat about the fortunes of their children’s hockey teams or little league baseball results as well as updates on the latest products in a relaxed and collegial atmosphere. But that doesn’t mean that they’re not driven to succeed.
“Everyone is really connected and there’s so much shared experience that we all have as members of Yamaha Motor Canada. That creates our Yamaha DNA and makes us who we are as employees,” says president Dean Burnett.
“That’s what drives the passion for excellence throughout our organization.”
— Parul Kundra Supply Chain Lead“The company has opened doors for me and given me a platform to grow, not just professionally but personally.”
Yamaha Motor Canada is headquartered in Toronto and distributes recreational products like motorcycles, snowmobiles and boats as well as parts across the country. It has over 400 dealers throughout Canada and is a player in the motorsport and marine industries.
Kundra and her team ensure there’s enough parts and accessories at the dealerships. It’s a difficult job, complicated by challenges created by the pandemic. But when she and her fellow employees come up with creative solutions to those challenges, they get management’s support.
Yamaha Motor Canada values initiative and innovative thinking, and gives employees the autonomy to make decisions.
The company has created a family-feel
Employees are supported by extensive education, wellness and vacation benefits. Part of the package is the Work from Anywhere program where employees can choose their work location for up to two weeks a year. It can be a cabin by the lakefront or any other happy place they want.
Yamaha Motor Canada employees aren’t only connected with each other and their customers, they’re encouraged to connect with the company’s products. Rider training courses are offered and events such as Ride Like a Pro Day give employees the chance to try out the company’s latest machines. Kundra has relished the experience of trying out ATVs and learning how to ride a dirt bike, giving her hands-on experience with the products she helps supply.
Connection to community is also highly valued. Employees are given time off to work for charitable causes. The company’s Stay Outdoors program supports local communities’ conservation and access projects. Burnett says the company is a place where you can just enjoy the ride.
“It’s hard to find a company that sells as much fun as we do and offers as much opportunity for you to feel good about your
daily work-life,” he says.
“There’s a true feeling of belonging where you can change people’s lives. That’s unique in my experience.”
The excitement generated around a sense of shared experience and purpose helps the company attract and retain talent. Yamaha Motor Canada will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2023 and its longest-serving current employee has been with the company for 49 of those years. Kundra can see herself
staying for them long-term.
“There’s never been a day when I wasn’t excited to go to work,” she says.
“There’s so much freedom and choice for me to grow within the company, I don’t see an end date to it. I can see myself growing here for many more 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.
There’s never been a day when I wasn’t excited to go to work.
While attending one of her first meetings at her new job with York Regional Police (YRP), Melissa Kennedy noticed that Blarney, a canine member of the team, stayed by her side the whole time.
She believes Blarney sensed her excitement and energy about her new role and did his job, providing her support.
approach has exceeded my expectations since I started a year ago,” she says. “It was apparent when I interviewed with our executive command team that the organization is committed to our people. It is championing the diversity of individual membership needs and advocating for the development of our people.
Because of the challenging work our uniform and civilian police members do on a daily basis, we have a responsibility to ensure that they have all the tools and resources they need to support their biological, psychological, social and spiritual wellness.
— Dr. Kyle Handley Senior Director, Wellness Bureau
Blarney is a service therapy dog trained to provide emotional support to YRP uniformed and civilian members. The first support service dog deployed by a police service in Canada, Blarney and his human partner Shane visit offices, attend meetings and events and provide support at critical incidents. Recently, a second therapy dog, Meghan, joined the wellness team.
Kennedy, executive director of people, wellness and talent, sees the service dogs as an example of YRP’s commitment to its people.
“This is what drew me to YRP and this
“Our police chief always says, ‘People before process,’” Kennedy continues. “He wants to make sure that in every decision we make, we are considering the person first and we are not allowing a process to dictate what is right for a particular individual. We make sure we’re putting ourselves in the shoes of that person before making any decisions.”
YRP recently opened a 6,600-square-foot wellness centre for its members, their families and retirees through a partnership with the York Regional Police Association. The centre offers education and support services related to physical, psychological, social and spiritual health, including confidential peer support, psychotherapy, chaplaincy, fitness and nutrition planning.
“YRP is one of a small but growing number of police services in Canada that have psychologists and mental health clinicians on staff to provide rapid access to psychological services in certain urgent circumstances and to provide proactive mental health care,” Kennedy says. The team has two registered clinical psychologists and four mental health clinicians.
Other wellness services include a team of about 50 volunteer uniformed and civilian members who provide peer support and mentoring to other members. A wellness app provides confidential access to in-house mental health programs, as well as information on external resources. In addition, eight community chaplains provide members with
The well-being of members remains a priority for York Regional Police, led by a multidisciplinary team of sworn and civilian members.
guidance from a variety of faith communities and perspectives.
“Because of the challenging work our uniform and civilian police members do on a daily basis, we have a responsibility to ensure that they have all the tools and resources they need to support their biological, psychological, social and spiritual wellness,” says Dr. Kyle Handley, senior director, wellness bureau.
Kennedy agrees that providing support for biological, psychological, social and spiritual health is a model for ongoing wellness.
“It is important to provide a holistic view of wellness,” she says. “All of these facets really do need to work in tandem for members to feel like the best version of themselves and to build organizational resilience.”
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.
staff in Canada annual maximum mental health benefit coverage
If you’re passionate about serving your community, consider a career with York Regional Police.
When she’s not working as a senior environmental underwriter at Zurich Canada, part of a global insurance organization, Anne Hobbs does charity work, like a recent tree planting event that she organized as part of the company’s sponsored volunteer program.
resources, says the volunteer program is at the heart of the company’s employee engagement. Zurich Canada supports a variety of charities officially, such as Second Harvest, United Way, SickKids Hospital and Junior Achievement Canada, but adds others during events like Pride or Climate Month, with input from staff.
“We’re very proud of the work we do at Zurich Canada,” McSavaney says, “and our employees have already logged over 1,000 volunteer hours so far in 2022 to give back to the community.
— Elizabeth McSavaney Head of Human Resources
“I’ve been involved in a ton of these events, and it’s one of my favourite parts of my job,” she says. “I love that we’re so active in our community – it brings a lot of joy to me. Obviously, my main day-to-day job is underwriting, but whenever there’s a volunteer event throughout the year, regardless of what issue or topic it is, if my schedule allows I always sign up to help.”
The company’s commitment to volunteering is built into its internal network. An online platform called MyImpact gives employees greater visibility to company-supported volunteering and giving opportunities, and makes it easy to participate in their donation matching program. It helps Zurich Canada staff schedule their paid volunteering leave – two days minimum every year – while supporting causes they cherish.
Elizabeth
McSavaney, head of human“We’ve seen a culture that’s grown around volunteerism which makes our employees feel very proud to work for us. They’re looking for opportunities and they want to participate in them, and it’s been a great way to get people back together to give back to the community.”
It’s part of the formula that’s given Zurich Canada notable employee retention, with staff remaining at the company for decades. McSavaney notes that volunteering and mentoring are company-wide policies, connecting employees in Canada with others around the world.
“In Zurich Canada, and even in the Zurich community as a whole, we have people who have undertaken different opportunities within the organization, whether it’s in Canada or travelling internationally, and really putting an emphasis on giving people the skills, the competencies, the toolkit they need to have a thriving career.”
Hobbs says this support was crucial when she arrived at the company seven years ago, with a degree in environmental governance and a resume that featured mostly retail work plus a summer job at another insurance company.
“The team I was on was super supportive,
and they taught me so much about the industry,” she says. “Even the terminology we use can be foreign to people who are new to the industry. Just learning the acronyms can be overwhelming.
“The underwriters I was supporting really took the time to mentor me, and I eventually moved into an underwriting
training program,” says Hobbs. “Now I’ve been underwriting for five years. Having that support and mentorship was really great for me.”
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.
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