Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers (2022)

2 2 0 2

ND3000/GETTY

t This year marks the 9th

edition of Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers, an editorial competition organized by the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project.

CO-PUBLISHED BY AGILE & FLEXIBLE:

MEDIACORP

SMEs adapt quickly to today’s labour market

4

LIST OF WINNERS:

Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers (2022)

5

METHODOLOGY:

How the winners were selected

12

Discover the search engine that brings

you thousands of direct-employer jobs every day – plus exclusive employer reviews from the editors of

Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers.

Each year, millions of Canadians use

Eluta.ca to find hundreds of thousands of new job postings in their field –

including work-from-home, co-op placements, internships †

and summer jobs.

Visit us today on your

laptop or smartphone.

★★★★★ F I V E - S TA R J O B S E A RC H

† For the 12 months ended August 31, 2021, Eluta.ca received 2,359,928 unique visitors

(desktop and mobile), who performed 15,146,291 searches. Source: Google Analytics.

® ELUTA is a registered trade mark of Mediacorp Canada Inc.

3

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

2022

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022 Magazine Anthony Meehan, PUBLISHER

Editorial Team:

Richard Yerema, MANAGING EDITOR

Kristina Leung, SENIOR EDITOR

S.PARADIS/RICHTER

Stephanie Leung, ASSISTANT EDITOR

Juliane Fung,

ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR

Chantel Watkins, JUNIOR EDITOR

Jing Wang,

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Advertising Team:

Kristen Chow,

MANAGING DIRECTOR, PUBLISHING

Ye Jin Suhe,

CLIENT EXPERIENCE LEAD

Vishnusha Kirupananthan, JUNIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Sponsored Profile Writers:

Berton Woodward, SENIOR EDITOR

Brian Bergman Abigail Cukier Lisa Day Mary Dickie Jane Doucet Chris Fournier Don Hauka Patricia Hluchy D’Arcy Jenish Bruce McDougall Kelsey Rolfe Nora Underwood Barbara Wickens

© 2022 Mediacorp Canada Inc. and Postmedia Inc. All rights reserved. CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS is a registered trade mark of Mediacorp Canada Inc. Editorial inquiries: ct100@mediacorp.ca

 Newly minted accountants celebrating their professional accreditation at the year-end holiday dinner at

W

Montreal-based Richter LLP, prior to the pandemic.

hen the pandemic arrived two years ago, one of our editors’ most remarkable observations was how quickly small and medium employers responded to the challenges the pandemic brought. Unlike larger employers, SMEs were agile and quickly made it possible for their employees to work from home or take other precautions needed to get through the public health emergency. SMEs didn’t need a blueprint or a policy manual, choosing instead to test and experiment with new forms of keeping in touch. That’s because being a SME has always meant searching for what works best, adopting it quickly and living with the bumps along the way.

Today, with the public health emergency receding, SMEs are again relying on the same agility and fleet of foot to overcome labour market challenges, including employee shortages across almost every industry. In the pages of this year’s announcement magazine, you’ll find stories of how this year’s SME winners are making their workplaces more attractive for employees who have more choice than ever.

From hybrid work and support for working-from-home to improved vacation and family-friendly policies, today’s SME winners have never been more competitive. They are very much the ‘laboratories’ of the top employer project, experimenting with new benefits and policies that, when proved successful, will become the innovations that larger

organizations will adopt.

You can read details of these initiatives in our editors’ reasons for selection, which were released this morning and explain why each of this year’s winners was chosen.

These provide a ‘catalogue of best practices’ that detail how the nation’s best small and medium employers are leading the way when it comes to forward-thinking HR practices and progressive workplace policies. You can find these reasons via our competition homepage at:

www.canadastop100.com/sme

First published in 2014, Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers is an editorial competition that recognizes the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that offer the nation’s best workplaces and forward-thinking human resources policies. The annual competition is open to any employer with its head office or principal place of business in Canada. Employers must have less than 500 employees worldwide, including employees at affiliated companies, and be a commercial, for-profit business. (Our full selection methodology is described on p. 12.)

Next year will mark our tenth annual edition of the SME competition and we’re planning a special announcement to celebrate this milestone. To have your organization considered, I encourage you to contact our editorial team at: ct100@mediacorp.ca – Tony Meehan

4

COLAB

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

 Employees from CoLab Software in St. John’s attending an employee recognition evening at Quidi Vidi Brewery.

Introduction

Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers 2022 by Mediacorp show remarkable agility in adapting to change

O

ne of the most surprising things about Canada’s Top Small & Medium (SME) Employers 2022 by Mediacorp is how much they have in common. Although these 115 winning organizations differ widely in business, from accounting firms to architecture to cybersecurity – and even a music publishing platform called Bandzoogle – all demonstrate remarkable agility in adapting to unprecedented times.

At the onset of the pandemic, companies quickly moved employees to

work-from-home arrangements wherever possible, ensuring they had the equipment needed for comfortable home offices.

They followed up with ongoing support, including ever more flexible work options, communication initiatives and online social events that kept everyone in touch (hello virtual yoga!). Many added mental health programs for employees, recognizing that these initiatives now belong permanently in an enlightened employer’s health benefits plan, alongside generous top-ups for new parents. It’s not just the big companies that can compete.

With each stage of the changing pandemic, Canada’s Top SME Employers continue to adapt. Like many others, Binary Stream Software in Burnaby, B.C., surveyed employees directly to help plan and guide their return to onsite work.

Typically, that return to the office will introduce a new hybrid way of working, reflecting employees’ wishes to continue to work from home at least part of the time.

With this increased focus on flexibility comes a further push for allowing individual employees to manage their own time. Known for cutting-edge human

resource policies, several of Canada’s Top SME Employers offer a no-limit vacation to help employees achieve that elusive balance between work and personal lives.

CoLab Software in St. John’s takes its no-limit vacation policy even further, adding days off between Christmas and New Year’s and basing its paid sick days policy simply “upon need.”

Punching well above their weight, the winners of Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers 2022 by Mediacorp lead the way in trendsetting for the coming year.

– Diane Jermyn

5

LAROCHELLE

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

2022

2022 WINNERS A

 Employees at Montreal-based IT consulting firm Larochelle Groupe Conseil taking a few moments to connect at the office, prior to the pandemic.

DA SUPPORT INC., Toronto.

Computer software; 221 employees. Includes a health spending account allowing employees to top up coverage to suit their personal needs.

AET GROUP INC., Kitchener, Ont. Environmental consulting; 25 employees.

Encourages employees to volunteer in their community with paid time off and matching charitable donations.

ALIDA INC., Vancouver. Customer intelligence software; 276 employees.

Hosted various virtual social events over the past year to help employees stay connected.

ARTIS REIT, Winnipeg. Real estate investment trust; 169 employees. Offers employees tuition subsidies for courses related and not directly related to their positions.

ATREMA TECHNOLOGIES INC., Calgary.

Computer software; 17 employees. Offers

retirement planning assistance services along with matching RSP contributions.

B

AM STRATEGY, Montreal.

Advertising; 66 employees. Offers in-house and online training options as well as tuition subsidies for job-related courses.

BANDZOOGLE, Nepean, Ont. Music publishing platform; 17 employees. Lets employees share in the company’s successes with a formal year-end bonus program.

BEEDIE, Burnaby, B.C. Real estate development; 299 employees. Helps employees balance work and personal life through alternative work options, including flexible hours and working from home.

BINARY STREAM SOFTWARE INC., Burnaby, B.C. Computer software; 70 employees. Surveyed employees directly to help plan and guide for the return to onsite work.

BIRCHCLIFF ENERGY LTD., Calgary.

Natural gas production; 207 employees.

Offers a generous academic scholarship program for children of employees, up to $6,000 per child per year.

BLUEARTH RENEWABLES INC., Calgary. Renewable power generation; 111 employees. Starts most employees with three weeks of paid vacation and considers previous experience when setting vacation entitlements.

BLUEDROP ISM, St. John’s. Software; 52 employees. Encourages employees to recruit their friends through generous new employee referral bonuses.

BRITEWEB LTD., Vancouver. Advertising; 16 employees. Starts new employees with three weeks paid vacation plus up to five additional personal days off annually.

BROADSIGN CANADA CO., Montreal.

Computer systems design; 151 employees.

Provided a furniture allowance to help employees set up and manage their home offices.

C

AREBOOK TECHNOLOGIES INC., Montreal. Specialized computer software; 42 employees. Offers tuition subsidies annually for courses at outside academic institutions.

CBCL LTD., Halifax. Engineering; 351 employees. Offers a defined contribution pension plan and phased-in work options for employees nearing retirement.

CHES SPECIAL RISK INC., Toronto.

Specialized insurance; 56 employees.

Offers new moms, dads and adoptive parents the option to extend their leave into an unpaid leave of absence.

COLAB SOFTWARE, St. John’s. Software; 35 employees. Offers employees a no-limit vacation policy and the number of paid sick days are based upon need.

6

Continued

COPPERLEAF TECHNOLOGIES INC., Vancouver. Specialized computer software; 240 employees. Offers employees paid time off to volunteer in the community (with no set maximum) and matching charitable employee donations.

ADA

2022 WINNERS

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

CROESUS FINASOFT, Laval, Que. Financial management software; 187 employees. Offers coverage for mental health practitioners as part of its benefits plan.

CROMBIE REIT, New Glasgow, N.S. Property management and development; 266 employees. Offers various helpful financial benefits including discounts on vehicles, cell phones and professional service fees.

CROWN PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC., Toronto. Property management; 107 employees. Offers employees tuition subsidies for courses related and not directly related to their current position.

DRONE DELIVERY CANADA CORP., Woodbridge, Ont. Drone-based courier services; 48 employees. Introduced an online wellness tool so employees could easily access a range of wellness services.

DUNCAN CRAIG LLP, Edmonton. Law firms; 96 employees. Offers paid internships and co-op placements for students and recent grads starting out.

DURWARD JONES BARKWELL & CO. LLP, St. Catharines, Ont. Accounting; 140 employees. Offer a defined contribution pension plan as well as a formal year-end bonus plan.

 Toronto-based Ada Support provides employees with a health spending account (to $2,000) to top up their benefits coverage based on individual needs.

C.MCCRACKEN/BRIITEWEB

D

IAMOND SCHMITT ARCHITECTS INC., Toronto.

Architecture; 283 employees.

Offers paid internships for recent grads as well as fostering ongoing education through in-house programming.

E

CLIPSYS SOLUTIONS INC., Kanata, Ont. Information technology services; 45 employees. Encourages employees to become recruiters through a generous new employee referral bonus program.

ESENTIRE INC., Waterloo, Ont. Cybersecurity; 302 employees. Reaches out to the next generation of employees through apprenticeship and co-op programs.

EXPERIENCEPOINT INC., Toronto.

Human resources consulting; 56 employees. Encourages employees to lead healthy lives with an employee-led wellness committee and a health benefits plan featuring a wellness spending account.

 Vancouver-based social-impact advertising agency Briteweb starts new employees with three weeks of paid vacation allowance, plus up to five paid personal days off each year.

7

AMARA/CROWN PROPERTY

EXPERIENCEPOINT

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

1. At ExperiencePoint, employees receive help maintaining healthy lifestyles with a special wellness spending account.

2. Kanata, Ont.-based Eclipsys Solutions encourages staff to become recruiters through a generous new employee referral bonus.

3. Employees at Crown Property Management can develop in their careers with company-paid tuition for outside courses – whether or not a course is related to an employee’s current position.

D.BROWN/ECLIPSYS

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FOM TOP):

8

Continued

BM ARCHITECTURE | INTERIOR DESIGN, Halifax.

Architecture; 46 employees.

Quickly moved employees to work-from-home and ensured they had the required equipment to set up workspaces at home.

FBM

F

2022 WINNERS

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

FINANCEIT CANADA INC., Toronto. Consumer financing; 236 employees. Created numerous communication initiatives to keep employees in touch while working from home, including virtual meditation, yoga and fitness classes.

FIRST CAPITAL REIT, Toronto. Real estate development and management; 340 employees. Offers a share purchase plan and a year-end bonus program open to all employees.

FISPAN SERVICES INC., Vancouver.

Software development; 59 employees.

Supports employee well-being through a formal mental health strategy that encourages employees to practice daily mindfulness training.

FLAMAN SALES LTD., Saskatoon. Retail, farm machinery, equipment and home fitness; 408 employees. Offers flexible work arrangements where possible, including telecommuting, flexible hours, shortened work weeks and a compressed work week option.

FRESCHE SOLUTIONS INC., Montreal.

Computer system design; 175 employees.

Offers new parents the option to extend their parental leave into an unpaid leave of absence and phase-in options for returning parents.

PHOTOS (FROM TOP): 1. Employees at the summer social hosted by Halifax-based FBM Architecture | Interior Design prior to the pandemic.

2. Members of the executive team at Vancouver-based FISPAN Services (L-R): Clayton Weir, Lisa Shields, Val Novikov and Andrea Zand.

FRESH PREP FOODS INC., Vancouver.

Food processing; 199 employees. Experienced impressive employment growth over the past year, adding more than 100 new positions.

FULLER LANDAU LLP, Toronto.

Accounting; 132 employees. Offers training and development for individuals at various stages of their career, from co-op placements to tuition subsidies for experienced employees.

FUNDSERV INC., Toronto. Financial transaction processing; 100 employees.

Encourages employees to become recruiters with generous new employee referral bonuses for successful new hires.

FISPAN

FRESHBOOKS, Toronto. Software publishers; 404 employees. Provides an extensive three-week onboarding process managed by dedicated onboarding specialists.

9

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

G

2022 WINNERS

Continued

ENOA DESIGN INTERNATIONAL LTD., Mount Pearl, N.L. Engineering design; 239 employees.

Encourages employees to save for the long term with matching RSP contributions.

GEOCOMPLY SOLUTIONS INC., Vancouver. Computer systems; 47 employees.

Starts new employees with four weeks of paid vacation, with five or more weeks of starting vacation for candidates with over five years of experience.

GOULD INDUSTRIES LTD., Anjou, Que. Consumer product manufacturing; 75 employees. Encourages ongoing employee development, including apprenticeships, mentoring, in-house and online training and tuition subsidies.

GSOFT, Montreal. Computer software; 270 employees. Offers exceptional family-friendly benefits, providing maternity and parental top-up for mothers, fathers and adoptive parents, to 80 per cent of salary for up to 50 weeks.

H

ATFIELD CONSULTANTS LLP, North Vancouver. Environmental consulting; 145 employees. Offers flexible work options to help employees balance work and personal lives, including working from home and flexible hours.

HUDSON PACIFIC PROPERTIES, Vancouver. Real estate development; 25 employees. Manages a formal year-end bonus program to let employees share in the company’s successes.

HUMANIA ASSURANCE INC., SaintHyacinthe, Que. Insurance; 168 employees.

Cultivates an ownership culture through a share purchase plan available to all employees.

I

NTEGRATED SUSTAINABILITY, Calgary. Environmental consulting; 70 employees. Offers employees in-house and online training along with tuition subsidies for courses related and not directly related to their current position.

GEOCOMPLY

GROUNDSWELL CLOUD SOLUTIONS INC., Vancouver. Cloud-based software services; 79 employees. Encourages employees to become recruiters for the firm through generous new employee referral bonuses.

PHOTOS (FROM TOP):

HATFIELD

GREAT LITTLE BOX COMPANY, THE, Richmond, B.C. Box manufacturing; 421 employees. Rewards employee suggestions and cost-saving ideas with cash rewards.

1. New employees at Vancouver-based GeoComply Solutions start with four weeks of paid vacation allowance, while more experienced staff joining the company receive five or more weeks paid vacation.

2. Kyle Hamilton, an employee at Hatfield Consultants, assembles equipment to measure water flow on Pocket Creek, near Crowsnest Pass in Southern Alberta.

10

Continued

HUDSON PACIFIC

2022 WINNERS

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

INVESTORCOM INC., Brantford, Ont. Computer software; 70 employees. Starts newest employees with three weeks paid vacation and considers previous work experience when setting individual vacation entitlement.

IQMETRIX, Vancouver. Computer software; 349 employees. Offers exceptional family-friendly benefits, including a lifetime maximum of $25,000 for IVF if needed.

ISA CYBERSECURITY LTD., Toronto.

Computer security; 65 employees.

Encourages employees to become recruiters for the firm through generous new employee referral bonuses when they successfully recruit a friend.

J

ACOB BROS CONSTRUCTION INC., Surrey, B.C. Construction; 297 employees. Supports numerous charitable initiatives, focusing on programs that support youth, underprivileged children and non-profits that assist the homeless.

JOHNSTON GROUP INC., Winnipeg.

Insurance and group benefits; 293 employees. Encourages overall employee wellness through a dedicated internal well-being program.

K

EIRTON INC., Surrey, B.C. Industrial equipment design and manufacturing; 68 employees.

Participates in the “Not Myself Today” mental health awareness program, hosting quarterly workshops and supporting employee ambassadors.

KEYSTONE ENVIRONMENTAL LTD., Burnaby, B.C. Environmental consulting; 98 employees. Allows longer-serving employees to apply for an unpaid leave of absence, up to one year in duration.

L

ANDRY ET ASSOCIÉS, Montreal.

Computer systems design; 14 employees. Enhanced its wellness spending benefit during the pandemic to cover home fitness equipment and needed purchases to set up comfortable home offices.

LANE TECHNOLOGIES INC., Toronto.

Computer software; 59 employees. Has continued to enjoy impressive employment growth over the past year.

LAROCHELLE GROUPE CONSEIL INC., Montreal. Information technology consulting; 115 employees. Provides a health spending account as part of its health benefits plan to offer flexibility and ensure coverage suits employee needs.

The Vancouver head office of Hudson Pacific Properties, which employs just 25 staff. The real estate firm offers a formal

N

year-end bonus program to ensure that its employees share in the company’s success.

LBMX INC., London, Ont. Computer software; 59 employees. Encourages employees to become recruiters for the firm through generous new employee referral bonuses when they successfully recruit a friend.

LITCO LAW, Calgary. Law firms; 110 employees. Offers a dedicated mental health practitioner benefit, up to $1,500 annually, as part of its health benefits plan.

LOGIENT, Montreal. Computer systems design; 129 employees. Helps employees save for the future through matching RSP contributions.

LOOPIO INC., Toronto. Software developer; 150 employees. Starts new employees with six weeks of paid vacation and manages a vacation top-up program.

LPI MECHANICAL INC., Brampton, Ont. Commercial and industrial HVAC services; 159 employees. Lets employees share in the company’s successes through a generous year-end bonus program.

LUMINULTRA TECHNOLOGIES LTD., Fredericton. Water quality testing; 103

employees. Encourages ongoing professional development through tuition subsidies for courses at outside institutions.

M

ACROHEALTH CANADA, Vancouver. Information technology services; 62 employees. Offers a no-limit paid vacation policy as well as additional time off through the Christmas to New Year’s holidays.

MCDOUGALL GAULEY LLP, Saskatoon.

Law firms; 119 employees. Offered needed equipment and ergonomic advice to all employees to ensure proper home office set-ups.

METOCEAN TELEMATICS LTD., Dartmouth, N.S. Communications technology; 83 employees. Developed a formal “Working with Covid” policy to oversee safety and mitigation protocols.

MISSION GROUP ENTERPRISES LTD., Kelowna, B.C. Housing construction; 71 employees. Offers employees tuition subsidies for courses related and not directly related to their current position.

AKISA INC., Montreal.

Computer systems design; 162 employees. Offers tuition subsidies for job-related courses as well as subsidies for professional accreditation.

NICOLA WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD., Vancouver. Investment management; 291 employees. Provides up to 10 paid personal days each year which can be used for illness or personal reasons, along with a minimum of three weeks paid time off.

NOSEWORTHY CHAPMAN CHARTERED PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANTS, St. John’s. Accounting; 53 employees. Supports new moms, dads and adoptive parents with a weekly fixed payment top-up for the full year of their maternity and parental leave.

O

LYMPIA FINANCIAL GROUP INC., Calgary. Trust, fiduciary and custody activities and related IT services; 215 employees. Encourages employees to save for the future through generous matching RSP contributions.

11

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

P

2022 WINNERS

Continued

DFTRON SYSTEMS INC., Vancouver. Software; 93 employees. Enjoyed significant employee growth over the past year, adding 35 new positions.

PERLEY-ROBERTSON, HILL & MCDOUGALL LLP / S.R.L., Ottawa. Law firms; 110 employees. Helps employees save for life after work with a defined contribution pension plan.

POINTS, Toronto. Customer loyalty program software; 241 employees. Offers a generous mental health practitioner benefit, up to $3,000 per year, as part of its benefits plan.

PRAIRIECOAST EQUIPMENT, Mission, B.C. Farm, garden machinery and equipment distribution; 259 employees.

Encourages employees to support local charitable initiatives with paid volunteer time and matching charitable donations.

PSB BOISJOLI LLP, Mont-Royal, Que. Accounting; 220 employees. Offers employees one paid volunteer day every year along with matching charitable donations.

R

ECYCLESMART SOLUTIONS INC., Richmond, B.C. Waste treatment and disposal; 67 employees. Offers matching RSP contributions and flexible phased-in retirement work options for employees nearing retirement.

REDBRICK TECHNOLOGIES INC., Victoria. Computer software; 70 employees. Offers a matching RSP program and referral bonuses for employees who successfully refer a friend.

REWIND, Orléans, Ont. Computer software; 67 employees. Encourages employees to take a four-week paid sabbatical every four years.

R.F. BINNIE & ASSOCIATES LTD., Burnaby, B.C. Engineering; 241 employees.

Maintains progressive time off policies

2. Employees at Toronto-based financial software firm Vena Solutions take time to mark International Women’s Day.

VENA

REDBRICK

PROMATION, Oakville, Ont. Tooling, automation and robotic systems manufacturer; 115 employees. Increased its starting vacation for new employees from two to three weeks and its maximum vacation entitlement to five weeks for long-serving employees.

1. Director of marketing for Rebase, Tina, chats with students and potential hires at the Redbrick Technologies career fair in Victoria.

ROGERS INS.

PREVUE HR SYSTEMS INC., Vancouver.

Software; 23 employees. Offers one full year of maternity and parental top-up payments to 100 per cent of salary for new moms, dads and adoptive parents.

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP):

3. An employee at Rogers Insurance in Calgary shows her team spirit while scooting to work downtown.

12

2022 WINNERS

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Continued

that allow employees to take time off for themselves.

RICHTER LLP, Montreal. Accounting; 477 employees. Lets employees share in business successes through a year-end bonus program.

RIGHTEOUS GELATO LTD., Calgary.

Gelato and sorbet production and cafe; 32 employees. Moves full-time employees to unlimited paid vacation after one year of employment.

ROGERS INSURANCE LTD., Calgary.

Insurance; 409 employees. Supports employees with college-aged kids through an academic scholarship program.

RTDS TECHNOLOGIES INC., Winnipeg.

Computer technology; 75 employees.

Promotes healthy lifestyles with a fitness reimbursement program of $300 annually.

R.V. ANDERSON ASSOCIATES LTD., Toronto. Engineering; 347 employees.

Encourages employees to become recruiters for the firm with generous new employee referral bonuses, from $2,500 to $8,500.

S

ENSEI LABS INC., Toronto. Computer software; 64 employees. Hosts personal health and wellness days, including open mental health discussions along with a generous mental health practitioners benefit.

SEQUENCE BIOINFORMATICS INC., St. John’s. Biotechnology and data analytics; 27 employees. Offers a no-limit vacation policy along with paid holiday shutdown during the Christmas to New Year’s holidays.

SILVACOM LTD., Edmonton. Custom computer software and consulting; 74 employees. Allows employees to earn extra time off during the summer months through a formal earned days off program.

SILVERCHEF RENTALS INC., Vancouver.

Commercial equipment wholesalers; 45 employees. Encourages employees to become recruiters for the firm with generous new employee referral bonuses when they successfully recruit a friend.

SIONNA INVESTMENT MANAGERS INC., Toronto. Investment management; 22 employees. Worked to keep employees connected while working from home through weekly online workouts as well as encouraging flexible hours.

SKYWATCH SPACE APPLICATIONS INC., Kitchener, Ont. Computer technology; 28 employees. Provided all employees

with a generous stipend to ensure they could develop a comfortable home office.

SMART & BIGGAR, Ottawa. Law firms; 301 employees. Created a Re-opening Our Offices Team (ROOT) to develop plans for a gradual return to the office.

STARTEC, Calgary. Commercial refrigeration systems; 174 employees. Invested in additional IT resources and let employees bring office furniture home if needed.

SYSGEN SOLUTIONS GROUP LTD., Calgary. Information technology consulting; 84 employees. Offers a variety of alternative working options including compressed work weeks, flexible hours and telecommuting.

SYSTEM1 CANADA ULC, Guelph, Ont. Information technology consulting; 64 employees. Offers share purchase and profit-sharing programs and a generous year-end bonus program.

T

EHAMA INC., Ottawa.

Computer software; 71 employees. Offers a flexible time-off policy providing employees with 30 days of flexible time to be used throughout the year, whether for paid vacation, sick time, professional development or volunteering.

THERATECHNOLOGIES INC., Montreal. Biopharmaceutical research and development; 63 employees. Offers a summer hours program that includes early closing on Friday afternoons from the end of May to Labour Day.

one additional week of vacation every year, with the option to spread their payroll deductions over the year.

U

BERFLIP, Toronto. Cloudbased marketing software; 133 employees. Introduced a hybrid model that lets employees balance at home and onsite work.

UKEN INC., Toronto. Game developer; 97 employees. Offers in-house training programs as well as tuition subsidies for courses at outside institutions.

V

ENA SOLUTIONS INC., Toronto. Software development; 413 employees. Manages an employee stock options plan for its full-time employees.

VERB INTERACTIVE INC., Halifax.

Marketing and advertising; 158 employees.

Offers a health spending account as part of its benefits plan, providing a little flexibility to top up coverage as needed.

VISIER INC., Vancouver. Software developer; 296 employees. Covered home internet and phone services for employees while working from home.

VOONYX INC., Quebec. Computer software; 114 employees. Offers four weeks of starting vacation allowance, moving to six weeks for long-serving employees.

W

ALTERFEDY INC., Kitchener, Ont. Architectural and engineering services; 184 employees. Offers employees full tuition subsidies for academic courses related to their current position along with in-house and online training programs.

WESGROUP EQUIPMENT LP, Surrey, B.C. Industrial machinery and equipment distribution; 161 employees. Recognizes exceptional employee performance through its peer nominated monthly G.R.I.T. awards.

Z

YMEWORKS INC., Vancouver.

Biopharmaceutical research and development; 224 employees.

Encourages employees to support community initiatives through up to five paid volunteer days off annually.

– Diane Jermyn

METHODOLOGY 2022: Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers 2022 by Mediacorp is an editorial competition that recognizes exceptional small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across Canada. The competition is limited to private-sector commercial organizations with less than 500 employees worldwide. Non-profit organizations are not eligible.

THESCORE, Toronto. Digital media; 266 employees. Has implemented enhanced cleaning protocols along with a flex desk booking program for onsite work.

Employers are evaluated by the editors at Mediacorp using the same criteria as Mediacorp’s Top 100 Employers competition: (1) Physical Workplace; (2) Work Atmosphere & Social; (3) Health, Financial & Family Benefits; (4) Vacation & Time Off; (5) Employee Communications; (6) Performance Management; (7) Training & Skills Development; and (8) Community Involvement.

THINKIFIC LABS INC., Vancouver.

Online learning software; 246 employees.

Includes a wellness spending account as well as a generous mental health practitioner benefit in its health benefits plan.

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

TRACKTIK SOFTWARE INC., Montreal.

Computer software; 146 employees.

Quickly moved employees to work-fromhome and adjusted work schedules to help employees balance their work and personal schedules.

While the selection process to choose the winners continually evolves to include new questions that reflect changes in the workplace, the underlying methodology has not significantly changed since the project began in 2000. The competition is and remains a catalogue of best practices.

TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH IN ONCOLOGY, Edmonton. Clinical research activities; 105 employees. Offered a one-time home office allowance as well as a subsidy of $70 per month to help employees cover the cost of internet.

Canada’s Top Small and Medium Employers by Mediacorp is an annual national competition and all applicants must pay a fee to enter. Any employer with its head office or principal place of business in Canada may apply regardless of size, whether private or public sector. The Globe and Mail is not involved in the judging process.

TRISURA GUARANTEE INSURANCE CO., Toronto. Insurance; 151 employees.

Offers employees the option to purchase

– Diane Jermyn

2022

13

GENOA DESIGN

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

 Employees at Genoa Design International waving off the CCGS John Cabot, a large scientific research vessel that was modeled at firm’s St. John’s design studio.

At a Critical Moment

Canada’s Top Small and Medium Employers are dealing with significant change

O

ne is a CEO on “the Rock”, near St. John’s, N.L., running a company closely involved with naval shipbuilding. The other is a CEO in London, Ont., co-founder of a platform helping small-business buying groups work with suppliers. Their companies couldn’t be more different, but both are on this year’s list of Canada’s Top Small and Medium Employers, or SMEs. And both CEOs see this moment as critical for the future of these enterprises, the engine of Canada’s economy.

Gina Pecore runs Genoa Design International Ltd., which produces 3D digital models of ships planned mainly for military use in North America, in the St.

John’s suburb of Mount Pearl. “I think we’re all facing the question of, What is a good employer now?” she says. “That was easier to figure out pre-pandemic. It’s not as easy now. The requirements are changing in quite significant ways.”

She notes that beyond benefits, there used to be various office perks, from ergonomics to parking, to attract employees. “Those are not necessarily going to be as highly valued by employees in the future,” she says. “We have to be very mindful of the shift in employee culture and what employees are looking for and then respond in the best way that we can.”

A key area, of course, is the large numbers of employees who have gotten used to working from home. “I’ve been

pretty clear with my team that we are a work-from-the-office business,” she says.

“We do have people now who are permanently contracted to work from home, but I have a lot of concerns around figuring out how you support employees differently in a distributed workforce. We have to be mindful of their career development, of their learning, of their wellness, of the role that the workplace plays in their socialization. There are a lot of things where the onus is on employers to think them through, and make sure we adapt the workplace for something new.”

As if those weren’t challenges enough for SMEs, Greg Dinsdale, president and CEO of LBMX Ltd. in London, has more.

His company runs a business-to-business

marketplace helping independent enterprises and suppliers come together, so he’s in touch with a lot of smaller companies. He’s fine with a hybrid work arrangement for his staff, but he’s worried about the wider business environment.

A lot of SMEs that have been successful in recent years are finding they have quite high valuations, he says. Often, too, they are run by aging founders.

“Many of them are trying to decide, do I hand it down to my kids, or do I sell?” says Dinsdale. “Significant changes are in play at the moment. Well-known local independents are all of a sudden being gobbled up by private equity or the corporate sector.”

For employees, the unexpected

Match your degree or diploma with employers that recruit new grads with your academic background 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.

CareerDirectory.ca Match your degree or diploma with employers that actively recruit new grads with your educational qualifications!

2022

15

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

A CRITICAL MOMENT

Cont.

transition can be stressful, he says, given the close workplace relationships SMEs are famous for. “They each tend to have a say in everything that’s happening and become a trusted advisor,” he says. “I’ll often bring in junior people and get their opinion on something – they’re unlikely to get that at a larger corporation.”

But lest anyone worry about the overall health of SMEs, both Pecore and Dinsdale point to their key advantage: adaptability.

“They have the ability to turn on a dime if they need to,” says Dinsdale. Adds Pecore: “We’ve always been that adaptable

environment – we are independent, we can move fast.”

That’s more necessary than ever now, says Richard Yerema, managing editor at Mediacorp Canada, which runs the competition. “These are the organizations that can respond quickly,” he says. “They were the ones that were able to shift to work-from-home so efficiently. And now you can see that in reverse – they will be the ones leading the way in defining future-of-work programs.”

Kristina Leung, senior editor at Mediacorp Canada, notes that SMEs have indeed always pointed to their friendly workplace culture as a key attraction in

comparison to large organizations. But now they are adapting in that area, too, she says, by offering major benefits that used to seem out of reach. “To compete for talent, they’ve had to match benefits,” says Leung.

Parental leave is a key example among Top Employers. Toronto-based FreshBooks, for instance, offers a 90-per-cent salary top-up for 30 weeks, while Montréal-based GSoft provides up to 80 per cent for 50 weeks. Those were almost unheard-of perks among SMEs just a few years ago.

“These are the organizations that introduced no-limit vacation and four weeks of paid time off,” notes Yerema.

“And they already had these very evolved alternative or flexible work options available. Then you put that friendly culture together with being a ‘real’ employer, who helps employees save for the future, supports them becoming a parent, and offers a decent health program with mental health benefits – it’s a very attractive combination.”

So as the CEOs indicated, challenges abound for Canada’s Top Small and Medium Employers. But as they redefine the workplace in the wake of the pandemic, they are sure to emerge stronger than ever.

– Berton Woodward

PHOTOS (L-R):

2. Toronto-based FreshBooks also provides its employees with excellent parental leave, offering 90% salary top-up for 30 weeks.

FRESHBOOKS

GSOFT

1. At Montréal-based Gsoft, employees receive first-class parental leave benefits, including 80% salary top-up for 50 weeks. Family-friendly benefits such as these were virtually unheard of at SMEs just a few years ago.

16

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Bluedrop’s people work hard and laugh harder employees were scared, he quickly reassured them they wouldn’t lose their jobs. Because work travel was sidelined, Bluedrop was able to donate three months of savings to charities, which boosted morale.

“When people feel grateful, they’re less likely to be anxious and depressed,” says Rizkalla.

Our people are the real deal– you can’t fake a passion for a project or a client, they come with that.

— Emad Rizkalla Founder and CEO

 The Bluedrop team with Andrew Furey, premier of Newfoundland and Labrador (far right).

W

hen Egyptborn Emad Rizkalla was attending high school in Ontario, he wanted to be a teacher. Youthful plans often change, however, and he ended up earning an engineering degree at Memorial University of Newfoundland. A class project in 1992 would become what is now St. John’s-based technology company Bluedrop ISM. Bluedrop’s early claims to fame include building the first functional website for the National Basketball Association’s Golden State

Warriors, and the controls and data storage for a Getaway Special private payload that flew aboard NASA’s Discovery Shuttle. Since then, the company has evolved into a global pioneer in delivering innovative training solutions in more than 30 countries. From the start, its founder and CEO’s sense of adventure and fun have created an enticing company culture.

“I loved the idea of building something great in the middle of nowhere straight of out university, even though I had no money or experience,” says Rizkalla. “The culture we’ve cultivated likely comes from the fact that this is

still my first job, so I never got indoctrinated with artificial corporate cheerleading and especially corporate politics.”

Scan the concise list of core values on Bluedrop’s website and you’ll get that picture: never bite your tongue; work hard, laugh harder; roll with it; compassionate always; we get it, you have a life.

“Our people are the real deal – you can’t fake a passion for a project or a client, they come with that,” says Rizkalla. “The goal of corporate culture is to not mess up any of their innate goodness.”

When the pandemic landed in 2020 and Rizkalla realized his

Mimi Sheriff, director of strategic accounts and social impact, appreciates Bluedrop’s commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR). Born in Zimbabwe, she earned a law degree at the University of Cape Town, then chose Memorial University for a master’s degree in women’s studies. Her post-graduation plan was to work at the United Nations.

That plan got derailed in 2012 when a friend of Sheriff’s sat next to Rizkalla on a flight to Toronto. He asked the woman if she knew someone with a law degree who might be interested in joining Bluedrop as marketing and proposal manager. “I had done my master’s internship at the UN and had every intention of working there, but I sent my résumé to Emad, and the rest is history,” says Sheriff.

17

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

52

full-time staff in Canada

67%

of managers are women

43%

of executive team are women

32

charities helped last year  Bluedrop employees participate in the annual race up a hill to their headquarters.

Sheriff’s sense of adventure led her to that position, then to two promotions. “I thought I’d be at Bluedrop for a year or two, but the positions I moved into were always different and challenging, so I’ve never gotten bored,” she says. “And I work with such

good-hearted, easy-going people – that’s a testament to Emad, because he genuinely cares about people.”

Moving from marketing into sales, Sheriff then got passionate about CSR. When HR asked her to take on corporate giving group

True Blue, she didn’t hesitate. “I was given free rein and a budget, and I got to decide what to do with it – I feel like an ‘intrapreneur’ in this role,” she says.

Bluedrop also covered half of the expenses for Sheriff’s graduate certificate in CSR from the

University of Toronto. “It’s one of the best trainings I’ve ever done, and I brought everything I learned back to Bluedrop,” she says. Adds Rizkalla: “When people are motivated and self-driven, it unleashes their ability to do great work.” 

18

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Broadsign is all about innovation and mentorship balance family and work.”

Software developer Kseniya Baluk is one of those new parents, welcoming her first child, daughter Mira, in March 2021. “When I told my manager and HR that I was pregnant, they congratulated me and were happy and supportive,” she says. Although she initially considered taking fewer than 12 months of maternity leave, she decided to stay home with Mira for the full year – and that decision was also supported.

 Broadsign employees enjoying a team building activity.

I

n 1999, Bryan Mongeau and a friend took a contract working for Montréal-based Broadsign, which was developing something new: digital signage solutions. Mongeau soon realized that Broadsign had more opportunities for him than his own company did.

Today Broadsign technology powers 425,000 signs and lights up more than 200,000 digital screens, in such places as airports, shopping malls, health clinics and transit systems in more than 84 countries.

When Mongeau joined the company in 2003 as a junior developer, he wrote the first code for the first digital-signage project. “It was exciting, because there really was

no other company at that time with that focus,” he says.

Today, Mongeau is chief technology officer for Broadsign, which continues to grow and innovate at warp speed. And while he didn’t have a career plan in mind in those early days, his interest in developing products from scratch while wearing multiple hats – for designing, testing and customer support – led to opportunities in product management and sales.

“Over time those roles grew, and I became a manager, then a VP, as more responsibilities were sent my way,” says Mongeau.

CEO Burr Smith was Mongeau’s first mentor, and that mentorship continues today. “Burr has been

able to elevate my skill set around management and strategy so I can help others learn to problem solve, instead of trying to solve all of the problems myself,” he says. External coaching and training programs have also been valuable professional development resources.

Even before the pandemic sent employees home to work, Broadsign strived to accommodate employees’ individual needs with flexible work hours. “Balance has always been at the heart of our company, culture and core values,” says Mongeau. “Many of our employees are new parents or have young children, and we encourage them to take the time they need to

A principle that guides all of our decisions is ‘do the right thing’ and that includes trusting that our team will do great work. We empower our employees by guiding instead of interfering, that trust helps us surface good ideas and make the best decisions.

— Bryan Mongeau Chief Technology Officer

Mongeau enjoys hearing stories like Baluk’s because they echo Broadsign’s core value to do right by its employees. “A principle that guides all of our decisions is ‘do the right thing’ and that includes trusting that our team will do great work. We empower our employees

19

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

151

full-time staff in Canada

37

years, average age of all employees

5,500

job applications received last year

16%

growth in 2021  CEO Burr Smith discussing company values at the Broadsign Employee Summit.

by guiding instead of interfering, that trust helps us surface good ideas and make the best decisions,” he says. “That also extends to our customers as we provide them with the solutions to drive their business forward.”

Baluk came to Canada from

Belarus a decade ago, at a time when women in technology weren’t well represented in Eastern Europe. When she joined Broadsign in 2015 as a junior web developer, she was insecure about working in a male-dominated industry in a new country. “But I

AN EMPOWERING TECH CAREER STARTS HERE Be a part of Broadsign APPLY AT BROADSIGN.COM/CAREERS

never encountered any inferior treatment because I was a woman – everything was expected of me as an equal,” she says.

Baluk has benefited from company-paid training courses and conferences, as well as mentorship in the form of collaborations with

more experienced co-workers.

“When I was promoted, I had a one-on-one meeting with my manager, who was already talking about where I could move next,” she says. “He and my colleagues have a lot of trust in my skills, which is wonderful.” 

20

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Education is a core value at Crown Property Management ported to try out new ideas, even if they sometimes don’t take off. The most challenging part was overcoming my own mental barriers and understanding that I could do different things.”

Les Miller, managing partner and CEO, says education is extremely important at Crown.

Ongoing learning is a part of everyone’s goals, no matter what level they’re at. The belief is so ingrained that all employees have an education component incorporated into their annual bonus structure.

If you’re always learning, you’re always challenging yourself.

— Les Miller Managing Partner and CEO

 Crown Property Management team having a meeting in the lunch room at their head office in Toronto.

M

onica Di Zio understands the power of taking a leap and trying something new.

From the time she joined Crown Property Management Inc. in Toronto seven years ago, she’s been encouraged to embrace career opportunities as they arise. The company acquires, leases, manages and redevelops commercial real estate assets across Ontario.

Initially hired for a role in

marketing and communications, Di Zio soon switched over to the leasing team and sales, completing her real estate licensing along the way. Currently, she’s back in marketing as the company’s director of marketing and innovation.

“It was pretty amazing to have an opportunity to pivot like that in my career and be able to try something new,” says Di Zio. “Ultimately it gave me the opportunity to learn a lot more about the company from so many different perspectives. Creativity

and continuous learning are woven into the culture at Crown.”

The company supported Di Zio’s real estate licensing, as it does for all employees looking to expand their skillset, paying for it and giving her time off for the exam. She also credits her mentors at Crown for giving her the courage to have confidence in herself to take on new roles and not be afraid of failing.

“A lot of my work involves big picture thinking and idea generation,” says Di Zio. “I feel sup-

“People need that foundation of wanting to learn in order to be creative and entrepreneurial,” says Miller. “If you’re always learning, you’re always challenging yourself.

It’s my belief that if you don’t have that mindset of learning, you can’t be creative. You have to be willing to try and experiment with things.”

The company’s definition of education is very broad, including learning best practices from people in the industry, Miller explains.

Since the company has people in a variety of different roles, education is not necessarily as formal as postsecondary programs.

“It doesn’t have to be that you’re signing up for university courses,” says Miller. “Education can come in a number of forms such as participating in industry conferences

21

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

137

full-time staff in Canada

52%

of managers in office roles are women

100%

job-related tuition subsidies

4

key charities helped last year

and events. If you’re a building operator, we want you to make sure you’re out there understanding what best practices are.

“We don’t want people to come to work and just do their job. We want people to mentally expose themselves because it fosters the

 For their 20th anniversary, the Crown Property Management team donated over 7,000 pounds of clothing to New Circles, a local non-profit organization.

whole culture of entrepreneurship.

We need to make sure our team is always in the mindset of creativity and willing to try new things.”

While Miller prefers that courses be industry-related, there’s a lot of flexibility for employees to set their own goals and objectives. The

More Than Square Footage We invest in relationships: connecting capital with opportunities, organizations with engaging workspaces and buildings with their communities. crownrealtypartners.com

company has also coordinated with the Schulich School of Business at York University for an emerging leaders program, selecting employees who show the potential for a strong future with the company and taking them to the next level.

“Those who really embrace this type of culture excel much faster through organization,” says Miller.

“I like to think that through education, we’ve given our staff the tools and ability to be resilient, especially in these challenging times.” 

22

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Duncan Craig LLP values integrity and community people to take the time they need to recharge. It also means providing unconditional support for people who are facing family crises or other personal challenges.

“I often tell lawyers you are part of a firm for a reason,” says Bieganek. “If you wanted to do this on your own, then you’d be on your own. So if you need to take time off, just do it. We have people who can pick up the slack for you.”

If you never had worklife balance before, you’ll realize that you suddenly do when you start working here.

— Erica Banick Director, People and Development

 Duncan Craig LLP staff volunteering at Edmonton Food Bank last year.

F

or 129 years, Duncan Craig LLP has been a fixture of the Edmonton legal community – longevity that managing partner Darren Bieganek attributes to the firm’s strong commitment to some enduring values.

“Our values are relationships, community, expertise and integrity,” says Bieganek. “Adherence to those values, by every member of our team, has held us in good stead through the decades. You have to be a certain kind of person to work here.”

And what kind of person is that?

“Trustworthiness is at the top of the list,” says Bieganek.

“Edmonton is a big city, but it’s also a small community. So we look for people who are trustworthy, who are reliably consistent with what they say and what they do. We are not part of a large national firm, so there’s also an entrepreneurial quality. We need people with a strong work ethic, who are self-starters and willing to pitch in as required.”

In return, lawyers and support staff can expect the kind of

work-life balance that is sometimes elusive at much larger firms.

“This firm prioritizes work-life balance by living it,” says Erica Banick, who joined Duncan Craig in late 2020 as its director of people and development after more than 20 years of experience in the legal community. “This is not the kind of place that encourages you to sit in the office for 2,500 hours a year and burn out. If you never had work-life balance before, you’ll realize that you suddenly do when you start working here.”

That includes encouraging

This approach has served the firm – and its members – well, particularly over the past two years.

“We’ve been quite busy during much of the pandemic and our billable hours have gone up,” says Bieganek. “But because of the expectations we’ve set all along, people have been able to maintain both their productivity and a healthy work-life balance.”

As remote work became more common, the firm placed a renewed emphasis on communication. Every Friday, Bieganek put out a written communication, thanking firm members for their ongoing efforts, addressing concerns, communicating pandemic considerations and planning and answering any questions they

23

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

96

full-time staff in Canada

52

years, longest-serving employee

40%

of board of directors are women

100%

employer-paid health plan, with family coverage

might have.

There have also been attempts to lighten the mood.

“When last spring hit and we were still dealing with this reality, we sent everyone a bottle of sangria, patio glasses and snacks they could enjoy at home,” says

 Duncan Craig LLP office lobby at their head office in Edmonton.

Banick. “We couldn’t be together, but we could still have fun.”

The pandemic also impacted some of Duncan Craig’s philanthropic efforts. As part of its centenary celebrations in 1994, the firm launched the annual Duncan Craig Laurel Awards to recognize

and provide financial honorariums to innovative non-profit organizations in the Edmonton area. Due to concerns about large gatherings, the Laurel awards event had to be cancelled in 2020 and 2021. The funds that usually went to award recipients were donated to the

Edmonton Food Bank and Meals on Wheels.

“We continue to support a wide range of organizations and to encourage employee volunteerism,” says Bieganek. “Giving back to the community remains a huge priority for us.” 

24

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Durward Jones Barkwell values work-life balance Brohman himself joined DJB in 1985, immediately after he obtained his bachelor of commerce degree from McMaster University in Hamilton. “I graduated on a Saturday, started on Monday,” he says.

Except for a brief period in industry, he has never left the firm.

“It’s been a central part of my life,” he says. “I’ve been mentored by some fantastic people, who’ve always been in my corner to help me along.”

We recognize that we can meet our professional commitments without sacrificing our personal needs.

— Mark Brohman Managing Partner

 Durward Jones Barkwell staff members at their St Catharines, ON office.

B

y the time she joined Durward Jones Barkwell & Company LLP (DJB) in 2020, Alexis MacCallum knew what it took to excel in her chosen field. She’d not only obtained her bachelor’s degree and graduate diploma in accounting from Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont., she’d also competed at the international level as an Irish dancer.

MacCallum’s accomplishments came with sacrifice, dedication and hard work, but she also understood the importance of

balance in her life, and so did DJB. With offices in the Ontario cities of Hamilton, Burlington, St. Catharines and Welland, DJB provides accounting, taxation and business advisory services to entrepreneurs, business owners, and organizations in areas such as agribusiness, construction, general contracting and manufacturing, not only locally but nationally and internationally as well, through membership with RSM Canada Alliance.

“DJB emphasizes work-life balance,” says MacCallum, who moved from a larger firm in

Toronto to become a senior staff accountant in DJB’s Hamilton office. “That’s hard to find in our industry,” where many firms expect their junior staff to work disproportionately long hours.

“Balance is one of our firm’s core values,” says managing partner Mark Brohman, who works from DJB’s St. Catharines office. “We recognize that we can meet our professional commitments without sacrificing our personal needs.”

Along with a healthy work atmosphere, DJB cultivates a sense of family. “Most of our staff live in the area,” says Brohman.

That culture of mentorship underlies the career of everyone who joins DJB. “From Day 1, everybody has a coach who helps you to set goals and ensures that you acquire the competencies to meet them,” says Brohman.

MacCallum herself is a coach for several co-op students at the firm.

As she advances to the next stage of her own career, her coach will support her as she acquires experience in managing client relationships, a prerequisite for the role of manager.

“You become the client’s main point of contact,” she says. “You have to own the relationship, but it’s nice to have somebody at your back who’s been through it.”

25

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

180

full-time staff in Canada

37

years, average age of all employees

34

years, longestserving employee

50%

of managers are women  DJB Alexis MacCallum (right) with her coach Anna Trajkovic in the Hamilton office boardroom.

In addition to coaching and mentorship, DJB provides learning & development opportunities at each stage of an individual’s career, assisting with program fees, if necessary, and providing the resources that individuals need to prepare for their chartered

professional accountant (CPA) exam.

“We see it as our responsibility to get them through the exam,” says Brohman.

In 2021, at least, the firm’s efforts paid off. Historically, fewer than two-thirds of the people who

write the CPA exam succeed in passing. But all of the nine DJB employees who wrote the exam passed.

“Hopefully they stay with us,” says Brohman, a prospect that doesn’t seem unlikely. “After all, a lot of our 24 partners started as

co-op students.”

For Brohman, his time at DJB has far exceeded his expectations.

“I’ve had a fabulous career,” he says. “As a 23 year-old McMaster grad, I certainly didn’t see myself ending up as managing partner.

“I even met my wife here.” 

OUR PEOPLE are what makes DJB a great place to work. Thank you for your outstanding commitment to the Firm and to each other. djb.com

26

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

At Eclipsys, true values shine bright in tough times still write great things about one of their colleagues.”

Employee suggestions are also embraced. In one instance, an employee inquired about the possibility of working Canadian statutory holidays in exchange for taking personally important days off.

As a result, Eclipsys implemented a company-wide program allowing any employee to celebrate holidays or events that were meaningful to its culturally diverse team and their families. “The employees love that we did that,” says Williams. “When we hear feedback, it warms my heart.”

You can’t hide behind policies or great employee handbooks. It’s about the people.  Eclipsys' project and consulting leads, Chris and René, collaborate before a customer meeting.

T

heresa Williams has been in human resources for 25 years, always at small companies, always in technology. “It’s a very specific type of culture that you find in smaller companies,” says Williams, vice-president of people and culture for Ottawa-based IT professional services firm Eclipsys Solutions Inc. “There’s something very special about it.”

Culture was really put to the test during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Williams was not disappointed.

“In times of stress, your true values show,” she says. “You can’t hide behind policies or great employee handbooks. It’s about the people.”

Eclipsys was having a record year, and there was no concern about productivity suffering when remote work began. Instead, the company focused on ensuring people had the tools they needed to be effective and feel supported.

“People were juggling children and families, lockdowns and trying to work,” she says. “We said, ‘You can log off at any time. Tell us what you need.’ We trusted and supported everyone.”

The company zeroed in on engagement. Through Slack, employees have access to business channels as well as lighter ones, focused on wellness and staying connected. “Management would kick off initiatives and programs and then the momentum just took off,” Williams says.

Deep into COVID-19, for example, the company started a kudos channel, where employees were asked to recognize their peers.

“We kicked it off, and it’s never stopped,” she adds. “That program was just for one month, a year ago.

Now every week, someone will

— Theresa Williams Vice-President of People and Culture

Management also doubled down on mental health benefits, increasing its vacation policy allowance, implementing an employee assistance program and substantially increasing coverage for therapy – from $500 to $5,000 for employees and their families.

Senior cloud architect René Antúnez, who recently immigrated to Canada to join Eclipsys, ran a 30-minute virtual session on stress and the impact play has on it.

“One of the things I like most in this culture is we have the opportunity to not only speak technically but to be quite open about mental

27

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

49

full-time staff in Canada

50%

female executive team

5%

(max) of base salary, employer RRSP match

$5,000 annual mental health benefits coverage

health and well-being,” he says.

The opportunities for professional development are endless. “It’s common in interviews to be asked, ‘Do you have a training budget?’ and that is a fair question, but I always say no,” says Williams.

“We don’t limit in that way. We

 Eclipsys employee architecting a solution in the boardroom in Ottawa.

give employees the time they need to learn and then also provide bonuses for developing themselves.”

That ability to grow professionally as well as personally was another draw for Antúnez, who enjoys writing technical blogs and giving presentations at conferences

– especially when travel is involved. “That allows me to network and, on the technical side, it keeps me up to date,” he says.

Antúnez was one of the first people Eclipsys sponsored to move from another country, and the process was full of challenges thanks

to the pandemic. But he felt, and still feels, completely supported and values the trust Eclipsys puts in its staff to do their jobs. “I never feel like I’m micromanaged,” he says. “I feel that I’m able to do what I want to do, as long as we meet the company’s goals.” 

28

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Genoa Design succeeds with a ‘tight-loose culture’ personal growth, acknowledge our successes. It’s a one-team environment, and it’s pretty great.

We all contribute to the success of Genoa.”

CEO Gina Pecore says Genoa has what she likes to call “a tightloose culture”. “It’s tight in that we can’t play around with the regulations and the standards of the industry, and we are a very process-driven environment,” she says. “It has to be that way. But we try to keep that loose in enabling autonomy at the individual level – for managers to form their teams with their personalities, and for individuals to be able to make decisions and work the way they need to. So, tight-loose culture.”

 Genoa Design delivers data-packed, integrated 3D models (digital ships), for critical vessel programs.

W

hen Jennifer Best requested a few months’ personal leave in 2020 from Genoa Design International Ltd., leaders were quick to approve it. That was already a sign of a good employer. “They were more than happy to support me, and even checked in with me on a regular basis,” she says. But Best was even more impressed when she returned in February 2021 – and was immediately offered a promotion.

“Little did I know it would be a transition for me to grow into a

leadership role and to learn how to manage,” she says. “In a year, they’ve given me so many opportunities to be in bigger meetings and become more of a project manager. They recently signed me up for a project management course. It shows that they believe in me, and that really means a lot to me.”

Genoa, based in Mount Pearl, N.L., offers 3D design for shipbuilders – primarily military clients in Canada and the U.S. – turning engineers’ drawings into a three-dimensional digital model that is used to construct the ship. With the U.S. Navy as

the client, Best is now team lead on the landing craft utility vessel, or LCU, support project. It’s where she started as a designer when she joined in 2018, straight out of Memorial University of Newfoundland’s marine technology program.

She has found it a very enjoyable place to work. “It’s more of a relaxed culture than many other places, in terms of being able to wear jeans or being your true self, but it’s also a productive culture; we show up for ourselves, we show up for the team and we get the job done. They’re constantly wanting to develop the team, add to our

They’re constantly wanting to develop the team, add to our personal growth, acknowledge our successes. It’s a oneteam environment, and it’s pretty great.

— Jennifer Best Team Lead, LCU Support Project

Pecore says the 27-year-old company hires a lot of its people from Memorial’s Marine Institute in traditional naval architecture and engineering fields. “But we’re seeing more technology-based skills coming in – developers, software architects, data experts and so on, and that’s creating an energetic and dynamic work

29

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

282

full-time staff in Canada

35%

of managers are women

9,250

hours invested in employee development last year

823

staff volunteer hours last year  Collaboration between staff is a key driver of Genoa Design’s success.

culture.”

Both the veterans and the young techies have skills and knowledge to share with each other, she says.

“The two are really learning to work together.”

The industry is still maledominated and engineer-

dominated, “but we’re all working hard to broaden that.” There is a wide range of skillsets at the company, and of nationalities, she says. “And 35 per cent of our management team is women – we’ve had some good successes on that front.”

THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS WITH OUR PEOPLE AT THE HELM. Discover your potential at GENOADESIGN.COM

Technology will surely play an increasing role in the company’s future. Pecore says the concept of the “digital ship” is gaining ground worldwide, in which Genoa’s 3D design can continue to live alongside the finished, operating ship to aid in repairs and support through

information-sharing between ship and shore. “The relationship between your physical vessel and your digital vessel is becoming closer and closer,” she says. “We’re on the quest to be a leader in the emerging technologies that enable that digital ship.” 

30

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Hudson Pacific cares about its city, artists and employees “What I really enjoy is when I'm sitting on the deck in the summer, and I see that there's a mother there with a stroller and two kids running around.”

The bottom line, says We, who was Hudson Pacific Canadas’s first hire in May 2019, is that “we like to be a part of something that supports local creators and really makes a statement about our city.”

Hudson Pacific also strives for employee diversity. “Because I'm an Asian executive,” says We, “it’s something that has been sort of in the back of my mind for a long time. Of the 25 people in our office hired since we started operations in Canada in 2019, two-thirds are female and about half our employees are people of colour, which is a rarity in commercial real estate.”

 Hudson Pacific Properties Vancouver employees volunteer at the Greater Vancouver Food Bank in Burnaby.

V

ancouver-based Hudson Pacific Properties is not your typical real estate company.

For instance, it donated to the local YWCA’s 2021 commission a 40-foot mural by local artist Ola Volo focusing on gender-based violence. Then it commissioned and purchased limited-edition prints of the mural to give to its partners, clients and contractors as a holiday season gift, handing the proceeds over to the Y. Hudson Pacific in Canada – its parent company, Los Angeles based Hudson Pacific Properties Inc., was founded by native Vancouverite Victor Coleman –

co-owns and manages downtown Vancouver’s four-tower office complex the Bentall Centre, where its 25 employees are headquartered.

Hudson Pacific on both sides of the border specializes in spaces for innovative tech and media companies. Its U.S. properties, which are in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Seattle, include sound stages where leading producers create content and Class A creative office buildings. Some of its top tenants include Netflix, Google, Amazon, Uber and Riot Games. Chuck We, Vancouver-based senior vice-president, western Canada for Hudson Pacific, says Coleman

has always wanted to operate in Vancouver and to make it one of the company’s four “epicentres,” with plans to add to the city’s movie industry.

Wherever it operates, We adds, Hudson Pacific strives to be a vibrant part of the community. In 2020, Hudson Pacific demolished a walled sunken plaza outside the Bentall Centre, replacing it with an un-walled, pedestrian-friendly wooden deck and installing stunning LED parasols that are “beautiful and create opportunities for Instagram-able moments,” he says.

“And we like to bring in live music and buskers and summertime food trucks,” he continues.

We like to be a part of something that supports the community, supports local creators and really makes a statement about our city.

— Chuck We Senior Vice-President, Western Canada

Regional administrator Cecile Kim cherishes her employer’s commitment to diversity. Of Korean heritage, she is part of the company’s Asian-Pacific Islander employee resource group, and she has found it to be a great portal for

31

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

25

full-time staff in Canada

68%

of managers are women

56%

of employees are visible minorities

15

charities helped last year

networking with the company’s staff.

But she also appreciates Hudson Pacific’s community involvement.

Kim is part of Hudson Pacific’s international Hudson Helps volunteer group. “One example is that when COVID-19 happened,”

 Hudson Pacific Properties employees at the 3rd annual Canuks Autism Network Pro-Am Hockey Tournament in Vancouver.

she says, “we matched 11 local restaurants and 11 local charities and were able to organize and donate about 650 meals to the people keeping those charities running. We knew that through COVID-19, a lot of the restaurants were struggling, and a lot of

marginalized groups were struggling as well.”

Meanwhile, she adds, as part of its efforts to maximize flexibility, the company gives workers and tenants at the Bentall Centre the option to bring their dogs to work and transformed one level of its

parkade into a dog park, called “The Barking Lot.” “It is such an added plus,” says Kim, who has a labradoodle named Leo. “It's so rewarding to work for a company that cares about its employees’ needs and also invests in the community.” 

PROUD TO BE ONE OF

CANADA’S 2022 TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS

LOS ANGELES • SILICON VALLEY • SAN FRANCISCO • SEATTLE • VANCOUVER HUDSONPACIFICPROPERTIES.COM

32

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Integrated Sustainability brews up employee morale downtown Cochrane already owned by Torr into a taproom and provide support to help grow the brand. Suddenly, the company’s engineers, environmental scientists and regulatory experts were caught up in animated discussions about how to manage, construct, market and even design a microbrewery outlet.

Here was a chance to do something fun, while also diversifying our business.

— Tanya Cairns Vice President, Science and Consulting

 Integrated Sustainability enters into a partnership with local Alberta-based brewery, Rocky View Brewing.

W

hile Calgarybased Integrated Sustainability has always been a “work hard, play hard” kind of company, the COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly made the “play hard” part more challenging. That is, until employees coalesced around the idea of helping to launch a new microbrewery.

The initiative emerged from the company’s “Culture Club,” an informal group of volunteers who started to get together to discuss how to keep Integrated sustainability’s vibrant, fun-loving workplace culture alive through the throes of

the pandemic. The club involved everyone from president and CEO Stuart Torr to the most junior employees, and included company veterans and recent hires alike.

As a full-service infrastructure company, Integrated Sustainability is primarily involved in projects involving water, waste and energy that integrate sustainability principles to reduce emissions, waste and freshwater use. With additional offices in Vancouver, California, Houston and Barbados, the company’s clients come mainly from the oil and gas, mining, municipal and agricultural industries.

But when the Rocky Viewing Brewing Company, a small batch microbrewery located in

Cochrane, Alta., approached Integrated Sustainability about potential investment in its expansion plans, Torr and other members of the Culture Club saw a unique opportunity to mix business with pleasure.

“Here was a chance to do something fun, while also diversifying our business,” says Tanya Cairns, vice president science and consulting, and an enthusiastic Culture Club member. “As an employee-owned company, we’d all have a sense of ownership in this new venture, which was about opening a local taproom in Cochrane.”

Integrated Sustainability’s role in the partnership was to repurpose a historic building in

“We held a painting party for the taproom and helped pitch beer names,” says Cairns. “A lot of our staff attended the soft opening in December and we’ve enjoyed playing a part in launching what’s now quite a popular establishment in Cochrane.”

There have also been ancillary benefits.

“I’ve never before seen our staff fridge so packed full of high-quality beers,” says Jeff Coombes, who leads Integrated Sustainability’s strategic development services and is another active member of the Culture Club.

Coombes says the taproom venture reflects the collaborative and entrepreneurial spirit of the company he joined four years ago after working for a decade in the hospitality industry.

“I’d been looking for a way to

33

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

70

full-time staff in Canada

8,000 job applications received last year

50%

of managers are women

100%

employer-paid health plan, with family coverage

do meaningful work and make a contribution in this world,” he says. “So I stepped back and took a master’s degree that led me to a completely different industry, one focused on the principles of sustainability. As soon as I graduated, I found a home with

 Integrated Sustainability opened a craft beer taproom in partnership with Rocky View Brewing.

this company.”

Cairns, who first joined Integrated Sustainability as a project manager eight years ago, was similarly attracted by the kind of projects the company undertakes.

“I think the work we do is making a difference, especially as

we navigate this energy transition, which is something very important to me,” she says. “That strong foundation in sustainability is definitely a shared purpose and passion for a lot of us here.”

Cairns says she has also benefited from mentorship throughout her

years at Integrated Sustainability, most particularly from some of the company’s strong female leaders.

“Our senior leadership takes an active role in developing and nurturing young professionals,” says Cairns. “They really want you to succeed.” 

34

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Johnston Group makes staff feel like family Cote adds that the company continued providing bonuses during the pandemic to let employees know that they were appreciated. “We had ups and downs, but we supported each other and learned a lot,” she says.

“And now we’re paperless, which we thought would take years!”

When you work for people who truly care and lead by example, it trickles down through the organization.

— Melissa Kuntz Disability Claims Specialist

 Johnston Group employees take time out of their day to donate blood to a local blood bank.

W

hen a new staff member joins Johnston Group, it doesn’t take long for them to realize it’s an exceptional kind of workplace.

“You just feel like you belong right away,” says Melissa Kuntz, a disability claims specialist at the Winnipeg-based employee benefits provider. “They make you feel like part of the family from Day 1.”

“Everything we do is about connection,” explains Heather Cote, the company’s vicepresident of human resources.

“When we hire someone, there’s an orientation where they learn about our culture and our policies and practices. They have lunch with our president, and people always come up and introduce themselves to make them feel welcome. Then we have regular check-ins to make sure they feel like part of the team.”

When COVID-19 hit, they were forced to switch to virtual connection, but the transition went smoothly. “I’ve never seen a group of people work together so quickly and supportively,” says Cote. “We had to become paperless very fast, and that was a group effort. We wanted to keep engaged, so we started a support group to meet weekly with a psychologist. And our president makes weekly videos to keep everyone informed and connected.”

Johnston Group also supports employees’ career advancement by providing a leadership development program and funding education and training courses to help them move ahead in their fields.

“We always find a way to help them,” Cote says. “I have an individual on my team who started in the mailroom and moved into facilities management. During the pandemic the building was nearly empty, so he worked on getting his health and safety certificate, and he’s now our health and safety coordinator.”

The company also supports the wider Winnipeg community with donations to a number of local charities, as well as matching employees’ contributions and encouraging them to volunteer.

“Giving back to the community

35

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

293

full-time staff in Canada

66.67%

of managers are women

100%

employer-paid health plan, with family coverage

102

charities helped last year  Johnston Group employees participate in United Way Winnipeg's 'Walk this Way' fundraiser.

is a huge part of Johnston Group,” says Kuntz. “All the boardrooms are named for charities – the United Way room, the Habitat for Humanity room, the Winnipeg Art Gallery room, the Children’s Hospital room – and when you walk in, you see plaques and

pictures of staff at their events. It makes a big statement.”

For Kuntz, it’s the little things management does that add up to a culture of caring and generosity.

“When you work for people who truly care and lead by example, it trickles down through the

organization. It makes me want to do better and be better,” she says.

“We get so many extras to make us feel valued,” she adds, citing parties, gift cards, food trucks and tickets to concerts and sporting events as well as a spending account for wellness expenses like

It might be wild to think that work can make every person’s life better.

Fortunately, we’re wild enough to try.

Proud to be selected as one of Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers for 2022! Visit johnstongroup.ca

gym memberships and running shoes.

“I feel so fortunate, and so grateful. They really go above and beyond,” she says. “And when an employer treats you that well, it’s hard to not want to do that in return for your community.” 

36

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Saving the planet is fun at Keystone Environmental to comprehensive health benefits, the company provides tuition support and in-house training programs.

“We prefer to promote from within and the only way to do that is to ensure that people are growing and developing in their careers,” says COO Ray Bertani.

We look at our employees as extended family and when you do that, you do the right thing by them.

— Raminder Grewal President

 When doing field work in northern BC, the field staff of Keystone Environmental encounter some great wildlife.

I

t’s not exactly the way Lara de Beer pictured it while she was in high school, but she’s happy to have the opportunity to help save the planet one site at a time while working at Keystone Environmental Ltd. “You don’t really understand the realities of engineering as a young student, but here I am cleaning up dirty water and soil while doing remediation work, which is really nice,” says de Beer.

“I’ve always wanted to make things on Earth a little bit better – now I’m doing it in a different

way than I imagined when I was younger, and that’s really rewarding.”

Keystone Environmental specializes in environmental engineering, contaminated sites and assessment, biology, and indoor air quality.

Headquartered in Burnaby, B.C., the company employs engineers, geo-scientists, biologists, toxicologists and environmental scientists to provide environmental solutions to its clients.

As a junior environmental engineer, de Beer works with her team on a wide variety of projects, which can mean tackling an

industrial wastewater treatment issue one day and conducting an environmental audit or cleaning up a contaminated site the next. That might mean being in the office, working from home, or off in some remote corner of the province doing what she loves.

The hours can be long, but de Beer appreciates Keystone’s flexible work hours program where she can bank her time and take it off when she needs to recharge her batteries. It’s part of the company’s holistic approach to employee support that emphasizes work-life balance and wellness. In addition

Keystone culture encourages employees to work hard and play hard while contributing to the community at large. Thanks to a hybrid return-to-office COVID-19 policy, employees can once again hold foosball tournaments in the head office lunchroom, attend company social functions, and interact and collaborate with their peers face to face.

During the pandemic shutdown, they socialized virtually with events such as online cocktail hours and murder mystery dinners.

While the COVID-19 crisis has been hard for employees, they look forward to getting back to the fun, dynamic social interactions that the company is known for.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the employees’ support for charities like the Union Gospel Mission. which helps the homeless, and Cassie and Friends, which assists the families of children suffering from juvenile arthritis and other

37

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

100

full-time staff in Canada

41%

of staff are women

100%

employer paid premiums for health plan with family coverage

3

weeks starting vacation allowance

rheumatic diseases. Most recently they donated to the Canadian Red Cross to help those impacted by B.C.’s massive flooding.

“The best thing about working for the company is working with great people in a friendly respectful, work environment – we’re just

 Keystone Environmental supports several charities, including the Union Gospel Mission’s New Women and Families Centre.

a very cohesive team,” says de Beer.

“Everybody wants to get their work done while still respecting everybody’s mental and physical well-being. And we’re not afraid to enjoy ourselves.”

With just over 100 employees,

everyone knows everyone else at Keystone Environmental.

Managers not only know their employees’ names, but their families and what special circumstances they may be going through. That creates close bonds between everyone working at the company.

“We look at our employees as extended family and when you do that, you do the right thing by them,” says president Raminder Grewal.

“It’s more than just about dollars and cents. It’s about doing what’s right by your employees.” 

For over 30 years, we are honoured to have worked on some of BC’s largest and most important environmental projects.

Exciting Career Opportunities Await!

Not your typical commute!

Our Values Come F.I.R.S.T. Fairness Integrity Respect Sustainability Teamwork

Follow Us on Social Media

38

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

For LBMX people, the grass is greener on their side and the company. And if this is going to be a life-long career, I’d rather spend 40-plus hours a week with co-workers and clients and a product that I care very deeply about.”

She’s always felt very well supported by management, she adds. “Even me leaving was not a negative experience, which I think is a really great reflection on LBMX. That's not really the norm, especially in this industry.

I'm very glad to be working for this company – it’s kind of like the grass is not always greener on the other side.”

We work really hard to make it an environment that’s inviting, co-operative, engaging, and gives people opportunity.

— Greg Dinsdale President and CEO  Greg Dinsdale, President & CEO of LBMX meets with his team.

S

tephanie O’Connell may be an ideal example of what’s great about working at London, Ont.-based LBMX Inc. – because she left.

Not for long, though. Within months of switching to a remote job for a California-based tech company, she was back. “I knew immediately I had made a mistake,” she says. “I missed everyone terribly.”

LBMX offers a business-tobusiness marketplace platform, helping independent businesses,

their buying groups, and suppliers buy better and sell more. Its private group marketplace solution has transformed billing and ordering, rebate management, real-time analytics, e-commerce and product information management across the building materials, HVAC, plumbing, sporting goods, industrial manufacturing and agricultural industries.

O’Connell is an implementation project manager, helping companies get set up on the platform.

Coming from a client-service background, she joined LBMX in

2018 on the recommendation of a friend. “She had great things to say about the company.” But as O’Connell points out, people in tech often move around a lot, and when the California opportunity arose, she thought, “maybe I should give it a shot.”

But it wasn’t a good fit and, happily, she was able to return to LBMX. What did she miss?

“I would say, a perfect human environment,” she says. “The ability to have open dialogue.

I've always felt encouraged to learn and to grow within the role

To president and CEO Greg Dinsdale, a co-founder of LBMX in 2001, keeping employees happy is critical to the operation.

“Our only asset is our people, so we work really hard to make it an environment that’s inviting, co-operative, engaging, and gives people opportunity,” he says. “We work hard to treat people well, and we work hard to hire the right people.”

And how does LBMX judge the right people? “If someone is a finalist, and they’ve been seen by key members of the leadership team,” says Dinsdale, “we’ll go round the table and say, OK, is

39

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

75

full-time staff in Canada

38

years, average age of all employees

52

weeks, maternity & parental top-up pay

100%

job-related tuition subsidies  Morgan Williston and Stephanie O’Connell gearing up for some baseball fun at LBMX.

this someone you would choose to spend time with if you didn’t have to? And do you think you could trust them to have your back? We have to get an affirmative on both.

“And since we've adopted that policy, which we've had for many years now, we really seem

to get the right kind of people, people who are passionate about something. They're caring. We’ve turned away many smart people because we didn't think they represented the right feeling for us,” Dinsdale says.

As far as treating people well

goes, LBMX stands out among Canadian employers for offering a 100 per cent maternity leave salary top-up for a full year. It also prides itself on having fun – in pre-pandemic times employees would go to nearby Detroit for baseball games, and virtual perks

are still common. The company sends out lunches for meetings, and recently sent everyone a trendy Yeti tumbler.

In other words, LBMX can be a good workplace to stay with.

Agrees O’Connell: “I had to learn that lesson the hard way.” 

OUR BIGGEST ASSET IS OUR PEOPLE www.LBMX.com/careers

40

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

At Logient, every employee experience is unique their personality.

Marie-Ève Marcoux, vicepresident experience, who is responsible for guiding the trends in employee experience, says Logient was already thinking about how to innovate and make a difference in the way the company should recruit, mobilize and retain employees a few years before COVID-19 struck, but the pandemic was an accelerator.

I felt like I was being treated as a human being first, and I loved that.

— Sophie Gaudreau Quality Assurance Analyst

 The Logient team competed in a 2-day internal hackathon.

S

ophie Gaudreau’s unique employee experience with Logient began with her job interview back in 2018. Instead of the technical questions she was nervously expecting, the interviewer was interested in first getting to know her personality and what she was looking for from the company.

“Their thinking was that if there was something I needed to know, they would give me the training,” recalls Sophie, currently a quality

assurance analyst with the Montréal-based company. “I felt like I was being treated as a human being first, and I loved that. I love my job here.

“Then, at my first review, they asked what they could do to make my job better and where I wanted to be in a year or two. They offered me training for that and more options at every stage along the way. This is a company that really listens to employees and wants us to be happy.”

As a company, Logient offers a

diverse range of softwarerelated services, including development, integration, consulting and management, that adapt to the individual needs of the client, so it takes the same custom approach to each new hire.

Employees are given a wide range of choices so they can build their own tailor-made employee experience – from career development to benefits to work team to social culture. Individuals can even choose their own preferred means of communication according to

“We already had a strong foundation to build on, with a culture of openness, transparency and trust,” says Marcoux. “In redesigning ourselves, we decided to take the same approach with employees as we do with our clients, offering a tailor-made employee experience just like we offer custom IT solutions.

“As part of this transformation in human resources, we redefined our targets, positioning, acquisition, sell strategy, delivery and retention in the same way we do marketing.

Step by step we’re reinventing ourselves.”

Marcoux says they are far from finished as new ideas are always on the table, so this reformation is never really done. The plan is to continue to make their employee experience more and more tailormade, particularly as this kind of flexibility is exactly what the next generation wants.

“It’s a generation that’s very

41

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

129

full-time staff in Canada

43

contractors

4

weeks, starting vacation allowance

100%

job-related tuition subsidies  The Logient social committee organized a dodgebow tournament.

different than the others and they want choice and freedom,” says Marcoux. “They want to travel and be exposed to new projects.

They’re not afraid to change, so we need to make sure we have a structure in place to accommodate them.”

When an offer is made, each contract is individualized, says Marcoux, so the package is built based on what the person wants.

For example, the employee can choose how much vacation they want, whether to work from home, and whether to be full-time,

Build your Unique Employee Experience For more information, visit logient.com/en/career

part-time or contractual.

“Nobody wants the same path of growth so I need to offer all these options, whether for specialized training or shadowing senior people,” she says. “They can even choose their team or project.

Everybody loves that kind of

flexibility.”

It’s a very different approach, says Marcoux. “In our follow-up meetings, we ask them for feedback. Are you okay? Do we need to adjust? It makes such a difference because they feel we’re taking care of them.” 

42

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

The LuminUltra team never stops learning, together had 25 employees, a number that has grown to 130. But she says the important things have stayed the same.

“When I had my job interview, it just felt comfortable. I could tell they really valued their team,” Bitcon says. “Despite all the growth we’ve had since then, that has continued. It is a very welcoming and supportive place.

We all rally around each other when we face challenges or have opportunities. We work together.”

It is a very welcoming and supportive place. We all rally around each other when we face challenges or have opportunities. We work together.  LuminUltra team members working in their lab.

I

n 1995, chemical engineer Philip Whalen and microbiologist Jim Cairns founded LuminUltra, with the goal of developing advanced tools for biological wastewater monitoring and treatment. Whalen recruited his son, Pat, who was just 15 years old, as a laboratory assistant. And Pat never left.

He became a chemical engineer and continued his career at LuminUltra, taking over as president and CEO in 2008. “We’ve been lucky enough to attract and retain a team of top talent that is also stimulated by new opportunities and is always looking for new

ways to do things,” Pat Whalen says. “It’s that energy and curiosity that make LuminUltra a fantastic place to work. It’s what keeps me doing what I am doing 27 years later.”

Headquartered in Fredericton, LuminUltra has become a global leader in developing molecular tests for environmental, industrial and diagnostic monitoring, with operations in the United States, Europe and Australia.

At the beginning of the pandemic, with a shortage of materials to test for the virus, LuminUltra moved into the clinical space for the first time, developing a kit to test people for

COVID-19. It also created, in partnership with Dalhousie University and Halifax Water, the world’s first complete, rapid and on-site wastewater PCR testing solution to act as an early warning system for municipalities and businesses of COVID-19 presence in wastewater.

This additional direction led to significant growth for the company, which doubled its workforce and opened a new manufacturing facility in just 16 months. Christy Bitcon, senior director of human resources and administration, has witnessed these changes. When she joined the company almost seven years ago, it

— Christy Bitcon Senior Director of Human Resources and Administration

In addition to everyday camaraderie, Bitcon says, LuminUltra’s culture committee plans regular gatherings and events. Employees also have two paid days each year to use to volunteer for a cause of their choice. LuminUltra All Stars is a recognition program, where employees can thank co-workers for a job well done or a good deed.

It gives employees the opportunity to recognize each other and also allows them to earn points, which they can trade for gifts.

As the company has grown, it has also enhanced its benefits program, matching employee RRSP

43

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

95

full-time staff in Canada

53%

of managers are women or visible minorities

22

days total starting allowance for vacation, flex, volunteer time

85%

engagement in LuminUltra All-Stars recognition program

contributions, for example, and offering an employee assistance program and performance bonuses.

The company also provides many learning and development opportunities, including structured programs such as regular performance reviews and goal setting, as

 LuminUltra Technologies CEO, Pat Whalen (right), and senior director, human resources, Christy Bitcon.

well as inter-team mentoring.

“We have a very diverse team in different countries, so we share different perspectives all the time,” Whalen says. “We also have different levels of experience and different generations, so we are able to share lessons, which makes

LuminUltra is committed to creating innovative solutions that provide peace of mind so we can all work, live and play with confidence. Join our team. Make a difference. luminultra.com/careers

the team that much stronger.

There are unlimited opportunities for personal growth within this company. That’s the culture that we have created and we’re committed to maintaining.”

This is something Bitcon appreciates. “We give people a lot

of opportunity to develop skills or work on various projects,” she says. “If someone has an idea, we let them run with it. I find that invaluable. I don't think I'd have the same level of experience this quickly if I were not at LuminUltra.” 

44

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Respect is built into the culture at McDougall Gauley valued and treated with respect, from the most senior lawyer to the most junior support worker, says Michael Milani, a partner and senior commercial and insolvency lawyer.

“We try to make sure that the staff truly understand that they are part of the team and that they’re as valuable as the lawyer in the office next door,” he says. “They do different things, but without all of them, we wouldn’t be able to do any of these things.”

If you love where you work, it doesn't feel like it’s a job. That’s how I feel here.

—Colleen Grieman Legal Assistant and Foreclosure Paralegal

 McDougall Gauley staff in Regina enjoying a paint night.

W

hen Colleen Grieman joined Saskatchewanbased law firm McDougall Gauley LLP in 1986, she didn’t think it would be for the long term.

Grieman’s job required her to handle sensitive documents such as mortgages and wills, so she had to apply to become a Commissioner of Oaths, a designation that expires every five years.

“I remember getting my very first one, and I thought, ‘oh, I won’t be here when this expires,’”

says Grieman, a legal assistant and foreclosure paralegal in the firm’s Saskatoon office.

Now, Grieman is about to renew the designation for a seventh time. She says what’s kept her at McDougall Gauley for more than three decades is the flexibility, especially when she needed it most, and the fact that she feels recognized for her hard work.

“It’s not a policy thing,” she says. “I think they recognize when people are working hard. And I truly believe that if you work hard, it comes back to you in other ways.”

Grieman’s children had some medical issues when they were very young that required her to take some extra time off. “I kept running them to doctor’s appointments,” she says. “I always felt bad having to leave during the middle of the day and then having to come back. I decided I needed to take some time off to focus on my kids.”

The law firm was “very accommodating” and allowed her to reduce her hours to 90 per cent, she says.

It’s part of the McDougall Gauley ethos that everybody is

That attitude may help account for McDougall Gauley’s longevity.

In 1919, Lorn McDougall joined a Regina law firm and stayed until the mid-1970s. Tom Gauley became one of the founding partners of a Saskatoon firm in 1945. Gauley & Co. merged with what was then McDougall, Ready in 2001.

Milani says maintaining a respectful work environment is woven into the firm’s culture, so much so that young lawyers are assessed on how well they work with support staff.

“It’s all well and good to be very nice and polite when you’re talking to the senior lawyer,” says Milani. “But how do you speak to the person at the photocopying machine? How do you speak to the

45

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

121

full-time staff in Canada

41

average age of all employees

62

years, longest serving employee

67%

of managers are women  McDougall Gauley employees recognized Truth and Reconciliation Day in 2021.

person who’s making the cup of coffee? From the ground up, young lawyers realize what’s expected of them here.”

McDougall Gauley now has approximately 90 lawyers practising in more than 40 different areas, such as banking, litigation, family,

construction and environmental.

Grieman has worked in the firm’s insolvency practice for almost her entire career. She runs the files on residential foreclosures, working closely with six junior lawyers who are learning about foreclosure law, which also means

she does a lot of training.

One of the things she likes most about her job is that she can work independently, without a boss telling her what to do. There’s a procedure to a foreclosure, with certain stages that require various applications to the court, and

Grieman says she has the freedom to manage the paperwork as she sees fit.

“If you love where you work, it doesn’t feel like it’s a job. That's kind of how I feel here.”

Even after 35 years? “Yep. Give or take a year or two.” 

46

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Community is the core of Mission Group’s mission enough for them to afford a place in one of Canada’s most expensive cities for rentals.

The company’s altruistic practices are part of what attracted assistant development manager Arpan Kandola, especially as he was born and raised in Kelowna.

“It’s so selfless of the company to say we’re going to allocate some of our resources to help out communities that are underserved,” he says. “That was definitely a big thing for me.”

When we do projects, we really think about the people who are going to be living in the community or near it.

— Arpan Kandola Assistant Development Manager  Members of the Mission Group team collaborating on an upcoming project.

O

ne of the taglines on Mission Group’s website is “A Community for Everyone.”

And that is a foundation of the Kelowna, B.C.-based builder’s overall philosophy: improving the community through the built environment.

“It’s not just about an organization making as much money as possible,” says CEO Jon Friesen, “but about creating prosperity for everyone who participates in the community, including those who have never bought anything from

us or who don’t rent from us.”

Because just as thoughtful buildings and spaces between them can have a positive effect on people’s lives, he adds, doing a poor job “fails to create spaces where people can build meaningful memories.”

But the company focus on community goes beyond its developments. For one thing, Mission Group offers one day a month with pay for employees to volunteer in the community. It has also been involved in renovations of a local church and a recovery house, and has helped with building projects for the Mamas for Mamas

Foundation, among other things.

“There’s nothing like reaching out and doing something in an altruistic way to really bring personal satisfaction,” says Friesen. “And if the organization can benefit from staff members who feel personally gratified for something they did for somebody else with the help of the company, then I’m very happy for them.”

In addition, five per cent of Mission Group’s rental units are let at up to 40 per cent below market prices to help the “missing middle,” as Friesen calls them – people whose jobs simply aren’t paying

Another bonus of working at Mission Group is that management starts from “a place of trust,” as Friesen says. Employees pick their own working hours, can work from home or the office (which was policy even pre-pandemic) and may take vacation whenever they need one, assuming their work is done.

Nor does Mission Group assign desks, so employees can sit anywhere and with whomever they please. “I sit beside the executive vice-president on a daily basis, and for a young guy that could be intimidating,” says Kandola. “But it’s not like that here. It’s very family-like, community-driven.”

That has provided a great

47

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

85

full-time staff in Canada

43

years, average employee age

42%

female leaders

25

completed projects  Mission Group staff volunteering for Freedom's Door, a non-profit addiction recovery program for men.

learning environment for Kandola, who moved to Mission Group directly from university. “It was encouraged for me to speak up because that was the best way I would learn, and everyone at the company is so approachable,” he says. “I never felt that I couldn’t

ask any dumb questions.”

The company supports personal and professional development in other ways, too, including by covering 50 to 100 per cent of tuition and professional workshops and conferences. “It’s almost like I’m still going to school

because I’m learning every single day,” adds Kandola. “And that’s something that really allows me to wake up very happy in my role in the company.”

In the end, Kandola comes back to the community element of working at Mission Group. “When

we do projects, we really think about the people who are going to be living in the community or near it,” he says. “I think from a design standpoint, that’s such an important way to be thinking, and it just allows me to do my best work.” 

Try a new path.

See where it takes you.

View open positions at missiongroup.ca

Connect with us on social: @missiongroupcommunities

48

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Nicola Wealth supports employees at every level expected of them and what they can expect from us.”

The firm’s people and culture group explains the various programs the company offers as well as its culture. Meantime, the marketing team provides an overview of the history of the firm as well as its values.

A core component of the company’s culture is supporting the growth and development of employees at all levels through mentoring, leadership training and tuition subsidies for those seeking professional accreditations.

People want to work for us.

When they get here, they’re respected and valued. They’re confident they’ve made an excellent decision.  Nicola Wealth chairman and CEO, John Nicola, addresses his team at the annual advisor summit in Whistler, BC.

W

hen Danielle Skipp got the opportunity to join the Ontario leadership team of Vancouverbased Nicola Wealth Management Ltd., she didn’t hesitate before accepting. After all, her brother David Sung and her late father Brian Sung had merged their business with John Nicola back in 2003 and David has been key member of the senior team ever since.

And when Jada Fleur-de-Lys was offered a one-year contract

position, she also jumped at the opportunity, even though it meant leaving a secure position with a major financial institution. “It was an opportunity to start fresh with a company where I could grow and develop,” says Fleur-de-Lys, who is now manager of wealth planning associates. “It was a perfect fit for me.”

Nicola provides a specialized service that integrates financial planning and asset management, primarily to individual investors, through its head office in Vancouver and branch offices in Richmond and Kelowna, B.C., as

well as three in Toronto. And it is rapidly expanding its footprint in Ontario.

“People want to work for us,” says Skipp, managing director for Ontario. “When they get here, they’re respected and valued.

They’re confident they’ve made an excellent decision.”

Nicola makes every effort to get new hires off to a good start through a well-structured onboarding program. “Engagement with new employees starts on Day 1,” says Fleur-de-Lys. “We give them a 90-day tailored plan. It allows them to understand what’s

— Danielle Skipp Managing Director for Ontario

“We make sure everybody has a team manager who owns a career development plan,” says Skipp.

“We use a digital tool to encourage accountability both for the manager and the employee to accomplish the things they say they’re going to do.”

Fleur-de-Lys says she initially aspired to advance from her position as a wealth planning associate to a wealth advisor role in which she would have direct responsibility for the client relationship.

“I was very fortunate to have a great mentor who recognized something in me that I didn’t see,”

49

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

365

full-time staff in Canada

100%

health plan premium and family coverage

17

weeks, maternity leave top-up pay

102

staff volunteer hours last year

says Fleur-de-Lys, which was instrumental in her progression to manager of wealth planning associates. “We had many conversations around career development. She consistently provided me with opportunities to grow and to develop my leadership skills.”

 Nicola Wealth has built a robust talent pipeline where they build and support their people's professional development.

Skipp adds that “the learning never stops” at Nicola. “We invest in our aspiring leaders in their late 30s and early 40s,” she says.

“We put them through leadership courses and give them access to internal and external mentors.”

As well, Nicola has a robust

Looking for a place to develop your career?

Nicola Wealth’s team has strategically grown by 78% since January 2020 nicolawalth.com/careers

Vancouver | Kelowna | Richmond | Toronto

internship program. Recent university graduates, or college graduates with financial planning diplomas, are offered one-year, full-time paid positions. “We’re far better off hiring out of university or college and training them in our way of delivering sophisticated financial

planning,” says Skipp.

Nicola also believes in “sharing the pie,” as Skipp puts it, meaning that all employees either participate in profit sharing or own equity in the company. “That’s a big deal,” she says. “It creates an alignment of interests.” 

50

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

PDFTron has a special synergy that inspires its people succeed.”

In addition to comprehensive health and wellness benefits, PDFTron also offers the opportunity for employees to earn stock options based on impact-driving performance, giving them a sense of ownership and the opportunity to benefit from the company’s growth.

Melanson also appreciates the company’s open, collaborative culture, work-life balance and flexible hours policy. Whether they’re working from home or in-office, employees set the hours that work best for them in an atmosphere of trust and team spirit without any micromanaging, she says.

 PDFTron offers an unlimited learning and development budget for its employees allowing them to grow professionally.

W

hen Nicole Melanson wanted to take the next step in her career, she knew she’d get the support she needed from the PDFTron Systems Inc. team to help her on her professional journey.

“It’s fantastic the way the company encourages growth and I think I’m a prime example of that,” says Melanson.

“PDFTron supported my development, my learning and the path that I saw for myself at the company. That’s why the job is so great – they really value their employees and want them to always be challenged and experiencing new things.”

PDFTron Systems is a global

provider of software development kits (SDKs) and application programming interfaces (APIs) that developers use to power advanced document and digital content processing in their applications and enterprise workflows.

Headquartered in Vancouver, the company serves thousands of customers in over 50 countries, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies including Microsoft, Salesforce, Oracle, IBM and Boeing.

Melanson started at PDFTron in an operations role but always aspired to grow into account development. From the get-go, the company gave her the training she needed to succeed, which allowed her to transition into her new role successfully. Now, as a key

account executive, she engages with customers and keeps them updated on the company’s latest products and initiatives.

As an industry-leading software company, PDFTron places a high value on its team and on continuous education for employees like Melanson who strive to grow in their career.

“Everyone has an unlimited learning and development budget, so however you want to grow professionally, the company will support you with that,” says Amanda McKay, director of people and culture.

“If there’s something that you truly believe will unlock your superpower, we will happily provide you with the opportunity to do that because we want you to

If there’s something that you truly believe will unlock your superpower, we will happily provide you with the opportunity.

— Amanda McKay Director of People and Culture

The company’s connections with the communities it operates in are also strong. Employees vote on which local charities to support and PDFTron’s customers also have input. And while the COVID-19 pandemic has limited in-person social activities, the company’s events committee ensures employees keep connected with weekly work-from-home challenges, virtual lunches, online mystery nights and happy hours.

Despite the challenges presented

51

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

93

full-time staff in Canada

6,750

job applications received last year

33

years, average age of all employees

49%

of employees are visible minorities  PDFTron employees collaborating on a project at their head office in Vancouver.

by the pandemic, PDFTron has maintained its corporate culture based on teamwork, empowerment and generosity, says Melanson.

“We put a lot of effort into keeping the teams connected on the social front because we’re all in this together,” she says. “I have

just an amazing support team that’s a fantastic group of people to work with. The huge talent pool at PDFTron is phenomenal.”

Employees and executives are also brought closer together by a flat management style where the flow of ideas and innovation is

encouraged at all levels and office doors are always open – either physically or virtually.

“There’s a synergy here that’s special. We’re all working to co-create something great,” says McKay. “We have a results-driven

culture and that comes with a level of accountability, but it also comes with the flexibility for you to achieve your goals. Being surrounded on a daily basis by driven, intelligent individuals who have amazing ideas, you can’t help but be inspired to give your best.” 

52

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

PSB Boisjoli sets a clear path for employee success also provide sessions covering soft skills, such as how to improve communication with clients.

Michael Coulter, business valuation consultant, who joined PSBB in spring 2020, was also attracted to the firm due to its support of employee learning and development. Coulter is pursuing his customer due diligence (CDD) designation and has about 18 months left before he will be certified. Coulter appreciates that PSBB provides time off to study and take exams and covers 100 per cent of his tuition costs.

They are really geared towards helping their employees grow and achieve their goals and move up.

— Michael Coulter Business Valuation Consultant

 PSBB regularly organizes fun activities for employees to do together.

S

tephanie Pacheco says she joined PSB Boisjoli LLP (PSBB) because she wanted to work for a company that provided opportunities for growth.

“PSBB really sets you a clear path to help you reach your goals,” says Pacheco, who joined the Montréal-based accounting firm in November 2020 as a senior auditor.

Employees set goals at their individual performance reviews

every six months. They then meet with their performance coach regularly to discuss how they are progressing and what they can do to advance. ”If you have reached your goals, you discuss a new goal.

So there is this continual path of progression,” Pacheco says.

For example, Pacheco was recently a senior auditor on a team that finished a file. Her manager suggested that Pacheco supervise and review the file so that next year, she will be the manager on it.

“So, I see a clear path for the next two to four years,” Pacheco says. “For me, motivation comes from looking at where I see myself in the next five to 10 years and how I can get there. And PSBB really creates a plan of how this can be achieved.”

The firm helps employees reach their goals through in-house and online training, leadership training, mentoring and paid internships.

In addition to training related to accounting topics, senior leaders

“There is also great support at the partner level,” Coulter says.

“They have an open-door policy if you want to discuss what you’re learning with the partners. They are really geared towards helping their employees grow and achieve their goals and move up. They want everyone to get better year over year.”

Coulter and Pacheco also appreciate that PSBB is a fun place to work. Coulter says that while many companies preach about work-life balance, PSBB delivers. This includes flexible work hours, reduced summer

53

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

220

full-time staff in Canada

28

years, average age of all employees

49%

of managers are women

62

charities helped last year  PSBB organized a golf tournament for its staff members.

hours and the opportunity to work a shortened week. PSBB also regularly organizes fun activities for employees to do together. When Coulter joined the firm, they held a virtual lunch on his first day so that he could meet everyone.

Pacheco is grateful for the firm’s

focus on wellness. For example, PSBB provides each employee with $1,000 annually to be used towards health and wellness, which can be used for gym equipment or activities. The firm also organizes lunch and learns with mindfulness professionals

and nutrition information sessions to help employees adopt healthy habits. On Wellness Wednesdays, a fitness instructor leads a 30-minute class.

Since the onset of the COVID19 pandemic, the firm also holds weekly meetings, where team

members can see how everyone is doing and how colleagues can help each other.

“I love going into work every day,” Pacheco says. “It is a great place to work, with so much support and training. In this one year, I have learned so much.” 

OÙ DES LEADERS SONT CRÉÉS ET DES RÉSULTATS SONT OBTENUS WHERE LEADERS ARE CREATED AND RESULTS ARE ACHIEVED

54

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Redbrick leaders insist on work-life balance and technology, product, customer success and marketing teams.”

Redbrick also prioritizes leadership development, offering career advancement programs and a professional development allowance to enable employees to take courses and attend conferences.

“We’re always looking to hire up,” says Pimentel. “Four of our CEOs started as employees and advanced within the organization.”

We’re always looking to hire up. Four of our CEOs started as employees and advanced within the organization.

— Marco Pimentel Chief Marketing Officer

 Redbrick employee works from one of the Victoria office's common areas.

I

f there’s one thing that defines the culture at Redbrick Technologies, it’s the attention paid to worklife balance, says Marco Pimentel, chief marketing officer of the Victoria-based software and technology services company.

“We’re living in nature’s playground, and people come here because they want to disconnect and get outside,” says Pimentel, an avid fly fisher. “And when they come back to work, they feel great.”

Pimentel says it’s also about

leading by example, as both he and CEO Tobyn Sowden prioritize spending time with their young families. “You often won’t find us at the office after 4 p.m., and we close for holidays and extra-long weekends in the summer,” he says.

“If the executive team does that, everybody can.”

Over its 10-year history, Redbrick has expanded from a startup with an innovative software marketing platform to a parent organization with a portfolio of digital companies, including Leadpages, a marketing-focused,

no-code website builder; Rebase, a browser development company; Assembly, a digital publishing business; and Shift, a desktop productivity app that manages multiple apps, inboxes and workflows, and newly acquired Delivra, a leader in email and marketing automation.

“As we grew, we developed products and turned them into companies,” says Pimentel. “We have shared services, so Redbrick has executive, HR, culture, finance and creative teams, and the companies have their own CEOs

Three of the CEOs are female, and Redbrick has partnered with the University of Victoria on a program to advance women of diversity in engineering and computer science. “We’re excited about that,” says Pimentel. “It makes sense, and it’s great that the person we’re working with is one of our former co-op students.”

When the pandemic hit, transitioning to working remotely was challenging. “It was a big adjustment, because we have a really friendly, in-person culture,” says Isla Swanwick, Redbrick’s people operations coordinator.

“We always had the option to work from home, but everybody came in every day. So it was a shakeup for our culture, and we had to adapt.”

Redbrick had also just finished building a new office. But it

55

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

82

full-time staff in Canada

30

years, average age of all employees

100%

employers-paid healtth plan, with family coverage

52

weeks parental maternity leave top-up for primary caregivers

launched engagement initiatives like virtual coffee meetings, Zoom yoga sessions and photo scavenger hunts, and extended its flexible work schedule. “Everybody’s life was turned upside down, and we have a lot of parents with kids at home,” Swanwick says. “Having

 Redbrick employee works at his desk at the company's downtown Victoria office.

the flexibility to work different hours has been crucial.”

“It was important to have an open dialogue and respect that some work from home comfortably while others might have a two-year-old and need a break,” says Pimentel. “We’re looking

at adding more meeting rooms, quiet spaces and dividers to the new building to make people feel comfortable when they come in.”

They’re also offering a $500 credit to encourage employees to buy bikes and ride to work.

“The biggest thing is our man-

agers being really open with employees and vice versa,” says Swanwick. “At Redbrick, we try to understand their personal and professional lives and support both aspects. That’s a huge part of our culture, and I think it makes our employees really happy.” 

56

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Shared values create a family feeling at Richter firm’s strengths is its emphasis on making clients and team members feel equally valued. “There’s a real culture of collaboration,” he says, “and an understanding that a business succeeds by ensuring it’s doing what’s in the best interests of its employees as well as its clients.”

That meant finding multiple ways to maintain connections with home-based team members. “The touchpoints are professional but also social,” says Moore. “We have regular check-ins and webinars as well as virtual cocktail parties, and we recognize staff contributions with virtual gatherings where we celebrate in a fun and unique way the importance of their accomplishments.”

 During the pandemic, Richter provided flexible work arrangements in addition to enhancing the staff's benefits and doubling the amount for mental health care.

W

hen COVID19 forced the team at Richter LLP to start working remotely in 2020, no one was worried that the close-knit culture at the Montréal-based business advisory and family office services firm would be affected.

“There was just no way that was going to happen,” says Catherine Boivin, senior manager of Richter’s Risk, Performance and Technology division, who describes the company culture as

family-like. “We truly feel that we all share the same values of innovation, collaboration and passion about our clients, as well as the feeling of family that makes it such a great place to work.”

And they have managed to maintain that closeness throughout the pandemic lockdowns, she says. “We just moved it online.

We used to eat lunch together at the office; now we have virtual lunches, meetings and events as well as Lunch and Learns where someone will do a presentation and everyone shares ideas. We all

recognized that staying connected was more important than ever.”

Boivin says that Richter’s virtual team discussions are key to its culture. “It’s the way we stay connected and share our way of seeing things,” she says. “When we share our experiences and talk about them, it makes us feel that we can relate to each other and create that family feeling. You feel like you can count on each other.”

Gregory Moore, a Torontobased partner with Richter Family Office, which offers multi-family office services, says that one of the

There’s a culture of collaboration, and an understanding that a business succeeds by ensuring it’s doing what’s in the best interests of its employees as well as its clients.

— Gregory Moore Partner

In addition to its flexible work arrangements, Richter moved to enhance team members’ benefits during the pandemic, doubling the amount allowed for mental health care, presenting webinars on mental health and well-being, and introducing a concierge service

57

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

478

full-time staff in Canada

3,843

job applications received last year

52%

of managers are women

100%

job-related tuition reimbursement  While respecting public health guidelines, Richter team members celebrate their professional achievements.

where parents can get help with childcare. “Team members can book services with a provider called Kiid to help with tutoring or babysitting, and it’s been really popular,” Boivin says.

The firm also provides online access to health-care professionals.

“If you don’t have a family doctor, you can access that platform and reach out if you need prescriptions or medical advice,” says Boivin.

“We also have a special program related to health and well-being that supports anything related to sports and outdoor activities. We

want to make sure that our people are doing well, even in a difficult time.”

Moore draws a direct line between the firm’s expertise in providing financial advice to families and its supportive culture.

“I think nurturing is prevalent

at Richter because we work with families and we understand the nuances and emotions and complexities around families and business,” he says. “And when that’s true, it’s easier to build a common understanding among team members.” 

58

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Rogers Insurance helps employees’ dreams come true your dream is a mind-blowing experience.”

Then again, McCaffrey has known all along that Rogers Insurance is not your typical employer. The dog-friendly Calgary head office was just the first clue.

A mid-career professional with a primarily legal background, McCaffrey had worked in insurance for just two years before joining the company in 2018.

Her previous employer was a large multi-national broker, but her experience was limited to aviation insurance, she says, so she’s grateful Rogers Insurance saw something in her and gave her a chance.

Our employees are our family and we want them to be engaged and happy.  Connor Afcouliotis was a 2019 Rogers Insurance Dream winner who took his family to Australia to visit his grandfather and spend time with family.

R

ogers Insurance employees are given an unusual assignment every fall: write down in 50 words or fewer a once-in-a-lifetime dream they wish was within reach.

The Calgary-based company collects the information (and keeps it secure and confidential) as part of its annual Dream Program, in which four employees are awarded up to $10,000 each to realize the experience they described.

“We are literally trying to make people’s dreams come true,” says Lindsay Mather, vice president, human resources. “Our employees

are our family and we want them to be engaged and happy.”

The company announces the four names at its annual Christmas party, held during a two-day retreat at the Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in the Canadian Rockies. Staff and management select one each by voting on the anonymized dreams beforehand, Mather says, and the other two are chosen via a random draw at the event.

A slide show also reveals how previous awardees turned wishful thinking into reality. “There’s always tears,” Mather says, recounting how past recipients

have enjoyed extravagant trips, bought a headstone to memorialize a loved one, zipped around on a new motorized scooter, finally got the smile of their dreams with dental veneers and much more.

In 2021, Hillaine McCaffrey was the staff selection. Her dream is to bring together up to 25 members of her far-flung family, including two grown children in Toronto, for a reunion in Winnipeg where she grew up and her mother and sisters still live.

“It’s so hard to get all the family together, but now I’ll be able to make it happen,” she says. “Being able to spend up to $10,000 on

— Lindsay Mather Vice President, Human Resources

“The company doesn’t put artificial boundaries around its employees,” McCaffrey says.

“With extensive continuing education and a very collaborative environment, they allowed me to spread my wings and fly.”

Indeed, her title, broker/inhouse underwriter, barely hints at the variety of her daily work experiences as a certified risk management specialist. In addition to focusing on specialty lines of insurance for directors and officers, McCaffrey is one of two cyber specialists at the company.

Rogers Insurance is one of the largest and most diversified independent brokerages in Canada. Its

59

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

409

full-time staff in Canada

62.5%

of executive team are women

50

charities helped last year

2,500

staff volunteer hours last year

 Sarah Friesen (centre) was a 2017 Rogers Insurance Dream winner who took her mother and sisters on their first-ever family vacation.

portfolio of thousands of individual and corporate clients represents virtually every sector of the North American economy.

Employees are eligible to become shareholders after two years, Mather says. Being an employee-owned company has a

direct impact on how everyone works together towards common goals, she adds.

Bolstering that sense of camaraderie is one of the reasons Mather is eager for the post-pandemic day when most employees return to the office full-time. People have

become accustomed to working from home and the company will continue to offer that flexibility, she adds.

“We’ll adapt to that new corporate normal,” Mather says. “But we’ve always said being in the office is critical for those in-person

interactions that help people feel connected and committed. It’s just not the same with virtual interactions.”

McCaffrey agrees, but she’s onboard however the situation unfolds at Rogers Insurance. “I think they have a lifer,” she says. 

Where your dreams can come true.

Rogers Insurance helps its people thrive—at work and beyond.

That’s why our Dream Program awards four employees annually with a once-in-a-lifetime experience of their choosing.

Learn more about our career perks at rogersinsurance.ca/careers

rogersinsurance.ca

60

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

RTDS Technologies looks to expand employees’ horizons have used the opportunity to take different career paths within the company.

Sidwall herself has benefited from that investment. She’s attended multiple conferences around the world, and her manager has been enthusiastic about having her participate in technical courses she thought would be helpful in her work.

What we want to be able to do is give them the opportunity to thrive and flourish within the company, set them up for success and get out of their way.

 Inside the RTDS Technologies headquarters in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

K

ati Sidwall first joined RTDS Technologies Inc. on its technical sales team, drawn in by the company’s “authentic” approach to sales and the groundbreaking technology itself.

Nearly eight years later, her role has evolved, as her manager encouraged her to pursue projects that were in line with her strengths and interests. Sidwall is now the technical marketing lead at RTDS, a Winnipeg-based company that invented the RTDS Simulator, a real-time digital simulator for the power industry. The technology allows utility, manufacturing, research and educational clients to test numerous devices in a closed

loop with a simulated network.

“A lot of my role is writing compelling stories about the technology for existing and potential users, and telling the story of this product. It’s absolutely ideal for me,” she says. It marries her technical experience as an engineer with a passion for creative communication. “The fact that this role could evolve into such a good fit for me was really ideal.”

It’s a story that exemplifies the company’s approach to employees’ professional development.

“Our workforce is a pretty diverse community of very smart people and they really love what they do,” says CEO Kelly McNeill, adding that more than a third of employees hold a master’s

degree or PhD. “What we want to be able to do is give them the opportunity to thrive and flourish within the company, set them up for success and get out of their way.”

RTDS also hosts internal professional development opportunities like leadership training events, and completely covers tuition costs for external courses, whether to help employees expand their expertise or learn new job-critical skills.

McNeill says the investment just makes sense.

“Not only are they able to expand their horizons, they’ll be able to bring that back to us as an organization and we benefit from it and keep them engaged and interested,” he says. Some employees

— Kelly McNeill CEO

In 2020, the company undertook a major expansion of its head office in the University of Manitoba’s research and technology hub, Smartpark. The design was focused on helping employees do their best work: the space has abundant natural light, employee lounges, flexible meeting spaces for collaboration, and closed-in cubicles for independent work.

“We wanted collaboration space to share ideas, but some privacy to focus on implementing the solution,” McNeill says.

RTDS has also tried to support employees’ personal growth through philanthropic efforts that McNeill says are a major focus for

61

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

75

full-time staff in Canada

100%

job-related tuition subsidies

26

weeks maternity leave top-up pay

100%

employer-paid health plan, with family coverage

the organization. RTDS encourages employee-led fundraising events through donation-matching incentives and does charitable drives for organizations like Main Street Project, a Winnipeg charity supporting people experiencing homelessness, and Cancer Care

 RTDS Technologies created the RTDS Simulator, a real-time digital simulator for the power industry.

Manitoba.

Sidwall admits that in her early days at the company she felt intimidated by the number of colleagues who were experts in their field, and wondered about the company culture. But she quickly discovered it was a “really vibrant and lovely

place to work.”

It’s a culture she says RTDS has intentionally cultivated, with an active social committee and regular events, such as all-staff lunches for new hires, summer barbecues in the founder’s backyard and relay races. Those events have con-

tinued, where possible, during the pandemic.

“There’s a lot of opportunity for connection with other people in the company,” she says. “Those things really make you feel appreciated and that there’s more to it than just the work you do.” 

World-changing technology.

Life-changing people.

YOUR WORLD IN REAL TIME. RTDS.COM

62

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

People and purpose are the heart of Sequence Bio policies around diversity and inclusion (D&I). In early 2020, CEO Chris Gardner co-authored the Gender Diversity Playbook – 12 actionable, evidence-based steps to build more diverse and inclusive companies – then challenged leaders across the sector to take action. “Less than 23 per cent of the Canadian STEM workforce identifies as female – we exceeded that average and took deliberate steps to achieve and maintain gender parity within the company,” says Healey.

You can’t really get a more purposedriven company than Sequence Bio. — Lynn Healey Chief Operating and Financial Officer

 Sequence Bio encourages open, real-time collaboration with multipurpose workspaces.

I

n April 2021, Lynn Healey signed her offer letter from St. John’s, N.L.-based Sequence Bio Inc. agreeing to join as chief operating and financial officer. Because of pandemic restrictions, the entire process was conducted remotely. So when Healey received a care package at home from the company that included a handwritten note from the CEO, she was touched.

“That went a long way to make me feel welcomed,” says Healey.

“Thoughtful and intentional

gestures like this really help our employee engagement and demonstrate our values and culture.”

Sequence Bio is a biotechnology company researching the unique biological makeup of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to accelerate the discovery of better, safer medicines for common and rare diseases. “Ninety per cent of drug candidates fail, delaying help for people in need,” says Healey.

“We’re on a mission to change that.”

Before Healey chose to study commerce at Memorial University

of Newfoundland, she had been leaning toward a career in medicine. “I had followed Sequence Bio’s story for a long time and was deeply intrigued by its mission – the opportunity to join an organization aiming to make such an impact on a global scale was incredibly compelling,” she says. “I’ve always had an interest in helping others, and you can’t really get a more purpose-driven company than Sequence Bio.” Healey was also inspired by the company’s leadership in developing and sharing progressive

With a growing team both in Newfoundland and Labrador and across North America, Healey believes that developing their people and teams is what makes Sequence Bio great. Alain O’Dea, director of security and infrastructure, has benefited from such investment.

Hired in April 2019 as infrastructure and security manager, he was promoted to director that December and the company paid for his leadership training.

“There’s a big culture of promotion from within, and at the very beginning, a set of performance goals were developed for me,” says O’Dea. “I was good at lifting people up, but I was worried I

63

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

50

full-time staff in Canada

54%

of employees are women

35%

workforce growth in the last 12 months

52

weeks parental leave, top-up pay, benefits continuance

would demoralize them. I worked with a coach on how to bring my cheerleading skills to my constructive feedback.”

O’Dea also appreciates the company’s flexible work policy, which existed even prior to the pandemic.

When working remotely, he

 Employees take a lunch break with a view, a few minutes from Sequence Bio headquarters.

breaks from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. so he can prepare lunch for his wife and four children. “My wife’s work isn’t as flexible as mine, so I just start a bit earlier or work later when I need to,” he says.

Similarly, when schools moved online, Healey blocked her

calendar between 12:30 p.m. and 1:40 p.m. while she supervised her six-year-old son’s schooling.

“Work-life integration is really important to me, and flexibility is massive,” she says. “Sequence Bio really lives and breathes that.”

Being united in a common goal

– to help improve health outcomes for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, and across the globe – is also key for Sequence Bio’s people, says O’Dea. “I work with really talented people who are serious and passionate about our mission.” 

64

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Balancing profit with core values at SilverChef SilverChef team and its resiliency.

“Our staff rose to the occasion,” she says. "It was a great learning experience. It reinforced our trust in our employees. I am so proud of this team.”

As a B Corp company since 2015, SilverChef goes beyond profit and looks at social and environmental issues. Staff benefit from this designation, and its core values – United, Courageous and Authentic – are applied every day, Zalunardo says.

Part of the culture is we all work for the common goal, which is to help people realize their dreams.

— Travis Instone Subject Matter Expert

 SilverChef employees having a team meeting at their head office in Vancouver.

R

ight from his first interview with Vancouver-based SilverChef Rentals Inc., subject matter expert Travis Instone knew the hospitality equipment finance company was the place he wanted to work.

“They went out of their way to make me feel comfortable,” says Instone about his interview almost three years ago. “They asked tough questions but didn’t ask them in a way that that made

me feel the answer was right or wrong.” Instead, Instone says, he felt respected and that his opinion mattered, something that still holds true today.

That feeling of being valued is one of the reasons Instone remains at the company. The other reason is his colleagues.

“This company and these people make me want to stay here,” he says. “Part of the culture is we all work for the common goal, which is to help people realize their dreams.”

As part of one of the industries negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Instone says he’s proud of how SilverChef pivoted to create a hardship program for its customers.

“Everyone remained so positive,” Instone says. “People came and worked really hard alongside each other. The people I work with is the reason for SilverChef’s success.”

Sandra Zalunardo, vice president, people and culture – Canada, can’t say enough about the

“The B Corp designation complements our company’s philosophy,” she says. “We want to balance profit with employee satisfaction and create a great company culture. We live our values.”

When the pandemic hit, the company switched to a workfrom-home model, hosting weekly check-ins to keep employees up to date; a team huddle, where team members who showcase the company’s values are called out for a job well done; and team-building activities. When staff appeared run down, SilverChef gave employees a day off with pay.

SilverChef also offers courses and promotes from within.

Last year, nine employees were promoted, including Instone, who was hired as a customer service

65

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

51

full-time staff in Canada

4

weeks starting vacation

$750

per year health and lifestyle account

12

weeks of maternity leave top-up pay

coordinator before being promoted in April.

Instone says he has taken a leadership management course and looks forward to participating in a credit and finance course later this year.

Another perk about working

 SilverChef employees celebrating a Christmas 'Ugly Sweater Day' at their office.

with SilverChef is the opportunity to live and work in other countries where the company has offices.

Originally from New Zealand, Instone arrived in Canada after travelling. He was having trouble finding work when the opportunity at SilverChef came up and he

SilverChef is one of Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers for 2022

applied for it. Once the pandemic is over, he, like other staff, has the ability to apply to work at another office – in Australia or perhaps, New Zealand.

But regardless of where he works, what he loves best is the ability to make a difference in the

lives of others.

“We tell the truth and are transparent. We do the right thing no matter how hard it might be.

We are generous. We are people who come in every day and do this amazing job. We work hard to help people achieve their dreams.” 

66

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Culture of opportunity helps Smart & Biggar stay on top the clearest instruction,” says Lees.

“If I want to get a raise, I know the kinds of things that I have to do. I know what the expectations are.”

One of the firm’s priorities is to ensure staff and lawyers alike benefit from coaching, mentorship and regular communication with colleagues, says Jonas Gifford, a Vancouver-based partner and the firm’s chief diversity & inclusion officer.

“We have frequent dialogues with people about their career and how they can advance,” says Gifford. “People have a clear idea of what their career goals can be and how their goals can match the firm’s goals.”

 Smart & Biggar Vancouver bike team attend the 'Ride to Conquer Cancer'.

S

téphanie Girard probably didn’t realize when she took a trip south of the border several years ago that it would eventually lead to a job at Smart & Biggar LLP, Canada’s largest intellectual property (IP) law firm.

During a visit to New York City, Girard was shocked to discover people were selling counterfeit goods.

“I was devastated by that,” says Girard, an associate lawyer, trademark agent and copyright specialist based in Montréal. “I wanted to do something about it.”

So after getting her law degree and working at an entertainment company and a private firm, she joined Smart & Biggar three years ago. “I wanted to join a firm that focuses solely on intellectual property,” she says.

Girard’s specialty is advising companies, including those in the fashion and cosmetics industries, on how to comply with Québec’s trademark requirements. Joining a firm whose core business is IP has made it easier for her to build strong relationships with colleagues, she says.

Smart & Biggar was founded over 130 years ago, with offices in Ottawa and Toronto. It established its reputation over many decades as a leader in IP and related litigation, representing clients large and small from around the world.

Today the firm has evolved to have more than 100 lawyers, patent agents and trademark agents and 250 supporting team members, in five offices across Canada.

After graduating with a university degree in criminology, Rosaline Lees ended up working

a series of retail jobs in Ottawa but grew frustrated by the lack of opportunities. She decided to go to community college to pursue a law clerk diploma.

At college, “they give you a taste of everything, kind of like the salad bar,” says Lees. “It was IP law that seemed the most interesting to me.” She joined Smart & Biggar directly out of college and is still there 11 years later.

She says the firm strives to maintain its reputation as a top IP firm. For her, that translates into opportunities. In addition to her role as legal assistant, Lees is a trademark team coordinator and a member of both the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Team and a group that looks at key performance indicators.

“Of all the jobs that I’ve ever worked, Smart & Biggar provides

We know that to remain Canada’s leading intellectual property law firm, we have to support all of our team members and make sure they’re able to work to their fullest potential.

— Jonas Gifford Partner and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer

Gifford, who also chairs the D&I Team, says one thing that makes him proud to work at Smart & Biggar is how enthusiastically the firm adopted the Allyship Challenge, a program developed by the D&I committee, that encourages team members to be aware of and understand the

67

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

321

full-time staff in Canada, plus 41 partners

44

years, longest-serving employee

62%

of employees are women

4

weeks starting vacation for associates, 3 weeks for internal services staff

impact of bias and privilege, and refine their skills as allies of those who are of a different race, physical or neural ability or gender expression and identity.

He also cites the Culture Club, another of the D&I Team’s initiatives created in response to remote

 Smart & Biggar staff in the Ottawa office café.

work as a result of the pandemic.

Team members listened to podcasts, read articles and watched documentaries and then came together virtually to talk about a range of topics such as transgender issues, the history of racism and oppression of BIPOC. The series

Work with Canada’s leaders in intellectual property law.

helped team members to gain a better understanding of important D&I issues and current events through facilitated discussion to learn and become better allies. It also helped people feel connected while apart during the remote working situation.Having this kind

of inclusive culture helps everyone at the firm feel like part of the team, says Gifford. “We know that to remain Canada’s leading intellectual property law firm, we have to support all of our team members and make sure they’re able to work to their fullest potential.” 

68

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

Culture brings out the best in people at Uberflip “In my first onboarding session, we discussed people and culture.

Then I participated in subsequent sessions with stakeholders in the company from engineering, product management, revenue and other areas to talk about how they maximize their contribution to the company. It was very well formatted.”

From her manager, Gupta received an introduction to the tools available to do her job, most of which she was already familiar with from her previous employment. And then she went to work.

 Uberflip founder's Yoav Schwartz, CEO & Randy Frisch, president.

W

hen Meenal Gupta joined Uberflip in April 2021, she arrived with an MBA in marketing from the Institute of Management Technology in Ghaziabad, India, and a master’s degree in biological sciences from Birla Institute of Technology & Science in Rajasthan, one of India’s top universities.

In addition to 10 years of experience in product management and data administration, she also had an insatiable curiosity about new cultures, which had brought her to Canada on her own in 2018.

After two years in the country, she heard that Uberflip was

looking for new employees. “I thought, OK, I’ll chat.”

Founded in 2012, Uberflip provides content experience software to centralize content from blogs, social media, e-books, videos, presentations, and other sources to create destinations that increase engagement and leads and drive business growth.

From her first interview, Gupta discovered that Uberflip operates differently from most other organizations. “Instead of emphasizing what a person can do for the company, our conversation started with Uberflip’s culture and emphasized what the company can do for the person.”

After two more interviews, she was convinced. “I thought, OK,

this sounds like a good place. I knew it was the right thing to do.”

Sara Thomas, vice-president of people and culture, reinforces Gupta’s observations. “Uberflip is truly committed to culture,” she says. “We work to create an environment that employees are proud to be a part of and they’re excited to come to work every day.”

With this in mind, Uberflip has developed a range of programs for employee development, beginning with the person’s first day on the job.

“Uberflip delivered the best onboarding experience I’ve ever seen,” says Gupta. “First, they sent me an awesome kit that included branded items, a hoodie and a laptop.

You hire good people and you provide them with the tools, leadership and autonomy to get their job done while ensuring they are thriving, growing and feeling supported in their role.

— Sara Thomas Vice-President, People & Culture

“In my role I support the people who deal with the customer,” she says. “I gather the data, crunch the numbers and bring it all together so teams can create a strategy.”

Although she’d prefer to work from Uberflip’s office near Toronto’s waterfront, Gupta collaborates so often with her teamates using Zoom, Slack and other applications that she doesn’t feel isolated by COVID-19 restrictions on working at home.

For people who feel weary of the

69

CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS 2022

133

full-time staff in Canada

10,159 job applications received last year

32.5

years, average age of all employees

43%

of managers are women  Uberflip employees gather at their head office in Toronto.

pandemic’s never-ending presence in their lives, Uberflip has measures in place to ensure their well-being.

The company recently added an additional therapist to the services that it provides to employees, at no charge. “It gives our employees

a safe space to talk through their personal and professional thoughts, feelings or concerns,” says Thomas.

Through thoughtful support, Uberflip’s culture encourages people to apply their best talents in the best possible way, says Gupta.

“There’s no micromanagement,” she says. “You decide what will take Uberflip to the next level, put your ideas on the table and take your initiatives across the finish line.”

As the company continues to expand, Uberflip’s success depends

on finding people who fit into the company’s culture.

As Thomas says, “You hire good people and you provide them with the tools, leadership and autonomy to get the job done while ensuring they’re thriving, growing and feeling supported in their role.” 

Tell us your story If you are an exceptional employer with progressive human resources programs and initiatives, consider applying for next year’s edition of Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers. Now entering its 23rd year, our national project is Canada’s longest-running and best-known editorial competition for employers.

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

CanadasTop100.com/2023 Applications for our 2023 competition are now available and must be returned by May 6, 2022.

2023