canada - pinchin ltd.€¦ · tional performance excellence. “winning companies report an...

TH E G LOB E AND MA I L MONDAY AP R I L 2 8 2 0 0 8 A special national report for the Great Place to Work Institute Canada GPTW 1

Looking for a job with a top-rated employer or perhaps a way to make your workplace more dynamic Then look here The results of the 2008 Great Place to Work Institute surveys are in

50Best Workplaces in Canada T

here is only one way to get on the ldquo50 Best Workplaces in Canadardquo

list ndash and thatrsquos if your employshyees put you there

The Great Place to Work Institutersquos Trust Index survey instrument is used by thoushysands of organizations throughout the world says Jen Wetherow director of Great Place to Work Institute Canashyda ldquoIt is the primary selection criterion used each year when we compile the Best Workshyplaces in Canada list and is also used in compiling similar lists for leading business publishycations around the world including Fortune and the Financial Timesrdquo

While there is no singular right way to become a great place to work she says there are five trust-building dimenshysions that are commonly found in all the best workplaces credibility respect fairness pride and camaraderie

ldquoThe first three dimensions account for an organizationrsquos

level of trustrdquo says Ms Wetherow ldquoA great workplace is one in which employees trust the people they work for have pride in what they do and enjoy the people they work withrdquo

While it may sound a bit warm and fuzzy the institutersquos research indicates that trust is the foundation for organizashytional performance excellence ldquoWinning companies report an increased ability to attract and retain quality candidates But itrsquos about more than just recruitment and retention ndash the benefits of a high-trust culshyture permeate every aspect of performancerdquo she says

ldquoIncreasingly business leaders are recognizing that you canrsquot manage an outcome such as employee engagement but you can contribute to the building blocks of organizashytional culture

Culture has been identified as a strategic advantage and leaders in the most successful organizations are putting a strong focus on trust-building behaviours because doing so is associated with positive outshycomes In fact independent research by the Russell Investshyment Group concludes that publicly traded companies on the Fortune list of ldquo100 Best Companies to Work Forrdquo are

out-performing standard marshyket indices by a factor of two to three

ldquoThe benefits of creating a great place to work include improved attraction and retenshytion of talented employees and enhanced productivity as a result of a more engaged workshyforcerdquo says Claude Balthazard director of human resources excellence at the Human Resources Professionals Associshyation of Ontario

While there is anecdotal evidence of a virtuous cycle of success and employee satisfacshytion among top-performing organizations there are many paths to becoming a great

workplace ldquoIrsquom always struck by the diversity of these organshyizations Therersquos a tremendous diversity in terms of the pracshytices Theyrsquore all recognized to be great places to work but they seem to get there in differshyent waysrdquo says Mr Balthazard

At DLGL Ltd in Queshybec one of the 2008 50 Best achieving a great culture began with a sadly unusual approach ldquoWersquove inverted the values of governancerdquo say president Jacques Gueacutenette ldquoNormally what you hear in the marketshyplace is that the corporation must create value for the shareshyholders That provides license to do almost anything includ-

About the Great Place to Work Institute

The Great Place to Work Institute Inc is a US-based research

and management consultancy with affiliate offices worldwide

including Canada Since 1980 the institute has been listening

to employees and evaluating employers Today the Great

Place to Work Trust Index survey instrument is the primary

selection criterion used annually to compile the ldquoBest Workshy

places in Canadardquo list The index is also used in compiling simishy

lar lists for leading business publications in over 30 other

countries including Fortunersquos ldquo100 Best Companies to Work

Forrdquo list in the US

ing crazy business plans that call for uncontrollable growthrdquo

He cites a large Canadian corporation which went from 30000 to 90000 employees and then fired 65000 people as an example of what can happen in the quest for shareshyholder value

ldquoWersquove turned that around completely and said lsquoLetrsquos put together an organization that creates value for the employshyees Letrsquos make sure that our employees are happyrsquordquo says Mr Gueacutenette ldquoThe first conseshyquence of this is that they stick around gain experience and get very good at what they do And that allows us to manufacshyture excellent products and to deliver very good services The result is that we create a lot of value for our clients in that process And once yoursquove done that there should be value for the shareholders

ldquoWersquove foundrdquo he says understatedly ldquothat this works much better than the other modelrdquo

Inside GPTW 3 ABOUT THE SURVEY

Research by the Great Place to Work Institute indicates that trust is the foundation for qualshyity jobs and performance excelshylence writes JEN WETHEROW Director Great Place to Work Institute Canada

GPTW 4 MEET THE TOP 3

Survey highlights from the Great Place to Work Model dimensions offer insight into practices that helped DLGL Environics Communications and Nycomed Canada earn top marks from their employees

GPTW 5 PEER RECOGNITION

Coming from the right person a well-placed thank you or a pat on the back can be powershyfully motivating At the very least recognition is part of what makes some companies great places to work

GPTW 6 RETENTION TALK

Exit interviews have their place These days however smart firms are using creative conshytinual communications processes to drive employee satisfaction and long-term retention

GPTW 7 INSPIRING SPACES

Innovative employers are putting their office space to work in unexpected ways challenging the boundaries of the traditional workplace and inspiring employees in the process

GPTW 8 BEYOND PAYCHEQUES

A reasonable paycheque is important But at some companies unorthodox financial perks can include dollars for adopting a child or providing mortgage loans on easy terms


The Winners RANK NAME OF COMPANY EMPLOYEES HEADQUARTERS RANK NAME OF COMPANY EMPLOYEES HEADQUARTERS

29 T4G Limited 215 Toronto ON Information Technology Software

1 DLGL Ltd 92 Blainville QC Information Technology IT Consulting

30 Ernst amp Young LLP 3938 Toronto ON Advertising amp Marketing Advertising

2 Environics Communications Inc 63 Toronto ON Financial Services amp Insurance Accounting

31 Precision BioLogic Inc 51 Dartmouth NS Biotechnology amp Pharmaceuticals Pharmaceuticals

3 Nycomed Canada Inc 261 Oakville ON Manufacturing amp Production Medical devices

32 Leo Burnett Company Ltd 133 Toronto ON Professional Services Consulting Engineering

4 iTRANS Consulting Inc 99 Richmond Hill ON Advertising amp Marketing Advertising

33 Hill amp Knowlton Canada 208 Toronto ON Information Technology IT Consulting

5 Softchoice Corporation 437 Toronto ON Professional Services Consulting ndash Management

34 Randstad Canada 310 Ville Saint-Laurent QC Financial Services amp Insurance Investments

6 SaskCentral 56 Regina SK Professional Services Staffing amp Recruitment

35 Back in Motion Rehab 64 Surrey BC Professional Services Consulting ndash Management

7 ITNET Ottawa Inc 85 Ottawa ON Health Care Specialty

36 Globalive Communications 132 Toronto ON Construction amp Real Estate Housing

8 Trico Homes 101 Calgary AB Telecommunications

37 Omni Companies 53 Vancouver BC Advertising amp Marketing Advertising Vancouver BC

9 Karo Group 80 Calgary AB amp Financial Services amp Insurance General Insurance

38 Banff Lodging Company 449 Banff AB Construction amp Real Estate Real Estate

10 Royal LePage Performance Realty 296 Ottawa ON Hospitality HotelResort

39 Pottruff amp Smith Insurance Brokers Inc 63 Woodbridge ON Construction amp Real Estate Housing

11 Ames Tile amp Stone Ltd 88 Burnaby BC Financial Services amp Insurance General Insurance

40 Sapient Canada 195 Toronto ON Media Online Internet Services

12 eBay Customer Support Vancouver Inc 811 Burnaby BC Information Technology IT Consulting

41 TD Bank Financial Group 43302 Toronto ON Professional Services Consulting ndash Management

13 Ceridian Canada Ltd 1491 Markham ON Financial Services amp Insurance BankingCredit Services

42 The PEER Group Inc 70 Kitchener ON Information Technology IT Consulting

14 Online Business Systems 213 Winnipeg MB Information Technology IT Consulting

43 WCG International Consultants Ltd 166 Victoria BC Financial Services amp Insurance Investments

15 Edward Jones 1795 Mississauga ON Professional Services Consulting ndash Management

44 Skura Corporation 93 Mississauga ON Advertising amp Marketing Advertising

16 AdFarm 66 Calgary AB Information Technology IT Consulting

45 SC Johnson and Son Limited 477 Brantford ON Financial Services amp Insurance Accounting

17 Grant Thornton LLP 1648 Toronto ON Manufacturing amp Production Personal amp Household Goods

46 Sandvine Incorporated 253 Waterloo ON Financial Services amp Insurance BankingCredit Services

18 Windsor Family Credit Union 130 Windsor ON Information Technology Hardware

47 Parklane Homes Ltd 79 Vancouver BC Professional Services Consulting Engineering

19 Urban Systems Ltd 283 Kamloops BC Construction amp Real Estate Housing

48 Campbell Company of Canada 1221 Toronto ON Financial Services amp Insurance Accounting

20 Fuller Landau LLP 109 Toronto ON Manufacturing amp Production Food Products

49 High Road Communications 79 Toronto ON Health Care Medical SalesDistribution

21 Becton Dickinson Canada Inc 247 Oakville ON Professional Services Consulting ndash Management

50 Pinchin Environmental Ltd 229 Mississauga ON Construction amp Real Estate Real Estate

22 Keller Williams Ottawa Realty 206 Ottawa ON Professional Services Consulting Environmental

23 Thomson Carswell 693 Toronto ON Media Publishing amp Printing

24 CIM (Consumer Impact Marketing) 290 Toronto ON Advertising amp Marketing Direct Marketing

25 Halsall Associates Limited 228 Toronto ON Professional Services Consulting Engineering

26 Coastal Pacific Xpress Inc 279 Surrey BC Transportation

27 Protegra 72 Winnipeg MB Information Technology IT Consulting

28 Sapphire Technologies 300 Toronto ON Professional Services Staffing amp Recruitment

About the survey By Jen Wetherow open-ended questions that pro- tool Internationally the Great

vide an accurate employee Place to Work Institute sur-Director Great Place to Work perspective on what it is like to veyed over 12 million employ-work in the organization

Institute Canada ees last year for similar lists

Each question measures around the world

Most Canadian employ- one of the five dimensions of ldquoOn the quantitative siderdquo ers like to think that the Great Place to Work Instishy says Dr Graham Lowe a they are decent even tutersquos trust-based Model credishy national workplace expert pro-

pretty good places to work bility respect fairness pride fessor emeritus at the Universi-But with todayrsquos competitive and camaraderie Completed ty of Alberta and partner at labour market and the need to surveys are sent directly to the the Great Place to Work Instishymake the best use of all talent institute and results are only tute Canada ldquothe best work-in a company the bar for ever reported in aggregate places list data help us to differ-work workplace quality has form so employees can be conshy entiate between good and great been rising Being ldquogoodrdquo is no fident that opinions are confishy organizations On the qualitashylonger enough dential tive side the Culture Audit

Organizations participating Two-thirds of each organishy offers us insights into the peoshyin the Best Workplaces in zationrsquos final score is taken ple practices of very successful Canada list have a unique directly from its Trust Index organizations that understand opportunity to find out where survey The remaining one- the strategic importance of culshythey are on their quest to third of each organizationrsquos turerdquo become ndash or maintain ndash great score is taken from the instishy ldquoIt goes far beyond offering workplaces The rigorous list tutersquos assessment of the compashy the best perksrdquo says Dr Lowe assessment process provides nyrsquos ldquoCulture Auditrdquo submisshy ldquoYou canrsquot compete on perks metrics for tracking progress sion This is a significantly and benefits alone It comes benchmarking with the best more detailed questionnaire down to the quality of the relashyand sharing lessons about that is completed by senior tionships throughout the work-effective people practices HR representatives It helps to place the support people are

Research from the Great provide a more complete picshy given to succeed in their jobs Place to Work Institutersquos best ture by capturing the core val- and their overall enjoyment of workplaces lists over the past ues and philosophies that the total work experiencerdquo decade in many countries con- underpin people practices firms that trust is the founda- The organizations on the

If you donrsquot see your workshytion for quality jobs and pershy 2008 Best Workplaces in Canashyformance excellence And the da list come from a variety of place on the list of 50 Best good news is that high-trust industries range in size from relationships require behavshy 51 to 43302 employees and this year but think it should iours that can be learned and are located from coast to coast

be then why not sign up to embedded into an organiza- Each has taken a different path tionrsquos culture to creating and sustaining a participate in the 2009 list Organizations on the 2008 great workplace but in the list of Best Workplaces were all end each has forged a strong of 50 Best Workplaces in assessed using an employee link between culture and per-survey the ldquoTrust Indexrdquo Canada The nomination formance developed by the global During the 2008 list assess- can be submitted online at research firm Great Place to ment process a total of 24063 Work Institute Inc There are Canadian employees were surshy wwwgreatplacetoworkca 57 multiple choice and two veyed using the Trust Index

This repor t was produced by RandallAnthony Communications Inc (wwwrandallanthonycom) in conjunction with the adver tising depar tment of The Globe and Mail Keith Ryder Category Manager KRyderglobeandmailcom

TH E G LOB E AND MA I L GPTW 4 A special national report for the Great Place to Work Institute Canada MONDAY AP R I L 2 8 2 0 0 8

50 Best Workplaces in Canada

Top 3 winners 2008 The Great Place to Work Model

The Great Place to Work Model is derived from the definition of a great workplace as one where employees trust the bull The relationship between employees and management people they work for have pride in what they do and enjoy the people they work with At the heart of this definition is bull The relationship between employees and their jobsorganization and the idea that a great workplace is measured by the quality of three interconnected relationships that exist there bull The relationship between employees and other employees

1

2

3

COMPANIES BY RANK

When asked ldquoTaking everything into account I would say this is a great place to workrdquo employees who said ldquoyesrdquo

SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE GREAT PLACE TO WORK MODEL DIMENSIONS

CREDIBILITY The trustworthiness and competence of management

RESPECT Recognition of personal and professional worth and contribution

FAIRNESS Equitable sharing of opportunities and rewards

PRIDE Value attached to onersquos job and association with the company

CAMARADERIE Friendliness and sense of community (or ldquofamilyrdquo)

DLGL Ltd provides software specializing in the conception implementation and support of advanced HR systems payroll time capture and scheduling and pension systems

100 DLGL has a clear vision of where it is going and has assured its employees that it will not go public or subvert their interests for the goals of shareshyholders

All employees and their families have access to DLGLrsquos gymnasium fitness centre and pershysonal trainer ville de Quebec kitchen outshydoor terrace gazebo bistro chez Claude (equipped with home theatre pool table car simulators massaging chair) and more

Compensation at DLGL exceeds IT industry norms Plus a quarterly bonus shared among all employees is based on objectives set at the beginning of the year and peer evaluashytions Yearly profit sharshying is based on hours worked and overall contribution

DLGL strengthens team development by supporting lateral movement and cross-functional placements

DLGL recently comshymemorated its 25th anniversary with an evening at a special resort that involved all employees and their spouses The staff was wined dined and entertained

Environics Communications Inc

98 Each member of the Environicsrsquo team knows the overarching goal is

A culture of collaborashytion is evidenced by the fact that 50 of Envi-

Environicsrsquo systematic approach to rewarding loyalty also helps pre-

While the Canadian Standards Association doesnrsquot strictly fit into

At Environicsrsquo 12th anniversary employees shared memories of

offers marketing-communications and public-relations services for public private and governmental organizations

to do the right thing to give the best advice and propose the best course of action even if itrsquos unpopular

ronicsrsquo new hires are internal referrals More importantly Environics employees are empowshyered to contribute and full credit is always given to those who inishytiate winning concepts

vent favouritism After 5 years employshyees receive $4000 toward a holiday plus one additional week of vacation Other signifishycant rewards are offered after 7 and 8 years of service

any of Environicsrsquo key focus sectors the firm took on the account because it believes in CSArsquos commitment to safety and in the impact its work makes on Canadians

their first day on the job and posted them on their office doors The initiative sparked gales of laughter as people circulated the office and read the mostly comical stories

Nycomed Canada Inc is a privately held subsidiary of a global pharmaceutical company

95 Nycomedrsquos outstanding communications sysshytems include employee surveys focus groups a suggestion box breakshyfast with the President pod casts and town

Permanent Nycomed employees have access to $3000 per year in post-secondary tuition funding or $5000 for post-graduate studies Last year about 30 of

To ensure that employshyees have a voice within the organization Nycomed has develshyoped a dispute resolushytion system employees are able to use without

Since 1997 Nycomed has dedicated over $2 million dollars in community support It also encourages employees to become involved in fundraising

The HR systems and practices at Nycomed are comprehensive well-documented and thoroughly integrated New employees are welcomed with an

hall meetings Informashytion flows freely throughout the organishyzation

the companyrsquos employshyees took advantage of this perk

concern for reprisal They also have a 360shydegree feedback process on managers

and community service inspiring letter from the CEO and treated to a departmental lunch

Thanks to all our employees who voted Campbell one of the 50 Best Places to Work

Mrsquom Mrsquom Good copy 2008 Campbell Company Canada


The power of peer recognition A

well-placed thank you or a pat on the back ndash particularly coming

from the right person ndash can be powerfully motivating And if not at very least recognition is part of what makes some comshypanies great places to work

ldquoItrsquos not just about busishynessrdquo says Sunny Daljit chief executive officer of Keller Williams Ottawa Realty ldquoAt the end of the day itrsquos also about having a life worth livshying And recognition is part of thatrdquo

Mr Daljit introduced a peer-to-peer recognition initiashytive to the Ottawa-based affilishy

ate of Keller Williams Internashytional that exactly captures this spirit and has clearly conshytributed to the companyrsquos standing as one of the 50 Best Workplaces in Canada

ldquoFill the Bucketrdquo is a proshygram that encourages employshyees to publicly acknowledge and thank each other for exceptional effort or work All of the companyrsquos major meetshyings begin with at least one personrsquos words of praise Usushyally says Mr Daljit there are several people anxious to share

According to Mr Daljit the initiative helps reinforce posishytive productive behaviour But

more importantly he says it fosters camaraderie breaks down hierarchical barriers and makes the companyrsquos meetings more productive because it frames them for success

And in at least two instances that hersquos aware of Fill the Bucket has impressed meeting guests so much they have left positions to go work for Keller Williams Most outshysiders says Mr Daljit have not experienced that level of gratitude and recognition and are inspired by the companyrsquos warm feeling and attitude

Top ranked employer ITNET Ottawa Inc also

shares a desire to nurture a warm family-like corporate culture

Joanne Beaton vice presishydent of corporate services says employees at the IT consulting firm are encouraged to acknowledge colleaguesrsquo exceptional work by sending them a cash-valued gift certifishycate through the companyrsquos ldquoMy Thanksrdquo peer-to-peer recognition program

My Thanks is not regulatshyed meaning the value of cershytificates is determined by who ever is awarding it and can be done any time and as often as employees choose to pass on

Keller Williams Ottawa Realty has built tremendous team spirit through a host of initiatives including ldquoFill the Bucketrdquo a program that encourage employees to publicly acknowledge and thank each other for exceptional work PHOTO SUPPLIED

recognition Those who receive certificates can spend the value theyrsquore awarded as they like

In 2007 the company spent approximately $4000 to $5000 on this program but according to Ms Beaton it would be well worth even a much higher cost Like Keller Williams ITNETrsquos program reflects a philosophy that acknowledges employees are motivated by more than salary and that well-placed recognishytion reinforces a culture that recognizes employeesrsquo contrishybution from a personal pershyspective

ldquoPeople really enjoy the ability to give this gift certifi-

Best practice profiles

cate ndash it feels good to award recognition when itrsquos deservedrdquo says Ms Beaton ldquoI have received a couple ndash senshyior employees tend to receive it less But itrsquos pretty cool to be recognized by my ownrdquo

The message and feel that My Thanks has helped foster throughout the company says Ms Beaton is very much in keeping with its collaborative inclusive approach Itrsquos part of what has generated the compashynyrsquos tight-knit family feel

And ndash as with Keller Williams Ottawa Realty ndash peer-to-peer recognition is part of what has made ITNET Ottawa Inc one of Canadarsquos 50 Best Workplaces

Peer-to-peer recognition Fuller Landau LLP has monthly ldquoKUDOrdquo awards Managers partners and employees can nominate their co-workers for this award and a written certificate of recognition and a gift certifishycate ($30) are awarded to KUDO winners

CIM (Consumer Impact Marketing) has an awards program called ldquoMark of a Leaderrdquo (MOAL) Employees can nominate their peers and once a quarter a winner is chosen and awarded cash and prizes At the annual gala awards night the lsquoCore Value Leader of the Yearrsquo is crowned plus the overall lsquoLeader of the Yearrsquo who wins a crystal trophy a trip around the world and one extra week vacation

Sapphire Technologies has a Superhero program where anyone can nominate another for performance dedication great ideas etc Every two months HR chooses the winshyner who is recognized on the website and by managers Winners also receive a $100 Jump Gift Card

High Road Communications has the High Impact Award Each month staff nominate those who they feel did an outshystanding job on a task enhanced the working envishyronment or showed tremenshydous passion for the job Nomshyinations are then all read aloud at the monthly staff meeting and one is chosen randomly for a prize such as gift certifishycates to their favourite store or restaurant

Besides the Academy wersquod like to thank our committed creative hardshy

working and supportive employees across the country for making us

one of Canadarsquos 50 Best Workplaces

We couldnrsquot have done it without you

sapphirecacom 18005403594 originhrca

gmscanadaca


50 Best Workplaces in Canada Ongoing communications strike a chord with employees

Retention interviews take front seat Credit Union a full-service talked about our very extenshy

Any employee who has from the checkpoints and we when a collective viewpoint is ldquoItrsquos an opportunity for our quit a large firm likely need to make changes we can important team members to voice their member-owned financial instishy sive interview process and orishyremembers the exit address them before people ldquoWe capture the informashy opinionsrdquo she says ldquoAnd they tution serving Windsor and entation program But one of

interview as one of the last leaverdquo tion and we share it with our have great insights mdash after all Essex County the suggestions was that after Questions range from career mentors to explain what who knows the company betshy ldquoI spend time with 12 staff people have been on the job times they talked with their

wersquore doing right where we ter than the people who work members on a quarterly basis for a period of time we have employer before walking out addressing company morale to for us and who are most in our CEO advisory commit- to talk to them to find out how the door forever These days the effectiveness of communishy could be doing better and the

however smart firms are using cation Typically the check- action items that we need to important to usrdquo teerdquo notes Marty Komsa things are going whether or creative two-way communicashy points are conducted one-onshy addressrdquo explains Ms Neuen- Communication is also Windsorrsquos president and CEO not their expectations of the tions to drive employee satisshy one but focus groups are used dorff essential at the Windsor Family ldquoA number of years ago they job have been met and to tell faction and long-term retention them whether they have met

our expectationsrdquo At Online Business Sys-As a result new staff memshytems for example a business

and information technology bers now meet with the human consulting company headquarshy resources co-ordinator after tered in Winnipeg manage- three months as a ldquocheck-inrdquo ment regularly conducts and with the vice president of

human resources for a more Online Check Points with formal ldquoretention interviewrdquo employees Previously called after six months This two-way ldquostay interviewsrdquo these meetshy

ings help managers to under- communication has con-stand what they are doing well tributed to a full-time staff and what they could do even turnover rate of less than five

per cent better ldquoThe information in many ldquoWe do exit interviews

instances is used to change when people leave the compashyny mdash but why wait until peoshy future training programs and to ple leave to capture this inforshy change certain aspects of the mationrdquo says Ria Neuendorff jobrdquo says Mr Komsa ldquoWe

truly believe that the key to director of the companyrsquos peoshyour success is listening to our ple care team ldquoLetrsquos find out employees and ensuring that how people are thinking and

feeling right now mdash that way if Ria Neuendorff director of Online Business Systemsrsquo people care team says she regularly conducts Online Check Points with employ- they have input into their we see patterns that evolve ees to help managers understand what they are doing well and what they could do even better PHOTO SUPPLIED work environmentrdquo

Need some time off No problem say top employers different angle but one that yoursquore not focused on recupershy

For many progressive

atingrdquocompanies trust is reflects the same issue of pro-becoming an ever-more viding employees with choice In addition it makes it easshy

important part of employee and with trust ier for employees to make the relations As some of Canadarsquos ldquoWe donrsquot have any sick choice to stay home when they

day caps for employees mdash we have an illness such as the flu outstanding employers have ask them to manage thatrdquo says which could be spread to other learned one of the best ways

employees if they went to to build trust with workers is Maria Odoardi vice president to demonstrate a spirit of flexishy of people ldquoTheyrsquore responsishy work ldquoWe approach that by bility particularly when it ble for deciding whatrsquos best for saying that wersquod rather trust comes to an employeersquos need them if theyrsquore not feeling people to do the right thing

well We encourage them to go rather than having us impleshyto take some personal time recover and that includes ment policies to help guide out

behaviour In doing so people Windsor Family Credit allowing people to be eligible Union for example provides for short-term disability pay take responsibility for that its employees with 10 days after five days at 100 per cent themselvesrdquo Ms Odoardi Softchoice employees such as Nicole Lindstrom and Marc Krille (holding ldquoGracierdquo the dog) enjoy a each year that can be used for of their base day pay We try notes ldquoTherersquos a high level of workplace that fosters wellness and well-being in part by allowing them to take time off when they

to make that whole experience trust between everyone in the any purpose from being sick need to PHOTO SUPPLIED

very easy for them and not a company and as a result wersquore to taking care of family memshydren spouses in-laws other full balance during the first sures of raising a family go worry at allrdquo much more invested in the bers to simply having a day family members and even week of December for itrdquo for themselves Itrsquos a good example of the company mdash we recognize that themselvesrdquo ldquoAs an organization we As for employees he notes ldquoWe went to the staff and role that trust plays in the decisions that each one of

The organization listened advocate for family values and that therersquos 100 per cent sup-asked them about the concept Softchoicersquos workplace culture us makes takes into account and responded by replacing family needsrdquo Mr Komsa port for keeping the policy the ldquoWe want to encourage our the experience of everyone of sick daysrdquo explains presishysick days with personal days explains ldquoIf you need a per- way that it is now ldquoThey think employeesrsquo well-being and else This concept helps to dent Marty Komsa ldquoThey that require no explanation sonal day next week because itrsquos fantasticrdquo he notes ldquoAnd wellness mdash if yoursquore stressed provide us with a really high came back and said that the from the employee If an you want to take your mother- wersquore happy because it indishywhole value system of the about something else when level of employee engageshy

cates the way that we value employee chooses not to take in-law or your mother to the worker has changed over the yoursquore ill such as finances mentrdquo all of the allotted 10 days a doctor or simply because you our employeesrdquo years and that people require year theyrsquore paid out for the need a break from the pres- Softchoice took a slightly more time to take care of chil-


Wellness innovation SaskCentral subscribes to the Ceridian Canada Ltd has an Best Doctors program This Annual Wellness Week where gives employees immediate each locationrsquos committee access to the best medical organizes activities such as tai knowledge around the world chi demonstrations massage including top-ranked hospitals therapy sessions healthy the latest technologies opinshy snackspotluck events sessions ions of world-class specialists on managing stress balancing and personal care manage- work and family heart disease

gait analysis etc Most of the ment This additional resource helps employees make the sessions are held during lunch best decisions about health breaks to accommodate as care many employees as possible

would like to acknowledge our staff

who helped us become one of

THE 50 BEST WORKPLACES IN CANADA

Thank You Team

18887688001 wwwpottruffsmithcom


Unorthodox use of offices challenges status quo

Physical spaces generate inspiring results O

ur traditional image of office space is being challenged by some

beautiful and innovative physshyical spaces Perhaps even more impressive are the novel ways that companies are putshyting these spaces to work

At Globalive Communicashytions Corprsquos downtown Toronshyto corporate headquarters for example the company has apportioned space simply for community giving Globaliversquos founder and CEO Anthony Lacavera says this contemposhyrary office space complete with a 2500-square-foot outshydoor patio is being offered to local charities to host their fundraising events

Globaliversquos philanthropic arm is called Shamba ndash the name of both the foundation and the space

Shamba means ldquofarmrdquo in Swahili and the concept for the Shamba Foundation is to mobilize business networks in an urban farm of sorts where many hands make light work

The recipients of that work are charities and non-profit organizations who can use the

Shamba Space as a zero-cost event venue to raise fundraisshying dollars

All costs are covered including personnel drinks and food through both Glob-alive and its partner sponsors Globalive operates YAK Comshymunications ndash providing home phone high-speed Internet and long distance services to Ontario BC and Quebec

ldquoA number of Globalive team members donate their time to greet guests or engage as servers during the eventsrdquo says Mr Lacavera ldquoIrsquove always wanted Globalive to give back in a meaningful way that truly involved the team instead of it being a more passhysive thingrdquo

The funky 12th-storey space has a fun warm engagshying feel complete with urban chic furniture a phenomenal audio-visual system a bar and a very large outdoor grill

Organizations ranging from Little Geeks a Toronto-based charity that collects refurbishes and redistributes donated home computers to children in need to Habitat

for Humanity have raised over agency has a community of Rudy Gelderblom who still $100000 since the patio another sort on its second- returns twice a year to set up opened in July 2007 A single storey rooftop space ndash bees the hives (which he stores dur-Shamba Night can command ldquoWe have three hives up ing the off season) and help anywhere from a few thousand thererdquo says Chris Bedford with the extraction of the to tens of thousands in one president and CEO of Karo honey night alone Group ldquoand produced about ldquoWe have an open and

From one hive of activity 150 jars of honey last yearrdquo supportive culture and if some-to another Karo Group a suc- Mr Bedford credits the one has a passion like that we cessful Calgary-based branding idea to former staff member usually take the approach

Globalive Communications Corp CEO Anthony Lacavera says the company offers the 2500shysquare-foot outdoor patio of its downtown Toronto corporate headquarters to local charities to host their fundraising events Since it opened in July 2007 charities have raised over $100000 on the patio ldquoIrsquove always wanted Globalive to give back in a meaningful wayrdquo says Mr Lacavera PHOTO SUPPLIED

lsquoSure Letrsquos give it a gorsquordquo he says

Going into their third year of producing ldquoRooftop Honeyrdquo Karo employees get involved in a variety of differshyent ways A handful help maintain the bees which are apparently quite low mainteshynance Most however get involved by buying honey futures

ldquoItrsquos very fun Certain peoshyple try to monopolize and you see e-mails flying around that so-and-so is trying to get a corshyner on the honey marketrdquo says Mr Bedford ldquoIt creates good fun and banterrdquo

He says he likes the metaphor the bees serve for Karo ldquoIf you ever observe a beehive it appears to be chaos yet somehow in the middle of that they produce these perfect magnificent structures Our business is like that people computers meetshyings and activity and at the end of it all a product comes out of it somehow It happens without being obvious from just observing the activity of the peoplerdquo

Employers find green initiatives boost workplace performance

Imagine how well Canada would be doing in reducing its environmental footprint

if every business in the counshytry became carbon neutral

Thatrsquos just what Environics Communications Inc is doing The Toronto-based public relations company is working with The Pembina Institute on a carbon audit of its operashytions and plans to be carbon neutral by this summer

ldquoWersquoll review their report and follow their recommendashytions as to how we can reduce our carbon footprintrdquo says Bruce MacLellan president of Environics ldquoItrsquos not possible to be 100 per cent carbon neushytral so we will purchase gold standard carbon offsets for the remaining amountsrdquo

Mr MacLellan embarked on meeting his goal to become the greenest PR agency in North America in mid-2007 and says it isnrsquot always easy being green

ldquoItrsquos a case where supply has not yet caught up with

demandrdquo he says remarking on how difficult it was to find a green caterer so the compashyny could reduce its amount of waste

Itrsquos not easy and itrsquos also not cheap

Environicsrsquo power costs increased by 10 to 15 per cent when the company switched to Bullfrog Power ndash a leading power provider of 100 per cent green electricity

As well the company pays 40 per cent more for its 100 per cent recycled paper bought through Quebec-based Cascades Inc than it would for non-recycled paper a cost that Environics has offset by reducing its paper use by 33 per cent (it has gone double sided)

ldquoWe are willing to pay more to be green because itrsquos the responsible thing to dordquo says Mr MacLellan adding that this philosophy fits well with his very environmentally aware and concerned mid-30s workforce of 100 employees

facilities that employees with disabilities need to do their jobs such as sign language interpreters large screen monitors and changes to chairs and desks

Urban Systems Ltd recently acquired another floor for its head office and asked employees to form teams and present their ideas on how to best organize the new and existing floor space The proshyposals were then presented to

ldquoItrsquos three cheers from themrdquo he says ldquoThey are all proud to be working at a comshypany that would do thisrdquo

That has been the case at Karo Group as well

President and CEO Chris Bedford based in Calgary says his branding agency has been better able to attract employees whose values are aligned with Karorsquos ldquoThis gives you some tangible ways to have a conversation about values even during the intershyview process If it isnrsquot their thing itrsquos evident If it is itrsquos equally as evidentrdquo says Mr Bedford

A popular and well-used environmental initiative of Karorsquos is its smart cars ndash one at its Calgary office and one at its Vancouver office ldquoThey are used constantlyrdquo says Mr Bedford ldquoBecause they are available to everybody on staff the cars allow them if they donrsquot have a car or donrsquot want to commute in a car to have the ability to book the

Karo Group employees like CFO Joe Strasser use the companyrsquos smart cars to get around Vancoushyver and Calgary and help demonstrate the companyrsquos interest in the environment PHOTO SUPPLIED


More innovative spaces The PEER Group Incrsquos office space has been set up to provide gallery-like settings to allow employees to exhibit their art as well as the artwork of their spouses and children

TD Bank Financial Group has a Workplace Accommoshydation Policy (WAP) that outshylines TDrsquos commitment to accommodation and a barrier-free workplace There is a dedicated Accommodation Fund for deploying tools and

the architectural firm responshysible for the redesign for incorporation into the final plan

AdFarmrsquos office decor is very popular among staff and it attracts visitors It symbolizes the rural environment and is therefore a physical embodishyment of AdFarmrsquos brand Adfarm Calgary recently appeared on Citytv Calgary in a segment called ldquoCool Spacesrdquo

car for business or personal use 24-7rdquo

Another way Karo employees are offered alternashytives is through the companyrsquos bike-friendly environment ldquoWe have a couple of mounshytain bikes that people can book and we encourage that for a variety of reasons Wersquore very close to the pathways and biking is a healthy thing

to do It can also be just as productive to grab the bikes and ride down to the river for a meetingrdquo says Mr Bedford adding that employees who bring their own bikes to work can store them in the companyrsquos bike storage area

On top of some faithful recycling practices Karo also gets involved in environmental

stewardship through its work ldquoWe get behind a lot of

different organizations Last year for example we donated a significant amount of our time to Climate Change Censhytral and built them a new webshysiterdquo says Mr Bedford ldquoOur employees felt good about getshyting behind a cause that had such a strong environmental mandaterdquo

As Canadarsquos number one IT solutions provider Softchoice has proven that todayrsquos business challenges arenrsquot solved by technology alone but by thoughtful dedicated people People with passion People committed to customer value

For the third year in a row wersquore thrilled to be named one of Canadarsquos Best Workplaces But from where we stand the best is yet to come With the introduction of new IT lifecycle management services ndash and a growing North American presence ndash our future is more promising than ever And wersquoll get there by ensuring Softchoice remains a place of growth and opportunity for the best talent in our industry

Become part of the next big thing in IT wwwsoftchoicecomnextbigthing

Connect with us today

18002687638 | wwwsoftchoicecom

LEADERSHIP

Te

TH E G LOB E AND MA I LGPTW 8 A special national report for the Great Place to Work Institute Canada MONDAY AP R I L 2 8 2 0 0 8

50 Best Workplaces in Canada Compensation takes new twists

Firms help fund adoptions home purchases F

or some lucky employees in Canada work is more than an occupation or

profession ndash it is a means to achieve certain life goals that could otherwise take much longer or maybe never happen at all

Such transformative beneshyfits are available to staff at select firms that offer for instance grants to facilitate adoptions or interest-free long-term loans to finance a mortgage and buy a property

Edward Jones is one such

company Employees here have access to financial support for adoptions ndash up to $5000 in assistance for each adoption

During 2006 Edward Jones paid more than $134000 in adoption expenses for 27 chilshydren on a global firm basis

Financial services provider Edward Jones and pharmaceutical company Nycomed Canada are among the Canadian companies that provide financial assistance to employees seeking to adopt children Other firms such as IT systems provider DLGL and Banff Lodging Company provide eligible workers with mortgage loans on generous terms PHOTO ISTOCKPHOTOCOM

The program is available to all actively employed full-time associates (employees) and has been in place since 1999 at the company

ldquoThrough a variety of ways ndash including salaries commisshysions bonuses profit sharing retirement plans and limited partnerships ndash Edward Jones associates financial advisors and BOAs (branch office administrators) can over time build a very good life for themshyselves and their familiesrdquo said Gary Reamey principal of Edward Jones Canada

Nycomed Canada in Oakville is also very generous to those employees seeking to adopt children and offers them the opportunity to utilize an Adoption Reimbursement proshygram This gives them up to $15000 (taxable) to cover the costs associated with adoptions including legal and adoption fees travel and hotel expenses As parents of adopted children know such expenses can add up quickly especially when the adopted child is from overseas

Employees who are adoptshy

ing children need only retain and present the relevant receipts for reimbursement ldquoWe do this as the expenses accrue The employees donrsquot have to wait until all the expenses are totalledrdquo said Sherrill OrsquoNeil HR business partner at Nycomed

At Banff Lodging Compashyny a novel mortgage program is helping provide employees with valuable housing assisshytance The program provides eligible employees who are purchasing a home in Banff with second mortgages of up to $40000 ndash interest and princishypal free for 10 years

ldquoWe make it possible for our staff to purchase right in Banff as opposed to in adjacent communitiesrdquo said Gordon Lozeman president of Banff Lodging Company ldquoNot only is there no commuting necesshysary but it results in staff embracing the community ndash meeting at the post office coaching hockey ndash those sorts of things If they embrace comshymunity they stayrdquo

Home ownership has also

become much easier for employees of DLGL Ltd in Blainville Quebec There 40 per cent of employees have taken on a $5000 interest-free loan to kick-start home ownershyship

ldquoThey pay it back whenevshyer it is convenient for them within a three-year termrdquo said Martine Castellani who works in the companyrsquos marketing department Other attractive benefits include a $500 grant for buying a computer

ldquoItrsquos part of our philososhyphy the quality of life to ensure that our employees are happy with their workplacerdquo said Ms Castellani ldquoA healthy workplace is reflected in good relationships with our employshyees clients shareholders and suppliersrdquo

Do such thoughtful benefit programs pay Just ask DLGL The company has virtually zero employee turnover and the average service tenure is 10 years ldquoOnce people start working here they generally donrsquot leaverdquo said Ms Castellani

Employees proud to work for philanthropic minded companies

At its heart attracting and retaining quality employees is about corshy

porate culture As some of Canadarsquos highest rated employshyers are showing charitable givshying is a significant element of this and a sincere way for comshypanies to show they care

Eight years ago Trico Homes committed $100000 a year to the Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta At the

time Trico was a mid-size Calshygary home builder and raising that amount of money wasnrsquot the easiest thing to do But today says Richard Gotfried Tricorsquos vice president of corposhyrate communications the comshypany has grown alongside the foundation and is now its largest corporate supporter

ldquoThatrsquos the way that we approach our community investment partnerships We

make a long-term commitment to create a development plan we can work on togetherrdquo explains Mr Gotfried noting the approach helps create a legacy envisioned by Trico founder and CEO Wayne Chiu

The company and its employees have found some creative ways to raise funds including the Trico Homes Ride for a Lifetime an annual

charity motorcycle ride that in five years has raised more than $13 million

ldquoWe really try to go that extra step while creating lots of opportunities for our employees to volunteer and participaterdquo Mr Gotfried says ldquoAlong with supporting some very valuable organizations employee pride is probably one of the key returns on this investment mdash how proud they are of what we and they do in the community And never forgetting to have fun or to take time to celebrate the teamrsquos accomplishmentsrdquo

Toronto-based T4G Limitshyed a national full-service projshyect-based technology services company is also community

focused having committed to raising two per cent of annual revenue for charity

Paul Barter T4G vice presshyident of strategy explains ldquoA portion of that is raised through donations but a sigshynificant portion is due to activshyities that we carry out with our employees The logic is that you have a multiplier effect One of the companyrsquos primary stakeholders is our employee base mdash we want to support whatever theyrsquore passionate about so if they want to donate money or volunteer time for a particular charity we want to incent them to do just thatrdquo

In addition to supporting employee efforts within busishy

ness units mdash to build neighshybourhood playgrounds for example mdash the company hosts the Ultimate Jet Set Experishyence an annual gala dinner and auction that supports chilshydrenrsquos charities Last year it raised $270000 for the Sick-Kids Foundation and the Canadian Asthma Foundation T4G absorbs the administrashytion costs so that all proceeds can be directed towards the charities Itrsquos been so successshyful that T4G has expanded the gala to Halifax in 2008 and recently established a regisshytered charity called Future Focus

For companies such as T4G and Trico charitable givshying is all in a dayrsquos work

Top employer offers incentives for fitness

Fit employees are happy and productive ndash so goes the reasoning at some

Canadian companies But as these innovative employers also know workers may need just a bit of incentive to turn those good intentions into action at the fitness centre gym or swimming pool

Intent on helping drive employees off the couch a handful of Canadarsquos best employers have introduced incentive programs designed to promote fitness

At professional services firm Ernst and Young for example a fitness reimburseshyment program has proved extremely popular The firm reimburses its employees up to $1000 per year for fitness-

related fees including club memberships yoga dance and other classes tennis lesshysons ski lift tickets golf green fees and virtually any other physical activity Altershynatively people can use the money to purchase home fitshyness equipment

ldquoIn the first full year 74 per cent of our people claimed an average of $665rdquo said Karen Wensley the Canada People Team Leader at Ernst and Young in Toronshyto ldquoSomeone even took trashypeze lessonsrdquo

Windsor Family Credit Union also makes fitness a more attractive undertaking for its employees Windorrsquos Employee Wellness program for instance pays two per

cent of an employeersquos previshyous yearrsquos earnings for activishyties that enhance the workerrsquos physical or mental wellshybeing This can include fitshyness club memberships spa treatments even extra vacashytion days or vacation packshyages

ldquoEncouraging a work-life balance among our employshyees is an essential part of who we are as a people-oriented organizationrdquo said Marty Komsa president and CEO of WFCU The company also funds a smoking cessation program and even offers in-house no-cost massages

When it comes to encourshyaging employees to lsquowalk the walkrsquo these HR innovators are showing lsquomoney talksrsquo

DEDICATION POSITIVE

ROLE MODELS CREATIVITY TALENT

THANK YOU ABILITYSASKCENTRAL EMPLOYEES BALANCE

FOR MAKING THIS A GREAT LEARNINGPLACE TO WORK OPPORTUNITY

STRENGTH LEADERS KNOWLEDGE EDUCATION TOGETHERNESS COLLABORATION

TEAMWORKSaskCentral Executive TeamSaskCentral Executive

E T C

eamtive Te

wwwsaskcentralcom

reg HANDS amp GLOBE Design is a registered certification mark owned by the World Council of Credit Unions and is used under licence reg SaskCentral is a registered trademark owned by Credit Union Central of Saskatchewan reg C Design is a registered trademark owned by the Credit Union Central of Saskatchewan


Attraction and retention strategies at work

Leading manufacturers show what it takes W

hile legions of Canashydian manufacturing companies complain

about persistent challenges of hiring and retaining workers some firms are well stocked with motivated workforces thanks in part to inspiring programs that reward and benefit employees in often unexpected ways

Consumer products giant SC Johnson has been polishshying its expertise in this field for more than a century The famshyily-owned and managed comshypany pioneered paid vacations and profit sharing in the early 1900s (1920 in Canada) Today the 469 employees at SC Johnson in Canada enjoy access to a slew of policies and benefits designed to improve their lives at work

These include an employshyee gym and an executive chef on staff in the cafeteria who develops healthy menus for all the shifts and has won Eat Smart awards SC Johnson also treats its employees to paid one-day outings like fishshying trips site-seeing tours and rounds of golf

As well SCJ has a group of cottages in the Muskokas that employees and their famishylies can use Free pagers for

staff are another welcome senior executives believe that if you donrsquot feel ness goals into their daily roushyperk These are offered to ldquoPrograms like these are valued you wonrsquot stayrdquo tines expectant parents people critical to employee reten- These same ldquovalued This thoughtful incentive whose elderly parents are in tionrdquo said Leslie Duncan employeerdquo principles are in rewards workers for participashyneed of care and other potenshy manager of human resources place at Campbell Company tion in activities such as walkshytial emergency situations SCJ at SCJ ldquoWe only have a two of Canada For instance the ing programs where steps are even has an appeals process per cent turnover rate and Wellness Within program counted The company goes whereby employees can that is in part due to the beneshy inspires Campbell employees even further by helping have their opinions heard by fit programsrdquo she said ldquoWe to incorporate health and well- employees measure the bene-

Consumer products giant SC Johnson has over 100 years experience of developing programs that reward and retain employees Pictured above SCJ employees Jesse (with his wife Kim) and Gerry chat during a community event that also involved a tour of the SCJ facilities earlier in the day ldquoThe day was a huge success and built greater awareness of our operations and our community for SCJ employees and their familiesrdquo says human resources manager Leslie Duncan PHOTO SUPPLIED

fits of fitness For example Campbellrsquos provides its health-minded employees with access to a ldquoLife Scalerdquo a tool that measures weight and body mass index Participation is further rewarded with incentives such as gift certifishycates and coupons The comshypany also encourages wellness by hosting educational proshygrams such as its ldquolunch and learnrdquo sessions presented for cancer awareness during Canshycer Month in April

Hourly employees at Campbellrsquos Toronto plant are also given two full paid days per year called Wellness Days to use at their discreshytion All employees can also further improve themselves outside of work under the ldquopersonal leaverdquo policy which allows them to take an unpaid leave for up to three months for an approved pershysonal or community purpose ndash knowing that their job is waiting for them

ldquoWe have to show that we value the employee both inside and outside workrdquo says Laura Lee-Blake HR director of human resources at Campshybellrsquos ldquoOur goal is to help them be the best person they can berdquo

Appreciative Inquiry helps Atlantic Canada innovator grow strategically

One glance at Precision BioLogicrsquos corporate values reveals three

words at its core trust curiosishyty and fun While the company was built on this principled foundation it wasnrsquot until Preshycision formalized a process to make the most of its values that it truly began to realize its worth

The Dartmouth Nova Scoshytia maker of products used to assess blood coagulation disorshyders was recently named one of Canadarsquos 50 Best Workshyplaces

Describing the companyrsquos core values chairman and CEO Michael Scott says ldquoSome of these things we just took for granted as being part of who we are as a company Then about a year and a half ago we were moving our company was growing and our structure was changing We wanted to look at those things we wanted to retain as we made these changesrdquo

To achieve its goal the

Precision BioLogic chairman and CEO Michael Scott says Appreciative Inquiry is ldquoextraordinarily powerfulrdquo PHOTO SUPPLIED

company implemented Appreshyciative Inquiry a cutting-edge organizational development process that recognizes that sustainable change requires both strong management comshymitment and employee particishypation

The AI process included a grassroots review of company values with a view to undershystanding what Precision employees felt were the most important values to sustain as the business grows Each employee interviewed two coshyworkers with whom they typishycally had little regular contact discovering what each apprecishyated most about working at the company The results were then summarized using a conshysensus-based process and subshysequently formalized as the companyrsquos core values

Rick Fullerton a directorshyat-large of the Human Resources Association of Nova Scotia says ldquoAppreciative

Inquiry resonates with a lot of Precision spokesperson he said lsquoWersquore more than just gone through a great deal of based shared vision of its good management and leader- Lisa Kennedy describes ldquoAfter a company Wersquore a communishy growth and change as a com- future Precisionrsquos manage-ship practices Enlightened we had gone through the inishy tyrsquordquo she says ldquoWe have pany Itrsquos allowed us to avoid ment can now plan strategical-management that values and tial stages of this process I moved forward with a closer many of the problems that ly and with confidence know-respects employees and offers thought one member of our connection to one another other growing companies ing it has buy-in from its staff meaningful work can foster a team captured the essence of and that connection has only might facerdquo ldquoIt is extraordinarily pow-great place to workrdquo Precision BioLogic well when strengthened even as we have Armed with a consensusshy erfulrdquo says Mr Scott

Theyrsquore not just products

Theyrsquore family


The Winners RANK NAME OF COMPANY EMPLOYEES HEADQUARTERS RANK NAME OF COMPANY EMPLOYEES HEADQUARTERS

29 T4G Limited 215 Toronto ON Information Technology Software

1 DLGL Ltd 92 Blainville QC Information Technology IT Consulting

30 Ernst amp Young LLP 3938 Toronto ON Advertising amp Marketing Advertising

2 Environics Communications Inc 63 Toronto ON Financial Services amp Insurance Accounting

31 Precision BioLogic Inc 51 Dartmouth NS Biotechnology amp Pharmaceuticals Pharmaceuticals

3 Nycomed Canada Inc 261 Oakville ON Manufacturing amp Production Medical devices

32 Leo Burnett Company Ltd 133 Toronto ON Professional Services Consulting Engineering

4 iTRANS Consulting Inc 99 Richmond Hill ON Advertising amp Marketing Advertising

33 Hill amp Knowlton Canada 208 Toronto ON Information Technology IT Consulting

5 Softchoice Corporation 437 Toronto ON Professional Services Consulting ndash Management

34 Randstad Canada 310 Ville Saint-Laurent QC Financial Services amp Insurance Investments

6 SaskCentral 56 Regina SK Professional Services Staffing amp Recruitment

35 Back in Motion Rehab 64 Surrey BC Professional Services Consulting ndash Management

7 ITNET Ottawa Inc 85 Ottawa ON Health Care Specialty

36 Globalive Communications 132 Toronto ON Construction amp Real Estate Housing

8 Trico Homes 101 Calgary AB Telecommunications

37 Omni Companies 53 Vancouver BC Advertising amp Marketing Advertising Vancouver BC

9 Karo Group 80 Calgary AB amp Financial Services amp Insurance General Insurance

38 Banff Lodging Company 449 Banff AB Construction amp Real Estate Real Estate

10 Royal LePage Performance Realty 296 Ottawa ON Hospitality HotelResort

39 Pottruff amp Smith Insurance Brokers Inc 63 Woodbridge ON Construction amp Real Estate Housing

11 Ames Tile amp Stone Ltd 88 Burnaby BC Financial Services amp Insurance General Insurance

40 Sapient Canada 195 Toronto ON Media Online Internet Services

12 eBay Customer Support Vancouver Inc 811 Burnaby BC Information Technology IT Consulting

41 TD Bank Financial Group 43302 Toronto ON Professional Services Consulting ndash Management

13 Ceridian Canada Ltd 1491 Markham ON Financial Services amp Insurance BankingCredit Services

42 The PEER Group Inc 70 Kitchener ON Information Technology IT Consulting

14 Online Business Systems 213 Winnipeg MB Information Technology IT Consulting

43 WCG International Consultants Ltd 166 Victoria BC Financial Services amp Insurance Investments

15 Edward Jones 1795 Mississauga ON Professional Services Consulting ndash Management

44 Skura Corporation 93 Mississauga ON Advertising amp Marketing Advertising

16 AdFarm 66 Calgary AB Information Technology IT Consulting

45 SC Johnson and Son Limited 477 Brantford ON Financial Services amp Insurance Accounting

17 Grant Thornton LLP 1648 Toronto ON Manufacturing amp Production Personal amp Household Goods

46 Sandvine Incorporated 253 Waterloo ON Financial Services amp Insurance BankingCredit Services

18 Windsor Family Credit Union 130 Windsor ON Information Technology Hardware

47 Parklane Homes Ltd 79 Vancouver BC Professional Services Consulting Engineering

19 Urban Systems Ltd 283 Kamloops BC Construction amp Real Estate Housing

48 Campbell Company of Canada 1221 Toronto ON Financial Services amp Insurance Accounting

20 Fuller Landau LLP 109 Toronto ON Manufacturing amp Production Food Products

49 High Road Communications 79 Toronto ON Health Care Medical SalesDistribution

21 Becton Dickinson Canada Inc 247 Oakville ON Professional Services Consulting ndash Management

50 Pinchin Environmental Ltd 229 Mississauga ON Construction amp Real Estate Real Estate

22 Keller Williams Ottawa Realty 206 Ottawa ON Professional Services Consulting Environmental

23 Thomson Carswell 693 Toronto ON Media Publishing amp Printing

24 CIM (Consumer Impact Marketing) 290 Toronto ON Advertising amp Marketing Direct Marketing

25 Halsall Associates Limited 228 Toronto ON Professional Services Consulting Engineering

26 Coastal Pacific Xpress Inc 279 Surrey BC Transportation

27 Protegra 72 Winnipeg MB Information Technology IT Consulting

28 Sapphire Technologies 300 Toronto ON Professional Services Staffing amp Recruitment

About the survey By Jen Wetherow open-ended questions that pro- tool Internationally the Great

vide an accurate employee Place to Work Institute sur-Director Great Place to Work perspective on what it is like to veyed over 12 million employ-work in the organization

Institute Canada ees last year for similar lists

Each question measures around the world

Most Canadian employ- one of the five dimensions of ldquoOn the quantitative siderdquo ers like to think that the Great Place to Work Instishy says Dr Graham Lowe a they are decent even tutersquos trust-based Model credishy national workplace expert pro-

pretty good places to work bility respect fairness pride fessor emeritus at the Universi-But with todayrsquos competitive and camaraderie Completed ty of Alberta and partner at labour market and the need to surveys are sent directly to the the Great Place to Work Instishymake the best use of all talent institute and results are only tute Canada ldquothe best work-in a company the bar for ever reported in aggregate places list data help us to differ-work workplace quality has form so employees can be conshy entiate between good and great been rising Being ldquogoodrdquo is no fident that opinions are confishy organizations On the qualitashylonger enough dential tive side the Culture Audit

Organizations participating Two-thirds of each organishy offers us insights into the peoshyin the Best Workplaces in zationrsquos final score is taken ple practices of very successful Canada list have a unique directly from its Trust Index organizations that understand opportunity to find out where survey The remaining one- the strategic importance of culshythey are on their quest to third of each organizationrsquos turerdquo become ndash or maintain ndash great score is taken from the instishy ldquoIt goes far beyond offering workplaces The rigorous list tutersquos assessment of the compashy the best perksrdquo says Dr Lowe assessment process provides nyrsquos ldquoCulture Auditrdquo submisshy ldquoYou canrsquot compete on perks metrics for tracking progress sion This is a significantly and benefits alone It comes benchmarking with the best more detailed questionnaire down to the quality of the relashyand sharing lessons about that is completed by senior tionships throughout the work-effective people practices HR representatives It helps to place the support people are

Research from the Great provide a more complete picshy given to succeed in their jobs Place to Work Institutersquos best ture by capturing the core val- and their overall enjoyment of workplaces lists over the past ues and philosophies that the total work experiencerdquo decade in many countries con- underpin people practices firms that trust is the founda- The organizations on the

If you donrsquot see your workshytion for quality jobs and pershy 2008 Best Workplaces in Canashyformance excellence And the da list come from a variety of place on the list of 50 Best good news is that high-trust industries range in size from relationships require behavshy 51 to 43302 employees and this year but think it should iours that can be learned and are located from coast to coast

be then why not sign up to embedded into an organiza- Each has taken a different path tionrsquos culture to creating and sustaining a participate in the 2009 list Organizations on the 2008 great workplace but in the list of Best Workplaces were all end each has forged a strong of 50 Best Workplaces in assessed using an employee link between culture and per-survey the ldquoTrust Indexrdquo Canada The nomination formance developed by the global During the 2008 list assess- can be submitted online at research firm Great Place to ment process a total of 24063 Work Institute Inc There are Canadian employees were surshy wwwgreatplacetoworkca 57 multiple choice and two veyed using the Trust Index

This repor t was produced by RandallAnthony Communications Inc (wwwrandallanthonycom) in conjunction with the adver tising depar tment of The Globe and Mail Keith Ryder Category Manager KRyderglobeandmailcom





1

2

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COMPANIES BY RANK






































































gmscanadaca


































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LEADERSHIP

Te


















































DEDICATION POSITIVE






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wwwsaskcentralcom



























Theyrsquore family





1

2

3

COMPANIES BY RANK






































































gmscanadaca


































Thank You Team


























































LEADERSHIP

Te


















































DEDICATION POSITIVE






E T C

eamtive Te

wwwsaskcentralcom



























Theyrsquore family

































gmscanadaca


































Thank You Team


























































LEADERSHIP

Te


















































DEDICATION POSITIVE






E T C

eamtive Te

wwwsaskcentralcom



























Theyrsquore family


































Thank You Team


























































LEADERSHIP

Te


















































DEDICATION POSITIVE






E T C

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wwwsaskcentralcom



























Theyrsquore family

























































LEADERSHIP

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DEDICATION POSITIVE






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wwwsaskcentralcom



























Theyrsquore family


























Theyrsquore family

canada - pinchin ltd.€¦ · tional performance excellence. “winning companies report an...

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