Recognized as a Saskatchewan Top Employer (2023) for a 6th Year!

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Developing skills and stronger organizations: ‘Saskatchewan’s Top Employers’ for 2023 are announced

Mediacorp Canada Inc.

Mar 14, 2023, 10:00 ET

REGINA, SK, March 14, 2023 /CNW/ – Saskatchewan employers are giving employees more choice over how to develop their own skills – and are creating stronger organizations in the process. That’s the message from this year’s Saskatchewan’s Top Employers, announced this morning by Mediacorp Canada Inc., organizers of the annual Canada’s Top 100 Employers project.

“It’s no surprise that employees who are given the freedom and support needed to feel confident in their roles are most likely to pursue training courses and other work-related avenues to upgrade their skills,” says Kristina Leung, managing editor at the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project. “By empowering staff to choose how best to develop professionally, employers benefit by having a more qualified workforce.”

This year’s winners have created avenues for personal growth for employees, offering the support and flexibility employees need to further their overall wellness and be active members of local communities. With benefits such as mental health coverage, wellness-related programming, and incentives for volunteering, employees are encouraged to pursue resources and causes that are close to their hearts.

“By providing employees with the resources needed to pursue programs and initiatives that are personally important, these employers are encouraging employees to become their best selves,” says Leung. “This translates to greater personal and professional fulfillment for employees, extending beyond the work they do”.

Some of the initiatives singled out by the editors at this year’s winners include:

  • Andgo Systems allows employees to dedicate up to four hours each week for their own professional development, ensuring they can pursue personal and career-related growth; activities can include industry or professional conferences and events, courses, and books.

  • SaskTel hosts an employee resource group of Indigenous employees, the ‘SaskTel Aboriginal Employee Network’ (SAEN), who act as ambassadors to educate and support SaskTel employees regarding the significance and diversity of Indigenous cultures.

  • Canpotex adopted a hybrid work program that includes a monthly hybrid work allowance of $250, which can be used for home office expenses (such as internet) or transportation costs of traveling to and from work; additionally, employees may request to work remotely from another location in Canada up to four weeks each year.

  • Saskatoon-based Flaman Sales has been helping local charities through the Frank J. Flaman Foundation since 2005; the company solicits employee feedback when determining charities to support and encourages employees to get involved with paid time off to volunteer.

  • Nutrien encourages skills development with generous tuition subsidies (to $5,000 annually) for employees to take outside courses, whether or not they are related to their current position; the company also offers extensive apprenticeship and trades programs and leadership development programs.

2023 Winners

Here are the 2023 winners of the Saskatchewan’s Top Employers competition. Click an employer name to read our editors’ full Reasons for Selection:

First published in 2006, Saskatchewan’s Top Employers is an annual competition organized by the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. This special designation recognizes the Saskatchewan employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. Editors at Mediacorp review employers on eight criteria, which have remained consistent since the project’s inception: (1) 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. The editors publish detailed ‘reasons for selection’ for these criteria, providing transparency in the selection of winners and a catalogue of best practices for employers and job-seekers alike. The annual competition is open to any employer with its head office in Saskatchewan; employers of any size may apply, whether private- or public-sector.

Founded in 1992, Mediacorp Canada Inc. is the nation’s largest publisher of employment periodicals. Since 1999, the Toronto-based publisher has managed the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project, which includes 18 regional and special-interest editorial competitions that reach millions of Canadians annually through a variety of magazine and newspaper partners, including The Globe and Mail. Mediacorp also operates Eluta.ca, one of Canada’s largest job search engines, which reaches over two million job-seekers annually and features exclusive editorial reviews from the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project.

The full list of Saskatchewan’s Top Employers (2023) was announced today in a co-published with the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and the Regina Leader-Post. Detailed reasons for selection for each of this year’s winners, as well as additional stories and photos, were released today by the editors and are accessible via the competition homepage.

 

SOURCE Mediacorp Canada Inc.

COR Recognized by Canadian HR Reporter: 5-Star Rewards and Recognition (2023)

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On Wednesday, February 15th, 2023, COR was recognized by Canadian HR Reporter with 5-Star Rewards and Recognition (2023). We are honoured by this recognition as we strive to influence cultures of support within the developmental/caregiving sector across Canada. 
Read the below article published by Canadian HR Reporter.


5-Star Rewards & Recognition 2023

Reaping returns in a tight labour market

Employers that offer an attractive mix of rewards and recognition (R&R) will beat the odds and retain their valuable workers.

Attracting and retaining top talent, hybrid work, and building social capital has posed challenges for all industries. The winners of Canadian HR Reporter’s 5-Star Rewards & Recognition awards for 2023 recognize that putting people first is the best defense against corporate complacency.

“If we cater our rewards and recognition around creating experiences, employees become more engaged, and they want to work with you more because you’re giving them something they’re not finding elsewhere”
Tristan Kirk, Citadel Mortgages Tristan Kirk, Citadel Mortgages

 

An analysis of over 400 survey responses from employees at this year’s award-winning companies reveals that 91% of respondents indicate they are more likely to remain with their current company due to its respective R&R programs.

The hallmark of an industry-leading R&R program is that it exists to create a high-performing and engaged workforce, says HR consultant Jana Tulloch (HR Strategy | Tulloch Consulting).

“Sometimes, companies think rewards and recognition is a bit of a fluff program and that all it takes is gift cards or kudos once in a while,” Tulloch explains. “That approach is short-changing the significant impact a well-done program can have on the bottom line.”

This year’s top-ranking companies all clocked an overall employee satisfaction rating of 75% or higher, with three cracking 90%. The majority were between 80% and 89%.

Those figures are even more impressive in the context of Express Employment Professionals data that showed 75% of Canadian employers entered 2023 with fears over hiring challenges. The second biggest reason behind this fear is employees leaving to go elsewhere.

CHRR’s 2023 awardees have implemented a variety of innovative incentives, including monetary rewards, fully funded trips, learning opportunities, and rewards within the reach of everyone.

 

Elevating employee experience

Winner Citadel Mortgages in Toronto, Ont., achieved an overall employee satisfaction rating of 92.32%. One of its best-performing incentives rewards employees with a fully paid, five-day, four-night vacation to 65 different locations worldwide if they come back to work in the office.

About 20% of the full-service mortgage brokerage’s workforce are back in the building, says principal broker and managing partner Tristan Kirk. More experience-type rewards are on the way in 2023 for top performers, including a day in Ontario wine country, $500 hotel vouchers per quarter, and monthly spa packages.

“We launched it last year and the growth and the attention paid to that reward by my team was pretty cool to see,” Kirk adds. “If you take the time to listen and understand your people and build an experience for them in a way that’s meaningful, they’re going to be much, much happier and stay with you for a longer time.”

The Microsoft Work Trend Index Special Report, released in September 2022, found that 73% of workers and 78% of business decision makers say they need a better reason to go into the office than just company expectations.

“Where we’re headed in the next few years is that people want to experience things in life,” Kirk says. “People are tired, they’re stressed. If we cater our rewards and recognition around creating experiences, employees become more engaged, and they want to work with you more because you’re giving them something they’re not finding elsewhere.”

“Some of the feedback we heard from people who were making moves was not because they were unhappy, but because they wanted greater challenge”
Laura Salvatore, Centurion Asset Management Laura Salvatore, Centurion Asset Management

 

Satisfying employees’ thirst for challenge

Fellow award-winner Centurion Asset Management stepped up to help its frontline workers with a new recognition bonus based solely on appreciation and gratitude.

The Toronto-based asset management company, which owns and operates residential and student rental housing, topped up frontline employees’ weekly wages by $100 and offered a $500 per month rental concession to staff who work and live in its properties.

Frontline staff include property and resident managers, leasing agents, maintenance technicians, and custodians.

“It was easy enough to say everyone at head office pack up and work from home, but our site staff live and work at home, so this was a challenge for them,” says Laura Salvatore, Centurion vice-president, human capital, about the early days of lockdowns.

Employee excellence, innovation, and commitment to continuous learning are also acknowledged and rewarded with a mix of gifts, cash, public recognition, and promotion.

It’s a smart move when you consider that Microsoft’s study data shows that people will head for the door if they can’t learn and grow: 56% of employees and 68% of business decision makers say there are not enough growth opportunities in their company to make them want to stay long-term.

To encourage its employees to thrive within the organization, Centurion launched its namesake learning academy. Since being implemented during the pandemic, 207 employees have completed 1,500 training hours from about 4,000 different modules, with 143 rewards given out.

“Some of the feedback we heard from people who were making moves was not because they were unhappy, but because they wanted greater challenge,” Salvatore says. “In the last five years, we have promoted 114 people internally, so that’s really exciting for us.”

A new award tied to Centurion’s values of respect, integrity, simplicity, and excellence, known by the acronym RISE, recognizes an exemplary peer-nominated employee each quarter with a small monetary award and a feature profile in the company newsletter.

“Throughout the pandemic we learned communication was key, and that goes two ways,” says Salvatore. “There’s nothing more valuable than listening to your employees, listening to how they want to be rewarded, how they want to be recognized.”

“I think it’s better if people celebrate together what they accomplish without bringing people up and creating an example that sort of shows why others aren’t measuring up”
Michael McCullough, Improving – Calgary  Michael McCullough, Improving – Calgary

 

Strength in the collective

CHRR’s survey results show that 100% of employees at the Calgary office of IT services firm, Improving, are likely to stay with the company based on its R&R programs.

Employees, or ‘Improvers’ as they’re referred to in company culture, receive personal ‘thank you’ cards written by leadership and public recognition of their achievements and impact made within Improving and the community. They also benefit from annual profit sharing and an internal gratitude channel exclusively for thanks and recognition.

But perhaps more importantly for president Michael McCullough, is the firm’s Employee Involvement Program (EIP), a praise, recognition, and reward solution that allows “everyone to feel like they’re winning”.

The EIP is the employee’s own record of involvement, engagement, and contribution for all leadership to see. The management team tracks employee involvement across different categories such as business development, initiatives, culture and community, and a monetary award is paid out quarterly as well as recognition for their engagement.

“The EIP is important and meaningful,” explains McCullough. “With most companies, what you’ve done lives with the leader you’re reporting to, but the EIP system is the employee’s own record of what they’ve been doing and their contributions back. I always look for ways that everyone can feel they’re being successful.”

McCullough believes the strongest programs reward and recognize collective effort.

“I think it’s better if people celebrate together what they accomplish without bringing people up and creating an example that sort of shows why others aren’t measuring up, which can be what happens in many cases,” he says. “This is my own strange view of the world and a lot of people don’t see it this way, they believe it will inspire others to work harder. I think it’s more demotivating than motivating.”

ScaleX founder and CEO Maysa Hawwash (HR Consulting Agency in Toronto | ScaleX | Accelerate Your Growth), whose firm provides wide-ranging HR consultancy services, warns firms against not tailoring their R&R in a bespoke fashion.

“Every employee is different in the way that they want to be recognized, what works for some may not be appreciated as much by others,” she adds.

 

5-Star Rewards & Recognition 2023

Company size: 1-299 employees

  • Canola Council of Canada
  • Citadel Mortgages
  • Improving
  • Paystone
  • Verico Xeva Mortgage
  • WorkTango

 

Company size: 300-499 employees

  • CAAT Pension Plan
  • Centurion Asset Management
  • Creative Options Regina

 

Company size: 500+ employees

  • BDO Canada
  • Canada Cartage

Methodology

Canadian HR Reporter’s 5-Star Rewards & Recognition (R&R) entry process comprised two steps: an employer submission followed by an employee survey. Twenty-one organizations applied by completing an in-depth survey that detailed such things as a programs it initiated over the last two years to better recognize and reward employees.

Companies successful in the submission phase were then sent a link to an online employee survey to be circulated internally. The survey, which ran from October 12 to 30, 2022, asked employees to rate their employer across a range of metrics that constituted drivers of employee satisfaction. In total, 653 responses were received from employees of the various organizations.

To be named to the 5-Star R&R list, companies had to meet a minimum number of responses based on size: 10 responses for organizations with 1–99 employees, 20 responses for those with 100–499, and 50 responses from companies with 500+ employees.

Organizations that achieved an overall employee satisfaction rating of at least 75% were recognized as 5-Star awardees.

Click to view article online.

Prairie Sexuality and Disability Conference featured in SARC Update (Winter 2023)

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We are excited to share an article featured in the SARC Winter Update on the 2022 Prairie Sexuality & Disability Conference. We are still beaming with pride when thinking back to the event made possible because of all our incredible partners, sponsors, presenters, caterers, and resource distributors! We look forward to seeing everyone at our 2023 conference in Saskatoon. Stay tuned!

COR Recognized by Excellence Canada as one of Canada’s Healthy Workplace Month Great Employers

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We are pleased to be recognized by Excellence Canada as one of Canada’s Healthy Workplace Month Great Employers!

Meet the 2022 Recipients 

Here are the 2022 winners of the Canada’s Healthy Workplace Month Great Employer Award.

Organization Name City Prov Website Year
AGS Rehab Solutions Inc. Mississauga ON https://www.agsrehab.com/ 2022
Artis REIT Winnipeg MB https://www.artisreit.com/ 2022
Your Neighbourhood Credit Union Kitchener ON https://www.yncu.com/ 2022
AudienceView Toronto ON https://www.audienceview.com/ 2022
CanmetENERGY-Ottawa, Natural Resources Canada Nepean ON https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/offices-labs/canmet/ottawa-research-centre/5753 2022
Cardata Oakville ON https://www.cardata.co/ 2022
CHEO (Pediatric health care and research centre) Ottawa ON https://www.cheo.on.ca/en/index.aspx 2022
Connecting Care & Points West Living Edmonton AB 2022
Creative Options Regina Regina SK https://creativeoptionsregina.ca/ 2022
Grand River Hospital Kitchener ON https://www.grhosp.on.ca/ 2022
Lethbridge College Lethbridge AB https://lethbridgecollege.ca/ 2022
Region of Peel Brampton ON https://www.peelregion.ca/ 2022

Canadian Workplace Well-being Award Recipient (2022)

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On November 23rd, 2022, COR became a proud recipient of the Canadian Workplace Well-being Award, presented by the Canadian Positive Psychology Association, sponsored by Canada Life, Workplace Strategies for Mental Health.

Watch the Awards celebration on Youtube!

Click here for more information.

Globe and Mail Feature: Creative Options Regina takes a gentle approach

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This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year’s Canada’s Top 100 Employers winners, published November 18, 2022 in The Globe and Mail.

When Michael Lavis moved to Saskatchewan in 2009 to launch Creative Options Regina, Inc. (COR), a for-impact, charitable organization that provides support services for people experiencing disability, he was inspired by Gentle Teaching, a non-violent approach to supporting marginalized people. But it soon became clear that its concepts of companionship and community should be applied to everyone who works for COR and everything they do.

“We realized it needed to be woven through the fabric of the entire organization,” explains Lavis, COR’s co-founder and CEO. “So we switched from the idea of Gentle Teaching to what we refer to as a culture of gentleness. And we call it that because we’ve applied it across our organization, to all our processes and practices.”

COR employees support hundreds of people living with a wide range of disabilities and complex conditions across Regina. “It became key to start with the caregivers, the people who provide that support,” Lavis says. “Caregiving is an incredibly difficult job, and we needed to ensure that they were feeling safe, valued, respected and cared for.”

That meant creating a supportive community by providing multiple ways for employees to connect, communicate and get help when they need it. They are offered extensive training in the principles of Gentle Teaching, as well as first aid, stress management, suicide alertness, crisis prevention and a host of other skills.

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

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

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

“I love learning, and I have had many learning opportunities here,” says Valamootoo, who’s originally from Mauritius. “Gentle Teaching, learning how to talk to people going through a difficult time, sharing my culture with other people – it’s all valuable not just for work but for life outside work. And there are so many events and celebrations, like barbecues in the summer, Christmas parties, activities for both the employees and the people we support.”

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

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

Click to view full article.

 

Leading by Listening: the winners of this year’s ‘Canada’s Top 100 Employers’ competition are announced

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As Canadians adapt to a new normal of work, finding the right fit becomes a question of choice. This year’s Canada’s Top 100 Employers are leading by listening, tapping into employee feelings and sentiments about the many challenges of the past year. The 2023 winners were announced today by Mediacorp Canada Inc., organizers of the annual competition.

“Employers are trying to find their footing in unfamiliar territory,” says Richard Yerema, executive editor of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project at Mediacorp. “There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach for hybrid and remote work. Agility and willingness to learn from feedback and try something new is what differentiates this year’s winners.”

Along with managing the return to the workplace, organizations have doubled down on their efforts to support health and wellness, from enhanced programming and resources to increased coverage for mental health services and providing access to mindfulness and meditation apps.

“There really isn’t an alternative to listening to employees and trying to understand how their needs have changed,” adds Anthony Meehan, publisher at Mediacorp “We see a lot being written on trends like ‘quiet quitting’ and employees not wanting to return to their pre-pandemic working arrangements, but the reality is that burn-out and mental health have become significant challenges. Finding ways to ensure that employees can disconnect, rest and recharge has become mission-critical to an organization’s success and sustainability.”

Now in its 23rd annual edition, Canada’s Top 100 Employers is an editorial competition that recognizes employers with exceptional human resources programs and forward-thinking workplace policies. Editors at Mediacorp grade employers on eight criteria, which have remained consistent since the project’s inception: (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. The editors publish detailed ‘reasons for selection’ for these criteria, providing transparency in the selection of winners and a catalogue of best practices for employers and job-seekers.

Founded in 1992, Mediacorp Canada Inc. is the nation’s largest publisher of employment periodicals. Since 1999, the Toronto-based publisher has managed the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project, which includes 18 regional and special-interest editorial competitions that reach millions of Canadians annually through a variety of magazine and newspaper partners, including The Globe and Mail. Mediacorp also operates Eluta.ca, one of Canada’s largest job search engines, which reaches over two million job-seekers annually and features exclusive editorial reviews from the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project. The company also publishes The Career Directory, now in its 30th year – a free online guide for recent college and university graduates looking for employers hiring candidates from their educational background.

The full list of 2023 winners were announced this morning in a published in The Globe and Mail in print and online. The full list of winners and our editors’ detailed reasons for selection were also released today online.

2023 Winners

Here are the 2023 winners of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers competition. Click an employer name to read our editors’ full Reasons for Selection:

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E-I

K-O

P-T

U-Z

SOURCE: Mediacorp Canada Inc.

Sexuality and Disability Conference featured on CTV News Regina

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‘Healthy, loving relationships just like the rest of us’: Talking sexuality for those with intellectual disability

Recognized as one of Saskatchewan’s Top Employers (2022)

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The pandemic and the rise of remote work are turning Saskatchewan’s historical challenges into benefits.

Saskatchewan companies have historically hired at a disadvantage to more populous provinces, but the past years saw so much uncertainty in the global employment market that Saskatchewan seems to be acquiring a more powerful appeal to workers. Global swings in traditional work cultures could benefit its workers as much as its big employers — a trend that can be seen by looking at some of the most popular and successful companies in the country.

Each year, the Canada’s Top 100 Employers competition releases its picks for the best employers in each region of the country, analyzing a wide range of factors to help applicants figure out which companies offer the best work environments. Now, 2022’s Saskatchewan ranking has arrived to highlight those companies that have continued to offer creative, competitive compensation and benefits packages even while dealing with a host of local and global difficulties.

The winners are chosen based on multiple criteria, including compensation and benefits, the work and social atmosphere, the work environment, training and upward mobility and community involvement — all of which were pushed forward by a healthy level of competition between public- and private-sector employers.

Continue reading to learn why COR was selected as one of Saskatchewan’s Top Employers…

 

2022 Winners

Here are the 2022 winners of the Saskatchewan’s Top Employers competition. Click an employer name to read our editors’ full Reasons for Selection:

 

Source: https://www.canadastop100.com/sk/

Canadian HR Reporter, 2022 5-Star Rewards and Recognition Award

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This year, COR received the Canadian HR Reporter 5-Star Rewards & Recognition Award for a company sized 100-499 employees!

Click here to visit hrreporter.com to learn more

Rewarding dedicated employees

If there was ever a time when employee rewards and recognition (R&R) were needed, it’s during the ongoing pandemic. As many people struggle — whether they are retail or health care front-liners, or parents working from home while taking care of their kids, or single people increasingly isolated from coworkers — feeling valued and appreciated by their employer is much more important.

To that end, several Canadian organizations not only maintained an impressive focus on recognition during the past two years, but upped their offerings to recognize the hard work of staff and boost morale. Canadian HR Reporter spoke with three of the 13 5-Star Rewards and Recognition winners to learn about their unique programs.

Continue reading