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COR recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers (2024)

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Stronger DNA, constantly changing: ‘Canada’s Top 100 Employers’ for 2024 are announced.

TORONTO, Nov. 17, 2023 – As Canadians increasingly recognize, many of the traditional workplace practices that existed before the pandemic seem destined never to return. The ‘new normal’ at the nation’s best employers is now to be always looking forward, ensuring their organizations stay flexible, adaptable, and focused on constant improvement. That’s the message from the winners of this year’s Canada’s Top 100 Employers competition, announced today by Mediacorp Canada Inc.

“This year’s winners have shown a clear focus on three key pillars: creating new ways of working, anticipating employees’ needs, and focusing on future skills development,” says Kristina Leung, managing editor of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project. “There’s been a lot of conversation around whether we will ever return to pre-pandemic work norms, but for top employers, there’s no looking back – only forward. The best employers have emerged from the pandemic with stronger DNA and constantly change to improve their workplaces.”

This year’s winners understand that retention and employee satisfaction isn’t something that just happens, but something they actively need to develop and improve. These employers anticipate employees’ needs before they become a necessity and make improvements continuously.

“Winning employers inherently understand that there is no one-size-fits-all solution,” says Richard Yerema, executive editor of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project. “The best employers have always been adaptable and proactive when listening to what employees need, want and value in doing their jobs.” He adds, “This has been especially important over the past few years, with employees working overtime to manage the challenges and rapid change in work styles, while ensuring their organizations stay relevant and thrive.”

Since the pandemic, there has also been increased attention to health and safety issues in the workplace, particularly around mental health. This heightened awareness has led to new health and safety initiatives for onsite staff as well as employees working on hybrid schedules.

Now in its 24th 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 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.

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 19 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, used by millions of job-seekers annually to find new job postings and discover what the nation’s best employers are offering.

The full list of Canada’s Top 100 Employers (2024) was announced today in a special magazine published by Mediacorp and distributed in The Globe and Mail. Detailed reasons for selection, explaining why each of the winners was chosen, were also released on the competition homepage.

Canada’s Top 100 Employers 2024 Winners

ABB Canada, Saint-Laurent QC
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network Inc. / APTN, Winnipeg MB Adobe Systems Canada Inc., Ottawa ON
Agriculture Financial Services Corporation / AFSC, Lacombe AB ArcelorMittal Dofasco G.P., Hamilton ON
AstraZeneca Canada Inc., Mississauga ON
Bank of Canada, Ottawa ON
BASF Canada Inc., Mississauga ON
Bayer Inc., Mississauga ON
BC Public Service, Victoria BC
BDO Canada LLP, Toronto ON
Bell Canada, Verdun QC
Boston Consulting Group of Canada Limited, Toronto ON
British Columbia Investment Management Corp. / BCI, Victoria BC
Business Development Bank of Canada, Montréal QC CAE Inc., Saint-Laurent QC
Canada Energy Regulator, Calgary AB
Canadian National Railway Company, Montréal QC Canadian Pacific Kansas City / CPKC, Calgary AB Carleton University, Ottawa ON
Cascades Canada Inc., Kingsey Falls QC CIBC, Toronto ON
Citi Canada, Mississauga ON
Clio, Burnaby BC
College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia, The, Vancouver BC Covenant House Vancouver, Vancouver BC
Creative Options Regina, Inc., Regina SK
Danone Canada, Boucherville QC
Dash Hudson Inc., Halifax NS
Dentons Canada LLP, Calgary AB
Desjardins Group / Mouvement Desjardins, Lévis QC
Diamond Schmitt Architects Inc., Toronto ON
Digital Extremes Ltd., London ON
Employment and Social Development Canada, Gatineau QC
Enbridge Inc., Calgary AB
Export Development Canada, Ottawa ON
EY, Toronto ON
Fidelity Canada, Toronto ON
Ford Motor Company of Canada Ltd., Oakville ON
Fowler Bauld & Mitchell Ltd. / FBM, Halifax NS
FreshBooks, Toronto ON
GHD Canada Holdings Inc., Waterloo ON
Graham Construction, Calgary AB
HarperCollins Canada Ltd. and Harlequin Enterprises ULC, Toronto ON Hatch Ltd., Mississauga ON
Hospital for Sick Children, The, Toronto ON
IGM Financial Inc., Winnipeg MB
Imperial Oil Limited, Calgary AB
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Ottawa ON Inter Pipeline Ltd., Calgary AB
Irving Oil, Saint John NB
Kellanova Canada Inc., Mississauga ON
Keurig Dr Pepper Canada, Montréal QC
Keyera Corp., Calgary AB
KPMG LLP, Toronto ON
Labatt Breweries of Canada, Toronto ON
League Inc., Toronto ON
Loblaw Companies Ltd., Brampton ON
Loopio Inc., Toronto ON
L’Oréal Canada Inc., Montréal QC
Manulife, Toronto ON
Mars Canada, Bolton ON
Mawer Investment Management Ltd., Calgary AB
McElhanney Ltd., Vancouver BC
McMillan LLP, Toronto ON
Medavie Inc., Moncton NB
Medtronic Canada ULC, Brampton ON
Mistplay Inc., Montréal QC
Mondelez Canada Inc., Toronto ON
Nutrien Inc., Saskatoon SK
OpenText Corporation, Waterloo ON
PCL Construction, Edmonton AB
Pomerleau Inc., Montréal QC
Procter & Gamble Inc., Toronto ON
Provincial Credit Union Ltd., Charlottetown PE
Questrade Financial Group, North York ON
Rio Tinto, Montréal QC
Ross Video Ltd., Nepean ON
Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto ON
Samsung Electronics Canada Inc., Mississauga ON
SAP Canada Inc., Vancouver BC
Saputo Inc., Saint-Léonard QC
SaskEnergy Incorporated, Regina SK
Schneider Electric Canada Inc., Mississauga ON
Shell Canada Limited, Calgary AB
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby BC
Sobeys Inc., Mississauga ON
Stryker Canada ULC, Waterdown ON
TD Bank Group, Toronto ON
Teck Resources Limited, Vancouver BC
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. / TMMC, Cambridge ON United Way British Columbia, Burnaby BC
Université de Montréal, Montréal QC
University of New Brunswick / UNB, Fredericton NB
Vancouver City Savings Credit Union, Vancouver BC
Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver BC
Verafin Inc., St. John’s NL
West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd., Vancouver BC
World Vision Canada, Mississauga ON
Yukon, Government of, Whitehorse YT

COR Stories: Faith’s Journey to Canada

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Faith Isaac is from the Igbo tribe in the Eastern part of Nigeria. She is the second child of four children and the first daughter within her family. Faith immigrated to Regina, Saskatchewan from Nigeria in 2022 to pursue her master’s degree. She chose Canada as her destination as it is well-known for being one of the friendliest and inclusive environments for people from different parts of the world. There is significant diversity within Canada and within schools that encouraged Faith to pursue her education, including the University of Regina.

The immigration process can be difficult and overwhelming for many people, but for Faith it was smooth; her study visa was approved in just 10 days and she had no bad experience during her application process!

When Faith came to Regina, the first few months were difficult. She experienced significant cultural shock and felt lonely, but adapting to the harsh winter was the biggest cultural shock she had to work through. She also remembered this experience as if it happened yesterday, having vehicles wait for pedestrians to cross over the roads was something she will never forget. It is something she never experienced in her home country and she really appreciates that. To Faith, it shows the value human lives have here in this beautiful country called Canada.

Asked about her integration, Faith said that what helped her to integrate into the community was the gift of good friends and a good support system. Her friends made her transition phase seamless. As an international student, Faith said that she would have loved to know that one requires some form of ‘superpower’ to combine school and work here in Canada. If only she knew how difficult it would be to combine education with work life, she said she would have prepared herself mentally for the struggles of being a student and making ends meet at the same time.

Despite the challenges and cultural shock that comes with immigrating to a new country, Faith said that she would happily choose Canada all over again. “Canada feels like a home away from home to me”, said Faith. She continues by saying that she had made many friends and met many kind people here.  She also expressed that she has met some people that have supported her in making her transition and integration easy and smooth. There is a big community of supports for immigrants and if you look in the right place, you will find someone, or an organization, to help you settle down and be part of the Canadian community.

Faith also expressed that she has never experienced racism in Regina, or at least she has not identified any behavior of racism towards her, although, she has friends who are from other countries that share their personal experiences with racism. Fortunately, she has yet to experience it herself.

Immigration helps to create a more diverse and vibrant country, each person you meet has a different story and while many immigrants come to Canada for the world class education system, many immigrants also come to Canada as refugees. Canada has long been, and continues to be, a land of immigrants. Since the time of Confederation, Canada has welcomed more than 17 million immigrants. Immigration is a big part of Canada’s DNA and what makes Canada a great country is the coming together of many different cultures living together and appreciating what everyone brings to the table. Canada is a new home, far from home, for many people.

Faith was referred to COR by good friend and became connected to our 4to40 Initiative where she provides support with job coaching. Faith has a growing passion to serve and support people with intellectual disabilities and is motivated to make a difference in the lives of others.

We are proud to have Faith join our COR family and are grateful for her kindness, caring personality and dedication to the people we support. Thank you for sharing your story and welcome to your new home! 🙂

 

Story by: Faith Isaac

Written by: Joana Valamootoo

COR Stories: Pete’s Triumph Over Adversity and His Path to COR

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Pete MacNaughton is not only a Key Support Worker at COR, Pete wears many hats in the community; Pete is a pastor at the Chris Lutheran Church; a firm advocate for the most vulnerable people of our society such as the people affected by homelessness; a volunteer for many important causes and has also been one of the people on the Pride Committee for many years. Pete is equally known for his beautiful personality and his beautiful smile. Pete was born in Regina and raised in Fort Qu’appelle for a number of years before moving again to Regina. Pete also comes from a religious family; Pete’s dad is a pastor. Pete has not always been the happy and smiling individual that we know at COR, Pete had a difficult childhood and adolescence stemming up from being born in a dysfunctional family as he described but also struggling with his self-identity as a gay man.

Pete was 4 years old when he came to the realization that he was different from other boys in his pre-k class. He was already aware that he has an attraction for boys. Asked about how he knew this at such a tender age and he said that he felt special around boys and deep down in his heart, he knew he was different. “When I got older, around the age of 8 or 9, I tried to really control the attractions I felt for boys, I tried to make myself attracted to girls,” said Pete. During the 70s and 80s, it was more than taboo to talk about sexuality, yet alone, talking about being interested with the same sex as yourself. “There were a lot of stigmas and shame with being gay” mentioned Pete.

Even though, he tried his best to cover up his homosexuality, Pete said everyone knew he was gay. “I have been called all types of words, kids told me I should have been a girl and I was a misfit. I felt rejected in Grade 5 and Grade 6” shared Pete.

Pete shared that he was constantly bullied in High School. “I even had a gym coach who made fun of me and made the kids laugh at me. I was called a “Fag” on a daily basis”. Pete remembered an incident that took place during recess. “I was bullied by a kid and one day the kid told me that I smell “fag” and in return I told the kid that the smell was coming from him and advise to use a deodorant”. Pete said he didn’t know where he got the courage to tell him that and all the kids laugh at the boy that was bullying him. That afternoon, after school, Pete was physically assaulted by that boy. Pete said that day he felt good about himself for standing against bullying and for being able to stand up for himself. But soon, he realizes that he was alone and thoughts of killing himself started to come to his mind more and more. At this moment in time, he started to experience mental health. He felt that he was living a nightmare and that there were no better days to come for him and there was no way his life was going to get better or ever be normal. Pete lived with a lot of stress and depression.

Pete said that his mother used to attend AL-Anon group- Al-Anon is a fellowship group designed to help people who are affected by a loved one’s drinking behavior. The support group is also commonly referred to as the Al-Anon Family Group. Pete’s dad was a pastor, but his dad also had an alcohol addiction problem and it really disrupted their lives at home. “Mom used to come home and tell me what she has learned from this group and she also learns about mental health and how to cope with mental health issues during crisis and this really helps me with my mental health”, shared Pete. At this point, Pete said he felt safe with his mom but he didn’t feel safe outside of the home.

Pete shared that he felt so lonely that he befriended a teacher and one day the teacher told him to go away and go play with other kids. “I compensate those feelings of loneliness and feeling isolated with overeating, I had nobody on my side, I felt the pressure of the world on my shoulders, I am grateful though I had my mother and my family from my mother’s side”. Pete said that her mother knew but they never talked about it when he was small.

Pete also shared that he didn’t want to bother his mother with his problems, he mentioned that mom was already going through a lot with dad’s alcohol addiction.

Pete grew up in a religious family, later at university, he steps away from his Christian faith community because he knew he will never be accepted as a gay man. Pete started to learn about the 2 spirited individual from the indigenous faith led community. His perception at that time was that the Indigenous community was more welcoming towards the gay people and towards differences. “I so wanted to fit in and to be part of the community,” said Pete. He also mentioned that he tried to stay away from his own Roman Catholic faith.

Pete has not yet come out as a gay man, but he was starting to want to be in a relationship. But it was not easy at that time, “I had a friend that I came out to him and he was my boyfriend”, said Pete. “At this point, he was the only person that knew I was gay,” said Pete.

At university, Pete thought there will be many conversations, he soon realizes that he was there to learn only what the lecturers wanted them to learn and this didn’t motivate him to continue studying at the university. Even though, he was getting over 95% of my papers, he felt that he was never going to learn anything that really matters to him. Pete dropped out of university and started working at a cleaning company. The owner-a woman told Pete that he can mentor him not be gay. Pete shares that he was young and naïve and thought that he needed someone to save him. Soon, Pete realized that again he was in a dysfunctional relationship with his employer but for years Pete worked at this cleaning company.

Pete finally came out as a gay man at the age of 25 years old. Pete shared that he felt pressured to come out as he has started to join the Pride Community to organize Pride, and as his dad was the pastor at the church, he felt it was important to let his dad know that he was part of the community and he is gay. Pete didn’t want anyone telling his dad other than him. His dad told him that it was okay as long as people are not aware that he was gay.

Pete shared that his coming out was very liberating and it was also very uplifting. It has been a long road and there were and there are still many battles to win. It was as if some of the pressure and sadness were released.
Pete started going to a bar to meet people but didn’t feel safe and even to this day, he confesses he does not feel safe in bars. His first relationship was with an artist and it lasted only 6 months and he went into a depression again. During the same time, he was working 90 hours per week, he didn’t have much time to socialize and felt like a hermit.

Soon, he was in a depression and everything seem to go the opposite way, something was missing in his life and Pete knew that he had to reconnect with his catholic faith, and he shared that he felt a heavy weight lifted from his shoulder. Pete started to research to find out how he can be part of the church as a gay man. With time and perseverance, Pete has finally found his way with his faith and as a gay man in the church setting. It took many years of suffering and being isolated from everybody.

Pete shared that when he met his boyfriend, Dan, everything sort of fell into place and it gives him confidence in himself. “Being queer is part of my identity”, said Pete. Dan helped Pete with key decision about his professional life and told him to apply at Turning Leaf. At Turning Leaf, he finally found his calling, which is to help and support people with intellectual disabilities.

Later, Pete applied and was hired at COR, where Pete said he feels like he belongs and will one day retire from COR.

“Gentle Teaching is my language, it’s what I believe and what I preach, finding myself so in line with my faith in my workplace is in itself a blessing” mentioned Pete.

Asked about have we can all embrace acceptance of the LGBTQIAS in our society, Pete states that we need to eat patriarchy, male dominance, everything that is the opposite of gentle teaching. “Gentle teaching is all about love and sin is the absence of love,” said Pete. Pete goes further saying that if we all embrace gentle teaching in our lives, we will be more accepting of our differences.

Pete also said that loving ourselves is fundamental, this is the only way to break barriers. “We also need to recognize that privilege in our society is killing our planet and is killing love”.

Pete recognized that his experience in this world as a gay person made him support people at COR with honesty and integrity. “COR is so in line with every fiber of who I am as a person”.

Pete shared that he was lucky to have his mother as an ally, who always accepted him and accept him as he is and never asked him to change. “I recognised that I am lucky this way, some people do not have anyone supporting them, as a white man, I am privilege too, I know that it is tough for gay people that are also people of color and it might be harder for people in other countries,” said Pete.

Asked if it is easier to come out now and Pete said that it is easier for white men to come out; according to Pete, transgender people suffered more than anyone and people of color equally have to go through a lot to come out and sometimes they simply never come out as a gay person fearing for what might happen. Pete said that in his experience upper class and middle-class white men and white women can come out more easily than other people.

Pete also wants the world to know that vulnerability is something we all have in common. Embracing our vulnerability is how we make the change. According to Pete, we cannot embrace vulnerability if we are still in privilege mode. We need to accept first that we are in a place of power and privilege and that change starts with us. Pete also said that gentle teaching is not only what he uses at work but it is part of his existence. “Gentle Teaching is at the core of who I am as a human being”, said Pete.

Pete will soon step into an important part of his life; Pete is happy to share that he is getting married to the love of his life. If you see him, please take some time to congratulate him as this is a big phase of his life. Sometimes marriage is taken for granted as it is easily accessible but in many countries’ marriage between people of the same sexes are still not legal, in some countries, it is even considered a crime and has serious consequences.

Pete, we love having you as part of our COR family, thank you for being you and for changing the world one person at a time. We wish you the best and congratulation for your upcoming wedding. We look forward to celebrate you and your achievement in the organization.

Written by Joana Valamootoo

Recipient of Outstanding Fieldwork Agency Award

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On Thursday, March 16, 2023, COR proudly received the Outstanding Fieldwork Agency Award at the University of Regina’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies 10th Annual Alumni and Awards Dinner.

 

Did you know COR has hosted over 20 UofR fieldwork students the past few years!?! We are thankful for our partnership and proud of all the students whom we have had the privilege of hosting!

 

Receiving the award on COR’s behalf was Ben Morris, Creative Director and Fieldwork Supervisor. In the words of Ben:

“It is my absolute pleasure to be able to be here and accept this award and acknowledgement on behalf of COR today! 

My name is Ben Morris and I am the Creative Director at Creative Options Regina. We support folks experiencing disability in our city to live a life that they choose, rather than one that is prescribed to them. Though the work we do and our approach to care is profound and different, I want to spend a the rest of my time acknowledging the people who help us do some of the mould breaking work that we do. The students.

Who helped COR develop a relationship with the City of Regina’s paratransit program that assists people wishing to transition from paratransit transportation to conventional City of Regina transit- a student did that – Will P. did that.

Who helped lay the groundwork for a financial literacy program specifically made for people experiencing disabilities – a student did that. Leo S. did that.

Who helped nurture a budding DJ’s musical ambitions and not only helped him create his own music, but also taught him to spin his own tracks on a real turn table – AND THEN two Years later collaborated with him again to play a real paid gig – a student did that. Kyle D. and Jordan W. did that.

Who helped me keep the lights on and create virtual programming for 250+ people to do while they were stuck in their homes during the pandemic? Students did that – Zoha M., Saad S., Loki S., Abby G., and Hanna H. did that!

And who helped raise all of these programs from the ashes once the pandemic ended? Students did that. Gowtham P., Amr E., and Ahmad H. did that.

Lastly,

Who helped me write this incredible speech?

A student did that.

When I think about a student’s time with us, whether short or long, I think about a bridge. This bridge that you build is a gateway to your future. But one of my favorite things that just organically seems to happen is that you invite us to come along with you on your journey across that bridge. Sometimes you stay with us through employment, but sometimes you become Doctors, or you build your own yoga studios. By inviting us across this bridge with you, you’re helping open up our world and make the spaces we frequent a little safer and a little brighter. We are now known and seen by you! You share in our stories and we in yours.

Team – It’s an honor to be here, but it’s a greater honor to share this acknowledgement with you – students.

Thank you for sharing your time with us!”

 

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.

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:

A-B

C-D

E-I

K-O

P-T

U-Z

SOURCE: Mediacorp Canada Inc.