Greater Toronto Top Employers (2016)

GREATER TORONTO’S TOP EMPLOYERS2 0 1 6

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GREATER TORONTO’S TOP EMPLOYERS

10th Annual Edition

This marks the 10th annual edition for our Greater Toronto’s Top Employers competi-tion, which has become a benchmark in the Greater Toronto Area for workplace

best-practices. Like the metropolitan area it represents, the competition has become exception-ally strong and competitive – so much so that, for Toronto-area employers, the minimum scores to secure a place on the GTA list now surpass our national Canada’s Top 100 Employers competition.

Once again this year, our team of editors have evaluated employers on eight criteria: (1) physical workplace; (2) work atmosphere and social; (3) health, financial and family benefits; (4) vacation and time-off; (5) employee communications; (6) performance management; (7) training and skills development; and (8) community involvement. These criteria have remained the same since the competition’s inception and are the same criteria used to judge our national winners.

A distinguishing feature of the competition is that, at the end of the review process, our editors prepare detailed reasons for selection, explaining why each of

THE GOLD STANDARD FOR EMPLOYERS IN THE GTAthe winners was chosen. These reasons are pub-lished on the competition website as well as our popular job search engine, Eluta.ca, now used by over seven million Canadians each year.

We are pleased to announce our 2016 winners in this beautiful magazine co-published with The Globe and Mail. The magazine reaches hundreds of thousands of Globe readers across the GTA. Also be sure to visit the magazine’s online compan-ion, which features hundreds of additional photos and stories on this year’s winning employers: www.CanadasTop100.com/toronto

In publishing a list such as this, it is inevitable that some excellent employers are passed over or omitted. To these employers, we invite you to contact our editorial team (see p. 26) to share your stories – we would be pleased to consider your organization for next year’s list.

For this year’s winners, we congratulate you on making the grade in what has been our most competitive year to date. We hope that you contin-ue raising the bar for the 2017 competition!

Anthony Meehan, PUBLISHER

Karen Le, VICE-PRESIDENT

Editorial Team:

Richard Yerema, MANAGING EDITOR

Kristina Leung, SENIOR EDITOR

Advertising Sales:

Kristen Chow, OPERATIONS MANAGER

Sheetal Lala, CLIENT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Sponsor Content Writers:

Berton Woodward, SENIOR EDITOR

Michael BenedictBrian Bergman

Ann BrocklehurstJane Doucet

Sheldon GordonD’Arcy Jenish

Bruce McDougallMichael Schiniou

John SchofieldBarbara Wickens

© 2015 Mediacorp Canada Inc. and The Globe and Mail. All rights reserved. GREATER TORONTO’S TOP EMPLOYERS

is a trade mark of Mediacorp Canada Inc.

2016 Magazine

2016

p Staff BBQ at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, one of this year’s winners.

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As Canada’s biggest metropolitan area, the GTA offers a rich diversity

of employers in a wide range of industries, from financial services to auto manufacturing to media and communication technology. The GTA is also home for approximately 40 per cent of Canada’s business headquarters, all looking to hire the best possible employees. Making the winners list of the GTA’s Top Employers is a challenge for any organization and a tribute to their ability to provide great places for people to work.

“The leading GTA employers understand that they exist in one of the most competitive employment landscapes in the country,” says Richard Yerema, managing editor of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. “The employers who call the GTA home must ensure that their human resource practices are not only competitive within their industry but also in the wider GTA neighbourhood.”

– Diane Jermyn MAR

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2 0 1 6 W I N N E R S

ACCENTURE INC., Toronto. Management consulting; 3,476 employees. Encourages employ-

ees to think beyond their roles through an Inventor Award Program offering financial awards to those who create patentable assets.

ASTRAZENECA CANADA INC., Mis-sissauga. Pharmaceutical manufacturing; 644 employees. Manages the Young Health Program, a long-term community involvement initiative to improve the health and wellness of vulnerable youth.

BASF CANADA INC., Mississauga. Chemical manufacturing; 683 em-ployees. Provides health benefits

that extend, with no age limit, to retirees.

BAYER, Toronto. Pharmaceutical manufacturing; 1,639 employees. Offers employees a generous $15K subsidy for in vitro fertilization.

BLAKE, CASSELS & GRAYDON LLP, Toronto. Law firm; 1,375 employees. Pro-vides two private nap rooms and a quiet room that can be used for meditation or religious observance.

BODY SHOP CANADA, THE, Toron-to. Cosmetics and beauty supplies; 332

employees. Encourages employees to give back to the community with up to three paid days off to volunteer.

CAA SOUTH CENTRAL ONTARIO, Thornhill, Ont. Insurance; 1,255 employees. Reaches out to the next

generation through summer-student, co-op and paid internship opportunities.

CADILLAC FAIRVIEW CORPORA-TION LTD., Toronto. Property manage-ment; 1,178 employees. Offers retirement planning workshops, phased-in work options and contributions to a defined contribution pension plan.

CAMH / CENTRE FOR ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH, Toronto. Hospital; 2,212 employees. Manages an on-site daycare facility that employees can take advantage of when they return to work.

CAMPBELL COMPANY OF CANADA, Toronto. Food preparation and pack-aging; 750 employees. Offers generous referral bonuses of up to $5,000 when employees recommend an exceptional candidate.

CANADIAN TIRE CORPORATION LTD., Toronto. Retail; 85,000 employ-

ees. Provides a range of communication and feedback tools to keep employees informed, as well as to capture their feedback.

CAPGEMINI CANADA INC., Toronto. Information technology; 389 employees. Cultivates an ownership culture through a share purchase plan available to all employees.

CARSWELL, A DIVISION OF THOM-SON REUTERS CANADA LTD., Toronto. Publisher: 912 employees. Offers a generous subsidy to help cover the costs associated with adoption, up to $5,000 per child.

CATHOLIC CHILDREN’S AID SOCI-ETY OF TORONTO, Toronto. Child and youth services; 506 employees. Offers four weeks’ vacation to start and up to ten paid personal days off, which can be used throughout the year.

CENTRAL COMMUNITY CARE ACCESS CENTRE / CCAC, Newmarket. Home health care services; 642 em-ployees. Invests in ongoing employee development with tuition subsidies of up to $1,500 for courses taken at outside institutions.

CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY OF TORONTO, THE, Toronto. Child and youth services; 749 employees. Offers new parents the option to extend their leave into an unpaid leave of absence.

CIBC, Toronto. Banking; 35,438 employ-ees. Invested more than $64-million globally on employee training last year.

CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA CO., Toronto. Computer and equipment manufacturing; 1,633 employees. Created the Connected North initiative in 2013 to provide video collaboration technology to schools and hospitals in remote ab-original communities across Canada.

COCA-COLA CANADA, Toronto. Beverage and food manufacturing; 5,388 employees. Manages a Supplier Diversity Mentoring Program to provide company assessments, coaching, guidance and training to help suppliers grow their business.

COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SUR-GEONS OF ONTARIO, The, Toronto. Professional organizations; 352 employ-ees. Maintains a formal wellness program that includes subsidized on-site yoga, Pilates and fitness classes, plus weekly massage therapist visits.

p GM Canada President Steve Carlisle (2nd from left) and members of the leadership team at the Oshawa Assembly Plant.

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CORBY SPIRIT & WINE LTD. / HIRAM WALKER & SONS LTD., Toronto. Liquor and wine manufacturing; 456 employees. Offers generous tuition subsidies for job-related courses, up to $6,000, and subsidies for professional accreditation.

CORUS ENTERTAINMENT INC., To-ronto. Media production and broadcast-ing; 1,525 employees. Features an interior five-storey bio-wall with abundant plant life and a rainwater harvesting system at its unique head office.

DELOITTE LLP, Toronto. Account-ing; 8,960 employees. Encourages employees to apply for extended

work terms at its offices worldwide.

DIALOG, Toronto. Architecture; 510 employees. Helps students gain on-the-job experience by hiring approximately 23 students each year for 4- to 8-month work terms.

DIAMOND SCHMITT ARCHITECTS INC., Toronto. Architecture; 162 employ-ees. Recognized for its dedication to sus-tainable design, with 29 LEED-certified

projects, including three that are LEED Platinum.

DURHAM COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY, Oshawa. Colleges; 777 employees. Provides a full year of paid leave for employees who are new mothers.

DYNACARE, Brampton, Ont. Medical laboratories; 2,040 employees. Manages an academic scholarship program for employees’ children who are pursuing postsecondary studies.

ELLISDON CORP., Mississauga. Building construction; 1,505 em-ployees. Donates up to $1,000 for

every 25 volunteer hours contributed by each employee.

ENTERTAINMENT ONE LTD., Toronto. Motion picture and video distribution; 949 employees. Offers discounts on DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, fitness products, video games and electronics through an employee purchase plan.

FIDELITY CANADA, Toronto. Port-folio management; 765 employees. Manages a number of employee

resource groups, including a women’s networking group and Fidelity PRIDE.

FORD MOTOR COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD., Oakville, Ont. Auto manufacturing; 7,072 employees. Encourages employees to keep fit through subsidized access to an on-site fitness facility with state-of-the-art equipment and instructor-led classes.

GCI COMMUNICATIONS INC., Toronto. Public relations; 27 employees. Offers tuition

subsidies of up to $2,500 for courses taken at outside institutions and subsidies for professional accreditation.

GENERAL ELECTRIC CANADA / GE, MISSISSAUGA. Diversified technology and equipment manufacturing; 7,213 employees. Hosted a countrywide Day of Caring initiative to encourage employees to get involved in their local communities.

GENERAL MOTORS OF CANADA COMPANY, Oshawa. Auto manufacturing; 9,357 employees. Lets employees take home company vehicles for a short period of time, providing a chance to enjoy the products they build.

GOODRICH AEROSPACE CANADA LTD., Oakville, Ont. Aircraft parts and equipment manufacturing; 1,017 employees. Helps students and new grads gain on-the-job experience with co-op, summer-student and paid internship opportunities.

GREAT BLUE HERON CHARITY CASINO, Port Perry, Ont. Casinos; 699 employees. Hosts company-organized gatherings throughout the year, including an annual children’s holiday party and a barbecue, as well as recognition events for long-serving employees.

GRIFFITH LABORATORIES LTD., Toronto. Spice and extract manufacturing; 341 employees. Helps employees plan securely for the future with contributions to a defined benefit pension plan.

HALTON, REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF, Oakville, Ont. Municipal government; 1,778

employees. Offers employees at Halton Region’s head office the convenience of an on-site daycare facility along with priority placement.

q Employees of Griffith Laboratories volunteering at a food bank on World Food Day.

GRIFFITH LABORATORIES LTD.

2 0 1 6 W I N N E R S ( C O N T . )

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HITACHI DATA SYSTEMS CORP., Toronto. Computer storage device man-ufacturing; 118 employees. Gives signing bonuses for some employees, year-end bonuses for all and generous referral bonuses for those who help recruit candidates.

HOLLAND BLOORVIEW KIDS RE-HABILITATION HOSPITAL, Toronto. Hospital; 544 employees. Has an on-site cafeteria with healthy and special-diet menus plus subsidized meals.

HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN, THE, Toronto. Hospital; 5,467 employees. Invests in ongoing training and development in-ternally and within the broader communi-ty, hosting over 100 conferences each year.

IMAX, Mississauga. Motion picture theatres; 310 employees. Subsidizes the social committee’s annual events

for staff, including a children’s holiday party, IMAX friends and family movie screenings for major blockbuster events and a volleyball tournament.

INTACT FINANCIAL CORP., Toronto. Insurance; 10,840 employees. Manages a two-year graduate leadership develop-ment program for MBA graduates.

JOHNSON & JOHNSON INC., Markham, Ont. Consumer product manufacturing; 545 employees.

Identifies health and lifestyle risks of staff through a confidential employee questionnaire and analyzes the results to plan future programs.

KPMG LLP, Toronto. Accounting; 6,165 employees. Maintains a Work-ing Parents Network to bring togeth-

er parents with young children to share their ideas, experiences and resources.

KRUGER PRODUCTS L.P., Mississauga. Paper products; 1,872 employees. Organiz-es the White Cashmere Collection event – a fashion design challenge using toilet tissue – which serves as an annual fund- and awareness-raiser for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

LABATT BREWERIES OF CAN-ADA, Toronto. Breweries; 3,000 employees. Celebrates employee

innovation from all levels across the company through a unique Ideas Process awards program.

LAKERIDGE HEALTH, Oshawa. Hos-pital; 2,372 employees. Provides materni-ty- and parental-leave top-up payments for employees who are new mothers and fathers or adoptive parents.

LAW SOCIETY OF UPPER CANADA, THE, Toronto. Professional organiza-tions; 521 employees. Offers compassion-ate-leave top-up payments for employees who need to care for a loved one, up to 70 per cent of salary for eight weeks.

LOBLAW COMPANIES LTD., Brampton, Ont. Supermarkets and grocery stores; 28,580 employees. Operates the unique grad@Loblaw, a 15-month training pro-gram with full pay and benefits, for new or recent graduates.

LOYALTYONE CO., Toronto. Marketing consulting services; 1,230 employees. Maintains a flexible health benefits plan, allowing employees to customize levels of coverage as well as transfer unused cred-its to a wellness account, RRSP or health spending account.

MANULIFE FINANCIAL, Toron-to. Insurance; 11,195 employees. Created the Wellness Matters

program to provide resources and ser-vices supporting the physical and mental well-being of employees.

MARS CANADA, Bolton, Ont. Food manufacturing; 480 employees. Offers a generous postsecondary scholarship program for children of employees, up to $7,000 per scholarship.

MATTEL CANADA INC., Mississau-ga. Toy manufacturing; 118 employees. Cultivates an ownership culture through a share purchase plan available to all employees.

MAZDA CANADA INC., Richmond Hill, Ont. Auto wholesale; 137 employees. Offers three weeks of starting vacation, additional paid time off during the winter holidays and paid personal days for use throughout the year.

MCCARTHY TÉTRAULT LLP, Toronto. Law firm; 1,426 employees. Provides a unique maternity buddy program to keep parents on leave up-to-date about the firm and their jobs.

MEDTRONIC OF CANADA LTD., Brampton. Electromedical and apparatus manufacturing; 700 employees. Encour-ages healthy and active minds through several in-house training initiatives.

METROLINX, Toronto. Public transit; 3,011 employees. Committed to environ-mental sustainability and maintains an employee-led “green team.”

MILLER GROUP, THE, Markham, Ont. Highway, street and bridge construction; 4,570 employees. Offers courses on lead-ership, management and construction through its newly formed Miller Institute of Excellence.

MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL, Toronto. Hospitals; 2,344 employees. Manages a number of in-house initiatives that focus on the physical and emotional well-being of employees.

NELSON EDUCATION LTD., To-ronto. Publishers; 368 employees. Maintains a flexible health bene-

fits plan, allowing employees to custom-ize levels of coverage and transfer unused credits to additional salary or savings.

NORTON ROSE FULBRIGHT CAN-ADA LLP, Toronto. Law firms; 1,489 employees. Provides a health spending account of up to $750 per year, as well as a fitness club subsidy, to encourage employees to keep physically active.

NOVO NORDISK CANADA INC., Mis-sissauga. Pharmaceutical manufactur-ing; 285 employees. Features a graduate program providing MBA students with opportunities to study and work at Novo Nordisk global locations for eight-month assignments.

ONTARIO MEDICAL ASSO-CIATION / OMA, Toronto. Professional organizations; 286

2 0 1 6 W I N N E R S ( C O N T . )

q Employees at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital spending time with patients in the playroom.

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employees. Offers referral bonuses of up to $1,000 for employees who successfully recommend a candidate.

ONTARIO PUBLIC SERVICE / OPS, Toronto. Provincial government; 61,698 employees. Manages a diversity council of executive representatives from across the OPS who work together to help shape inclusion policies for the future.

PEPSICO CANADA, Mississauga. Beverage and food manufactur-ing; 9,163 employees. Maintains

a healthy living program that includes wellness challenges, online resources, assessments and coaching tools, plus a subsidy for gym memberships.

POWERSTREAM, INC., Vaughan, Ont. Electric power distribution; 558 employ-ees. Offers in-house apprenticeships, as well as a four-year engineer-in-training program.

PRAXAIR CANADA INC., Mississauga. Chemical and related products manufac-ture and wholesale; 2,250 employees. En-courages employee volunteerism through a generous matching gifts program that matches eligible employee contributions, dollar for dollar, to a maximum of $15,000.

PROCTER & GAMBLE INC., Toronto. Consumer product manufacturing; 1,729 employees. Features open-concept col-

2 0 1 6 W I N N E R S ( C O N T . ) laborative workspaces at its head office with all the latest technology to ensure that off-site employees stay in touch.

RBC, Toronto. Banking; 52,026 em-ployees. Offers flexible hours, tele-commuting, reduced office hours

during summer months, and shortened and compressed workweek options.

ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS INC., Toronto. Communications, cable, pub-lishing and subscription programming; 23,325 employees. Extends parental-leave top-up to new dads and adoptive parents, up to 70 per cent of salary for 17 weeks.

ROTHMANS, BENSON & HEDGES INC., Toronto. Tobacco product manufac-turing; 796 employees. Offers an off-site daycare subsidy.

ROUGE VALLEY HEALTH SYSTEM / RVHS, Toronto. Hospitals; 1,577 em-ployees. Provides retirement planning workshops and phased-in work options to help employees transition.

RYDER CANADA LTD., Mississauga. Truck rentals and freight transportation; 1,655 employees. Lets everyone share in the company’s success with profit-sharing and a share purchase plan.

RYERSON UNIVERSITY, Toronto. Universities; 2,816 employees. Established the Workplace Wellbeing Services unit to assist employees with issues related to

health, disability, sick leave, accommoda-tions and return to work.

SALESFORCE CANADA CORP., To-ronto. Custom computer program-ming; 1,027 employees. Recognizes

exceptional employee performance through a number of rewards programs.

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CANADA INC., Mississauga. Consumer electronics; 543 employees. Offers a global mobility program that provides employees with an opportunity to work in Korea for up to one year.

SAP CANADA INC., Toronto. Custom computer programming; 2,625 employees. Developed the Volunteer Ambassador program to help manage employee volunteering and charitable efforts in the community.

SAS CANADA, Toronto. Custom comput-er programming; 286 employees. Offers a health spending account of up to $700 a year, allowing employees to top up existing coverage.

SENECA COLLEGE, Toronto. College; 1,487 employees. Maintains a Diversity and Equity Office, responsible for educa-tional, training, awareness and preven-tion programs to support the creation of a diverse work environment.

SHOPPERS DRUG MART INC., To-ronto. Pharmacies and drug stores; 1,462

employees. Supports employees who are new parents or adoptive parents through maternity- and parental-leave top-up payments.

SIEMENS CANADA LTD., Oakville, Ont. Engineering services; 4,967 employees. Operates an employee suggestion pro-gram that encourages staff to share their feedback.

SIGMA SYSTEMS CANADA INC., To-ronto. Computer systems design services; 98 employees. Offers employees who are new mothers flexible hours when they return to work.

STATE STREET CANADA, Toronto. In-vestment banking and securities dealing; 1,204 employees. Conducts an annual global inclusion awareness survey across the organization to understand employee perceptions.

SUNNYBROOK HEALTH SCIENCES CENTRE, Toronto. Hospital; 5,721 em-ployees. Offers a unique Life Stages Pro-gram that provides support to employees through all stages of life.

TD BANK GROUP, Toronto. Bank-ing; 45,399 employees. Manages an online site that helps employees

match their skills and interests with local charitable initiatives.

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL / TIFF, Toronto. Motion

p The neoclassical grandeur of The Great Library at the Law Society of Upper Canada, one of this year’s winners.

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picture promotion and distribution; 223 employees. Moved into a custom-built facility, the Bell Lightbox, featuring five in-house cinemas, a film reference li-brary, three learning studios and a centre for students and scholars.

TORONTO, CITY OF, Toronto. Munici-pal government; 23,096 employees. Offers a full year of paid leave for new mothers, parental-leave top-up to a maximum of 37 weeks for fathers and adoptive parents, plus on-site daycare.

UBISOFT TORONTO, Toronto. Software publishers; 340 em-ployees. Organizes UbiGallery, a

biannual competition for art students in their final year at Toronto-based postsec-ondary schools.

UNILEVER CANADA INC., Toronto. Consumer product manufacturing; 1,343 employees. Manages an academic schol-arship program to support employees’ children pursuing postsecondary studies, up to $5,000 per child.

UNITED WAY OF GREATER TORON-TO, Toronto. Charitable organizations; 198 employees. Offers a generous in vitro fertilization subsidy of up to $12,000 to employees needing fertility treatments.

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, Toronto. Universities; 9,167 employees. Maintains dedicated family-friendly spaces for breastfeeding or pumping and baby changing stations on campus.

WIPRO TECHNOLOGIES LTD., Mississauga. Computer systems design services; 800

employees. Offers new employees three weeks of starting vacation as well as up to five paid personal days, which can be used throughout the year.

WORLD VISION CANADA, Mississau-ga. Charitable organizations; 455 employ-ees. Launched a new training program for high-potential employees, featuring academic, experiential and cross-func-tional learning opportunities.

XEROX CANADA INC., Toronto. Computer equipment manufac-turing; 3,061 employees. Offers the

convenience of on-site daycare, operated by a private provider.

YMCA OF GREATER TORONTO, Toronto. Individual and family services; 1,528 employees. Provides

compassionate-leave top-up for employ-

ees who need to care for a loved one, up to 80 per cent of salary for up to 8 weeks.

YORK REGIONAL POLICE, Newmar-ket, Ont. Police services; 2,150 employees. Offers new staff three weeks of starting vacation, and a maximum of seven weeks for long-standing employees.

YORK, REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF, Newmarket. Municipal government; 3,181 employees. Piloted a two-year rota-tional program to provide master’s-level finance graduates with work experience in various areas.

YWCA TORONTO, Toronto. Individual and family services; 198 employees. Encourages ongoing employee development through in-house and online training.

2 0 1 6 W I N N E R S ( C O N T . )

p Ubisoft Toronto employees sharing some good news at one of the company’s monthly team meetings.

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q YMCA of Greater Toronto employees at the Newcomer Information Centre support immigrants starting new lives in Canada.

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Any employer with its head office or principal place of business in the Greater Toronto Area may apply for the Great-

er Toronto Area’s Top Employers con-test. Competition is tough. According to Richard Yerema, managing editor of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, the richness of the region that makes this competition so uniquely competitive also makes it challenging to judge on

the editorial decision-making side.

The editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers evaluate each employer’s operations and human resources practices using the same eight cri-teria as the national competition of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. Those criteria are: physical workplace; work atmosphere and social; health, finan-cial and family benefits; vacation and time off; employee communications

focused on how employers capture employee feedback; performance management; training and skills development; and community in-volvement. Employers are compared to other organizations in their field to determine which ones offer the most progressive and forward-thinking programs.

– Diane Jermyn

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Candy, cars, colleges and casinos. That’s an edgy way of looking at this

10th annual list of Greater To-ronto’s Top Employers.We’re talking geographically. At the four fur-thermost corners of the Greater Toronto Area’s tilted rectangle, you will find confectioner Mars Canada in Bolton in the northwest, Ford Motor Company in Oakville in the southwest, Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology in Oshawa in the southeast and the Great Blue Heron Charity Casino just outside Port Perry in the northeast.

Does the word diversity come to mind? It should. Diversity of organizations, diversity of people, diversity of place. That has been

the hallmark of the Greater Toronto list for a decade, and it continues in this 2016 edition, reflecting the size and power of the GTA.

Between those four corporate compass points are some of Canada’s largest and best-known employers, from RBC in downtown Toronto to Canadian Tire at Yonge and Eglinton. Many are also global household names, such as Samsung Electronics Canada in Mississauga and Mazda Canada in Richmond Hill. From the Lakefront to Newmarket, there are lawyers, health profession-als, educators, charities and government organi-zations. Not to mention giants of entertainment, communications, technology and consumer products, downtown, uptown and crosstown.

But even at the furthest reaches of the 7,000-square-kilometre GTA, there are clear elements of commonality. Take the Great Blue Heron Charity Casino, honoured this year for the first time. With its countryside location on a

A Landscape of QualityWherever they are in the GTA, Greater Toronto’s Top Employers just keep getting better

peninsula jutting into Lake Scugog in Durham Region, it may seem to many Torontonians more like an escape from the GTA.

But CEO and General Manager Arnold Block is firm. “We are definitely part of the GTA,” he says. “We’re in the geographic boundaries, of course, but the GTA is also the catchment area where our customers come from, and our staff.”

One of those staff members is Alana Cawker, who grew up in nearby Sunderland. To her, Greater Toronto’s fabled diversity of people is one of the advantages of her job. “Because our casino is so multicultural,” she says, “it’s a great opportunity for me, coming from a small town, to learn about different cultures.”

That’s the GTA, all right. And this year, Great Blue Heron has made its way onto the list of Top Employers because it delivers on its belief that keeping its employees engaged is essential

p Ryerson University professor Roberto Botelho is Canada Research Chair in Biomedical Science and Technologies.

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to its business mission. “We recognize that we can’t make our customers happy if our own em-ployees who are trying to deliver the message aren’t happy,” says Block. This is the kind of thinking that unites all 99 of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers as they vie for the best people – often with each other.

“Employers in the GTA understand that they exist in one of the most competitive employ-ment landscapes in the country,” says Richard Yerema, Managing Editor at Mediacorp Cana-da, which manages the Greater Toronto’s Top Employers competition. “If they want to excel at capturing the best talent, they must ensure their human resource practices are not only competitive within their industry but also in the wider GTA neighbourhood.”

Indeed, a talented graduate will often find her skills and brainpower are in demand by many different kinds of companies and organizations, from candy to cars. That means employers must ensure they’re on the cutting-edge in terms of what they offer – from attractive and open work-spaces to flexible hours to generous benefits.

That’s well understood at the senior levels of the nation’s largest bank. “Toronto is truly one of the great cities of the world in its diversi-ty and breadth of backgrounds,” says Jamie Anderson, Deputy Chairman of RBC Capital Markets. “As an employer it gives us a huge pool of talent to draw from.”

But it’s crucial to give people the kind of envi-ronment they want to work in. “We try to be as flexible as we can to accommodate people,” says Anderson. “If you’re not doing that these days, A) you’re going to fall behind, and B) you’re not going to get the best talent. And it is all about talent.”

Every year, the goalposts move. One HR exec-utive at a company on this year’s list noted that he and his colleagues recently realized that the firm’s maternity leave salary top-up was, at eight weeks, now at the trailing end of what Top Employers offer and needed revision. Too true – at Ontario colleges like Durham, the policy is 93 per cent of salary for 52 weeks.

Even the oldest element of enlightened employ-ee relations – staff development – is in constant flux. Describing ways they help their people

progress, many Top Employers point to new leadership programs, expanded career guid-ance, and mentorship, mentorship, mentor-ship. Deloitte LLP has even turned mentorship upside down. It has deployed some younger staff to mentor more senior people in how to use technology properly! (And, of course, the younger ones still gain insight from the senior ones when they get together.)

It’s not surprising that in the past decade, the goalposts have also moved for the list of Great-er Toronto’s Top Employers. In its founding year of 2006, there were just 50 companies and organizations honoured. Its near-doubling to 99 today reflects the improvement in the quality of the applicants and their programs, says Yerema.

“It’s Greater Toronto employees who gain,” he points out. “Good employers try to ensure they match or exceed local norms in order to attract the best talent – and in the GTA, those norms often lead the rest of the country.” That means the workplaces of Greater Toronto’s Top Em-ployers just keep getting better, from the centre to the edges.

– Berton Woodward

LANDSCAPE OF QUALITY (CONT.)

p Members of the staff running club at Mount Sinai Hospital, one of this year’s winners.

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“We approach human problems with heart and empathy. We try to understand users and their needs,” says Weisbrod. Oftentimes, Fjord will help clients make life easier for their own employees. It might, for example, “create a portal to help them be more effective in daily tasks and routines,” explains Weisbrod. The goal is to have maximum impact on as many people as possible.

For Accenture and Fjord, says Morris, “this is a really exciting time for us and our people, because they want to change the way the world works and lives.”

ccenture is opening up a studio for its innovative Fjord design brand in Toronto. But don’t look to the new Fjord team for a simple website redesign

or an app refresh. According to Scott Weisbrod, the studio lead and Group Service Design Director charged with setting up the Toronto location, that’s just a small part of what Fjord’s all about.

“You want to hire Fjord to help you with the big, hairy problem that seems impossible to solve,” he explains. “We see a demand for the services Fjord provides within Accenture.”

When Accenture acquired Fjord in 2013, the idea was that the whole would be greater than the sum of the parts. Seen as an iconic brand in design thinking and service design, Fjord was an ideal acquisition for Accenture, which helps the world’s biggest and best-known organizations find digital solutions to drive growth and transform businesses. It does this for all industries working across its strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations divisions.

Accenture’s Fjord adds edge to the Toronto team

Fjord’s studio lead scott Weisbrod and his team solve “big, hairy problems”

Fjord’s Toronto studio brings Living Services and innovative design thinking to Canada.

0909_9.25x1.75_FjordCanada_AccAd copy.pdf 1 11/6/15 10:10 AM

3,476 full-time staff

in Canada

61 charities helped

last year

5,875staff volunteer hours last year

49years, longest-

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Part of Accenture Interactive, the Fjord team of designers and developers have access to global resources as well as assignments that are many and varied. Their studio is located at Accenture’s Toronto headquarters, a

sleek and modern office equipped with an innovation centre, relaxed work spaces and “telepresence” meeting rooms, which allow participants to beam in from around the world.

Accenture and its Fjord team are setting an example as they help some of Canada’s biggest and best known organizations find digital solutions to drive growth and transform their businesses. “We’re not just consultants, we implement all the way through,” says Bill Morris, Senior Managing Director and Canadian President of Accenture. “That makes Fjord an especially good fit.”

According to Weisbrod: “Fjord is known as a trailblazer, and then you layer Accenture on top of us, it puts us on a whole different playing field.” The new studio, which will comprise some 20 people at first, is still staffing up and there is plenty of room for growth. Fjord has 20 design studios around the world, and the biggest have in the range of 100 employees.

So what are some of the big, hairy problems Accenture’s Fjord team addresses?

Well, says Weisbrod, “Companies might come to Fjord and ask, ‘How do we immerse ourselves in the world of consumers?’”

Weisbrod sees two major trends – number one, the digitization of everything, and number two, a massive shift in consumers’ expectations of brands. Just as the world of entertainment has been transformed by digital so it will revolutionize the finance and health industries, your home and your car.

Consumers’ expectations are no longer shaped just by direct competitors but by what Weisbrod calls “perceptual competitors.” Digital products and services are chipping away at the foundations of traditional businesses like banks. Weisbrod cites, as an example, U.S.-based Acorns.com,

an app which promises “lowering the barrier to investing by letting its customers invest their spare change into diversified portfolios.”

“It’s showing how easy it can be, and shifting expectations,” he explains. “People ask, ‘Why doesn’t my bank have a service like that?’”

So-called experiential competitors don’t even have to be in the same line of business. Consumers familiar with the frictionless service provided by Uber, disruptor of taxi and limo companies, want the same standard of service from their telco or bank.

“Companies might come to Fjord and ask, ‘How do we immerse ourselves in the world

of consumers?’” – Scott Weisbrod,

Group Service Design Director and Studio Lead

“We approach human problems with heart and empathy. We try to understand users and their needs,” says Weisbrod. Oftentimes, Fjord will help clients make life easier for their own employees. It might, for example, “create a portal to help them be more effective in daily tasks and routines,” explains Weisbrod. The goal is to have maximum impact on as many people as possible.

For Accenture and Fjord, says Morris, “this is a really exciting time for us and our people, because they want to change the way the world works and lives.”

ccenture is opening up a studio for its innovative Fjord design brand in Toronto. But don’t look to the new Fjord team for a simple website redesign

or an app refresh. According to Scott Weisbrod, the studio lead and Group Service Design Director charged with setting up the Toronto location, that’s just a small part of what Fjord’s all about.

“You want to hire Fjord to help you with the big, hairy problem that seems impossible to solve,” he explains. “We see a demand for the services Fjord provides within Accenture.”

When Accenture acquired Fjord in 2013, the idea was that the whole would be greater than the sum of the parts. Seen as an iconic brand in design thinking and service design, Fjord was an ideal acquisition for Accenture, which helps the world’s biggest and best-known organizations find digital solutions to drive growth and transform businesses. It does this for all industries working across its strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations divisions.

Accenture’s Fjord adds edge to the Toronto team

Fjord’s studio lead scott Weisbrod and his team solve “big, hairy problems”

Fjord’s Toronto studio brings Living Services and innovative design thinking to Canada.

0909_9.25x1.75_FjordCanada_AccAd copy.pdf 1 11/6/15 10:10 AM


in Canada

61 charities helped

last year


49years, longest-

serving employee

A

Part of Accenture Interactive, the Fjord team of designers and developers have access to global resources as well as assignments that are many and varied. Their studio is located at Accenture’s Toronto headquarters, a

sleek and modern office equipped with an innovation centre, relaxed work spaces and “telepresence” meeting rooms, which allow participants to beam in from around the world.

Accenture and its Fjord team are setting an example as they help some of Canada’s biggest and best known organizations find digital solutions to drive growth and transform their businesses. “We’re not just consultants, we implement all the way through,” says Bill Morris, Senior Managing Director and Canadian President of Accenture. “That makes Fjord an especially good fit.”

According to Weisbrod: “Fjord is known as a trailblazer, and then you layer Accenture on top of us, it puts us on a whole different playing field.” The new studio, which will comprise some 20 people at first, is still staffing up and there is plenty of room for growth. Fjord has 20 design studios around the world, and the biggest have in the range of 100 employees.

So what are some of the big, hairy problems Accenture’s Fjord team addresses?

Well, says Weisbrod, “Companies might come to Fjord and ask, ‘How do we immerse ourselves in the world of consumers?’”

Weisbrod sees two major trends – number one, the digitization of everything, and number two, a massive shift in consumers’ expectations of brands. Just as the world of entertainment has been transformed by digital so it will revolutionize the finance and health industries, your home and your car.

Consumers’ expectations are no longer shaped just by direct competitors but by what Weisbrod calls “perceptual competitors.” Digital products and services are chipping away at the foundations of traditional businesses like banks. Weisbrod cites, as an example, U.S.-based Acorns.com,

an app which promises “lowering the barrier to investing by letting its customers invest their spare change into diversified portfolios.”

“It’s showing how easy it can be, and shifting expectations,” he explains. “People ask, ‘Why doesn’t my bank have a service like that?’”

So-called experiential competitors don’t even have to be in the same line of business. Consumers familiar with the frictionless service provided by Uber, disruptor of taxi and limo companies, want the same standard of service from their telco or bank.

“Companies might come to Fjord and ask, ‘How do we immerse ourselves in the world

of consumers?’” – Scott Weisbrod,

Group Service Design Director and Studio Lead

1 4

The company has also recently supported the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto. In 2015, AstraZeneca donated $450,000 to the centre’s ovarian cancer program. The donation will help fund clinical trials, ovarian cancer research and training of the program’s next generation of gynecological oncologists.

“In addition to the causes AstraZeneca supports, we encourage staff to volunteer and fundraise for charities they have a personal connection to,” says Hozack. “We strongly believe in making a difference in our local communities.”

cience and the patient are at the heart of everything we do at AstraZeneca.” That, says Carlo Mastrangelo, Director, Corporate

Communications, is one of the key attractions of working at Mississauga-based AstraZeneca Canada Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines for treating cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

According to Mastrangelo, the last 18 months have been an exciting time for the organization.

“We have increased our research footprint in Canada, tripled the size of our clinical team and are moving into new areas of medicine, including personalized healthcare and treatments that are tied to a specific patient biomarker,” he says. “This is an industry and company that is incredibly gratifying, where you make a profound impact on the lives of patients each day.”

Fighting cancer gets personal at AstraZeneca

ASTRAZENECA EMPLOYEES GEORGE DEANGELIS, MICHELLE RICCIO AND TRACY HOLLAND SUPPORT THE STAND UP TO CANCER CAMPAIGN

Proud to be one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers

698 full-time staff

in Canada

200 charities helped

last year

127job openings

last year


S“

Half of AstraZeneca’s employees are based in Mississauga and half stationed across the country, specializing in clinical research, medical science and sales. The company offers a flexible work environment, providing technology to enable employees to work remotely. Patient story and scientific posters are found throughout its modern head office, aimed at connecting staff to their purpose – improving patient lives.

Employees are highly engaged. The company scored 94 per cent in its last

employee engagement survey, which is conducted every two years. This is one of the top scores in the global corporation.

To help staff better understand the science behind the business and connect with patients, AstraZeneca runs a unique internal program called My Science Matters. It is led by the Scientific Affairs team, who host regular lunch and learn sessions, townhall presentations and fun scientific tournaments.

My Science Matters covers topics from educating employees about different diseases, to the patient journey and the latest in evolving science. Often physicians and patients are invited as guest speakers to share their perspectives and knowledge. A recent session highlighted the work of three young Canadian scientists who won Health Challenge Awards, sponsored by AstraZeneca, at the 2015 Canada Wide Science Fair.

AstraZeneca is committed to the professional development of employees. It recently held its first annual Development Week, where staff across different teams and levels were encouraged to think about their personal growth and provided with opportunities to build new skills. This event included resources and tools, videos, roundtables and a motivational guest speaker.

“When reviewing their vision statement, many organizations put the business first and employees second, but for AstraZeneca it`s the other way around,” says Greer Hozack, Vice President, Human Resources and Communications. “At the very outset we focus on great employees.”

AstraZeneca is also a partner of Stand Up to Cancer Canada. This national campaign involves a number of charities, government agencies and companies. Its goal is to educate the public about cancer prevention and raise funds for interdisciplinary collaborative oncology research.

AstraZeneca takes great pride in being a partner of Stand Up to Cancer Canada, says Mastrangelo. Oncology is an important focus for the company, he says, as it has a deep-rooted heritage and an exciting research pipeline in areas such as breast, lung and ovarian cancer.

“Many of us have had friends or family battling cancer,” says Mastrangelo. “It is a driving force behind the involvement of employees in Stand Up to Cancer Canada and we have placards with the names of people each of us are standing up for outside our offices and cubicles.”

“This is an industry and company that is incredibly

gratifying, where you make a profound impact on the lives of patients each day.”

– Carlo Mastrangelo, Director, Corporate Communications

The company has also recently supported the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto. In 2015, AstraZeneca donated $450,000 to the centre’s ovarian cancer program. The donation will help fund clinical trials, ovarian cancer research and training of the program’s next generation of gynecological oncologists.

“In addition to the causes AstraZeneca supports, we encourage staff to volunteer and fundraise for charities they have a personal connection to,” says Hozack. “We strongly believe in making a difference in our local communities.”

cience and the patient are at the heart of everything we do at AstraZeneca.” That, says Carlo Mastrangelo, Director, Corporate

Communications, is one of the key attractions of working at Mississauga-based AstraZeneca Canada Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines for treating cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

According to Mastrangelo, the last 18 months have been an exciting time for the organization.

“We have increased our research footprint in Canada, tripled the size of our clinical team and are moving into new areas of medicine, including personalized healthcare and treatments that are tied to a specific patient biomarker,” he says. “This is an industry and company that is incredibly gratifying, where you make a profound impact on the lives of patients each day.”

Fighting cancer gets personal at AstraZeneca

ASTRAZENECA EMPLOYEES GEORGE DEANGELIS, MICHELLE RICCIO AND TRACY HOLLAND SUPPORT THE STAND UP TO CANCER CAMPAIGN

Proud to be one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers

698 full-time staff

in Canada


last year

127job openings

last year


S“

Half of AstraZeneca’s employees are based in Mississauga and half stationed across the country, specializing in clinical research, medical science and sales. The company offers a flexible work environment, providing technology to enable employees to work remotely. Patient story and scientific posters are found throughout its modern head office, aimed at connecting staff to their purpose – improving patient lives.

Employees are highly engaged. The company scored 94 per cent in its last

employee engagement survey, which is conducted every two years. This is one of the top scores in the global corporation.

To help staff better understand the science behind the business and connect with patients, AstraZeneca runs a unique internal program called My Science Matters. It is led by the Scientific Affairs team, who host regular lunch and learn sessions, townhall presentations and fun scientific tournaments.

My Science Matters covers topics from educating employees about different diseases, to the patient journey and the latest in evolving science. Often physicians and patients are invited as guest speakers to share their perspectives and knowledge. A recent session highlighted the work of three young Canadian scientists who won Health Challenge Awards, sponsored by AstraZeneca, at the 2015 Canada Wide Science Fair.

AstraZeneca is committed to the professional development of employees. It recently held its first annual Development Week, where staff across different teams and levels were encouraged to think about their personal growth and provided with opportunities to build new skills. This event included resources and tools, videos, roundtables and a motivational guest speaker.

“When reviewing their vision statement, many organizations put the business first and employees second, but for AstraZeneca it`s the other way around,” says Greer Hozack, Vice President, Human Resources and Communications. “At the very outset we focus on great employees.”

AstraZeneca is also a partner of Stand Up to Cancer Canada. This national campaign involves a number of charities, government agencies and companies. Its goal is to educate the public about cancer prevention and raise funds for interdisciplinary collaborative oncology research.

AstraZeneca takes great pride in being a partner of Stand Up to Cancer Canada, says Mastrangelo. Oncology is an important focus for the company, he says, as it has a deep-rooted heritage and an exciting research pipeline in areas such as breast, lung and ovarian cancer.

“Many of us have had friends or family battling cancer,” says Mastrangelo. “It is a driving force behind the involvement of employees in Stand Up to Cancer Canada and we have placards with the names of people each of us are standing up for outside our offices and cubicles.”

“This is an industry and company that is incredibly

gratifying, where you make a profound impact on the lives of patients each day.”

– Carlo Mastrangelo, Director, Corporate Communications

1 5

joining the corporate communications team and taking on his current role overseeing internal communications.

“It’s a big change for me but I’m really enjoying it,” he says. “I think it’s really cool that I got the opportunity to make the jump. It says something about the company – they really value, enable and encourage this kind of career progression.”

Sounds like a good video for eTV.

ou’ve heard of CTV and MTV. How about eTV? You’ve heard of it if you work at BASF, the world’s largest chemical producer. That’s

where they watch Employee TV, or eTV, a program that started at the Mississauga headquarters of BASF Canada Inc.

Jamie Apfelbeck was involved in the creation. Now Internal Communications Manager in Mississauga, he was working in IT some four years ago when the idea of sharing staff videos was broached. It came from a group of employees responding to BASF’s Simply Dare program, which encourages people throughout the company to suggest improvements and innovations.

Apfelbeck became part of the team that implemented eTV, which took its original inspiration from Citytv’s “Speaker’s Corner” feature. Employees were recorded talking about their work or their ideas for improving company processes in short videos of around two minutes, which were posted on the local intranet.

Starring now on eTV – your fellow BASF employees

BASF employees from the mississauga head office film a segment for etV

683 full-time staff

in Canada

2,500+ students hosted

at BASF Kids’ Lab

17weeks, maternity

top-up pay

35charities helped

last year

Y

“It really caught on,” says Apfelbeck. After starting as a Canada-wide platform, eTV spread across North America. Now

anyone at BASF locations in Canada and the U.S. can record videos for eTV, and anyone in the global company, which is headquartered in Germany, can watch.

Today there are four video categories – Drive, for ideas; Faces, for employees to introduce themselves; bSAFE (a play on BASF), to encourage safety; and Only at BASF, where people describe experiences at work. The videos are also shown on the company’s informational LCD screens.

“It turned into something that no matter where you are in the organization, whether you’re a top executive or in sales or in production, you have this platform where you can share your ideas and thoughts,” Apfelbeck says. “And your audience is the whole company.”

To Terri Howard, Director, Human Resources, for BASF Canada, eTV is a perfect example of how the company does things. “It really demonstrates what we call our CORE values – creative, open, responsible and entrepreneurial,” she says. “It was created in line with those values, and it was also an opportunity to engage our employees. It’s been really well received.”

In Canada, BASF employees are largely involved in sales, marketing and production – agricultural products make up the largest business unit – along with corporate functions and a small research and development group. In the Greater Toronto Area, BASF has the Mississauga head office and production facilities in Brampton and Toronto that primarily manufacture construction-related chemical products.

But about 40 per cent of Canadian employees only sometimes visit a BASF office – most of the sales team, including in the GTA, work from home and go out to meet clients directly. They still network with other employees at company meetings and events, however, and Apfelbeck – who himself works from home two days a

week – often uses such opportunities to record the visiting employees for eTV.

Howard says BASF is a particularly good fit for people who are drawn to large organizations. “Our applicants often talk about the greater opportunities within a big company, whether it’s advancement, or training and development, or the wide variety of areas to work in,” she says.

An engineer by trade, Apfelbeck says he has benefited from BASF’s support for career development. After 18 years in IT, his work on the eTV project led to him

“No matter where you are

in the organization, whether

you’re a top executive or in

sales or in production, you

have this platform where

you can share your ideas

and thoughts.”– Jamie Apfelbeck,

Internal Communications Manager

We create chemistrythat makes “wow”love “why”.

150 years

Learn more about BASF Kids’ Lab atwe-create-chemistry.basf.com

joining the corporate communications team and taking on his current role overseeing internal communications.

“It’s a big change for me but I’m really enjoying it,” he says. “I think it’s really cool that I got the opportunity to make the jump. It says something about the company – they really value, enable and encourage this kind of career progression.”

Sounds like a good video for eTV.

ou’ve heard of CTV and MTV. How about eTV? You’ve heard of it if you work at BASF, the world’s largest chemical producer. That’s

where they watch Employee TV, or eTV, a program that started at the Mississauga headquarters of BASF Canada Inc.

Jamie Apfelbeck was involved in the creation. Now Internal Communications Manager in Mississauga, he was working in IT some four years ago when the idea of sharing staff videos was broached. It came from a group of employees responding to BASF’s Simply Dare program, which encourages people throughout the company to suggest improvements and innovations.

Apfelbeck became part of the team that implemented eTV, which took its original inspiration from Citytv’s “Speaker’s Corner” feature. Employees were recorded talking about their work or their ideas for improving company processes in short videos of around two minutes, which were posted on the local intranet.

Starring now on eTV – your fellow BASF employees

BASF employees from the mississauga head office film a segment for etV

683 full-time staff

in Canada

2,500+ students hosted

at BASF Kids’ Lab

17weeks, maternity

top-up pay

35charities helped

last year

Y

“It really caught on,” says Apfelbeck. After starting as a Canada-wide platform, eTV spread across North America. Now

anyone at BASF locations in Canada and the U.S. can record videos for eTV, and anyone in the global company, which is headquartered in Germany, can watch.

Today there are four video categories – Drive, for ideas; Faces, for employees to introduce themselves; bSAFE (a play on BASF), to encourage safety; and Only at BASF, where people describe experiences at work. The videos are also shown on the company’s informational LCD screens.

“It turned into something that no matter where you are in the organization, whether you’re a top executive or in sales or in production, you have this platform where you can share your ideas and thoughts,” Apfelbeck says. “And your audience is the whole company.”

To Terri Howard, Director, Human Resources, for BASF Canada, eTV is a perfect example of how the company does things. “It really demonstrates what we call our CORE values – creative, open, responsible and entrepreneurial,” she says. “It was created in line with those values, and it was also an opportunity to engage our employees. It’s been really well received.”

In Canada, BASF employees are largely involved in sales, marketing and production – agricultural products make up the largest business unit – along with corporate functions and a small research and development group. In the Greater Toronto Area, BASF has the Mississauga head office and production facilities in Brampton and Toronto that primarily manufacture construction-related chemical products.

But about 40 per cent of Canadian employees only sometimes visit a BASF office – most of the sales team, including in the GTA, work from home and go out to meet clients directly. They still network with other employees at company meetings and events, however, and Apfelbeck – who himself works from home two days a

week – often uses such opportunities to record the visiting employees for eTV.

Howard says BASF is a particularly good fit for people who are drawn to large organizations. “Our applicants often talk about the greater opportunities within a big company, whether it’s advancement, or training and development, or the wide variety of areas to work in,” she says.

An engineer by trade, Apfelbeck says he has benefited from BASF’s support for career development. After 18 years in IT, his work on the eTV project led to him

“No matter where you are

in the organization, whether

you’re a top executive or in

sales or in production, you

have this platform where

you can share your ideas

and thoughts.”– Jamie Apfelbeck,

Internal Communications Manager

We create chemistrythat makes “wow”love “why”.

150 years

Learn more about BASF Kids’ Lab atwe-create-chemistry.basf.com

1 6

company’s wide-ranging competitive benefits package includes matching retirement and savings programs. Bayer also has an online store where staff can purchase Bayer over-the-counter products at discounted prices and a state of the art gym on site.

“Bayer lives the culture, it doesn’t just speak the culture. Taking advantage of the on-site gym over your lunch hour is easier to do when the person beside you on the treadmill is a senior executive,” says Stretch. “Bayer is that kind of place, where people are approachable and the community spirit is strong.”

ayer, a life sciences company based in Mississauga, Ont., has its own BNN channel – Bayer News Network at their Matheson office and plans to

roll it out in other locations in 2016. BNN broadcasts company news and events from television monitors located in office kitchenettes and near elevators.“This is a fun way to help staff become ambassa-dors of Bayer and its products and stay informed on company events and announcements,” says Lynda Newcomb, Vice President, Human Resources.

Not only is the company consistently ranked a top employer in the GTA but its recent purchase of Merck’s consumer care business made Bayer the number three provider of over-the-counter healthcare products in Canada.

Bayer’s acquisition added household brand names Coppertone, Dr. Scholl’s and Claritin to its already notable product offering including Aleve, ASPIRIN and Canesten. This created a buzz around the organization, explains Newcomb.

LIFE values and community spirit rule at Bayer

BAYER HEAD OFFICE SHOWCASING THE COMPANY’S LIFE VALUES - LEADERSHIP, INTEGRITY, FLEXIBILITY, EFFICIENCY


in Canada


last year

235job openings

last year

42years, longest-

serving employee

B

“There was a lot of excitement in our consumer care division about the acquisition,” she says. “Employees driving into work were also proud to see our new products come to life on advertising billboards along the Gardiner Express- way this past summer.”

Another recent Bayer initiative that generated employee pride was a televi-sion campaign for ASPIRIN 81mg. During a suspected heart attack, Bayer recommends calling 911 and then crushing and chewing two ASPIRIN 81mg tablets. The product is approved for this use nationwide. “Feedback on the campaign was overwhelming,” says Newcomb.

At its Mississauga headquarters, the company has a modern open concept workspace to encourage staff to move around and collaborate. There are state-of-the-art meeting rooms, booths in the pantries, a patio and a cafeteria where employees can gather. Company information posters are featured on each floor, inspiring employees to continue doing great work for customers.

Bayer’s workplace culture is built on its four key values: leadership, integrity, flexibility and efficiency, summarized as LIFE. The company’s employee recognition program, called You Make Life Better, rewards staff who integrate these values into how they work.

Jamie Stretch, Regional Sales Manager Canada West for the Pharmaceutical Division, lives and breathes these values. He has held a range of sales and marketing roles over a 10-year career at the company and says he simply followed his interests.

“Bayer does not operate with a typical top-down structure, so employees are supported in exploring roles both verti-cally and horizontally,” Stretch explains. “Everyone is considered unique and their voices heard and interests encouraged.”

In his current role, Stretch is responsible for managing the sales team in the Ophthalmology division. As a way to stay involved and connected to patients, Stretch and his team members attend events in support of the Foundation Fighting Blindness and CNIB. When not on the road, Stretch works mainly from home in Oakville.

To familiarize new employees with the company, the Hello Bayer orientation program was introduced. Hello Bayer features a microsite about the workplace and culture plus a welcome kit with a first day checklist and benefits information. And when they arrive, a “Bayer Buddy” is assigned to take them on an office tour.

Bayer’s internal social committee ensures a community spirit remains around the building for employees. The committee offers discount tickets for local attractions like events at the Mirvish Theatre and Canada’s Wonderland.

Bayer has many programs and initiatives that support its LIFE values. The

“Bayer does not operate with

a typical top-down structure,

so employees are supported in

exploring roles both vertically

and horizontally.” – Jamie Stretch,

Regional Sales Manager Canada West, Pharmaceutical DIvision

Explore Bayer Employment Opportunities at Bayer.ca and BayerCropScience.ca

company’s wide-ranging competitive benefits package includes matching retirement and savings programs. Bayer also has an online store where staff can purchase Bayer over-the-counter products at discounted prices and a state of the art gym on site.

“Bayer lives the culture, it doesn’t just speak the culture. Taking advantage of the on-site gym over your lunch hour is easier to do when the person beside you on the treadmill is a senior executive,” says Stretch. “Bayer is that kind of place, where people are approachable and the community spirit is strong.”

ayer, a life sciences company based in Mississauga, Ont., has its own BNN channel – Bayer News Network at their Matheson office and plans to

roll it out in other locations in 2016. BNN broadcasts company news and events from television monitors located in office kitchenettes and near elevators.“This is a fun way to help staff become ambassa-dors of Bayer and its products and stay informed on company events and announcements,” says Lynda Newcomb, Vice President, Human Resources.

Not only is the company consistently ranked a top employer in the GTA but its recent purchase of Merck’s consumer care business made Bayer the number three provider of over-the-counter healthcare products in Canada.

Bayer’s acquisition added household brand names Coppertone, Dr. Scholl’s and Claritin to its already notable product offering including Aleve, ASPIRIN and Canesten. This created a buzz around the organization, explains Newcomb.

LIFE values and community spirit rule at Bayer

BAYER HEAD OFFICE SHOWCASING THE COMPANY’S LIFE VALUES - LEADERSHIP, INTEGRITY, FLEXIBILITY, EFFICIENCY


in Canada


last year

235job openings

last year

42years, longest-

serving employee

B

“There was a lot of excitement in our consumer care division about the acquisition,” she says. “Employees driving into work were also proud to see our new products come to life on advertising billboards along the Gardiner Express- way this past summer.”

Another recent Bayer initiative that generated employee pride was a televi-sion campaign for ASPIRIN 81mg. During a suspected heart attack, Bayer recommends calling 911 and then crushing and chewing two ASPIRIN 81mg tablets. The product is approved for this use nationwide. “Feedback on the campaign was overwhelming,” says Newcomb.

At its Mississauga headquarters, the company has a modern open concept workspace to encourage staff to move around and collaborate. There are state-of-the-art meeting rooms, booths in the pantries, a patio and a cafeteria where employees can gather. Company information posters are featured on each floor, inspiring employees to continue doing great work for customers.

Bayer’s workplace culture is built on its four key values: leadership, integrity, flexibility and efficiency, summarized as LIFE. The company’s employee recognition program, called You Make Life Better, rewards staff who integrate these values into how they work.

Jamie Stretch, Regional Sales Manager Canada West for the Pharmaceutical Division, lives and breathes these values. He has held a range of sales and marketing roles over a 10-year career at the company and says he simply followed his interests.

“Bayer does not operate with a typical top-down structure, so employees are supported in exploring roles both verti-cally and horizontally,” Stretch explains. “Everyone is considered unique and their voices heard and interests encouraged.”

In his current role, Stretch is responsible for managing the sales team in the Ophthalmology division. As a way to stay involved and connected to patients, Stretch and his team members attend events in support of the Foundation Fighting Blindness and CNIB. When not on the road, Stretch works mainly from home in Oakville.

To familiarize new employees with the company, the Hello Bayer orientation program was introduced. Hello Bayer features a microsite about the workplace and culture plus a welcome kit with a first day checklist and benefits information. And when they arrive, a “Bayer Buddy” is assigned to take them on an office tour.

Bayer’s internal social committee ensures a community spirit remains around the building for employees. The committee offers discount tickets for local attractions like events at the Mirvish Theatre and Canada’s Wonderland.

Bayer has many programs and initiatives that support its LIFE values. The

“Bayer does not operate with

a typical top-down structure,

so employees are supported in

exploring roles both vertically

and horizontally.” – Jamie Stretch,

Regional Sales Manager Canada West, Pharmaceutical DIvision

Explore Bayer Employment Opportunities at Bayer.ca and BayerCropScience.ca

1 7

year of employment, in addition to their regular time off that year. And not surpris- ingly, everyone gets free membership in CAA.

Annually, CAA holds an associates appreciation week, with a slate of activities – from games and barbecues to executive visits to the stores – designed to thank associates for their hard work. “It speaks volumes about the type of culture we have,” says Duncan.

That culture is highly collaborative, and very member-driven, she says. “CAA has the heart of an association but the mind of a business.”

aniel Howse may be a bit of a poster boy for how CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) is expanding and evolving.

At the moment, Howse works out of the 2-million-member auto club’s headquarters in Thornhill, Ont., selling vehicle and home insurance. But as it happens, he recently bought a home in Port Hope. That’s when he learned he’d be able to work in the nearby Cobourg CAA store, one of 34 in the CAA SCO region.

“We are looking to include insurance agents in more of our stores,” says Mary Duncan, Vice President, Human Resources. “The stores are moving from being primarily a travel store to more of a retail store so it will be all-encompassing for member needs.”

Then, too, Howse is young. CAA is keen to recruit younger associates who in turn can help attract younger members, thereby refreshing the 50-something demographic that is its largest component, says Duncan. “We are looking for an innovative spirit.”

Evolving CAA looks for an innovative spirit

CAA SCO ASSOCIATES WORK IN A HIGHLY COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT


in Canada

39 years, longest-

serving employee

24,156job applications

last year

553jobs available in past year

D

All of which suits Howse, who joined in 2012 and enjoys being in sales. “I love having targets, and the incentives for going above target keep you refreshed,” he says. “And even though you’re working as part of the CAA team, you‘re almost your own boss. You get out of it what you put in.”

He also likes the service-oriented culture. “We really do care about the members,” he says. “It’s not just about the top dollar. And the environment is open for success. If you come in to further an insurance career or a sales career, they have your back. It’s a supportive community.”

Duncan says the variety of services CAA provides means it needs a lot of different skills. It has travel agents, call centre personnel, insurance underwriters and adjusters, finance professionals, IT people and corporate functions, as well as the sales team Howse is a part of. In addition, CAA now sells its own travel medical insurance through another team.

“We are looking for highly skilled professionals who are looking for a place where they can fulfill all their career aspirations, yet work for a company that cares about others,” says Duncan.

For those working in stores, a refreshed CAA outlet in Burlington shows the future. “It’s much more of an open environment, more self-serve, more technology for young people,” Duncan says. “But it still

gives a very homey CAA feeling.” CAA SCO’s region extends from Sault St. Marie to Kingston, and southwest to Windsor. Other parts of Ontario are served by sister clubs CAA Niagara and CAA North and West.

A pilot project for the CAA SCO call centre may offer the ultimate in work-life balance. Some 50 employees have been set up with all the equipment they need to handle calls from home full-time. “They’re really embracing this,” Duncan says.

Other employees also have work-from-home and other flexibility options. A notable benefit at CAA is the bonus week of vacation associates get at every fifth

“We are looking for highly skilled professionals who are looking for a place

where they can fulfill all their career aspirations, yet work for a company that

cares about others.”– Mary Duncan,

Vice President, Human Resources

CAA South Central Ontario is proud to be one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for the seventh year in a row.

caasco.com/careers

™Making bad days good. And good days better. is a trademark of CAA South Central Ontario.®CAA and CAA logo trademarks owned by, and use is authorized by, the Canadian Automobile Association. (1266-11/15)

Making bad days good. And good days better.™

year of employment, in addition to their regular time off that year. And not surpris- ingly, everyone gets free membership in CAA.

Annually, CAA holds an associates appreciation week, with a slate of activities – from games and barbecues to executive visits to the stores – designed to thank associates for their hard work. “It speaks volumes about the type of culture we have,” says Duncan.

That culture is highly collaborative, and very member-driven, she says. “CAA has the heart of an association but the mind of a business.”

aniel Howse may be a bit of a poster boy for how CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) is expanding and evolving.

At the moment, Howse works out of the 2-million-member auto club’s headquarters in Thornhill, Ont., selling vehicle and home insurance. But as it happens, he recently bought a home in Port Hope. That’s when he learned he’d be able to work in the nearby Cobourg CAA store, one of 34 in the CAA SCO region.

“We are looking to include insurance agents in more of our stores,” says Mary Duncan, Vice President, Human Resources. “The stores are moving from being primarily a travel store to more of a retail store so it will be all-encompassing for member needs.”

Then, too, Howse is young. CAA is keen to recruit younger associates who in turn can help attract younger members, thereby refreshing the 50-something demographic that is its largest component, says Duncan. “We are looking for an innovative spirit.”

Evolving CAA looks for an innovative spirit

CAA SCO ASSOCIATES WORK IN A HIGHLY COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT


in Canada

39 years, longest-

serving employee


last year

553jobs available in past year

D

All of which suits Howse, who joined in 2012 and enjoys being in sales. “I love having targets, and the incentives for going above target keep you refreshed,” he says. “And even though you’re working as part of the CAA team, you‘re almost your own boss. You get out of it what you put in.”

He also likes the service-oriented culture. “We really do care about the members,” he says. “It’s not just about the top dollar. And the environment is open for success. If you come in to further an insurance career or a sales career, they have your back. It’s a supportive community.”

Duncan says the variety of services CAA provides means it needs a lot of different skills. It has travel agents, call centre personnel, insurance underwriters and adjusters, finance professionals, IT people and corporate functions, as well as the sales team Howse is a part of. In addition, CAA now sells its own travel medical insurance through another team.

“We are looking for highly skilled professionals who are looking for a place where they can fulfill all their career aspirations, yet work for a company that cares about others,” says Duncan.

For those working in stores, a refreshed CAA outlet in Burlington shows the future. “It’s much more of an open environment, more self-serve, more technology for young people,” Duncan says. “But it still

gives a very homey CAA feeling.” CAA SCO’s region extends from Sault St. Marie to Kingston, and southwest to Windsor. Other parts of Ontario are served by sister clubs CAA Niagara and CAA North and West.

A pilot project for the CAA SCO call centre may offer the ultimate in work-life balance. Some 50 employees have been set up with all the equipment they need to handle calls from home full-time. “They’re really embracing this,” Duncan says.

Other employees also have work-from-home and other flexibility options. A notable benefit at CAA is the bonus week of vacation associates get at every fifth

“We are looking for highly skilled professionals who are looking for a place

where they can fulfill all their career aspirations, yet work for a company that

cares about others.”– Mary Duncan,


CAA South Central Ontario is proud to be one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for the seventh year in a row.

caasco.com/careers

™Making bad days good. And good days better. is a trademark of CAA South Central Ontario.®CAA and CAA logo trademarks owned by, and use is authorized by, the Canadian Automobile Association. (1266-11/15)

Making bad days good. And good days better.™

1 8

employees, says Haider, and this in turn has given her a broader understanding of the mission and values that inform the organization’s operations. It is also another reason she enjoys her position with CAMH. “This is such a great team to work with,” Haider says. “Everybody has such a positive attitude.”

Bellissimo concurs: “The real draw is the cause, the shared sense of improving the quality of life for others.”

any organizations like to say they are “building for the future,” but at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH),

this conviction is a reality. Canada’s largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital is preparing to enter the largest phase yet of a multi-year redevelopment project aimed at furthering its mission of transforming the lives of those with mental illness and addiction.

“There are lots of changes on the way,” says Kim Bellissimo, Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development at CAMH. “The model for dealing with the populations we serve has evolved from one of custodial care to one of healing and recovery. That’s very in- spirational and is reflected in everything we do.”

CAMH, formed from the merger of four organizations in 1998, is headquartered at Queen Street West and Ossington Avenue in downtown Toronto where a “lunatic asylum” first opened in 1850. The buildings, and their names, changed over the years, but until CAMH emerged with a modern mandate to reinvent the treatment of mental illness, negative attitudes remained entrenched.

CAMH gets rid of the walls around mental illness

A CITY-INTEGRATED SITE EMERGES WITH THE NEXT PHASE OF CAMH’S REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT

2,212full-time staff

in Canada

52weeks, combined

maternity and parental leave top-up

45years, longest-

serving employee


last year

M

Today, only a stretch of high brick wall stands as an historic reminder of how isolated patients once were from their family, friends and the community at large.

The 27 – acre site is helping to revitalize the neighbourhood with pedestrian-friendly grounds, shops and green spaces. In the 21st century, being integrated into the community is part of the treatment.

At a time of changing attitudes, especially among young people who are more willing to seek help, the open, welcoming environment is designed to encourage even more people to come forward for treatment.

CAMH is also one of the world’s leading research centres in its field. Researchers are focused on making cutting edge discoveries that will improve our understanding of the brain and transform patient care. By the time two new buildings are completed in 2020, educational and clinical care spaces will enhance opportunities for knowledge exchange and for turning scientific discoveries into pioneering new treatments.

For CAMH staff, a dynamic, safe and healthy workplace, easily accessible by public transit, is just the starting point. The organization offers employees, among other things, a competitive pay and benefits package, opportunities for development and advancement, and exceptional family-friendly incentives. The latter include parental-leave top-up payments, an option to extend that leave into an unpaid leave of absence, and an onsite daycare facility.

What attracted Uzma Haider to CAMH three years ago – and has kept her excited and engaged since – was a unique opportunity to deploy her skills and education. With degrees in engineering and health infometrics, Haider describes her work on CAMH’s new I-CARE technology infrastructure as “an amazing fit.” I-CARE, which documents and standardizes patient health information, facilitates collaboration among all the professionals involved in a patient’s care, including physicians, nurses and social workers.

As a Project Coordinator in CAMH’s Information Management Group,

Enterprise Project Management Office, Haider helped to implement I-CARE and is now involved in optimizing its operations. “I-CARE is a fully customized system and each group of stakeholders has different needs,” she says. “There is a lot of work involved in making sure I-CARE works in a way that makes sense for everyone while continuing to enhance the system’s speed and functionality overall.”

This assignment brings her face-to-face with a wide range of CAMH

“The real draw is the cause, the shared sense of improving the quality

of life for others.”– Kim Bellissimo,

Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development

Join CAMH, Canada’s leading hospital for mental health, and help transform the lives of people living with mental illness and addiction.

Transform your career with one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers

Visit our website and transform your career. www.camh.ca

employees, says Haider, and this in turn has given her a broader understanding of the mission and values that inform the organization’s operations. It is also another reason she enjoys her position with CAMH. “This is such a great team to work with,” Haider says. “Everybody has such a positive attitude.”

Bellissimo concurs: “The real draw is the cause, the shared sense of improving the quality of life for others.”

any organizations like to say they are “building for the future,” but at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH),

this conviction is a reality. Canada’s largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital is preparing to enter the largest phase yet of a multi-year redevelopment project aimed at furthering its mission of transforming the lives of those with mental illness and addiction.

“There are lots of changes on the way,” says Kim Bellissimo, Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development at CAMH. “The model for dealing with the populations we serve has evolved from one of custodial care to one of healing and recovery. That’s very in- spirational and is reflected in everything we do.”

CAMH, formed from the merger of four organizations in 1998, is headquartered at Queen Street West and Ossington Avenue in downtown Toronto where a “lunatic asylum” first opened in 1850. The buildings, and their names, changed over the years, but until CAMH emerged with a modern mandate to reinvent the treatment of mental illness, negative attitudes remained entrenched.

CAMH gets rid of the walls around mental illness

A CITY-INTEGRATED SITE EMERGES WITH THE NEXT PHASE OF CAMH’S REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT


in Canada

52weeks, combined

maternity and parental leave top-up

45years, longest-

serving employee


last year

M

Today, only a stretch of high brick wall stands as an historic reminder of how isolated patients once were from their family, friends and the community at large.

The 27 – acre site is helping to revitalize the neighbourhood with pedestrian-friendly grounds, shops and green spaces. In the 21st century, being integrated into the community is part of the treatment.

At a time of changing attitudes, especially among young people who are more willing to seek help, the open, welcoming environment is designed to encourage even more people to come forward for treatment.

CAMH is also one of the world’s leading research centres in its field. Researchers are focused on making cutting edge discoveries that will improve our understanding of the brain and transform patient care. By the time two new buildings are completed in 2020, educational and clinical care spaces will enhance opportunities for knowledge exchange and for turning scientific discoveries into pioneering new treatments.

For CAMH staff, a dynamic, safe and healthy workplace, easily accessible by public transit, is just the starting point. The organization offers employees, among other things, a competitive pay and benefits package, opportunities for development and advancement, and exceptional family-friendly incentives. The latter include parental-leave top-up payments, an option to extend that leave into an unpaid leave of absence, and an onsite daycare facility.

What attracted Uzma Haider to CAMH three years ago – and has kept her excited and engaged since – was a unique opportunity to deploy her skills and education. With degrees in engineering and health infometrics, Haider describes her work on CAMH’s new I-CARE technology infrastructure as “an amazing fit.” I-CARE, which documents and standardizes patient health information, facilitates collaboration among all the professionals involved in a patient’s care, including physicians, nurses and social workers.

As a Project Coordinator in CAMH’s Information Management Group,

Enterprise Project Management Office, Haider helped to implement I-CARE and is now involved in optimizing its operations. “I-CARE is a fully customized system and each group of stakeholders has different needs,” she says. “There is a lot of work involved in making sure I-CARE works in a way that makes sense for everyone while continuing to enhance the system’s speed and functionality overall.”

This assignment brings her face-to-face with a wide range of CAMH

“The real draw is the cause, the shared sense of improving the quality

of life for others.”– Kim Bellissimo,

Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development

Join CAMH, Canada’s leading hospital for mental health, and help transform the lives of people living with mental illness and addiction.

Transform your career with one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers

Visit our website and transform your career. www.camh.ca

1 9

giving is to these families,” says French. “There are moms and dads that shed a tear because the kids are having so much fun. For some of these kids, it’s the first time they’ve been on a bus, or out of their neighbourhood. We want our employees to feel that energy and have that experience.”

The charity is one of Canadian Tire’s many attractions in recruitment. “It really helps us with potential new employees,” says French. “They know a lot about Jumpstart and see the community value. It’s a great part of the culture here.”

auren Griffith will never forget the way she was offered her job working with Canadian Tire Corporation’s signature charity, Jumpstart, which helps families

in need by defraying the often onerous costs of young people’s involvement in sports and physical activity.

The offer wasn’t made on the phone or in a meeting room. It came on a stage, in front of hundreds of people.

From the CEO.

To explain, let’s start at the beginning.

During her high school years, Griffith was a talented basketball player who competed for two club teams in the Greater Toronto Area. When she found it hard to meet costs and fees of some $2,000 a year, her coaches approached Jumpstart, which helped cover the expenses.

That allowed her to concentrate on basketball – “I was relieved I didn’t have to worry about money” – and she went on to win basketball scholarships to two major American universities.

Canadian Tire’s team takes pride in Jumpstart

CANADIAN TIRE EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATE IN JUMPSTART GAMES IN TORONTO

85,000 total staff in Canada

57,000 staff volunteer hours last year


last year

599applicants for Next Generation Talent Program last year

L

When she returned to Toronto with a sociology degree in 2012, she began working at a series of jobs involving community outreach. Then, earlier this

year, Jumpstart asked her to tell her uplifting story at its annual recognition meeting at a large downtown hotel.

After she spoke, Michael Medline, President and CEO of Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC), took to the stage and, clearly impressed, publicly offered her a job right then and there.

Griffith was astonished. “I felt happy and a little overwhelmed,” she says. “This was the career moment I had been waiting for since I graduated from college.”

Now she is in the thick of Jumpstart’s work in her role as Advisor, CTC Community and Jumpstart. She helps field event requests from the community, attends major events and advises on branding. “I feel very privileged,” she says. “I can definitely relate to the kids I’m helping because I’ve been one of them. They just want to get out of the house, make friends and play sports. It’s amazing that Jumpstart can help them do that.”

Focused on helping kids aged 4 to 18, Jumpstart covers the costs of getting involved in sport, such as registration fees or transportation, and provides equipment through its network of stores. The Canadian Tire family includes FGL Sports, which operates Sport Chek, Sports Experts and Atmosphere, as well as Mark’s and Canadian Tire Financial Services.

Landon French, President of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, says the organization grew out of the nearly 100-year-old culture of Canadian Tire, which has always been known for giving back to the community. “Our employees are very proud to be a part of it,” he says.

In the 10 years since Jumpstart took over from predecessor foundations, it has helped 1 million kids across Canada, including 80,000 in the GTA, and disbursed more than $100 million. This year alone it will help about 200,000 kids in need, says French.

Employees participate through encouraging $2 donations at store cash registers, getting involved in corporate fundraising events, and volunteering to help at the biggest events of all, the Jumpstart Games.

Held in 24 communities across Canada this year, Jumpstart Games provide children from financially disadvantaged families with a day of play where they have the opportunity to build teamwork skills and interact with others their age.

“We encourage our employees to get out and see how important the money they’re raising and the time they’re

“We encourage our employees to get out and

see how important the money they’re raising and

the time they’re giving is to these families.”

– Landon French, President of Canadian Tire

Jumpstart Charities

Canadian Tire Corporation is proud to be one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers.

giving is to these families,” says French. “There are moms and dads that shed a tear because the kids are having so much fun. For some of these kids, it’s the first time they’ve been on a bus, or out of their neighbourhood. We want our employees to feel that energy and have that experience.”

The charity is one of Canadian Tire’s many attractions in recruitment. “It really helps us with potential new employees,” says French. “They know a lot about Jumpstart and see the community value. It’s a great part of the culture here.”

auren Griffith will never forget the way she was offered her job working with Canadian Tire Corporation’s signature charity, Jumpstart, which helps families

in need by defraying the often onerous costs of young people’s involvement in sports and physical activity.

The offer wasn’t made on the phone or in a meeting room. It came on a stage, in front of hundreds of people.

From the CEO.

To explain, let’s start at the beginning.

During her high school years, Griffith was a talented basketball player who competed for two club teams in the Greater Toronto Area. When she found it hard to meet costs and fees of some $2,000 a year, her coaches approached Jumpstart, which helped cover the expenses.

That allowed her to concentrate on basketball – “I was relieved I didn’t have to worry about money” – and she went on to win basketball scholarships to two major American universities.

Canadian Tire’s team takes pride in Jumpstart

CANADIAN TIRE EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATE IN JUMPSTART GAMES IN TORONTO

85,000 total staff in Canada



last year

599applicants for Next Generation Talent Program last year

L

When she returned to Toronto with a sociology degree in 2012, she began working at a series of jobs involving community outreach. Then, earlier this

year, Jumpstart asked her to tell her uplifting story at its annual recognition meeting at a large downtown hotel.

After she spoke, Michael Medline, President and CEO of Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC), took to the stage and, clearly impressed, publicly offered her a job right then and there.

Griffith was astonished. “I felt happy and a little overwhelmed,” she says. “This was the career moment I had been waiting for since I graduated from college.”

Now she is in the thick of Jumpstart’s work in her role as Advisor, CTC Community and Jumpstart. She helps field event requests from the community, attends major events and advises on branding. “I feel very privileged,” she says. “I can definitely relate to the kids I’m helping because I’ve been one of them. They just want to get out of the house, make friends and play sports. It’s amazing that Jumpstart can help them do that.”

Focused on helping kids aged 4 to 18, Jumpstart covers the costs of getting involved in sport, such as registration fees or transportation, and provides equipment through its network of stores. The Canadian Tire family includes FGL Sports, which operates Sport Chek, Sports Experts and Atmosphere, as well as Mark’s and Canadian Tire Financial Services.

Landon French, President of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, says the organization grew out of the nearly 100-year-old culture of Canadian Tire, which has always been known for giving back to the community. “Our employees are very proud to be a part of it,” he says.

In the 10 years since Jumpstart took over from predecessor foundations, it has helped 1 million kids across Canada, including 80,000 in the GTA, and disbursed more than $100 million. This year alone it will help about 200,000 kids in need, says French.

Employees participate through encouraging $2 donations at store cash registers, getting involved in corporate fundraising events, and volunteering to help at the biggest events of all, the Jumpstart Games.

Held in 24 communities across Canada this year, Jumpstart Games provide children from financially disadvantaged families with a day of play where they have the opportunity to build teamwork skills and interact with others their age.

“We encourage our employees to get out and see how important the money they’re raising and the time they’re

“We encourage our employees to get out and

see how important the money they’re raising and

the time they’re giving is to these families.”

– Landon French, President of Canadian Tire

Jumpstart Charities

Canadian Tire Corporation is proud to be one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers.

2 0

as listening to their concerns, are critical components in maintaining a committed and contented workforce. And he points to an unusually low turnover as one measure of how that approach is working at Durham College.

“We have a one per cent annual turnover in staff, three per cent if you include retirees,” he says. “Being able to hold on to staff means people are happy and that they feel engaged.”

ot everyone gets up Monday to Friday and goes to the office thinking anything is possible. But Don Lovisa, president of Durham College,

subscribes to that notion – it’s one of the things that drives him as well as many of his colleagues. “We see it all the time,” says Lovisa. “We’re changing lives through learning and helping people get on with their careers.”

Lovisa’s anything-is-possible mantra applies mainly, but not exclusively to the college’s more than 30,000 students, including 12,000 full-time post-secon-dary and apprenticeship students as well as part-time and continuing education students and online learners. However, there are multiple career paths and possibilities for both the support and administrative staff and the faculty who teach over 140 market-driven programs available in the college’s nine schools. Offered at its Oshawa and Whitby campuses and Pickering Learning Site, these include everything from business funda-mentals and filmmaking to agricultural technology, baking and pastry arts.

Changing lives through learning at Durham College

DURHAM COLLEGE’S ALLISON HECTOR-ALEXANDER DISCUSSES HER DIVERSITY MANDATE WITH SEVERAL STUDENTS

744 full-time

staff

150 charities supported

last year

19,000+employee

volunteer hours

93%maternal/parental

salary top-up

N

“We have employees with 35 and 40 years of experience but they haven’t been sitting in the same positions all

those years,” says Lovisa. “They’ve been able to move through the college.”

Allison Hector-Alexander can attest to that. She had spent most of her career working with women and children who had survived domestic abuse when she spotted an advertisement for a newly-created position as director of a Women’s Centre run by the college’s Student Association. She landed the job – this was in 2009 – and has since moved on to become Manager of Durham College’s Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Transitions.

She reports to the vice-president, Student Affairs and her role is to work with staff and faculty to ensure that the college remains open and welcoming to students regardless of ethnic background, sexual orientation or spiritual and cultural tradition. “There’s a real sense of community and family here,” she says. “It’s what sets us apart. People genuinely care about you.”

Along with a culture of collegiality, Hector-Alexander also likes the openness and approachability of the college’s senior leadership. “All our leaders are very accessible,” she says. “If you have a question or a concern or need guidance they’re ready to support you. They’ve provided me with a lot of mentorship.”

Mentoring and professional develop-ment occur both formally and informally at the college, says Lovisa. “We look for people who want to take on leadership roles and we offer them opportunities to participate in local, regional, provincial and national events that allow them to hone their skills and connect with others.” Faculty are afforded opportunities to take on roles as associate deans or deans and from there they can move into entry-level, middle or advanced management positions within the college administration. Employees who aspire to teaching positions are eligible for

financial assistance to acquire the necessary academic credentials.

“A lot of our support staff would like to become teachers and there are opportu-nities to move into faculty positions,” says Lovisa. “They can begin by teaching part-time and through years of practice and professional development can become members of the faculty.”

Lovisa adds that communicating often and openly with employees, as well

“There’s a real sense

of community and

family here. It’s what

sets us apart.

People genuinely

care about you.” – Allison Hector-Alexander,

Manager, Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Transition

W W W. D U R H A M C O L L E G E . C A

6YEARS RUNNING

as listening to their concerns, are critical components in maintaining a committed and contented workforce. And he points to an unusually low turnover as one measure of how that approach is working at Durham College.

“We have a one per cent annual turnover in staff, three per cent if you include retirees,” he says. “Being able to hold on to staff means people are happy and that they feel engaged.”

ot everyone gets up Monday to Friday and goes to the office thinking anything is possible. But Don Lovisa, president of Durham College,

subscribes to that notion – it’s one of the things that drives him as well as many of his colleagues. “We see it all the time,” says Lovisa. “We’re changing lives through learning and helping people get on with their careers.”

Lovisa’s anything-is-possible mantra applies mainly, but not exclusively to the college’s more than 30,000 students, including 12,000 full-time post-secon-dary and apprenticeship students as well as part-time and continuing education students and online learners. However, there are multiple career paths and possibilities for both the support and administrative staff and the faculty who teach over 140 market-driven programs available in the college’s nine schools. Offered at its Oshawa and Whitby campuses and Pickering Learning Site, these include everything from business funda-mentals and filmmaking to agricultural technology, baking and pastry arts.

Changing lives through learning at Durham College

DURHAM COLLEGE’S ALLISON HECTOR-ALEXANDER DISCUSSES HER DIVERSITY MANDATE WITH SEVERAL STUDENTS

744 full-time

staff

150 charities supported

last year

19,000+employee

volunteer hours

93%maternal/parental

salary top-up

N

“We have employees with 35 and 40 years of experience but they haven’t been sitting in the same positions all

those years,” says Lovisa. “They’ve been able to move through the college.”

Allison Hector-Alexander can attest to that. She had spent most of her career working with women and children who had survived domestic abuse when she spotted an advertisement for a newly-created position as director of a Women’s Centre run by the college’s Student Association. She landed the job – this was in 2009 – and has since moved on to become Manager of Durham College’s Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Transitions.

She reports to the vice-president, Student Affairs and her role is to work with staff and faculty to ensure that the college remains open and welcoming to students regardless of ethnic background, sexual orientation or spiritual and cultural tradition. “There’s a real sense of community and family here,” she says. “It’s what sets us apart. People genuinely care about you.”

Along with a culture of collegiality, Hector-Alexander also likes the openness and approachability of the college’s senior leadership. “All our leaders are very accessible,” she says. “If you have a question or a concern or need guidance they’re ready to support you. They’ve provided me with a lot of mentorship.”

Mentoring and professional develop-ment occur both formally and informally at the college, says Lovisa. “We look for people who want to take on leadership roles and we offer them opportunities to participate in local, regional, provincial and national events that allow them to hone their skills and connect with others.” Faculty are afforded opportunities to take on roles as associate deans or deans and from there they can move into entry-level, middle or advanced management positions within the college administration. Employees who aspire to teaching positions are eligible for

financial assistance to acquire the necessary academic credentials.

“A lot of our support staff would like to become teachers and there are opportu-nities to move into faculty positions,” says Lovisa. “They can begin by teaching part-time and through years of practice and professional development can become members of the faculty.”

Lovisa adds that communicating often and openly with employees, as well

“There’s a real sense

of community and

family here. It’s what

sets us apart.

People genuinely

care about you.” – Allison Hector-Alexander,

Manager, Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Transition

W W W. D U R H A M C O L L E G E . C A

6YEARS RUNNING

2 1

for example, a short workweek or through a job share. “We recognize that this helps with retention,” says Pascal. “When you have talented people and you help them create harmony between work and home, they’ll give you 10 times more in return.”

Holm agrees. “I feel like my employer cares about me,” she says. “I have an encouraging boss who is my mentor and champion. I love to come to work each day.”

any of those who work at Dynacare are not only employees, but also patients who have benefited from the caring,

compassionate health-care professionals administering one of the medical tests the company provides.

Marketing Coordinator Rosemary Holm is one of them. When she joined the Brampton head office as a marketing assistant in 2008, she had routine blood work done at the on-site patient centre. “I was well taken care of, and it was a positive experience,” she says. “It was reassuring to have someone who was calm and professional take my blood.”

Compassion and ingenuity rule at Dynacare

Dynacare employee making a difference in a child’s life


in canada

10 charities helped

last year

420jobs available

last year

63%of managers are women

M

Dynacare (formerly Gamma-Dynacare) operates 220 laboratory and health services centres in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan and eight laboratories across Canada that provide such services as blood collection, transportation, cancer screening and prenatal testing, among others. In recent years, services have expanded to include advanced genetic testing, digital health and corporate wellness programs, as well as a number of specialized services for the insurance industry.

Vice-President Human Resources Donna Pascal is touched when she hears stories like Holm’s. “I have a friend who’s going through a health issue who had blood taken at a Dynacare lab,” says Pascal. “She told me that the phlebotomist was so professional and gentle, her arm didn’t bruise. This level of compassion and caring makes me feel proud.”

There’s no question that hiring the very best front-line employees is vital. “We look for people who are customer-focused, collaborative, accountable and compassionate,” says Pascal. “They also must ideally have ingenuity.”

An example of such ingenuity: a Dynacare phlebotomist in Quebec had to take blood from an autistic child. Using pictures, she came up with a way to explain the procedure that allowed the child to be calm enough to have the blood test. “This reassured both the child and the parents,” says Pascal. “It’s that kind of caring and initiative that leads to our best practices.”

Best practices are core components of Dynacare’s values and mission. For employees, they include flexible scheduling such as compressed workweeks and job sharing, professional development such as lunch-and-learn sessions, an employee-led social committee that supports local charities, and post-secondary scholarships for employees’ children.

Holm has four children ranging in age from 15 to 22. Her oldest, a daughter who attends the University of Guelph, has received two $1,250 scholarships that she put toward tuition. “This is a program the company values and employees appreciate because it’s a big financial help,” she says.

For five years, Holm has been a member of the employee-led Social Network Committee. With its annual budget, the organizers arrange summer picnics, holiday parties and charity drives. “We

ask ourselves, where can we help as many people as we can?” she says.

In May, Holm took the lead in organizing a 5K walk to support the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, which aims to end global poverty. “Being part of the social committee helps unite employees and promotes a positive workplace environment,” she says.

It’s easy to foster a happy workforce with managers who are supportive when their staff suggests creative ways to get their work done during,

“When you have talented

people and you help

them create harmony

between work and home,

they’ll give you 10 times

more in return.” – Donna Pascal,

Vice-President Human Resources

Making a difference in people’s livesdynacare.ca

for example, a short workweek or through a job share. “We recognize that this helps with retention,” says Pascal. “When you have talented people and you help them create harmony between work and home, they’ll give you 10 times more in return.”

Holm agrees. “I feel like my employer cares about me,” she says. “I have an encouraging boss who is my mentor and champion. I love to come to work each day.”

any of those who work at Dynacare are not only employees, but also patients who have benefited from the caring,

compassionate health-care professionals administering one of the medical tests the company provides.

Marketing Coordinator Rosemary Holm is one of them. When she joined the Brampton head office as a marketing assistant in 2008, she had routine blood work done at the on-site patient centre. “I was well taken care of, and it was a positive experience,” she says. “It was reassuring to have someone who was calm and professional take my blood.”

Compassion and ingenuity rule at Dynacare

Dynacare employee making a difference in a child’s life


in canada

10 charities helped

last year

420jobs available

last year


M

Dynacare (formerly Gamma-Dynacare) operates 220 laboratory and health services centres in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan and eight laboratories across Canada that provide such services as blood collection, transportation, cancer screening and prenatal testing, among others. In recent years, services have expanded to include advanced genetic testing, digital health and corporate wellness programs, as well as a number of specialized services for the insurance industry.

Vice-President Human Resources Donna Pascal is touched when she hears stories like Holm’s. “I have a friend who’s going through a health issue who had blood taken at a Dynacare lab,” says Pascal. “She told me that the phlebotomist was so professional and gentle, her arm didn’t bruise. This level of compassion and caring makes me feel proud.”

There’s no question that hiring the very best front-line employees is vital. “We look for people who are customer-focused, collaborative, accountable and compassionate,” says Pascal. “They also must ideally have ingenuity.”

An example of such ingenuity: a Dynacare phlebotomist in Quebec had to take blood from an autistic child. Using pictures, she came up with a way to explain the procedure that allowed the child to be calm enough to have the blood test. “This reassured both the child and the parents,” says Pascal. “It’s that kind of caring and initiative that leads to our best practices.”

Best practices are core components of Dynacare’s values and mission. For employees, they include flexible scheduling such as compressed workweeks and job sharing, professional development such as lunch-and-learn sessions, an employee-led social committee that supports local charities, and post-secondary scholarships for employees’ children.

Holm has four children ranging in age from 15 to 22. Her oldest, a daughter who attends the University of Guelph, has received two $1,250 scholarships that she put toward tuition. “This is a program the company values and employees appreciate because it’s a big financial help,” she says.

For five years, Holm has been a member of the employee-led Social Network Committee. With its annual budget, the organizers arrange summer picnics, holiday parties and charity drives. “We

ask ourselves, where can we help as many people as we can?” she says.

In May, Holm took the lead in organizing a 5K walk to support the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, which aims to end global poverty. “Being part of the social committee helps unite employees and promotes a positive workplace environment,” she says.

It’s easy to foster a happy workforce with managers who are supportive when their staff suggests creative ways to get their work done during,

“When you have talented

people and you help

them create harmony

between work and home,

they’ll give you 10 times

more in return.” – Donna Pascal,

Vice-President Human Resources

Making a difference in people’s livesdynacare.ca

2 2

Zubek. “Whenever someone hits that four-year milestone, it is something we get really excited about.”

Employees also look forward to their annual paid day to volunteer for a cause. For the past two years, Zubek and her 20-member regional sales team used their days to help at the Daily Bread Food Bank. Previously, they mentored a class of Grade 8 students, in keeping with Fidelity Canada’s national partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada.

’m all EARS!” is a phrase that resonates at Fidelity Investments Canada ULC. That is because, for the past two years, it has

been the slogan of a company-wide “listening campaign” that encourages employees to “Empathize, Ask, Recognize, Spotlight” – EARS!

“The campaign is intended to make sure all employees are listened to, whether it be managers listening to their reports or peer to peer,” says Nancy Lupi, Vice President, Human Resources. “It is in support of an open, transparent, honest culture – one that is collaborative, respectful and focused on continuous improvement.”

At Fidelity, make sure you listen – and speak up

Fidelity Canada volunteers at daily Bread Food Bank

793full-time staff

in Canada


last year


173jobs available

last year

Fidelity Canada is part of the Fidelity Investments organization of Boston, one of the world’s largest financial services providers. In Canada, Fidelity manages some $110 billion in mutual fund and institutional assets. In the GTA, it employs 680 people. In addition to salespeople with financial aptitude, Fidelity’s most numerous hires are customer service representatives and product specialists.

The EARS campaign is just one of the Fidelity initiatives to promote an open and respectful workplace. The company has been providing Emotional Intelligence training to employees at all levels. “It means being aware of the impact of your own behaviour on other people,” says Lupi. “I am impressed by the number of employees who entered the Emotional Intelligence workshops with trepidation and emerged thankful they had the training.”

Fidelity also champions diversity and inclusion. Each year, it presents an online training video with different workplace scenarios. Staff are asked to interactively indicate which behaviours are discriminatory. “Even long-serving employees are reminded that if a certain situation happens, they should speak up.” says Lupi.

The company supports diversity, too, through its Employee Resource Groups. These are voluntary groups of employees who have a common ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation, or who have similar experiences. Currently, there are four groups – for women, Asians, blacks and Latinos, and PRIDE minorities. Each group is sponsored by at least one senior Fidelity executive.

Lindsay Zubek, Manager, Regional Sales, has belonged to both the women’s and PRIDE groups since they launched in Canada three and a half years ago. “Being a co-chair of the Women’s Networking Group has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career,” she says. “It has allowed me to interact with senior leaders, both inside and outside Fidelity.”

The groups collectively have more than 200 members, many of them belonging to more than one group. Their impact is felt across the firm, as they draw employees from different departments who might not otherwise meet. Their events are open to non-members, too. “In the women’s group, we try to involve both men and women at our events,” says Zubek.

Employee benefits are an important feature at Fidelity. Its profit-sharing plan rewards selected employees annually, based on their performance as well as Fidelity’s. Especially popular is the defined contribution pension plan, through employer contributions to a group RSP.

No matching contributions are required of employees. The employer’s contribution rises to 15 per cent of base salary and annual bonus after four years. “This benefit sets Fidelity apart,” says

“I am impressed by

the number of employees

who entered the Emotional

Intelligence workshops

with trepidation and

emerged thankful they

had the training.”– Nancy Lupi,


Outstanding employees make us a top employer.

ADV 20056 GTA Top Employer banner ad 9-25x1-75.indd 1 2015-11-23 10:39 AM

I“

Zubek. “Whenever someone hits that four-year milestone, it is something we get really excited about.”

Employees also look forward to their annual paid day to volunteer for a cause. For the past two years, Zubek and her 20-member regional sales team used their days to help at the Daily Bread Food Bank. Previously, they mentored a class of Grade 8 students, in keeping with Fidelity Canada’s national partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada.

’m all EARS!” is a phrase that resonates at Fidelity Investments Canada ULC. That is because, for the past two years, it has

been the slogan of a company-wide “listening campaign” that encourages employees to “Empathize, Ask, Recognize, Spotlight” – EARS!

“The campaign is intended to make sure all employees are listened to, whether it be managers listening to their reports or peer to peer,” says Nancy Lupi, Vice President, Human Resources. “It is in support of an open, transparent, honest culture – one that is collaborative, respectful and focused on continuous improvement.”

At Fidelity, make sure you listen – and speak up

Fidelity Canada volunteers at daily Bread Food Bank

793full-time staff

in Canada


last year


173jobs available

last year

Fidelity Canada is part of the Fidelity Investments organization of Boston, one of the world’s largest financial services providers. In Canada, Fidelity manages some $110 billion in mutual fund and institutional assets. In the GTA, it employs 680 people. In addition to salespeople with financial aptitude, Fidelity’s most numerous hires are customer service representatives and product specialists.

The EARS campaign is just one of the Fidelity initiatives to promote an open and respectful workplace. The company has been providing Emotional Intelligence training to employees at all levels. “It means being aware of the impact of your own behaviour on other people,” says Lupi. “I am impressed by the number of employees who entered the Emotional Intelligence workshops with trepidation and emerged thankful they had the training.”

Fidelity also champions diversity and inclusion. Each year, it presents an online training video with different workplace scenarios. Staff are asked to interactively indicate which behaviours are discriminatory. “Even long-serving employees are reminded that if a certain situation happens, they should speak up.” says Lupi.

The company supports diversity, too, through its Employee Resource Groups. These are voluntary groups of employees who have a common ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation, or who have similar experiences. Currently, there are four groups – for women, Asians, blacks and Latinos, and PRIDE minorities. Each group is sponsored by at least one senior Fidelity executive.

Lindsay Zubek, Manager, Regional Sales, has belonged to both the women’s and PRIDE groups since they launched in Canada three and a half years ago. “Being a co-chair of the Women’s Networking Group has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career,” she says. “It has allowed me to interact with senior leaders, both inside and outside Fidelity.”

The groups collectively have more than 200 members, many of them belonging to more than one group. Their impact is felt across the firm, as they draw employees from different departments who might not otherwise meet. Their events are open to non-members, too. “In the women’s group, we try to involve both men and women at our events,” says Zubek.

Employee benefits are an important feature at Fidelity. Its profit-sharing plan rewards selected employees annually, based on their performance as well as Fidelity’s. Especially popular is the defined contribution pension plan, through employer contributions to a group RSP.

No matching contributions are required of employees. The employer’s contribution rises to 15 per cent of base salary and annual bonus after four years. “This benefit sets Fidelity apart,” says

“I am impressed by

the number of employees

who entered the Emotional

Intelligence workshops

with trepidation and

emerged thankful they

had the training.”– Nancy Lupi,


Outstanding employees make us a top employer.

ADV 20056 GTA Top Employer banner ad 9-25x1-75.indd 1 2015-11-23 10:39 AM

I“

2 3

being of employees and creating a non-judgmental dialogue around mental health issues. “We want to make sure that these issues are better understood, that we remove the stigma around mental health and that people have access to the services they need when they’re not well,” says Blanchard. “We also want people to know it’s okay to talk about these things.”

s corporate trips go, this one was definitely different – and exciting. In the summer of 2013, Heather Chalmers and a team of executives from

GE Canada travelled to Bangkok and then on to Rangoon, the capital of Myanmar, one of the world’s least-visited nations and one with enormous development challenges.

“Not many people have been to Myanmar,” says Chalmers, General Manager of GE Healthcare Canada “It’s a country moving to democratic rule and the people need better healthcare, more reliable power and access to clean drinking water. It was an amazing experience and gave all of us exposure to business challenges outside our normal markets.”

Travel to faraway places does not happen every day at GE, but Chalmers says employees are challenged daily to be curious, inquisitive and innovative. “You never get the chance to rest on your laurels,” adds Chalmers, a 20-year veteran of GE. “We are always looking to innovate, looking around the corner to explore what are the current and future needs of the marketplace and our customers.”

Leaders support their employees at GE Canada

GE CANADA’S DEHLIA BLANCHARD (LEFT) CONFERS WITH COLLEAGUE HEATHER CHALMERS (RIGHT)

6,500 full-time employees

in Canada

1,228 jobs available

last year

63,238 job applications

last year

40years, longest-

serving employee

A

GE’s various lines of business – including healthcare, aviation, power, oil and gas –supply clients with hardware, software and the in-house expertise

that makes power plants and water treatment plants as well as everything from locomotives, jet engines and LED lighting operate at peak efficiency. The healthcare division provides hospitals and clinics with GE ultrasound machines, nuclear cameras, magnetic resonant imaging devices (MRIs) and other equipment as well as the expertise to ensure optimum patient care.

GE is equally committed to providing employees with opportunities to grow and develop professionally. Globally, the company spends over $1 billion annually on training and development through its own leadership programs and by supporting employees who are pursuing educational opportunities through university or college programs.

Dehlia Blanchard, General Manager of Service with GE Healthcare Canada, started 23 years ago as a field service representative responsible for repairing and maintaining equipment. She’s come a long way since then. “Leadership supports employees,” says Dehlia. “It’s part of the culture. I expressed my interest in exploring opportunities and the company supported me all the way.”

She, in turn, has mentored and encouraged others. “For me, one of the keys to feeling successful is watching others succeed,” says Blanchard. “It’s a sign of good leadership at GE.”

The company’s Leadership Effectiveness Acceleration Program (LEAP) provides training for those who have risen through the management ranks to become executives. GE also works with an employment partner called Career Edge which targets outside talent and provides one-year internships to individuals looking to develop professionally or make career moves, very often leading to offers of permanent employment.

The company is also committed to contributing to the well-being of communities across Canada through its GE Volunteers program, including

its signature national event, the GE Day of Caring, held annually in the fall. Blanchard led a group of 75 employees this year that spent a day at a YMCA camp and, among other things, built a mountain bike trail, repaired and painted cabins and prepared an organic garden for the winter.

More recently, GE has launched a mental health initiative aimed at promoting the emotional and psychological well-

“We are always looking to innovate, looking around

the corner to explore what are the current and future needs of the marketplace

and our customers.” – Heather Chalmers,

General Manager, GE Healthcare Canada

Explore a career with the world’sleading digital industrial companyge.com/ca/careers

being of employees and creating a non-judgmental dialogue around mental health issues. “We want to make sure that these issues are better understood, that we remove the stigma around mental health and that people have access to the services they need when they’re not well,” says Blanchard. “We also want people to know it’s okay to talk about these things.”

s corporate trips go, this one was definitely different – and exciting. In the summer of 2013, Heather Chalmers and a team of executives from

GE Canada travelled to Bangkok and then on to Rangoon, the capital of Myanmar, one of the world’s least-visited nations and one with enormous development challenges.

“Not many people have been to Myanmar,” says Chalmers, General Manager of GE Healthcare Canada “It’s a country moving to democratic rule and the people need better healthcare, more reliable power and access to clean drinking water. It was an amazing experience and gave all of us exposure to business challenges outside our normal markets.”

Travel to faraway places does not happen every day at GE, but Chalmers says employees are challenged daily to be curious, inquisitive and innovative. “You never get the chance to rest on your laurels,” adds Chalmers, a 20-year veteran of GE. “We are always looking to innovate, looking around the corner to explore what are the current and future needs of the marketplace and our customers.”

Leaders support their employees at GE Canada

GE CANADA’S DEHLIA BLANCHARD (LEFT) CONFERS WITH COLLEAGUE HEATHER CHALMERS (RIGHT)

6,500 full-time employees

in Canada


last year


last year

40years, longest-

serving employee

A

GE’s various lines of business – including healthcare, aviation, power, oil and gas –supply clients with hardware, software and the in-house expertise

that makes power plants and water treatment plants as well as everything from locomotives, jet engines and LED lighting operate at peak efficiency. The healthcare division provides hospitals and clinics with GE ultrasound machines, nuclear cameras, magnetic resonant imaging devices (MRIs) and other equipment as well as the expertise to ensure optimum patient care.

GE is equally committed to providing employees with opportunities to grow and develop professionally. Globally, the company spends over $1 billion annually on training and development through its own leadership programs and by supporting employees who are pursuing educational opportunities through university or college programs.

Dehlia Blanchard, General Manager of Service with GE Healthcare Canada, started 23 years ago as a field service representative responsible for repairing and maintaining equipment. She’s come a long way since then. “Leadership supports employees,” says Dehlia. “It’s part of the culture. I expressed my interest in exploring opportunities and the company supported me all the way.”

She, in turn, has mentored and encouraged others. “For me, one of the keys to feeling successful is watching others succeed,” says Blanchard. “It’s a sign of good leadership at GE.”

The company’s Leadership Effectiveness Acceleration Program (LEAP) provides training for those who have risen through the management ranks to become executives. GE also works with an employment partner called Career Edge which targets outside talent and provides one-year internships to individuals looking to develop professionally or make career moves, very often leading to offers of permanent employment.

The company is also committed to contributing to the well-being of communities across Canada through its GE Volunteers program, including

its signature national event, the GE Day of Caring, held annually in the fall. Blanchard led a group of 75 employees this year that spent a day at a YMCA camp and, among other things, built a mountain bike trail, repaired and painted cabins and prepared an organic garden for the winter.

More recently, GE has launched a mental health initiative aimed at promoting the emotional and psychological well-

“We are always looking to innovate, looking around

the corner to explore what are the current and future needs of the marketplace

and our customers.” – Heather Chalmers,

General Manager, GE Healthcare Canada

Explore a career with the world’sleading digital industrial companyge.com/ca/careers

2 4

Gopalapillai. “I’m very family-oriented and I want to be involved in my children’s growth and activities. For that to happen, you need to work for a company that believes in balance and I think GM is very good at that.”

Recruiting and mentoring younger engineers like Gopalapillai is one of the most appealing parts of the job for Tossan, a 17-year GM Canada veteran.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about the people and the ability to develop new talent right here in Canada,” he says. “We’re building the future of what transportation is going to look like. For the people with the right technical skills, that’s going to make for a very appealing and rewarding career.”

utomated and autonomous driving. Cars and trucks that can “talk to each other” and help avoid crashes. Electric and other alternative

propulsion systems that provide more energy-efficient, cleaner drives.

For Brian Tossan, Director of General Motors’ Oshawa-based Engineering Centre, these are all aspects of tomorrow’s safer, greener and more “connected” car – and they are coming to a road near you in the not-so-distant future.

“We’re expecting more change in this industry in the next five years than we’ve seen in the last 50 years,” says Tossan. “It’s a very exciting time to be in the business.”

The vision of the “connected car” – one that’s programmed to be more aware of how it interfaces with its environment while also allowing consumers to bring their digital lives into their vehicles – is driving a hiring boom at GM Canada’s Engineering Centre.

General Motors technology drives the future

GM CANADA’S ENGINEERING CENTRE IN OSHAWA, ONTARIO


in Canada

$8,000 annual tuition assistance for

salaried employees

6weeks, maximum

vacation allowance

52weeks, maternity & parental leave

top-up pay

A

“We have just over 300 engineers working here,” says Tossan. “We are currently hiring another 100 engineers to support our vision of the connected car. These will be people with the software development and controls diagnostic skills required to design the new features. The fact is the technologies being developed in our industry today are as fresh and new as anything that’s out there.”

Some of those technologies will soon hit the pavement. GM is introducing a 2017 Cadillac model featuring “super-cruise” technology that will provide the ability to drive hands-free and feet-free under certain highway conditions.

Jasinthen Gopalapillai joined GM Canada as a software engineer this past April after several years working in the fields of mobile communications and mobile games.

“What really excited me was the potential for autonomous driving technology to change not just the automobile industry, but other industries as well,” says Gopalapillai. “I really wanted to be part of that by taking my core experience in the mobile space and applying it to a new domain.”

Gopalapillai has been impressed by the level of teamwork and innovation he’s seen at GM. “This is a large company but working where I do feels more like being part of small start-up,” he says. “There’s a real ease of communication with managers and between team members. People are open to new ideas and learning from each other.”

Gopalapillai is currently taking courses towards a master’s degree in computer science, specializing in machine learning. He sees this as a key step towards his goal of working as a technical manager in that field. GM reimburses him for those courses, part of a program that provides employees with up to $8,000 in tuition support.

Another attraction of working at GM is the company’s emphasis on providing strong work-life balance through initiatives such as flexible hours, telecommuting and attractive vacation and time-off policies.

“That’s quite important to me because I have a seven-month-old daughter and another baby on the way,” says

“We’re building what transportation is going

to look like.” – Brian Tossan,

Director of GM’s Engineering Centre

G E N E R A L M O T O R S

HOW WE USE OUR CARS IS CHANGING. SO WE’RE CHANGING HOW WE ENGINEER THEM.

Disruptors wanted. Connect with us at careers.gm.com

Gopalapillai. “I’m very family-oriented and I want to be involved in my children’s growth and activities. For that to happen, you need to work for a company that believes in balance and I think GM is very good at that.”

Recruiting and mentoring younger engineers like Gopalapillai is one of the most appealing parts of the job for Tossan, a 17-year GM Canada veteran.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about the people and the ability to develop new talent right here in Canada,” he says. “We’re building the future of what transportation is going to look like. For the people with the right technical skills, that’s going to make for a very appealing and rewarding career.”

utomated and autonomous driving. Cars and trucks that can “talk to each other” and help avoid crashes. Electric and other alternative

propulsion systems that provide more energy-efficient, cleaner drives.

For Brian Tossan, Director of General Motors’ Oshawa-based Engineering Centre, these are all aspects of tomorrow’s safer, greener and more “connected” car – and they are coming to a road near you in the not-so-distant future.

“We’re expecting more change in this industry in the next five years than we’ve seen in the last 50 years,” says Tossan. “It’s a very exciting time to be in the business.”

The vision of the “connected car” – one that’s programmed to be more aware of how it interfaces with its environment while also allowing consumers to bring their digital lives into their vehicles – is driving a hiring boom at GM Canada’s Engineering Centre.

General Motors technology drives the future

GM CANADA’S ENGINEERING CENTRE IN OSHAWA, ONTARIO


in Canada

$8,000 annual tuition assistance for

salaried employees

6weeks, maximum

vacation allowance

52weeks, maternity & parental leave

top-up pay

A

“We have just over 300 engineers working here,” says Tossan. “We are currently hiring another 100 engineers to support our vision of the connected car. These will be people with the software development and controls diagnostic skills required to design the new features. The fact is the technologies being developed in our industry today are as fresh and new as anything that’s out there.”

Some of those technologies will soon hit the pavement. GM is introducing a 2017 Cadillac model featuring “super-cruise” technology that will provide the ability to drive hands-free and feet-free under certain highway conditions.

Jasinthen Gopalapillai joined GM Canada as a software engineer this past April after several years working in the fields of mobile communications and mobile games.

“What really excited me was the potential for autonomous driving technology to change not just the automobile industry, but other industries as well,” says Gopalapillai. “I really wanted to be part of that by taking my core experience in the mobile space and applying it to a new domain.”

Gopalapillai has been impressed by the level of teamwork and innovation he’s seen at GM. “This is a large company but working where I do feels more like being part of small start-up,” he says. “There’s a real ease of communication with managers and between team members. People are open to new ideas and learning from each other.”

Gopalapillai is currently taking courses towards a master’s degree in computer science, specializing in machine learning. He sees this as a key step towards his goal of working as a technical manager in that field. GM reimburses him for those courses, part of a program that provides employees with up to $8,000 in tuition support.

Another attraction of working at GM is the company’s emphasis on providing strong work-life balance through initiatives such as flexible hours, telecommuting and attractive vacation and time-off policies.

“That’s quite important to me because I have a seven-month-old daughter and another baby on the way,” says

“We’re building what transportation is going

to look like.” – Brian Tossan,

Director of GM’s Engineering Centre

G E N E R A L M O T O R S

HOW WE USE OUR CARS IS CHANGING. SO WE’RE CHANGING HOW WE ENGINEER THEM.

Disruptors wanted. Connect with us at careers.gm.com

2 5

much of which is distributed back into the surrounding community, while slot machine proceeds go to the province’s Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. The casino itself also raises charity funds – and employee pride – through an annual golf tournament, which has given $2.2 million back to the community since 1997.

Block says that along with strong compensation and benefits, a commitment to a safe workplace and intensive training programs, another attraction of employment with Casinos Austria is the potential to work elsewhere. The company runs casinos on seven U.S.-based cruise ships and has gaming operations in 15 countries. “Some of our people have taken contracts in other countries and were thrilled to have had an opportunity to see the world,” says Block.

fter 17 years at the Great Blue Heron Charity Casino, Phuong “Paul” Luu knew he worked with a great group of people. But it was

only when his youngest child became seriously ill that he realized how great.

In 2014, his son Patrick, 13, contracted Ewing’s Sarcoma, a form of bone cancer, and underwent gruelling rounds of chemotherapy. “It was a very difficult time for my family and me,” says Luu.

Basic medical expenses were already covered by OHIP, of course, while the company’s benefits plan fully paid for the expensive drugs involved. But his colleagues at the casino, located just outside Port Perry, Ont., knew there are many other costs at a time of crisis.

A special barbecue for the casino’s 1,000-plus full and part-time staff was quickly arranged to assist the family, yielding $9,000. The casino matched that, and its owners, the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, made an additional contribution. In all, Luu received some $20,000.

It’s no gamble working at Great Blue Heron Casino

JACKPOT! GREAT BLUE HERON CHARITY CASINO EMPLOYEES CELEBRATE SELECTION AS ONE OF GREATER TORONTO’S TOP EMPLOYERS FOR 2016

677 full-time staff

in Canada

80 charities helped

last year


1week vacation

bonus at 10th year

A

Today, after treatment at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, Patrick is doing fine. “I will forever be grateful for everyone’s hard work and generosity,” says Luu.

The Vietnamese immigrant joined the casino as an Inspector when it opened in 1997 and has risen to the role of Pit

Manager. “We have a very strong team,” he says. “We work together like a family.”

Arnold Block, CEO and General Manager, says that like Luu, many employees have been with the casino for a long time, often since the beginning. The casino inspires that loyalty by doing whatever it can to help employees, both formally and informally, from mentoring, training and recognition programs to assistance in a crisis, he says.

“We understand that there is a direct link between employee happiness and customer satisfaction,” says Block. “It is almost impossible to achieve one without the other. We take this to heart and have made it a main principle of our business philosophy.”

Groundskeeper Alana Cawker, a local employee who started in security in 2000, is a good example of that philosophy. She enjoys the family-like environment and meeting customers. “Because I’m outside, I get to meet a lot of patrons and chat with them,” she says. “I actually have patrons sending me Christmas cards because I’ve become close with them. They always say people are so friendly here.”

Block notes that Great Blue Heron is one of the largest employers in

Durham Region, with a full-service staff of dealers, slot attendants, cashiers, technicians, food and beverage workers, maintenance personnel, security officers, customer relations hosts, administrators and others. “A lot of people are attracted by the excitement of the industry,” he says. “They enjoy the interaction with customers and the atmosphere of entertainment.”

Owned by the First Nation, the casino is managed by the Great Blue Heron Gaming Company, a partnership comprising Vienna-based Casinos Austria International, the Steiner Group and Sonco Gaming. Up to 10 per cent of staff are Aboriginal, and many employees are hired from the local area.

Income from the gaming tables flows to the First Nation’s charitable foundation,

“There is a direct link between employee

happiness and customer satisfaction. It is almost

impossible to achieve one without the other.”

– Arnold Block, CEO and General Manager

We have a WINNER!Great Blue Heron Casino is proud to be named one of the Greater Toronto’s Top Employers.

Must be 19 or older. Patrons with self-excluded or trespassed status, as determined by the Great Blue Heron Charity Casino (GBHCC) will not be eligible to participate in any GBHCC promotion; and if detected at our gaming property will be removed and trespassed. License #15. BAAGWATING COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION.

Ontario ProblemGambling Helpline1-888-230-3505

7606_GBH_TopEmployer_Ad.indd 1 15-10-27 1:07 PM

much of which is distributed back into the surrounding community, while slot machine proceeds go to the province’s Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. The casino itself also raises charity funds – and employee pride – through an annual golf tournament, which has given $2.2 million back to the community since 1997.

Block says that along with strong compensation and benefits, a commitment to a safe workplace and intensive training programs, another attraction of employment with Casinos Austria is the potential to work elsewhere. The company runs casinos on seven U.S.-based cruise ships and has gaming operations in 15 countries. “Some of our people have taken contracts in other countries and were thrilled to have had an opportunity to see the world,” says Block.

fter 17 years at the Great Blue Heron Charity Casino, Phuong “Paul” Luu knew he worked with a great group of people. But it was

only when his youngest child became seriously ill that he realized how great.

In 2014, his son Patrick, 13, contracted Ewing’s Sarcoma, a form of bone cancer, and underwent gruelling rounds of chemotherapy. “It was a very difficult time for my family and me,” says Luu.

Basic medical expenses were already covered by OHIP, of course, while the company’s benefits plan fully paid for the expensive drugs involved. But his colleagues at the casino, located just outside Port Perry, Ont., knew there are many other costs at a time of crisis.

A special barbecue for the casino’s 1,000-plus full and part-time staff was quickly arranged to assist the family, yielding $9,000. The casino matched that, and its owners, the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, made an additional contribution. In all, Luu received some $20,000.

It’s no gamble working at Great Blue Heron Casino

JACKPOT! GREAT BLUE HERON CHARITY CASINO EMPLOYEES CELEBRATE SELECTION AS ONE OF GREATER TORONTO’S TOP EMPLOYERS FOR 2016

677 full-time staff

in Canada

80 charities helped

last year


1week vacation

bonus at 10th year

A

Today, after treatment at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, Patrick is doing fine. “I will forever be grateful for everyone’s hard work and generosity,” says Luu.

The Vietnamese immigrant joined the casino as an Inspector when it opened in 1997 and has risen to the role of Pit

Manager. “We have a very strong team,” he says. “We work together like a family.”

Arnold Block, CEO and General Manager, says that like Luu, many employees have been with the casino for a long time, often since the beginning. The casino inspires that loyalty by doing whatever it can to help employees, both formally and informally, from mentoring, training and recognition programs to assistance in a crisis, he says.

“We understand that there is a direct link between employee happiness and customer satisfaction,” says Block. “It is almost impossible to achieve one without the other. We take this to heart and have made it a main principle of our business philosophy.”

Groundskeeper Alana Cawker, a local employee who started in security in 2000, is a good example of that philosophy. She enjoys the family-like environment and meeting customers. “Because I’m outside, I get to meet a lot of patrons and chat with them,” she says. “I actually have patrons sending me Christmas cards because I’ve become close with them. They always say people are so friendly here.”

Block notes that Great Blue Heron is one of the largest employers in

Durham Region, with a full-service staff of dealers, slot attendants, cashiers, technicians, food and beverage workers, maintenance personnel, security officers, customer relations hosts, administrators and others. “A lot of people are attracted by the excitement of the industry,” he says. “They enjoy the interaction with customers and the atmosphere of entertainment.”

Owned by the First Nation, the casino is managed by the Great Blue Heron Gaming Company, a partnership comprising Vienna-based Casinos Austria International, the Steiner Group and Sonco Gaming. Up to 10 per cent of staff are Aboriginal, and many employees are hired from the local area.

Income from the gaming tables flows to the First Nation’s charitable foundation,

“There is a direct link between employee

happiness and customer satisfaction. It is almost

impossible to achieve one without the other.”

– Arnold Block, CEO and General Manager

We have a WINNER!Great Blue Heron Casino is proud to be named one of the Greater Toronto’s Top Employers.

Must be 19 or older. Patrons with self-excluded or trespassed status, as determined by the Great Blue Heron Charity Casino (GBHCC) will not be eligible to participate in any GBHCC promotion; and if detected at our gaming property will be removed and trespassed. License #15. BAAGWATING COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION.

Ontario ProblemGambling Helpline1-888-230-3505

7606_GBH_TopEmployer_Ad.indd 1 15-10-27 1:07 PM

Tell us your storyIf you are an exceptional

GTA employer with progressive

HR programs and

initiatives, we invite you to

submit an application for next

year’s edition of Greater

Toronto’s Top Employers.

For more information,

please visit:

CanadasTop100.com/apply Our 2017 application will be

available in February.

2017

2 7

time at York University in pursuit of a Bachelor of Administrative Studies, with a major in human resources.

“That’s something I might have been unable to afford and that opens the door for long-term career growth at Griffith,” she says. “I’m recently married and I see this as a company that will provide me with the stability and balance to advance my career as I also start a family. I’m excited about coming to work here each day and I hope to do so for many years to come.”

s a global food company, Griffith Laboratories has chosen a natural cause to champion – alleviating world hunger. In 2014,

Griffith’s Canadian head office worked with local food banks to provide 250,000 meals. This year, they are pursuing the even more ambitious goal of providing one million meals to individuals and families in need.

“There’s a lot of energy and passion internally for doing this,” says Jim Thorne, Griffith’s Toronto-based General Manager. “In addition to donating food, our employees volunteer in food banks. One of the reasons people love working at Griffith is that, beyond providing really good jobs, we give back to our communities.”

It was initiatives like the anti-hunger campaign that attracted Jaime Oren to Griffith. “I was certainly looking for much more than just a paycheque,” says Oren, who joined Griffith in 2014 as a Human Resources Business Partner. “I wanted to be part of a company that’s engaged in the bigger picture of community investment and sustainability and where I could work with others who shared that mindset.”

Griffith Laboratories feeds the world

Griffith Laboratories employees volunteering at a food bank

322full-time staff

in Canada

37 jobs available

last year


last year

42years, longest-

serving employee

A

Eighteen months in, Oren feels very much at home at Griffith, a family-owned, Illinois-based company that is a product development partner providing food ingredient solutions to customers in some 30 countries and across four continents.

Griffith has a longstanding commitment to the principle of sustainability when it comes to sourcing its food products and solutions as well as running its manufacturing plants and other operations.

“In terms of any leftover product or waste that we have, zero goes into landfill sites,” says Thorne. “So we are either recycling it or, if it’s food, we use it or donate it.”

Griffith is also making a company-wide effort to improve energy efficiency and reduce water consumption. “This is good for the environment and it also reduces our operating costs,” says Thorne. “It’s very much a ‘win-win’ proposition.”

Griffith places a high priority on recruiting the right talent – and then making sure they are properly prepared to work within Griffith’s team-based culture.

“We certainly want qualified and skilled people, but we have a rigorous interview process to make sure they also have the right attitude,” says Thorne. “If need be, you can always train for technical skills, but personal skills are another thing entirely.”

How would he describe the “right attitude” to work at Griffith? Thorne ticks off a list of character traits.

“Friendly. Caring. Positive. Collaborative. We’re always looking for smart people – for example, we have 18 top-calibre food scientists working in our R&D centre – but we also want people with a sense of humbleness, open-mindedness and an appetite for learning and growing.”

Once the employee is hired, Griffith strives to make the on-boarding experience unique. “With many employers, it starts and stops with a single orientation session,” observes Oren. “But when I was hired by Griffith, my entire first two weeks was a structured set of meetings with

the leadership and the employees of all the various areas I’d be working with. I really got to know the heart and culture of this organization.”

In addition to a very competitive compensation and benefits package (including a defined benefit pension plan), Griffith employees can access a range of programs to upgrade their skills and advance their careers.

Oren, for example, is taking advantage of the company’s education reimbursement program to study part-

“There’s a lot of energy and passion for doing this.”

– Jim Thorne, General Manager

We’re proud to be one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers, a region known for ethnic diversity and world-class cuisine!

time at York University in pursuit of a Bachelor of Administrative Studies, with a major in human resources.

“That’s something I might have been unable to afford and that opens the door for long-term career growth at Griffith,” she says. “I’m recently married and I see this as a company that will provide me with the stability and balance to advance my career as I also start a family. I’m excited about coming to work here each day and I hope to do so for many years to come.”

s a global food company, Griffith Laboratories has chosen a natural cause to champion – alleviating world hunger. In 2014,

Griffith’s Canadian head office worked with local food banks to provide 250,000 meals. This year, they are pursuing the even more ambitious goal of providing one million meals to individuals and families in need.

“There’s a lot of energy and passion internally for doing this,” says Jim Thorne, Griffith’s Toronto-based General Manager. “In addition to donating food, our employees volunteer in food banks. One of the reasons people love working at Griffith is that, beyond providing really good jobs, we give back to our communities.”

It was initiatives like the anti-hunger campaign that attracted Jaime Oren to Griffith. “I was certainly looking for much more than just a paycheque,” says Oren, who joined Griffith in 2014 as a Human Resources Business Partner. “I wanted to be part of a company that’s engaged in the bigger picture of community investment and sustainability and where I could work with others who shared that mindset.”

Griffith Laboratories feeds the world

Griffith Laboratories employees volunteering at a food bank

322full-time staff

in Canada

37 jobs available

last year


last year

42years, longest-

serving employee

A

Eighteen months in, Oren feels very much at home at Griffith, a family-owned, Illinois-based company that is a product development partner providing food ingredient solutions to customers in some 30 countries and across four continents.

Griffith has a longstanding commitment to the principle of sustainability when it comes to sourcing its food products and solutions as well as running its manufacturing plants and other operations.

“In terms of any leftover product or waste that we have, zero goes into landfill sites,” says Thorne. “So we are either recycling it or, if it’s food, we use it or donate it.”

Griffith is also making a company-wide effort to improve energy efficiency and reduce water consumption. “This is good for the environment and it also reduces our operating costs,” says Thorne. “It’s very much a ‘win-win’ proposition.”

Griffith places a high priority on recruiting the right talent – and then making sure they are properly prepared to work within Griffith’s team-based culture.

“We certainly want qualified and skilled people, but we have a rigorous interview process to make sure they also have the right attitude,” says Thorne. “If need be, you can always train for technical skills, but personal skills are another thing entirely.”

How would he describe the “right attitude” to work at Griffith? Thorne ticks off a list of character traits.

“Friendly. Caring. Positive. Collaborative. We’re always looking for smart people – for example, we have 18 top-calibre food scientists working in our R&D centre – but we also want people with a sense of humbleness, open-mindedness and an appetite for learning and growing.”

Once the employee is hired, Griffith strives to make the on-boarding experience unique. “With many employers, it starts and stops with a single orientation session,” observes Oren. “But when I was hired by Griffith, my entire first two weeks was a structured set of meetings with

the leadership and the employees of all the various areas I’d be working with. I really got to know the heart and culture of this organization.”

In addition to a very competitive compensation and benefits package (including a defined benefit pension plan), Griffith employees can access a range of programs to upgrade their skills and advance their careers.

Oren, for example, is taking advantage of the company’s education reimbursement program to study part-

“There’s a lot of energy and passion for doing this.”

– Jim Thorne, General Manager

We’re proud to be one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers, a region known for ethnic diversity and world-class cuisine!

2 8

leaves include 100-per-cent salary top-ups for 18 weeks. Compassionate care leave can also be topped-up to full salary for eight weeks. As well, the company matches charitable giving and employees get two days off with pay to devote to a charity of their choice.

Ergonomic office features include high-quality chairs and sit/stand workstations. For his part, Kalmuk likes working at his desk’s high position. “I would rather stand than sit,” he says.

And walk rather than stand. “To stay healthy, we’re considering walking meetings,” he says.

hen Andrew Kalmuk walked nervously into his boss’s office to raise a difficult question, he received a surprising answer. Kalmuk

was a relatively recent marketing hire with Janssen Pharmaceuticals (a Johnson & Johnson company), and he was considering applying for a promotion at Johnson and Johnson Inc. (J&J)Consumer in the Greater Toronto Area.

Kalmuk wanted to move from pharmaceuticals, where he had just helped launch a new diabetes drug, to consumer products. “I expected to be told, ‘Not yet,’” says Kalmuk. “But my boss encouraged me to apply. Not only that, he got Janssen’s HR people to work with their equivalents at Johnson and Johnson Inc. Consumer to ensure that I got a shot at the position.”

He adds, “The response way exceeded my expectations.”

Career development opportunities abound at Johnson & Johnson

J&J STAFF ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE ON NEW CHALLENGES

545 full-time staff

in Canada

51 charities helped

last year

63%of staff

are female

37 years, longest-

serving employee

W

Kalmuk got the job, Group Brand Director, and is now responsible for the marketing and promotion of several signature J&J consumer health and wellness products. He also supervises a staff of seven.

“It was one thing to give me the go-ahead, but the active support that followed was the difference in making it happen,” says Kalmuk. “It shows how the company is committed to

helping people develop professionally.”

Indeed, multinational J&J encourages staff to move around the organization and take on new challenges. All job postings are open to anyone in the company, anywhere in the world. In the Toronto area alone, there are three major divisions: Janssen, along with separate medical device and consumer product operations. Says Kalmuk: “Not only can you progress vertically, but you can also move horizontally under the same umbrella. That’s unique in the healthcare product industry. It shows that J&J not only values diversity of talent, but actually facilitates movement across business sectors.”

Adds Louisa Greco, the company’s Markham-based Canadian Managing Director: “This year, more than 25 per cent of our employees will take on new roles as part of their career development, either in Canada or at one of our 250 operating companies around the world.”

Dedication to its employees is one pillar of the company’s signature four-part Credo. Written by former chairman Robert Johnson in 1943, “Our Credo” comprises J&J’s guiding principles or responsibilities that have long been singled out as examples of successful corporate behaviour. The responsibility to employees ranks just below Number One, a duty to consumers and healthcare professionals. Third comes corporate responsibility to the community followed, lastly, by being profitable.

Responsibility to employees includes more than their professional development. The company is also dedicated to their health and general welfare. All personnel are encouraged to take a confidential questionnaire that identifies potential health and lifestyle risks. The results often trigger a fitness regime, registration for courses to stop smoking, nutrition advice and cancer awareness, among other measures. “Our aim is to have the healthiest workforce in the country,” says Greco.

A fully equipped onsite fitness centre with fitness and wellness consultants, all free to staff, help address what employees may have learned about their health needs. And to encourage good eating habits, there are free energy snacks and fruit baskets – organic bananas are a special hit – along with a cafeteria dedicated to healthy foods, including a daily fresh salad bar. “Instead of a sandwich, I can have a dinner-quality meal at lunch,” says Kalmuk.

Beyond employee health, J&J shows consideration for its personnel’s well-being in other ways. Benefits are generous and employee lifestyle is taken seriously. Maternity and paternity

“Not only can you progress

vertically, but you can also

move horizontally under the

same umbrella.” – Andrew Kalmuk, Group Brand Director

It is your passion and commitment that makes Johnson & Johnson Inc. a top company in Canada.

leaves include 100-per-cent salary top-ups for 18 weeks. Compassionate care leave can also be topped-up to full salary for eight weeks. As well, the company matches charitable giving and employees get two days off with pay to devote to a charity of their choice.

Ergonomic office features include high-quality chairs and sit/stand workstations. For his part, Kalmuk likes working at his desk’s high position. “I would rather stand than sit,” he says.

And walk rather than stand. “To stay healthy, we’re considering walking meetings,” he says.

hen Andrew Kalmuk walked nervously into his boss’s office to raise a difficult question, he received a surprising answer. Kalmuk

was a relatively recent marketing hire with Janssen Pharmaceuticals (a Johnson & Johnson company), and he was considering applying for a promotion at Johnson and Johnson Inc. (J&J)Consumer in the Greater Toronto Area.

Kalmuk wanted to move from pharmaceuticals, where he had just helped launch a new diabetes drug, to consumer products. “I expected to be told, ‘Not yet,’” says Kalmuk. “But my boss encouraged me to apply. Not only that, he got Janssen’s HR people to work with their equivalents at Johnson and Johnson Inc. Consumer to ensure that I got a shot at the position.”

He adds, “The response way exceeded my expectations.”

Career development opportunities abound at Johnson & Johnson

J&J STAFF ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE ON NEW CHALLENGES

545 full-time staff

in Canada

51 charities helped

last year

63%of staff

are female

37 years, longest-

serving employee

W

Kalmuk got the job, Group Brand Director, and is now responsible for the marketing and promotion of several signature J&J consumer health and wellness products. He also supervises a staff of seven.

“It was one thing to give me the go-ahead, but the active support that followed was the difference in making it happen,” says Kalmuk. “It shows how the company is committed to

helping people develop professionally.”

Indeed, multinational J&J encourages staff to move around the organization and take on new challenges. All job postings are open to anyone in the company, anywhere in the world. In the Toronto area alone, there are three major divisions: Janssen, along with separate medical device and consumer product operations. Says Kalmuk: “Not only can you progress vertically, but you can also move horizontally under the same umbrella. That’s unique in the healthcare product industry. It shows that J&J not only values diversity of talent, but actually facilitates movement across business sectors.”

Adds Louisa Greco, the company’s Markham-based Canadian Managing Director: “This year, more than 25 per cent of our employees will take on new roles as part of their career development, either in Canada or at one of our 250 operating companies around the world.”

Dedication to its employees is one pillar of the company’s signature four-part Credo. Written by former chairman Robert Johnson in 1943, “Our Credo” comprises J&J’s guiding principles or responsibilities that have long been singled out as examples of successful corporate behaviour. The responsibility to employees ranks just below Number One, a duty to consumers and healthcare professionals. Third comes corporate responsibility to the community followed, lastly, by being profitable.

Responsibility to employees includes more than their professional development. The company is also dedicated to their health and general welfare. All personnel are encouraged to take a confidential questionnaire that identifies potential health and lifestyle risks. The results often trigger a fitness regime, registration for courses to stop smoking, nutrition advice and cancer awareness, among other measures. “Our aim is to have the healthiest workforce in the country,” says Greco.

A fully equipped onsite fitness centre with fitness and wellness consultants, all free to staff, help address what employees may have learned about their health needs. And to encourage good eating habits, there are free energy snacks and fruit baskets – organic bananas are a special hit – along with a cafeteria dedicated to healthy foods, including a daily fresh salad bar. “Instead of a sandwich, I can have a dinner-quality meal at lunch,” says Kalmuk.

Beyond employee health, J&J shows consideration for its personnel’s well-being in other ways. Benefits are generous and employee lifestyle is taken seriously. Maternity and paternity

“Not only can you progress

vertically, but you can also

move horizontally under the

same umbrella.” – Andrew Kalmuk, Group Brand Director

It is your passion and commitment that makes Johnson & Johnson Inc. a top company in Canada.

2 9

in Canada by more than 22 per cent, trimmed water usage by 11 per cent, and cut packaging materials by 12 per cent. Its goals for the next five years will be even more ambitious.

Faced with increasingly intense competition from global giants, Kruger Products owes its success to its people, says Gosselin. But in an era when young professionals typically work for several companies over time, he adds, holding on to them is a greater challenge. The company is striving to create an environment where employees can build long-term careers.

“It’s up to us to make sure we have programs in place to retain them,” he says. “We try to be close with our people as much as we can and work with them to be successful.”

ario Gosselin, CEO of Kruger Products LP, likes to joke that he built his career at the Mississauga-based company from

the ground floor – by sweeping it. At the tender age of 17, he was hired at a Kruger newsprint mill in Trois-Rivières, Que., where he laboured by day and studied accounting at night. His tuition was covered by the company.

Over his four-decade career with the organization, he’s become a living example of its dedication to helping employees realize their potential. He was eventually hired as an assistant accountant at the mill, and spent the following decades rising through increasingly senior management roles and earning a company-sponsored MBA along the way.

In 2005, he was named chief executive officer of Kruger Products, a leading manufacturer of tissue, towel and napkin products, known for brand names like Cashmere and Scotties. “For us,” says Gosselin, 57, “the sky is the limit for people who like to progress within the organization.”

At Kruger, sustainability applies to careers, too

Pioneer event at Kruger recognition Program at region east


in Canada

11 charities helped

last year

132jobs available

last year

46years, longest-

serving employee

M

At Kruger Products, employees don’t need to worry about being pigeon-holed in a particular job, says Serge Reynaud, Corporate Vice-President, Human Resources. “We have no problem looking outside the box,” he says. “We’re really serious about investing in our people and offering the ability to move beyond the department where they’re working.”

The company promotes employee mobility through generous tuition subsidies for college, university and professional accreditation programs. In addition, it launched a popular mentorship program two years ago aimed at developing its top talent. The initiative is expanding rapidly across the company’s operations in Canada and the United States.

As a family firm, a concern for the well-being of employees continues throughout their careers and beyond. Employees have access to financial and retirement planning services, and health benefits extend to retirees, with no age limit.

The family atmosphere is enhanced by a corporate culture that balances hard work with fun. That enjoyment often comes through volunteer activities, which help employees give back to their communities. Kruger Products actively assists charities that benefit cancer research, conservation and children’s health. In fact, the company is a Top Five National supporter of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Every year, it organizes the White Cashmere Collection event, a breast

cancer funds and awareness raiser that challenges Canadian fashion designers to create couture designs crafted from soft and luxurious sheets of Cashmere bathroom tissue.

The company’s commitment to sustainability has become an increasingly important factor in attracting and retaining top employees, says VP, Sustainability and Innovation, Steven Sage. “People just want to know,” he observes, “that they’re working for a company that cares about the environment and the communities in which they operate.”

They also take pride in how much Kruger Products has reduced its environmental footprint. Over the past five years alone, says Sage, the company has slashed its greenhouse gas emissions

“For us, the sky is the limit for people who like to progress within the

organization.” – Mario Gosselin,

CEO

Canada’s Leading Manufacturer of Quality Tissue Products for Household, Industrial and Commercial Use

krugerproducts.ca

in Canada by more than 22 per cent, trimmed water usage by 11 per cent, and cut packaging materials by 12 per cent. Its goals for the next five years will be even more ambitious.

Faced with increasingly intense competition from global giants, Kruger Products owes its success to its people, says Gosselin. But in an era when young professionals typically work for several companies over time, he adds, holding on to them is a greater challenge. The company is striving to create an environment where employees can build long-term careers.

“It’s up to us to make sure we have programs in place to retain them,” he says. “We try to be close with our people as much as we can and work with them to be successful.”

ario Gosselin, CEO of Kruger Products LP, likes to joke that he built his career at the Mississauga-based company from

the ground floor – by sweeping it. At the tender age of 17, he was hired at a Kruger newsprint mill in Trois-Rivières, Que., where he laboured by day and studied accounting at night. His tuition was covered by the company.

Over his four-decade career with the organization, he’s become a living example of its dedication to helping employees realize their potential. He was eventually hired as an assistant accountant at the mill, and spent the following decades rising through increasingly senior management roles and earning a company-sponsored MBA along the way.

In 2005, he was named chief executive officer of Kruger Products, a leading manufacturer of tissue, towel and napkin products, known for brand names like Cashmere and Scotties. “For us,” says Gosselin, 57, “the sky is the limit for people who like to progress within the organization.”

At Kruger, sustainability applies to careers, too

Pioneer event at Kruger recognition Program at region east


in Canada

11 charities helped

last year

132jobs available

last year

46years, longest-

serving employee

M

At Kruger Products, employees don’t need to worry about being pigeon-holed in a particular job, says Serge Reynaud, Corporate Vice-President, Human Resources. “We have no problem looking outside the box,” he says. “We’re really serious about investing in our people and offering the ability to move beyond the department where they’re working.”

The company promotes employee mobility through generous tuition subsidies for college, university and professional accreditation programs. In addition, it launched a popular mentorship program two years ago aimed at developing its top talent. The initiative is expanding rapidly across the company’s operations in Canada and the United States.

As a family firm, a concern for the well-being of employees continues throughout their careers and beyond. Employees have access to financial and retirement planning services, and health benefits extend to retirees, with no age limit.

The family atmosphere is enhanced by a corporate culture that balances hard work with fun. That enjoyment often comes through volunteer activities, which help employees give back to their communities. Kruger Products actively assists charities that benefit cancer research, conservation and children’s health. In fact, the company is a Top Five National supporter of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Every year, it organizes the White Cashmere Collection event, a breast

cancer funds and awareness raiser that challenges Canadian fashion designers to create couture designs crafted from soft and luxurious sheets of Cashmere bathroom tissue.

The company’s commitment to sustainability has become an increasingly important factor in attracting and retaining top employees, says VP, Sustainability and Innovation, Steven Sage. “People just want to know,” he observes, “that they’re working for a company that cares about the environment and the communities in which they operate.”

They also take pride in how much Kruger Products has reduced its environmental footprint. Over the past five years alone, says Sage, the company has slashed its greenhouse gas emissions

“For us, the sky is the limit for people who like to progress within the

organization.” – Mario Gosselin,

CEO

Canada’s Leading Manufacturer of Quality Tissue Products for Household, Industrial and Commercial Use

krugerproducts.ca

3 0

to help frontline staff become leaders. As part of this initiative, occupational teams have visited other hospitals to see firsthand what they are doing.

The hospital is very supportive of staff going outside for learning as they bring back skills and ideas that everyone can benefit from, explains Theodore.

“Lakeridge Health is a wonderful place to work,” he says. “You get professionally involved with many talented people and teamwork is very strong.”

akeridge Health unfurled an ambitious five year strategic plan back in 2010-11 that set some ambitious goals for this community hospital perched

on the eastern edge of the GTA.

The plan was the result of extensive discussions with the local community, industry partners and healthcare professionals at the hospital. When it was done, its vision was both simple and challenging: “Excellence – every moment, every day.”

The strategic plan targets a number of key areas. These are to enhance the patient experience, be the safest and healthiest hospital in the province and to invest in facilities, equipment, technology and training, notes Kevin Empey, President & CEO.

Lakeridge Health follows a path to excellence

InterventIonal radIologIst dr. sean galente wIth a patIent at Lakeridge HeaLtH oshawa


in Canada

314 job openings

last year


last year

46years, longest-

serving employee

L

“This current phase of the Lakeridge Health strategic plan focuses on supporting a psychologically healthy workforce, learning and training, and technology and innovation,” he says. “It’s the natural next step following some of our earlier successful initiatives.”

Lakeridge Health serves the growing regional municipality of Durham. It runs four hospitals, in Oshawa, Bowmanville, Port Perry and Whitby, as well as 16 smaller health centres. Lakeridge Health manages a budget of $480 million and treats approximately 1,600 patients daily.

In the last year, Lakeridge Health has built on its goal for employees of becoming the healthiest hospital workforce in Ontario with the launch of its new Step Up and Stand Together campaign.

“This campaign is all about creating an even more collegial and respectful workforce. That way we can attract and inspire the best healthcare workforce possible,” explains Empey. “Staff are participating enthusiastically, which is really fantastic.”

Lakeridge Health has three pillars of wellness programs. These are physical, occupational and psychosocial. Lakeridge Health has also created strong supports and programming that focuses on each of these pillars.

Healthcare is often stressful, so Lakeridge Health is working hard to support staff, volunteers and physicians, notes Empey. “They are the ones we entrust with giving compassionate care to every person who comes through our doors,” he says. “But part of being compassionate is also making sure we are taking care of each other.”

Joshua Theodore, an Occupational Therapist, strongly believes in this collective approach. He has been a member of an inter-professional practice council for a few years so he knows what team-oriented success is like. Theodore says everyone is interdependent, and working together benefits staff and patients.

“Communication and collaboration are important in a large matrix organization like Lakeridge Health. In our professional group, doctors, nurses, dieticians, therapists, and social workers

get together every morning to coordinate plans for looking after patients. It makes a big difference,” he explains.

A significant part of the strategic plan’s focus on technology and innovation is in upgrading the physical space to provide a better patient experience and an enhanced work environment for staff. “We are continually looking to invest in new ways to protect our staff from injury,” says Empey.

Lakeridge Health is also partnering with other regional healthcare providers to compare notes on learning tools and how

“This current phase of the

Lakeridge Health strategic

plan focuses on supporting

a psychologically healthy

workforce, learning and

training, and technology

and innovation.” – Kevin Empey, President & CEO

Others wanted him.We got him. Here.

Dr. Greg Athaide specializes in minimally invasive gynecological surgery. He’s one of the many highly qualified surgeons here at your hospital.

Talk to your family doctor about getting your surgery at Lakeridge Health.

to help frontline staff become leaders. As part of this initiative, occupational teams have visited other hospitals to see firsthand what they are doing.

The hospital is very supportive of staff going outside for learning as they bring back skills and ideas that everyone can benefit from, explains Theodore.

“Lakeridge Health is a wonderful place to work,” he says. “You get professionally involved with many talented people and teamwork is very strong.”

akeridge Health unfurled an ambitious five year strategic plan back in 2010-11 that set some ambitious goals for this community hospital perched

on the eastern edge of the GTA.

The plan was the result of extensive discussions with the local community, industry partners and healthcare professionals at the hospital. When it was done, its vision was both simple and challenging: “Excellence – every moment, every day.”

The strategic plan targets a number of key areas. These are to enhance the patient experience, be the safest and healthiest hospital in the province and to invest in facilities, equipment, technology and training, notes Kevin Empey, President & CEO.

Lakeridge Health follows a path to excellence

InterventIonal radIologIst dr. sean galente wIth a patIent at Lakeridge HeaLtH oshawa


in Canada

314 job openings

last year


last year

46years, longest-

serving employee

L

“This current phase of the Lakeridge Health strategic plan focuses on supporting a psychologically healthy workforce, learning and training, and technology and innovation,” he says. “It’s the natural next step following some of our earlier successful initiatives.”

Lakeridge Health serves the growing regional municipality of Durham. It runs four hospitals, in Oshawa, Bowmanville, Port Perry and Whitby, as well as 16 smaller health centres. Lakeridge Health manages a budget of $480 million and treats approximately 1,600 patients daily.

In the last year, Lakeridge Health has built on its goal for employees of becoming the healthiest hospital workforce in Ontario with the launch of its new Step Up and Stand Together campaign.

“This campaign is all about creating an even more collegial and respectful workforce. That way we can attract and inspire the best healthcare workforce possible,” explains Empey. “Staff are participating enthusiastically, which is really fantastic.”

Lakeridge Health has three pillars of wellness programs. These are physical, occupational and psychosocial. Lakeridge Health has also created strong supports and programming that focuses on each of these pillars.

Healthcare is often stressful, so Lakeridge Health is working hard to support staff, volunteers and physicians, notes Empey. “They are the ones we entrust with giving compassionate care to every person who comes through our doors,” he says. “But part of being compassionate is also making sure we are taking care of each other.”

Joshua Theodore, an Occupational Therapist, strongly believes in this collective approach. He has been a member of an inter-professional practice council for a few years so he knows what team-oriented success is like. Theodore says everyone is interdependent, and working together benefits staff and patients.

“Communication and collaboration are important in a large matrix organization like Lakeridge Health. In our professional group, doctors, nurses, dieticians, therapists, and social workers

get together every morning to coordinate plans for looking after patients. It makes a big difference,” he explains.

A significant part of the strategic plan’s focus on technology and innovation is in upgrading the physical space to provide a better patient experience and an enhanced work environment for staff. “We are continually looking to invest in new ways to protect our staff from injury,” says Empey.

Lakeridge Health is also partnering with other regional healthcare providers to compare notes on learning tools and how

“This current phase of the

Lakeridge Health strategic

plan focuses on supporting

a psychologically healthy

workforce, learning and

training, and technology

and innovation.” – Kevin Empey, President & CEO

Others wanted him.We got him. Here.

Dr. Greg Athaide specializes in minimally invasive gynecological surgery. He’s one of the many highly qualified surgeons here at your hospital.

Talk to your family doctor about getting your surgery at Lakeridge Health.

3 1

impressed with this structure?” she asks. “Working here is a privilege.”

Moreover, it is a public trust, one Elali takes seriously. “The Law Society has a long history of caring for its property,” she says. “I am proud to lead a team that not only maintains this facility, but also enhances it.”

Elali can also attest to the society as a people-caring organization. “When I expressed interest in the job, I was introduced to some staff before I decided whether I wanted to go ahead,” she says. “I saw a number of happy people who have been here for decades. That made the decision easy.”

o, what’s an architect doing working at the Law Society of Upper Canada? On one level, the answer is fairly straightforward. Architect Mona

Elali is the society’s Senior Facilities Manager, responsible for preserving a 19th-century heritage building and its six acres of manicured grounds, as well as creating a modern and ergonomically efficient workspace for more than 500 employees.

But her answer is also more profound. “The Law Society’s values reflect mine,” says Elali. “And they take the same care with the Osgoode Hall building as they do with employees. This is a safe, comfortable and sustainable place where people have a chance to grow.”

The Law Society aims to be a role model

ONTARIO’S LAW SOCIETY OFFERS A RANGE OF CAREERS FOR A DIVERSE WORKFORCE

543 full time

employees

12,000 visitors during

Doors Open Toronto

12employee-organized

charitable events in 2015

33promotions,

secondments and transfers last year

S

The Law Society, Canada’s largest, regulates the legal and paralegal professions in Ontario. Its central mandate is to protect the public interest through oversight over the province’s some 49,000 lawyers and 7,000 paralegals. It also strives to enhance access to justice. Says Rob Lapper, the society’s CEO: “We serve the public. That’s important because that public interest ethos infuses our staff. It provides them

with a clear mission and a sense of purpose that is important to morale.”

The society also strives to be a role model for the professions it regulates. Some two-thirds of its employees are female. The same percentage holds for both management and senior management positions. That’s considerably higher than for the legal profession as a whole. “We should be ahead of the curve,” says Lapper. “We can’t urge the professions to promote diversity and gender equality unless we walk the talk ourselves.”

The Law Society has made the Top Employers list for a decade now, and Lapper says that’s largely because it provides myriad opportunities for individuals to develop professionally and to take on new challenges within the organization. That approach was also a key factor in the society this year winning a Governor General’s Canada Award for Excellence. That honour goes to organizations that demonstrate continual innovation and sustainable improvement throughout the workplace.

The society takes a broad approach to serving the public it is mandated to protect. For example, Law Society staff are encouraged to learn French or improve their proficiency in the language so they can provide bilingual services to the Ontario public. Onsite language courses are available and tuition for those wanting to take classes in this and other job-related areas, including legal studies, are generously subsidized.

“There’s lots of competition these days for talented people,” Lapper says. “Our commitment to professional skill enhancement and internal job opportunities allows us to attract and keep the best people.”

As well, the Law Society is responsive to work-life balance needs. Flexible working arrangements, including telecommuting, flexible work

hours and compressed work weeks are available. Employees get up to two paid days to devote to the volunteer activity of their choice.

Elali first encountered the historic downtown Toronto building that is home to the Law Society, in addition to the Ontario Court of Appeal and other courts, when she was in private practice. At the time, she was volunteering with Doors Open Toronto, an annual weekend event when the public can visit otherwise restricted buildings. The Law Society takes this openness one step further, offering guided tours during the summer months, another one of Elali’s responsibilities. “How can you not be

“We can’t urge the

professions to promote

diversity and gender

equality unless we walk

the talk ourselves.” – Rob Lapper,

CEO

Learn more about the opportunities available at lsuc.on.ca

Celebrating 10 consecutive years as a Greater Toronto Top Employer

impressed with this structure?” she asks. “Working here is a privilege.”

Moreover, it is a public trust, one Elali takes seriously. “The Law Society has a long history of caring for its property,” she says. “I am proud to lead a team that not only maintains this facility, but also enhances it.”

Elali can also attest to the society as a people-caring organization. “When I expressed interest in the job, I was introduced to some staff before I decided whether I wanted to go ahead,” she says. “I saw a number of happy people who have been here for decades. That made the decision easy.”

o, what’s an architect doing working at the Law Society of Upper Canada? On one level, the answer is fairly straightforward. Architect Mona

Elali is the society’s Senior Facilities Manager, responsible for preserving a 19th-century heritage building and its six acres of manicured grounds, as well as creating a modern and ergonomically efficient workspace for more than 500 employees.

But her answer is also more profound. “The Law Society’s values reflect mine,” says Elali. “And they take the same care with the Osgoode Hall building as they do with employees. This is a safe, comfortable and sustainable place where people have a chance to grow.”

The Law Society aims to be a role model

ONTARIO’S LAW SOCIETY OFFERS A RANGE OF CAREERS FOR A DIVERSE WORKFORCE

543 full time

employees

12,000 visitors during

Doors Open Toronto

12employee-organized

charitable events in 2015

33promotions,

secondments and transfers last year

S

The Law Society, Canada’s largest, regulates the legal and paralegal professions in Ontario. Its central mandate is to protect the public interest through oversight over the province’s some 49,000 lawyers and 7,000 paralegals. It also strives to enhance access to justice. Says Rob Lapper, the society’s CEO: “We serve the public. That’s important because that public interest ethos infuses our staff. It provides them

with a clear mission and a sense of purpose that is important to morale.”

The society also strives to be a role model for the professions it regulates. Some two-thirds of its employees are female. The same percentage holds for both management and senior management positions. That’s considerably higher than for the legal profession as a whole. “We should be ahead of the curve,” says Lapper. “We can’t urge the professions to promote diversity and gender equality unless we walk the talk ourselves.”

The Law Society has made the Top Employers list for a decade now, and Lapper says that’s largely because it provides myriad opportunities for individuals to develop professionally and to take on new challenges within the organization. That approach was also a key factor in the society this year winning a Governor General’s Canada Award for Excellence. That honour goes to organizations that demonstrate continual innovation and sustainable improvement throughout the workplace.

The society takes a broad approach to serving the public it is mandated to protect. For example, Law Society staff are encouraged to learn French or improve their proficiency in the language so they can provide bilingual services to the Ontario public. Onsite language courses are available and tuition for those wanting to take classes in this and other job-related areas, including legal studies, are generously subsidized.

“There’s lots of competition these days for talented people,” Lapper says. “Our commitment to professional skill enhancement and internal job opportunities allows us to attract and keep the best people.”

As well, the Law Society is responsive to work-life balance needs. Flexible working arrangements, including telecommuting, flexible work

hours and compressed work weeks are available. Employees get up to two paid days to devote to the volunteer activity of their choice.

Elali first encountered the historic downtown Toronto building that is home to the Law Society, in addition to the Ontario Court of Appeal and other courts, when she was in private practice. At the time, she was volunteering with Doors Open Toronto, an annual weekend event when the public can visit otherwise restricted buildings. The Law Society takes this openness one step further, offering guided tours during the summer months, another one of Elali’s responsibilities. “How can you not be

“We can’t urge the

professions to promote

diversity and gender

equality unless we walk

the talk ourselves.” – Rob Lapper,

CEO

Learn more about the opportunities available at lsuc.on.ca

Celebrating 10 consecutive years as a Greater Toronto Top Employer

3 2

share what they have learned others,” says Luthra, adding that the company holds monthly meetings in which staff are encouraged to do just that.

It’s this supportive, inspiring environment that makes the Mattel motto “creating the future of play” ring true. “Everyone works together,” says Sumar. “I’ve never seen a group of people who care more about everybody’s success.”

or about a year, Alicia Sumar held many a little girl’s -- and some big girls’ – dream job at Mattel Canada: marketing Barbie, the world’s first and

still most popular fashion doll. Then the company threw Sumar a curve ball. “They approached me and said, ‘We know your blood runs pure pink, but we would like you to be the marketing manager for our new Mega Bloks product line,’” she recalls.

It was a big decision. Barbie is considered by many to be the crown jewel in the Mattel empire. Along with such other iconic brands as Hot Wheels and Fisher-Price, Barbie has helped make Mattel a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products.

In February 2014, Mattel Inc. acquired Mega Bloks, adding construction blocks and collectors’ sets to the portfolio of toys it sells in more than 150 countries. And now Sumar was being asked to take on responsibility for Mega, and its 18 different sub-brands, in Canada. Thanks, however, to the emphasis Mattel places on creating an environment where employees can work and grow, both personally and professionally, Sumar was up for the challenge.

Work hard, play hard at Mattel Canada

MATTEL CANADA EMPLOYEES CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN IN THE “PLAY PATROL” SPONSORED COSTUME CONTEST

118 full-time staff

in Canada

47 years, longest-

serving employee

20jobs available

last year

800job applications

last year

F

Based in Mississauga, Ont., Mattel Canada’s workforce is employed primarily in sales, marketing and distribution. In her work with Barbie, Sumar had focused on traditional marketing functions such as public

relations and communications. With Mega, however, she’d take on additional responsibilities that would allow her to interact more directly with supply chain, finance and capitalize on new ways of interacting with consumers in a rapidly changing 24/7 retail environment.

Mattel encourages such cross-departmental and cross-functional moves not only as a way to foster trust and cohesiveness among co-workers, but to help individuals master new skills that can advance their careers. The company invests in the long-term development of its employees in other ways as well. This includes in-house and external courses and training, with the company providing tuition subsidies of up to $8,000 for job-related education.

Another Mattel core value contributed to Sumar’s decision to make the Mega switch – its culture of ownership. The company cultivates entrepreneurship through, among other ways, a share purchase plan, available to all employees, and year-end bonuses for all. It offers additional financial benefits as well, such as referral bonuses of up to $2,000 for employees who successfully refer a candidate.

For Sumar, the ownership culture also translates into a sense of autonomy. “Mattel wants you to think like an entrepreneur, which I love,” says Sumar. “When you’re trying to make a big decision, you’re encouraged to ask, ‘If this were my company, would I take this step?’ If the answer is yes, then go for it.”

And if things don’t work out?

“If we don’t try, we will fail,” says Sanjay Luthra, Vice-President and Country Manager for Canada. “We reward failure.” Unorthodox perhaps, but a viewpoint that makes perfect sense in Mattel’s competitive context.

To remain the market leader, Mattel is dedicated to being first to launch groundbreaking new products. Yet individuals who fear falling flat tend

to take only baby steps or return to what worked previously, notes Luthra. Instead, a culture of innovation depends on people throughout the organization, not only to those who invent toys, being willing to take risks.

Thus, those who work hard, do thorough research and develop a well-thought out plan, can still make an important contribution even if they come up short. “The key is to analyze what went wrong, not repeat mistakes and, most important,

“Mattel wants you to think like an entrepreneur.”

– Alicia Sumar, Marketing Manager

Iconic, global brands...inspiring children at play...engaged and talented employees...endless possibilities...this is Mattel!

share what they have learned others,” says Luthra, adding that the company holds monthly meetings in which staff are encouraged to do just that.

It’s this supportive, inspiring environment that makes the Mattel motto “creating the future of play” ring true. “Everyone works together,” says Sumar. “I’ve never seen a group of people who care more about everybody’s success.”

or about a year, Alicia Sumar held many a little girl’s -- and some big girls’ – dream job at Mattel Canada: marketing Barbie, the world’s first and

still most popular fashion doll. Then the company threw Sumar a curve ball. “They approached me and said, ‘We know your blood runs pure pink, but we would like you to be the marketing manager for our new Mega Bloks product line,’” she recalls.

It was a big decision. Barbie is considered by many to be the crown jewel in the Mattel empire. Along with such other iconic brands as Hot Wheels and Fisher-Price, Barbie has helped make Mattel a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products.

In February 2014, Mattel Inc. acquired Mega Bloks, adding construction blocks and collectors’ sets to the portfolio of toys it sells in more than 150 countries. And now Sumar was being asked to take on responsibility for Mega, and its 18 different sub-brands, in Canada. Thanks, however, to the emphasis Mattel places on creating an environment where employees can work and grow, both personally and professionally, Sumar was up for the challenge.

Work hard, play hard at Mattel Canada

MATTEL CANADA EMPLOYEES CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN IN THE “PLAY PATROL” SPONSORED COSTUME CONTEST

118 full-time staff

in Canada

47 years, longest-

serving employee

20jobs available

last year

800job applications

last year

F

Based in Mississauga, Ont., Mattel Canada’s workforce is employed primarily in sales, marketing and distribution. In her work with Barbie, Sumar had focused on traditional marketing functions such as public

relations and communications. With Mega, however, she’d take on additional responsibilities that would allow her to interact more directly with supply chain, finance and capitalize on new ways of interacting with consumers in a rapidly changing 24/7 retail environment.

Mattel encourages such cross-departmental and cross-functional moves not only as a way to foster trust and cohesiveness among co-workers, but to help individuals master new skills that can advance their careers. The company invests in the long-term development of its employees in other ways as well. This includes in-house and external courses and training, with the company providing tuition subsidies of up to $8,000 for job-related education.

Another Mattel core value contributed to Sumar’s decision to make the Mega switch – its culture of ownership. The company cultivates entrepreneurship through, among other ways, a share purchase plan, available to all employees, and year-end bonuses for all. It offers additional financial benefits as well, such as referral bonuses of up to $2,000 for employees who successfully refer a candidate.

For Sumar, the ownership culture also translates into a sense of autonomy. “Mattel wants you to think like an entrepreneur, which I love,” says Sumar. “When you’re trying to make a big decision, you’re encouraged to ask, ‘If this were my company, would I take this step?’ If the answer is yes, then go for it.”

And if things don’t work out?

“If we don’t try, we will fail,” says Sanjay Luthra, Vice-President and Country Manager for Canada. “We reward failure.” Unorthodox perhaps, but a viewpoint that makes perfect sense in Mattel’s competitive context.

To remain the market leader, Mattel is dedicated to being first to launch groundbreaking new products. Yet individuals who fear falling flat tend

to take only baby steps or return to what worked previously, notes Luthra. Instead, a culture of innovation depends on people throughout the organization, not only to those who invent toys, being willing to take risks.

Thus, those who work hard, do thorough research and develop a well-thought out plan, can still make an important contribution even if they come up short. “The key is to analyze what went wrong, not repeat mistakes and, most important,

“Mattel wants you to think like an entrepreneur.”

– Alicia Sumar, Marketing Manager

Iconic, global brands...inspiring children at play...engaged and talented employees...endless possibilities...this is Mattel!

3 3

employees to bring a fresh perspective to the company, “to share ideas, use my skills and learn new things.”

All this came as a revelation to Goldenberg, who had assumed that she would follow a career as a conventional teacher with a public school board. “I never thought I’d end up in the automotive industry,” she says. “But I’m so happy to be here. And we get to drive really cool cars.”

n her first day on the job at Mazda Canada Inc., a senior executive stopped to talk to Amanda Goldenberg while she worked at her

desk. “He actually knelt down and said, ‘Welcome.’ He said he hoped my first day was going well and that if I had any ideas that might help the company, I should let him know.”

That brief conversation, two years ago, convinced Goldenberg that she’d joined the right company at the right time.

As a Specialist, Curriculum Development, Goldenberg develops and administers online training programs designed for head-office employees and for approximately 5,000 staff members at Mazda’s 165 franchised dealerships across the country. Based in Mazda’s head office in Richmond Hill, Ont., Goldenberg and her four-person team also coordinate face-to-face training programs for as many as 1,200 dealership personnel who learn about and test drive the company’s new vehicles on a closed-circuit track. “We get to drive them too,” she adds.

Mazda employees are ambassadors of the brand

SPECIALIST, CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AMANDA GOLDENBERG ATTENDING A TRAINING SESSION

138full-time staff

in Canada


last year

43years, longest-

serving employee

3weeks, starting

vacation allowance

O

Goldenberg arrived at Mazda after graduating with a Bachelor of Education degree from York University. With thousands of graduates competing for

only a few openings with local school boards, she looked farther afield and accepted a contract position in Mazda Canada’s warranty department.

Since Mazda operates dealerships and a regional office in Quebec, she thought initially that the temporary position would give her a chance to practice her French-language skills. “But the people here were so friendly and helpful, and I always felt so supported,” Goldenberg says, “that by the time my contract ended, I didn’t want to leave.”

Fortunately, just as she started looking for another job, Mazda Canada circulated an internal announcement about an opening in its Brand Engagement department.

“We’ve been growing for the last three years, adding five or six people a year, and we’ve had tremendous success finding great people,” says Brian McDougall, the company’s Senior Director of HR, IT & Administration,

That’s not surprising. New employees at Mazda Canada enjoy three weeks of starting vacation and receive additional paid time off between Christmas and the New Year. They also receive paid personal days. “We all need time off occasionally to manage our lives,” says McDougall, “whether it’s for a sick day or to take care of a child. This allows people to manage their own time.”

Generous vacation schedules and competitive benefits programs, including a defined benefit pension plan, are certainly not the only factors that attract employees to Mazda. “We also have a great product,” says McDougall, a 25-year HR veteran, who came to Mazda almost eight years ago from one of the Big Three North American automakers.

“This is a tough business,” he continues. “We don’t shy away from that. There are days when it’ll be tough to go to work. But we’re here for our employees, and we try to make a difference in our employees’ lives.”

Goldenberg noticed that difference from the day she started at Mazda. “I started just after the company launched its customer experience initiative,” she says. “It focuses the culture of the organization on the customer, and that means anyone you’re interacting with, whether it’s a person buying a car or the person next to you in the office. We’re all ambassadors of the brand.”

As she discovered during her first day on the job, Mazda Canada encourages

“I never thought I’d end up in the automotive

industry. But I’m so happy to be here.

And we get to drive really cool cars.” – Amanda Goldenberg,

Specialist, Curriculum Development

zoo}-zoo}mazda .ca/careers

W I T H T H E R I G H T P E O P L E B E H I N D T H E W H E E L , E V E R Y T H I N G I S P O S S I B L E . E V E R Y T H I N G I S P O S S I B L E . E V E R Y T H I N G I S P O S S I B L E . E V E R Y T H I N G I S P O S S I B L E . E V E R Y T H I N G I S P O S S I B L E .

Thank you to a l l our employees for making Mazda Canada one of the GTA’s Top Employers .

employees to bring a fresh perspective to the company, “to share ideas, use my skills and learn new things.”

All this came as a revelation to Goldenberg, who had assumed that she would follow a career as a conventional teacher with a public school board. “I never thought I’d end up in the automotive industry,” she says. “But I’m so happy to be here. And we get to drive really cool cars.”

n her first day on the job at Mazda Canada Inc., a senior executive stopped to talk to Amanda Goldenberg while she worked at her

desk. “He actually knelt down and said, ‘Welcome.’ He said he hoped my first day was going well and that if I had any ideas that might help the company, I should let him know.”

That brief conversation, two years ago, convinced Goldenberg that she’d joined the right company at the right time.

As a Specialist, Curriculum Development, Goldenberg develops and administers online training programs designed for head-office employees and for approximately 5,000 staff members at Mazda’s 165 franchised dealerships across the country. Based in Mazda’s head office in Richmond Hill, Ont., Goldenberg and her four-person team also coordinate face-to-face training programs for as many as 1,200 dealership personnel who learn about and test drive the company’s new vehicles on a closed-circuit track. “We get to drive them too,” she adds.

Mazda employees are ambassadors of the brand

SPECIALIST, CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AMANDA GOLDENBERG ATTENDING A TRAINING SESSION

138full-time staff

in Canada


last year

43years, longest-

serving employee

3weeks, starting

vacation allowance

O

Goldenberg arrived at Mazda after graduating with a Bachelor of Education degree from York University. With thousands of graduates competing for

only a few openings with local school boards, she looked farther afield and accepted a contract position in Mazda Canada’s warranty department.

Since Mazda operates dealerships and a regional office in Quebec, she thought initially that the temporary position would give her a chance to practice her French-language skills. “But the people here were so friendly and helpful, and I always felt so supported,” Goldenberg says, “that by the time my contract ended, I didn’t want to leave.”

Fortunately, just as she started looking for another job, Mazda Canada circulated an internal announcement about an opening in its Brand Engagement department.

“We’ve been growing for the last three years, adding five or six people a year, and we’ve had tremendous success finding great people,” says Brian McDougall, the company’s Senior Director of HR, IT & Administration,

That’s not surprising. New employees at Mazda Canada enjoy three weeks of starting vacation and receive additional paid time off between Christmas and the New Year. They also receive paid personal days. “We all need time off occasionally to manage our lives,” says McDougall, “whether it’s for a sick day or to take care of a child. This allows people to manage their own time.”

Generous vacation schedules and competitive benefits programs, including a defined benefit pension plan, are certainly not the only factors that attract employees to Mazda. “We also have a great product,” says McDougall, a 25-year HR veteran, who came to Mazda almost eight years ago from one of the Big Three North American automakers.

“This is a tough business,” he continues. “We don’t shy away from that. There are days when it’ll be tough to go to work. But we’re here for our employees, and we try to make a difference in our employees’ lives.”

Goldenberg noticed that difference from the day she started at Mazda. “I started just after the company launched its customer experience initiative,” she says. “It focuses the culture of the organization on the customer, and that means anyone you’re interacting with, whether it’s a person buying a car or the person next to you in the office. We’re all ambassadors of the brand.”

As she discovered during her first day on the job, Mazda Canada encourages

“I never thought I’d end up in the automotive

industry. But I’m so happy to be here.

And we get to drive really cool cars.” – Amanda Goldenberg,

Specialist, Curriculum Development

zoo}-zoo}mazda .ca/careers

W I T H T H E R I G H T P E O P L E B E H I N D T H E W H E E L , E V E R Y T H I N G I S P O S S I B L E . E V E R Y T H I N G I S P O S S I B L E . E V E R Y T H I N G I S P O S S I B L E . E V E R Y T H I N G I S P O S S I B L E . E V E R Y T H I N G I S P O S S I B L E .

Thank you to a l l our employees for making Mazda Canada one of the GTA’s Top Employers .

3 4

Cameron says that while Medtronic has always seen being a good corporate citizen as part of the company’s mission, the programs have become more formalized over her three decades with the company. “The great thing,” she says, “is that Medtronic leaves itself open to the causes of the employees.”

ver since she joined Medtronic more than 30 years ago, Senior Director Laura Cameron has looked forward to its annual Employee Holiday Program,

which takes place every December. She even came in from maternity leave once just so she could attend.

Conceived to celebrate examples of how the work employees do helps to improve the lives of patients and their families around the world, the Holiday Program turns 55 this year. “Nothing can touch hearing from a patient. Typically there’s not a dry eye in the house,” says Cameron, who heads up the Diabetes Business Group at Medtronic Canada, which develops medical devices and provides services for individuals suffering from chronic illness.

“It gives every single employee – whether they work in an office or out on the road – the chance to see how our products and services make a difference in people’s lives.”

Medtronic makes doing good a ‘win’ for everyone

MEDTRONIC EMPLOYEES BUILDING BIKES FOR MISSION IN MOTION PROJECT

HELP US MAKE HEALTHCARE BETTERDo meaningful work, make a difference, and improve lives — starting with your own.Learn more at Medtronic.ca


in Canada


last year


$100,000maximum matching grant per employee

E

Sherisse McLaughlin, who started as a Compliance Specialist in Quality & Regulatory Affairs in November 2014, agrees. “In my job I don’t see first-hand the benefits of what we do,” she says. “The Holiday Program was awesome. It was a great thing for me to see as a new employee.”

Both McLaughlin and Cameron are actively involved in Medtronic’s philanthropy programs and efforts. The company’s “Mission in Motion”

aims to get employees involved in the community in ways that match their personal passions, while living out the Medtronic mission. Incentives include generous matching – up to $100,000 per employee annually – and, at certain times of year, doubling of employee charitable donations. It also donates $500 to approved charities where an employee has volunteered for 25 hours.

McLaughlin volunteers as a mentor at the Peel Children’s Centre and directed the $500 grant she earned to its sexual abuse project. As a member of the company’s Philanthropy Club, she helps organize and coordinate Medtronic employees’ charitable initiatives. The idea is to keep fundraising interesting and fun and not let it get overwhelming.

Recent projects range from the annual United Way campaign to a Thanksgiving food drive competition led by McLaughlin’s department where all items were donated to the Eden Community Food Bank in Mississauga. Last June, as part of Project 6, an annual volunteerism campaign that takes place during the sixth month of the year to represent the sixth tenet of Medtronic’s mission, some 200 employees built more than 80 bikes for kids across Canada. The Brampton office donated theirs to Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Peel.

The bike-building groups were organized randomly as an opportunity for employees from different departments to get to know each other. “A lot of people who work in this industry are here because they like to help people,” says McLaughlin. “Volunteering is sort of an extension of that.”

The philanthropy initiatives are also good for overall Medtronic morale and team building. “They bring employees closer together and make that bond stronger for work as well,” says Cameron. “It’s a win-win.”

Two events dear to her heart are the annual pancake breakfast to help a family

in need and the Shoppers Drug Mart “One Walk to Conquer Cancer”, which benefits Toronto’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and of which Cameron has been an honorary chair for the past two years. Her family and kids attend the walks with her. Over the past four years, Medtronic walkers have raised almost $100,000 for cancer research.

“A lot of people who work in this industry are here because they like to help

people. Volunteering is sort of an extension of that.”

– Sherisse McLaughlin, Compliance Specialist, Quality

& Regulatory Affairs

Cameron says that while Medtronic has always seen being a good corporate citizen as part of the company’s mission, the programs have become more formalized over her three decades with the company. “The great thing,” she says, “is that Medtronic leaves itself open to the causes of the employees.”

ver since she joined Medtronic more than 30 years ago, Senior Director Laura Cameron has looked forward to its annual Employee Holiday Program,

which takes place every December. She even came in from maternity leave once just so she could attend.

Conceived to celebrate examples of how the work employees do helps to improve the lives of patients and their families around the world, the Holiday Program turns 55 this year. “Nothing can touch hearing from a patient. Typically there’s not a dry eye in the house,” says Cameron, who heads up the Diabetes Business Group at Medtronic Canada, which develops medical devices and provides services for individuals suffering from chronic illness.

“It gives every single employee – whether they work in an office or out on the road – the chance to see how our products and services make a difference in people’s lives.”

Medtronic makes doing good a ‘win’ for everyone

MEDTRONIC EMPLOYEES BUILDING BIKES FOR MISSION IN MOTION PROJECT

HELP US MAKE HEALTHCARE BETTERDo meaningful work, make a difference, and improve lives — starting with your own.Learn more at Medtronic.ca


in Canada


last year


$100,000maximum matching grant per employee

E

Sherisse McLaughlin, who started as a Compliance Specialist in Quality & Regulatory Affairs in November 2014, agrees. “In my job I don’t see first-hand the benefits of what we do,” she says. “The Holiday Program was awesome. It was a great thing for me to see as a new employee.”

Both McLaughlin and Cameron are actively involved in Medtronic’s philanthropy programs and efforts. The company’s “Mission in Motion”

aims to get employees involved in the community in ways that match their personal passions, while living out the Medtronic mission. Incentives include generous matching – up to $100,000 per employee annually – and, at certain times of year, doubling of employee charitable donations. It also donates $500 to approved charities where an employee has volunteered for 25 hours.

McLaughlin volunteers as a mentor at the Peel Children’s Centre and directed the $500 grant she earned to its sexual abuse project. As a member of the company’s Philanthropy Club, she helps organize and coordinate Medtronic employees’ charitable initiatives. The idea is to keep fundraising interesting and fun and not let it get overwhelming.

Recent projects range from the annual United Way campaign to a Thanksgiving food drive competition led by McLaughlin’s department where all items were donated to the Eden Community Food Bank in Mississauga. Last June, as part of Project 6, an annual volunteerism campaign that takes place during the sixth month of the year to represent the sixth tenet of Medtronic’s mission, some 200 employees built more than 80 bikes for kids across Canada. The Brampton office donated theirs to Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Peel.

The bike-building groups were organized randomly as an opportunity for employees from different departments to get to know each other. “A lot of people who work in this industry are here because they like to help people,” says McLaughlin. “Volunteering is sort of an extension of that.”

The philanthropy initiatives are also good for overall Medtronic morale and team building. “They bring employees closer together and make that bond stronger for work as well,” says Cameron. “It’s a win-win.”

Two events dear to her heart are the annual pancake breakfast to help a family

in need and the Shoppers Drug Mart “One Walk to Conquer Cancer”, which benefits Toronto’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and of which Cameron has been an honorary chair for the past two years. Her family and kids attend the walks with her. Over the past four years, Medtronic walkers have raised almost $100,000 for cancer research.

“A lot of people who work in this industry are here because they like to help

people. Volunteering is sort of an extension of that.”

– Sherisse McLaughlin, Compliance Specialist, Quality

& Regulatory Affairs

3 5

Norton Rose Fulbright recognizes that work doesn’t just happen inside the walls of brick-and-mortar buildings, but instead takes place where employees may feel most productive. The firm’s flexible work options include telecommuting and compressed or modified workweeks.

“Initiatives targeted at building a healthy mind and a healthy body are key to creating a happy, productive and engaged workforce,” says Heffernan. “We’re proud of our wellness initiatives and feel they set us apart.”

Gonsalves launched her career at Norton Rose Fulbright almost a decade ago and hopes to finish it there. “It’s rare to be given the opportunities for advancement I’ve had in such a short period of time,” she says. “It shows me that what I’m doing is valued and the services I’m providing are making a difference.”

mployees at Norton Rose Fulbright are offered more than just opportunities to advance their career paths. They’re also encouraged

to pay their experience forward.

One of the ways the law firm supports individual development is through its mentoring program. Michelle Gonsalves is a prime example. Following a summer-student stint as a Legal Assistant in 2006, she was hired to cover a maternity leave, after which she joined the firm permanently.

Today Gonsalves is a Coordinator in the Legal Project Management group, which is a new role within a new team. She mentors junior staff and continues to be mentored herself.

Paying it forward at Norton Rose Fulbright

NORTON ROSE FULBRIGHT EMPLOYEES CELEBRATE NATIONAL DAY OF PINK

When Toronto’s top 25 employers for 2016 are recognized, we’re there.

Norton Rose Fulbright is proud to be counted amongst the best employers in Toronto.

Law around the world nortonrosefulbright.com


in Canada


last year

190jobs available

last year


E

“When I was hired, I was assigned a formal mentor and as I grew, I developed numerous informal mentoring relationships,” she says. “This strong mentoring culture allowed me to forge my own career path, and I want to pass that knowledge on to others.”

Gonsalves is motivated to invest her time and energy in her employer because of the many ways that Norton Rose Fulbright invests in her. At least once a week, she spends an hour in the expansive, light-filled lounge, which boasts glassed-in reading and TV rooms, a pool table and a kitchen. “I read and eat my lunch, and sometimes I meet my co-workers there,” she says.

Providing a space to decompress is essential at the fast-paced, Canadian-based law firm, which has offices around the world. “It’s important to relax and re-energize, then go back to work,” says National Director Human Resources Rhonda Heffernan. “Our lounge is collegial and inclusive – everyone is welcome there.”

Norton Rose Fulbright’s comprehensive health-and-wellness program seeks to support the entire development of each person. It’s an employee/employer relationship built on shared values and rooted in the fundamental belief that healthy people are happy and productive.

In an industry famous for heavy workloads, tight deadlines and intense pressure, Norton Rose Fulbright realizes that the impact the work has on its employees is significant. That’s why it has pioneered an on-site mental health first-aid training program, and why it was one of the first law firms in Canada to partner with Not Myself Today, a not-for-profit organization that addresses workplace mental health.

Each year the firm participates in a full week of activities aiming to raise awareness around mental health and break the stigma associated with it. “We want

to help people with both personal and professional stressors, no matter what their issues might be,” says Heffernan. “We feel this helps promote a safe and supportive working environment.”

Strong bodies make for stronger minds, a philosophy that Norton Rose Fulbright weaves into its corporate culture. It’s a culture that reimburses employees 100 per cent (to an annual maximum) for the cost of activities promoting physical wellness and that hosts a national team-building fitness challenge.

During this year’s fitness challenge, which was held in May, employees were put on teams of 10 and given pedometers to record their daily steps for a month. Gonsalves used hers while biking, walking, playing soccer and working out at the gym. The firm hopes to make this a global initiative in 2016.

“Initiatives targeted at building a healthy mind and a healthy body are key to creating a happy, productive and engaged

workforce.” – Rhonda Heffernan,

National Director Human Resources

Norton Rose Fulbright recognizes that work doesn’t just happen inside the walls of brick-and-mortar buildings, but instead takes place where employees may feel most productive. The firm’s flexible work options include telecommuting and compressed or modified workweeks.

“Initiatives targeted at building a healthy mind and a healthy body are key to creating a happy, productive and engaged workforce,” says Heffernan. “We’re proud of our wellness initiatives and feel they set us apart.”

Gonsalves launched her career at Norton Rose Fulbright almost a decade ago and hopes to finish it there. “It’s rare to be given the opportunities for advancement I’ve had in such a short period of time,” she says. “It shows me that what I’m doing is valued and the services I’m providing are making a difference.”

mployees at Norton Rose Fulbright are offered more than just opportunities to advance their career paths. They’re also encouraged

to pay their experience forward.

One of the ways the law firm supports individual development is through its mentoring program. Michelle Gonsalves is a prime example. Following a summer-student stint as a Legal Assistant in 2006, she was hired to cover a maternity leave, after which she joined the firm permanently.

Today Gonsalves is a Coordinator in the Legal Project Management group, which is a new role within a new team. She mentors junior staff and continues to be mentored herself.

Paying it forward at Norton Rose Fulbright

NORTON ROSE FULBRIGHT EMPLOYEES CELEBRATE NATIONAL DAY OF PINK

When Toronto’s top 25 employers for 2016 are recognized, we’re there.

Norton Rose Fulbright is proud to be counted amongst the best employers in Toronto.

Law around the world nortonrosefulbright.com


in Canada


last year

190jobs available

last year


E

“When I was hired, I was assigned a formal mentor and as I grew, I developed numerous informal mentoring relationships,” she says. “This strong mentoring culture allowed me to forge my own career path, and I want to pass that knowledge on to others.”

Gonsalves is motivated to invest her time and energy in her employer because of the many ways that Norton Rose Fulbright invests in her. At least once a week, she spends an hour in the expansive, light-filled lounge, which boasts glassed-in reading and TV rooms, a pool table and a kitchen. “I read and eat my lunch, and sometimes I meet my co-workers there,” she says.

Providing a space to decompress is essential at the fast-paced, Canadian-based law firm, which has offices around the world. “It’s important to relax and re-energize, then go back to work,” says National Director Human Resources Rhonda Heffernan. “Our lounge is collegial and inclusive – everyone is welcome there.”

Norton Rose Fulbright’s comprehensive health-and-wellness program seeks to support the entire development of each person. It’s an employee/employer relationship built on shared values and rooted in the fundamental belief that healthy people are happy and productive.

In an industry famous for heavy workloads, tight deadlines and intense pressure, Norton Rose Fulbright realizes that the impact the work has on its employees is significant. That’s why it has pioneered an on-site mental health first-aid training program, and why it was one of the first law firms in Canada to partner with Not Myself Today, a not-for-profit organization that addresses workplace mental health.

Each year the firm participates in a full week of activities aiming to raise awareness around mental health and break the stigma associated with it. “We want

to help people with both personal and professional stressors, no matter what their issues might be,” says Heffernan. “We feel this helps promote a safe and supportive working environment.”

Strong bodies make for stronger minds, a philosophy that Norton Rose Fulbright weaves into its corporate culture. It’s a culture that reimburses employees 100 per cent (to an annual maximum) for the cost of activities promoting physical wellness and that hosts a national team-building fitness challenge.

During this year’s fitness challenge, which was held in May, employees were put on teams of 10 and given pedometers to record their daily steps for a month. Gonsalves used hers while biking, walking, playing soccer and working out at the gym. The firm hopes to make this a global initiative in 2016.

“Initiatives targeted at building a healthy mind and a healthy body are key to creating a happy, productive and engaged

workforce.” – Rhonda Heffernan,

National Director Human Resources

3 6

After a 14-year absence from the OMA, there was a pleasant surprise waiting for Magyarody: the familiar faces of many people he’d worked with previously. “It speaks very well of an organization that people are motivated to stick around,” says Magyarody. “It is also a great way to reassure newcomers this is a good place to work.”

t’s not that anyone enjoys getting a flu shot, but at the Ontario Medical Association (OMA), the annual on-site flu clinic represents much more than ensuring employees

don’t lose days off work to the latest bug going around. The jab may still be uncomfortable, but staff can at least be reassured that the OMA puts a high premium on their overall well-being.

“The OMA does lots of great things for its employees,” says Jackie McFarlane, Business Partner, Learning & Development, in the Human Resources Department. “Many of these initiatives are health related, which makes sense given the medical profession’s mandate.”

In addition to standard drug and dental benefits, the OMA encourages its employees to lead active, healthy lives. This includes an in-house weight loss group, a lunchtime running group, on-site yoga classes, stress management, and support for out-of-office health and wellness activities.

Respect does the rounds at the OMA

OMA PRESIDENT DR. MICHAEL TOTH GIVES CEO TOM MAGYARODY A FLU SHOT

Proud to once again be a Greater Toronto Top Employer.Customer focused • Acting collaboratively • Resourceful • Excellence

286full-time staff

in Canada

17 weeks, parental

top-up pay

37years, longest-

serving employee

3weeks, starting

vacation allowance

I

If and when an employee gets sick, the OMA actively encourages them to stay home and get well, and does not require a doctor’s note for up to five business days – a practice the organization has publicly called for other employers to adopt. The OMA has no allotted number of sick days, and that trust is repaid with a lower-than-average absentee rate.

The OMA represents 34,000 physicians, residents and medical students across the province, and plays a vital role

in the development and promotion of health-care services in Ontario. It takes a diverse professional workforce to implement the OMA’s wide-ranging policies and initiatives. Staff provide support and services in such distinct fields as finance, law, economics, practice management, computer technology, health policy and public affairs.

Most staff work out of the OMA’s Toronto office at Bloor Street and Avenue Road, at the epicentre of convenient public transit. Seven regional managers are located across the province to help keep lines of communication open with physicians.

Since 2013, McFarlane has been involved in the OMA’s participation in a Canada-wide campaign to support mental health in the workplace. Its tools and resources are aimed at educating and engaging employees around such issues as de-stigmatizing mental illness and creating an open and supportive work environment.

The result is that people in the office have a better understanding of their employer’s desire and ability to support issues surrounding mental health, says McFarlane. She adds, “Discussing mental health normalizes it in the workplace and the OMA has fostered an environment of respect and safety for our employees to do so.”

For Tom Magyarody, the OMA’s new CEO, respect is essential in the workplace for a variety of reasons, including enabling and encouraging people to do their best work. He sees clear evidence of this at the OMA. At a recent meeting of the board of directors, members spoke highly of the staff, says Magyarody.

He intends to practice what he preaches. Magyarody’s goal is to meet every staff member face-to-face, ask lots of questions – and listen to what he can learn from them. “Every CEO is only as successful as all his or her staff,”

he says. “They’re the ones with all the answers. I have high expectations and I’m sure they will live up to them.”

This is, in fact, Magyarody’s second time around with the OMA. After leaving his former position in Corporate Affairs, he worked for another not-for-profit member association. The opportunity to really make a difference in the Ontario health-care system prompted his return, he says.

“Every CEO is only as successful as all his or

her staff.” – Tom Magyarody,

Chief Executive Officer

After a 14-year absence from the OMA, there was a pleasant surprise waiting for Magyarody: the familiar faces of many people he’d worked with previously. “It speaks very well of an organization that people are motivated to stick around,” says Magyarody. “It is also a great way to reassure newcomers this is a good place to work.”

t’s not that anyone enjoys getting a flu shot, but at the Ontario Medical Association (OMA), the annual on-site flu clinic represents much more than ensuring employees

don’t lose days off work to the latest bug going around. The jab may still be uncomfortable, but staff can at least be reassured that the OMA puts a high premium on their overall well-being.

“The OMA does lots of great things for its employees,” says Jackie McFarlane, Business Partner, Learning & Development, in the Human Resources Department. “Many of these initiatives are health related, which makes sense given the medical profession’s mandate.”

In addition to standard drug and dental benefits, the OMA encourages its employees to lead active, healthy lives. This includes an in-house weight loss group, a lunchtime running group, on-site yoga classes, stress management, and support for out-of-office health and wellness activities.

Respect does the rounds at the OMA

OMA PRESIDENT DR. MICHAEL TOTH GIVES CEO TOM MAGYARODY A FLU SHOT

Proud to once again be a Greater Toronto Top Employer.Customer focused • Acting collaboratively • Resourceful • Excellence

286full-time staff

in Canada

17 weeks, parental

top-up pay

37years, longest-

serving employee

3weeks, starting

vacation allowance

I

If and when an employee gets sick, the OMA actively encourages them to stay home and get well, and does not require a doctor’s note for up to five business days – a practice the organization has publicly called for other employers to adopt. The OMA has no allotted number of sick days, and that trust is repaid with a lower-than-average absentee rate.

The OMA represents 34,000 physicians, residents and medical students across the province, and plays a vital role

in the development and promotion of health-care services in Ontario. It takes a diverse professional workforce to implement the OMA’s wide-ranging policies and initiatives. Staff provide support and services in such distinct fields as finance, law, economics, practice management, computer technology, health policy and public affairs.

Most staff work out of the OMA’s Toronto office at Bloor Street and Avenue Road, at the epicentre of convenient public transit. Seven regional managers are located across the province to help keep lines of communication open with physicians.

Since 2013, McFarlane has been involved in the OMA’s participation in a Canada-wide campaign to support mental health in the workplace. Its tools and resources are aimed at educating and engaging employees around such issues as de-stigmatizing mental illness and creating an open and supportive work environment.

The result is that people in the office have a better understanding of their employer’s desire and ability to support issues surrounding mental health, says McFarlane. She adds, “Discussing mental health normalizes it in the workplace and the OMA has fostered an environment of respect and safety for our employees to do so.”

For Tom Magyarody, the OMA’s new CEO, respect is essential in the workplace for a variety of reasons, including enabling and encouraging people to do their best work. He sees clear evidence of this at the OMA. At a recent meeting of the board of directors, members spoke highly of the staff, says Magyarody.

He intends to practice what he preaches. Magyarody’s goal is to meet every staff member face-to-face, ask lots of questions – and listen to what he can learn from them. “Every CEO is only as successful as all his or her staff,”

he says. “They’re the ones with all the answers. I have high expectations and I’m sure they will live up to them.”

This is, in fact, Magyarody’s second time around with the OMA. After leaving his former position in Corporate Affairs, he worked for another not-for-profit member association. The opportunity to really make a difference in the Ontario health-care system prompted his return, he says.

“Every CEO is only as successful as all his or

her staff.” – Tom Magyarody,

Chief Executive Officer

3 7

engaged in something they’re excited about works in every way – employees like it, it is good for the community and it helps us attract people to work here.”

Anderson counts himself as one of those people. When he rejoined the bank at a senior level in 1995 after a stint in New York, “it was in part because RBC is very involved in communities across the country,” he says. “I wanted to be involved with an organization where I could make a difference.”

Lynda Clarke is quite sure RBC has made a difference. Today, her son is 19 and is still working through his challenges. “But the great thing is,” she says, “he knows where to go to get support.”

hen Lynda Clarke needed to find more help for her teenage son’s troubles, she decided to check out a link one of her colleagues had

shared with her – the Family Navigation Project. It turned out to be a life-saver, but only later did she discover that the project was sponsored by the very company she has worked at for 28 years: RBC.Launched by Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in 2013, the project helps families navigate the complex mosaic of services for young people, aged 13 to 26, with serious mental health and/or addiction problems. Since then, the RBC Run for the Kids in Toronto has raised more than $5.1 million to support it.

Clarke, a single mother who works as an Executive Assistant in RBC’s Canadian banking division, says her son had needed help since he was young, but things got much worse during his teenage years. “A tidal wave came at me,” she says. His high school had provided some useful information about services, “but the key thing is the right fit.” For two years, she was unable to find it, until she contacted the Family Navigation Project.

Finding the right mental health care: how RBC helps youth

DAVE MCKAY, PRESIDENT AND CEO, RBC (CENTER) JOINED OVER 8,000 PARTICIPANTS WHO RAN, WALKED AND STROLLED IN THE 3RD ANNUAL RBC RUN FOR THE KIDS, RAISING $2 MILLION BENEFITTING YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH

PROUD A feeling that results from fulfilling a promise.

(R)/TM Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada.

To learn more, visit people.rbc.com

We’ve won Greater Toronto’s Top Employers award 7 years running. That’s because RBC® follows through on its promise of a great work environment with high performing, collaborative and inclusive teams.

151031-1035 Greater Toronto.indd 1 10/30/15 10:58 AM


in Canada

6,718 charities helped

last year

52%of managers are female

64.8years, longest-

serving employee

W

After talking it through, her Family Navigator, as its professionals are called, set up a tailor-made list of agencies and services that could specifically help her son, including a youth drop-in and counselling service she had never heard of.

“I was just in awe,” says Clarke. “I felt like a weight was taken off my shoulders.”

Equally important, she got support for herself. “When there was nothing available for those two years, I also crashed,” she says, “because I was trying to be his psychologist, his everything. So my navigator found me help as well.”

Jamie Anderson, Deputy Chairman of RBC Capital Markets and RBC Run for the Kids’ champion in the bank, is quite blunt about the situation that led to the creation of the Family Navigation Project.

“We do not currently have an integrated mental health care system in Greater Toronto that is easy to navigate,” says Anderson, who has served as Chair of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. “What we have is quite a wide array of organizations, ranging from very small to quite substantial, that provide mental health care and addictions care. But unless you really know all these organizations, you’re hard-pressed to find where you should be getting care.”

RBC, which first mounted the Run for the Kids in New York and now organizes it in eight cities worldwide, wanted the Toronto version to support

improved access to mental health care, and contacted Sunnybrook. Dr. Anthony Levitt, Research Director of Sunnybrook’s Department of Psychiatry, brought forward the Family Navigation Project idea – and a partnership was born. Levitt became the project’s Medical Director.

This year’s RBC Run for the Kids in Toronto attracted some 8,400 participants, including more than 5,800 RBC employees and family members. “People really get behind it,” Anderson says. “Employees today are interested in multiple aspects of what their employment entails – including the organization’s commitment to helping communities prosper and how can they get involved. Giving employees an opportunity to be

“I was just in awe. I felt like a weight was taken

off my shoulders.” – Lynda Clarke,

Executive Assistant

engaged in something they’re excited about works in every way – employees like it, it is good for the community and it helps us attract people to work here.”

Anderson counts himself as one of those people. When he rejoined the bank at a senior level in 1995 after a stint in New York, “it was in part because RBC is very involved in communities across the country,” he says. “I wanted to be involved with an organization where I could make a difference.”

Lynda Clarke is quite sure RBC has made a difference. Today, her son is 19 and is still working through his challenges. “But the great thing is,” she says, “he knows where to go to get support.”

hen Lynda Clarke needed to find more help for her teenage son’s troubles, she decided to check out a link one of her colleagues had

shared with her – the Family Navigation Project. It turned out to be a life-saver, but only later did she discover that the project was sponsored by the very company she has worked at for 28 years: RBC.Launched by Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in 2013, the project helps families navigate the complex mosaic of services for young people, aged 13 to 26, with serious mental health and/or addiction problems. Since then, the RBC Run for the Kids in Toronto has raised more than $5.1 million to support it.

Clarke, a single mother who works as an Executive Assistant in RBC’s Canadian banking division, says her son had needed help since he was young, but things got much worse during his teenage years. “A tidal wave came at me,” she says. His high school had provided some useful information about services, “but the key thing is the right fit.” For two years, she was unable to find it, until she contacted the Family Navigation Project.

Finding the right mental health care: how RBC helps youth

DAVE MCKAY, PRESIDENT AND CEO, RBC (CENTER) JOINED OVER 8,000 PARTICIPANTS WHO RAN, WALKED AND STROLLED IN THE 3RD ANNUAL RBC RUN FOR THE KIDS, RAISING $2 MILLION BENEFITTING YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH

PROUD A feeling that results from fulfilling a promise.

(R)/TM Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada.

To learn more, visit people.rbc.com

We’ve won Greater Toronto’s Top Employers award 7 years running. That’s because RBC® follows through on its promise of a great work environment with high performing, collaborative and inclusive teams.

151031-1035 Greater Toronto.indd 1 10/30/15 10:58 AM


in Canada

6,718 charities helped

last year

52%of managers are female

64.8years, longest-

serving employee

W

After talking it through, her Family Navigator, as its professionals are called, set up a tailor-made list of agencies and services that could specifically help her son, including a youth drop-in and counselling service she had never heard of.

“I was just in awe,” says Clarke. “I felt like a weight was taken off my shoulders.”

Equally important, she got support for herself. “When there was nothing available for those two years, I also crashed,” she says, “because I was trying to be his psychologist, his everything. So my navigator found me help as well.”

Jamie Anderson, Deputy Chairman of RBC Capital Markets and RBC Run for the Kids’ champion in the bank, is quite blunt about the situation that led to the creation of the Family Navigation Project.

“We do not currently have an integrated mental health care system in Greater Toronto that is easy to navigate,” says Anderson, who has served as Chair of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. “What we have is quite a wide array of organizations, ranging from very small to quite substantial, that provide mental health care and addictions care. But unless you really know all these organizations, you’re hard-pressed to find where you should be getting care.”

RBC, which first mounted the Run for the Kids in New York and now organizes it in eight cities worldwide, wanted the Toronto version to support

improved access to mental health care, and contacted Sunnybrook. Dr. Anthony Levitt, Research Director of Sunnybrook’s Department of Psychiatry, brought forward the Family Navigation Project idea – and a partnership was born. Levitt became the project’s Medical Director.

This year’s RBC Run for the Kids in Toronto attracted some 8,400 participants, including more than 5,800 RBC employees and family members. “People really get behind it,” Anderson says. “Employees today are interested in multiple aspects of what their employment entails – including the organization’s commitment to helping communities prosper and how can they get involved. Giving employees an opportunity to be

“I was just in awe. I felt like a weight was taken

off my shoulders.” – Lynda Clarke,

Executive Assistant

3 8

Along with the 800 managers trained at the Toronto centre this year, Rogers has also put hundreds of new hires through its recently launched onboarding program, flying them in from across the country.

Over the next year, it plans to refresh its director and executive programs as it’s done with managers, and it wants to expand the Retail Academy. “What we’re doing is all designed to attract and retain top talent, to ensure our employees understand our commitment to their engagement,” says Nazer.

hen Rogers Communications made investing in and developing its people a key part of its Rogers 3.0 strategy,

the company sprang into action. Its first initiatives included creating a high-tech learning centre, developing original curriculum, and setting – and achieving – a goal of training 800 managers in the first year of the program.

The message sent to employees was that top executives had heard, loud and clear, their requests for more training and coaching, and were responding – fast. The Rogers Learning Centre is a visible example of Rogers’ commitment. Located on Bloor Street in Toronto, across the road from the corporate headquarters, the centre takes up an entire sub-level of the building in which it’s housed.

Rogers invests big in staff development

The Learning CenTre seT-up aLLows for boTh informaL neTworking and soCiaL evenTs

“The best is yet to come.”“The best is yet to come.”

jobs.rogers.com


in Canada


last year


last year

49years, longest-

serving employee

W

It has giant windows which look out on the Rosedale ravine and an outside space for participants to gather when the weather’s fine. The interior is designed as “inspiration for all different types of learning,” says Nancy Nazer, Senior Vice President of Organizational Development and Enterprise Learning. “It shows employees how invested we are in their ongoing development.”

The images and thought-provoking statements on the wall reflect the

company’s legacy as well as founder Ted Rogers’ personal credo that “the best is yet to come.” Modular furniture folds up and can be easily moved into multiple configurations depending on what’s on the learning agenda.

A cafe space, couches and communal tables allow for informal networking over lunch and breaks, and post-training social events. The latest technology is used for learning and there’s even a replica of a Rogers store for training frontline employees attending the Retail Academy, one of five main programs offered at the centre.

Along with retail, other key programs cover training and coaching for managers, directors and executives, organizational effectiveness and onboarding for new employees. The centre is now more than 95-per-cent booked every day, with full capacity at 104. Several small groups can train there simultaneously or one large group. Recently, some 100 managers all trained together at the centre.

Talent Development and Social Learning Leader Salima Nathoo joined Rogers earlier this year to head up the new manager program at the Learning Centre. A specialist in experiential learning, she worked with other Rogers leaders and external vendors to create the manager leadership development program from scratch. “It’s been quite the journey and it’s been fast,” she says. “We’re tweaking and enhancing as we go.”

As it stands now, it takes Rogers managers about six to eight months to complete the program, which begins with a two-day session at the Learning Centre, explains Nathoo. The program has four in-person components, which are taken within six to eight weeks of each other, with on-going learning on a social collaboration platform.

Part one is about company culture and knowledge. Two is about leadership and understanding themselves and

their leadership brand. Three involves coaching for influence. Four is about collaboration and trust. Everything is tied together with a focus on teams.

Managers take advantage of the Learning Centre facilities and technology to do things like create a collaborative video or participate in “gamified learning” through digital simulations. More traditionally, they also hear from the company’s VPs and SVPs.

“They speak a lot about the customer experience and how we make money,” says Nathoo, so that managers from different areas of the business can better understand the company as a whole.

“It’s been quite the journey and it’s been

fast. We’re tweaking and enhancing as we go.”

– Salima Nathoo, Talent Development and Social

Learning Leader Along with the 800 managers trained at the Toronto centre this year, Rogers has also put hundreds of new hires through its recently launched onboarding program, flying them in from across the country.

Over the next year, it plans to refresh its director and executive programs as it’s done with managers, and it wants to expand the Retail Academy. “What we’re doing is all designed to attract and retain top talent, to ensure our employees understand our commitment to their engagement,” says Nazer.

hen Rogers Communications made investing in and developing its people a key part of its Rogers 3.0 strategy,

the company sprang into action. Its first initiatives included creating a high-tech learning centre, developing original curriculum, and setting – and achieving – a goal of training 800 managers in the first year of the program.

The message sent to employees was that top executives had heard, loud and clear, their requests for more training and coaching, and were responding – fast. The Rogers Learning Centre is a visible example of Rogers’ commitment. Located on Bloor Street in Toronto, across the road from the corporate headquarters, the centre takes up an entire sub-level of the building in which it’s housed.

Rogers invests big in staff development

The Learning CenTre seT-up aLLows for boTh informaL neTworking and soCiaL evenTs

“The best is yet to come.”“The best is yet to come.”

jobs.rogers.com


in Canada


last year


last year

49years, longest-

serving employee

W

It has giant windows which look out on the Rosedale ravine and an outside space for participants to gather when the weather’s fine. The interior is designed as “inspiration for all different types of learning,” says Nancy Nazer, Senior Vice President of Organizational Development and Enterprise Learning. “It shows employees how invested we are in their ongoing development.”

The images and thought-provoking statements on the wall reflect the

company’s legacy as well as founder Ted Rogers’ personal credo that “the best is yet to come.” Modular furniture folds up and can be easily moved into multiple configurations depending on what’s on the learning agenda.

A cafe space, couches and communal tables allow for informal networking over lunch and breaks, and post-training social events. The latest technology is used for learning and there’s even a replica of a Rogers store for training frontline employees attending the Retail Academy, one of five main programs offered at the centre.

Along with retail, other key programs cover training and coaching for managers, directors and executives, organizational effectiveness and onboarding for new employees. The centre is now more than 95-per-cent booked every day, with full capacity at 104. Several small groups can train there simultaneously or one large group. Recently, some 100 managers all trained together at the centre.

Talent Development and Social Learning Leader Salima Nathoo joined Rogers earlier this year to head up the new manager program at the Learning Centre. A specialist in experiential learning, she worked with other Rogers leaders and external vendors to create the manager leadership development program from scratch. “It’s been quite the journey and it’s been fast,” she says. “We’re tweaking and enhancing as we go.”

As it stands now, it takes Rogers managers about six to eight months to complete the program, which begins with a two-day session at the Learning Centre, explains Nathoo. The program has four in-person components, which are taken within six to eight weeks of each other, with on-going learning on a social collaboration platform.

Part one is about company culture and knowledge. Two is about leadership and understanding themselves and

their leadership brand. Three involves coaching for influence. Four is about collaboration and trust. Everything is tied together with a focus on teams.

Managers take advantage of the Learning Centre facilities and technology to do things like create a collaborative video or participate in “gamified learning” through digital simulations. More traditionally, they also hear from the company’s VPs and SVPs.

“They speak a lot about the customer experience and how we make money,” says Nathoo, so that managers from different areas of the business can better understand the company as a whole.

“It’s been quite the journey and it’s been

fast. We’re tweaking and enhancing as we go.”

– Salima Nathoo, Talent Development and Social

Learning Leader

3 9

Other programs provide families with emergency back-up care for children and the elderly and easier access to quality daycare. There is also an expanded fitness credit and support for financial and retirement planning.

“Our goal is to provide benefits that make sense for a multi-generational workforce,” says Taylor. “It’s something we’re continually refining.”

hen Jackie Taylor first saw the Toronto offices of Rothmans, Benson & Hedges (RBH) Inc. two years ago, she felt

like she’d stepped into an episode of Mad Men – and not in a good way.

“All the management team were in one spot in their 1960s oak-paneled offices,” recalls Taylor, RBH’s Director of Human Resources. “All of their employees were in a maze of cubicles in a completely separate area. It wasn’t the kind of physical space that encouraged the collaborative teamwork RBH is all about.”

Since then, the office has undergone a major renovation. The cubicles have been taken down, providing clear sight lines across the floor. Team leaders now sit with their employees in areas designed to encourage the open exchange of ideas. Those senior managers who still have their own offices are entirely visible through glass panels and their doors remain resolutely open.

Breaking barriers at Rothmans, Benson & Hedges

Rothmans, Benson & hedges employees collaborate at their head office

796 full-time staff

in Canada

50 years, longest

serving employee

82,000employees

globally

180countries where

company’s products are sold

W

A small, but telling detail is that everyone, across the ranks, has the same size of desk. The message: no arbitrary hierarchies here.

Jennifer Burns, a trade marketing executive with RBH, is a big fan of the changes. “Psychologically, it’s very empowering,” she says. “You feel very much in control of your own space, but you always have people close by if you need assistance. It really feels like we’re all part of one big team working toward a common purpose.”

Both Taylor and Burns say the new digs better reflect RBH’s work culture. “There’s no snobbishness in this company,” says Taylor, who worked for 16 years at various international postings with RBH’s parent company, Philip Morris International (PMI) Inc., before coming to Toronto. “It’s very egalitarian. As just one example, we have a program called ‘take me to lunch’ where anyone here can call up me or my boss and say, ‘hey can you take me to lunch and talk to me about the company and how I can develop my career?’”

Career advancement is a top priority at RBH. It begins at the recruitment stage where potential employees are asked about their career aspirations and willingness to pursue international opportunities. Once onboard, employees are assigned a “work buddy” to help them navigate the workplace as well as a supervisor who will spend the first few weeks providing information on the company’s history, products and business model.

There are also some singular advancement opportunities. One is the Xcel Program, which each year sees 14 high-performing individuals selected from across the company and asked to come up with solutions to real-time business challenges (one of this year’s teams developed a new peer recognition program that’s now being implemented). The participants are closely mentored by senior managers, providing them with fresh insight into how the company operates.

Some employees are encouraged to take short and longer-term assignments (ranging from six months to three years) at PMI affiliates around the world. They typically return with the experience and skills to take on new and greater responsibilities.

“That’s the cream-of-the-crop when it comes to career development,” says Burns, who hopes to do a foreign posting at some point. “I know people

who have done it and they’ve all said it was an incredible experience.”

RBH employees also enjoy a wide range of benefits that were recently updated to take account of new realities and demographic trends. For example, mothers on pregnancy and parental leave are now eligible for 100 per cent top-up of their salary for six months (up from six weeks) while dads now qualify for nine weeks of parental leave, again topped up to 100 per cent.

“There’s no snobbishness in this company.”

– Jackie Taylor, Director of Human Resources

Other programs provide families with emergency back-up care for children and the elderly and easier access to quality daycare. There is also an expanded fitness credit and support for financial and retirement planning.

“Our goal is to provide benefits that make sense for a multi-generational workforce,” says Taylor. “It’s something we’re continually refining.”

hen Jackie Taylor first saw the Toronto offices of Rothmans, Benson & Hedges (RBH) Inc. two years ago, she felt

like she’d stepped into an episode of Mad Men – and not in a good way.

“All the management team were in one spot in their 1960s oak-paneled offices,” recalls Taylor, RBH’s Director of Human Resources. “All of their employees were in a maze of cubicles in a completely separate area. It wasn’t the kind of physical space that encouraged the collaborative teamwork RBH is all about.”

Since then, the office has undergone a major renovation. The cubicles have been taken down, providing clear sight lines across the floor. Team leaders now sit with their employees in areas designed to encourage the open exchange of ideas. Those senior managers who still have their own offices are entirely visible through glass panels and their doors remain resolutely open.

Breaking barriers at Rothmans, Benson & Hedges

Rothmans, Benson & hedges employees collaborate at their head office

796 full-time staff

in Canada

50 years, longest

serving employee

82,000employees

globally

180countries where

company’s products are sold

W

A small, but telling detail is that everyone, across the ranks, has the same size of desk. The message: no arbitrary hierarchies here.

Jennifer Burns, a trade marketing executive with RBH, is a big fan of the changes. “Psychologically, it’s very empowering,” she says. “You feel very much in control of your own space, but you always have people close by if you need assistance. It really feels like we’re all part of one big team working toward a common purpose.”

Both Taylor and Burns say the new digs better reflect RBH’s work culture. “There’s no snobbishness in this company,” says Taylor, who worked for 16 years at various international postings with RBH’s parent company, Philip Morris International (PMI) Inc., before coming to Toronto. “It’s very egalitarian. As just one example, we have a program called ‘take me to lunch’ where anyone here can call up me or my boss and say, ‘hey can you take me to lunch and talk to me about the company and how I can develop my career?’”

Career advancement is a top priority at RBH. It begins at the recruitment stage where potential employees are asked about their career aspirations and willingness to pursue international opportunities. Once onboard, employees are assigned a “work buddy” to help them navigate the workplace as well as a supervisor who will spend the first few weeks providing information on the company’s history, products and business model.

There are also some singular advancement opportunities. One is the Xcel Program, which each year sees 14 high-performing individuals selected from across the company and asked to come up with solutions to real-time business challenges (one of this year’s teams developed a new peer recognition program that’s now being implemented). The participants are closely mentored by senior managers, providing them with fresh insight into how the company operates.

Some employees are encouraged to take short and longer-term assignments (ranging from six months to three years) at PMI affiliates around the world. They typically return with the experience and skills to take on new and greater responsibilities.

“That’s the cream-of-the-crop when it comes to career development,” says Burns, who hopes to do a foreign posting at some point. “I know people

who have done it and they’ve all said it was an incredible experience.”

RBH employees also enjoy a wide range of benefits that were recently updated to take account of new realities and demographic trends. For example, mothers on pregnancy and parental leave are now eligible for 100 per cent top-up of their salary for six months (up from six weeks) while dads now qualify for nine weeks of parental leave, again topped up to 100 per cent.

“There’s no snobbishness in this company.”

– Jackie Taylor, Director of Human Resources

4 0

“All of us — registered nurses, registered practical nurses, personal support workers, patient support representatives, and others — work together as a team,” she says. “Working in a hospital can be stressful, but when there’s teamwork you don’t even feel it.”

Masita also likes management’s commitment to effective communication within RVHS. “There is very open communication from top to bottom, but also from bottom to top,” she says.

egistered Nurse Sarah Masita has come a long way since she immigrated to Canada from her native Kenya in December of 2007. Full of

personal ambition and determination, she found a perfect match in Rouge Valley Health System (RVHS) – an employer that would support her career development and love of learning.

After taking a job as a gas station clerk and earning a registered practical nursing diploma from Centennial College, Masita came to work at Rouge Valley Centenary hospital campus in Scarborough. While working weekends, she earned a bachelor of science degree in registered nursing from Ryerson University. Thanks to RVHS, she was eligible for up to $2,000 annually in tuition assistance as she worked on that degree and is entitled to a similar subsidy now that she has decided to pursue a master’s degree in nursing.

“It gives you a good boost,” says Masita. “Rouge Valley really encourages you.”

Rouge Valley celebrates learning and achievement

ROUGE VALLEY HEALTH SYSTEM RN SARAH MASITA AT WORK ON THE WARD

Rouge Valley staff speak with a patient and her family member about her care plan and everyone‘s role. Learn more about how we are working together at www.rougevalley.ca.

An engaged team committed to a quality experience for our patients and families—that’s what makes us a workplace of choice.

Together—the best at what we doProud to be one of

1,588 full-time

staff

318 jobs available

last year


last year

71% of executives are female

R Centenary, goes out of its way to support employees who want to further their education. “We’re a lifelong learning organization,” says Kathy Gooding, Rouge Valley’s vice-president, human resources. “We hold a Celebration of Learning event annually. It’s incredible how many people have earned certifi-cates, diplomas or degrees each year; or who have participated in, or facilita-ted co-op education programs, or other kinds of learning activities.”

In May’s Celebration of Learning Rouge Valley recognized 324 employees — almost a quarter of the 1,588 people who work full-time at the two hospital campuses. “We have folks who started as clerks in our admitting department right out of high school and have since gone on to become nurses at Rouge Valley,” says Gooding.

Rouge Valley also has several social programs to support employees on the job. Gooding says that RVHS is launch- ing an “ability evolution program” aimed at creating a pool of positions that workers can move into if they require accommodation due to work-related restrictions. RVHS managers are also working with their teams to develop action plans to address areas of concern identified in a recent employee engage-ment survey, as well as recommendations made by frontline staff.

“We are continually striving to support the needs of our staff, understanding that we have a diverse group who are per-forming very different roles,” Gooding explains. “Staff in a high-pressure unit like emergency or critical care will have different needs than those working in offices, but there are commonalities. Our staff are all working to provide excellence in patient and family-centred care, and we do whatever we can to support our entire team in that effort.”

Masita is particularly impressed with the range of professional workshops and Lunch and Learn sessions sponsored by Rouge Valley. She has participated in

one-to three-day workshops in which various experts offer advice on such things as working with elderly patients suffering from dementia, and how to work as a team in order to improve patient care.

Currently a member of the staffing resource team, a group of nurses who work on various units and different departments as needed, Masita is always working with new teams and it has proved to be a very positive experience.

“We’re a lifelong learning

organization…We have

folks who started as clerks

in our admitting department

right out of high school and

have since gone on to

become nurses.” – Kathy Gooding,

Vice-President, Human Resources.

RVHS, made up of Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering hospital campus in west Durham Region and Rouge Valley

“All of us — registered nurses, registered practical nurses, personal support workers, patient support representatives, and others — work together as a team,” she says. “Working in a hospital can be stressful, but when there’s teamwork you don’t even feel it.”

Masita also likes management’s commitment to effective communication within RVHS. “There is very open communication from top to bottom, but also from bottom to top,” she says.

egistered Nurse Sarah Masita has come a long way since she immigrated to Canada from her native Kenya in December of 2007. Full of

personal ambition and determination, she found a perfect match in Rouge Valley Health System (RVHS) – an employer that would support her career development and love of learning.

After taking a job as a gas station clerk and earning a registered practical nursing diploma from Centennial College, Masita came to work at Rouge Valley Centenary hospital campus in Scarborough. While working weekends, she earned a bachelor of science degree in registered nursing from Ryerson University. Thanks to RVHS, she was eligible for up to $2,000 annually in tuition assistance as she worked on that degree and is entitled to a similar subsidy now that she has decided to pursue a master’s degree in nursing.

“It gives you a good boost,” says Masita. “Rouge Valley really encourages you.”

Rouge Valley celebrates learning and achievement

ROUGE VALLEY HEALTH SYSTEM RN SARAH MASITA AT WORK ON THE WARD

Rouge Valley staff speak with a patient and her family member about her care plan and everyone‘s role. Learn more about how we are working together at www.rougevalley.ca.

An engaged team committed to a quality experience for our patients and families—that’s what makes us a workplace of choice.

Together—the best at what we doProud to be one of

1,588 full-time

staff

318 jobs available

last year


last year

71% of executives are female

R Centenary, goes out of its way to support employees who want to further their education. “We’re a lifelong learning organization,” says Kathy Gooding, Rouge Valley’s vice-president, human resources. “We hold a Celebration of Learning event annually. It’s incredible how many people have earned certifi-cates, diplomas or degrees each year; or who have participated in, or facilita-ted co-op education programs, or other kinds of learning activities.”

In May’s Celebration of Learning Rouge Valley recognized 324 employees — almost a quarter of the 1,588 people who work full-time at the two hospital campuses. “We have folks who started as clerks in our admitting department right out of high school and have since gone on to become nurses at Rouge Valley,” says Gooding.

Rouge Valley also has several social programs to support employees on the job. Gooding says that RVHS is launch- ing an “ability evolution program” aimed at creating a pool of positions that workers can move into if they require accommodation due to work-related restrictions. RVHS managers are also working with their teams to develop action plans to address areas of concern identified in a recent employee engage-ment survey, as well as recommendations made by frontline staff.

“We are continually striving to support the needs of our staff, understanding that we have a diverse group who are per-forming very different roles,” Gooding explains. “Staff in a high-pressure unit like emergency or critical care will have different needs than those working in offices, but there are commonalities. Our staff are all working to provide excellence in patient and family-centred care, and we do whatever we can to support our entire team in that effort.”

Masita is particularly impressed with the range of professional workshops and Lunch and Learn sessions sponsored by Rouge Valley. She has participated in

one-to three-day workshops in which various experts offer advice on such things as working with elderly patients suffering from dementia, and how to work as a team in order to improve patient care.

Currently a member of the staffing resource team, a group of nurses who work on various units and different departments as needed, Masita is always working with new teams and it has proved to be a very positive experience.

“We’re a lifelong learning

organization…We have

folks who started as clerks

in our admitting department

right out of high school and

have since gone on to

become nurses.” – Kathy Gooding,

Vice-President, Human Resources.

RVHS, made up of Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering hospital campus in west Durham Region and Rouge Valley

4 1

and community organizations including the Sick Kids Foundation. It encourages employees to take two days each year to volunteer through its “Samsung Gives” initiatives.

“We want every single employee to feel inspired every day, and be proud to work for Samsung Canada,” says Childs.

hen Kayla Lunter, a supply chain manager, joined Samsung Electronics Canada in 2008, friends had

heard of the brand, but weren’t overly familiar with the company. This year, for the first time, Samsung made it to the top 10 of both Ipsos Reid’s Most Influential Brands in Canada and Léger Marketing’s Most Reputable Brands.

“Now,” says Lunter, “the first reaction is ‘Wow!’”

Samsung’s popular Galaxy smartphones and tablets have been an integral part of building the brand visability in Canada, as well as an increased presence in the GTA, where it’s engaged in a wide range of activities. Since the summer of 2014, for example, Samsung has operated the largest outdoor LED billboard in Canada at Yonge-Dundas Square.

Samsung’s people power elevates brand to new heights

SAMSUNG CANADA EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATE IN A “SAMSUNG GIVES” INITIATIVE TO BENEFIT SICK KIDS

DISCOVER A CAREER AT SAMSUNG CANADA.Find out more at www.samsung.com/ca/careers

543 full-time staff

in Canada

143 jobs available

last year

25years, longest-

serving employee

40charities helped

last year

W

Visitors can frequently be spotted up gazing up at the 97-feet-wide by 60-feet-tall screen, which is equivalent to one- third the size of a soccer field. They could be informed with real-time traffic or weather updates from a partnership with the Weather Network to footage from the Toronto Internation Film Festival (TIFF), where Samsung was a key sponsor in 2016.

“We felt that it was a perfect way to get closer to our primary audience, young-minded Canadians, by aligning

with one of their core passions of film and entertainment,” says Chief Marketing Officer Mark Childs.

Samsung has also just opened its first standalone store in the GTA, which – at 2,535 square feet – is its largest in Canada. Located in CF Sherway Gardens, the store allows Canadians to engage with Galaxy mobile devices and the latest Samsung innovations. It also features a Samsung Service Centre with walk-in support for a variety of products, including one-hour repairs.

“Our experience stores are all about bringing our technology and brand to life,” says Childs.

Samsung’s cutting-edge technology is also integrated throughout the company’s new Mississauga headquarters, which opened in 2013. Designed by employees for employees to reflect the Samsung culture, each floor is meant to inspire creativity and collaboration and represents company values through colours. The first floor is purple for people. The elevator is red for change. The second floor is orange for prosperity. The third floor is blue for excellence. And the fourth floor is green for integrity.

“Creating the first floor was a fantastic expression of the brand coming to life,” says Christine Greco, Vice President Human Resources and Corporate Affairs. The space features a showroom with Samsung’s latest and future technologies, and bleacher-style seating for employees.

For employees like Lunter, the building offers both traditional meeting rooms and more relaxed spaces with sofas and giant cushions. There’s a subsidized Samsung Café catering to on-site and take-out employee needs, featuring both western and Korean food choices. At the complimentary Activity Centre, complete with gym equipment and shower facilities, employees can work out with trainers and take group classes like yoga.

There’s also an employee lounge and a dedicated room for meditation, prayer and reflection. Outside the office, there are covered bike racks and designated preferred parking spaces for employees who carpool or drive hybrids.

Samsung is actively involved in giving back to many GTA causes

“We want every

single employee to feel

inspired every day.”

– Mark Childs, Chief Marketing Officer

and community organizations including the Sick Kids Foundation. It encourages employees to take two days each year to volunteer through its “Samsung Gives” initiatives.

“We want every single employee to feel inspired every day, and be proud to work for Samsung Canada,” says Childs.

hen Kayla Lunter, a supply chain manager, joined Samsung Electronics Canada in 2008, friends had

heard of the brand, but weren’t overly familiar with the company. This year, for the first time, Samsung made it to the top 10 of both Ipsos Reid’s Most Influential Brands in Canada and Léger Marketing’s Most Reputable Brands.

“Now,” says Lunter, “the first reaction is ‘Wow!’”

Samsung’s popular Galaxy smartphones and tablets have been an integral part of building the brand visability in Canada, as well as an increased presence in the GTA, where it’s engaged in a wide range of activities. Since the summer of 2014, for example, Samsung has operated the largest outdoor LED billboard in Canada at Yonge-Dundas Square.

Samsung’s people power elevates brand to new heights

SAMSUNG CANADA EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATE IN A “SAMSUNG GIVES” INITIATIVE TO BENEFIT SICK KIDS

DISCOVER A CAREER AT SAMSUNG CANADA.Find out more at www.samsung.com/ca/careers

543 full-time staff

in Canada

143 jobs available

last year

25years, longest-

serving employee

40charities helped

last year

W

Visitors can frequently be spotted up gazing up at the 97-feet-wide by 60-feet-tall screen, which is equivalent to one- third the size of a soccer field. They could be informed with real-time traffic or weather updates from a partnership with the Weather Network to footage from the Toronto Internation Film Festival (TIFF), where Samsung was a key sponsor in 2016.

“We felt that it was a perfect way to get closer to our primary audience, young-minded Canadians, by aligning

with one of their core passions of film and entertainment,” says Chief Marketing Officer Mark Childs.

Samsung has also just opened its first standalone store in the GTA, which – at 2,535 square feet – is its largest in Canada. Located in CF Sherway Gardens, the store allows Canadians to engage with Galaxy mobile devices and the latest Samsung innovations. It also features a Samsung Service Centre with walk-in support for a variety of products, including one-hour repairs.

“Our experience stores are all about bringing our technology and brand to life,” says Childs.

Samsung’s cutting-edge technology is also integrated throughout the company’s new Mississauga headquarters, which opened in 2013. Designed by employees for employees to reflect the Samsung culture, each floor is meant to inspire creativity and collaboration and represents company values through colours. The first floor is purple for people. The elevator is red for change. The second floor is orange for prosperity. The third floor is blue for excellence. And the fourth floor is green for integrity.

“Creating the first floor was a fantastic expression of the brand coming to life,” says Christine Greco, Vice President Human Resources and Corporate Affairs. The space features a showroom with Samsung’s latest and future technologies, and bleacher-style seating for employees.

For employees like Lunter, the building offers both traditional meeting rooms and more relaxed spaces with sofas and giant cushions. There’s a subsidized Samsung Café catering to on-site and take-out employee needs, featuring both western and Korean food choices. At the complimentary Activity Centre, complete with gym equipment and shower facilities, employees can work out with trainers and take group classes like yoga.

There’s also an employee lounge and a dedicated room for meditation, prayer and reflection. Outside the office, there are covered bike racks and designated preferred parking spaces for employees who carpool or drive hybrids.

Samsung is actively involved in giving back to many GTA causes

“We want every

single employee to feel

inspired every day.”

– Mark Childs, Chief Marketing Officer

4 2

keep learning as well through its Leadership and Employee Development Office, which helps fund professional development, including tuition assistance.

That support has produced dividends for everyone. Humphrey recently became the first college professor to receive a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Synergy Award for Innovation by the Governor General of Canada David Johnston. The prize includes a $100,000 research grant that will support further research by Humphrey and his team related to Firefox.

“The calibre of the talent already here definitely appeals to people who are looking to join our team,” says Beaulieu.

ifteen years ago, David Humphrey left a booming information technology industry to join Seneca College as a faculty member. “I’d been

interested in teaching, but I wanted to do it at an institution with a broad scale and an applied mandate,” says Humphrey.

At first, Humphrey continued to work as a programmer in the private sector while teaching part-time at Seneca. But the college’s focus on innovation and student success, in both academic and applied learning, and the support available to faculty and staff, convinced Humphrey that he could make a difference as a teacher and researcher at Seneca.

“Working at Seneca, you can have an impact, do work that has meaning and gives personal satisfaction, build a better world and have time to live in it too,” says Bernie Beaulieu, Seneca’s Executive Director of Human Resources. “Everything we do at Seneca is geared toward our students, and it’s very rewarding. Even in administrative roles, we have the opportunity to improve the lives of students in some way.”

Lessons learned: Seneca helps staff make a difference

SENECA COLLEGE STAFF, FACULTY & STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN UNITED WAY’S CN TOWER CLIMB

PERS

ON

NEL

Client Contact Raquel Torres

Art Director JL

Production None

Copy Writer None

Production Artist js

Comments GTA Top Employers Banner Ad, 4c

PUBL

ICAT

ION Publication(s) MediaCorp

Ad Number None

Insertion Date Due Nov 12, 2015

SETU

P

Bleed None

Trim 9.25” x 1.75”

Safety None

INKS

CMYK

INKS

Gotham Minion Pro

Job # SEN_15070 Filename SEN_15070_GTATopEmployers_BannerAd_FNL.indd Modified 11-11-2015 2:27 PM Created 11-11-2015 2:14 PM Station SOS - Judy

senecacollege.ca

ONE OF GREATER TORONTO’S TOP EMPLOYERS 2016. 7 YEARS & COUNTING...

We’re redefining how people think about education.

CELEBRATING: Our people.Great results.

T:9.25”

T:1.75”


in Canada

118 new full-time hires last year

9,500job applicants

last year

93%maternity & parental leave salary top-up

F

This focus on student success at Seneca helped to attract more than 9,500 appli-cants for just 118 full-time positions at its 10 campuses across Ontario last year.

Humphrey became a full-time faculty member in 2002 and helped, along with several associates, to found the Centre for Development of Open Technology (CDOT) at Seneca. Since then, he has collaborated with industry not only

to conduct research in open-source technology, but also to share industry expertise with students in the classroom.

In Humphrey’s program, students have contributed code work to the Firefox web browser, created by Mozilla, and improved Mozilla’s open technology, helping to set standards adopted by Google, Apple and Microsoft. More than 10 of Humphrey’s graduates have joined Mozilla full-time, while others have found positions with large companies such as Microsoft and Google and at small technology startups in Toronto.

In 2014, Seneca further increased its support of innovation by opening Seneca HELIX, an incubator for both students and the external community that supports entrepreneurship in all sectors, focusing on the development of health and lifestyle products and services.

With more than 27,500 full-time stu-dents, Seneca attracts a widely diverse student body. “I have students in my classes from Jordan, India, Thailand – all over the world,” says Humphrey. This diversity is reflected in Seneca’s faculty

and staff, as well, who collectively speak 118 different languages including Man- darin, Cantonese, French, Spanish, Hindi, Persian and Arabic.

For Humphrey, Seneca’s supportive environment has enabled him to remain on the leading edge of his field for more than a decade. With the college providing 37 weeks of parental leave top-up for fathers, for example, Humphrey has had time to participate in the arrival of his two daughters.

The college also offers research sabbaticals and regular breaks in the school year, along with generous benefits programs and fitness facilities.

Seneca employees are encouraged to

“Working at Seneca, you can build a better

world and have time to live in it too.” – Bernie Beaulieu,

Executive Director, Human Resources

keep learning as well through its Leadership and Employee Development Office, which helps fund professional development, including tuition assistance.

That support has produced dividends for everyone. Humphrey recently became the first college professor to receive a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Synergy Award for Innovation by the Governor General of Canada David Johnston. The prize includes a $100,000 research grant that will support further research by Humphrey and his team related to Firefox.

“The calibre of the talent already here definitely appeals to people who are looking to join our team,” says Beaulieu.

ifteen years ago, David Humphrey left a booming information technology industry to join Seneca College as a faculty member. “I’d been

interested in teaching, but I wanted to do it at an institution with a broad scale and an applied mandate,” says Humphrey.

At first, Humphrey continued to work as a programmer in the private sector while teaching part-time at Seneca. But the college’s focus on innovation and student success, in both academic and applied learning, and the support available to faculty and staff, convinced Humphrey that he could make a difference as a teacher and researcher at Seneca.

“Working at Seneca, you can have an impact, do work that has meaning and gives personal satisfaction, build a better world and have time to live in it too,” says Bernie Beaulieu, Seneca’s Executive Director of Human Resources. “Everything we do at Seneca is geared toward our students, and it’s very rewarding. Even in administrative roles, we have the opportunity to improve the lives of students in some way.”

Lessons learned: Seneca helps staff make a difference

SENECA COLLEGE STAFF, FACULTY & STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN UNITED WAY’S CN TOWER CLIMB

PERS

ON

NEL

Client Contact Raquel Torres

Art Director JL

Production None

Copy Writer None

Production Artist js

Comments GTA Top Employers Banner Ad, 4c

PUBL

ICAT

ION Publication(s) MediaCorp

Ad Number None

Insertion Date Due Nov 12, 2015

SETU

P

Bleed None

Trim 9.25” x 1.75”

Safety None

INKS

CMYK

INKS

Gotham Minion Pro

Job # SEN_15070 Filename SEN_15070_GTATopEmployers_BannerAd_FNL.indd Modified 11-11-2015 2:27 PM Created 11-11-2015 2:14 PM Station SOS - Judy

senecacollege.ca

ONE OF GREATER TORONTO’S TOP EMPLOYERS 2016. 7 YEARS & COUNTING...

We’re redefining how people think about education.

CELEBRATING: Our people.Great results.

T:9.25”

T:1.75”


in Canada

118 new full-time hires last year

9,500job applicants

last year

93%maternity & parental leave salary top-up

F

This focus on student success at Seneca helped to attract more than 9,500 appli-cants for just 118 full-time positions at its 10 campuses across Ontario last year.

Humphrey became a full-time faculty member in 2002 and helped, along with several associates, to found the Centre for Development of Open Technology (CDOT) at Seneca. Since then, he has collaborated with industry not only

to conduct research in open-source technology, but also to share industry expertise with students in the classroom.

In Humphrey’s program, students have contributed code work to the Firefox web browser, created by Mozilla, and improved Mozilla’s open technology, helping to set standards adopted by Google, Apple and Microsoft. More than 10 of Humphrey’s graduates have joined Mozilla full-time, while others have found positions with large companies such as Microsoft and Google and at small technology startups in Toronto.

In 2014, Seneca further increased its support of innovation by opening Seneca HELIX, an incubator for both students and the external community that supports entrepreneurship in all sectors, focusing on the development of health and lifestyle products and services.

With more than 27,500 full-time stu-dents, Seneca attracts a widely diverse student body. “I have students in my classes from Jordan, India, Thailand – all over the world,” says Humphrey. This diversity is reflected in Seneca’s faculty

and staff, as well, who collectively speak 118 different languages including Man- darin, Cantonese, French, Spanish, Hindi, Persian and Arabic.

For Humphrey, Seneca’s supportive environment has enabled him to remain on the leading edge of his field for more than a decade. With the college providing 37 weeks of parental leave top-up for fathers, for example, Humphrey has had time to participate in the arrival of his two daughters.

The college also offers research sabbaticals and regular breaks in the school year, along with generous benefits programs and fitness facilities.

Seneca employees are encouraged to

“Working at Seneca, you can build a better

world and have time to live in it too.” – Bernie Beaulieu,

Executive Director, Human Resources

4 3

are Shoppers Drug Mart employees, pharmacist-owners and their store teams.

Shoppers also has an internal employee campaign called WISH – Working in Support of Hope – which, since its launch in 2003, has aided almost 300 colleagues facing difficult personal situations. Fundraisers such as ticket auctions and food drives are held throughout the year for WISH. “I haven’t seen this type of program at another organization,” says Paraskevopoulos.

aring is in the DNA of Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. As Canada’s leading retailer of pharmacy products and services, the company has

more than a routine interest in the well-being of the patrons of the more than 1,250 independently owned and operated Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix stores across the country.

“It is easy to feel good about working for Shoppers Drug Mart,” says Sharla Paraskevopoulos, Vice President of Human Resources, “because our culture is focused on maintaining the health and wellness of our customers. Our relationship goes much deeper than just selling a product or service to people.”

At the same time, she says, “we also have a strong desire to get things done and be efficient. We are very dedicated and hard-working, which helps achieve that efficiency. It is a unique combination of qualities.”

Shoppers has a GTA workforce of almost 2,200 employees, located at its Central Office and related healthcare businesses. (This does not include more than 12,000 employees of the Toronto-based retail pharmacies, which are owned by franchisees.)

Shoppers fosters a culture of caring and opportunity

ShopperS Drug Mart Inc. employees celebrating launch of love you campaign

THANK YOU TO ALL EMPLOYEES FOR TAKING OWNERSHIP AND FINDING MORE WAYS TO CARE.PROUD TO BE NAMED ONE OF GREATER TORONTO'S TOP EMPLOYERS 2016!

careers.shoppersdrugmart.ca @shopperscareers linkedin.com/company/shoppers-drug-mart


in canada


last year

370jobs available

last year


last year

C

“The backgrounds we look for in those we hire are experience in retail operations, merchandising, analytics, data, marketing and finance,” says Paraskevopoulos. “As Shoppers Drug

Mart continues to enhance its Shoppers Optimum loyalty program, analytics is becoming a critical skill set.”

Shoppers offers a full range of employee benefits, including a discount available on front-of-store purchases. Not far behind is the flexible health plan. It allows employees to customize coverage to suit their personal circumstances. “You have a set amount of flex dollars, and you assign them according to your needs,” says Paraskevopoulos.

Becky Hong, Senior Director of Pharmacy Planning and Pricing, has been with Shoppers since 2008. She aligns her health plan options with her husband’s company plan and tailors coverage to meet her family needs. “I have used the flex dollars to pay for dental expenses that were not covered by the dental plan.”

To encourage professional development, Shoppers Drug Mart University offers 2,300 online courses as well as in-class training on such topics as leadership and change management. For high-potential staff, the company provides time off to attend an Advanced Leadership Program offered in partnership with York University’s Schulich School of Business. “It’s like a mini-MBA,” says Paraskevopoulos. “Shoppers has about five employees participate every year.”

Hong, who has a director and a manager reporting to her, says the courses helped her become a better leader. “The company invested in me,” she says. “It was open and supportive to my exploring different parts of the business. I was given the opportunity to move from finance to front store merchandising to pharmacy.”

A key element of Shoppers’ culture of caring is support for worthy causes, with a focus on women’s health under the relaunched banner, Shoppers LOVE YOU. The company supports a number of women’s health organizations including the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Look Good

Feel Better, Women’s College Hospital, Osteoporosis Canada and the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation.

Each year, the company also encourages employees and customers to donate to more than 500 local women’s health charities across the country. Employee participation in fundraising events is encouraged and helps to create engagement with the causes. For example, 20 per cent of participants in the Shoppers Love You Run for Women

“The company invested in me. It was open and

supportive to my exploring different parts of

the business.”– Becky Hong, Senior Director, Pharmacy Planning and Pricing

are Shoppers Drug Mart employees, pharmacist-owners and their store teams.

Shoppers also has an internal employee campaign called WISH – Working in Support of Hope – which, since its launch in 2003, has aided almost 300 colleagues facing difficult personal situations. Fundraisers such as ticket auctions and food drives are held throughout the year for WISH. “I haven’t seen this type of program at another organization,” says Paraskevopoulos.

aring is in the DNA of Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. As Canada’s leading retailer of pharmacy products and services, the company has

more than a routine interest in the well-being of the patrons of the more than 1,250 independently owned and operated Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix stores across the country.

“It is easy to feel good about working for Shoppers Drug Mart,” says Sharla Paraskevopoulos, Vice President of Human Resources, “because our culture is focused on maintaining the health and wellness of our customers. Our relationship goes much deeper than just selling a product or service to people.”

At the same time, she says, “we also have a strong desire to get things done and be efficient. We are very dedicated and hard-working, which helps achieve that efficiency. It is a unique combination of qualities.”

Shoppers has a GTA workforce of almost 2,200 employees, located at its Central Office and related healthcare businesses. (This does not include more than 12,000 employees of the Toronto-based retail pharmacies, which are owned by franchisees.)

Shoppers fosters a culture of caring and opportunity

ShopperS Drug Mart Inc. employees celebrating launch of love you campaign

THANK YOU TO ALL EMPLOYEES FOR TAKING OWNERSHIP AND FINDING MORE WAYS TO CARE.PROUD TO BE NAMED ONE OF GREATER TORONTO'S TOP EMPLOYERS 2016!

careers.shoppersdrugmart.ca @shopperscareers linkedin.com/company/shoppers-drug-mart


in canada


last year

370jobs available

last year


last year

C

“The backgrounds we look for in those we hire are experience in retail operations, merchandising, analytics, data, marketing and finance,” says Paraskevopoulos. “As Shoppers Drug

Mart continues to enhance its Shoppers Optimum loyalty program, analytics is becoming a critical skill set.”

Shoppers offers a full range of employee benefits, including a discount available on front-of-store purchases. Not far behind is the flexible health plan. It allows employees to customize coverage to suit their personal circumstances. “You have a set amount of flex dollars, and you assign them according to your needs,” says Paraskevopoulos.

Becky Hong, Senior Director of Pharmacy Planning and Pricing, has been with Shoppers since 2008. She aligns her health plan options with her husband’s company plan and tailors coverage to meet her family needs. “I have used the flex dollars to pay for dental expenses that were not covered by the dental plan.”

To encourage professional development, Shoppers Drug Mart University offers 2,300 online courses as well as in-class training on such topics as leadership and change management. For high-potential staff, the company provides time off to attend an Advanced Leadership Program offered in partnership with York University’s Schulich School of Business. “It’s like a mini-MBA,” says Paraskevopoulos. “Shoppers has about five employees participate every year.”

Hong, who has a director and a manager reporting to her, says the courses helped her become a better leader. “The company invested in me,” she says. “It was open and supportive to my exploring different parts of the business. I was given the opportunity to move from finance to front store merchandising to pharmacy.”

A key element of Shoppers’ culture of caring is support for worthy causes, with a focus on women’s health under the relaunched banner, Shoppers LOVE YOU. The company supports a number of women’s health organizations including the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Look Good

Feel Better, Women’s College Hospital, Osteoporosis Canada and the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation.

Each year, the company also encourages employees and customers to donate to more than 500 local women’s health charities across the country. Employee participation in fundraising events is encouraged and helps to create engagement with the causes. For example, 20 per cent of participants in the Shoppers Love You Run for Women

“The company invested in me. It was open and

supportive to my exploring different parts of

the business.”– Becky Hong, Senior Director, Pharmacy Planning and Pricing

4 4

be engaged in social causes and feel good about what they are doing.”

In the end, Henshall found a few of those longer-term employees he was seeking. The average tenure among the engineering team is more than 11 years, over half the life of the company.

Henshall sees himself becoming one of Sigma’s more experienced hands. “This is a career position, not a temporary job,” he says. “Sigma is where I want to be.”

uring his Sigma Systems job interview, Shawn Henshall looked around for just a touch of grey. “I searched for the occasional grey-

haired person,” he explains, “because I hoped the company also had some experienced employees to complement its youthful energy. In the high-tech world, retention is a pretty good indication that the workplace atmosphere is positive and stimulating enough to keep people happy at their jobs.”

Henshall’s 15 years in the telecommunications sector made him wary when he approached Toronto-based Sigma, a global provider of software and systems application solutions for communication, media and other high-tech enterprises. “I was tired of companies unable to fulfill their assurances to customers, but Sigma is just the opposite,” he says. “Here, we deliver exactly what we promise.”

The Sigma Way is paved with surprises

EMPLOYEES DEVELOP MEANINGFUL WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH DOWN-TO-EARTH LEADERSHIP AT SIGMA

sigma-systems.com

100 full-time staff

in Canada

500 staff volunteer hours last year


last year

19years, longest-

serving employee

D

In addition to keeping its customer commitments, Sigma has a number of other attributes that attract and retain employees. Says Henshall, now the company’s Director of Product Management: “For one thing, I rediscovered the passion you usually find only in a startup.”

For another thing, Henshall says Sigma treats its people with considerable respect and understands the importance of people’s personal lives. “If I arrive

at work later because I had to take my daughter to school, it’s not a problem,” he says. “They are very flexible when it comes to all sorts of personal and family matters. That flexibility is worth its weight in gold.”

Another attractive Sigma workplace feature: management that is accessible and listens. “I can walk into the CEO’s office without an appointment to discuss an issue at almost any time – and I have,” Henshall says. “That’s empowering.”

President and CEO Tim Spencer engages with employees in a variety of other ways beyond his open door. Once a week, either he or another member of the senior team pushes a cart to distribute free ice cream throughout the office. “It could take 15 minutes, but I easily spend more than an hour listening to what is on people’s minds.”

Once a month, Spencer invites everyone who has a birthday that month for an informal session in his office. “We talk about everything from sports to product launches,” he says. “But I always ask if they have any impediments in their work or routines. Once someone complained about a slow-boiling kettle. It was replaced the next day.”

When Spencer became Sigma president in 2004, one of his first moves was to introduce bonuses and profit-sharing to the then decade-old company that had experienced few profitable years. “Profit-sharing is essential,” he says, “because it connects people directly to our business.”

Funny thing. Ever since the company began sharing its profits, it has been profitable. For Henshall, who had been used to working for struggling companies with erratic profit records, Sigma’s approach is yet another competitive advantage. “My bonus was so fantastic that it surprised the heck out of me,” he says.

Meanwhile, Spencer acknowledges that while generous benefits are important to attract and retain staff, they are

only one part of a winning workplace formula. Creating an overall positive employee experience is key. “We call it the Sigma Way,” he says. “We like to have fun—our quarterly and annual social events are very important to us.”

Staff are also generous in their own right. Since 2007, they have supported Free the Children’s efforts on behalf of two villages in India. In total, Sigma employees have raised more than $500,000 for the Canadian charity. Says Spencer: “Our people want to

“This is a career position,

not a temporary job. Sigma

is where I want to be.” – Shawn Henshall,

Director of Product Management

be engaged in social causes and feel good about what they are doing.”

In the end, Henshall found a few of those longer-term employees he was seeking. The average tenure among the engineering team is more than 11 years, over half the life of the company.

Henshall sees himself becoming one of Sigma’s more experienced hands. “This is a career position, not a temporary job,” he says. “Sigma is where I want to be.”

uring his Sigma Systems job interview, Shawn Henshall looked around for just a touch of grey. “I searched for the occasional grey-

haired person,” he explains, “because I hoped the company also had some experienced employees to complement its youthful energy. In the high-tech world, retention is a pretty good indication that the workplace atmosphere is positive and stimulating enough to keep people happy at their jobs.”

Henshall’s 15 years in the telecommunications sector made him wary when he approached Toronto-based Sigma, a global provider of software and systems application solutions for communication, media and other high-tech enterprises. “I was tired of companies unable to fulfill their assurances to customers, but Sigma is just the opposite,” he says. “Here, we deliver exactly what we promise.”

The Sigma Way is paved with surprises

EMPLOYEES DEVELOP MEANINGFUL WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH DOWN-TO-EARTH LEADERSHIP AT SIGMA

sigma-systems.com

100 full-time staff

in Canada

500 staff volunteer hours last year


last year

19years, longest-

serving employee

D

In addition to keeping its customer commitments, Sigma has a number of other attributes that attract and retain employees. Says Henshall, now the company’s Director of Product Management: “For one thing, I rediscovered the passion you usually find only in a startup.”

For another thing, Henshall says Sigma treats its people with considerable respect and understands the importance of people’s personal lives. “If I arrive

at work later because I had to take my daughter to school, it’s not a problem,” he says. “They are very flexible when it comes to all sorts of personal and family matters. That flexibility is worth its weight in gold.”

Another attractive Sigma workplace feature: management that is accessible and listens. “I can walk into the CEO’s office without an appointment to discuss an issue at almost any time – and I have,” Henshall says. “That’s empowering.”

President and CEO Tim Spencer engages with employees in a variety of other ways beyond his open door. Once a week, either he or another member of the senior team pushes a cart to distribute free ice cream throughout the office. “It could take 15 minutes, but I easily spend more than an hour listening to what is on people’s minds.”

Once a month, Spencer invites everyone who has a birthday that month for an informal session in his office. “We talk about everything from sports to product launches,” he says. “But I always ask if they have any impediments in their work or routines. Once someone complained about a slow-boiling kettle. It was replaced the next day.”

When Spencer became Sigma president in 2004, one of his first moves was to introduce bonuses and profit-sharing to the then decade-old company that had experienced few profitable years. “Profit-sharing is essential,” he says, “because it connects people directly to our business.”

Funny thing. Ever since the company began sharing its profits, it has been profitable. For Henshall, who had been used to working for struggling companies with erratic profit records, Sigma’s approach is yet another competitive advantage. “My bonus was so fantastic that it surprised the heck out of me,” he says.

Meanwhile, Spencer acknowledges that while generous benefits are important to attract and retain staff, they are

only one part of a winning workplace formula. Creating an overall positive employee experience is key. “We call it the Sigma Way,” he says. “We like to have fun—our quarterly and annual social events are very important to us.”

Staff are also generous in their own right. Since 2007, they have supported Free the Children’s efforts on behalf of two villages in India. In total, Sigma employees have raised more than $500,000 for the Canadian charity. Says Spencer: “Our people want to

“This is a career position,

not a temporary job. Sigma

is where I want to be.” – Shawn Henshall,

Director of Product Management

4 5

This is a highly sophisticated and technically oriented business.”

But there’s another side of State Street, too. McClelland balances her daily job responsibilities with internal and external volunteer work. As chair of the company’s Canadian fundraising council, she organizes countless charity events and blood drives, and is involved with the Employee Management Council, which promotes employee engagement through fun events and networking. “I believe that if people get to know each other on a social level,” she says, “they’ll work together better.”

or Tanya McClelland, there are two standout reasons to work at State Street Canada: “There are great opportunities here – and it’s a fantastic place to be a mom.”

McClelland joined the financial services firm in Toronto in 2006, when she had one child. After her second maternity leave, she worked part-time for two years until her daughter began pre-school. “It was the perfect opportunity for me at that time, in my career and in my home life,” she says. Now back full-time with expanded responsibilities, she still works from home two days a week.

McClelland is a Business Continuity Consultant and Information Security Analyst for State Street, a global company headquartered in Boston that provides services for institutional investors. As part of her role, she helps to make sure that if any part of the corporation’s operation goes down — due to bad weather or a more catastrophic event — State Street’s people and systems in other locations can back it up.

At State Street, you become part of a rare breed

Staff volunteering at a State Street Canada global outreaCh event


in Canada

48 charities helped

last year


35average

employee age

F

With global responsibilities, McClelland spends a lot of time working with people across times zones – from Europe to Australia – and can manage her day accordingly. If she gets up early to work with Europe, for example, she may finish working in the early afternoon.

State Street supports a wide range of financial services for institutional clients, including global custody and portfolio valuation, asset management and support

for foreign exchange and electronic trading. In Canada, clients are primarily domestic, but Canadian employees support other State Street teams around the world. Globally, State Street operates in 30 countries with more than 31,000 employees, and has US$27 trillion in assets under custody and administration.

“The global nature of the company is one of its attractions,” says Angelo Pugliese, Vice President, Global Human Resources. “We’ve had employees move to countries like China, India, Australia and a lot to the US.” Some are transferred, while others arrange a new position on their own. “They really want to stay with the company,” says Pugliese.

A key element of mobility at State Street is that working there makes you part of a rare breed. “It’s a highly technical path, so that knowledge capital is very valuable to us,” says Pugliese.

The company recruits with an emphasis on accounting degrees or technology backgrounds, from both colleges and

universities. For new grads, “one of the big benefits is there’s a lot of training available, whether self-directed learning or a technical stream,” says Pugliese.

What kind of people work there? Thoughtful ones, says Pugliese. “We service a lot of assets. So we have to make sure things are accurate and done on time,” he says. “We also need our employees to be able to recognize and mitigate risk. And we want individuals who are able to communicate effectively with our clients so they understand how we support their day-to-day operations and address their challenges.

“The global nature of the company is one of its attractions.”

– Angelo Pugliese, Vice President, Global HR

This is a highly sophisticated and technically oriented business.”

But there’s another side of State Street, too. McClelland balances her daily job responsibilities with internal and external volunteer work. As chair of the company’s Canadian fundraising council, she organizes countless charity events and blood drives, and is involved with the Employee Management Council, which promotes employee engagement through fun events and networking. “I believe that if people get to know each other on a social level,” she says, “they’ll work together better.”

or Tanya McClelland, there are two standout reasons to work at State Street Canada: “There are great opportunities here – and it’s a fantastic place to be a mom.”

McClelland joined the financial services firm in Toronto in 2006, when she had one child. After her second maternity leave, she worked part-time for two years until her daughter began pre-school. “It was the perfect opportunity for me at that time, in my career and in my home life,” she says. Now back full-time with expanded responsibilities, she still works from home two days a week.

McClelland is a Business Continuity Consultant and Information Security Analyst for State Street, a global company headquartered in Boston that provides services for institutional investors. As part of her role, she helps to make sure that if any part of the corporation’s operation goes down — due to bad weather or a more catastrophic event — State Street’s people and systems in other locations can back it up.

At State Street, you become part of a rare breed

Staff volunteering at a State Street Canada global outreaCh event


in Canada

48 charities helped

last year


35average

employee age

F

With global responsibilities, McClelland spends a lot of time working with people across times zones – from Europe to Australia – and can manage her day accordingly. If she gets up early to work with Europe, for example, she may finish working in the early afternoon.

State Street supports a wide range of financial services for institutional clients, including global custody and portfolio valuation, asset management and support

for foreign exchange and electronic trading. In Canada, clients are primarily domestic, but Canadian employees support other State Street teams around the world. Globally, State Street operates in 30 countries with more than 31,000 employees, and has US$27 trillion in assets under custody and administration.

“The global nature of the company is one of its attractions,” says Angelo Pugliese, Vice President, Global Human Resources. “We’ve had employees move to countries like China, India, Australia and a lot to the US.” Some are transferred, while others arrange a new position on their own. “They really want to stay with the company,” says Pugliese.

A key element of mobility at State Street is that working there makes you part of a rare breed. “It’s a highly technical path, so that knowledge capital is very valuable to us,” says Pugliese.

The company recruits with an emphasis on accounting degrees or technology backgrounds, from both colleges and

universities. For new grads, “one of the big benefits is there’s a lot of training available, whether self-directed learning or a technical stream,” says Pugliese.

What kind of people work there? Thoughtful ones, says Pugliese. “We service a lot of assets. So we have to make sure things are accurate and done on time,” he says. “We also need our employees to be able to recognize and mitigate risk. And we want individuals who are able to communicate effectively with our clients so they understand how we support their day-to-day operations and address their challenges.

“The global nature of the company is one of its attractions.”

– Angelo Pugliese, Vice President, Global HR

4 6

Sunnybrook grounds where burgers, sausages, corn, ice cream and cupcakes are served. “It is lots of fun, and really makes you feel appreciated,” she adds.

For Reddick, the reason for putting on such events is plain: “Our most important resource is our people. Each and every person is critical to our success.”

s a registered nurse with experience in neonatal intensive care, Deb Cull-Hollingsworth knew she would enjoy working at Sunnybrook Health

Sciences Centre. The modern facilities of its Women & Babies Program were a clear improvement over the cramped maternity ward of the old downtown Toronto hospital where she’d worked before. Sunnybrook’s warm, collegial environment has proved equally welcome.

“For such a huge place, I see familiar faces every day and not just in my own unit, but in the hallways too,” says Cull-Hollingsworth. “Sunnybrook has a really nice friendly atmosphere. The people are almost family.”

Sunnybrook is indeed big, nestled within its 100-acre parkland setting. Since opening in June 1948 as a veterans care hospital, it has grown and evolved into Canada’s largest single-site hospital, with some 1.2 million patient visits a year.

Teamwork defines the culture of care at Sunnybrook

Sunnybrook RegisteRed NuRse deb Cull-HolliNgswoRtH


in Canada

44 years, longest-

serving employee


last year

65%managers from

internal promotion

A

As well as serving the local community in midtown Toronto, Sunnybrook cares for patients referred from other Ontario hospitals. Four internationally recognized specialty programs – heart and stroke; cancer; trauma and emergency services; and high-risk maternal and newborn care – are equipped to handle some of the most critically ill and injured patients in Canada.

Sunnybrook is also a leading teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto, where each year more than 2,600 graduate and postgraduate students from Canada and abroad learn about the latest advances in healthcare. Some have fellowships with the Sunnybrook Research Institute whose 1,275 researchers, including 295 scientists and clinician-scientists, do groundbreaking work.

In all, more than 10,000 full- and part-time staff, physicians and volunteers work on-site each day. It’s a large and diverse group, yet Sunnybrook has met the challenge of respecting individual wants and needs with a wide-ranging employee benefits package. Staff can access programs that serve everything from their daily health and safety needs to their long-term career aspirations.

A supportive workplace environment where people feel they are truly making a difference also plays a significant role in worker satisfaction at Sunnybrook. As Cull-Hollingsworth’s experience shows, this often comes down to teamwork.

She is team leader in the High Risk Obstetrical Unit for women with pregnancies so complicated they require round-the-clock inpatient care. Many patients in the 23-bed unit have other serious medical conditions, including neurological disorders, heart disease or cancer. Cull-Hollingsworth can also turn to colleagues in other departments whose expertise can help provide the interdisciplinary care the women need.

“Teams are essential in an organization as large as ours,” says Marilyn Reddick, Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development. “Teams can be within a department, or inter-departmental, and a person can be on multiple teams. Instead of feeling like cogs in a much larger organization, individuals can see the impact of their contributions.”

At the same time, Sunnybrook recognizes and rewards individual achievement.

Each June, for instance, a Service Award Celebration pays tribute to important career milestones with a beautiful dinner and gifts pre-chosen by the recipient. Cull-Hollingsworth attended in 2015 to mark 20 years of service. “It was lovely,” she says, “being among other people who have dedicated their working life to Sunnybrook.”

Cull-Hollingsworth also enjoys the huge staff barbecue held each fall on the

“Sunnybrook has a really nice friendly

atmosphere. The people are almost family.”

– Deb Cull-Hollingsworth R.N. Team Leader, High Risk Obstetrical Unit

Sunnybrook grounds where burgers, sausages, corn, ice cream and cupcakes are served. “It is lots of fun, and really makes you feel appreciated,” she adds.

For Reddick, the reason for putting on such events is plain: “Our most important resource is our people. Each and every person is critical to our success.”

s a registered nurse with experience in neonatal intensive care, Deb Cull-Hollingsworth knew she would enjoy working at Sunnybrook Health

Sciences Centre. The modern facilities of its Women & Babies Program were a clear improvement over the cramped maternity ward of the old downtown Toronto hospital where she’d worked before. Sunnybrook’s warm, collegial environment has proved equally welcome.

“For such a huge place, I see familiar faces every day and not just in my own unit, but in the hallways too,” says Cull-Hollingsworth. “Sunnybrook has a really nice friendly atmosphere. The people are almost family.”

Sunnybrook is indeed big, nestled within its 100-acre parkland setting. Since opening in June 1948 as a veterans care hospital, it has grown and evolved into Canada’s largest single-site hospital, with some 1.2 million patient visits a year.

Teamwork defines the culture of care at Sunnybrook

Sunnybrook RegisteRed NuRse deb Cull-HolliNgswoRtH


in Canada

44 years, longest-

serving employee


last year

65%managers from

internal promotion

A

As well as serving the local community in midtown Toronto, Sunnybrook cares for patients referred from other Ontario hospitals. Four internationally recognized specialty programs – heart and stroke; cancer; trauma and emergency services; and high-risk maternal and newborn care – are equipped to handle some of the most critically ill and injured patients in Canada.

Sunnybrook is also a leading teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto, where each year more than 2,600 graduate and postgraduate students from Canada and abroad learn about the latest advances in healthcare. Some have fellowships with the Sunnybrook Research Institute whose 1,275 researchers, including 295 scientists and clinician-scientists, do groundbreaking work.

In all, more than 10,000 full- and part-time staff, physicians and volunteers work on-site each day. It’s a large and diverse group, yet Sunnybrook has met the challenge of respecting individual wants and needs with a wide-ranging employee benefits package. Staff can access programs that serve everything from their daily health and safety needs to their long-term career aspirations.

A supportive workplace environment where people feel they are truly making a difference also plays a significant role in worker satisfaction at Sunnybrook. As Cull-Hollingsworth’s experience shows, this often comes down to teamwork.

She is team leader in the High Risk Obstetrical Unit for women with pregnancies so complicated they require round-the-clock inpatient care. Many patients in the 23-bed unit have other serious medical conditions, including neurological disorders, heart disease or cancer. Cull-Hollingsworth can also turn to colleagues in other departments whose expertise can help provide the interdisciplinary care the women need.

“Teams are essential in an organization as large as ours,” says Marilyn Reddick, Vice President, Human Resources and Organizational Development. “Teams can be within a department, or inter-departmental, and a person can be on multiple teams. Instead of feeling like cogs in a much larger organization, individuals can see the impact of their contributions.”

At the same time, Sunnybrook recognizes and rewards individual achievement.

Each June, for instance, a Service Award Celebration pays tribute to important career milestones with a beautiful dinner and gifts pre-chosen by the recipient. Cull-Hollingsworth attended in 2015 to mark 20 years of service. “It was lovely,” she says, “being among other people who have dedicated their working life to Sunnybrook.”

Cull-Hollingsworth also enjoys the huge staff barbecue held each fall on the

“Sunnybrook has a really nice friendly

atmosphere. The people are almost family.”

– Deb Cull-Hollingsworth R.N. Team Leader, High Risk Obstetrical Unit

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Greater Toronto Top Employers (2016)

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