Authentic and genuine: Doing good in the community is the golden thread that runs through this year's Canada's Top 100 Employers
TORONTO, Nov. 9, 2018 /CNW/ - Canadians increasingly look to their employers to put their skills to work helping in the community as well as on the job – that's the message from the 2019 winners of the Canada's Top 100 Employers competition, announced this morning by Mediacorp Canada Inc.
"We are seeing more time off for employees to work in the community, more matching funds for their fundraising efforts, more donations in return for employees' volunteer hours – there's more robustness in these programs," says Richard Yerema, Managing Editor at Mediacorp Canada Inc., which manages the competition.
Doing good in the community can prove inspiring to employees or potential applicants – particularly young people – who want to feel they are working for a higher purpose than their day-to-day role, he says. And it enhances the employer's reputation in society at large.
"But an employer's commitment to the community where it operates must be authentic and genuine," says Yerema. "Today's generation can figure out everything an employer has done in five minutes on their phone – the scrutiny is rigorous and job-seekers are more selective."
This year's competition saw a record number of employers take part in the selection process, with an increased number of applicants from all regions of the country. Mediacorp editors started by examining the recruitment histories of over 95,000 employers that it tracks for its popular job-search engine, Eluta.ca. From this pool, Mediacorp invited 9,801 employers to submit detailed applications, including a comprehensive review of their operations and HR practices that compares them to others in their industry and region. Employers interested in next year's competition may also request an application online.
Community involvement is not the only trend visible in this year's list of Canada's Top 100 Employers. Anthony Meehan, Publisher at Mediacorp, notes that the federal government in late 2017 extended maternity and parental leave to 18 months from one year. Already, two of this year's winners – the City of Toronto and Vancity – have updated their policies to include a longer benefit top-up period for employees, following the federal change.
Meehan says he expects to see more employers follow suit in coming years, as they did when such benefits were first introduced. "As society changes, organizations with an ear to the ground are paying attention and supporting these changes internally," he says.
Now entering its 20th year, the Canada's Top 100 Employers competition is an editorial project that recognizes employers with exceptional human resources programs and forward-thinking workplace policies. Editors at Mediacorp grade employers on eight criteria, which have remained consistent since the project's inception: (1) Physical Workplace; (2) Work Atmosphere & Social; (3) Health, Financial & Family Benefits; (4) Vacation & Time Off; (5) Employee Communications; (6) Performance Management; (7) Training & Skills Development; and (8) Community Involvement. The editors publish detailed reasons for selection and grades for each of these criteria, providing transparency in the selection of winners and a catalogue of best practices for employers and job-seekers alike.
Founded in 1992, Mediacorp Canada Inc. is the nation's largest publisher of employment periodicals. Since 1999, the Toronto-based publisher has managed the Canada's Top 100 Employers project, which includes 18 regional and special-interest editorial competitions that reach over 15 million Canadians annually through a variety of magazine and newspaper partners, including The Globe and Mail. Mediacorp also operates Eluta.ca, one of Canada's largest job search engines, which reaches over seven million unique visitors annually and features editorial reviews from the Canada's Top 100 Employers project. Together with Willis Towers Watson, Mediacorp hosts Canada's largest conference for senior-level HR professionals, the Top Employer Summit. This year's conference features Sarah McLachlan and takes place November 19, 2018 at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver.
The full list of this year's winners was announced in a national magazine published in The Globe and Mail this morning. The editors' detailed reasons for selecting each winner were also released today on the competition homepage.
SOURCE Mediacorp Canada Inc.
Kristina Leung, Senior Editor, Tel. 416-964-6069 x1464
Share this article