Nearly two years into the pandemic, employers in the nation's most competitive employment market are doubling down with improved employee benefits and programs: 'Greater Toronto's Top Employers' for 2022 are announced

TORONTO, Dec. 3, 2021 /CNW/ - If you thought things couldn't get any more competitive in Canada's hottest employment market, you need to step back and catch your breath.  The pandemic has made the Greater Toronto Area exceptionally competitive for employers – and the best are responding by improving their employee benefits and programs.  That's the message from this year's Greater Toronto's Top Employers, announced this morning by Mediacorp Canada Inc. in a special magazine in The Globe and Mail.

"Many GTA employers are now going above and beyond our benchmarks," says Richard Yerema, Managing Editor of the Canada's Top 100 Employers project at Mediacorp. "These organizations are pushing the conversation to the next level and we're seeing new benchmarks being set for the workplace benefits and policies we write about each year."

The large number of head offices in the Greater Toronto Area has long meant that talented candidates had many options when it came to looking for new employers. With the pandemic's arrival, candidates with in-demand skills – such as software or other technology areas – suddenly found themselves being recruited by employers based far beyond the GTA.  The dramatic growth in positions where candidates can work from home has created unprecedented competition among GTA employers.

"The past two years of lockdowns and working from home have made GTA employers take stock of their employment benefits, especially in health and wellness, and improve their offerings," says Kristina Leung, Senior Editor of the Canada's Top 100 Employers project.  "The result is that our entire GTA applicant pool has become much stronger – employers increasingly view these programs as essential to the operation of their business."

Now in its 16^th edition, the Greater Toronto's Top Employers competition is an annual editorial project that recognizes employers with exceptional human resources programs and forward-thinking workplace policies.  Editors at Mediacorp evaluate 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. Employers are compared to other organizations in their field to determine which offer the most progressive and forward-thinking programs. The annual competition is open to any employer with its head office in the Greater Toronto Area; employers of any size may apply, whether private or public sector.

Founded in 1992, Mediacorp Canada Inc. is the nation's largest publisher of employment periodicals. Since 1999, the Toronto-based publisher has managed the Canada's Top 100 Employers project, which includes 18 regional and special-interest editorial competitions that reach millions of Canadians annually through a variety of magazine and newspaper partners, including The Globe and Mail. Mediacorp also operates Eluta.ca, one of Canada's largest job search engines, which reaches millions of unique visitors annually and features editorial reviews from the Canada's Top 100 Employers project. The company also publishes The Career Directory, now in its 29^th year – a free online guide for recent college and university graduates looking for employers hiring candidates from their educational background.

The complete list of Greater Toronto's Top Employers for 2022 was announced in special magazine published in The Globe and Mail this morning. Detailed reasons for selection with additional stories and photos were released simultaneously on the competition homepage.

SOURCE Mediacorp Canada Inc.

Stephanie Leung, Senior Editor, at 416-964-6069 Ext. 5334