Manitoba's Top Employers

10 National Leasing is an equipment financing company based out of Winnipeg that helps more than 70,000 Canadian businesses secure equipment they need to help their business grow. Grant Shaw, Senior Vice-President of Strategy and Culture at National Leasing, says you get a sense of the company's open culture the minute you walk through the door. "It can be something as simple as walking down the hallway and seeing people saying hello to each other," Shaw says. "We're very inclusive in the sense that everyone's opinion matters; everyone has an opportunity to contribute to the organization. Beyond that, we focus on finding out what people's expectations are when they come to work here and treating them that way." Shaw noted that National Leasing looks to get the conversation rolling through transparent communication from the top down. "There's no information that's unknown in this organization," he says. "After our leadership meetings, we do a summary and send it out to everyone in the organization. I edit those summaries and can say that everything we talk about is communicated." Shaw adds that the leadership team also has no offices. New hires often indicate they've never worked for such an organization where the leadership team is so accessible. The company gets employees directly involved through its bi-monthly "Pardon the Interruption" meetings, where the company brings in lunch and introduces new team members, celebrates anniversaries and provides insights into the business by discussing financial information and what the challenges and opportunities are. Although National Leasing has nearly 80 sales staff spread across Canada (it has over 300 at its head office), the company takes extra effort to get them involved. "We ensure that out-of-town employees have an opportunity to participate in meetings via a webcam," Shaw says. "Since we provide everyone with lunch for that meeting, remote workers get to expense their lunch that day." National Leasing is very much focused on the wellness of its employees. The company has a well-equipped onsite gym and fitness studio with daily instructor-led classes and a massage therapist who visits every second week. Healthy lunches from Green Carrot and Pita Pit are also available at a subsidized cost multiple times a week. When employees need to unwind, they can take advantage of relaxation rooms on site for reading, sleeping or meditating (the company also offers free weekly meditation classes). A sense of wellness can also extend out to the community. National Leasing provides paid time for its employees to participate in charitable activities and volunteering. The company also brings in speakers from charitable organizations to highlight ongoing initiatives they can support. Perhaps one of the great examples that highlights the company's commitment to its employees' wellness is the health coach it recently hired. "We have a certified trainer who provides professional-level health coaching. It's all web and email based, which allows us to extend that benefit to people outside the building," Shaw says. "You've got people here eight hours a day, five days a week, and as an employer we've worked hard to determine where our responsibility lies to make sure those people have a good foundation for wellness." National Leasing also offers other attractive benefits to its employees. The company used to have a deferred profit-sharing plan that changed to a share purchase plan. Employees can contribute up to 10 per cent of their salary and enjoy a five per cent contribution from the company. Every employee gets an automatic two per cent contribution from the company. "There's definitely an ownership feeling within the organization," Shaw says. "Employees know they have a direct impact on our collective success." Shaw has worked at National Leasing for 20 years and says it has been an experience like no other. "I've never worked for a place like this before and I can honestly say that's been the case since day one," he says. "The previous leadership that was here instilled such an inviting, open culture that we still have today. I can truly say it's the best place to work." EMPLOYEES' OPINIONS MATTER AT CWB NATIONAL LEASING BY PAT REDIGER At CWB National Leasing Inc. (National Leasing), employees are encouraged to bring their perspectives to the table. CWB National Leasing employees cheered on the Winnipeg Jets during the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs. PHOTO BY BRADLEY GERBRANDT

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