Manitoba's Top Employers

9 BROADview NETWORKS BROADVIEW NETWORKS INVESTING IN THE WORKFORCE BY GEOFF KIRBYSON Strategic planning at Broadview Networks has always included a business continuity plan but the company never dreamed the plan would be tested the way it was. Like virtually every other company in town, the Winnipeg-based IT managed services provider was locked down when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, forcing it to send its people home to work. Luckily, it supports IT services for a host of corporate clients that need to be working, pandemic or no pandemic, so it had seen disasters before. Just, you know, not one that impacted all customers at the same time. That's when David Reimer, Broadview's director of sales and one of its owners, said the company got out its chequebook. "Although we already had the technology and processes to enable remote work, we wanted to demonstrate to our staff that we'll support them through this challenging time," Reimer said. That meant an upgrade to laptops, large screens, cameras, and noise cancelling headsets so its people could excel at their jobs no matter where they were. "Instead of being concerned and spending less on the staff experience and technology, we spent more. Whether our people were working from the office or home, they had the tools they needed to do their jobs. That was a hugely positive experience at a time when our staff might have been getting down on things," he said. Broadview also wanted to demonstrate to its customers that the company is there for them. Instead of measuring staff utilization Broadview used response rate and resolution time as key metrics. "All our effort was focused on how quickly we could respond to and resolve customer issues," said Michael Orloff, the company's president. Although the volume of support calls increased, Broadview was able to achieve its best ever response times. While its employees ensured clients were still receiving the level of service they had come to expect, the executive team huddled at the office (in a socially-distanced sort of way) to figure out their plan of attack for when the office would reopen. When people returned to the office after the initial lockdown, the workspace looked very different. The company has 34 employees in a pair of locations, one in River Heights and the other downtown. The company bought more than enough personal protective equipment (PPE), made it mandatory to wear masks throughout the office, restricted visitors, prevented employees from venturing out of their areas and implemented temperature testing. The company's COVID protocols included a Plexiglas partition around every desk so all employees could work without having to worry every time they heard somebody clear their throat or stifle a sneeze. "We've invested a lot into our staff experience and customer experience. That's a big part of why we're a great place to work," Orloff said. Indeed, Broadview has just qualified for the first time as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers. It's not like it's new to accolades, however, as it has previously been among Canada's Top Small and Medium Employers of the year. When things get back to something resembling close to normal after the second lockdown, Broadview's employees will return to their open-concept office, featuring an open area to facilitate collaboration, lots of windows letting in natural light and high ceilings. They'll also be able to use a gym for the first time in a while. The company's fitness room features free weights, treadmills, stationary bikes and showers. "A big part of our commitment to our staff is promoting health and wellness and a healthy lifestyle," Orloff said. The company also has a unique "CEO." Dexter, an eight-year-old golden retriever, is its Canine Executive Officer (and the Orloff family pet). He looks the part every day as he sports a tie. Seriously. "He has the run of the place. He usually stays in my office but if he hears anybody coming in, he's usually the first to the door," Orloff said. The staff doesn't need much encouragement to get involved in the community but the company provides it anyway. Some of their causes include: Adopt-A-Highway, breast cancer research, pet rescues, school breakfast programs, the United Way and heart and stroke awareness. For more information, visit broadviewnetworks.ca. BROADVIEW'S TEAM AT THE UNITED WAY PLANE PULL CAMPAIGN.

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