Manitoba's Top Employers

Manitoba's Top 25 Employers 2014 Those times are long gone, according to Richard Yerema, managing editor of the annual Canada's Top 100 Employers project, which also includes the Manitoba's Top Employers competition. Yerema says there is now far more competition for workers, especially in Western Canada, and employers have to be a lot more creative when it comes to attracting the best and brightest available talent. "In high-growth areas … getting the right people is one of the biggest challenges," said Yerema, one of the country's top careers writers who authored the book The Career Directory which inspired the Top 100 Employers project. "You have to be more flexible. And you don't have to be a big corporation. I've seen smaller organizations be flexible because they can be. It's like the old saying, 'it's better to try and fail, than fail to try'." Recognizing the exceptional efforts of employers to provide enlightened workplaces and attract and retain talented workers was the reason the Top 100 project was created. Now in its 14th year, it uses data collected from thousands of companies across the country to analyze and rate Canada's most progressive employers. Manitoba's Top Employers is one of a number of regional competitions that have since spun out of the Top 100 program. Employers are evaluated based on a series of eight criteria including: • Physical workplace • Work atmosphere and social • Health, financial and family benefits • Vacation and time off • Employee communications • Performance management • Training and skills development • Community involvement "There were some great companies who applied for the Top 100 but because of limitations there were some great regional stories being missed," Yerema said of the reason behind the creation of the Manitoba competition eight years ago. "Some of these regional competitions are even more popular with employers because that's where they want to tell their stories." This year's list of Manitoba's winners includes It's like the old saying, "it's better to try and fail, than fail to try" a variety of employers including both smaller organizations such as St. John's-Ravenscourt School and Université de Saint-Boniface and much larger companies such as Monsanto Canada and Manitoba Blue Cross. While being named one of Manitoba's Top Employers is a feather in the cap of any employer, it's about far more than just bragging rights, says Yerema. By offering a transparent look at everything a company has to offer prospective employees, it 3 gives job seekers a better idea of what it might be like to work there. In addition, the program can inspire employers to up their respective games. Some companies will spend up to two years preparing their application for the competition, including conducting a thorough analysis of what others are doing to attract and keep employees. "I think the best description of the project is it's a catalogue of best practices for employers," said Yerema. "A lot of HR people enjoy the process for that part of it. It gives them a case they can take to their leaders and say 'we need to do this and this'. It's about doing the smaller things to improve an organization and attracting good talent." That's particularly important in today's workplace where many younger employees aren't focused solely on wages, according to Yerema. As a result, many employers have begun offering perks such as flexible work schedules, support for community initiatives and the opportunity to telecommute in an effort to attract newcomers. "Employers have to think more creatively. When a person is 25 they're not thinking about a retirement savings program. They only see a deduction," he said. "But if an employee can take the unused portion of their health benefits and use them to buy a piece of fitness equipment, that becomes an attractive benefit to a young employee." The competition for skilled workers has also increased the importance of retaining employees companies already have in the fold. Not only does it save companies money in terms of training, it also helps retain organizational memory. "You don't want to have a turnstile on your front door. You want to keep people," Yerema said.

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