Manitoba's Top Employers

26 MANITOBA'S TOP 25 EMPLOYERS 2015 A n airport could well be considered a community's frontdoor,aplacewherevisitorsoftengettheirvery firstglimpseofacityandasenseofthepeoplewho livethere. That is the basic philosophy that continues to elevate the success of the Winnipeg Airports Authority Inc. (WAA), named one of Manitoba's Top 25 Employers for the fourth time in five years. The organization was also recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers last year, a further indicationthatWAAisontherightpath. "Obviously,wewereverypleasedwiththesehonours,"said BarryRempel,WAA'spresidentandCEO."It'sanaffirmation ofourdirectionandthatthevalueswedeemmostimportant arebeingnoticedbyothers." WAAisresponsibleforthemanagementandoperationof Winnipeg Richardson International Airport, a facility that not onlyservesasthecity's'frontdoor'butalsogeneratesmore than$3.64billionintotaleconomicoutputandwelcomes3.5 million passengers each year. Providing direct and indirect employment for nearly 15,000 people, WAA also serves an important economic development role, not only for the airport campus and surrounding area, but also for the city andprovince. The responsibilities are huge, so finding and retaining quality staff is key to the WAA's future. Rempel says one of their secrets to hiring success is found in the philosophy of best-selling author and TED.com favourite, Simon Sinek. The 'why' you are doing something is just as important as the'how.' "If a company can articulate its mandate and philosophy andattractpeoplewho'get'it,thenanorganizationcanreally tick,"saidRempel."Ourpeoplerecognizethatserviceistruly what we are all about. When your employees recognize that premise,everythingelsejuststartstoalign." Andwhentheydoalign,thedesiretojointheteamseems togrow. "Moreandmore,peoplearecomingtous(foremployment), even when we do not have an advertised opening," said Rempel. "When we do advertise, we always receive many applications, so people seem to recognize and appreciate oureffortstofindandretaingoodstaff." He notes that one of the organization's key strategic directions involves attracting and inspiring excellence in the WAA team by ensuring all employees are committed to the organization'svalues,alongwithhaving"therightskillsinthe rightplaceattherighttime." Professionaldevelopmentisjustoneofthemanybenefits provided to WAA employees. Others include competitive wages, a full benefits package, work-life balance, flexible working hours, on-site gym facilities and discounts at airportconcessions. Staff also benefit from the WAA's solid reputation as a good corporate citizen, one that provides and encourages a variety of community-enriching, volunteer opportunities. For thepast19years,WAAstaffhaveplantedandharvestedroot vegetables in a designated "Harvest Garden" for donation to Winnipeg Harvest. The organization's example recently inspired other companies to pursue similar ventures in support of the local food bank. WAA staff also gets involved in the annual Christmas Cheer Board drive, United Way and Winnipeg's annual Santa Claus Parade. An employee committee also organizes the company's annual charity golf tournament which has raised significant funds for the Firefighters'BurnFund. "We are always interested in attracting and inspiring excellence in our employees," said Rempel. "We need to make sure that we have the right people in the right places. It's a very competitive market out there when it comes to recruiting the best people who can align with our company philosophyandserveourcommunity." Rempelsaysthecompany'sencouragementofexcellence among its team members, along with the nature of WAA's working environment, ensures that there are no two daysalike. WAA staff gets to witness so many unique experiences over the course of a work day, from people saying goodbye for a long time to those joyfully reuniting, from celebrities arriving and departing to setting the scene for a community celebrationwhenhometownheroesreturntothecity. Getting a great perspective on the burgeoning economic development activities in and around the airport community is another perk for WAA employees. While opportunity continuestoknockforbusinessandindustryinthearea,the community's 'front door' will be well-staffed by those who shareWAA'songoingcommitmenttoserviceexcellence. ByNancyBoomerforTheFreePress WINNIPEGAIRPORTS AUTHORITY Careerstakeflightat WinnipegAirportsAuthority Thisyear,WAAandotherairportcampusemployeesharvested3,612poundsofproducetohelp nourishhungryfamiliesinourcommunity.PhotosuppliedbyWAA Leading Transportation Innovation & Growth WAA.CA Photography courtesy of Laird Kay

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