Manitoba's Top Employers

JOIN US IN BUILDING A STRONG RURAL MANITOBA For more information about rewarding career opportunities with MASC, visit www.masc.mb.ca LENDING AND INSURANCE 12 through a daylong corporate orientation session held twice a year. "All executive members, and some managers, participate actively in these orientation sessions. Each executive member talks about their division and what they do to provide new staff with a general overview of the corporation. Hopefully at the end of it, employees feel that they have a better understanding of MASC as a whole and how they fit into it. It's also an opportunity to raise any issues if they want to," Hamilton says. And it's easy to see why the workforce appreciates their involvement with MASC. "We have a host of excellent benefits. We also have worked really hard on succession planning, and we're big proponents on hiring from within. Five out of six of our executive management team members have worked their way up in our organization. Over the last five years, 60 per cent of the full-time positions have been hired from internal candidates, so we put a high value on that." For the benefit of all involved, MASC maintains a focus on ongoing training and development, which is particularly important since everything from accounting to agronomy is done in house. "We've also done some cross-training between divisions and moved people from one area to another, which goes part and parcel with succession planning." And when employees mark milestone anniversaries with MASC, there is always time to take a moment and celebrate their success. "We have service awards once people reach 10 years and every five years thereafter," he says. "The vice-president in charge of the staff member and myself are involved in making those presentations. We also have retirement celebrations." Seeing the value in face-to-face interactions, Hamilton aims to visit the majority of offices across the province at least once a year. For human resources manager Linda Volek, it's also important to maintain a focus on work-life balance and to create a collaborative culture. "We have a wide range of people in our workforce all working together. We have people in their 20s who are just starting their careers, and we have adjustors who are in their 70s," Volek says. "Often our seasoned people are very happy to share their knowledge and mentor those who are coming up through the ranks. It's very collaborative and there is a lot of teamwork involved." All employees are valued by the company, which fosters a sense of camaraderie through events organized by its social committees and staff relations committee, such as summer BBQs and monthly luncheons. MASC employees can also be seen participating in community events, like the annual All Charities Campaign and the dragon boat race for the Canadian Cancer Society. This year, MASC's team "Hunt for the Cure" paddled its way to finish in first place, for a second year in a row, as raising the most funds for an individual team. MASC is proud to help grow rural communities and improve the lives of rural Manitobans. Its success though is simply a reflection of its staff, who are passionate about what they do. Being named one of Manitoba's Top Employers goes right back to the value MASC places on its employees. ❚ MASC OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVANCEMENT By Jennifer McFee The Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation has emerged once again among the cream of the crop of employers across the province. MASC STAFF AT THE 2016 DRAGON BOAT RACE. SUBMITTED PHOTO I n fact, the employees are the ones who planted the seed for the grassroots initiative to involve the organization in the annual competition. "This is the third year that we've had the honour of being named one of Manitoba's Top Employers. We're very proud of that fact and we're also very proud of our staff," says MASC President and CEO Neil Hamilton. "When we first started this process, it was a staff- driven activity to apply. They felt it was important to do this." The Crown corporation, which provides lending and insurance services to Manitoba's farmers and rural communities, was formed in 2005 through the amalgamation of the Manitoba Crop Insurance Corporation and the Manitoba Agricultural Credit Corporation, with its corporate offices in Portage la Prairie and Brandon. With 150 full-time and 185 part-time staff members, MASC serves a clientele that includes more than 10,000 agricultural operations across the province. In addition, the organization also administers a number of agriculture-related programs, including ad-hoc emergency assistance programs, and the provincial Farmland School Tax Rebate program. "I think it gives staff a sense of accomplishment to be able to step in and deliver these programs effectively," Hamilton says. "There's not much in agriculture that we don't touch in one form or another." To start things off, new employees are welcomed With 150 full-time and 185 part-time staff members, MASC serves a clientele that includes more than 10,000 agricultural operations across the province.

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