Manitoba's Top Employers

MANITOBA'S TOP EMPLOYERS FOR 2017 ABORIGINAL PEOPLES TELEVISION NETWORK INC. (APTN) ACCESS CREDIT UNION LIMITED ARCTIC CO-OPERATIVES LIMITED ARTIS REIT ASSINIBOINE CREDIT UNION LIMITED BOEING CANADA OPERATIONS LIMITED CARGILL LIMITED CERIDIAN THE GREAT-WEST LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY MAGELLAN AEROSPACE, WINNIPEG MANITOBA AGRICULTURAL SERVICES CORPORATION (MASC) MANITOBA HYDRO MANITOBA LIQUOR & LOTTERIES MANITOBA PUBLIC INSURANCE GOVERNMENT OF MANITOBA NATIONAL LEASING GROUP INC. RED RIVER COLLEGE SEVEN OAKS GENERAL HOSPITAL ST. JOHN'S-RAVENSCOURT SCHOOL ST.AMANT INC. STANDARDAERO TRUE NORTH SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA WINNIPEG AIRPORTS AUTHORITY INC. (WAA) WORKERS COMPENSATION BOARD OF MANITOBA 5 03 THE COMPETITIVE EDGE Being named one of Manitoba's Top Employers gives organizations a competitive edge in attracting, recruiting and retaining the best talent in your field. T he Manitoba's Top 25 Employers project grew from one started in the early 1990s — a directory of attractive workplaces for those looking for work. The directory provided information about benefits those outside the company might not otherwise know about, such as paid vacation time and salary scales. In 2001, MediaCorp Canada expanded this directory project by launching Canada's Top 100 Employers to showcase employers across the country who have created exceptional places for people to work. In 2005, Canada's Top 100 Employers started recognizing regional top employers as well. Today, Canada's Top 100 Employers recognizes all sizes of employers from a variety of industries including education, finance, insurance, manufacturing and the civil service, says Richard Yerema, Managing Editor of Canada's Top Employers. Yerema adds that individuals looking to enter the workforce, change or upgrade their career will be attracted to an organization named as a top employer. "To be recognized as an employer with a progressive plan makes you attractive to candidates," says Yerema, adding, "When you look at an employer in the Top 100, it helps by giving job seekers a greater understanding of what to expect from a potential employer." Job seekers benefit by getting an idea about a potential employer's culture and opportunities even before applying for positions. These applicants benefit again when it comes time to negotiate details such as salary and vacation, since they will already have a good idea of what the company offers. And while the project began as a resource for potential employees, it has become an advantageous tool for employers as well. "Making a list like Manitoba's Top 25 Employers highlights that you're decent place to work, not just in Manitoba, but across Canada," says Yerema. The regional competition is open to any employer with its head office or principal place of business in Manitoba. Employers of any size may apply, whether private or public sector, including non-profits and governments. Employers are evaluated by the editors of Canada's Top 100 Employers using the same eight criteria as the national competition: physical workplace; work atmosphere and social; health, financial and family benefits; vacation and time off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development; and community involvement. Employers are also compared against other organizations in their field to determine which offer the most competitive advantages. However, the competition does account for the fact that larger organizations can usually ofter more benefits than smaller ones, with Yerema noting the competition does not compare small organizations directly with large ones. Comparing workplaces against each other encourages employers to constantly re-examine what they offer their staff members and look at new ways to keep them motivated. "They all have the opportunity to learn from each other," Yerema says. Human resources is a constantly evolving field, and the Top Employers project has seen significant change since it was launched. And not all changes are perceived as good. "The list can only reflect the Canadian reality, and it highlights how many employers have moved away from traditional defined-benefit pension plans in favour of defined-contribution plans," Yerema notes. On the other hand, employers are becoming much more aware of the importance of a healthy work-life balance these days, introducing programs to offer more paid personal time off, overall health and wellness strategies for staff, and flexible working options. This last piece is primarily due to the rapid advances in technology. Yerema points out that since technology makes it possible to work from basically anywhere, more and more employers are developing strategies that address how and where we will work in the future. One of the biggest impacts has been the introduction of maternity leave top-up payments. Many employers now subsidize government payments to employees on maternity or parental leave for a period of time, sometimes up to 100 per cent of that employee's salary. Although employee-engagement strategies and job- seeker concerns change constantly, one thing remains consistent in Manitoba's job economy. "Manitoba has remarkable stability," says Yerema. "It's one of the most remarkable provinces in terms of its diverse economy, low turnover rates and steady employment, from insurance through to aircraft manufacturing." For more information, visit canadastop100.com

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