The Great Place To Work® list of Best Workplaces™ celebrates companies, such as Whirlpool Canada, that are at the top of their game when it comes to creating healthy and vibrant work environments in which employees are valued and thrive.supplied
Coast to coast, 250 Canadian companies are celebrating the news they have made the list of Best Workplaces™ in Canada published by Great Place To Work®. Some are no strangers to being on the list and for others it is their first time. While their size, geography and industry may vary, what they have in common is a genuine passion and dedication for creating healthy, vibrant workplaces where employees want to work every day.
With more than 30 years of experience working with companies of all shapes and sizes, Great Place To Work® is keenly aware of what it takes to build and sustain a great workplace.
“What we’re seeing more than ever is that employees want to feel connected to a purpose and to feel inspired,” says Jose Tolovi Neto, managing partner, Great Place To Work®. “It is also about building trust. The way you go about this is unique to every company and starts with the kind of culture you want for your employees and what you are trying to achieve as a business.”
Thousands of businesses have sought the expertise of the team at Great Place To Work® Canada with a genuine desire to help them become better and create environments where employees feel valued and challenged.
“The organizations that make the list are at the top of their game in terms of what they’re doing to be one of best workplaces,” says Nancy Fonseca, senior vice-president, client services for Great Place To Work® Canada. “They have a reputation for taking care of their people that translates to those results.”
In her 15 years with Great Place To Work® Canada, Fonseca has noticed some positive changes in how companies think about culture and trust building.
“When we first started talking about why culture matters and the relationship between managers and employees as being the key to success, it felt like a relatively new concept,” Fonseca says. “Now and especially since the pandemic, management is very aware that people’s perceptions of how they see their workplace – is it a great place to be, are my friends there, can I balance my work and my life – is much more important.”
Companies named on the Best Workplaces™ list are the gold standard. They are the companies that have been successful in creating an environment where people trust the people they work for, have pride in what they do and enjoy the people they work with.
Drawing from years of experience, research, and interactions with Canadian businesses, Great Place To Work® has measuring employee feedback down to a science. Using its proprietary For All methodology, it uses a three-step approach that targets employees directly.
The Trust Index® employee survey enables employees to share confidential quantitative and qualitative feedback about their organization’s culture. Collectively, this data demonstrates the employee experience and defines the levels of workplace trust through the dimensions of credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie. These metrics enable a clear and precise focus on areas that drive success across the organization.
Next, the company completes a Culture Questionnaire that offers greater insight into how and why the organization is great for all people. Responses are rigorously evaluated and cross-reviewed according to different research-driven criteria.
Great Place To Work®'s For All algorithm measures the level of trust in the workplace and the differences across demographic groups and roles within each organization, helping assess both the quality and consistency of the employee experience. Statements are weighted according to their relevance in describing the most important aspects of an equitable workplace.
Survey results must be statistically significant. The data is based on a 12-month period and is also ‘normalized’ to compare companies across size and industry. For the complete picture, the company’s financial performance is analyzed.
Alison Grenier, head of culture and research, has worked with thousands of businesses in almost every role at Great Place To Work®. She and her team help support their clients post-survey.
“We analyze the results, their strengths and those high-impact opportunities that will help them move the needle on establishing trust in their organizations,” Grenier says. “They receive a lot of data from us; we help them prioritize two or three areas where they can focus for maximum benefit over the coming year. We also help them uncover those groups of people who aren’t having a great experience and focus their efforts there.”
After so many years, the team of experts of Great Place To Work® knows what it means to be an exceptional employer. “It’s very simple and is not about perks and programs. It is about showing appreciation and saying thank you and involving employees in decisions,” Grenier says. “The data tells us that no matter what your role or industry, feeling appreciated and part of the solution is a huge motivator for employees.”
Tolovi Neto says more and more companies are joining the Best Workplaces™ journey as they realize business results of investing in their employees. “While we are accustomed to getting requests from human resources professionals who understand people, we are getting more and more interest from CEOs who understand business and are realizing they need to understand people too.”
To learn more about the list of Best Workplace™ for 2024 and the application process to join the journey to be the best, visit greatplacetowork.ca.
Read more about the 2024 Best Workplaces™ in Canada here
Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with Great Place to Work. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.