A ccording to the GreatPlace to Work InstituteCanada, our country’s

list of top employers should bechosen by the people whomatter most – their employees.

In determining the recent-ly released annual Best Work-places in Canada list, “thejudging panel is the employ-ees, and the rest of the resultsare based on a company’shuman resource practices,”says Jose Tolovi Neto, directorof the Great Place to WorkInstitute Canada.

He says the competitionuses trust as a key indicator ofwhether a company belongson the Best Workplaces list ornot. “This includes the work-place’s credibility, fairness,camaraderie, sense of prideand level of respect,” he says.“A great workplace is onewhere you trust the peopleyou work for, have pride inwhat you do, and enjoy thepeople you work with.”

Results for the Best Work-place list are based on twosurveys. “One is the TrustIndex, an employee surveythat results in quantitativeresults and accounts for two-thirds of the final score. Theother is the Culture Audit,which is filled out by the com-pany’s human resource man-agers,” says Mr. Tolovi Neto.

Calgary-based oil and gasexploration and productioncompany Devon Canada wasamong more than 230 compa-nies that competed for thelist’s 75 spots and earned a

coveted spot.Nadine Barber, the manag-

er of Corporate Communica-tions and Public Affairs atDevon, says the applicationprocess took a team of 10 peo-ple two weeks to complete,but was worth every minute.“There is so much anxiety inthe oil and gas world rightnow and in the workforce ingeneral. Making it onto thislist will add to the pride andmorale that the people in thiscompany already feel,” shesays.

Given the positive eco-nomic climate of most of2008, Devon’s HR focus wasmostly related to innovativerecruitment and retentionpractices. “At this time lastyear, we were in competition

for great people,” she says.Now, Ms. Barber adds, no

matter the economic condi-tions, “the Devon Way”remains a part of the compa-ny’s long-term view, allowingit to cut through economicpeaks and valleys, remain con-sistent with its employees, anddevelop them throughout theircareer at Devon.

“The Devon Way consistsof five values: hire the bestpeople, always do the rightthing (even when no one islooking), deliver results, be agood team player and be agood neighbour,” says Ms.Barber.

Devon’s neighbourly spiritis the motivation behind itsInvesting in People initiative,where the organization sup-

ports the professional develop-ment of non-profit leaders inthe communities where itworks.

The company has alsoadapted its core operating pro-cedures in an effort to betterwork within communities.

“Our management teamprovides the opportunity foremployees to try new things,look for better ways to do ourwork safer, cost effectivelyand more friendly to our envi-ronment and communities,”says Ms. Barber. “Whether inour field offices or Calgary,our employees bring tremen-dous ideas forward to improveindustry practices and areencouraged to make themhappen.”

Accounting and business

advisory giant Grant ThorntonLLP is another companywhose HR practices andstrong employee feedbacklanded it on the Best Work-places list.

Deborah Orzel, theaccounting firm’s senior man-ager of Organizational Devel-opment, says out of all the topemployer surveys available,Grant Thornton chose BestWorkplaces so its peoplewould be the ones determin-ing whether they made thegrade.

“Our firm’s leaders wantedto be sure that we genuinelyearned the recognition, andthat our people said weearned it, based on our cul-ture,” she says.

The firm credits its success

to a focus on living its valuesand creating quality workplacerelationships.

“If people trust that theleadership of their organiza-tion has their best interests atheart, everyone engages to dothe right thing,” Ms. Orzelexplains. “It creates a sustain-able culture. You can’t buypride, trust or credibility. Youearn it every day, with everyinteraction. It’s hard work, butthat’s Grant Thornton’s com-mitment.”

Recent communicationson the current economic envi-ronment are a perfect exam-ple of how the firm’s valuesimpact its decisions. The firmtook action early, with theCEO clearly communicatingGrant Thornton’s commit-ment to its employees’ inter-ests, not only at work, but per-sonally. “Employees wereencouraged to remain healthyand stay connected with fami-ly and friends, both in andoutside the office,” says Ms.Orzel.

“People choose GrantThornton in order to have anintellectually, emotionally andfinancially rewarding career.And our people will tell youthat what keeps them here isthe people they work withevery day.”

Mr. Tolovi Neto says eachof the companies that madethis year’s list is a source ofsuch inspiring stories, laudablefor the admirable workplaceenvironments and the positiveresults they generate.

A special national report for the Great Place to Work Institute CanadaTH E G LOB E AND MA I LMONDAY , A P R I L 6 , 2 0 0 9 GPTW 1

Thesemay be challenging times, but that’s not stopping Canada’s best employers from continuing

to foster dynamic workplace environments.Who are these companies?What do they do

that sets them apart? The results of the 2009 Great Place toWork Institute surveys offer insight.

credibility respectfairness pridecamaraderie

GPTW 2An op-ed by institute directorJose Tovoli Neto describes howthe survey is conducted

GPTW 3Great Place toWork InstituteCo-Founder Amy Lyman offersencouragement

GPTW 5A snapshot of this year’stop 25 best workplaces offersinsight

GPTW 6Learn how companies largeand small deal with issuesrelated to organizational size

GPTW 8Survey results identifyCanada’s best workplacesfor women

GPTW 9The University of Toronto's JeffMuzzerall proposes a new way tothink about education

Inside

The Great Place toWork Institute Inc. is a

U.S.-based research and management

consultancy with affiliate offices world-

wide, including Canada. Since 1980, the

institute has been listening to employ-

ees and evaluating employers. Today,

the Great Place toWork Trust Index sur-

vey instrument is the primary selection

criterion used annually to compile the

“Best Workplaces in Canada” list. The

index is also used in compiling similar

lists for leading business publications in

over 30 other countries, including For-

tune’s “100 Best Companies to Work

For” list in the U.S.

About the Great Place to Work Institute

Canada’sBEST WORKPLACES

G oogle Canada isn’t justCanada’s favouriteInternet search engine.

According to the results of the2009 Great Place to Work Insti-tute survey, it is also the num-ber-one best place to work.

Despite having 20,000employees worldwide, Googlehas managed to maintain itssmall-company feel throughinnovative HR practices thatinclude a culture with very lit-tle hierarchy, kitchens stockedwith healthy food that serve asa social hub, and unexpectedperks that such as in-housemassages.

California-based ShannonDeegan, director of PeopleOperations, Global Sales andBusiness Development atGoogle, says, “That we areseen by our employees as agreat place to work is a realhonour.”

Eric Morris, a Toronto-based senior account executivewith Google, joined the com-pany seven years ago and says,“Google has kept the greataspects of a small, nimble andinnovative company fromwhen it was 500 people totoday.”

He describes Google’swork environment as morethan an office where peoplework from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.“It’s not just a bunch of cubi-cles, work spaces, desks andmeeting rooms, but also asocial environment where co-workers can collaborate in aless formal but more impactfulenvironment.” He particularlylikes that the kitchen or gamesroom draw people togetherfrom various areas of the com-pany.

Mr. Deegan says Googlerelishes that opportunity for

interaction between itsemployees.

Outside of the physicalenvironment of collaboration,the company’s “20 per centtime” program enablesemployees to work together orseparately on something otherthan their typical job for oneday out of five. “We want tofoster a culture of innovation,and that may mean workingon a kernel of an idea and col-laborating on it with others,”says Mr. Deegan. Both Gmailand Google Earth Outreachcame out of some well-used 20per cent time.

His advice to other compa-nies who say they can’t affordto feed their employees threemeals a day is to first focus ontransparency. “Google doesthis better than anywhere else

Google’s office in Toronto is decidedly informal, a workplace environment Google has created tohelp facilitate socializing and collaboration. PHOTO: SUPPLIED See GOOGLE, page GPTW 3

World’s top search engine also ranked Canada’s best place to workGoogle Canada

Insurance Specialists | pottruffsmith.com

153 EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE PUT US ON THE LIST.Thank you to our staff!

Th i s repor t was produced by Randa l lAnthony Communicat ions Inc . (www.randa l lanthony. com) in con junc t ion wi th the adver t i s ing depar tment o f The Globe and Mai l . Ke i th Ryder, Categor y Manager, KRyder@globeandmai l . com

By Jose Tolovi NetoPartner, Great Place to Work

Institute Canada

M ost Canadian employ-ers like to think thatthey are decent, even

pretty good places to work.But with today’s competitivemarket and the need to makethe best use of all talent in acompany, the bar for work-place quality has been rising.Being “good” is no longerenough.

Organizations participatingin the Best Workplaces inCanada list have a uniqueopportunity to find out wherethey are on their quest tobecome – or maintain – greatworkplaces. The rigorous listassessment process providesmetrics for tracking progress,benchmarking with the best,and sharing lessons abouteffective people practices.

Research from the GreatPlace to Work Institute’s bestworkplaces lists over the pastdecade in many countries con-firms that trust is the founda-tion for quality jobs and per-formance excellence. And thegood news is that high-trustrelationships require behav-iours that can be learned andembedded into an organiza-tion’s culture.

Organizations on the 2009list of Best Workplaces were allassessed using an employeesurvey, the Trust Index, devel-oped by the global researchfirm Great Place to Work Insti-tute Inc. There are 57 multiplechoice and two open-endedquestions that provide an accu-rate, employee perspective onwhat it is like to work in theorganization.

Each question measuresone of the five dimensions ofthe Great Place to Work Insti-tute’s trust-based model: credi-bility, respect, fairness, prideand camaraderie. Completedsurveys are sent directly tothe institute, and resultsare only ever reportedin aggregate form soemployees can beconfident thatopinions are con-fidential.

Two-thirdsof each organi-zation’s finalscore is takendirectly fromits Trust Indexsurvey. Theremaining one-third of eachorganization’sscore is takenfrom the institute’sassessment of thecompany’s “Culture

Audit” submission. This is asignificantly more detailedquestionnaire that is completedby senior HR representatives.It helps to provide a morecomplete picture by capturingthe core values and philoso-phies that underpin peoplepractices.

The organizations on the2009 Best Workplaces in Cana-da list come from a varietyof industries,

range in size from 54 to almost52,000 employees and arelocated from coast to coast.Each has taken a different pathto creating and sustaining agreat workplace, but in theend, each has forged a stronglink between culture and per-formance.

During the 2009 list assess-ment process, a total of 29,812

Canadian employees weresurveyed using

the Trust Index tool. Interna-tionally, the Great Place toWork Institute surveyed over1.5 million employees frommore than 4,000 companieslast year for 41 similar listsaround the world, includingFortune’s 100 Best Companiesto work for and The FinancialTimes’ list of the Best Work-places in the UK.

On the quantitative side,the best workplaces list datahelp us to differentiate betweengood and great organizations.On the qualitative side, theCulture Audit offers us insightsinto the people practices of

very successful organiza-tions that understand the

strategic importance ofculture.

It goes farbeyond offering thebest perks; youcan’t compete onperks and bene-fits alone. Itcomes down tothe quality ofthe relationshipsthroughout theworkplace, thesupport peopleare given to suc-ceed in their jobs,

and their overallenjoyment of the

total work experi-ence.

About this surveyResearch by

the Great

Place to Work

Institute

indicates that

trust is the

foundation

for quality

jobs and

performance

excellence.

A special national report for the Great Place to Work Institute CanadaTH E G LOB E AND MA I L

MONDAY , A P R I L 6 , 2 0 0 9GPTW2

If you don’t see your workplace on the list

this year, but think it should be, then why

not sign up to participate in the 2010 list

of Best Workplaces in Canada?

The nomination can be submitted online

at www.greatplacetowork.ca.

Not on the list?

T

R U S

T

CREDIBILITY

Being approachable and easy

to talk with, answering hard

questions and making

expectations clear

Trusting people without

looking over their shoulders

Being reliable, delivering on

promises and “walking the talk”

Articulating a clear vision for

the company or department

FAIRNESS

Ensuring all employees

have opportunities for

rewards and recognition

Avoiding playing favourites,

especially when promoting

people

Treating all employees fairly,

regardless of age, race or sex

Ensuring employees

are paid fairly

CAMARADERIE

Creating a workplace atmosphere

where employees can be themselves

and care about each other

Welcoming new employees to

a friendly environment and

celebrating special events

Creating a co-operative

work environment and

demonstrating that people

are “all in this

together”

RESPECT

Showing appreciation for

employees’ efforts and

contributions

Ensuring that people have

the equipment they need

to do their jobs

Seeking employees’ opinions

and involving them in

important decisions

Caring for employees as

people with lives outside

of work

PRIDE

Helping employees feel they

personally make a difference

in their work

Inspiring employees to feel

pride in team accomplishments

Helping employees feel proud

of the whole company and its

contributions to the community

Canada’s BEST WORKPLACES

According to the GreatPlace toWork Institute, tocreate a great workplace,managers must build trustby practising credibility,respect and fairness, andby encouraging pride andcamaraderie among staffmembers.

TH E G LOB E AND MA I LMONDAY , A P R I L 6 , 2 0 0 9 GPTW 3

By Amy LymanCo-Founder, Great Place to

Work Institute, Inc.

G ood news is alwaysworthy of a celebration,and in these difficult

times the release of the annuallist of Best Workplaces inCanada is great news. Mem-bership on this list confirmsthe long-term commitmentthat leaders have made atthese companies to creatingtrust in their organizations, andto letting their employeesknow how valuable they are tothe success of the business. Itaffirms the value of trustwor-thy behaviour, which serves asthe glue that holds peopletogether, keeps them con-tributing for the betterment ofall, allows creative ideas toflow, and keeps people’s spiritsup when facing challenges.

So celebration is definitelyin order! The #1 company onthis year’s list is Google, whichis very well known for its hightrust culture, employeeinvolvement in decision-mak-ing and creative approaches toworkspace design. Googlersregularly hear from seniorleaders about issues affectingthe company, are encouragedto ask lots of questions – anddo – and participate in collab-orative problem solving activi-ties to keep the companystrong, new ideas flowing andprojects on track.

Another company on thisyear’s list is Diageo, with justover one thousand employees

in Canada. Diageo supportsemployees’ involvement in thecommunity to such a strongdegree that the company actu-ally provides people with fivepaid days off per year to volun-teer with a non-profit charitableorganization. Last year, manyof Diageo’s employees partici-pated in the Evergreen Pro-gram, which involved plantingtrees across the country.

These types of programs,of which there are manyexamples among the compa-nies on the Best Workplaceslist, are an excellent exampleof the ways in which greatworkplaces provide benefits totheir employees and to thecommunity at the same time.And it shows in employees’survey responses, with 87 percent of the employees on thisyears Best Workplaces list indi-cating that they feel goodabout the ways their compa-nies contribute to the commu-nity.

Another quality oftenfound in great workplaces istrue camaraderie among workcolleagues that spans any dif-

ferences that might be seen asbarriers to developing friend-ships. At Grant Thornton, in amessage to employees abouthow the company is weather-ing the challenging economy,the CEO took the time toremind employees of theimportance of caring for eachother and spending time withfamily and friends, many ofwhom are workplace col-leagues.

At Karo Group, a brandcollaborative and number 13on this year’s list, employeesare invited in to a family-likeatmosphere right from thestart. All members of KaroGroup are considered to bemembers of the tribe, a termconsciously chosen to indicatepeople’s inclusion in theorganization and the responsi-bilities that come with mem-bership. As a fun way to enjoythe different interests of col-leagues, the Vancouver loca-tion of Karo has developed atradition of providing person-alized gifts to tribe members.When it was a pirate aficiona-do’s turn to receive a gift, hearrived at work to discover anold, weathered, treasure mapthat he had to decipher to findhis gifts. Everyone enjoyedwatching him go from spot tospot in the studio, searchingfor his treasure.

Both of these examples ofthe importance of camaraderiein the workplace are echoed inthe strong positive responsefrom 92 per cent of theemployees at Best Workplaceswho indicated that their work-

place is a friendly place.Difficult financial times are

a challenge for everyone.When people trust their lead-ers, work together to find solu-tions, and enjoy spending timewith each other, the co-opera-

tion and commitment that fol-low help to fuel a collectiveeffort to succeed. This is cer-tainly the case for the compa-nies on the 2009 list of BestWorkplaces in Canada. Con-gratulations to all.

Strength during difficult timesWhen people

trust their

leaders, work

together to

find solutions,

and enjoy

spending time

with each other,

the co-operation

and commit-

ment that follow

help to fuel a

collective effort

to succeed.

Communications design firm Karo Group invites its employeesto join a family-like atmosphere, which it calls its tribe.Whileplayful, the term was chosen to indicate people’s inclusion inthe organization and the responsibilities that come with it.PHOTO: SUPPLIED

I’ve been. On Fridays we haveTGIF, where company execu-tives join founders Sergey Brinand Larry Page, and CEO EricSchmidt, to address employeesand answer any questions theyhave about Google,” says Mr.Deegan. “It is inspiring to see,and when the CEO tells every-one what his presentation tothe board is this quarter, itunderscores that we are all inthis together.”

Google’s hiring practicesalso favour open communica-tions.

“It’s very democratic.Rather than just a senior man-ager imposing a new hire oneveryone else, multiple roundsof interviews take place, with

peers as well as managers,”says Mr. Morris. “I love thatmy employer gives me somesay in the direction of the com-pany and who I’ll be workingwith. It is a vote of confi-dence.”

An annual Googlegeist sur-vey polls employees on howthe company is doing, and Mr.Deegan says the vast majorityof Googlers participate. “Weuse this to measure happiness.Are they simply enduringwork, or are they feeling inno-vative and inspired?”

“Fix-it” days follow the sur-vey, during which the compa-ny will work, globally, on areaswhere the results showed theycould improve. “We might bedoing particularly well in onepart of the world in a certainarea, so we’ll look at that moreclosely and share best prac-tices,” says Mr. Deegan.

from GPTW 1

Google

Google office games rooms,like this one in Montreal, helpbring people together fromvarious parts of the company.PHOTO: SUPPLIED

After years of exceptionalbeers, wines and spirits,

it’s time for a little celebration.

Cheers to our employees for making usone of the Great Places to Work in Canada.

DIAGEO, BAILEYS, GUINNESS, J & B, JOHNNIE WALKER, SMIRNOFF, CROWN ROYAL, TANQUERAY, CAPTAIN MORGAN and their associated marks aretrade-marks of the Diageo group of companies. CUERVO and GRAND MARNIER and their associated marks are used under license from the trade-mark owners.

A special national report for the Great Place to Work Institute CanadaTH E G LOB E AND MA I L

MONDAY , A P R I L 6 , 2 0 0 9GPTW 4

Key metrics

Three statements with higher increase andlower increase in 2009 compared to 2008

In 2009, all top increases were found in the Pride dimension, reflectingthat people are proud of their role and the way companies contribute tothe community and feel safe to continue on board. Decreases show thatin times when money is shorter, people seem to be not as united asbefore, acting more independently.

2009Statements vs 2008

Top IncreasesI feel I make a difference here +1I want to work here for a long time +2I feel good about the ways we contribute to the community +3

Top DecreasesI feel I receive a fair share of the profits made by this organization -3Promotions go to those who best deserve them -4We’re all in this together -3

Overall Goliath ranking

The following chart illustrates the Best Workplace survey performanceof companies that employ more than 1,000 people in Canada.

CanadianRank Employees

01 Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts 1,602

02 Devon Canada Corporation 1,400

03 TD Bank Financial Group 49,539

04 Microsoft Canada Co. 1,026

05 Edward Jones 1,902

06 ATB Financial 4,197

07 Ernst & Young LLP 4,092

08 Grant Thornton LLP 1,593

09 RBC 55,000

10 Canada Safeway Limited 33,351

11 Diageo 1,067

Most important issue facing your organizationin the coming year?

Canada’s BEST WORKPLACES

The data and comments generated by this year's Best Place toWork surveys not only provided feedback valuable for participating companies, but also cumula-

tive results that offer snapshots of how Canadian employers and their employees are feeling about work and their workplaces in 2009 compared to last year.

Top 5 2009 LeadershipDevelopment18.3%

LeadershipDevelopment 7.6%

Maintaining culturewhile managinggrowth 7.6%

Recruitment30.3%

EmployeeRetention16.7%

EmployeeRetention21.2%

Talent Management13.6%

Recession 16.7%Building Corporate Culture 8.3%

Middle-ManagementCompetencies 8.3%

Others 31.7%

Others 19.7%

Top 5 2008

What do employeessay?

When asked“Is there anything uniqueor unusual about this company thatmakes it a great place to work?”, here’swhat employees at some of the BestWorkplaces had to say:

Credibility:“Our boss is not above doing any job.She will work any job level, therebygaining respect and loyalty of otherteam players.”

Respect“Management truly encourages andexpects individuals to care for them-selves before work. They understandpersonal lives are more importantthan jobs.”

Fairness“I know that when I have a concern ordifference of opinion with my super-visor, I can count on him to give meunbiased feedback and a differentperspective. Whether he supports meor not, I know that he will give honestopinions and offer as many solutionsas possible.”

Pride“I feel as though I make a difference.My job allows me latitude to makedecisions and implement them inorder to get the job done. At the endof the day, I can look back and seewhat I have been able to accomplishwith a great feeling of satisfaction.”

Camaraderie“This is a great place to work becausepeople care about each other. It does-n’t seem so much like work when youare surrounded by people who carefor you as an individual.”

Thank you to all our employees who help to make Campbellone of the Best Workplaces in Canada in 2009.

© 2009 Campbell Company Canada

M’m! M’m! Good!

A special national report for the Great Place to Work Institute CanadaT H E G L O B E A N D M A I LM O N D AY , A P R I L 6 , 2 0 0 9 GPTW 5

1 Google Canada Media // Online Internet Services Toronto, ON 100 (approx.) N/A N/A 80% 20% N/Awww.google.com Perks: On-site snacks and drinks; On-site de-stressers including video games, pool and foosball tables, board games, massage chairs and excercise balls.

2 Environics Communications Inc. Advertising & Marketing // Advertising Toronto, ON 74 26 to 34 years 62% 10% 90% 16%www.environicspr.com Perks: $5,000.00 to pay for a trip anywhere on a person’s 5th anniversary; $3,000.00 to pay for a trip in Canada on a person’s 8th anniversary; Free healthy breakfast food every day.

3 Protegra Professional Services // Consulting – Management Winnipeg, MB 70 26 to 34 years 36% 70% 30% 4%www.protegra.com Perks: Free beverages; Casual dress; Buffet lunch every month; Company social events (golf, curling etc); Incentive programs.

4 D.L.G.L. Ltd. Information Technology // Software Blainville, QC 91 35 to 44 years 53% 70% 30% 0%www.dlgl.com Perks: Professional trainer and fitness centre; Home theatre room; Twice daily fruit distribution to employee workstations.

5 Urban Systems Ltd. Professional Services // Consulting Engineering Kamloops, BC 293 26 to 34 years 38% 64% 36% 8%www.urban-systems.com Perks: Paid parking; Corporate discounts for fitness centre; Interest-free home computer purchase loan; Free donuts every Thursday; Birthday cake on the first Tuesday of every month.

6 Geosoft Inc. Information Technology // Software Toronto, ON 79 26 to 34 years 37% 59% 41% 5%www.geosoft.com Perks: Employee ownership: every employee is given $1,000 in company shares on his or her one-year anniversary, and has the right to purchase additional shares at a 20% discount each year.

7 Omni Companies Financial Services & Insurance // General Insurance Vancouver, BC 73 35 to 44 years 34% 56% 44% 18%www.omnicorp.ca Perks: Free coffee/tea/hot chocolate; Office lunches during “lunch and learn” events and special occasions; Paid day off for birthday; Fitness centre in adjacent building; Corporate gifts.

8 Keller Williams Ottawa Realty Construction & Real Estate // Real Estate Ottawa, ON 243 35 to 44 years 30% 48% 52% 8%www.kwottawa.ca Perks: On-site cafeteria; On-site spa, massage, esthetics; On-site fitness centre; On-site training and conference facility; Downtown parking.

9 PEOPLEsource Staffing Solutions Professional Services // Staffing & Recruitment Toronto, ON 57 26 to 34 years 53% 43% 57% 4%www.peoplesource.ca Perks: Free cold beverages, snacks, coffee and tea.

10 Becton Dickinson Canada Inc. Health Care // Medical sales/distribution Oakville, ON 234 35 to 44 years 38% 44% 56% 5%www.bd.com Perks: On-site massage therapy with 1/2-hour per month fully paid by company; Subsidized cafeteria on-site, free gourment coffee and tea; Subsidized on-site fitness centre, free fitness classes.

11 Halsall Associates Professional Services // Consulting Engineering Toronto, ON 288 26 to 34 years 33% 67% 33% 7%www.halsall.com Perks: Free beverages (coffee, tea, juice); Paid office closure for the week of Dec 26-Jan 2; Paid annual dinner/dance; Public transit subsidy; Fitness centre group rates; Paid parking.

12 Royal LePage Performance Realty Brokerage Construction & Real Estate // Real Estate Ottawa, ON 330 55 or older 38% 43% 57% 1%www.PerformanceRealty.ca Perks: 24/7 live phone answering; Office computer networked with up-to-date software programs; Technical and secretarial assistance; Free training for technical and business development.

13 Karo Group Advertising & Marketing // Advertising Calgary, AB 69 26 to 34 years 36% 54% 37% 12%www.karo.com Perks: Company car usage for work or personal; 5 flex days to use as needed (on top of vacation); Closed over Christmas (doesn’t apply to holidays); Match donations to charities; Staff appreciation days.

14 Randstad Canada Professional Services // Staffing & Recruitment Ville Saint-Laurent, QC 341 26 to 34 years 62% 28% 72% 21%www.randstad.ca Perks: Free parking passes; Free coffee, tea, tisane, hot chocolate, bottled water; Employee Assistance Program; Birthday and Christmas presents for all employees; Charity Jeans Day.

15 Ames Tile & Stone Ltd. Construction & Real Estate // Housing Burnaby, BC 107 25 or younger 26% 67% 33% 20%www.amestile.com Perks: $100 annual hobby allowance per employee; Outdoor dining area; Free personal use of company computers & internet; 100% company subsidized social events; Staff appreciation events.

16 Nycomed Canada Inc. Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals // Pharmaceuticals Oakville, ON 215 35 to 44 years 41% 37% 63% 5%www.nycomed.ca Perks: In-house fitness centre; Free coffee, tea, soft drinks, juice; Fitness subsidy; Employee Assistance Program; Fleet vehicles - employees can purchase at significantly reduced discounts when lease is up.

17 Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Hospitality // Hotel/Resort Toronto, ON 1719 26 to 34 years 28% 50% 50% 12%www.fourseasons.com Perks: Complimentary room nights at any Four Seasons property, and 50% off food and beverages; Free cafeteria food; Educational Assistance Program.

18 L.V. Lomas Ltd. Manufacturing & Production // Chemicals Brampton, ON 201 35 to 44 years 30% 65% 35% 10%www.lvlomas.com Perks: Fully catered retirement planning sessions help employees and their spouses plan for their financial futures. Retirees are also invited to join company parties and events.

19 iTRANS Consulting Professional Services // Consulting Engineering Richmond Hill, ON 115 26 to 34 years 35% 62% 38% 6%www.itransconsulting.com Perks: Education is a fundamental belief of iTRANS and it encourages its staff to participate in external and internal learning opportunities.

20 Devon Canada Corporation Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Calgary, AB 1518 45 to 54 years 32% 71% 29% 7%www.dvn.com Perks: Free coffee, tea, iced tea and filtered water in each kitchen; On-site Health Services Group can provide referrals to practitioners and assist with workplace injuries; Quiet room for employees.

21 TD Bank Financial Group Financial Services & Insurance // Banking/Credit Services Toronto, ON 46092 26 to 34 years 26% 37% 63% 5%www.td.com Perks: Regularly conducted focus groups generate input from employees, managers and HR practitioners resulting in greater communications and resolution of issues.

22 Online Business Systems Information Technology // IT Consulting Winnipeg, MB 215 35 to 44 years 46% 75% 25% 20%www.obsglobal.com Perks: Subsidized snacks and quick meals; Free coffee, tea, lattes and filtered water; Fitness area and showers (Calgary office); Pool tables (Winnipeg and Calgary offices); Off-site staff meetings.

23 Microsoft Canada Co. Information Technology // Software Mississauga, ON 1029 35 to 44 years 50% 75% 25% 5%www.microsoft.com/en/ca/default.aspx Perks: Subsidized cafeteria food; Travelling snack cart; Free beverages (juice, pop, milk, water, regular coffee, tea, etc.); Upgraded coffee: Free Starbucks coffee on-site.

24 Edward Jones Financial Services & Insurance // Investments Mississauga, ON 1907 35 to 44 years 30% 48% 52% 11%www.edwardjones.com Perks: Adoption Assistance Program; Emergency Fund; Free beverages (coffee, tea, hot chocolate); Food when associates are training; Founders Day celebration.

25 Quintiles Canada Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals // Pharmaceuticals Ville-St-Laurent, QC 216 26 to 34 years 40% 23% 77% 2%www.quintiles.com Perks: For regular full-time employees, when unusual situations result in absence from work, employees are provided 2 personal days/year.

The best places to work in Canada

La

rge

st A

ge

gro

up

Nu

mb

er

of

Em

plo

ye

es

Rank Company name/sector

Ma

le

in (

%)

Fe

ma

le

vo

lun

tary

tu

rno

ve

r la

st y

ea

r

1800GOTJUNK Industrial Services // Waste/Refuse/Recycling Management Vancouver, BC

Adfarm Advertising & Marketing // Advertising Calgary, AB

Ariad Custom Communications Advertising & Marketing // Direct Marketing Toronto, ON

ATB Financial Financial Services & Insurance // Banking/Credit Services Edmonton, AB

Banff Lodging Company Hospitality // Hotel/Resort Banff, AB

Benefits By Design Inc. (BBD) Financial Services & Insurance // Health Insurance Port Coquitlam, BC

Boone Plumbing & Heating Supply Inc. Construction & Real Estate Ottawa, ON

Broadridge Financial Solutions, (Canada) Inc. Financial Services & Insurance Mississauga, ON

Campbell Company of Canada Manufacturing & Production Toronto, ON

Canada Safeway Limited Retail // Food/Grocery Calgary, AB

Capri Insurance Services Ltd. Financial Services & Insurance // General Insurance Kelowna, BC

Carswell, a division of Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. Media Toronto, ON

Ceridian Canada Ltd. Professional Services // Consulting – Management Markham, ON

CIM Advertising & Marketing // Direct Marketing Toronto, ON

Cobalt Engineering LLP Professional Services // Consulting Engineering Vancouver, BC

Daimler Financial Services Canada Financial Services & Insurance Mississauga, ON

Diageo Canada Inc. Manufacturing & Production Etobicoke, ON

Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club Sports & Entertainment Edmonton, AB

Ernst & Young LLP Financial Services & Insurance // Accounting Toronto, ON

FINCAD Information Technology // Software Vancouver, BC

Fuller Landau LLP (Toronto) Financial Services & Insurance // Accounting Toronto, ON

Gardiner Roberts LLP Professional Services // Legal Toronto, ON

Globalive Communications Corp. Telecommunications Toronto, ON

Globex Foreign Exchange Corporation Financial Services & Insurance Edmonton, AB

Grant Thornton LLP Financial Services & Insurance // Accounting Toronto, ON

Harvest Energy Manufacturing & Production // Coke, refined petroleum products Calgary, AB

Hill & Knowlton Canada Professional Services // Consulting – Management Toronto, ON

Hy-Tech Drilling Ltd Mining & Quarrying Smithers, BC

Immigrant Services Society of BC Social Services & Government Agencies Vancouver, BC

Info-Tech Research Group Professional Services // Consulting – Management London, ON

Intuit Canada Information Technology // Software Mississauga, ON

IT/NET Ottawa Inc. Information Technology // IT Consulting Ottawa, ON

Kingston Ross Pasnak LLP Financial Services & Insurance // Accounting Edmonton, AB

Lannick Group of Companies Professional Services // Staffing & Recruitment Toronto, ON

Nintendo of Canada Ltd. Electronics Vancouver, BC

Parklane Homes Ltd. Construction & Real Estate // Housing Vancouver, BC

Phoenix Contact Ltd. Manufacturing & Production // Electronics Mississauga, ON

Pinchin Environmental Led. Professional Services // Consulting – Environmental Mississauga, ON

Pottruff & Smith Group of Companies Financial Services & Insurance Woodbridge, ON

RBC Financial Services & Insurance // Banking/Credit Services Toronto, ON

Replicon, Inc. Information Technology // Software Calgary, AB

S.C. Johnson and Son, Limited Manufacturing & Production Brantford, ON

Sandvine Incorporated Information Technology // Hardware Waterloo, ON

Sapient Canada Information Technology // IT Consulting Toronto, ON

Sapphire Technologies Canada Professional Services // Staffing & Recruitment Toronto, ON

Softchoice Corporation Information Technology // IT Consulting Toronto, ON

T4G Limited Information Technology // IT Consulting Toronto, ON

VMAC Division of Mangonel Investments Corporation Manufacturing Nanaimo, BC

Wildeboer Dellelce LLP Professional Services // Legal Toronto, ON

Zedi Manufacturing & Production // Electronics Calgary, AB

The following list offers glimpses into Canada’s top 25 best workplaces for 2009, including key employee

metrics and perks that help make each company’s workplace special.

Headquarters

Company name/sector Headquarters Company name/sector Headquarters

The best places to work in Canada cont. (26-75 in alphabetical order)

Merci à tous les membres de l’équipe

Quintiles Canada pour avoir fait de nous l’un des 75Meilleurs lieux de travail au Canada. Être reconnu comme l’un des

meilleurs lieux de travail, classé parmi les 25 premiers, est un vote de confiance

de la part de nos employés que nous avons soin d’être le meilleur endroit pour eux où il

fait bon travailler. À Quintiles, nos employés partagent une mission commune : maximiser les

bienfaits des médicaments afin de sauver des vies. Il s’agit d’un « Travail important à accomplir ».

Thank you to all members of the Quintiles Canada team for making us one of Canada’s 75 Best Workplaces. Being

recognized as a great place to work, ranked in the top 25, is a vote of confidence by our employees that we care about being the

best workplace for them. At Quintiles, our employees share a common mission : to maximize the benefits of medicine to save lives.

It is “Work Worth Doing”.

The worldwide leaderin pharmaceutical serviceswww.quintiles.com

Afew small to mid-sizedcompanies on the 2009Best Workplaces in

Canada list sat down andidentified some of the advan-tages and disadvantages ofworking in a more intimatecompany setting.

The consensus? Workingin a small to medium-sizedcompany allows for a varietyof unique innovations that fos-ter workplace contentmentand satisfaction.

“We have fewer challengesthan a large organizationbecause of their scale and lackof interpersonal connection,”says Bruce MacLellan, presi-dent and CEO of EnvironicsCommunications Inc. “I canstill interact and talk withevery single employee, whichbecomes harder as companiesgrow.”

Toronto-based Environicsis able to offer its 76 employ-ees a less-rigid and less-struc-tured work environment. “Mynumber one rule is to havefew rules,” says Mr. MacLel-lan. “We hire great people andthen get out of their way.”

As a result, he says Envi-ronics has one of the lowestturnover rates of any market-ing company in Canada. “Ourretention is superb, and ourcompany revenue has grownin every one of our 14 years inbusiness. That speaks to whatit is like to work here, and thatour employees come to workmotivated and happy.”

That doesn’t mean Envi-ronics is without its HR chal-lenges. Topping the list is its

high percentage of womenstaff members who are startingfamilies; “Nine of our 76employees are on maternityleave right now.” But eventhat disadvantage has itsadvantages. “The good newsis that we’re seen as a family-friendly place to work. Thereis also a high level of continu-ity here, so the retention paysoff and our experienced peo-ple know what needs to bedone and can step in.”

Environics acknowledgesemployees through profit

sharing and by sending staffon a trip to anywhere in theworld on their five-yearanniversary.

Giving back to employeesalso works for Sunny Daljit,CEO of Keller WilliamsOttawa Realty. “When almosthalf of your owner profit goesback to employees through a

profit share program, that’s abig deal. That makes forhappy people.”

With a staff of over 20, notincluding over 240 realtors,Keller Williams has the largestbrokerage office in the Ottawaarea. One advantage Mr.Daljit appreciates is his abilityto give people a voice. “We

have an Agent LeadershipCouncil made up of 14 repre-sentatives from our top 20 percent in earnings. They haveno ownership in the company,but all major decisions andinitiatives are made in tandemwith that group,” he says.“With that platform, all of ourdecisions are win-win foreveryone.”

Keller Williams’ biggestchallenge is staying connectedto people in an industry wherethey aren’t in the office from 9a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. “It is

our monthly meetings of 150people or more, our phenom-enal training, leveraging tech-nology to the max and gettingon the phone with peopleevery so often to ask themhow it’s going that helps usknow them at a deep level aswe continue to grow.”

Nycomed Canada Inc.,with its 220 employees spreadacross the country, has thesame challenge. Linda Shalesand Adele Zita, both inHuman Resources forNycomed Canada Inc., say animportant part of Nycomed’sculture is to ensure businessdecisions are based on thecompany’s values; empathy,trust, courage and motivation.This commitment helps driveNycomed’s unique culturethrough the entire fabric of thecompany.

“We’ve started a company-wide training initiative to cre-ate awareness and commit-ment to living our values,using a “Values Mat” concept,which involves interactivetraining, almost like a boardgame, to discuss what the val-ues mean to each individual,”says Ms. Zita. “Employeesreally internalize them andlike the fact that we discussthe overlap between work andhome.”

Ms. Shales says the com-pany’s HR group wentthrough the process and creat-ed a team commitment thatthey all signed. “It allowed usto identify how well we livethe values as well as opportu-nities for improvement.”

A special national report for the Great Place to Work Institute CanadaT H E G L O B E A N D M A I L

M O N D AY , A P R I L 6 , 2 0 0 9GPTW 6

Small companies could argue that when it comes to human resources management, large corporate entities have it easy, with their deep pockets and even

deeper pools of expertise. Flip the coin, though, and big companies could point out that their smaller counterparts, with their more intimate,

face-to-face settings, have the advantage in creating a successful corporate culture. The truth is, there are lessons and opportunities on both sides of the fence.

Large, medium or small, companies of every size have both their human

Canada’s BEST WORKPLACES

David

Karo Group

Karo Group feels sostrongly about its cul-ture that it has a mem-ber of the senior man-agement team dedi-cated to it. To foster asense of camaraderie,Karo refers to itsemployees as “tribemembers.”This is notjust a clever name toslap on the companyIntranet, but rather away of thinking abouthow everyone workstogether. Karo sees atribe as a group ofinterlinked communi-ties sharing a commonculture, in which indi-viduals are supportedand respected likefamily.

Pottruff & Smith

Learning contractsthat support short-and long-term careerplanning are part ofthis company’s Perfor-mance Managementsystem. Working witha supervisor, employ-ees develop a planoutlining specificdevelopment needs,methodology foracquiring skills andhow these skills willbe demonstrated onthe job. The contractensures that theemployee is develop-ing skills and experi-ence necessary forpromotion or postingsin line with his or hercareer goals.

Sapient

In 2008, the companyintroduced a newinternal employeereferral programaimed at supportingthe individual inter-ests and concernsamong its diverseglobal workforce. Forevery referral that washired, Sapient made a$1,000 donation tothe referrer’s charity ofchoice. To date, thisprogram has generat-ed over $39,000 indonations to over 30charities around theworld.

Quintiles

The “Silver Thread Pro-gram” was developedby interviewing Quin-tiles managers respon-sible for workgroupswith the highest levelof employee engage-ment. The thoughts onproject leadership,motivational tips andmanagement tech-niques provided bythese managersformed the basis ofthe program, whichincludes printed book-lets featuring bestpractices and audiovignettes that resideon the company’sintranet. All managershave the materials dis-tributed to them.

Omni Companies

Omni Companiesencourages itsemployees to save forthe future by offeringa generous RRSP pro-gram. The companycontributes 2% of theemployee’s salary inthe first year, increas-ing by 1% for year ofservice to a maximumof 8%. The employeeis not required tomake any contribu-tions to receive thisbenefit.

Lessons learned from Canadian SMEs

Thank you toour employees for

making Hy-Tech Drillinga great place to work!

LIMITED / LIMITÉE

Our workplace thrives on it.

www.lvlomas.com

TORONTO MONTREAL VANCOUVER PORTLAND SEATTLE SHANGHAI

To be the best in the chemical distribution industry youhave to hire the best. It’s been our continued philosophy.Thank you to our amazing team for making L.V. Lomasa great place to work!

The bond is more than molecular

Thanks to all Safeway employees past and presentwho have made Safeway one of the best places

to work since 1929.

Safeway, for 80 yearsa great place to shop anda great place to work!

A special national report for the Great Place to Work Institute CanadaTH E G LOB E AND MA I LMONDAY , A P R I L 6 , 2 0 0 9 GPTW 7

resource challenges and their successes in creating a great place to work.

I s it true? Are larger corpo-rations more hard-done-bythan their smaller counter-

parts in trying to create a posi-tive, healthy, unified corporateculture?

Ask any large organization,and they’ll acknowledge thatwhile large size poses someissues, it is also an advantage.

According to Peter Darow-ski, a Winnipeg-based directorof Human Resources for Cana-da Safeway, a consistent experi-ence – both for employees andcustomers – can be created byany company, large or small.“It’s just harder to organize ifyou’re larger, but it’s doableanywhere.”

He says the major chal-lenges Safeway faces are com-munication and turnover.

The company’s InteractiveDistance Learning (IDL) satel-lite system has been a successfulsolution. “Not only do we havea broadcast to managers andassistant managers every Tues-day morning, we also use IDLto do mass training on a consis-tent level,” says Mr. Darowski.

Turnover was alsoaddressed through the compa-ny’s “On-Boarding” program.“Our findings told us thatemployees who left hadn’t feltengaged with the business, so,our On-Boarding program isdesigned to welcome employ-ees, educate them about whatthe company stands for, andexplain the career possibilitieswithin the company.”

As a result, employeeturnover is slowing down.

TD Bank Financial Group

is also committed to promotingits employees from within, asevidenced by its TD First web-based, internal job posting sys-tem. “We believe what differen-tiates us is that we are a placepeople can come to for oppor-tunity,” says Peter McAdam,vice president of EmployeeExperience with TD, whose jobtitle alone says something aboutthe company’s HR innovation.

“My mandate is to makesure we have the right poli-cies and practices in place tocreate that Great Place to

Work environment.”With 74,000 employees

worldwide, 45,000 in Canada,TD’s challenge is to tell its storywell. “The first strategy is tostart with our own people, sothey feel good about what weare doing. Then you can tellthe story outside.”

Twice a year, the organiza-

tion takes a “TD Pulse,” aninternal survey asking employ-ees how they feel about work-ing at TD and one each yearthat asks what two changesthey’d recommend to makeTD a better place to work. “Wehave a strong focus on listeningand responding,” says Mr.McAdam.

One of TD’s largest areas offocus, despite the tough eco-nomic climate, is growth.“We’ve become a large organi-zation, and our executive stillhas plans to grow. Our biggestchallenge is making sure wehave enough great people tomake that happen,” he says.“Regardless of the economy,we want to maintain our focuson employee experience, so wehave great retention rates andcan attract great employeesfrom other companies.”

Per Scott, vice president of

Human Resources for RBC,says warranted or not, econom-ic uncertainty is a problemfaced by all companies, large orsmall.

He says his company’sresponse is to continue to strivefor an employee environmentthat delivers service the wayRBC intends. “That has a lot todo with communication; focus-ing on why we are here andhow we want to be with oneanother. That is the foundationfor success both for individualsand the entire company,” saysMr. Scott.

He says RBC’s vision andvalues – service, teamwork,responsibility, diversity andintegrity – drive the company’sculture and strategic direction.

RBC’s Community Cele-bration Week serves as anexample of getting employeesnationwide aligned with oneanother. “It is done company-wide, on a local basis, as a wayto recognize and celebrate theclients, employees and commu-nity organizations that inspireus,” says Mr. Scott. “Since thisinitiative began, our third party,client loyalty survey results tellus not only are we getting bet-ter, we’re getting better faster.”

Communicating this, andmore, back to employees iskey. “Now, more than ever, ourleaders are active in reachingout to employees; talking aboutthe current situation, tellingpeople what features make ourCanadian banking systemstrong, where we stand as acompany and what they cando,” he says.

Goliath

ATB Financial

Employees can focustheir development andcareers based on theirareas of interest, evenif that is a completechange from the areain which they are cur-rently employed. Forexample, employeescan move from theretail line of businessto the finance orhuman resourcesdepartment. Last year,53% of vacancies werefilled with internal can-didates. This commit-ment to flexible staffdevelopment ensuresthat employees don’thave to leave the com-pany to changecareers.

Four Seasons

When employeesmove to a new city towork, they are greetedat the airport by anHR representative,given support in find-ing and moving intonew housing, findingschools, assigned a“buddy” and providedinformation with use-ful local guidelines.

Devon

The company’s inven-tive “Devonopoly”game divides studentsinto multi-disciplinaryteams to play a strate-gy game that emu-lates the oil and gasindustry. Players mustnegotiate for landrights, finance ven-tures and drill testwells. The group with

more assets at the endof the game wins.

Devon’s annual RealDevon Heroes calen-dar is based on pic-tures of employeesand the company’shistory. Each monthfeatures one RealDevon Hero telling hisor her story.

Edward JonesInvestments

The Goodknight Pro-gram is a businessdevelopment pro-gram that partnersnew financial advisorswith successful EJveterans for at least ayear. This program isdesigned to improvethe service that EJclients receive, and atthe same time offer ajumpstart to the newfinancial advisor’scareer. In 2008, thefirm completed the2,000th GoodknightProgram. In the pasttwo years, 17 Good-knight Programs havestarted in Canada.

Lessons learned from Canada’s biggest employers

Last year, 20 Devon employees shaved their heads in exchange for dona-tions, raising an impressive $76,800 for the Alberta Cancer Foundation inrecognition of a colleague’s ongoing battle with the disease. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

www.bd.com/ca/careers

Did you know?… At BD, we believe the people ofone company can make a difference.

It’s the energy, innovation, creativity

and commitment that our associates

bring to work every day that makes the difference.

Thank you for making BD a Great Place to Work!

2009

A special national report for the Great Place to Work Institute CanadaTH E G LOB E AND MA I L

MONDAY , A P R I L 6 , 2 0 0 9GPTW 8

A mong the ranks ofCanada’s best work-places, women repre-

sent a majority of employees(more than 60 per cent) andalmost a third of senior execu-tives. But with the exceptionof a few notable companies,responses to this year’s GreatPlace to Work survey indicatewomen often feel they are stillnot as valued as men.

Companies that underval-ue women might consider

rethinking their attitudes. AsCatharine Heddle, vice presi-dent of Environics Communi-cations, notes, “There aremany choices available to thetalented women of today. Mostwill choose to do work thatthey view as valued and valu-able.”

For its part, Environics –the top performer in the 2009Great Place to Work survey’sBest Workplace for Womencategory – takes a multi-

pronged approach to create aworkplace aligned withwomen’s interests.

Among other things, Ms.Heddle says, “There is a realcommitment to work-life bal-ance. That means valuing thewhole person, understandingthat nurturing a person’s inter-ests outside of work leads tosuccess in business.”

Happy, fulfilled people,she says, create a positivework environment. “It also

leads to people who havegood ideas and are able todevote themselves to workwhen they’re at work. A 40-hour work week is 40 hourshere; people are not expectedto check e-mails after hours.There is flexibility: After I hadmy children, I worked a four-day week; now I have anarrangement where I have acertain number of unpaiddays, so I still get to set foot inmy children’s schools.”

Volunteerism is also strong-ly encouraged. “In my decadeat Environics, I’ve been chairof the board of Frontier Col-lege, a national literacy organi-zation, and on two otherboards. Our president supportsthis by being flexible with ourtime, and Environics oftenmakes financial contributionsto the organizations thatemployees support.”

At Randstad Canada,which placed second in theBest Workplace for Womencategory, creating a woman-friendly workplace starts withan employee-centric culture.

“What makes our cultureterrific is building process andpolicies that revolve aroundthe needs of the employeepopulation. They’re not set instone,” says Hanna Vineberg,senior market manager. “We’rea non-hierarchical, high-credi-bility and high-on-trust organi-zation.

“You often hear, withinother organizations, that thereis a lack of equity in terms ofsalary, bonus scales and devel-opment opportunities. We’vecreated a culture where thereis transparency and total equi-ty. We have many managersand senior consultants who are

in the midst of completingmaster’s programs that wefinance – this opportunity isavailable to everyone.”

Flexibility and support areother critical components ofthe Randstad culture. “We flagpeople who have issues intheir personal lives and seewhat we can do to help. Sickdays can be taken when a fam-ily member is ill. Jobs are pro-tected for mothers on leaveand support is offered upontheir return, without penalizingtheir status, their job.

“I have three childrenmyself, and there has beenmany a day I’ve had to run outwhen the school calls. It hasn’tinterfered with my progress orrole here,” says Ms. Vineberg.

At Nintendo, third placerunner-up, recognition that apursuit of work-life balance ishighly personal translatesinto flexibility of work sched-ules, location (includingworking from home wherepossible) and the schedulingof work priorities to permitperiodic absences for person-

al commitments.“We believe in open com-

munication, accountability andtransparency; our people mustfeel valued as well as under-stand their role and impactwithin our organization,” saysNintendo vice president andgeneral manager Carla Mauro.“By supporting them, weimprove our chances of retain-ing loyal, engaged employeesas they grow both personallyand professionally.

Ms. Mauro, who hasbecome one of NintendoCanada’s top three executives,started with the companyalmost 20 years ago in anentry level accounting posi-tion. “I was a newlywed backthen; I now have two olderteenagers.”

That kind of whole-lifeachievement is possible in aBest Workplace, in partbecause, as she says, “Ninten-do values our contributions. Itspolicies support all of us,regardless of gender – andencourage us to support eachother.”

Best opportunities for women

Canada’s BEST WORKPLACES

Women’s work

#1 Environics

#2 Keller Williams

#3 Royal LePage Performance

#4 AdFarm

#5 Randstad Intérim Inc.

#6 Nintendo of Canada Ltd

#7 Quintiles Canada

#8 Pottruff & Smith

Best workplaces for women

Great REALTORS®,Great people,

Great workplace.

1-877-837-8885 10 locations to serve you, in Ottawa & Eastern Ontario

Thank you for making us one ofthe Best Workplaces in Canada for the

2ND CONSECUTIVE YEAR!

THE LAW MAY BE COMMON BUT OUR LAW FIRM IS NOT

We want to thank our employees for contributing on a daily basis

to the wonderful work environment at Gardiner Roberts.

What makesUrban SystemsCareers unique?

JUSTABOUT

EVERYTHING.

CIVIL ENGINEERING | PLANNING | LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

Even in the midst of a tough economy, we’re still busy –and hiring! Far from standing still or cutting back, thanks togreat people like Philip Moore, Professional Engineer fromCalgary, Urban Systems continues to thrive and expand.

If you believe, as we do, that when the going gets tough,the tough get going, then get going – to our website, whereyou can search for jobs and learn more about what makesUrban Systems unique.

Visit: www.urban-systems.com

Or email: careers@urban-systems.com

Thanks to all our people for helping to create one of the10 Best Places to Work. You are simply the best.

Photocourtesy

ofTeck

Com

inco

Limite

d

A special national report for the Great Place to Work Institute CanadaTH E G LOB E AND MA I LMONDAY , A P R I L 6 , 2 0 0 9 GPTW 9

By Jeff MuzzerallDirector, Corporate

Connections Centre, Joseph

L. Rotman School of

Management, University of

Toronto

R eflecting on the recentglobal economicfreefall, I was reminded

of a line from Peter Senge’sclassic management book,The Fifth Discipline, “Learn-ing disabilities are tragic inchildren, but they are fatal inorganizations. Because ofthem, few corporations liveeven half as long as a person –most die before they reach theage of forty.”

The current worldwideeconomic crisis has devastateda large swath in global manu-facturing, insurance and bank-ing with only a few sectorsspared. The World Bankexpects global economicgrowth to decline this year forthe first time since World WarII.

Traditional manufacturingjobs requiring physical labour,repetitive processes andregional proximity struggle tosurvive in a flat world charac-terized by global outsourcing,automation and now decliningconsumer demand. Mean-while, our knowledge-worker-driven financial system hasbeen humbled by the collapseof the U.S. sub-prime mort-gage market and the paralyz-ing ripple effect of unwindingcomplex financial instrumentsand obligations around theworld.

Job seekers will now haveto adapt to the new employ-ment reality of continuous andnever-ending career change

and professional developmentas organizations innovatefaster than ever to return toprofitability.

The recent report “Ontarioin the Creative Age” by theMartin Prosperity Institute atthe Rotman School discussesthis shift while recognizingthe considerable inequalityborne by workers in dis-placed and declining indus-tries. “Greater returns havegone to innovative industries,to more highly educated peo-ple, to those in creative occu-pations, and to urban areas,”says the report.

How will the surviving oldand new economy organiza-tions counter adversity andcapitalize on opportunity?What options are available forthe unemployed or underem-ployed; our rural or urbanpopulations? Will we capitu-late or learn to think in newways to move forward?

Post-secondary educationhas become the key to entry

into innovative and creativeindustries and the ladder ofprogression within these pro-fessions.

A recent study publishedby the Canadian Associationfor University ContinuingEducation reports 68 per centof first-degree holders aged 25or younger pursue furthereducation, compared to 56per cent of first-degree hold-ers over 25. The majority willcontinue on to second degreesor enter non-degree pro-grams.

Graduate education ingeneral and business programsin particular offer great prom-ise for bridging the prosperitygap, creating new employ-ment opportunities and con-tributing to sustainable eco-nomic growth.

Rotman Dean Roger Mar-tin has found that in Canada“our managers generally havesignificantly lower educationalattainment than their U.S.counterparts, and CEOs ofour largest corporations areless likely to have formal busi-ness education at the graduatelevel. Only 35 per cent of ourmanagers possess a universitydegree, versus 53 per cent ofU.S. managers.”

I believe a vast store ofhuman potential can be actu-alized by utilizing post-second-ary, graduate and businesseducation to lever individualcompetitive advantage.

Strategic human resourceprofessionals will help theirfirms win in the new globaleconomy by hiring the besteducated and prepared minds,and offering continuousopportunities for learningwithin the firm. It’s time for “anew way to think.”

It’s time for a new way to thinkAn educated perspective

Source: Russell Investment Group © Great Place toWork Institute, Inc.The Reset Annually portfolio invests equal dollar amounts (at the beginningof 1998) in the stock of each of the 1998 100 Best publicly traded compa-nies. The portfolio is liquidated at the end of 1998 and the proceeds invest-ed in the 1999 list by buying equal dollar amounts of each publicly tradedfirm on the 1999 list. This process of liquidating the portfolio at the end ofthe year and using the proceeds to invest in the new list of 100 Best isrepeated for all years covered in the charts.The Buy and Hold portfolio invests equal dollar amounts (at the beginningof 1998) in the stock of each of the 1998 100 Best publicly traded companiesand holds these stocks for all years covered in the charts.

Financial resultsIndependent financial analysts have studied the financial per-formance of Fortune magazine’s “100 Best” companies begin-ning with the publication of the book, The 100 Best Companies toWork For in America (by Great Place toWork Institute FounderRobert Levering and Milton Moskowitz, 1984 and 1993), and onan ongoing basis to accompany each of the "100 Best Compa-nies" lists with Fortune since their inception in 1998. Using vari-ous profitability indicators, this data illustrates the extent towhich the publicly traded 100 Best Companies consistently out-perform major stock indices over various periods of time pre-ceding or following the publication of the 100 Best lists.

Fortune “100 Best” vs Stock Market 1998-2008

Analysis shows stocks of America’sBest Workplaces outperform market

1.04%

S & P 500 Russell3000

“100 Best”Buy andHold

“100 Best”Reset

Annually

4.15%

1.25%

6.80%

Graduate

education in

general and

business

programs in

particular offer

great promise

for bridging the

prosperity gap,

creating new

employment

opportunities

and contributing

to sustainable

economic

growth.

Commitment Runs Deep

OneGreat Place toWork.

Great companies are built one employee at a time, each filling a single spot in a

living, growing culture. When it works just right, the company emerges as a place

like no other. Thank you to all Devon employees in Canada who live “The Devon Way”

each and every day. Your contributions and commitment to our values have made

this one great place to work.

devonenergy.com

B everage titan DiageoCanada Inc. says it is aterrific tool for bench-

marking against other work-places. Tech giant MicrosoftCanada Co. says it both vali-dates programs initiated inter-nally and has become a sourceof pride for staff.

What most international

companies that participate inGreat Place to Work surveysin countries worldwide agreeon, however, is the exercisehelps them “think globally,and locally,” says GPTWICanada director Jose ToloviNeto, enabling them toimprove employee perform-ance and productivity no mat-

ter where their offices arelocated.

Some find the benefit insimply being recognized as agreat workplace while othersdig deeper and make continu-ing use of the specific results ofthe survey on which rankingsare based.

“We place a great deal of

importance on employee feed-back on what we are doing welland what we need to improveon,” says Rita Seguin, vice-pres-ident of human resources, whoadds Diageo typically purchas-es the complete results of thequestionnaire.

“It also gives us the abilityto gauge our employees’ satis-

faction with our workplace inCanada against both Diageooperations in 180 marketsworldwide and with high-per-forming companies in othersectors as well.”

Phil Sorgen, president ofMicrosoft Canada Co. of Mis-sissauga, says, “We are veryselective as to the surveys we

participate in. What we like isthat it allows us to compareCanadian operations with ourcounterparts around theworld and others both in ourindustry and other sectors aswell.

“Our employees are ourbiggest single competitiveadvantage,” Mr. Sorgen con-tinues. “It is vital we maintaina great workplace to ensure wecontinue to attract and main-tain the brightest and best inthe industry.”

This is the fourth year theGreat Place to Work Institutehas published its Canadian list-ing, says Mr. Tolovi Neto. Allof the 230 companies vyingfor a place on the list submit toa 57-question survey, the samesurvey given to other compa-nies in 41 countries around theworld.

Employee responseaccounts for two-thirds of acompany’s score, he says. Theinstitute generates its bestworkplaces list based on ananalysis of the survey resultsand makes detailed findingsavailable to participating com-panies for a fee.

“In North America there isno fee attached to participate,but access to the question-by-question results of the surveymust be paid for,” he says.“Many companies find it muchmore cost effective than hiringoutside consultants. They canthen use specific responses toaddress specific internal chal-lenges.”

Plus, while 57 questions areused to produce the rankings,companies can add questionsor segment the survey intobusiness units if they wish.

Diageo, for instance, usesboth the specific results of theGreat Place to Work question-naire and its own annualemployee survey to informnew programs and fine tuneexisting ones,” says Ms.Seguin.

“For example, our employ-ees were very vocal in pastsurveys about giving back tothe community and to ourenvironment. Our corporatesocial responsibility programin partnership with Evergreen,a national, non-profit environ-mental organization, is anexample of a new initiativethat was employee-driven,”says Ms. Seguin.

She also says Diageobelieves in investing in ‘peopledevelopment.’ Survey resultsindicate employees not onlyvalue growth opportunitiesprovided within the company,but also appreciate the invest-ment in training programs thatcontribute to individual devel-opment.

“Keeping Diageo one ofthe world’s best places to workjust makes good businesssense,” says Ms. Seguin.“Employee satisfaction leads tohigher engagement levels,which is highly correlated withbottom-line results.”

A special national report for the Great Place to Work Institute CanadaTH E G LOB E AND MA I L

MONDAY , A P R I L 6 , 2 0 0 9GPTW 10

International surveys help companies to act locally

Canada’s BEST WORKPLACES

Global perspective

How does Canada measure up?

The chart above illustrates how the results of Great Place to

Work surveys conducted in Canada, the U.S., Europe and UK

compare. A negative number, highlighted in red, indicates

Canadian results lower than the comparatives. A positive num-

ber, highlighted with grey background, means Canadian scores

are higher than the comparatives. Red and gray shaded cells

highlight extreme differences (positive and negative).

We are often reminded it’s a globalized economy out there. So how do Canadian workplaces compare to their U.S.,

European and UK counterparts? The results below speak for themselves.

Management is approachable, easy to talk with.

Our facilities contribute to a good working environment.

People are encouraged to balance their work life and their personal life.

We have special and unique benefits here.

I feel I receive a fair share of the profits made by this organization.

I am treated as a full member here regardless of my position.

Managers avoid playing favourites.

People avoid politicking and backstabbing as ways to get things done.

If I am unfairly treated, I believe I’ll be given a fair shake if I appeal.

My work has special meaning: this is not “just a job.”

People look forward to coming to work here.

I feel good about the ways we contribute to the community.

People celebrate special events around here.

You can count on people to co-operate.

Taking everything into account, I would say this is a great place to work.

AVERAGES

86%

84%

70%

74%

54%

86%

69%

72%

84%

75%

78%

75%

87%

84%

86%

82%

85%

85%

79%

75%

63%

84%

70%

75%

79%

78%

80%

87%

87%

82%

88%

83%

List

Publication Media

Number of Companies on the List

Number of Nominations

UK

FIN TIMES

50

200

Canada

The Globe

75

230

to US

Differences

to EUR to UK

0

-6

-2

-10

-8

-2

-1

-1

-2

-6

-2

-5

-1

-4

-2

-3

-1

1

-5

-6

-6

-5

-5

-6

-8

-6

0

-2

-6

-3

-1

1

9

1

9

-2

1

3

-5

3

2

12

0

-2

2

©2009Ernst&YoungLLP.Allrightsreserved.

Does putting people firstmake a difference?We think so. At Ernst & Young, we strive tocreate an environment where all our peopleare respected for the different perspectivesand experiences they bring to the team.And we give them the flexibility, learningopportunities andmentorship they need toachieve their personal and professional goals.Maybe that’s why we’ve been named one ofthe Best Workplaces in Canada for 2009.

What’s next?ey.com/ca

Steven

ATB Calgary 6th Avenue

WHEREPASSIONATE PEOPLEFIND THEWAYAt ATB Financial we do everything we can to put

people first and make ATB the place to work;

we are proud to be selected as one of the Best

Workplaces in Canada.

Where there’s a way, our employees will find it.To

be part of our great team visit atbcareers.com

® Registered trademarks of Alberta Treasury Branches.