Newspapers and magazines are full of "best" lists. This is, in fact, the eighth year that Report on Business magazine has published this ranking of Canada's best employers. It's still the most important one for employers and employees. But why?
The strength of the 50 Best Employers ranking lies in the quality of the research and the data. It is based on more information collected from more employees, business leaders and human resources professionals than any competing list. This year, more than 100,000 employees, 2,000 leaders and 100 HR professionals completed questionnaires and provided opinions and perspectives to our research partner, Hewitt Associates, a leading global human resources outsourcing and consulting firm.
The overall measure used to identify and rank Best Employers is employee engagement, which quantifies how closely leaders and employees work together toward a common vision, as well as the collective energy that goes into making an organization a great place to work. It's not only senior executives and HR departments that provide this information—in fact, the lion's share of each organization's score is based on a survey of employees. This year, an average of 77% of employees at the 50 Best Employers were classified as engaged, versus just 55% at the organizations that didn't make the list.
Engaged employees have a bond with their employer that goes well beyond a contractual obligation to show up for work in exchange for pay and benefits. "They display an emotional commitment to their employer," says Neil Crawford, who headed the Hewitt study. "That leads them to speak positively about their organization, to be committed to staying there for a longer period of time and to go beyond the day-to-day routine of their job to ensure their organization is successful."
Research by Hewitt and others demonstrates that high levels of employee engagement lead to better business results: higher employee attraction and retention rates, better customer service, higher productivity, lower absenteeism and more.
To participate in this study, organizations must have at least 400 permanent employees in Canada, and must have operated in the country for at least three years. Firms complete three surveys. The first is an employee opinion survey. It is based on workforce size, and a minimum number of 400 employees must participate. The other two are a senior executive survey that measures how closely employees' and leaders' goals are aligned, and a human resources survey that details HR practices.
All responses are vetted to ensure employers follow guidelines. This year, nearly 130 organizations took part in the survey. For more information, including instructions on how to join the next survey, go to www.hewitt.com/ bestemployerscanada
PETER DIAMANTAKOS
Senior Courier
Federal Express Canada
Toronto
Peter Diamantakos lives life by the minute. As soon as the 33-year-old arrives at Federal Express Canada's Lakeshore station in Toronto at 7:30 on weekday mornings, the clock starts ticking. He and 60 or so other drivers each have to sort and electronically scan up to 500 envelopes, parcels and packages, then deliver them to as many as 100 customer drops per day.
The depot is a choreographed study of time and motion. There is no idle chit-chat, only the constant whirr of the conveyor belt shuttling sorted mail to trucks parked along the line. Diamantakos is organizing deliveries destined for Bay Street as another worker pulls two boxes off the belt and drops them beside him: "Peter, last two boxes." Diamantakos and the other couriers then close truck doors, start engines and head into what they call "the jungle." Within five minutes, the warehouse is empty save for a handful of cleaners pushing brooms.
