The Alberta Advantage is calling - and these employers are leading the way: 'Alberta's Top Employers' for 2024 are announced
CALGARY, AB, Jan. 30, 2024 /CNW/ - Alberta employers are responding to the province's strong economy by matching the perks and benefits found at top employers across the country. The best of these initiatives were recognized today, as Alberta's Top Employers for 2024 was announced by Mediacorp Canada Inc., organizers of the annual Canada's Top 100 Employers competition.
"While the oil and gas sector continues to be the primary driver of Alberta's economy, people outside the province are often surprised to learn how diversified the province's economy is becoming," says Richard Yerema, executive editor at Mediacorp. "With abundant job opportunities in tech, healthcare, hospitality, and a wide array of professional services from engineering to law firms, the province now competes with hiring markets across the country. You can see growth across all the economic sectors needed to support Alberta's growing population."
The challenging labour market conditions have led many employers in Alberta to keep a much closer eye on the benefits and human resource policies offered by leading employers in other parts of Canada. They realize that they need to offer the same – if not better – benefits, HR policies and initiatives as top employers in other areas of Canada. Alberta is Calling, says the province's high-profile ad campaign across the country to attract new migrants. But employers in the province know that they also need to do their part to match the best-practices they see at employers elsewhere in Canada.
"This is a special time for Alberta employers," says Anthony Meehan, publisher at Mediacorp. "Net migration into the province hit an all-time high last year, with more people moving to Alberta than in any year since they started keeping quarterly records 70 years ago. Yet despite this influx, the province's unemployment rate is now lower than it was in the years before the pandemic. Increasingly, the province's employers are having difficulty finding and retaining enough talented employees to keep their operations growing."
"Besides offering excellent employment opportunities and an affordable cost-of-living, Alberta is a place where you can build a full life outside of work," adds Kristina Leung, managing editor at Mediacorp. "Many of this year's winners offer flexible work options to help employees balance their commitments outside the workplace. Families are often welcome at corporate events and social activities, allowing employees to foster meaningful social connections and build their community. These are just some of the reasons why this year's winners shine."
Alberta leads the nation not just in terms of employees' average weekly earnings, but also in terms of population growth – the province saw the highest population growth in Canada in each of the four quarters last year. While many new residents are attracted by Alberta's acute shortage of skilled trades, the province's tourism sector is also booming, drawn largely by visitors to the province's spectacular natural attractions. Employment in this sector now exceeds the level that Alberta saw immediately prior to the pandemic.
First published in 2006, Alberta's Top Employers is a special designation that recognizes Alberta employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. Editors at Mediacorp review employers on eight criteria, which have remained consistent since the project's inception: (1) Workplace; (2) Work Atmosphere & Social; (3) Health, Financial & Family Benefits; (4) Vacation & Time Off; (5) Employee Communications; (6) Performance Management; (7) Training & Skills Development; and (8) Community Involvement. The editors publish detailed 'reasons for selection' for these criteria, providing transparency in the selection of winners and a catalogue of best practices for employers and job-seekers alike. The competition is open to any employer with their head office or principal place of business located within the province of Alberta.
Founded in 1992, Mediacorp Canada Inc. is the nation's largest publisher of employment periodicals. Since 1999, the Toronto-based publisher has managed the Canada's Top 100 Employers project, which includes 19 regional and special-interest editorial competitions that reach millions of Canadians annually through a variety of magazine and newspaper partners, including The Globe and Mail. Mediacorp also operates Eluta.ca, one of Canada's largest job search engines, used by millions of job-seekers annually to find new job postings and discover what the nation's best employers are offering.
The full list of Alberta's Top Employers (2024) was announced today in a special magazine published in the Calgary Herald and the Edmonton Journal. Detailed 'reasons for selection' for each of this year's winners, as well as hundreds of stories and photos about their initiatives, were released today by the editors and are accessible via the competition homepage.
Join the discussion about today's announcement on social media:
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3a11Fkf
Instagram & Facebook: @topemployers
Twitter/X: @top_employers
Hashtags: #ABTopEmployers, #topemployers2024
SOURCE Mediacorp Canada Inc.
Stephanie Leung, Editor, [email protected]
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