Capitalizing on the region's success as a hub for research and innovation, this year's "National Capital Region's Top Employers" are announced
OTTAWA, Jan. 31, 2018 /CNW/ - Ask most Canadians which industry comes to mind when you mention the National Capital Region and invariably they will say the federal government. While it's true that the public sector plays a central role in the region's economy, many people are surprised to learn that the National Capital Region is also a hub for research and innovation – it's one of the most educated regions in Canada, with about 61% of working residents having a post-secondary degree. Because of this unique talent pool, employers in the region are tremendously well-positioned for innovation and focused on the future. The best of these organizations were recognized today, as the 2018 winners of the National Capital Region's Top Employers competition were announced by the editors of the Canada's Top 100 Employers project at Mediacorp Canada Inc.
"The National Capital Region is widely recognized as a hub for attracting the best and the brightest," says Richard Yerema, Managing Editor of the Canada's Top 100 Employers project, which manages the competition. "It has a strong base of technology companies and public sector employers – while offering broad opportunities for those interested in policy development and social change."
"We see one of Canada's most competitive labour markets in the National Capital Region," says Anthony Meehan, Publisher of the Canada's Top 100 Employers project at Mediacorp Canada Inc. "Employers here need to go the extra distance to attract top talent because they are dealing with a highly educated workforce who understand and value the progressive benefits and HR policies that many of the region's employers offer."
Some notable initiatives that the editors singled out this year:
- Adobe Systems Canada encourages ongoing employee development through in-house and online training programs and generous tuition subsidies (to over $10,000) for courses and programs related to an employee's position.
- Survey application provider SurveyMonkey Canada supports employees who are new parents with maternity and parental leave top-up payments (including adoptive parents), to 100% of salary for up to 16 weeks.
- Employment and Social Development Canada promotes experimentation and collaboration through an Innovation Lab at its Gatineau headquarters – and hosts an annual Innovation Fair to highlight some of the organization's most innovative initiatives.
- Hydro Ottawa encourages innovative ideas from employees with a unique program ("Amp Up") that provides additional vacation days for staff suggestions that are selected for follow-up.
- The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat fosters the next generation of talent through paid internships, co-op placements and summer employment – and organizes an interesting employee network ("Renaissance") that provides opportunities for new professional staff to meet each other.
First published in 2006, the National Capital Region's Top Employers is a special designation that recognizes employers in the Ottawa-Gatineau area that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work. Employers throughout the area were evaluated by the editors at Canada's Top 100 Employers using the same criteria as the national competition: (1) Physical 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. Employers are compared to other organizations in their field to determine which offer the most progressive and forward-thinking programs. The annual competition is open to any employer with its head office in the Ottawa-Gatineau area; employers of any size may apply, whether private or public sector.
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 18 regional and special-interest editorial competitions that reach over 15 million Canadians annually through a variety of magazine and newspaper partners. Mediacorp also operates Eluta.ca, the largest Canadian job search engine, which includes editorial reviews from the Canada's Top 100 Employers project and is now used by almost 7 million users in Canada each year. Together with Willis Towers Watson, Mediacorp also hosts the Top Employer Summit, Canada's largest conference for senior-level HR professionals.
The full list of the National Capital Region's Top Employers for 2018 is attached. The winners were announced in a special magazine published in the Ottawa Citizen this morning. Detailed reasons for selection, with hundreds of additional stories and photos, were also released this morning by the editors and are accessible via the competition homepage.
National Capital Region's Top Employers
2018 Winners
Adobe Systems Canada Inc.
Algonquin College of Applied Arts & Technology
Alterna Savings and Credit Union Limited
Bank of Canada
Canada Foundation for Innovation / CFI
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation / CMHC
Canada Revenue Agency / CRA
Canadian Heritage
Canadian Internet Registration Authority / CIRA
Canadian Security Intelligence Service / CSIS
Carleton University
Casino du Lac-Leamy
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario / CHEO
Communications Security Establishment / CSE
Department of Finance Canada
Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard
Egg Farmers of Canada
Employment and Social Development Canada
Engineers Canada
Export Development Canada
Health Canada / Santé Canada
House of Commons Administration
Hydro Ottawa
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada / IRCC
La Cité
Lumentum
Medical Council of Canada
Montfort Hospital / Hôpital Montfort
NAV CANADA
Nutrition International
Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, The
Ottawa Catholic School Board, The
Ottawa Community Housing Corporation
Ottawa Hospital, The
Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall LLP / s.r.l.
Pythian Group Inc.
Royal, The
Smart & Biggar/Fetherstonhaugh
Statistics Canada
SurveyMonkey Canada Inc.
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Trend Micro Canada Technologies Inc.
Universities Canada / Universités Canada
University of Ottawa
Welch LLP
SOURCE Mediacorp Canada Inc.
For further information: Kristina Leung, Senior Editor, 416-964-6069 x1464
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