Winners of the Défi Meilleurs Employeurs 2010 awards: an impressive crowd!

MONTREAL, June 16 /CNW Telbec/ - The winners of the 2010 Défi Meilleurs Employeurs awards were announced yesterday at noon at a gala luncheon hosted by Emploi-Québec and organized by Les Affaires newspaper, the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés and Towers Watson. The event, which was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, was attended by close to 200 guests and also welcomed Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for Emploi-Quebec Bernard Matte.

In its ninth year, the competition attracted 48 organizations renowned for their concern for the well-being of their employees. The top winners of this competition, which highlights the achievements of organizations with exceptional HR management practices, are presented below.

The hall of fame

DLGL continues to hold top honours in the best employers' hall of fame, a position it will retain until next year.

Top winners

Large business category

Teknika HBA, a large engineering consulting firm, was awarded first prize in the large business category, pulling off the exceptional feat of winning this award for the third consecutive year and earning a place in the best employers' hall of fame in recognition of is ongoing concern for its employees' quality of life.

Medium-sized business category

Taking first prize in its category, Soprema is a manufacturer that is determined not only to protect the environment, but also to safeguard the health and security of its employees. A company that plants a tree in its yard to mark an employee's years of service says it all!

Small business category

L-Ipse Conseil, a Quebec City consulting firm that continually strives to create team spirit among its personnel, was awarded first prize in this category. L-Ipse received this honour in 2007 and again last year, which certainly confirms the exceptional satisfaction of its employees.

Recognition of improvement

Companies that receive the recognition of improvement award, presented to an organization that has recorded a consistent increase in its global score at least three times in the past five years, are fairly rare. This year the award was presented to a Blainville company, SPI Sécurité.

Other winners

Couche-Tard took second prize in the Large Business Category, while Interaction Proximédia and BBA respectively walked away with second and third prize in the Medium-sized Business Category. In the Small Business Category, second prize was awarded to the Organisme d'autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec. Two third prizes were presented in this category this year: one to Physio Extra and the other to Société conseil Lambda.

About Défi Meilleurs Employeurs

The Défi encourages Quebec businesses to become better employers through evaluating their employees' productive engagement. It acknowledges the work of organizations that provide a healthy and stimulating work environment and enables participating organizations to track their progress over the years. The competition also highlights the effectiveness and efficiency of HR management practices through evaluating employee appreciation.

Jury members:

Claude Béland, President, Mouvement Desjardins (1987-2000) and cooperative economics consultant.

André Bisson, Chairman of the board, Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en analyse des organisations (CIRANO)

Florent Francoeur, CHRP, President and CEO, Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés

Daniel Germain, Director of content and head of publications, Affaires Plus

Ginette Legault, CHRP, Dean, École des sciences de la gestion, Université du Québec à Montréal

Please note that photos of representatives of the winners are available in the press room on the Ordre's portal at www.portailrh.org/presse.

About the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés

The Ordre des conseillers en resources humaines agréés is the primary reference organization in its field in Quebec. It has a membership of more than 10,000 professionals, candidates and students, including 5,600 CHRPs and 2,400 CIRCs. It is the only human resources organization devoted to the protection of the public authorized by the Professional Code to confer these professional designations.

Active in all sectors, CHRPs and CIRCs contribute to the development and maintenance of a healthy working atmosphere and a safe, efficient organizational environment that respects the uniqueness of each and every employee. They also represent employers and employees in various areas of HR management, from labour relations, to staffing, training, occupational health and safety, organizational development and compensation.

About Towers Watson

Towers Watson is a leading global professional services company that helps organizations improve performance through effective people, risk and financial management. With 14,000 associates around the world, it offers solutions in the areas of employee benefits, talent management, rewards, and risk and capital management.

About Transcontinental Media

The fourth largest print media group in Canada, with more than 3,000 employees and annual revenues of $607 million in 2009, Transcontinental Media is the country's leading publisher of consumer magazines and of French-language educational resources, as well as being the largest publisher of community newspapers in Eastern Canada. It publishes the weekly daily Métro in Montreal and is, through its well-known Publisac, Quebec's leading door-to-door distributor of advertising material. Transcontinental Media is known for its custom publishing, mailing and email customized database, which allows users to maintain close relations with more than 6 million consumers. It also has over 120 web sites, attracting more than 4.2 million unique visitors per month.

Transcontinental Media is a subsidiary of Transcontinental Inc. (TSX: TCL.A, TCL.B, TCL.PR.D), with activities in Canada, the United States and Mexico, and reported revenues of CDN$2.4 billion in 2009.

For further information: Caroline Soulas, Communications coordinator, Tel: [phone], ext. 224, Cell phone: [phone], [email protected]