AON Hewitt, an American company specializing in human resources and consulting services, has recently released its 15th annual list of the 50 Best Employers in Canada. The 2014 results see companies setting the bar when it comes to making both their employees and clients feel happy and taken care of.
Winner for the second year in row, Cisco Systems heads the list as the best place to work at in 2014. The global leader in networking for the Internet, Cisco Systems has consistently appeared in the top three positions since 2010, making it one of Canada’s best employers for years now.
Holding on tightly to their spots from the previous year are the construction company EllisDon Corporation and business law firm Bennett Jones LLP, coming in at number two and three respectively.
The Best Employer Study asks employees, human resource leaders and senior leadership teams across Canada how their organizations are doing. Participating businesses are judged on such areas as work policies, performance management, recognition and career opportunities.
Winning the coveted Best Employer award has its advantages.
“In today’s volatile marketplace, being a “Best Employer” is a necessity, not a nice-to-have. Engagement leads to higher attraction, retention, and performance,” writes AON Hewitt on its website.
Organizations also see benefits by simply participating in the study. Corporations that take part in the research receive key insights about the inner workings of their business from consultants that survey employee engagement. From there, the companies can make strategic decisions about the workplace after reviewing the assembled data.
More importantly though, the study can create a dialogue between the leadership team and the organization’s employees, an essential component for any best employer out there.