Many are listed here among Alberta's Top Employers of 2021. Now in its 16th year, Alberta's Top Employers is an annual competition run by Mediacorp Canada Inc. that highlights the best places to work in the province based on several criteria.

"The key theme, obviously, is how employers have responded and adapted to the pandemic," says Richard Yerema, managing editor of Canada's Top 100 Employers, a national competition, as well as regional projects across the nation. "Being a top employer is really about how you help and treat your people."

It's one thing to lavish workers with benefits and perks when times are good. It's another to ensure your team is safe, engaged and feeling well during a deadly pandemic.

Unquestionably, COVID-19 has impacted all workplaces.

Many endured layoffs. Some closed. Others altered their operations to survive. Those able to succeed often boast strong, innovative workplace cultures.

The Alberta businesses earning a spot on the Top Employers list have not only navigated the pandemic well, but scored highly in eight categories – Physical Workplace; Work Atmosphere & Social; Health, Financial & Family Benefits; Vacation & Time Off; Employee Communications; Performance Management; Training & Skills Development; and Community Involvement.

Yerema notes the competition has long been popular among leading employers because it is an opportunity to attract and recruit top talent.

"For many employers who operate and recruit within the region, it's highly sought after to be included in the list to showcase themselves as a great place to work."

While a great recruiting tool, making the list is also a source of pride for employees at places such as Pason Systems Inc., a Calgary-based technology firm that has been reshaping oilfield drilling for decades.

"We are the Internet of things for drilling rigs," says Lars Olesen, vice-president of product and technology at Pason. "We gather and aggregate data on drilling rigs and send that to the cloud remotely so that our customers can see their operations and analytics in real time while using machine learning to optimize what they do."

In a city known for oil and gas, Pason is also an elder statesman in Calgary's burgeoning tech sector.

"We punch above our weight in the oil industry for the size of our company," he says. "But we are at heart a Calgary technology company."

And its workers are what makes the firm a global leader in its field. To be at the top of its game often involves competing for talent with big U.S. tech firms.

"How does a Calgary technology company compete for people with Silicon Valley?"

Part of the strategy involves offering competitive compensation and benefits along with interesting, meaningful work, Olesen adds. But a key advantage for Pason is its focus on work/life balance – often in short supply in the tech industry, which is renowned for long hours.

"We've always been flexible about remote work," Olesen says. "We are office-centric to create a culture and a sense of family, but during COVID, that has taken on a whole new meaning."

Many top employers in Alberta have faced similar challenges, including an Edmonton-based technology company.

Bits In Glass is a leading Canadian provider of process automation and systems integration that allow clients, including large corporations, to manage data more efficiently.

"While it's awesome to have cool workspaces and perks that attract employees, we believe one of the most important components of a great organization is inclusivity and respect," says Patrick Golec, vice-president of technology innovation and human resources at Bits In Glass.

Its workspace features sit/stand desks and playful perks such as foosball and table tennis tables, free office snacks and oddball regular events like celebrating International Sushi Day with, well, free sushi for the staff.

COVID-19 upset these daily rhythms of workplace culture, with Bits In Glass's teams largely working from home.

While keeping them safe and healthy is the top concern, so too are workers' emotional well-being and their sense of belonging that may be missing at their home offices. To keep the team 'together,' at least in spirit, the company has organized a bevy of unique, fun events such as the Chopped Challenge, a Zoom home-cooking competition, and lunchtime Netflix viewing parties.

The obvious difficulties of the pandemic aside, top employers have not wavered from a key mission: Holding onto their talent.

"We want and need our people to stay," Olesen says, adding they are Pason's competitive advantage.

To do that, you truly have to "walk the walk," he adds. "You can't just talk about it."

– Joel Schlesinger

From the official magazine announcing Alberta's Top Employers (2021), published on January 26, 2021, in the Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal.