Like the national competition, the editors of BC's Top Employers annually release their picks for the best employers. The winners are chosen based on the same criteria as the national competition, including compensation and benefits, work and social atmosphere, the quality of the workplace, training and upward mobility.

Kristina Leung, managing editor at Canada's Top 100 Employers, points out that the post-pandemic jobs market is characterized by "revolutionary speeds of change" and that unprecedented demand, the ongoing labour shortages and other factors "mean that much more skill is required in managing the workforce."

Flexibility leads to empowered employees

TELUS is an iconic B.C. brand, and its success in recruitment is due to many factors, each recognizable as universal workplace objectives. "We help team members get where they want to go through our award-winning career development and coaching culture, our learning and development programs and the opportunity for career mobility," says Debbie Oster, TELUS's vice president of talent acquisition and development.

TELUS is equally committed to employee health. "We have a strategy that recognizes their physical, psychological, social, financial and environmental wellbeing," Oster says, adding that the side effects "are positive impacts on innovation and team engagement."

But of all the recruitment strategies, one of the biggest is flexibility. "Candidates daily cite our commitment to flexibility as one of the big reasons they're drawn to TELUS," Oster shares. "Our Work Styles program has been in place for over 16 years and enables our team to work from home, vary their start times or come into the office to meet with colleagues."

Remote work provides a larger talent pool

Even the most progressive strategies are limited by the number of people in the local talent pool, and the fierce recruitment competition that characterizes many B.C.-based industries opens the door for companies to cast a wider geographical net.

"Having a global footprint and recruiting people from all over the world allows us to create this diverse workforce, and that's a big part of what makes us successful," says Liezl de Ridder, people & culture business partner at another B.C. winner, Groundswell Cloud Solutions Inc., which is a Salesforce consultancy.

Global recruitment aligns with Groundswell's commitment to flexibility. "The median age of our 100-member staff is 31, and they like the ownership of being able to work remotely in our hybrid workplace," says culture and communication specialist Sally Noble.

Groundswell's diverse workforce has also heavily influenced retention strategies. "They're hungry for mentorship, and our New Grad program and other in-house interpersonal skills training address that need," says de Ridder. "Upskilling is another big trend, and we cover the cost of Salesforce certifications and offer tuition reimbursement."

Good wages aren't always enough

Their people also have a desire to give back, hence the development of Groundswell initiatives such as its employee-driven Impact Team. "In addition to three paid volunteer days a year, the Impact Team has an annual budget to support our local community, with BC Children' s Hospital being a main beneficiary," says Noble.

"Our Impact Team follows our operating philosophy of recruiting the right people and then enabling them to maximize their potential and trust them to get the work done."

Leung says that while flexibility is a must for any type of employer, it should be part of a greater package of benefits: "Companies realize that a wide variety of strategies are necessary to attract and retain the best talent."

As the work world continues to move further away from the dark days of the pandemic, the ingredients that have always enabled employers to stand out from the crowd are more important than ever. Good wages are one thing, but initiatives that make jobs meaningful and workplaces desirable are what really drive recruitment — and inspire loyalty.

– Robin Brunet

From the official magazine announcing BC's Top Employers (2023), co-published with the Vancouver Sun on February 14, 2023. All rights reserved.