The happiness component of 'giving back' to the community shouldn't be underestimated Increasingly, the scientific community believes there may be physiological reasons why most of us feel better when we help others.

Yerema notes that Millennials and the following generation, particularly, want to feel inspired by where they work. "Young people by nature are more idealistic, and for them, just paying lip service to a cause isn't enough," he says. "Twenty years ago, you could tick the box with donations to the United Way. But this generation can figure out everything you've done in five minutes on their phone – so the scrutiny is more rigorous and the job-seeker can be more selective."

At the same time, he adds, the age of social media means that employers can instantly share the good works they are doing, including photos and videos of their employees volunteering or the results of their donations.

For many organizations, employee engagement is a major element in community involvement. "I think all of us want to feel a calling to a higher purpose," says Helena Gottschling, Chief Human Resources Officer for RBC. "We want to feel that the work that we do has meaning, not only to our clients and to each other as colleagues, but also in the impact we can have on our community."

RBC, like other Top 100 employers, offers a variety of ways for employees to get involved in the community. But the bank is also a huge donor itself, currently mounting a 10-year, $500 million program called Future Launch to support youth employment. Gottschling says this program, too, draws considerable employee response and support.

"Many of our employees have kids in high school and middle school and they're wondering about the future of work, and what their children will be doing 10 or 20 years from now," she says. "So what we do with our foundation matters to our employees. They pay attention to where we spend the money."

To Linda Speedy, Chief Talent Officer for KPMG LLP, it's critical to make sure your organization is highly responsive to the needs of prospective hires. "From a recruitment perspective, it's super-competitive out there," she says. "The younger generation is much more prepared than we ever were to leave organizations when they don't see what they want immediately. Students are looking for organizations that have purpose and community and flexibility. So every organization is looking at their policies and trying to change them in a way that reflects what the younger generation values."

Community involvement is not the only trend visible in this 2019 list of Canada's Top 100 Employers. Yerema notes that the federal government in late 2017 extended maternity and parental leave to 18 months from one year. Already, he says, two Top 100 employers – the City of Toronto and Vancouver City Savings Credit Union – have amended their policies to include a longer benefit top-up period for their employees. Yerema expects to see more employers follow suit in coming years, just as they did when such benefits were first introduced. "As society changes, organizations that have their ear to the ground are paying attention and supporting these changes internally," he says.

In truth, the employment landscape is all about continuous improvement, says Neil Wilson, President and CEO of NAV CANADA, which provides the country's civil air navigation services. "You need to be competitive in this marketplace," he says. "You need to provide a full range of what I call the basics – the right level of pay, the right benefits, a good pension plan – but beyond the basics, especially with Millennials, you have to offer something that's exciting, a reason why they're going to enjoy coming to work every day. You've got to give them something truly rewarding."

And, of course, virtue – meaning doing good – is its own reward.