The winners of the seventh
Défi Meilleurs Employeurs honours businesses that have taken the opportunity to measure themselves against and compare themselves with their peers in order to become better employers. These organizations have made their mark through implementing best HR practices. The awards highlight the work of organizations that provide an environment conducive to their employees’ well-being. Some 60 companies participated in the competition this year.
Top winners in 2008
For the fourth year in a row and representing a first for all categories, D.L.G.L. once again ranked among the province’s best employers.
First prize in the 500 employees or more category was awarded to Teknika HBA in recognition of its focus on the quality of life in the workplace, which in turn builds a strong sense of engagement among its employees.
Exceptionally this year, two organizations tied for first place in the 200 to 499 employees category: BBA, a company that promotes a family spirit and is known for keeping promises made during hiring interviews, and the Centre de réadaptation Estrie, an organization that takes such good care of its workforce that its reputation has spread well beyond the borders of the Estrie region.
In the small business category (50 to 199 employees), first prize went to Beenox, a trendsetting organization acknowledged for its friendly work environment and transparent leadership. In 2007, Beenox received third prize in its category so this year’s award represents an impressive leap forward.
Other winners
Xerox Canada took second prize in the large business category, while the Caisse populaire Desjardins de Saint-Eustache/Deux-Montagnes and the Centre d’Interaction Proximédia inc. won second and third prize respectively in the small business category. In addition, Couche-Tard was honoured with the award in recognition of improvement.
“Above and beyond these prestigious awards, Défi Meilleurs Employeurs offers Quebec businesses an excellent tool for evaluating their HR management. Participating in the competition allows them to identify the best practices within their organization that promote the engagement and loyalty of their employees. Even more importantly, the competition helps them improve from one year to the next, which is a significant advantage at a time when skilled workers are in such short supply,” explained Florent Francoeur, CHRP, Ordre president and CEO.
“Attracting, retaining and motivating employees are challenges that businesses have to face daily. The Défi Meilleurs Employeurs awards salute organizations that have successfully met this challenge. Over the years, the competition has become a genuine learning platform for Quebec companies,” confirmed Sylvain Bédard, editor of the economic magazines section at Transcontinental Media.
“More than ever, organizations understand just how important it is to attract, retain and mobilize their workforce in order to effectively implement their strategy. Our company is proud to contribute to Défi Meilleurs Employeurs and to recognize companies’ efforts to translate their human resources practices into a competitive advantage for the success of their organization. Talent is unquestionably a strategic asset,” added Francis Lafrance, managing consultant, Eastern Canada, for Watson Wyatt Worldwide.
About Défi Meilleurs Employeurs
The main objective of Défi Meilleurs Employeurs is to encourage Québec businesses to become better employers through evaluating their efforts based on employee feedback and in comparison with other organizations.
The competition also evaluates employees’ productive engagement and identifies organizational strengths and weaknesses to allow businesses to adopt the most appropriate tools. Through questionnaires prepared by Watson Wyatt Worldwide, information is collected on the quality of the work environment and leadership, the decision-making process, and professional development and training. It is therefore in an organization’s best interest to participate regularly in the competition to be able to track its progress over the years. Now in its seventh year, the Défi Meilleurs Employeurs competition was jointly established by Watson Wyatt Canada and Affaires PLUS magazine.
About ORHRI
ORHRI is the primary human resources management and industrial relations reference organization in Quebec. Recipient of a Grand Prix québécois de la qualité 2005, it has a membership of close to 9,500 dynamic professionals, including almost 7,500 CHRPs and CIRCs. It is the only organization authorized by the Professional Code to confer the designations of certified human resources professional and certified industrial relations counsellor. Active in all sectors – businesses, government organizations, unions, academia, consulting firms - CHRPs and CIRCs work in industrial relations, human resources management, occupational health and safety and in-house professional development.
About Transcontinental
Affaires PLUS magazine is published by Transcontinental Media, the fourth largest print media group in Canada and the leading publisher of consumer magazines. It is also the largest publisher of regional and community newspapers in Quebec and the second largest in Canada. A subsidiary of Transcontinental group, it also publishes Métro, a free Montreal daily. Through its well-known Publi-Sac, it is the Quebec leader in door-to-door advertising distribution.
About Watson Wyatt Worldwide
Watson Wyatt (NYSE: WW) is the trusted business partner to the world’s leading organizations on people and financial issues. Its global services focus on managing cost effective employee benefit schemes; developing strategies to attract, retain and compensate employees in order to create a competitive edge; recommending optimal investment strategies for retirement plan sponsors and other types of organizations; providing strategic and financial advice to insurance companies and financial services; and providing related technological, outsourcing and data services. Watson Wyatt has 7,000 associates in 32 countries. In Western Canada, the firm services clients from Vancouver and Calgary; in Central Canada from Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo; and in Eastern Canada from Montreal. For more information visit www.watsonwyatt.com/canada.
To learn more…
Photos of representatives from the winning organizations are available in the press room of the ORHRI portal at www.orhri.org/presse.
