Finance and tech companies heavily represented on the list, which is measured by seven pillars of career progression
LinkedIn has revealed its list of the top 25 workplaces in Canada.
The 2021 line-up reflects the current state of the nation’s economy, with many Canadians looking for new job opportunities.
“When job seekers look for their next role, things like benefits, the opportunity to learn and grow, and culture have always been important. And I think they probably always will be,” says Riva Gold, Canada Editor, LinkedIn News.
Seven pillars
What is interesting, says Gold, is that some factors have become much more important for prospective employees since the onset of the pandemic:
“Flexibility over when and where you work has become a must-have for job seekers and employees alike. The ability to build transferable skills in a role has also become more essential in this uncertain economic environment, while the need for certain benefits, such as paid sick leave, are increasingly important for a growing number of workers.”
To rank the companies, LinkedIn used its data to draw up a list based on seven "pillars" on which they say career progression is built. These are: ability to advance; skills growth; company stability; external opportunity; company affinity; gender diversity and educational background.
Top companies
Finance and tech companies are strongly represented on the list.
“Finance giants RBC and TD took the lead on our Top Companies in Canada list this year,” says Gold. “In fact, the big five banks each earned a spot thanks to their resilience amid pandemic pressures.
"SickKids and Sunnybrook reinforced the health care industry’s pivotal role in the wake of COVID-19. Familiar names in tech – including Alphabet, SAP and IBM – also made the list as many of their products and services have seen increased demand over the last year, which enabled them to hire new, skilled professionals.”
The top five companies, according to LinkedIn are:
- RBC
- TD Bank
- Scotiabank
- Alphabet
- Bell
Winning strategies
“It has been an extremely difficult year for much of Canada’s workforce, including those fortunate enough to be steadily employed,” says Gold.
She says that LinkedIn’s top companies in Canada have introduced a number of great initiatives such as shorter meeting times, childcare support, extra time off, stipends for home office equipment, onsite pay, access to virtual health care programs, including mental health and wellness-focused resources, and even virtual visits from notable figures like Canadian astronaut, Chris Hadfield.
Some of the winning strategies from the top companies include: paying eligible employees unable to work due to COVID-19 as well as offering special compensation for those onsite (RBC); training HR professionals to help move employees from one business to another and adapt to changing needs (TD Bank); and setting new targets for BIPOC representation of at least 25 per cent by 2025 (Bell).
LinkedIn and its parent company Microsoft (and Microsoft subsidiaries) were excluded from the list. To be eligible, companies must have at least 500 employees as of December 31, 2020, in the country/region. Furthermore, employee attrition could be no higher than 10 per cent over the 12 previous months. Only parent companies were ranked on the list. A full list of the top 25 companies can be found here.
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