This year, Humania Assurance is among the winners of the prestigious Canada’s Top 100 Employers 2019 contest, a national annual competition that honours employers offering the best workplaces. The winners of the 6th edition were announced on April 12 in a special Globe and Mail magazine.
"The Employees and upper management are very close,” said Louise Crawford, an analyst with the Claims Department at Humania Assurance. “The President and Vice-President know who we are, and do their utmost to keep employees happy.”
The “Dragons” project is the perfect example. Launched in 2017 at Humania, it fosters communication and involvement in the workplace in an innovative way. Employees submit ideas to improve work processes or their workplace in general, then present their case to Humania’s top management. Every year, five of the best ideas are chosen from about twenty presentations.
According to Stéphane Rochon, President and Chief Executive Officer, an excellent idea originating from the “Dragons” project was to create a fitness room that stands out from the traditional gym usually found in companies: most of the training sessions are led by employees. “One day, the Call Centre Manager could become the yoga teacher, and one of the programmers could act as kick-boxing trainer,” he stated.
“This very inclusive approach creates a different state of mind and commitment, instead of using an external trainer, but if we need additional expertise, we can get it. This strengthens the bond between staff members.”
Eligibility for the Top 100 contest
Employers are evaluated based on eight criteria:
- Physical workplace
- Work atmosphere and social
- Health, financial and family benefits
- Vacation and time off
- Employee communications
- Performance management
- Training and skills development; and
- Community involvement
For more information about the contest, visit the Top 100 website.