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The leading source for practical, results-oriented Human Resources Training, Solutions & Tools for small-medium size businesses on Vancouver Island, specializing in the Hospitality Industry.

Learn from the Success of Others, Pt 1
What Small Businesses Can Learn from the HR Best Practices of the 50 Best Employers in Canada, part 1 of 2

Ginger Brunner, HR Professional

The results of Hewitt Associates' tenth annual Best Employers in Canada study were recently released and small businesses can learn a lot from the successes of the 50 Best Employers in Canada.

In the past few years, employee retention and engagement have been the focus for many employers as they struggle to find ways to attract and keep their top performing employees. According to the results of the recently released Best Employers in Canada study, conducted by Hewitt Associates, Canadian employers who maintain highly engaged employees will be in a better position to weather times of economic uncertainty than those who do not.

The results of this year’s study were based on survey responses from more than 115,000 Canadian employees in 145 organizations (each with 400+ employees) and additional input from 1,200 organizational leaders and human resources professionals.

So what does all of this mean to small businesses? As employers continue to search for creative ways to differentiate themselves, in order to attract and retain top talent, small business owners can learn from the best-practices that make the 50 Best Employers successful. Here are a few to start:

Strong Focus on Employees. One of the key findings of the report was that leaders within the 50 Best Employer organizations absolutely believe that their employees play a vital role in the success of their organization.

Many of the recognized organizations, including EllisDon Corporation (ranked #1) and Delta Hotels (# 22) focus on their employees ahead of their clients and shareholders. This employee-focused culture has proven that engaged employees will take care of their customers, which will in turn translate into successful business and ultimately happy shareholders.

Where do your employees rank in order of priority?

Foster Two-way Communication. Frequent and consistent two-way communication is part of their corporate culture. The more employees know about the status and goals of your business, the better prepared they will be to help the business achieve success.

For several of the organizations, creating and maintaining a culture of communication is achieved by employing a variety of methods including, but not limited to: collaborative employee performance reviews, town hall/communication meetings, one-on-one meetings with employees, management by walking around (MBWA), employee communication bulletin boards and newsletters.

Remember: Creating a culture of communication requires a strong commitment by leaders to support, follow-up and act on ideas, suggestions and concerns expressed.

How do you and/or your leaders communicate with your employees? What information is communicated? What could you do to improve the means of communication within your business?
Team & Family Environment. Employees within the 50 Best Employers strongly feel that they are part of a team and understand their role in the success of the team.

In addition to fostering a culture of two-way communication, many of the organizations including GlaxoSmithKline (#14), Earls Restaurants (#15), McDonalds Canada (# 25) and The Keg (#34) offer fun social activities that support team building as well as celebrate and recognize team and personal successes.
How would your employees describe their working environment? Do your employees understand their role in the success of your business?

Competitive Wages, Compensation, Perks & Benefits. Although smaller companies may not have the ability to offer RRSP, Pension matching and other costly benefits offered by the larger 50 Best Employer organizations, they should recognize the important role that competitive wages, compensation packages and where possible, perks and benefits play in attracting and retaining employees.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts (#13) and Marriot Hotels & Resorts (#23) offer employees discounts on hotel stays and food & beverages while many others including Golder Associates Ltd. (#42) and Ceridian Canada (#33) offer ongoing employee training and development.

How do your current wage rates compare within the industry, region, etc.? Does your business offer employees any other perks or benefits? If not, are there opportunities to do so?
By taking the time to consider and learn from the best-practices of the 50 Best Employers in Canada, small businesses can benefit from the knowledge and experiences of larger organizations and improve their own ability to attract and retain top talent and achieve business success.

In next month’s newsletter, we will continue and complete our focus on the best-practices that small business employers can learn from the Hewitt, 50 Best Employers in Canada.

Interested in Sharing a Best-Practice?
If your business has a best-practice that you would like to share with our readers, please contact us. We will feature your best-practice(s) in our next newsletter and include a link to your business website or contact information. Thanks in advance! We look forward to hearing from you.

About the Author
Ginger Brunner is an HR Professional and Founder of Dynamic HR Solutions Inc. a leading source for practical, results-oriented human resources training, solutions & tools for small-medium size businesses, specializing in the Hospitality Industry.
 
 
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