George Brown College was the only college to make Canada’s list of top 100 employers, adding to their long list of achievements
George Brown College is one of Canada’s top 100 employers for 2015
Photo courtesy of George Brown College
For the third year in a row George Brown College (GBC) is being recognized as one of Canada’s top 100 employers.
“I’m thrilled that George Brown is being recognized for the extraordinary work we do to develop, encourage and support all our staff and faculty,” said Anne Sado, president of GBC. “This award is an acknowledgment of the dedicated employees at the college who work tirelessly to make George Brown an excellent place to work.”
Announced today in a special magazine in The Globe and Mail, the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project, “is a national competition to determine which employers lead their industries in offering exceptional workplaces for their employees,” according to their website.
“George Brown prides itself on trying to hire the best people to help our students be successful, and so that fact that we are identified as a top employer will help us attract good people to come here,” said Nancy Hood, vice president of human resources and organizational development at GBC.
Being the only college to make the list, GBC was selected as “an exceptional workplace for its commitment to staff development,” recognizing employees and their families through training opportunities, conflict resolution, human rights and mental health, and for its parental leave program offering options for balancing personal and professional obligations, according to a press release.
The selection process, was 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, areas that help enhance staff and faculty experience.
“We get a survey done every two years with our full-time employees, and we ask them what are the things that they want us to address,” said Hood. “So in terms of or faculty, and all of our staff for that matter, value, is an opportunity to continue to learn,” addressing the family tuition reimbursement plan and the tuition assistance plan that were put in place for staff and faculty who want to get more credentials.
“We look for what people think would really make a difference in the college and we try and address that every year in our business planning processes,” said Hood addressing a result of their last survey where staff and faculty indicated their desire for more comfortable and informal learning spaces.
GBC has also been recognized for its other accomplishment including: named as a Greater Toronto Top Employer in 2011 and 2012; being among Canada’s Best Diversity Employers in 2010; and also being named as one of Canada’s Best Family Friendly Employers in 2011, according to GBC’s website.
Not only does this recognition give the college a great reputation, it allows for a good employee experience, which helps create a better student experience.
“Our number one priority is to prepare students to be the employees of choice, for employers when they graduate,” said Hood. “If students are working in an environment where there is good employee engagement, then they will see what that experience is like, and hopefully they will be learning from highly engaged employees and be better prepared.”
Marilou Martin, president of Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) local 557 representing all support staff at GBC, did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
