bh in Brief

Great Place to Work^® is an international organization dedicated to building a better society by helping companies transform their workplaces. The GPTW study process provides insight into workplace culture, helps businesses develop and sets them apart from their competitors. 

In addition to creating annual

“Best Workplace” lists, GPTW recognizes strengths in

specific areas, including 

“Best Workplaces for Women.” 

Reports and feedback from GPTW-W are intended to provide companies with practical knowledge and tools to help them foster a culture that empowers women at work.

www.greatplacetowork.ca

Not so long ago, “first” women leadership stories made the news. Today … not so much. Women have achieved leadership roles and many who are already leaders are networking to encourage others and ensure future opportunities for a new generation of women on their way up. 

What makes a Great Place to Work for Women?  bh is showcasing three repeat winners of the GPTW-W award to find out what they do that makes them stand out among their peer organizations. One is an international public relations firm and the other two are Canadian companies that provide highly technical solutions and services in areas not traditionally seen as fields where women excel. 

The PEER Group Inc. in Kitchener, Ontario, provides innovative factory automation software solutions and consulting services to high-tech industries. 110 employees

At PEER Group:

Numbers – women make up a high percentage of the  workforce – 60% of senior management, 50% of middle management are women.

Maternity/Paternity – leave support is provided but no top ups.

Flexibility  – the timing of hours/number of hours worked can be adjusted to help women.

Strategies to Help Women Advance – scholarships are available for the children of employees.

In their own words …

“From our inception, PEER Group has recognized the unique qualities that women bring to the workplace and supported them through all the stages of their career and personal life.  We provide the flexibility to cherish all of life’s events as they happen – babies, first day of school, piano concerts, hockey games, elder care and professional achievements. When women feel appreciated, they bring the best qualities of leadership to work – empathy, organization, and strategic direction.“

Left to Right From PEER Group:

Magda Siemiginowski – Applications Engineer

Jon Tinker – Senior Applications Engineer 

Alison McKenzie – Director of Product Engineering 

Jim Holliday –  Business Development 

Urban Systems Ltd., based in Kamloops, BC,  is an inter-disciplinary professional practice providing strategic planning, engineering, environmental science and urban design services to public and private sector clients from 13 offices in four provinces and territories in Western Canada.  420 employees

 At Urban Systems:

Numbers – for an engineering firm, reasonable numbers of women in management positions – 18% of senior management, 36% of middle management are women.

Maternity/Paternity – benefits are topped up to 100% for six months.

Flexibility – a formal personal/family leave time program is available.

Strategies to Help Women Advance – an awareness campaign called Gender Intelligence with the objective of analyzing gender patterns and the subtle biases that prevent talented people from advancing into positions of influence and responsibility. All staff were invited to participate in small group discussions.

In their own words…

“Simply put, when we empower women, and all who bring a different perspective to our organization, we are drawing on a larger, deeper pool of talent, skills and knowledge. When 100% of our staff are bringing all of their gifts to the table, Urban is a stronger and more resilient organization.“   

“We encourage ongoing and inclusive conversations on all aspects of ‘difference thinking’ in Urban. This work is never done and there is no magic bullet, but harnessing these differences in positive and productive ways is critical to our evolution as an organization.” 

Tonii Lerat and bike driver Daniel Gray,

planners at Urban Systems in Saskatoon 

Edelman Canada, is the Canadian branch of  the world’s largest public relations firm, with an integrated network of 65 offices worldwide, including four in Canada and Canadian headquarters in Toronto, Ontario. 235 employees

At Edelman Canada:

Numbers – Global goal of 50% of leadership positions held by women – in Toronto / Canada, 52% of senior management and 72% of middle management are women.

Maternity/Paternity – leave is provided but benefits are not topped up.

Strategies to Help Women Advance – Encouraging women to lead and succeed is a priority worldwide, for example, through its Global Women’s Executive Network (GWEN) – an empowered group of people who are committed to networking, mentoring, recruiting, collaborating and career planning for women at Edelman. The objective is to increase the presence of women leaders at the most senior levels and create an environment where women are encouraged to lead and succeed.

 In their own words…

“At Edelman, we make it a priority for women to lead a full personal life in parallel with a successful career, and we demonstrate that through initiatives like our Global Women’s Executive Network (GWEN), our maternity buddy program – and quite simply, by fostering a culture that embraces both women and men who want to be defined by more than their job.  Mothers in particular often need to feel empowered to know that they can have an amazing career and still be an amazing parent. At Edelman that’s not just lip service – that’s the reality for dozens of moms who work here.”

Lisa Kimmel, president, Edelman Canada, 

and colleague