Forbes recognizes seven Markham companies for company culture
By David Yin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
Forbes placed seven Markham companies in this year’s edition of Canada’s Best Employers for Company Culture.
They are Oak Valley Health – ranked third, SE Health – 66th, Brookfield Global Integrated Solutions – 84th, Hallmark Canada – 95th, Aviva Canada – 145th, Honda Canada – 151st, and Johnson & Johnson – 200th.
Forbes published the list on July 15. It partnered with Statista and surveyed over 40,000 Canadians working for companies with at least 500 Canadian employees.
Respondents answered anonymously as to whether they would recommend employers that they worked for within the past two years, as well as companies that they know through family and friends. They also answered questions about their employer’s ability to accept workers’ feedback, promote a healthy work-life balance, foster teamwork, and provide opportunities for career growth, among others.
According to Gallup, businesses that score in the top 25th percentile for employee engagement experience 23 per cent more profits, 18 per cent higher productivity (sales), 10 per cent greater customer loyalty/engagement, and 32 per cent fewer quality defects than businesses in the bottom 25th percentile.
Lisa Butler, chief people officer at Aviva Canada, said that Aviva Canada was excited to be featured in the Forbes list.
Aviva is an international home, auto, and business insurance provider.
She said that through internal surveys, the number one word that Aviva Canada’s employees used to describe their company culture was inclusive.
According to her, Aviva Canada features a variety of communities within its workforce, such as women, LGBTQ+ individuals, various ethnic groups, and people with disabilities.
“It’s a strength of diversity that leads to why people use inclusive as that number one word to describe what their experience is,” she said.
She also said that Aviva Canada employees participate in many events, such as multicultural expos, Pride Month, and environmental volunteering, to foster teamwork, embrace diversity, and promote their mental well-being.
Matt Snyder, chief human resources officer at SE Health, said that SE Health was thrilled to receive further recognition for its culture.
SE Health is a non-profit healthcare organization that specializes in senior care.
The company previously won the Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures award by Waterstone Human Capital in 2021.
Snyder explained that SE Health takes a humanistic approach towards its culture. This includes hiring diverse people, providing flexible work hours, listening to employees’ feedback, and ensuring that managers take visible daily actions to reinforce company values – a concept he calls “proof points.”
“We are aligned in our belief that when you treat people right, they will be able to provide the best care and the best service, and we will therefore get the best business results,” he said.
In addition, Snyder said that leading his employees with a willingness to improve provides greater opportunities for SE Health. For example, he said that he wants to improve ways for employees to speak comfortably about their concerns.
“We don’t have all the answers,” he said about SE Health’s culture. “We’re just constantly working on it. And I think that’s probably the biggest differentiator for our organization: We are authentically, consistently just chipping away at it, trying to be better.”
For more information, visit forbes.com/lists/canada-employers-culture.
Photo: Aviva Canada celebrates its multicultural expo in 2025. (Aviva Canada supplied photo)