It’s been a difficult year to be an employer, but numerous businesses headquartered in the City of Markham are doing something right, landing spots on the annual list of Canada’s Best Employers.
The City of Markham landed at No. 18 – the highest-ranking municipal employer named to the list of 300. The largest of nine communities in York Region, it’s home to more than 355,000 residents, 650 corporate head offices, and 1,500 high tech and life science companies. It employs 2,300 people.
“The City of Markham is proud of our efforts, and the recruitment and retention programs we have built that positively engage and invest in our staff,” Chief Administrative Officer Andy Taylor said. “Through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Markham remains committed to being a rewarding place to work and supporting staff to continue to provide high-quality services to our community.”
The City’s People Plan focuses on comprehensive onboarding, continuous learning opportunities, wellness initiatives, transparent communication and recognizes the value of diversity and inclusion. In addition to implementing work-from-home guidelines and health and safety guidelines for staff in the field, the City developed new policies during the pandemic to address childcare and eldercare needs, sick time and vacation time.
Markham was the first municipality in Canada to deploy IBM Watson Assistant for Citizens, a 24/7 web and phone-based virtual assistant, to provides current information on COVID-19 and affected City services.
Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to compile the ranking by surveying more than 8,000 Canadians working for businesses with at least 500 employees. Respondents were asked to rate, on a scale of zero to 10, how likely they’d be to recommend their employer to others and were also asked to nominate organizations other than their own.
“This recognition is a reflection of our commitment to fostering a welcoming and inclusive workspace that prides itself on innovation and exceptional customer service,” Mayor Frank Scarpitti said. “We are also proud to be joined by an impressive list of Markham-based companies, reinforcing our city’s position as a destination for attracting and retaining top talent in Canada’s most diverse city.”
As a result of the pandemic, Canada’s unemployment rate has increased from 5.6 per cent last year to roughly 8.6 per cent today. “Still, many companies have persevered, especially those offering services much needed in these challenging times,” the ranking report says.
Markham is home to numerous companies also recognized as top 2021 employers, including AMD, IBM, Honda, Miller Group, and Aviva which are headquartered in Markham, as well as Oracle, Nokia, TD Bank, MAC Cosmetics, General Motors, Stantec, GE and AECOM. The Regional Municipality of York, which is headquartered in Newmarket, also made the list, landing at No. 153.
Photo: “We are also proud to be joined by an impressive list of Markham-based companies, reinforcing our city’s position as a destination for attracting and retaining top talent in Canada’s most diverse city,” said Mayor Frank Scarpitti.
