Halifax: We keep saying that Northwood is a great place to work. Now others are saying it as well. Today, we are featured in the Chronicle Herald as one of Nova Scotia’s top employers for 2017. This is the fourth year in a row that we have been named as one of Nova Scotia’s top employers.
Nova Scotia’s Top Employers is an annual competition organized by the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. This special designation recognizes the employers in Nova Scotia that lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work.
The award recognizes Northwood for its leadership in a number of areas including:
- helping students and new grads gain on-the-job experience through co-op programs, summer student roles and paid internship opportunities
- also encouraging employees to continue their professional development with formal mentoring, a variety of in-house and online training programs and leadership training for high potential individuals
- supporting employees as they prepare for retirement with phased-in work options and contributions to a defined benefit or defined contribution pension plan, depending on employee group
- being an active member of the community. The organization and its employees support a variety of local, national and international charitable initiatives each year
The Nova Scotia’s Top Employer’s list was selected from applicants to the national Canada’s Top 100 Employers competition. Employers complete an extensive application process that included a detailed review of their operations and HR practices. Over 3,250 employers started this year’s application process nationally. Eight key areas are examined: (1) Physical Workplace; (2) Work Atmosphere & Social; (3) Health, Financial & Family Benefits; (4) Vacation & Time Off; (5) Employee Communications; (6) Performance Management; (7) Training & Skills Development; and (8) Community Involvement.
“It was a lot of work,” says Janet Simm, President and CEO of Northwood. The application called for detailed information on a broad range of subjects, programs and initiatives geared to staff. “For many of us, it was real eye-opener. We sometimes don’t realize all the things we have in place to support our staff.”
Award winners were announced on December 5th.
