Co-operative organizations continue to rank among the 50 best companies to work for in Canada

Envision Financial, HEPCOE Credit Union, The Co- operators and its Quebec subsidiary L'Union Canadienne have all been named among the top fifty places to work in Canada. The recognition comes in the fifth annual survey of the "50 Best Employers in Canada", conducted by Hewitt Associates for The Globe and Mail's Report on Business magazine.

"This is a significant achievement for us, particularly in a year that posed many challenges for our industry," said Bernie Mitchell, Vice- President of Human Resources at The Co- operators. "What it tells us is that we're succeeding in recognizing and engaging our employees – a constant goal for us. Ultimately, that results in both satisfied employees and satisfied customers," Ms. Mitchell added.

According to HEPCOE Credit Union, the proof is in the numbers. In tabulating the scores of organizations being considered to join the prestigious ranks of "50 Best Employers in Canada," 70% of the score is based on anonymous employee surveys- you simply cannot be considered a great employer unless your employees believe it. Also, in a recent independent poll, over 90% of HEPCOE members said that they were satisfied and would recommend HEPCOE to a friend or relative.

"This is a testament to the quality of our people," says Wendy Brennan, HEPCOE Credit Union. "HEPCOE employees make this a wonderful place to work, and it shows in the quality of service they provide- we all win: employees, HEPCOE Credit Union members, and the communities in which we live."

Despite the fierce competition, the companies managed to exceed the general requirements of the prestigious ranking. Listed below are some of the reasons why the companies were selected:

Envision Financial, Langley, BC – Envision U corporate university, staff concierge, and profit sharing. HEPCOE Credit Union Ltd., Toronto, ON – 2% of pretax profits given to charity and emphasis on family atmosphere. The Co-operators, Guelph, ON – Commitment to hiring and development within and focus on Wellness plan. L'Union Canadienne Sillery, QB – Profit sharing and discounts on auto and home insurance. There were three parts to the survey. First, a detailed questionnaire was distributed to at least 200 employees, more in the case of larger organizations. That counted for 70% of each employer's score. The remaining 30% was based on a comprehensive human-resources practices survey and a leadership team survey for top executives. Hewitt then calculated how closely employees' and leaders' goals are aligned, and whether practices and programs reinforce the vision.

The Globe and Mail's Report on Business magazine publishes the list of "The 50 Best Employers in Canada" annually. The list is generated from the "Best Employers in Canada" study conducted annually by HR outsourcing and consulting firm Hewitt Associates. The goal of the study is to identify "Best Employers" based on employee opinions, organizational HR practices, and the perspective of the organization's leadership team.

For more information, including instructions on how you can apply for the next survey, log on to http://www.hewitt.com/bestemployerscanada.

El Consejo Mundial de Cooperativas de Ahorro y Crédito es la asociación gremial y agencia de desarrollo para el sistema internacional de cooperativas de ahorro y crédito. El Consejo Mundial promueve el crecimiento sustentable de las cooperativas de ahorro y crédito y otras cooperativas financieras en todo el mundo a fin de facultar a las personas para que mejoren su calidad de vida a través del acceso a servicios financieros asequibles y de alta calidad. El Consejo Mundial realiza esfuerzos de defensa activa en representación del sistema global de las cooperativas de ahorro y crédito ante organizaciones internacionales y trabaja con gobiernos nacionales para mejorar la legislación y la regulación. Sus programas de asistencia técnica introducen nuevas herramientas y tecnologías para fortalecer el desempeño financiero de las cooperativas de ahorro y crédito y profundizar su alcance comunitario.

El Consejo Mundial ha implementado 290 programas de asistencia técnica en 71 países. A nivel mundial, 51,000 cooperativas de ahorro y crédito en 100 países atienden a 196 millones de personas. Obtenga más información sobre el impacto global del Consejo Mundial en www.woccu.org.