SFU ranked as top employer in Canada by MediaCorp and Forbes

By Ray Sharma

Wilson Nam, who has been working full-time at Simon Fraser University since 1997, is pleased to learn that SFU has been named a top employer by both Canada’s Top 100 Employers Project and Forbes.

“The values that my first supervisor instilled in me during my first few years have kept me at SFU,” says Nam, who was hired as a graphic designer. “She encouraged me to keep an open mind, try new things and listen to feedback from others to continuously improve my work.”

The annual Top 100 Employer competition, organized by MediaCorp as part of the Canada's Top 100 Employers project, evaluates a variety of workplace practices and procedures. These include the employer’s background, physical workplace, work atmosphere and communications, financial benefits and compensation, health and family-friendly benefits, vacation and time off, and employee engagement and performance.

In collaboration with market research company Statista, Forbes' annual Canada's Best Employers competition identifies the companies best liked by employees through surveying workers around the country. It ranks the 300 employers which receive the most recommendations.

Wanda Cassidy, a professor in SFU’s Faculty of Education since 1995 says, “I have always appreciated that innovation and creativity are valued at SFU. It is a place where it is easy to develop new programs or courses and have them approved quickly.”

“I also value the community-engaged focus, where we as researchers collaborate with the community and learn from each other.”

According to MediaCorp, the 2020 competition attracted a record number of applicants, so winning this award is an “exceptional accomplishment.” The 2020 award marks SFU's 13th consecutive appearance on the list.

SFU was also named by MediaCorp as one of Canada's Top Family-Friendly Employers for 2020. MediaCorp's editorial team praises SFU's on-site childcare program and flexible working options, such as telecommuting and 35-hour work weeks with full pay, for helping employees balance work and family commitments. 

Sandi de Domenico, SFU’s associate vice-president, human resources, says, “Perks like tuition reimbursement, on-site daycare and generous parental leave top-ups contribute to SFU’s consistent recognition as a top 100 employer in Canada.”

“And this year we were able to add information about our new learning and development framework including our Leadership Foundation Program that supports our commitment to professional development. Investing in our people and our leaders is a big part of why we remain on this list.”

Nam, who is now a digital and web strategist in Continuing Studies, says, “I was given interesting projects to work on, encouraged to take professional development courses and given various opportunities to apply the skills I developed.”

In this year's Canada's Top 100 Employers Project, SFU earned A+ ratings in the following categories: Training & Skills Development, Health & Family-Friendly Benefits, Vacation & Personal Time-Off and Physical Workplace. SFU is one of just four Canadian universities to be recognized, and the only B.C. university on the list.

This year’s report emphasizes SFU’s contributions to preparing employees for a life after work, citing the university’s defined-benefit pension plan, retirement-planning support, and health benefits that continue beyond retirement as well as an increased focus on creating a diverse and inclusive culture. 

Forbes' Canada's Best Employer competition rated SFU as the 19th overall best employer in Canada, ranking third among all educational institutions on the list.

Says Nam, “The people at SFU care about what they do, and their shared determination to help students reach their goals make it a great place to work.”

SFU’s full employer report card from MediaCorp is available at https://reviews.canadastop100.com/top-employer-simon-fraser.

SFU's full ranking from Forbes is available at https://www.forbes.com/companies/simon-fraser-university/?list=canada-best-employers/#182f40b77168.