This is the third year in a row we placed number one and the 10th year that Habanero Consulting has placed in the top five on Great Place to Work’s list of Best Workplaces in Canada – Less than 100 Employees. We’re honoured to be recognized and grateful to be part of a vibrant community that shares our passion for purpose-driven work. That hasn’t changed – but, of course, almost everything else has.
We’re not having a party, but there’s still a lot to celebrate. When we turn our attention outwards, we see so many examples of people stepping up – with humility, generosity and gratitude – in a way that reaffirms our sense of purpose and commitment.
So much of our work at Habanero centres around paying attention to the moments that matter. These days, we recognize them everywhere: The smile and wave to a friend you can't embrace. Virtual check-ins to ask how someone is doing. The daily applause for healthcare workers putting in long shifts to save lives. The signs and artwork posted in windows, thanking essential workers who risk their health every day to keep things moving. The communities and individuals sharing food, knowledge and resources to help each other stay safe and healthy.
Many of these people – and maybe you, too – are adjusting to new working conditions. Juggling family needs, struggling with mental health, isolation, grief, stress and uncertainty have become everyday work challenges. There are also many who no longer have work.
What made a great workplace only two months ago seems worlds away from what makes a great workplace today and what will create a great workplace in the future.
“Crisis can be a powerful teacher; organizations have an opportunity to take these learnings and reshape cultures, employee experiences and ultimately, the future of work,” says Habanero President Steven Fitzgerald.
These are unprecedented times, and what we know for sure is that empathy is more important now than ever. We need to create space, listen to those around us and accommodate differences with compassion.
We salute all the organizations that have long celebrated and continue to practice empathy, transparency, agility and compassion. We know those values will serve all of us as we find our way forward. Like you, we at Habanero are listening to our people and evolving in response to what we hear.
About Great Place to Work
Great Place to Work (GPTW) is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services and certification programs, GPTW recognizes the world’s Best Workplaces in a series of national lists including those published by Fortune magazine (USA) and The Globe & Mail (Canada). Great Place to Work provides the benchmarks, framework and expertise needed to create, sustain and recognize outstanding workplace cultures.
The 2020 Best Workplaces in Canada list is compiled by the Great Place to Work Institute. The competition process is based on two criteria:
- Two-thirds of the total score comes from confidential employee survey results
- The remaining one-third comes from an in-depth review of the organization’s culture
This year’s list received over 400 registrations and over 80,000 employees participated in the 2020 Best Workplaces in Canada survey, rolling out to impact over 300,000 Canadian employees.
