Overall Winners |
In the basement of the Lacombe headquarters of the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation is an area the staff likes to call The Link. Literally, it’s just that: a corridor joining an older part of the building with the new section. But what it contains, and how it came about, makes it a symbol of AFSC’s corporate culture. Decorated in warm tones of coffee and cream, the area features not only a kitchen and lounge but an Internet café, satellite TV and massage chairs. It’s a place to relax and be comfortable and, as the result of employee suggestions, a great example of what open communication can do for an organization.
And AFSC has done much more. When president and managing director Brad Klak arrived in February 2005, the Crown corporation needed an overhaul. Not only was it struggling to jell after originating from the merger of three government groups focused on agricultural insurance, lending and development, but it still lay under the pall of the beef sector’s BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) crisis. “With a need to refresh the organization and to give the organization some confidence back,” says Klak, “we embarked fairly quickly on a positioning plan.” The idea was to solidify AFSC’s position as not only a service provider of choice, but also as an employer of choice. To achieve the latter, Klak went straight to the staff.
“Without our employees, we don’t exist,” says vice-president of HR and community relations Donna Bryden. “If they love [their] work and if they truly believe we treat them well, we have half of the equation taken care of.” The second half, she says, is getting the message out about why AFSC saw just 5% employee turnover in 2008. Amongst the reasons: a generous benefit plan commencing on the first day of employment, maternity leave at 95% salary, 100% coverage of books and tuition for job-related training, and merit-based compensation and bonus programs. And thanks to an Employee Advisory Committee, as well as a “Click on Klak” feature on the AFSC intranet, employees help direct further changes and improvements to HR policies.
“It’s really an open-door policy around here,” says Judy Pratt, a co-ordinator who handles purchasing for AFSC administrative services. “They’re open to your suggestions and a lot of times take them to heart.” The Link, she says, is a case in point. “If you haven’t worked at a place like this before, you have no idea what you’re missing,” she adds. “I think there is that real want and desire to make everybody happy.”
Klak would agree. And because of the impact the happiness of his staff has on clients, AFSC will continue to develop its attraction and retention strategies regardless of the recession. “Our feeling is that it’s going to be tough for a while, but… we’re still going to want to be competitive in that labour market,” he says. “We want to be a place where the best and the brightest come to and stay.” – Scott Messenger
