Best Workplaces 2011: Best Workplace for Millennials
Best Workplace for Millennials
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“Come work for us, and we’ll show you what’s worked for us and what’s been really successful in our careers.” That’s what DevFacto Technologies co-founder David Cronin says to potential new hires, and it’s a pitch that seems to be working. Half of DevFacto’s employees are under 30, and the company is the best place for millennials to work, according to this year’s rankings. Here are four reasons why.
Vacation
Most workplaces start their employees at two weeks vacation, but DevFacto extends an extra week to all new employees. By investing in their young employees, Cronin believes that “they will return the favour by working hard and being loyal.”
Training
When Cronin makes his pitch to the top graduates from NAIT and the University of Alberta, he makes a point of emphasizing DevFacto’s training program. It’s highlighted by a $2,500 education allowance that can be used for everything from photography classes to public speaking classes, as well as the requirement that each employee attend three weeks of training and one major conference every year.
Creativity
It’s not quite a holiday, but it might as well be for DevFacto employees. Four times a year, the company hosts DevFacto Development Days, where employees are split into teams and given free rein to create whatever they want. Staff can create anything, be it a technical process or a mobile application, so long as at the end of the day their creation can be showcased to the rest of the DevFacto team.
Social Amosphere
DevFacto encourages its staff to use social networks, even paying $5 per employee per month if they use a service called Yammer. “It really helps set up a community,” Cronin says. “About half of our staff is working in the office and half are out. So being connected with Yammer helps people feel like they’re sitting across the table from somebody.”
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