Ryerson University issued the following announcement on Dec. 11.

Ryerson University ranks in the Greater Toronto’s Top Employers Competition for a fifth straight year.

For the fifth straight year, Ryerson University has been selected as one of the city’s top employers.

Regarded as the local benchmark for workplace best-practices, the Greater Toronto’s Top Employers Competition, external linkevaluates employers on eight criteria: physical workplace; work atmosphere and social; health, financial, and family benefits; vacation and time-off; employee communications; performance management; training and skills development; and community involvement. Results were published in a special magazine in the Globe and Mail.

“In HR, we’re focused on how we can create environments where employees can do their best work, be valued and respected, and learn and grow in their careers,” said Christina Sass-Kortsak, assistant vice-president of human resources. “But at the end of the day, it really is about what each employee does every day, and employees at Ryerson bring a huge amount of energy and commitment to what they do. This designation is really a testament to the calibre and dedication of our workforce.”

2018 brought a variety of new initiatives that strengthened Ryerson as a people-first workplace. From March 19 to April 9, a Ryerson Employee Survey invited feedback about Ryerson’s atmosphere of psychology safety, civility, leadership, communication, recognition, and inclusion. The results, released in June, are being used to chart a course of continued support and improvement.

In March, Ryerson opened a new Staff and Faculty Wellbeing Lounge in POD 156, renamed Ahnoowehpeekahmik (a Cree word meaning “a safe place to rest”). Created through extensive community consultation, the space prioritizes employee wellbeing. Input from Ryerson’s First Nations, Métis and Inuit Community Group, Ryerson’s Elder Joanne Dallaire and Aboriginal HR Consultant Tracey King helped ensure the space was welcoming to Indigenous employees. This is part of a wider initiative in response to the Ryerson’s Truth and Reconciliation Community Consultation report to Indigenize the campus.

Over the past year Ryerson HR introduced two new pilot programs to support staff development: the Career Development Pilot Program and the Mentorship Pilot Program. Both programs are highly self-directed to suit individual needs and the Career Development Program includes individual coaching.

In addition to these initiatives the competition’s selection committee cited Ryerson’s location in the heart of downtown Toronto, with a health-oriented onsite cafeteria and convenient access to a variety of local restaurants, cafes, and retailers. The committee also praised Ryerson for offering subsidized access to its fitness facilities, including the state-of-the-art Mattamy Athletic Centre.

Looking ahead, Sass-Kortsak plans to continue to find ways to strengthen a people first workplace that infuses equity, diversity and community inclusion. “While we’re really thrilled to get this recognition, we also know that there’s lots of work to do, which is why we’re continuing with initiatives like the employee survey. There’s lots of room for us to grow and improve as a workplace.”

Original source: https://www.ryerson.ca/news-events/news/2018/12/ryerson-named-top-gta-employer/