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The value of versatility

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This article was published 13/03/2022 (1017 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba employment scene is well poised to thrive, even amid challenging conditions, thanks to its stable and diverse foundation.

Managing editor Richard Yerema notes that Manitoba benefits from its range of employers across multiple sectors.

“The province is home to major financial organizations, specialized manufacturing, agriculture and high-tech firms, along with robust public sector and support service organizations,” he says.

“Many of the organizations on this year’s list are foundational as part of the local, regional and national economy and have weathered through the pandemic quite well in terms of employment stability and even growth.”

This diversity is evident in the companies that soared to earn recognition in this year’s Top Manitoba Employers list, which includes representation in areas ranging from credit unions and insurance experts to schools and manufacturers — and everything in between.

This variety leads to stability in the employment landscape across the province, and that sense of security has remained evident throughout the pandemic.

“Manitoba has a lot of diversity in terms of industry for all employers, so the top employers list has always presented a fairly stable picture,” Yerema says.

“That stability defines the picture for us in the responses measured, and it’s been a thread that we’ve observed while writing about Manitoba employers. They seem to have been able to absorb this reality more in stride.”

Many Manitoba companies have found ways to foster environments that allow their employees to flourish, even during difficult times.

“Over the past year of the pandemic, organizations have continued to be tested and adapt their responses in keeping with official guidance from public health and tailoring their operations accordingly, from rapidly shifting to work from home to enhanced safety protocols for necessary onsite work,” Yerema says.

“The province’s employment landscape highlights a diversity of responses on how best to manage and maintain employment and support employees through a difficult time.”

Adaptability has been a key component for employers, and many have shown top-notch leadership in that regard.

“Mitigating and implementing ever-changing protocols has required organizations very much to pay attention to how they’re doing. The challenge for everybody is how to keep people engaged and challenged and moving forward,” Yerema says.

“These are great challenges when we can’t get together and do the things we’ve always done. Company parties on Zoom aren’t the same as getting together in the summer for a barbecue with people’s families.”

All those little challenges add up, yet many Manitoba companies have found ways to rise above them.

“Employment is so central to our lives. As adults, we spend the majority of our waking hours working,” Yerema says.

“It becomes very much a part of our lives. The employment story for the past two years now focuses on how it’s been disrupted, which disrupts our patterns of life.”

The Manitoba’s Top Employers list highlights many companies that forged forward with adaptations to suit the situation.

“There are many stories on employers creatively responding through challenges of the pandemic, but the stability of and diversity of Manitoba’s economic base has likely been an important variable in helping the province through the pandemic,” Yerema says.

“It’s easier to be a good employer during good times. The real test comes when challenges arise. And through the lens of this project, Manitoba’s foundation of solid and diverse employers has been a significant asset during this time.”