the best employer brands in canada for 2020

The Randstad Employer Branding Research (REBR) survey took place in January 2020, when the coronavirus outbreak was beginning to take hold in China, but hadn’t yet reached Canadian shores. The global job market was tight and skilled workers were in high demand. Traditionally, this is when employer branding thrives. Companies focus more energy on employer branding when they find themselves struggling to fill open roles.

Since then, our world has changed dramatically. The COVID-19 pandemic has crippled large segments of the global economy and caused unforeseen disruptions in the labour market. The number of vacancies is in free fall, and many people around the world are unemployed. Many companies are struggling to simply survive the crisis. Does it make sense at all to think of employer branding in times like these? 

While it’s completely understandable that many organizations are paying less attention to their employer branding during this hectic period, it’s also a time when we see many companies going above and beyond to support their employees and make sure that they’re doing okay through the crisis. With that in mind, we’re proud to shine on a spotlight on 20 employers who have been identified by Canadians as standouts who care about the well-being of their employees.

hall of fame

Microsoft was inducted into the Employer Brand Hall of Fame for 2 years starting in 2019, after claiming the title of Canada’s best employer brand for three years running between 2017 and 2019.

the top 20 employer brands in canada for 2020

1. Canadian Solar
2. WSP Canada
3. CNOOC Petroleum (Nexen Energy)
4. Air Canada
5. Canadian National Railway (CN)
6. Ensign Energy Services
7. Novartis
8. Thomson Reuters Canada 
9. Accenture Canada 
10. GoldCorp
11. CAE Inc.
12. IBM Canada
13. Toronto Hydro
14. Deloitte
15. Brewer’s Retail Inc. (The BeerStore)
16. Bruce Power
17. ATCO
18. GlaxoSmithKline
19. WestJet Airlines
20. KPMG

Congratulations to all of the most attractive employers for 2020. Though the world is going through a challenging period right now, a strong employer brand is an invaluable asset that will serve you well as long as you continue to nurture it. Employees and job seekers will remember how you reacted during these extraordinary circumstances, and it will shape their views of your brand for years to come. As the global economy enters the recovery phase, we have no doubt these top employers will lead the way and set an example of how to successfully navigate the transition back to work safely while nurturing their employer brands. 

As we move into the recovery stage of the pandemic, a strong employer brand will be an invaluable tool for attracting and retaining the core talent your business needs to successfully navigate the crisis and emerge out the other side. If you need support managing your employer brand during this transition period, we’ve created two white papers that you may find useful. During this period of global crisis, it’s important to consider how you can execute your employer brand both on a widespread corporate level, as well as within unique local markets. Our whitepaper activating a global employer brand locally explores this topic. We also created a white paper on leveraging technology to build your employer brand. With many organizations embracing work-from-home policies during the pandemic, technology is a key way to monitor and unify your employer brand to ensure you’re well-positioned to attract the talent your business needs during this critical time.