by Neville Gilfoy

How we do business will always evolve. Watch the Best Places to Work to see the leading edge of this shift and how your company can learn from it. 

Everything about doing business has changed over the past few years. As with most profound societal change, it’s the “next generation” leading the revolution. Companies still need to sell to customers and provide superior products and service. And they need to make a profit. Those things haven’t changed.

What has changed is how business is done. Companies must view the environment, their community, their customers, and their employees through a new filter, one defined increasingly by the expectations of the next cohort of employees. The under-40 generation expects that the organizations they work for have values. They also expect that the environment will be enhanced (not just less negatively impacted) by their existence and that service to the broader community, both at home and globally, will be a priority.

In many ways, the 30 organizations ranked in the Best Places to Work in Atlantic Canada listing are leaders in this new operational paradigm.  Most are for-profit businesses, and a few are non-profits. They have many things in common, but one similarity I found most striking is the overwhelming commitment to volunteering, charities, and community involvement. An astounding 83% of the companies offer paid time off for volunteer work. The total number of charities supported by the Best Places to Work and the program’s sponsors nears 1,000 activities. This is mind-boggling. And yet it’s standard operating procedure for these organizations; it has become part of their DNA.

What else is true of the Best Places community members? They’re profitable, productive, and successful on many levels. They attract the very best people. Turnover is unusually low, and they enjoy the support of the communities in which they operate. Their customers are loyal during a time when the Internet and commoditization have seen brand loyalty deteriorate. And they’re respected by suppliers and competitors.