Ivanhoe Cambridge is proud to announce that, for the fifth year in a row, it has been named one of the 50 Best Employers in Canada, according to the annual survey conducted by Hewitt Associates in conjunction with The Globe and Mail's Report on Business magazine. Ivanhoe Cambridge ranked in 16th place in the survey.
"Being named one of the 50 Best employers in Canada for five years running is a remarkable accomplishment. Not only does this confirm our position as a leader in the shopping centre industry, it also speaks to the high level of engagement of our employees," said René Tremblay, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ivanhoe. "Our core values – integrity and respect, service excellence, a drive to outperform, teamwork and innovation – are at the heart of everything we do. I'm proud that our employees embrace these principles and put them into practice every day. Our teams are always ready to push the envelope, and it is because of them that Ivanhoe Cambridge has been able to successfully meet the challenges inherent in our industry," he added.
An employer committed to training, development and engagement
"In 2008, we focused a great deal of energy on training and development. Our ranking on the 50 Best Employers list for the fifth year in a row is proof that the quality of our shopping centres, our global diversification strategy and our human resources practices are a source of motivation and inspiration for our people," said David Smith, Vice President, Human Resources, Ivanhoe Cambridge.
The year saw Ivanhoe Cambridge pursue the implementation of the training program it initiated in fall 2007. More than 100 courses tailored to meet specific training needs were rolled out, and 50% of the Company's workforce took advantage of them. Ivanhoe Cambridge managers also enrolled in a compulsory course on non-monetary recognition in order to better fulfill employee expectations in this regard.
In addition, Human Resources introduced Our Learning World Online in fall 2008 via the Company intranet. The program features a list of courses available to employees and allows them to register online for the ones that best suit their needs. Retirement planning workshops are also offered to staff members who are 55 or older or who have at least 30 years of service, so they can have a better handle on how to organize their post-employment years.
Being committed involves more than simply believing in something – it also means acting on it. At Ivanhoe Cambridge we translate our commitments and convictions into action. In February 2008, the Company rewarded its employees with two paid days of vacation if they agreed to devote one of them to volunteering at a charity of their choosing. In addition, in May 2008 employees pledged to minimize Ivanhoe Cambridge's environmental impact and reduce its ecological footprint, in keeping with sustainability efforts.
Ivanhoe Cambridge cultivates a collaborative and dynamic corporate culture. Multidisciplinary projects, a focus on effective internal communications, continuous learning and development, regular meetings and social activities all help foster a strong team spirit. The Company encourages performance management based on partnership, recognizing the accomplishments and efforts made by teams and individual employees toward achieving objectives. It also offers its 1,300 employees a very competitive and comprehensive compensation plan.
About the survey
The study was designed and conducted in spring 2008 by Hewitt Associates, a global human resources services company. Organizations employing at least 400 people were asked to participate in the ninth annual survey.
The study is made up of three surveys. A representative number of employees from each participating company completed the Employee Opinion Survey and submitted their responses directly to Hewitt Associates. The results of this survey account for the majority of an organization’s final score. It is this aspect of the Best Employers study that distinguishes it from other lists of “top companies”: employees determine who the Best Employers are. Participants also complete the Leadership Team Survey and, finally, the Human Resources Survey on human resources policies.
About Hewitt Associates
For more than 65 years, Hewitt Associates (NYSE: HEW) has provided clients with best-in-class human resources consulting and outsourcing services. Hewitt consults with more than 3,000 large and mid-size companies around the globe to develop and implement HR business strategies covering retirement, financial and health management; compensation and total rewards; and performance, talent and change management. Located in 33 countries, Hewitt employs approximately 23,000 associates. For more information, please visit www.hewitt.com.
About Ivanhoe Cambridge
Ivanhoe Cambridge is a pre-eminent Canadian-based global property owner, manager, developer and investor, focusing on high-quality shopping centres located in urban areas. Beyond its strong Canada-wide presence, the Company is also active in the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Europe, where it owns a number of properties either by itself or through joint ventures with prominent real estate partners. Abroad, Ivanhoe Cambridge also holds interests in several shopping centre development and management companies and maintains offices in Europe and Asia.
Its real estate portfolio consists of more than 44 million square feet (4 million square metres) of retail space and includes some 70 regional and super-regional shopping centres. As at December 31, 2007, the market value of Ivanhoe Cambridge’s assets reached CAD $13.4 billion.
Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Ivanhoe Cambridge is a principal real estate subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, one of the largest institutional fund managers in Canada. Amongst its shareholders, the Company also counts four prominent Canadian pension funds.