Recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2021) and Manitoba's Top Employers (2021):
By Richard Yerema and Kristina Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Nov 12, 2020)
Here are some of the reasons why Cargill Limited was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2021) and Manitoba's Top Employers (2021):
- Cargill maintains Cargill Cares Councils at each of its locations, providing individual budgets to assist with initiatives that employees wish to support -- and employees are encouraged to volunteer with paid volunteer days and matching financial donations
- Cargill supports ongoing personal and professional development with tuition subsidies for courses taken at outside institutions (up to $3,500 annually), as well as a variety of in-house and online training programs, including apprenticeships and paid internships for those entering the workforce
- As part of Cargill's health benefits plan, employees may take advantage of an extended "buy up" health benefits option to increase their coverage levels -- the health benefits plan also includes a generous mental health practitioner benefit (up to $2,000 annually)
Cargill employees volunteer for an environmental initiative
Employer Background
| Industry | Food and agricultural products |
| Established in Canada | 1928 |
| Parent company | Cargill Incorporated (est. 1885) |
| Parent company head office | Wayzata, MN, United States |
| Major Canadian hiring locations | Clavet SK, Camrose AB, Baie-Comeau QC, North Vancouver BC, Sarnia ON, Guelph ON, Winnipeg MB, London ON |
| Full-time employees in Canada | 7,731 |
| Part-time employees in Canada | 243 |
| Full-time employees worldwide | 125,080 |
| Workforce engaged on a contract basis | 4% |
| Average age of employees in Canada | 43 years |
| Longest serving employee | 45 years |
Physical Workplace Rating: A
| Commuter amenities | transit subsidies, free parking, subsidized parking, secure/sheltered bicycle parking |
| Workplace features | downtown head office was recently renovated (with employee feedback) and is connected via skywalks and underground walkways for all-season access to hotels, the MTS Centre, shopping, restaurants, banks and other services, telecommuter workstations, sit-stand workstations, private phone booth, religious observance room |
| Employee lounge amenities | comfortable seating, television, bar style table and chairs for meetings, wellness room (features "pink noise" technology for a calming effect) |
| Other food options at main location | onsite Tim Hortons and ice cream parlour |
| Onsite fitness facility | shared-use facility, shower facilities, audio sound system, lockers, instructor-led classes and onsite massage services (employee-paid, but covered under Cargill's health plan) |
| Other nearby amenities | YMCA-YWCA, GoodLife Fitness, Anytime Fitness, Millennium Library Park, MTS Centre (home of the Winnipeg Jets), Canadian Human Rights Museum, St. Boniface French Quarter, Exchange District, Winnipeg Public Library, Osborne Village |
Work Atmosphere & Communications Rating: B+
| Employee social committee name | Cargill Cares (est. 2015) |
| Past social events | a variety of location-specific social events throughout the year, including, some holiday parties during the Christmas season, long-service 25 year club dinner, bowling nights and socials as well as annual company-wide events such as Customer Service Week, Global Safety Week Celebration, and the Global Inclusion and Diversity Day |
| Cultural aspects | dress-for-your-day policy, music while working, employee sports teams, organized social activities for retirees |
| Employee communications | intranet site, company newsletter, traditional/email suggestion box, internal social media |
Financial Benefits & Compensation Rating: B
| Financial benefits note | Cargill Limited has multiple employee groups, financial benefits may vary by position |
| Outside salary surveys | participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months |
| Employee salary reviews | individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months |
| Long-term savings | defined-contribution (DC) pension, matching RSP |
| Long-term planning | retirement planning assistance, phased-in retirement work options, life & disability insurance |
| Referral bonuses (max) | new employee referral bonuses (up to $1,000) for some positions |
| Signing bonuses | available for some positions |
| Additional financial benefits | share purchase plan available to some employees, profit-sharing plan available to some employees, year-end bonuses for some employees, corporate discount program (e.g. retail, services, travel, etc.), discounted home insurance, discounted auto insurance, low-interest home loans, discounted auto lease rates |
Health & Family-Friendly Benefits Rating: B
| Health plan note | Cargill Limited has multiple employee groups, health plans may vary by position |
| Health plan premium | as part of the health plan, the employer pays up to 75% of the premiums |
| Minimum hours worked for coverage | 20 hours per week |
| Waiting period | there is no waiting period for coverage |
| Family coverage option | yes |
| Dental coverage | routine, restorative |
| Paid sick days | employees receive 10 days off each year |
| Health plan includes | traditional coverage (e.g. prescription drugs), employee assistance (EAP) plan, semi-private hospital room, physiotherapy, medical equipment and supplies, massage therapy, nutrition planning, podiatrist, osteopathy, chiropractor, alternative coverage (e.g. acupuncture, naturopathy) |
| Mental health practitioner benefit | up to $2,000 each year |
| Health spending account | up to $1,000 each year |
| Additional health plan information | extended "buy up" health benefits option, retiree coverage has no age limit, with premium coverage varying based on hiring date (from 0 to full coverage) |
| Family-friendly benefits note | Cargill Limited has multiple employee groups, family-friendly policies may vary by position |
| Maternity top-up (mothers) | up to 100% of salary for 8 weeks |
| Parental top-up (fathers) | up to 100% of salary for 4 weeks |
| Adoption top-up | up to 100% of salary for 4 weeks |
| Additional family-friendly benefits | extended parental leave to unpaid leave |
| Flexible work options | flexible work hours, compressed work week, telecommuting |
| Additional family-friendly information | offers 4 annual academic scholarships of $1,000 each and 2 $500 scholarships for children of employees, onsite Kids and Company daycare centre |
Vacation & Personal Time-Off Rating: B
| Vacation note | Cargill Limited has multiple employee groups, vacation policies may vary by position |
| Vacation allowance | new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
| Vacation jump | vacation increases after 10 years of employment |
| Maximum vacation allowance | employees move to a maximum of 5 weeks of vacation over their career |
| Paid holiday shutdown | during the Christmas to New Year's holiday break, employees receive an additional 1 day off |
Employee Engagement & Performance Rating: A
| Employee performance reviews | employees receive individual performance reviews every 6 months |
| Managers receive performance review training | yes |
| 360° feedback option | as part of the review process, performance feedback is also solicited from co-workers and other managers familiar with each employee's work |
| Confidential employee feedback | employees can also provide confidential feedback on their manager's performance |
| Exit interview | exit interview option is available for departing employees |
| Performance recognition | online recognition platform, individual performance bonuses, on-the-spot rewards, peer-to-peer recognition awards, long-service awards, tailored and unique rewards (e.g. travel), the "Breakthrough Awards" program includes 3 category areas, including Execute Exceptional Results for individual and groups, the individual Energize for High Performance awards, and the Bring the Outside In awards for individuals and groups |
| In-house survey period | in-house surveys are conducted every 12 months |
| Outside survey period | outside consultant surveys are held every 12 months |
Training & Skills Development Rating: A+
| Career planning | in-house career planning services, online employee skills inventory |
| In-house training initiatives | apprenticeship/skilled trades programs, mentoring, in-house training, online training, leadership training, paid internships |
| Related tuition subsidies | employer covers up to 100% of tuition per year |
| Annual tuition maximum | employer pays up to $3,500 in tuition subsidies for job-related courses per year |
| Unrelated tuition subsidies | employer covers up to 100% of tuition per year for courses unrelated to current position |
| Unrelated tuition maximum | employer pays up to $3,500 in tuition subsidies per year for courses unrelated to current position |
Community Involvement Rating: A
| Scope of charitable involvement | local, national, international |
| Employee charitable involvement | employees are involved in selection of charities, employees receive paid time off to volunteer, (up to 3 paid days) |
| Total employee volunteer hours (on company time) | over 2,500 hours last year |
| Total number of charities supported last year | approximately 185 charitable and community organizations were supported last year |
| Some of the community organizations supported | Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan, Food Banks Canada, Canadian Centre for Food Integrity, Agriculture in the Classroom Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada |
| Charitable giving | matches employee donations |
| Community highlight | The company maintains Cargill Cares Councils at each of its locations. Each council has a budget and selects initiatives based on their connections with employees. |
The Career Directory
Cargill Limited has been selected for The Career Directory, our guide to entry-level recruitment for recent college and university graduates.
Cargill employees working out at the company's gym
Highlights for New Grads
| Industry | Food and agricultural products |
| Full-time employees in Canada | 5,001 to 10,000 |
| Parent company | Cargill Incorporated (est. 1885) |
| Parent company head office | Wayzata, MN, United States |
| Major Canadian hiring locations | Clavet SK, Camrose AB, Baie-Comeau QC, North Vancouver BC, Sarnia ON, Guelph ON, Winnipeg MB, London ON |
| Student opportunities | paid internships in agronomy, administration, commodity trading, health & safety, merchandizing, sales, and operations, engineering, paid internships, summer jobs, co-op opportunities in engineering, health and safety, quality assurance, marketing, and information technology, co-op opportunities |
| Training | orientation program, online training, in-house training, mentoring, in-house career planning services, leadership training |
| Annual tuition maximum | employer pays up to $3,500 in tuition subsidies for job-related courses per year |
| Other info for new grads | students have opportunity to job-shadow someone in a role that interests them |
| Typical new grad positions | Grain Sales Associate, Crop Inputs Associate, Merchandising Associate, Operations Management Associate, Engineering Associate, FSQR Associate, EHS Associate |
| Starting salary | $50K to $55K |
| Work benefits | health benefits for new employees, flexible work hours, telecommuting, transit subsidies, employees receive paid time off to volunteer, (up to 3 paid days) |
| Vacation allowance | new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
Academic fields recruited
-
Bachelor of Arts
- Business
-
Bachelor of Commerce / Business Administration
- Accounting
-
Bachelor of Engineering
- Agriculture
- Food Processing
- Mechanical
-
Bachelor of Science
- Agriculture / Horticulture
- Animal Sciences / Medicine
- Biology
- Computer Science
-
Community College Diploma
- Accounting
- Agriculture / Horticulture
- Animal Health
- Business
- Computer Science
- Engineering Technician
- Facility Management
- Marketing / Sales
-
Master of Science
- Agriculture / Horticulture
- Animal Sciences / Medicine
-
Professional Accreditation
- Quality Assurance (TQM)
Recruits at these schools
- Assiniboine Community College
- Conestoga College
- Dalhousie University
- Fanshawe College
- Lakeland College
- Lethbridge College
- McGill University
- Olds College
- Université Laval
- University of Alberta
- University of British Columbia
- University of Guelph
- University of Lethbridge
- University of Manitoba
- University of Saskatchewan
- University of Waterloo
- Western University