Recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2021) and Greater Toronto'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 Diamond Schmitt Architects Inc. was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2021) and Greater Toronto's Top Employers (2021):
- Diamond Schmitt Architects offers learning and development opportunities for individuals at various stages of their careers, from paid internships for recent grads, to in-house Diamond Schmitt University programming to foster ongoing education
- Diamond Schmitt Architects provides maternity and parental leave top-up payments for employees who are new parents, including adoptive (to 80 per cent of salary for up to 12 weeks)
- Diamond Schmitt Architects encourages employees to be active in their local communities, providing matching charitable donations along with paid time off to volunteer -- employees also enter their own cycling team in the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Ride for Heart fundraiser and have raised over $260,000 over a decade of riding

Employer Background
Industry | Architecture |
Established in Canada | 1975 |
Major Canadian hiring locations | Toronto ON, Vancouver BC |
Full-time employees in Canada | 301 |
Part-time employees in Canada | 17 |
Full-time employees worldwide | 305 |
Workforce engaged on a contract basis | 6% |
Average age of employees in Canada | 38 years |
Longest serving employee | 29 years |
COVID-19
Pandemic response | utilized the company's 3D printers to make face visors, launched an internal hub to share updates and information on COVID-19, offered virtual and digital resources related to health and well-being |
Physical Workplace Rating: B+
Commuter amenities | secure/sheltered bicycle parking, nearby bike sharing station |
Workplace features | located in an early 20th-century industrial loft-style building (which the firm renovated to LEED Commercial Interior standards), the office features exposed brick walls and plenty of natural lighting, a 3D printer modelling room, a newly constructed quiet room (which can be reserved online), expanded bicycle storage (few employees drive to work), sit-stand workstations, nap room, religious observance room, self-serve lunchroom |
Employee lounge amenities | comfortable seating, music, television |
Snacks available | beer, cider, beverages and popcorn for Friday afternoon design meetings, lunch provided every Thursday for special lunch and learn sessions, a variety of festive baked goods during the holiday season, rotating soup days 4 days a week from September to May (courtesy of employees who are responsible for each day and receive a subsidy from the firm) |
Other nearby amenities | Trinity Community Recreation Centre, St. Andrews Playground (also features an off-leash dog park), seasonal farmer's market, short walk to the Queen Street West shopping district and King Street West theatre district, Scotiabank Arena, Rogers Centre |
Work Atmosphere & Communications Rating: A
Employee social committee name | Diamond Schmitt Social Committee (est. 1995) |
Past social events | Chinese New Year, Pride event, summer solstice client appreciation event, social evening outings and pub nights, Diamond Schmitt Mixer (to encourage staff to mingle outside of their work teams), winter ski and snowshoe day (Toronto and Vancouver employees receive a paid day off), annual winter holiday party hosted at a downtown venue, in-house employee band ThunderTruss performs at various company events, tickets for soccer, baseball and hockey games, annual Pi Day (in-house pie tasting competition) |
Cultural aspects | business-casual dress daily, casual dress (e.g. jeans) daily, music while working, employee sports teams |
Employee communications | intranet site, traditional/email suggestion box, internal social media |
Financial Benefits & Compensation Rating: B
Outside salary surveys | participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months |
Employee salary reviews | individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months |
Long-term savings | matching RSP |
Long-term planning | retirement planning assistance, phased-in retirement work options, life & disability insurance |
Year-end bonuses | available to all employees |
Referral bonuses (max) | new employee referral bonuses (up to $2,000) for some positions |
Additional financial benefits | profit-sharing plan available to some employees, corporate discount program (e.g. retail, services, travel, etc.) |
Health & Family-Friendly Benefits Rating: B+
Health plan note | Diamond Schmitt Architects 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 |
Flexible coverage | health plan is flexible with adjustable premiums and coverage levels |
Minimum hours worked for coverage | 25 hours per week |
Waiting period for coverage | 90 days |
Family coverage option | yes |
Retiree coverage option | up to 75 years of age |
Dental coverage | routine |
Paid sick days | employees receive 8 days off each year |
Health plan includes | traditional coverage (e.g. prescription drugs), employee assistance (EAP) plan, semi-private hospital room, physiotherapy, medical travel insurance, medical equipment and supplies, massage therapy, nutrition planning, podiatrist, osteopathy, chiropractor, alternative coverage (e.g. acupuncture, naturopathy) |
Mental health practitioner benefit | up to $1,500 each year |
Health spending account | up to $500 each year |
Wellness spending account | up to $250 each year |
Fitness club subsidy | up to $60 each year |
Additional health plan information | mental health practitioner benefit ranges from $500 to $1,500 |
Wellness initiatives | health and wellness committee (with an operating budget of $5,000 annually), mental health week activities (mindfulness meditation, yoga classes, webinars) |
Family-friendly benefits note | Diamond Schmitt Architects has multiple employee groups, family-friendly policies may vary by position |
Maternity top-up (mothers) | up to 100% of salary for 1 week |
Parental top-up (mothers) | up to 80% of salary for 12 weeks |
Parental top-up (fathers) | up to 80% of salary for 12 weeks |
Adoption top-up | up to 80% of salary for 12 weeks |
Additional family-friendly benefits | phased-in return to work for new parents |
Flexible work options | flexible work hours, shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay), compressed work week, reduced summer hours |
Vacation & Personal Time-Off Rating: A
Vacation allowance | new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
Vacation jump | vacation increases after 8 years of employment |
Maximum vacation allowance | employees move to a maximum of 5 weeks of vacation over their career |
Paid summer shutdown | employees receive 8 days off during the summer months |
Paid holiday shutdown | during the Christmas to New Year's holiday break, employees receive an additional 3 days off |
Personal paid days off | employees can schedule 2 personal days off each year, as needed |
Unpaid leave of absence option | yes |
Employee Engagement & Performance Rating: B
Employee performance reviews | employees receive individual performance reviews every 12 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, long-service awards |
In-house survey period | in-house surveys are conducted every 6 months |
Training & Skills Development Rating: B+
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, subsidies for professional accreditation |
Related tuition subsidies | employer covers up to 100% of tuition per year |
Unique training & development programs | depending on the course, tuition subsidies range between 25% to 100%, Diamond Schmitt University internal programming on design, project delivery and practice support (programming developed my a staff committee and advisory group) |
Community Involvement Rating: A+
Scope of charitable involvement | local, national |
Employee charitable involvement | employees are involved in selection of charities, employees receive paid time off to volunteer |
Total number of charities supported last year | approximately 27 charitable and community organizations were supported last year |
Some of the community organizations supported | matches employee donations |
Community highlight | Employees are encouraged to suggest initiatives and charitable causes that are important to them. The firm endeavours to support all selected charities through direct financial donations or formal fundraising events. |
Recognized as one of Canada's Greenest Employers (2020):
By Richard Yerema and Chantel Watkins, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Jun 15, 2020)
Here are some of the reasons why Diamond Schmitt Architects Inc. was selected as one of Canada's Greenest Employers (2020):
- Diamond Schmitt Architects is a leading advocate for the use of timber in major construction projects, highlighting the advantages of the renewable building resource for its beneficial effects on health and well-being on indoor environments
- Diamond Schmitt Architects helps champion the movement towards greener building with over 40 completed LEED projects and an additional 17 LEED registered projects on the go, including two projects designed to meet the "Living Building Challenge" to be completely carbon neutral, or even better than neutral
- Diamond Schmitt Architects' leased office space is designed to meet LEED Commercial Interiors certification and employees are encouraged to leave the car at home when coming to work -- 40 per cent of employees use transit, 22 per cent cycle to work (the firm offers shower facilities and secure indoor bicycle storage to accommodate over 60 bikes), 13 per cent walk, and only five per cent drive to the office

Highlights
Industry | Architecture |
Major Canadian hiring locations | Toronto ON, Vancouver BC |
Full-time employees in Canada | 286 |
Part-time employees in Canada | 1 |
Employee green team | Sustainable Design Committee (includes five working groups who support research, education, mentoring and peer engagement) |
Senior executive who oversees initiatives | Chair, Sustainable Design |
Green highlights | numerous projects have achieved certifications and recognition, from LEED Platinum and Gold certification to Commercial Interiors designation (over 40 projects registered and an additional 17 underway), over 17 LEED-accredited architects, completed two net-zero projects with five additional underway (these projects are designed to be carbon neutral, or better), numerous environmentally focused training initiatives onsite (from lunch and learn sessions highlighting green suppliers and products to sustainability webinars); NEDLAW Living Walls (designed more than two dozen living wall filters in projects across North America), advocate for the increased use of wood timber in construction projects (recognizing wood as a renewable building material and positive attributes that contribute to healthier indoor environments) |
Noteworthy initiatives | committed to the industry's 2030 Challenge that includes a commitment to design all projects as carbon neutral by 2030 |
Building footprint includes | leased space has achieved LEED Commercial Interiors standard, showers (with low-flow fixtures), low-VOC materials throughout, energy efficient appliances and lighting system, new Dyson hand dryers |
Extended recycling | glass, soft plastics, metal, polystyrene, batteries, light bulbs, e-waste, furniture, (organics planned for near future), ongoing paper reduction strategy (incorporates the increased use of a digital project management program for document sharing and 3D visualizations) |
Commuter amenities | shower facilities and recently expanded indoor bicycle storage to accommodate over 60 bikes, walk to public transit, secure/sheltered bicycle parking |
Community partnerships | celebrated Earth Day around the theme of protecting wild species (employees worked to develop design solutions to create bird-friendly window glazing patterns to deter bird collisions), Habitat for Humanity (employee volunteers help to build a house), sponsors the annual Green Building Festival (local industry conference on sustainable design) |
Recognized as one of Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers (2021):
By Richard Yerema and Kristina Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Apr 5, 2021)
Here are some of the reasons why Diamond Schmitt Architects Inc. was selected as one of Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers (2021):
- Diamond Schmitt Architects encourages employees to become recruiters for the firm with generous new employee referral bonuses, up to $2,000, depending on the position
- Diamond Schmitt Architects starts its new employees with three weeks of paid vacation and offers additional paid time off, with two paid personal days as well as summer and Christmas holiday shutdown days

Highlights
Industry | Architecture |
Established in Canada | 1975 |
Major Canadian hiring locations | Toronto ON, Vancouver BC |
Full-time employees in Canada | 301 |
Part-time employees in Canada | 17 |
Full-time employee growth in the past year | 30.3 % |
Average age of employees in Canada | 38 years |
Longest serving employee | 29 years |
Long-term savings | matching RSP |
Health plan premium | as part of the health plan, the employer pays up to 75% of the premiums |
Flexible work options | flexible work hours, shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay), compressed work week, reduced summer hours |
Vacation allowance | new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
In-house training initiatives | apprenticeship/skilled trades programs, in-house training, online training, leadership training, mentoring, paid internships |
Related tuition subsidies | employer covers up to 100% of tuition per year |
Performance recognition | individual performance bonuses, long-service awards |
COVID-19
Pandemic response | utilized the company's 3D printers to make face visors, launched an internal hub to share updates and information on COVID-19, offered virtual and digital resources related to health and well-being |