For EDC, caring for employees leads to happy clients

Several years before the arrival of the pandemic, Export Development Canada (EDC) – the Ottawa-based Crown corporation that helps Canadian businesses expand internationally – began allowing hybrid work arrangements for employees. And that has been a great boon for Montréaler Cathy Beauvais.

Beauvais recently took on a new role as sustainable finance guarantee initiative owner. She leads one of EDC’s key environmental, social and governance initiatives – the roll-out of the organization’s sustainable finance guarantee, designed to help Canadian companies in carbon-intensive sectors transition to more sustainable business models.

And with the hybrid system, says Beauvais, an employee for 15 years, she has been able to achieve greater work-life balance. “I have two small boys, so it really helps me. You’re not losing the time it takes to get to the office, and it makes things a whole lot easier.”

On days when she does need to be in the office, she adds, her leaders are very understanding if, for example, she needs to take a longer lunch break to attend an event at her sons’ school or to volunteer for a food bank in her Montréal neighbourhood, a commitment that is very important to her. “It means a lot to me that leadership allows such flexibility and recognizes that you are fully committed and trusts that you’re doing the honest thing.”

EDC has a very supportive culture, says Patricia Vincent, vice-president of human resources, operations and employee wellness. “Close to 30 per cent of our employees have joined since the pandemic, yet we have been able to maintain a very high level of employee engagement. When I ask new staff what they love about EDC, they say it’s very collegial and that the company really does care about their experience. And we believe that leads to a great customer experience.

“One area where we put significant focus,” she continues, “is diversity, equity and inclusion. We do have a very diverse workforce and employees feel that we are a very inclusive employer.”

At the same time, she says, in the past year EDC has ramped up its focus on mental health and has endeavoured to reduce the stigma around mental illness. “We have offered learning opportunities for both employees and leaders in this realm,” she notes, “and now offer the Workplace Mental Health Leadership certificate program to our leaders.”

As for Beauvais, she notes that among the family and mental-health issues the organization has addressed in recent years is the strain on families that are supporting older parents. “They’ve done a lot of training sessions on this. Even if you’re not dealing with it directly, there’s a good chance that a colleague is and might need those resources to feel that they are not alone.”

On the volunteerism side, notes Vincent, one day every year employees are encouraged to go into communities on company time on its Community Investment Day and participate in organized volunteer opportunities. “We also have several giving campaigns in which EDC matches employee donations, as happened with relief in the wake of Hurricane Fiona. We provide up to two paid working days per year for employees to volunteer in their communities.”

For Vincent, EDC’s overall mandate is a galvanizing force for employees – and has been especially motivating during the pandemic. “We help companies of all sizes seize business opportunities around the world, helping them to grow and flourish.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Canada's Top 100 Employers winners, published November 18, 2022 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.