Recognized as one of Hamilton-Niagara's Top Employers (2021):
By Richard Yerema and Kristina Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Nov 25, 2020)
Here are some of the reasons why IKEA Canada Limited Partnership was selected as one of Hamilton-Niagara's Top Employers (2021):
- IKEA Canada helps employees save for the future with a matching RSP program and longer serving employees have the opportunity to share in the company's success through a defined profit-sharing plan (after five consecutive years)
- IKEA Canada supports employee development with a variety of in-house and online training programs and encourages continuous development through tuition subsidies for courses related to an employees' position and subsidies for their professional accreditations
- To help balance employee priorities outside of work, IKEA Canada offers paid Wellness Days (varying by employee group), which can be taken for a variety of personal reasons including illness, supporting a family member, participating in a community event, appointments or spending time with a new pet

Highlights
Industry | Home furnishings retail |
Established in Canada | 1943 |
Parent company | Ingka Group |
Parent company head office | Leiden, Netherlands |
Major Canadian hiring locations | Burlington ON, North York ON, Etobicoke ON, Vaughan ON, Montréal QC, Boucherville QC, Edmonton AB, Calgary AB, Port Coquitlam BC, Richmond BC, Ottawa ON, Halifax NS, Québec QC, Mississauga ON, Brossard QC, Coquitlam BC, Winnipeg MB, Toronto ON |
Full-time employees in Canada | 3,500 |
Part-time employees in Canada | 3,816 |
Average age of employees in Canada | 37 years |
Longest serving employee | 40 years |
Benefits note | IKEA Canada has multiple employee groups, the following programs and policies may vary by position |
Long-term savings | matching RSP |
Health plan premium | as part of the health plan, the employer pays up to 100% of the premiums |
Health spending account | up to $800 each year |
Flexible work options | flexible work hours, telecommuting |
Vacation allowance | new employees receive 2 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
Outside survey period | outside consultant surveys are held every 12 months |
Employee performance reviews | employees receive individual performance reviews every 12 months |
In-house training initiatives | in-house training, online training, leadership training, mentoring, paid internships |
Employee charitable involvement | employees are involved in selection of charities |
COVID-19
Pandemic response | donated over $1.7-million in products to more than 130 organizations |
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 IKEA Canada Limited Partnership was selected as one of Canada's Greenest Employers (2020):
- IKEA Canada manages a unique "Sell-Back" program that's part of the transition to a more circular economy, letting customers return their gently used IKEA products in exchange for store credit, with the company committing to reselling or donating the products to ensure they can continue being used and avoid unnecessary waste -- over 7,600 sell-back requests were made in the first two months after the program's launch
- In addition to supporting sustainability committees at each store location, all employees receive sustainability training (with annual refresher courses) -- the company also conducts internal sustainability reviews at each store location (at least every three years) and manages the IKEA Sustainable Living Challenge to increase employee awareness on how their day-to-day actions impact the environment -- a similar challenge was recently launched on Earth Day to challenge customers across the country to live more sustainably
- IKEA Canada continues to invest in green energy with 14,000 solar electricity panels atop six locations, generating enough electricity to power approximately 200 homes (includes the largest rooftop solar panel network in Ontario) -- impressively, the company's wind farms in Pincher Creek and Drumheller, Alberta can produce four times the energy consumed by IKEA Canada across the country

Highlights
Industry | Home furnishings retail |
Major Canadian hiring locations | Burlington ON, North York ON, Etobicoke ON, Vaughan ON, Montréal QC, Boucherville QC, Edmonton AB, Calgary AB, Port Coquitlam BC, Richmond BC, Ottawa ON, Halifax NS, Québec QC, Mississauga ON, Brossard QC, Coquitlam BC, Winnipeg MB, Toronto ON |
Full-time employees in Canada | 3,239 |
Part-time employees in Canada | 3,634 |
Employee green team | Sustainability Committees (located at all Canadian store locations) |
Senior executive who oversees initiatives | Sustainability Manager (Canada-wide responsibility) |
Formal strategy/policy name | People & Planet Positive (global 2020 sustainability strategy) |
Publishes sustainability report | yes |
Green highlights | "Sell-Back" program launched in 2018 (customers can sell back gently used items for store credit), Canadian employees receive sustainability training including annual online refresher courses, sustainability reviews (conducted at each store location every three years), "More Sustainable Life at Home" co-worker engagement project (employees have tested over 4,500 products at home and report back to colleagues via in-house social media), IKEA Sustainable Living Challenge (annual three-week challenge to educate employees and encourage sustainable choices and behaviours), retails only energy-efficient light bulbs (the first retailer in Canada to stop retailing incandescent lighting) |
Noteworthy initiatives | Sweden-based parent company has established the goal to produce as much renewable energy as the company consumes worldwide by 2020 -- and in Canada, the company already owns the capacity to produce more than four times the energy it consumes in Canada, with rooftop solar arrays at some retail locations and major wind production investments near Drumheller and Pincher Creek, AB |
Building footprint includes | PV solar panels, rainwater collection, solar water heating, geothermal heating/cooling, electric vehicle charging stations, water conserving fixtures, living wall, skylights and motion sensitive lighting, benchmarks all new builds against LEED certification standards |
Extended recycling | mattress take-back program at all stores, partners with Cascades' closed-loop program (IKEA supplies recyclable cardboard and purchases paper towel and bath tissue made from 100 per cent recycled content), light bulbs, batteries, textiles, reusable and recyclable paper pallets (conducts monthly waste diversion reports, benchmarking locally and internationally) |
Commuter amenities | green parking spaces for customers who drive hybrid, fuel-efficient or electric vehicles, shuttle bus service at two Toronto locations, walk to public transit |
Community partnerships | Earth Hour, Tree Canada (over 51,000 trees planted since 1992 through its "Pick-a-Tree/Plant-a-Tree" Christmas tree sales program; has reached the $1-million donation level), World Wildlife Foundation (Better Cotton Initiative works to ensure sustainable cotton production), sustainable certified food products (from vegetarian to salmon to coffee), The Earth Group (retail partnership to sell water bottles that are recyclable and biodegradable, with revenues directed to support children's education and hunger initiatives), Forest Stewardship Council (as of 2017, over 76 per cent of all wood used by IKEA is FSC-certified, with the goal of 100 per cent) |



Local action drives IKEA’s global green strategy
As one of the world’s largest retailers with almost a billion customers, IKEA knows it’s big enough to make a difference in helping achieve global sustainability, says Melissa (Barbosa) Mirowski, country sustainability manager for IKEA Canada, based in Burlington, Ont.
“People don’t just want better value and better products – they also want better businesses,” Mirowski says. “We know the companies and brands that will thrive in the future will be the ones that stand for something. So we’ve decided to go all-in on sustainability as part of our overall corporate strategy.”
Going all-in has meant adopting a global environmental strategy called People + Planet Positive, with ambitious commitments to transform IKEA into a climate-positive and fully circular business by 2030. In her current role, Mirowski is responsible for ensuring that the strategy comes to life in the Canadian market.
That involves “both developing offerings for our customers to extend the life of their products and ensuring significant waste and emissions reductions in our operations,” she says. “In Canada, one initiative I’m particularly proud of is our sell-back program, which allows our customers to apply to sell their gently used IKEA products back to us in exchange for store credit. We then give those products a second life through resale or donation. We’ve received more than 30,000 submissions since the program launched.”
Other initiatives have included reducing food waste from the restaurant kitchens in IKEA stores by the equivalent of roughly 200,000 meals in a little over a year, and a recovery program to rebuild and rewrap products that have been returned, instead of sending them to landfill.
Engaging customers and employees at the store level plays a critical role in ensuring the success of the overall strategy. In Ottawa, that’s part of Julie Damaren’s role as communications responsible.
“We put the global ideas for sustainability into local action,” she says. “A lot of our co-workers were drawn to IKEA because we’re a sustainable company. It’s a value we all share.
“We have many, many community activities. For example, we’re members of Carbon 613, a local sustainable business network, to cut down on emissions, and we work with Second Harvest Food Rescue to reduce food waste and with Cleaning the Capital to help clean up garbage in our community. We also donate textiles and furniture to organizations like EcoEquitable and Helping with Furniture.
“Our people really enjoy getting involved,” she adds. “It’s all part of IKEA’s fun, engaging and super-friendly workplace culture.”
The Career Directory
IKEA Canada Limited Partnership has been selected for The Career Directory, our guide to entry-level recruitment for recent college and university graduates.

Highlights for New Grads
Industry | Home furnishings retail |
Full-time employees in Canada | 2,501 to 5,000 |
Parent company | Ingka Group |
Parent company head office | Leiden, Netherlands |
Major Canadian hiring locations | Burlington ON, North York ON, Etobicoke ON, Vaughan ON, Montréal QC, Boucherville QC, Edmonton AB, Calgary AB, Port Coquitlam BC, Richmond BC, Ottawa ON, Halifax NS, Québec QC, Mississauga ON, Brossard QC, Coquitlam BC, Winnipeg MB, Toronto ON |
Student opportunities | paid internships, summer jobs, co-op opportunities |
Training | subsidies for professional accreditation, orientation program, online training, in-house training, mentoring, in-house career planning services, leadership training |
Typical new grad positions | Manager-in-Training positions in sales, logistics, communication, interior design, services, operations and food services |
Work benefits | health benefits for new employees, flexible work hours, telecommuting |
Vacation allowance | new employees receive 2 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
Academic fields recruited
-
Bachelor of Arts
- Archeology
- Architecture - Design/History
- Architecture - Landscape
- Business
- Criminology
- Economics
- English
- French
- Geography
- Graphic / Fine Arts
- History
- Human Resources
- Industrial Relations
- Journalism
- Languages (Other)
- Museum Studies
- Music
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Public Relations / Communications
- Recreation Studies
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Urban Geography / Planning
-
Bachelor of Commerce / Business Administration
- Accounting
- Finance
- Hotel / Food Services
- Human Resources
- Information Systems
- Marketing
- Public Administration
-
Bachelor of Education
- Adult
- Counselling
- Early Childhood
- Intermediate Senior (7-12)
- Junior Intermediate (4-10)
- Junior Primary (0-6)
- Physical & Health
- Special Needs
-
Bachelor of Engineering
- Aerospace
- Agriculture
- Architectural / Building / Construction
- Automation / Robotics
- Biomedical Electronics
- Biotechnology
- Chemical
- Civil
- Computer Engineering
- Electrical
- Engineering Physics
- Environmental
- Food Processing
- Forestry
- Geological
- Industrial Chemistry
- Industrial Design
- Industrial Engineering
- Instrumentation
- Marine
- Materials Science
- Mechanical
- Metallurgy
- Microelectronics
- Mining
- Nuclear
- Petroleum / Fuels
- Pollution Treatment
- Power / Hydro
- Production / Manufacturing
- Pulp & Paper
- Surveying / Geomatics
- Telecommunications
- Transportation
- Water Resources
- Welding
-
Bachelor of Laws
- Copyright / Patent
- Corporate
- Environmental
- Labour
- Real Estate
-
Bachelor of Science
- Actuarial / Statistics
- Agriculture / Horticulture
- Animal Sciences / Medicine
- Anthropology
- Astronomy
- Audiology
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Dentistry
- Ecology
- Environmental
- Epidemiology
- Forestry
- Geography
- Geology
- Gerontology
- Health Sciences
- Immunology
- Information Studies / Library Science
- Kinesiology
- Materials Science
- Mathematics
- Metallurgy
- Meteorology / Climatology
- Microbiology
- Nursing
- Nutrition
- Occupational Therapy
- Oceanography
- Optometry / Ophthalmology
- Pharmacy
- Physical Therapy
- Physics
- Psychology
- Speech Pathology
- Textiles
- Zoology
-
Community College Diploma
- Accounting
- Advertising
- Agriculture / Horticulture
- Aircraft Maintenance
- Ambulance / Emergency Medical Care
- Animal Health
- Animation / Computer Animation
- Architecture Technician
- Audio/Video Technician
- Autocad
- Automotive Mechanic
- Business
- Carpentry
- Child Care / Education
- Chiropody / Podiatry
- Communications / Public Relations
- Computer Science
- Cooking / Chef Training
- Dental Assistant
- Dental Hygienist
- Dietitian / Nutrition
- Drama / Performing Arts
- Electronics Technician
- Engineering Technician
- Facility Management
- Fashion Arts / Design
- Financial Planning
- Forestry
- Funeral Services
- Graphic Arts / Design
- Health Care Aide (HCA)
- Health Sciences (Other)
- Heavy Equipment
- Hospitality
- Human Resources
- HVAC Systems
- Information Technology
- Insurance
- Journalism
- Laboratory Technician
- Legal Assistant / Law Clerk
- Marine Engineering
- Marketing / Sales
- Massage Therapy
- Music
- Nuclear Medicine
- Nursing (RN)
- Nursing (RNA / RPN)
- Office Administration
- Orthotics / Prosthetics
- Other Trades
- Pharmacy Technician
- Photography
- Plumbing
- Pulp & Paper
- Purchasing / Logistics
- Radiation Therapy
- Radiology
- Real Estate Sales
- Recreation Studies
- Rehabilitation / Physical Therapy
- Respiratory Therapy
- Secretarial
- Security / Enforcement
- Social Worker / DSW
- Surveying / Geomatics
- Tool & Die / Machinist / Millwright
- Travel and Tourism
- TV/Radio Arts / Broadcast
- Ultrasound Technician
- Upholstery
- Urban Planning
- Welding
-
Doctorate (Arts)
- Economics
- English
- French
- Geography
- History
- Languages (Other)
- Music
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Urban Geography / Planning
-
Doctorate (Education)
- Administration
- Teaching
-
Doctorate (Eng.)
- Aerospace
- Biotechnology
- Chemical
- Civil
- Computer Engineering
- Electrical
- Engineering Physics
- Environmental
- Geological
- Industrial Engineering
- Materials Science
- Mechanical
- Production / Manufacturing
- Telecommunications
-
Doctorate (Science)
- Actuarial / Statistics
- Animal Sciences / Veterinary Medicine
- Audiology
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Environmental
- Epidemiology
- Geology
- Gerontology
- Health Sciences
- Immunology
- Materials Science
- Mathematics
- Medical Doctor
- Metallurgy
- Meteorology / Climatology
- Microbiology
- Nursing
- Nutrition
- Occupational Therapy / Kinesiology
- Pharmacy
- Physical Therapy
- Physics
- Psychology
- Speech Pathology
-
Master of Architecture
- Architecture
- Architecture - Landscape
-
Master of Arts
- Archeology
- Criminology
- Economics
- English
- French
- Geography
- Graphic / Fine Arts
- History
- Human Resources
- Industrial Relations
- Journalism
- Languages (Other)
- Museum Studies
- Music
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Public Relations
- Recreation Studies
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Urban Geography / Planning
-
Master of Business Administration
- Accounting
- Finance
- Human Resources
- Information Systems
- Marketing
- Public Administration
-
Master of Education
- Administration
- Counselling
- Teaching
-
Master of Engineering
- Aerospace
- Agriculture
- Architectural / Building / Construction
- Automation / Robotics
- Biomedical Electronics
- Biotechnology
- Chemical
- Civil
- Computer Engineering
- Electrical
- Engineering Physics
- Environmental
- Food Processing
- Forestry
- Geological
- Industrial Chemistry
- Industrial Design
- Industrial Engineering
- Instrumentation
- Marine
- Materials Science
- Mechanical
- Metallurgy
- Microelectronics
- Mining
- Nuclear
- Petroleum / Fuels
- Pollution Treatment
- Power / Hydro
- Production / Manufacturing
- Pulp & Paper
- Surveying / Geomatics
- Telecommunications
- Transportation
- Water Resources
- Welding
-
Master of Science
- Actuarial / Statistics
- Agriculture / Horticulture
- Animal Sciences / Medicine
- Anthropology
- Astronomy
- Audiology
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Dentistry
- Ecology
- Environmental
- Epidemiology
- Forestry
- Genetics
- Geography
- Geology
- Gerontology
- Health Sciences
- Immunology
- Information Studies / Library Science
- Kinesiology
- Materials Science
- Mathematics
- Metallurgy
- Meteorology / Climatology
- Microbiology
- Nursing / Health Administration
- Nutrition
- Occupational Therapy
- Oceanography
- Pharmacy
- Physical Therapy
- Physics
- Psychology
- Speech Pathology
- Zoology
-
Professional Accreditation
- Accounting (CA)
- Accounting (CGA)
- Accounting (CMA)
- Certified Nutrition Manager (CSNM)
- Cisco Certifications
- Financial Planning (CFP, FMA)
- Financial Securities (CSC)
- Human Resources (CHRP, CEBS)
- Insurance (RIBO, OTL, CIP)
- Interior Design (NCIDQ)
- Investment Planning (CFA, CIM)
- Land Surveyor
- Logistics (CITT, CIFFA)
- Microsoft Certifications
- Novell Certifications
- Other Business / Technical/ Industry Certifications
- Professional Engineer
- Purchasing Management (PMAC, CPP)
- Quality Assurance (TQM)
- Real Estate (RPA, CPM)
- Travel Counsellor (CTC)
-
Secondary Education
- High School Diploma
Recruits at these schools
- McMaster University
- Mohawk College
- Sheridan College