Employee engagement is always top of mind at LTSA

Azjahly Edwards was just learning what the Land Title and Survey Authority of BC (LTSA) does when she interviewed with the organization. Her friend, a customer service representative, had recommended she apply. “I was impressed when I began to understand the work the LTSA does to prevent fraud, protecting what is often people’s largest asset in life,” says Edwards, now manager, customer operations.

Formed in 2005, LTSA is a publicly accountable, statutory corporation responsible for operating the land title and survey systems of B.C. With offices in Victoria, New Westminster and Kamloops, LTSA delivers secure land titles through registration of land title interests and survey records.

“We are an organization doing unique work,” says Camille Reid, vice president operations. “We are trusted to protect the certainty of land titles, whether business or personal property, and our employees are proud to do this important work in the public interest.”

Reid says managers and directors at LTSA have worked hard to maintain and improve engagement in the new hybrid work environment where people are not always together at the office. Leaders check in on people working from home and there are virtual meetings and team chats.

“People care about one another at LTSA,” says Reid. “We have a collegial culture where employees help and support each other.” When people are in the office, Reid finds they gather together for lunch and coffee in the kitchen.

LTSA offers employee achievement awards in areas such as collaboration, leadership, innovation and customer service. And funds are provided for recognition and team-building activities in each department.

A winner of the BC’s Top Employers award for the past seven years, the organization celebrates by saying thank you to staff. “Last year we gave a card that said ‘Have you heard the buzz?’ with pots of local honey. Another year, it was a team chocolate tasting,” says Reid. Managers distribute the gifts with a personal message to each employee.

Gestures such as these have inspired Edwards to set up a fun snack bar by her desk for meetings. Now a manager, she started her career with LTSA as an auxiliary customer service representative in 2018. Since that time, she has worked her way through the roles of examiner of title and deputy registrar. “Working here has been better than I could have imagined,” she says. “I didn’t expect to be a manager six years in.”

Along the way, Edwards has been supported by development opportunities such as public speaking, change management courses and leadership training, yet she has appreciated the mentorship she has experienced in the organization most of all. “Now mentoring others is the best part of my work as a manager.”

LTSA celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and employees are taking the opportunity to reflect on their many accomplishments over two decades. One major achievement has been the swift adaptation to technological changes, introducing digital systems to ensure property ownership is registered efficiently and accurately.

“We’ve changed so much in the six years since I started and I’m amazed at how we stay ahead of the curve,” says Edwards. “For example, we receive the latest training in cybersecurity each year.”

For a 20th anniversary celebration early this year, leaders planned to open a time capsule that had been displayed in the reception area of the Victoria office for 10 years. “Employees were really excited to see what was in the time capsule and how far we’ve progressed as an organization,” says Reid. “Their engagement is a key metric here. It is always top of mind.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's BC’s Top Employers winners, published February 11, 2025 in the Vancouver Sun. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.