“Top Employer” Intact Values Leadership Development
By Jennifer Taylor In Business, Client Success Stories, Info Worth Sharing, WorkplaceIt’s no small task to be named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers of the year. The national competition aims to determine which employers lead their industries in offering exceptional workplaces for their employees, based on eight steadfast criteria ranging from the physical workplace offerings to the social atmosphere to employee benefits and vacation time.
Intact Financial Corporation – the largest provider of home, auto and business insurance in Canada – not only made the list, but they exceeded on all counts. In particular, Intact scored an “A+” in three of the eight categories: Training & Skills Development (they run a 2-year Graduate Leadership Development program for MBA graduates, complete with senior-level mentorship and insightful rotation opportunities); Community Involvement (they donated more than $3.7 million to charities in the past year alone); and Employee Engagement & Performance (that’s where we come in).
Among the numerous steps taken to position themselves as a leading provider for consumers and a top place to work, Intact has invested heavily in leadership development over the years. As Robert Dubreuil, Vice President of Learning and Development at Intact, noted, “[We use] the same 360° at every level, based on our 5 Intact Leadership Success factors, that are the foundation of everything that our CEO believes at Intact. We were hoping to gain a better understanding by all 360 Participants and their Raters, of what the Leadership Success factors are, and what are the expectations [at Intact].”
These Leadership Success Factors include “Behaving with Integrity,” “Respecting Each Other,” “Being Customer-Driven,” “Striving for Excellence,” and “Being Socially Responsible.” As their “Living Our Values” Blueprint states, “Our Values reflect both the values that guide us here at Intact and our commitment to excel in all aspects of our business. As a framework, it’s who we are, how we behave and how we maintain our excellent reputation.”
Above all else, it is clear that Intact expects high performance from both individuals and teams. As they state on their website, “We’re making a difference to our customers because of our team. Our success is due to the efforts of our approximately 11,000 people from coast to coast.” The high expectations internally are aligned with their employee feedback initiatives.
Intact has been working with Assessment+ for more than 7 years, during which time the number of those participating in the 360 feedback assessments has quadrupled! They also expanded the process to eventually incorporate the tool with those at the VP level and above, rather than solely focusing on managers. For each employee that goes through the assessment process, one-on-one feedback coaching is additionally provided by external consultants who receive access to results through the Assessment+ Coach Dashboard.
As Robert notes, the results over the years have been palpable. “We have moved from an Engagement score of 65 in 2010 to an Engagement score of 74 in 2015, and a ‘Platine/Platinum’ place on the ‘Best Employer List.’” Plus, 90% of Intact employees report that “Participation in our leadership/management development program has improved my ability to use my personal style effectively,” while 86% agree that it “has improved my effectiveness in ensuring the overall success of my department, division, business unit, etc.”
So, if already named a Top Employer, what are Intact’s future goals? “Staying on the list!” says Robert. “Realizing that we need to be proud but humble as a management team, and that we get these results because we have the best employees!”
It’s no small task to be named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers of the year – but we’re so glad Intact’s focus on leadership development, performance feedback, and continuous improvement helped them top the reputable roll! Congrats, Intact!
