Some organizations are better suited to working from home than others. Take Fusion Credit Union, which is technically based in Hamiota but has a workforce spread out across Manitoba, meaning the pandemic didn’t necessitate major changes in its operations.

“We’ve been a virtual meeting organization since long before COVID-19,” says Fusion’s chief operations officer, Leanne DeVliegere. “We’re geographically dispersed throughout the province, so we’ve always used a video conferencing platform to connect with each other.”

And Fusion employees can work with the credit union’s members in their own communities. “We pride ourselves on our decentralized workforce,” DeVliegere says. “There’s no mandate that everybody has to work in one particular building, which enables us to attract talent from a wider area. So all sorts of roles work in all sorts of locations.”

Scott Stykalo has been working as a Fusion relationship manager in western Manitoba for 10 years. “Work-life balance is a huge thing for me, and they’re very supportive of that,” he says. “And from senior management down, everyone’s part of a team. They’re there to support each other, they’re there to support you. And they’re very good at recognizing hard work and good results.”

The organization also stresses professional development, with a long list of opportunities for its employees, from internal training and mentorship programs to supporting formal education courses.

“In 2022, we embarked on a learning initiative for all employees called Mastering My Role,” DeVliegere says. “We offer in-house training on how to develop coaching skills and have dynamic conversations, and our employees each have a professional development budget and access to all kinds of external education opportunities.”

Stykalo appreciates Fusion’s approach to professional development. “Senior management checks in regularly to ask where you want to go with the credit union and how they can help you get there,” he says. “You can job shadow, do training through third parties to get certifications, and take external and internal courses. There are great opportunities to move up.”

He also values the organization’s focus on members and their communities. “That’s what differentiates us from the competition,” he says. “They’re not dealing with an office in Vancouver or Toronto. We’re part of the community and we know them and understand their business. That’s a big difference.”

Fusion also gives back to the communities where it operates through having its employees volunteer at sports events and trade shows and teach students at local schools about budgets and finances. There’s also a fund where local organizations can request donations to support local projects.

“The credit union is all about their people and their staff, wanting to keep them happy and keep them working,” Stykalo says. “We’re really member-focused and community-focused, and part of my role is to get out into the community and volunteer to help local organizations.”

DeVliegere stresses the support the credit union offers its employees. “At Fusion there’s real accessibility to leadership and support and resources,” she says, “and leaders also have the support and resources they need to be successful in their jobs. That’s really important to us.”