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Celebration and community support shape Johnston Group

Abigail Wiebe remembers being moved almost to tears by the outpouring of support from the crowd when she was standing on the platform of the Johnston Group Inc. float at the Winnipeg Pride parade.

“It was emotional to see the amount of people that were there out of love for each other and the community,” says the customer care coordinator. “It was beautiful.”

The family-owned employee benefits company has been part of Winnipeg’s fabric since 1983 and strives to give back to the community through event sponsorships, charitable giving and rich cultural programming.

The employer-run experiences have been hugely impactful for employees like Wiebe, who was also deeply touched by the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation event at Johnston Group, a cause near to her heart.

Hoop dancers and speakers were brought in, including Anishinaabe writer Niigaan Sinclair, and the organization made a donation to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Orange Shirt Game, including donating 100 tickets for Indigenous families to enjoy the football game.

“That was really special,” said Wiebe. “In that moment, I felt so connected with the people in my workplace but also those community members.”

Wiebe sees community outreach at Johnston Group as a two-for-one scenario, where she wants to make more time for giving and her employer helps facilitate that. “When my company offers these opportunities at work, it aligns perfectly for me,” she says. “I can do the things that I want to do while working.”

Big or small, internally or externally, celebration and learning are integral parts of the Johnston Group experience. It’s a simple philosophy, explains co-president Will Johnston, who shares leadership with his brother, Matt Johnston.

“If you have to come to work, you should be able to have a good time with people you like while supporting the community,” he says.

It’s a system of giving that Johnston’s father, who founded the company, called the three Cs: culture, customer and community.

By taking care of each other, staff are better able to take care of customers, which, in turn, makes Johnston Group a profitable business that can take care of the community. “There’s a virtuous cycle that enables us to further extend our care of the community,” says Johnston.

The sentiment resonates with Wiebe, who seeks to align her values with her employer. “Feeling good about the company that I work for is really important,” she says. “I don’t want to have a moral conflict when I’m going to work.”

Employee care isn’t all about celebrations and learning. Wiebe has been able to find the work-life balance she sought at Johnston Group thanks to the generous benefits, hybrid work policy and positive environment.

From the big-picture perks, like the ability to work from home — a genuine upside during Manitoba winters — to the little details like a quality latte machine and lounge space in the office, Johnston Group makes employee care a priority, which trickles into work performance.

“Happy people equal happy clients,” says Wiebe, who works directly with customers every day. “When a company is supporting its people, making them feel valued and cared for, that translates directly into our work.”

While providing a top-tier employee experience by treating people fairly, with respect and appropriate compensation is a priority for Johnston, one goal rises above the others: pride.

“The majority of people would say that they’re proud to work here,” he says. “That’s something that makes me proud as well. We want to treat our employees like family, our customers like friends and our community with care. If we’re doing that, people are proud to work here.”