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Thriving through communication

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This article was published 28/11/2019 (2169 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A culture of connection and sharing drives CWB National Leasing.

CWB National Leasing is a Winnipeg-based equipment leasing company that helps more than 70,000 Canadian businesses secure the tools they need to grow. Canada’s largest and longest-standing equipment financing company, CWB National Leasing has been providing financial services to businesses in Canada and the U.S. for over 40 years.

Grant Shaw, the company’s Senior Vice-President of Strategy, says you get a sense of the open culture the minute you walk through the door.

“It can be something as simple as walking down the hallway and seeing people saying hello to each other,” Shaw says.

“We’re very inclusive in the sense that everyone’s opinion matters; everyone has an opportunity to contribute to the organization. Beyond that, we focus on finding out what people’s expectations are when they come to work here.”

The company aims to get the conversation rolling through transparent communication from the top down.

“There’s no information that’s unknown in this organization,” he says. “We are completely transparent, share a lot of information and keep people informed of what’s going on in the organization.”

The company gets employees directly involved through its bi-monthly “Pardon the Interruption” meetings, where the company brings in lunch and introduces new team members, celebrates anniversaries and provides insights into the business by discussing financial information and where challenges and opportunities lie.

Although CWB National Leasing has over 400 employees across Canada (with more than 300 in Manitoba), the company makes sure to loop them into the conversation.

“We ensure that out-of-town employees have an opportunity to participate in meetings via a webcam,” Shaw says.

Employee wellness is also front and centre.

Staff members enjoy free access to an on-site fitness facility and are encouraged to reduce the stress of a busy day in the company’s Zen Zone relaxation and mediation space. The company also offers a certified trainer who can provide professional-level health coaching via web and email.

Employees with green thumbs can relax while working in one of the company’s three community garden areas. Staff can also contemplate the more than 230 original artworks on display in the office and may even get some first-hand inspiration from a visiting artist creating a new work.

The sense of wellness also extends into the community, as employees are provided paid time to participate in charitable activities and volunteering. The company also brings in speakers from charitable organizations to highlight ongoing initiatives staff can support.

CWB National Leasing offers an attractive benefit package.

Employees start with three weeks of vacation and are also offered time off through flexible work arrangements and up to six paid personal days off per year. Staff members are encouraged to save for the longer term with matching RSP contributions from the company. There’s also a share purchase plan through which employees can contribute up to 10 per cent of their salary and enjoy a five per cent contribution from the company. Every employee gets an automatic two per cent contribution from the company.

CWB National Leasing also takes pride in knowing happy staff members can be the company’s best recruiters, offering bonuses of up to $2,000 for new employee referrals.

Shaw has worked at the company for over two decades and says it’s been an experience like no other.

“I’ve never worked for a place like this before and I can honestly say that’s been the case since Day 1,” he says. “The previous leadership that was here instilled such an inviting, open culture that we still have today. I can truly say it’s the best place to work.”