Johnston Group employees volunteering at the Manitoba Marathon.Provided
Almost two years ago, Jaime Chinchilla was in the enviable position of having two enticing job offers. But the more research that the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) specialist did, the more he realized the opportunity at Winnipeg-based Johnston Group Inc. was not to be missed.
“In my field, it’s important that the company really cares about people,” says Chinchilla, DEI advisor in human resources. “Otherwise, you’re going to have a difficult time trying to embed all the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. At Johnston Group, they were making an honest effort on all those fronts – and not just in a performative way, which is common in my field.”
To Will Johnston, a second-generation family member working for the group benefit plan administrator, that all just falls under the category of ‘Do the Right Thing.’ “Doing the right thing just sort of permeates how we treat our employees and how our employees treat one another, our customers and the advisors we work with,” he says.
Johnston Group also does the right thing as it pertains to the outside community – “punching above its weight class,” as Johnston notes, in terms of charitable giving and community involvement. The company gives to community organizations, agencies and initiatives across all sectors. In addition, its employee-led Purpose and Contribution committee looks for opportunities to connect employees to those community organizations.
Johnston thinks the company is in a solid position to continue to grow its business and adds, “We are motivated by the fact that as we grow, it enables us to create more local jobs and do more to contribute to our community.” The company also matches employees’ charitable contributions to the United Way.
“It’s ingrained in the culture to give back to the community in a meaningful way, and that sometimes means donating something but it can also even mean just going into a neighbourhood and picking up garbage,” says Chinchilla. “Those may be small but meaningful actions, but those are the things that you care for. And the company gives employees time to join committees and do those things.”
The Purpose and Contribution committee is one of several under the company’s Work Life Wonderful umbrella. Together they cover just about every aspect of an employee’s personal and professional life – from mental, spiritual and physical health to professional development, the environment and social life, among others.
“The company really just lets people be who they are,” Chinchilla says. “If employees want to stand for reproductive rights, they can do it; if they belong to a specific religious community, the company will support creating a group so they can get together. And they try to find the best ways to celebrate all the unique holidays.”
For him, the company stands out not only in how it conducts business but in how its leaders see employees. “From the first moment I arrived here, I felt that I was being taken care of as a human being, not just as a professional,” he says.
“David Johnston, who is the founder of the company, always says we’re in the business of helping people and for him that means not just the clients but all people – staff, teammates,” he adds. “I think that is what makes the product unique as well, because that’s how we treat people.”
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Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail’s editorial department was not involved.