Sheridan tops Forbes Canada's Best Employers list

Jan 25, 2023

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Forbes Magazine released its annual ranking of Canada’s Best Employers today and Sheridan is first on the list. This is the fourth time Sheridan has been included in Forbes’ ranking, moving from 8th spot in 2022.

The Forbes ranking includes 300 employers across 37 industries, ranging from large corporations to community-based financial institutions, post-secondary institutions and government agencies. Only one other post-secondary institution placed in the top 10 – Carleton University at 6th.

“This is an incredible achievement for Sheridan. We’ve always been proud to be recognized by Forbes as an employer of choice,” said Dr. Janet Morrison, President and Vice Chancellor. “To finish at the top of the list, in only our second top 10 ranking, confirms that our commitment to developing a work culture where innovative risk-taking, collaboration and life-long learning thrive is the right path forward. This honour belongs to our dedicated employees who are one of Sheridan’s greatest assets.”

In 2022, Sheridan was also named to Forbes’ list of Canada's Best Employers for Diversity — ranking 10th overall and the highest of any college in Canada. This came shortly after Sheridan’s Vice President of Inclusive Communities Dr. Jane Ngobia was recognized with a Silver Award of Excellence for Leadership in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion by the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP).

Employee-centred initiatives

In the past year, Sheridan has introduced a new e-performance and talent management portal for its employees, where they are able to collaborate on and document performance and development plans with their managers. The online platform is another step in Sheridan’s commitment to empower its community with people-centric technologies and digital processes that enhance how its employees work and grow together, while providing more opportunities to track their personal and professional progress and set goals for their future.

The institution has moved into the second year of its Community Wellness Strategy. The Wellness Committee, represented by a diverse group of students and employees, brings the college community together through cultural celebration days, leverages Wellness Champions, and themed monthly wellness content, webinars, and supports that contribute to a sense of total well-being and quality of life. Through these initiatives, Sheridan aims to raise awareness about wellness, increase participation in wellness events, and promote a sense of belonging and inclusion.

Sheridan is currently creating a Flexible Workspace Strategy through an extensive review of its current workspace and how the future of work for the institution will look. Employees are at the centre of the development of this strategy, engaged through various feedback opportunities, surveys, focus groups and interviews.

Forbes’ methodology

The ranking was based on an independent, anonymous survey of 12,000 Canadian workers at businesses with more than 500 employees. The research was conducted by Forbes in partnership with market research partner, Statista.

The survey included direct and indirect recommendations from employees who were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their own employers to friends and family. Employee evaluations also included other employers in their respective industries that stood out either positively or negatively. Furthermore, participants were asked to give their opinion on a series of work-related topics like working conditions, salary potential for development, and company image regarding their current employer.

All told, 2,900 different organizations received reviews and recommendations. The final list presents the Top 300. The final list ranks the 300 employers that received the most recommendations. Read about the Forbes survey and methodology used.