City of Vaughan named a Top Employer

A city -- and employer -- of choice

Municipalinfonet.com
Dec. 16

For the City of Vaughan, its greatest resource is its staff -- people who work around the clock to deliver Service Excellence to residents, businesses and one another. To support this team, the City employs workplace best-practices -- and they’re getting noticed! Today, it was announced that the City is one of the Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for 2021.

The City’s commitment to its people -- approximately 1,600 staff members who dedicate their time and talents to making the City run as effectively and efficiently as possible -- enables the organization to deliver upon its priorities. As an equal opportunity employer and a forward-looking municipality, the City remains committed to fostering a dynamic workplace that is diverse, inclusive and welcoming. This recognition further validates Vaughan as not only a great place to live and play, but also to work.

Hiring and retaining a highly skilled workforce committed to achieving personal and professional goals is a top priority, and, as such, the City seeks to foster initiatives and opportunities that focus on staff development, engagement, leadership and growth. Vaughan is also committed to providing its employees with competitive salaries and a comprehensive, family-focused benefits package with an emphasis on work-life balance. Exciting learning opportunities, employee assistance and recognition, health and wellness programs and flexible work arrangements add to an extensive list of benefits.

One of the ways the City measures its progress in this regard is a bi-annual employee engagement survey that assesses the work environment, employee health and well-being, work-life balance, leadership, performance opportunities, work processes, collaboration, empowerment, company practices and branding, among others. The survey reveals the level of job satisfaction and engagement of City employees, gives staff the opportunity to contribute to the City’s continued growth, creates a workplace shaped by their feedback and positions Vaughan as an employer of choice for current and future employees. Overall, the City’s employee engagement scores have continuously increased year over year and are used by the management team to inform a plan of action that addresses areas identified for improvement.

Vaughan is one of Canada’s fastest-growing cities. Founded in 1850, the city is now home to nearly 335,000 people. Its globally competitive economy includes more than 19,000 businesses, employing approximately 227,000 individuals. Vaughan has transformed from a suburban municipality into a world-class city through significant and innovative developments. Over the past year, employees have contributed and made substantial progress to exciting projects that are transforming the city. These include the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, the city’s quickly evolving downtown core, the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, Canada’s first smart hospital, and the City’s own Service Excellence Masters Program, which offers training to managers and supervisors to excel in communication, innovation and change management.

Delivering Service Excellence throughout COVID-19

As COVID-19 persists, the City’s dedicated employees have not slowed down. Although some of the City’s physical doors remain closed, essential services continue uninterrupted and departments across the organization have introduced or enhanced virtual offerings to provide new, efficient and streamlined experiences. By reinvigorating traditional services, enhancing digital platforms and modifying in-person programs, the City is delivering Service Excellence -- virtually -- throughout the global pandemic.

COVID-19 abruptly changed the traditional way of doing business -- but the City was well prepared. Vaughan has been a leader in combating the virus, being the first city in Ontario and first municipality in York Region to declare a state of emergency on March 17. Throughout the pandemic, the City has ensured that quality services are delivered for families, businesses and all citizens. On June 23, Council unanimously endorsed Mayor Bevilacqua’s Member’s Resolution to establish the Ready, Resilient and Resourceful (RRR) Committee of Council to report on issues related to the ongoing COVID-19 response efforts. The RRR Committee works closely with members of Vaughan’s administration to identify immediate and long-term impacts of this global pandemic on City business and to plan for continued success.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on the City’s human resources, Vaughan’s administration has adapted quickly and efficiently. Across the organization, every department has risen to the challenge to continue city-building and providing quality public services, collectively developing more than 160 innovations and process improvements. Currently, more than 50 per cent of City employees continue to effectively and productively work from home. Staff required to work on-site or in the field were provided with appropriate health and safety protocols and procedures to abide by as well as personal protective equipment, as appropriate. This response is in addition to the increased cleaning and disinfecting measures in facilities that have been completed to keep staff safe since COVID-19 emerged.

As the pandemic evolved, so did the City’s health and safety procedures to keep staff safe. New initiatives continue to be introduced to ensure staff have all the required information and resources they need to successfully and safely complete their roles. These include Vaughan’s work-from-home arrangements, the Business Reintegration Plan and new protocols for staff working in-office. A workplace wellness program is being created to encourage self-care, along with an Emerging Leaders Program, designed to mentor and help employees grow into leadership roles within the organization.

Vaughan’s vision for the future is clear: to be a city of choice that promotes diversity, innovation and opportunity for all citizens, which, in turn, fosters a vibrant community that is inclusive, progressive and environmentally responsible and sustainable. The City is also equally accountable for the well-being of its workforce and is committed to investing in the talents of employees, so they can achieve and exceed excellence for citizens. As part of the City’s efforts to foster an engaging, thriving and dynamic corporate culture, the first-ever Diversity and Inclusion Officer position was established. The role will influence the corporation's activities, provide strategic guidance and advise on policies, processes and procedures related to diversity. The successful candidate will help facilitate a renewed mandate for the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer. They will attend meetings of the City’s Senior Leadership Team as an advisor on diversity and inclusion matters. The City is in the later stages of an active recruitment process and looks forward to announcing the successful candidate soon.

Vaughan’s promising future is guided by the 2018-2022 Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan, which represents how Vaughan’s administration goes above and beyond to deliver innovative, exciting and transformational city-building initiatives. These include safeguarding the environment, building active and inclusive neighbourhoods and unleashing economic prosperity. It upholds the City’s values of respect, accountability and dedication toward one another and embodies the mission of citizens first through Service Excellence. This Service Excellence commitment is also reflected in Vaughan’s most recent Citizen Satisfaction Survey, which found that 91 per cent of Vaughan residents are satisfied with the services they receive from the City.

QUOTE

“The greatest resource of any successful organization is its people. At the City of Vaughan, our staff are passionate, hard-working and dedicated individuals whose meaningful work impacts the people of Vaughan every day in every way. Our team of professionals continues to rise to the challenges that come with a vocation rooted in providing service to their neighbours. City-building is a labour of love, and with their support, we have made tremendous strides. The city is undergoing a remarkable transformation, and together, we will continue to advance Vaughan to new and unprecedented heights. I want to express my sincerest gratitude and appreciation to all our team members for their unwavering commitment to provide Service Excellence to Vaughan’s citizens and businesses as we continue to respond to the global pandemic and thank them for their dedication to making Vaughan a better place for future generations. For our city, the best is yet to come!”
- Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua

“Since joining the City of Vaughan as City Manager in the summer, I've had the opportunity to connect with people virtually, learn more about the great work that is underway and visit the facilities. It quickly became apparent to me that the City is a dynamic work environment where individuals can build their career, be a part of a supportive team and contribute to exciting projects that are transforming the city. As I continue to learn about the City's operations, it's clear that COVID-19 has not slowed us down. The way we do some things has changed, but the team continues to deliver Service Excellence each day.  Across the organization, every department has risen to the challenge to continue city-building and provide quality public services, collectively developing more than 160 innovations and process improvements to date. Once again, I offer my sincerest congratulations to all members of the administration whose tireless efforts have led the City to earn the distinction of being one of the Greater Toronto's Top Employers for 2021.”
- City Manager Jim Harnum