Earlier this month, Canadian ICMIF member Beneva became one of the first companies in Quebec’s insurance and financial services sector to unveil the key strategies characterising the future of work for its employees. Beneva will stand out for its structured hybrid approach, which is based on mutual respect and trust.
The unprecedented situation caused by the pandemic called for the creation of new work methods. “The results of our employee and customer satisfaction and experience surveys revealed that working from home could be an effective long-term solution,” said Jean-François Chalifoux, President and CEO of Beneva. With over 5,000 employees working in offices across the country, Beneva decided to adopt a hybrid approach, where working from home (WFH) is voluntary, based on employee preference and managerial approval. The announcement was recently made to all employees.
Employees will not be obliged to work from home or work a minimum number of days at the office. “What matters most is flexibility, on both sides. Caring is in the company’s culture. We trust our employees and we chose to integrate their preferences into our vision of the future of work,” said Martin Robert, Executive Vice-President, Talent, Culture and Communication, at Beneva.
An attentive and attractive company
Before developing the policy, Beneva polled its employees about their needs and preferences. The overwhelming majority of employees voiced their readiness to continue to work from home, whether full or part time.
It’s this enthusiasm for telework that is giving Beneva the time it needs to plan a large-scale return to office, which won’t be before January 2022.
By basing its strategy on its employees’ preferences, Beneva is hoping to remain an attractive employer to both current and future employees. In fact, Beneva recently launched its first major recruitment campaign, which will run until September. Over 200 positions in IT, actuarial and insurance fields need to be filled across the country.
Beneva was created by the coming together of La Capitale and SSQ Insurance to become the largest mutual insurance company in Canada with more than 3.5 million members and customers. Beneva employs over 5,000 dedicated employees: people looking out for people. Its human approach is rooted in mutualist values that are shared by its employees. With CAD 25 billion in assets, Beneva positions itself as a major player in the insurance and financial services industry.
