A lot of things have gone right since Saurabh Koparkar began work at media and technology giant Thomson Reuters three years ago. But one moment stands out. “It was really when I asked to be transferred to Canada,” says Koparkar, a user-experience lead in software product design. “The immediate answer that my manager gave was, yes.” There was no hemming and hawing. “It was more like, yeah, sure. When do you need this? For me personally, that was very positive.”
The experience, and the support he received to facilitate every aspect of his move from Ann Arbor, Mich., to Toronto crystallized in Koparkar’s mind the notion that Thomson Reuters highly values its employees and will do whatever is needed to help them succeed.
His managers, for instance, have given him ample opportunities to grow his career. India-born Koparkar began as a contractor, was hired full-time a year later, and was promoted a year after that to UX lead product design thanks, he says, to supportive leaders who are proactive in developing talent.
The specialist in tax and accounting software has also been impressed by the work-life balance he’s been able to maintain at Thomson Reuters, even as his career expanded. He has plenty of work to keep him busy, but is never pressured to start early or to be available typically after 5:30 p.m. He’s also been encouraged to try new things, and to grow his expertise in the areas he’s most interested in.
And he felt supported during COVID-19 because the company took care of many of the logistics of his move to Toronto, and even gave him extra vacation days.
He was also impressed with the way the company kept workers connected during the pandemic.
“One of the best things was that we were immediately given the software and tools needed to collaborate remotely,” Koparkar says. “There really are no blackout zones in the communication, even though we are all remote.”
Toronto-based Thomson Reuters is one of the world’s largest providers of news and business information services, offering content-driven software and tools for legal, accounting and tax professionals. It has employees in over 70 countries, including over 1,100 in the Greater Toronto Area.
"We have people around the globe,” says Mary Alice Vuicic, chief people officer, “so it’s critical for us to maintain a high level of connectivity and communication.”
That’s been taken up a notch as COVID-19 forced most employees to work from home. Another aspect of the company’s pandemic response has been to place an even greater emphasis on mental health and wellness. For example, the company provides all employees with two mental health days off every year on top of a range of other supports.
Demand for “really talented people” is rising, says Vuicic, who is based in Toronto, so companies need to create environments to attract top talent – especially in the tech space.
“People want to continue to be able to build their skills and solve new sets of problems,” she says. “At Thomson Reuters, we are passionate about growing our people, and our people are highly valued.”
Koparkar says he has gotten lots of good feedback during discussions with managers – and their managers.
“The ‘distance to power’ ratio is small,” he says. “You don’t have to seek approvals through many levels to go higher up. I’ve had very frank and open conversations with my manager’s leadership.”
Product design is seen as having strategic importance to Thomson Reuters, an idea that is constantly reinforced by top executives.
“I do feel what I’m doing is valued,” Koparkar says.
