Recognized as one of Saskatchewan's Top Employers (2019):
By Richard Yerema and Kristina Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Feb 12, 2019)
Here are some of the reasons why Harvard Developments Inc. was selected as one of Saskatchewan's Top Employers (2019):
- Harvard Developments encourages employees to keep fit with subsidized access to a fully-equipped onsite fitness facility, and offers health and wellness spending accounts to help cover the costs of related expenses
- Harvard Developments supports a variety of local and national charitable initiatives each year, donating approximately 1,200 volunteer hours on company time in the past year -- employees are also involved in the selection of charitable initiatives to receive company support
- Harvard Developments provides maternity leave top-up payments for new mothers (to 100% of salary for up to 17 weeks) and offers an academic scholarship program for children of employees who are pursuing post-secondary studies
Family defines the culture at Harvard Developments
If there's one word that sums up the corporate culture at Regina-based Harvard Developments, it's family - and for good reason. The 115-year old real estate company, which develops, owns and manages a portfolio of retail, residential and commercial properties in western Canada, is now in its fourth generation of family ownership.
"Our culture and our business are really reflective of that word - family," says managing director and COO Rosanne Hill Blaisdell, daughter of president and chief executive officer Paul Hill. "The people on our team really are part of our family. It empowers them and allows them to take pride in the work they do."
Matt Geiger, marketing and communications administrator, agrees. "The whole family culture makes Harvard completely different from any place I've worked," says Geiger. "You hear the same thing from people who've worked here 30 or 40 years."
The culture is reflected in many of the company's policies and programs. Harvard has a scholarship program to support both employees and their children in the pursuit of higher education. Since 2007, says Hill Blaisdell, Harvard has contributed $268,000, most of it for children attending post-secondary education.
Harvard's mentorship program supports employees pursuing outside professional certifications, particularly those working on becoming Certified Professional Accountants. "A lot of our young finance staff are working towards their CPA designation," says Hill Blaisdell. "It's a very arduous program and we are proud to invest in their journey."
The company promotes employee health and wellness through a state-of-the-art gym in its downtown Regina head office and by providing employees across the organization with $20 per month for any outside sports program or organized physical activity.
Harvard holds annual "Employee Thank You" events at both its regional and head office locations. Hill Blaisdell and her father meet with employees to bring them up to date on new developments and to promote camaraderie among team members.
The company is also deeply committed to giving back to the communities it serves. Employees have the opportunity to volunteer at food banks or other recognized charitable organizations throughout the year. Harvard is also a founding partner in the United Way Regina's "Summer Success" program that aims to improve the reading skills of inner-city children. "The Summer Success program is something we all look forward to each year," says Geiger. "Giving back to the community -especially when it comes to children and education -is in our DNA."
Recognized as one of Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers (2018):
By Richard Yerema and Kristina Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Apr 12, 2018)
Here are some of the reasons why Harvard Developments Inc. was selected as one of Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers (2018):
- As part of the company's benefits plan, Harvard Developments Inc. offers a health spending account of up to $425 per year, as well as a wellness spending account of up to $240 per year
- Harvard Developments Inc. invests in the education of current and future generations, providing tuition subsidies for employees enrolled in job-related courses, as well as academic scholarships for employees' children (to $2,000 per child)
Recognized as one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2019):
By Kristina Leung and Richard Yerema, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Jan 17, 2019)
Here are some of the reasons why Harvard Developments Inc. was selected as one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2019):
- Harvard Developments Inc. manages an apprenticeship program for Maintenance Assistants which includes training with one of the company's Building Operators and provides funding for tuition, textbooks and associated fees for exams
- Harvard Developments Inc. offers an unpaid 2-week internship for students registered in the Building Service Technician program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic -- additionally, the company partners with the University of Regina and the Paul J. Hill School of Business to offer co-op placements and attends student networking events and career fairs
- Along with generous tuition subsidies for courses related to an employees' position, young employees at Harvard Developments Inc. have the potential to branch out in their careers across business lines into other areas of departments within the organization's parent Hill Companies which include insurance, radio, manufacturing, oil and gas, to name a few
The Career Directory
Harvard Developments Inc. has been selected for The Career Directory, our guide to entry-level recruitment for recent college and university graduates.
