Canadian fresh produce group Oppy has been recognised as having one of the country’s leading corporate cultures.
Waterstone Human Capital, a leading retained executive search firm specialising in recruiting for fit and cultural talent management for entrepreneurial-minded, high-growth organisations across North America, has honoured the company for cultivating one of Canada’s ten 'Most Admired Corporate Cultures' in its 2016 enterprise category.
This national programme, now in its 12th year, annually recognises best-in-class Canadian organisations for having cultures that enhance performance and sustain a competitive advantage. Forty winners are annually chosen across four categories; three are based on revenue (growth and small cap, mid-market and enterprise) and one not-for-profit category (broader public sector).
Organisations are scored on six categories: vision and leadership, recruitment and hiring for fit, cultural alignment and measurement, retention, rewards and recognition, organisational performance and corporate social responsibility.
Oppy chairman, president and CEO John Anderson has long placed high value on culture, pointing to a healthy culture as a barometer for all aspects of an organisation’s success.
“Our culture has been built deliberately and conscientiously over the years,” Anderson said. “When we launched our 'expect the world from us' promise a dozen years ago, we created clarity around our ethos and our expectations of ourselves and one another.
'We’re united in our efforts to achieve clearly defined goals, and believe in equipping and empowering everyone at Oppy to do their part,' he added. 'Communication moves in every direction, keeping us strategically and culturally on track.”
Anderson noted that the result of Oppy’s positive culture is high satisfaction proven out by annual staff surveys, and low employee turnover.
“The average career at Oppy is about eight years long, though many have celebrated, 20, 30 and even 40 years with the company,” he said. “I’m proud of the amazing teamwork I see here every day. The culture is the engine that keeps the machine running smoothly and effectively – I have no doubt that it’s the key to our success.”
