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As I
sat down to write this column, I had to agree with
the poet who reckoned that April is the cruellest
month. Obviously, those weeks of redolent thaw promise
the outdoor pleasures we wait for all year-but you
have to roll up your sleeves and get dirty before
you can sit back and enjoy it. So it goes with producing
an issue like Best Companies.
Simply put, this is a mega-project. Over the past
six years we've changed our approach here and there,
tweaked the methodology, and produced it both with
and without a research partner. We launched it after
Omnifacts Bristol Research conducted some focus groups
for us in 1999. Those conversations with employees
provided direction for the survey by revealing the
core issues that ensure happy and productive workplaces:
respect, recognition, remuneration. (In that order,
incidentally.) Resuming our partnership with Omnifacts
this year, we based our Best Companies package on
the opinions of the employees of 10 of the region's
top companies.
What's in it for you? Information-and lots of it.
The analysis of the data provides real-life insights
that will help you get more in tune with your most
precious resource: your people. For that, the 2005
Best Companies are to be applauded. If you think you've
got what it takes to let your employees speak candidly
to us, I encourage you to consider being surveyed
next year.
That said, it's satisfying work to see it transformed
into a readable package. Miranda Burns at Bristol
has been a great partner, and our own researcher,
Jenn Ryan, kept it all on track. To find out "what
employees want" and how our 10 Best Companies
go about raising the bar, go to page 31.
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In related news, David
Holt sat down with Andy Peck, a human capital specialist
at Deloitte, to talk about a pressing little issue
you might want to pay attention to: demographics.
A large number of your workforce is going to retire
in the next decade. Are you ready for that?
Kevin Yarr's interview with RBC's Peter Conrod is
worth reading if you want to understand how bankers
categorize entrepreneurs. The good news:
RBC is actively trying to help those who fall through
the financing cracks by matching them with entrepreneurs
who have a decent track record. Mentorship is a huge
issue for business; the more, the better.
Have you looked at Progress Visitor lately? It's
a great source for "satisfaction-guaranteed"
things to do when you're travelling on both sides
of the border.
I could have kicked myself when our family stopped
in Bangor on the way to Sugarloaf. I forgot my March
edition, and the Visitor item was about Bangor. I
knew it listed several good restaurants that we might
have enjoyed. Instead, we found ourselves faced with
a 45-minute wait at a big-box eatery near the Bangor
Mall. (Note to self: Memorize every issue.)
We also strive to give you good advice about what
to drink when the occasion calls for it. Associate
editor Graeme Gunn, who appreciates a good bottle
of wine from time to time, asked Potables columnist
Craig Pinhey to start picking a bottle for our readers
every month. Try them out and let us know what you
think. I know Graeme will.
I, myself, will be pouring a glass now and heading
out to the backyard.
The darling buds of May beckon.
Note: At press time Publisher Gilfoy was last spotted
on a golf cart somewhere in the Carolinas. His Agenda
will return in June.
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