THREE COMPANIES – Blueprint Creative Inc., Royal Bank of Canada Insurance Company Ltd. and Scotiabank Barbados emerged yesterday as the winners of the second biennial Barbados Best Employers competition.
They copped the top awards in the small, medium and large categories, respectively, with Scotiabank winning for the second time.
The much anticipated results in the programme conceptualized by Caribbean Catalyst Inc and sponsored by the Nation Publishing Company and Barbados Business Authority were announced during an award luncheon at Hilton Barbados.
Blueprint Creative edged out the 2010 winners Globe Finance along with Manulife Barbados and Eric Hassell & Son Ltd. while Scotiabank was ahead of Hilton Barbados and the Crane Residential Resort.
RBC Insurance beat out Little Switzerland and Courtyard by Marriott Bridgetown.
Managing director of Caribbean Catalyst Rosalind Jackson said she was pleased that the bar had been raised in all three categories.
This year 31 companies completed the programme, up from 27 in 2010.
“The workforce represented by the 27 companies in 2010 was 4 467 while for BBE 2012 it was 5 042 – a 13 per cent increase.
“Our goal is to achieve a workforce participation number that is representative of at least ten per cent of the total Barbadian workforce with good representation from the main sectors of our economy,” she said.
Jackson noted that until larger numbers were achieved across the major sectors, national realities cannot be inferred.
Meanwhile, chief executive officer of Nation Publishing, Vivian-Anne Gittens, noted that because of this innovative initiative, the first of its kind in Barbados, organizations were driven to improve “not just to be better, but to be our best”.
“We are able to critically look at our human resources practices and make adjustments where necessary, thereby benefiting the entire staff and the organization,” she said.
Gittens said it could sometimes be difficult for employers to allow their companies’ operations and procedures to be examined.
“Yet, if we each get on board with this laudable programme . . . it can only redound to our ongoing corporate development and long-term success,” she noted.
Gittens said the programme helped to enhance employers’ corporate reputations and called for others, especially Government offices, statutory corporations and non-governmental organizations to get on board either as competitors or sponsors. (NB)
