BC's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 5
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BC’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2026)
also actively recruiting First Nations
employees.
“We’ve spent several years developing
an Indigenous recruitment roadmap in
collaboration with Indigenous communities, and we will roll this out in 2026 and
‘27,” Lucchini says.
BC Transit also recently partnered with
MentorAbility, a national initiative
promoting the recruitment, employment
and retention of persons experiencing
disability.
Recruitment challenges are especially
acute at E-Comm Emergency Communications for British Columbia Inc. (more
commonly known as E-Comm 911), whose
frontline staff handle more than two
million 911 calls yearly. They must make
immediate and accurate decisions about
how to communicate with callers and
direct them to the appropriate emergency
responder.
“We’re a high stress, high stakes
workplace, plus we’re experiencing a big
rise in suicide and public safety calls, so
recruitment is tough,” says E-Comm
interim chief executive officer Nancy Blair.
For its non-emergency division,
E-Comm is tapping customer service
representatives. “We’ve discovered that
people from this line of work make
excellent call-takers,” Blair says.
Training is crucial, especially for
emergency call-takers; classroom instruction, mentorship and nine months of
probationary status while learning on the
job are some of the requirements.
But despite the pressure, the nature of
E-Comm’s work has proven to be a strong
lure. “Our staff derive a strong sense of
fulfilment from helping others in need,”
Blair says, adding that they provide each
staff member with $4,000 annually for
therapy and psychological services.
While businesses see a recruiting
challenge on the horizon, BC Top
Employers winners believe they have what
it takes to succeed.
“What it boils down to is that we can’t
afford to sit on our laurels,” says Lucchini
with BC Transit. “We always have to think
of new ways to recruit, to train and provide
benefits. That’s why it’s so rewarding for
our efforts to be recognized with a Top
Employer designation.”
This story was created by Content Works,
Postmedia’s commercial content division, on
behalf of BC’s Top Employers.
BC TRANSIT
Continued
PHOTOS (FROM TOP):
1. BC Transit offers a wide variety of career
paths, from operations and information
technology to asset management and
finance.
2. The frontline staff with E-Comm
Emergency Communications for British
Columbia Inc., also known as E-Comm
911, handle more than two million 911
calls yearly.
K.KALLBERG/E-COMM
HIRING CHALLENGES
