Kindness is the key to this Quebec-based facilities services company’s business plan

“I’m proud to say that I’m surrounded by people who are kind,” says Julie Roy, the company’s CEO. “They care for others. My management committee is all like this. I want this to flow down in the organization.”

At Roy..70 per cent of employees are part of an ethnocultural minority. This statistic is something that stood out to Philippe Bérubé, senior manager at CIBC Commercial Banking and Roy’s coach for their submission to Canada’s Best Managed Companies program, an award which the company won this year in recognition of their excellence as a private Canadian-owned enterprise . Mr. Bérubé says that some of these employees might be working their very first job in Canada at Roy.making it important for newcomers to feel supported and cared for.

Another differentiator, according to Mr. Bérubé, is the company’s continuous learning and skills development programs which are available to everyone in the company, including entry-level staff. The company has a strong culture of promoting within, which means its management is also very diverse. “The employees can see themselves in the management and that they’ve grown in the business,” said Mr. Berube.

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In an industry where turnover can be high, Ms. Roy is a firm believer who leads with kindness at all levels of the business is a successful strategy for attracting and retaining talent.

“[New hires] are going to judge the company in the first three hours of the first day of their job, whether they [think this is a place they will thrive long term],” Ms. Roy says, adding that it’s imperative that team leaders are genuinely caring and kind. “They are the ones responsible for whether people will stay.” For this reason, turnover is a key performance indicator that Ms. Roy is always monitoring.

When Ms. Roy first took over the family business in 2013 and was presenting sales pitches, he noticed that potential clients didn’t seem interested in learning about the company’s people management policies.

“But now, it’s the opposite. They know how hard it is to get good people,” said Ms. Roy. “If it’s between me and another company, if I put the emphasis on what I do right with my people, it assures them that they’re going to have more stability with my staff.”

To take the next step in becoming a Best Managed company with the help of CIBC, click here.

This is one of four profiles from the “In their Orbit” series in partnership with CIBC, where leaders of Canada’s Best Managed Companies share what gives their organizations pull.

Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with CIBC. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.