Company hands out free lunches instead of pink slips

There is a bright spark out there for employees that feel unappreciated and undervalued in today’s era of market layoffs. PointClickCare (PCC), an electronic health records and business office software company for the Long-Term Care industry, can’t seem to hire Canadian talent fast enough and is pulling out all the stops to retain its top talent once recruited. Over the past eight years, PCC has grown 1,400 per cent and has created 140 new jobs since the company’s inception in 2000.

When an employee at any level signs a contract with PCC, they can expect benefits that include three to five weeks vacation, free on-site lunch three times a week, employer RRSP matching and a very attractive employee referral program worth thousands of dollars in potential earnings.

Every day, employees are greeted with fresh fruit, accessible cappuccino machines, a wellness room equipped with massage chairs. On-site massage therapy is available twice a week. They also have the opportunity to join the company’s running club, yoga group or tennis ladder complete with club membership, as well as the opportunity to give back to the community.  It’s all part of keeping employees engaged and connected to the company – part of a philosophy that a healthy workplace increases productivity and business success.

“Employees experiencing negative stress have two to three times the risk of injuries like back pain, substance abuse, and the risk of conflicts in the workplace,” said Robin Mackie, VP Employer Services at Banyan Work Health Solutions. “Many companies will be surprised that the risk of many other medical conditions can also increase with an unhealthy workplace.”

PCC’s head office will soon be equipped with an on-site gym and pool, weights and showers, as well as frequent sessions with personal trainers. Employees will also benefit from company-sponsored lifestyle educational seminars on topics such as gardening, nutrition, investment advice and will planning. “We’ve created an environment where people want to work because they’re challenged professionally and appropriately rewarded. The result is that in a field where software engineering recruitment is very competitive, our turnover rate is below the industry standard,” said Mike Wessinger, President of PointClickCare. “We also believe it’s connected to our overall business success that includes a 99.9 per cent customer retention rate.”

Success, which naturally PCC does not let go unnoticed, is acknowledged with quarterly company-wide town hall meetings and festivities such as an afternoon at Playdium, Office Survivor, an annual Holiday party, and other socially-inspired events. Smaller team-building exercises include curling, bowling, casino nights, boat tours, and wine tastings. “It’s very much an employee driven culture here where people work hard and play hard,” said Wessinger. “This year we’re adding two new focuses to our HR practice; People Planning Strategies and coaching managers to help boost performance levels.”

In addition to gobbling up market share, PCC is racking up awards including being listed among Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies and the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 and Top 50 Canadian companies.

PointClickCare is the leading electronic health records and business office software for the Long-Term Care industry.  PointClickCare Software-as-a Service (SaaS) has been online serving providers of all sizes since 2000 and is used by over 4,000 Long-Term Care centers in 40 U.S. states and across Canada serving over 300,000 residents.