As one of Canada’s top employers, Emera and its operating companies are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workforce. These Nova Scotia Power employees represent a growing number of women across Emera working in what were once considered non-traditional roles.

With 2.5 million customers in six different countries, Emera is a leader in the energy industry at a time when customers want more choice, more control and greater access to cleaner, affordable and reliable energy.

Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Emera has about 7,500 employees across Canada, the United States and the Caribbean, that are focused on anticipating and shaping dynamic change in the energy industry.

“Emera is an energy leader because of the strength of our team,” says Chief Human Resources Officer Mike Roberts from the company’s newly renovated headquarters in downtown Halifax. “Significant growth in the midst of accelerating change wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated and innovative people who are committed every day to delivering for customers everywhere we work.”

Emera began as a single electric utility in Nova Scotia and has grown into an international energy company that has approximately $32 billion in assets and 2018 annual revenues of more than $6.5 billion. As it continues to grow, one thing has remained the same: Emera takes special care to create an environment in which employees can thrive—a significant part of why the company has been named one of Atlantic Canada’s Top Employers for 2020.

“Working at Emera means opportunities to learn and develop in an international business environment,” Roberts says. “Our goal is to be an employer of choice, which is why we are focused on attracting and retaining the best and brightest. We continually invest in our people, enabling them to grow and advance in their careers.”

To this end, the company embraces a “speak-up” culture that stems from its collaborative approach.

“Our employees are encouraged to raise any safety concerns they may have and be confident they will be heard and supported,” Roberts explains. “Everyone on our team has, not just the freedom, but the responsibility to speak-up and identify risks and opportunities to help make us all better. It’s also about fostering an inclusive and diverse corporate culture where everyone is treated with respect and everyone’s ideas are valued.”

Emera also invests in its employees with competitive compensation packages that include a comprehensive pension and benefits plan and employee-sponsored saving plans. Career growth initiatives include a strategic focus on employee development, opportunities to advance within and between operating companies, and company-sponsored education programs.

Emera is committed to making communities stronger, safer and more innovative. This includes corporate investments and sponsorships, employee fundraising-matching and volunteerism programs, and scholarships for employees’ children.

“In 2018, we invested over $18 million in our communities,” Roberts says. “This included a special, one-time contribution to Memorial University to establish the Emera Innovation Exchange—a public collaboration space to help support entrepreneurship and innovation in Atlantic Canada.”

At the same time, Emera employees contributed a total of 38,000 hours of their time to worthy causes in their communities. Emera and Nova Scotia Power employees are the largest group of private sector contributors to the United Way in Atlantic Canada.

As Emera continues to grow and deliver cleaner, affordable and reliable energy for customers in Atlantic Canada, the United States and the Caribbean, it remains proudly headquartered in Nova Scotia. And if creating the right environment is fundamental to building a high-quality workforce, then Emera is also responding with the bricks and mortar of innovative growth.

Last year, the company opened its new headquarters, Emera Place, in Halifax’s downtown core. This state-of-the-art facility is a working demonstration of the company’s strategy and values-in-action – its commitment to innovation, safety and health, sustainability and collaboration. Named one of the Smartest Buildings in Canada by American technology giant Cisco Systems, the space boasts world-class, sustainable building standards, and leading-edge technology.

“Our new headquarters is a great example of the investments Emera makes, and continues to make, in its team and in the region,” says Roberts. “We’ve designed this inspirational space for our employees who, in turn, keep us at the leading edge of innovation and customer service.” •