Diana Godfrey explains how Fidelity Investments Canada develops an environment focused on employees' wellbeing
This article was produced in partnership with Fidelity.
In the financial services industry, Fidelity Investments Canada occupies a special place as an employer that constantly upholds diversity, integrity, and trust. Most recently, Fidelity’s workplace culture has led to recognition as one of HRD Canada’s Best Places to Work in 2022.
“I know it sounds really cliché, but the reality is our team is committed to our clients, to each other, to the organization, and importantly, to the communities that we live and work in. And so our culture is shaped by everything that they do. And I think that’s really what sets us apart,” she said.
Over the past year, Fidelity has continued to enrich its culture by improving its employees’ virtual working experience. It is creating an Employee Ambassadors program that will enable everyone in the company to enjoy a holistic experience. One particular focus is how teams can have fun together and participate in the company’s development program while in a hybrid or remote workplace.
COVID-19 has played a key role in what Godfrey described as “fast forwarding” and “slowing down” some aspects of Fidelity’s operations. One of the important lessons from the pandemic was discovering the ability to perform remote work even though the company was not initially confident about managing remote workers. To make such an arrangement feasible, Fidelity kept around 25 to 30 office-based employees while the others worked remotely.
Another lesson that helped the company grow was the significance of building relationships and emphasizing flexibility, compassion, and empathy in the daily lives of employees.
Looking forward to 2023, Fidelity aims to find more innovative ways to take care of its people and keep them inspired. “We want to continue to focus our efforts on wellness, particularly around mental health. Removing the stigma. Encouraging conversations,” said Godfrey.
To achieve this goal, the company has formed a group of mental health first-aid responders who can help employees find the necessary resources in an environment that feels safe. One important step is increasing the number of practitioners who can provide wellness services and expanding the coverage fivefold among employees.
“I think the reality is it’s all around wellness. It’s all about making everybody’s lives easier and remembering that at the heart of everything that we do is what our employees do for us and for our clients,” she said.
