IKEA named Best Employer

BURLINGTON, Ontario – IKEA Canada has been named one of the Best Employers in Canada by Forbes magazine.

“I would like to thank more than 4,600 Canadian co-workers for their contribution in making IKEA one of Forbes Best Employers in Canada,” said Stefan Sjöstrand, president of IKEA Canada. “We strive to provide our valuable co-workers with a great place to work filled with development and career opportunities while recognizing their continued efforts and contribution to our success.”

In a statement, he described IKEA Canada co-workers as a diverse group of down-to-earth, straightforward people with a passion for home furnishing who share an inspiring vision – to create a better everyday life for the many people.

“Our values based recruitment continues to attract high potential leaders to our organization. We continue to maintain a strong focus on female leadership,” Sjöstrand said, adding 55% of all IKEA co-workers are female, as are 55% of all managers.

“I’m so proud to work for an organization like IKEA Canada that truly values and recognizes my leadership capabilities and talents,” said Ivana Colatosti, manager of IKEA Canada’s stores in the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke. “I’ve had the opportunity to work in a number of key functions including interior design, marketing, and now as a store manager leading a multi-million dollar business. These experiences have moulded me into the leader that I have become today.”

The company said it provides a number of initiatives designed to make the retailers a great place to work, including:

• Every co-worker has the possibility to grow and develop their career at IKEA;
• Competence development and extensive learning offers for all co-workers;
• Global career opportunities;
• Industry leading compensation and benefits, co-worker discount program, interest-free co-worker purchase program, and subsidized nutritious meals;
• A generous bonus program as well as a retirement savings program and group RRSP contribution program;
• A program that provides the opportunity to visit a developing country to see the impact the IKEA Foundation has on improving the lives of children through educational programs; and,
• The More Sustainable Life at Home Ambassador program, which is designed to build co-worker knowledge about living a more sustainable life at home.

About 200 co-workers have used $500 of IKEA products at home and then shared their success, challenges and learnings.

“As IKEA Canada embarks on an ambitious coast-to-coast expansion plan by doubling the number of IKEA stores in the next ten years, we will need to double the number of co-workers,” Sjöstrand said, adding, “It is estimated that we will need 11,000 new co-workers over the next four years over all areas of our business, from customer service to IT, to product design and development.”

Opportunities will be posted on the company’s web site at www.IKEA.ca/careers.

For the past five years, IKEA Canada has also been named one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People as well as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers.