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  Employer Review

OpenText

 
OpenText Corporation
OpenText's head office
OpenText's head office
Chosen as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers, Ten Best Companies to Work For and Waterloo Area's Top Employers for 2013:
By Richard Yerema and Kristina Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors   (Oct 9, 2012)

Some of the reasons why OpenText was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for 2013:
  • a quietly growing high-technology success story from Waterloo that has grown to employ over 1,330 employees in Canada (and over 4,500 worldwide), adding 55 new full-time positions in Canada last year
  • a unique Canadian success story that serves some of the world's largest companies, government agencies and professional service firms -- serving over 46,000 clients (and millions of users) in 114 countries and in 12 languages
  • employees enjoy a new head office that features outdoor barbeques, a walking path and a lounge with games and their very own bar that comes complete with barstools
  • offers great financial rewards including signing bonuses for some positions, referral bonuses and a share purchase plan available to all employees, letting everyone share in the company's success
  • encourages ongoing employee development with tuition subsidies for job-related courses, online skills inventory, career planning services and in-house and online training programs
  • supports employees who are new mothers with maternity leave top-up payments (to 100% of salary for 19 weeks) as well as extended health benefit coverage during their leave
  • helps employees balance work and their personal life with a variety of alternative work arrangements including flexible hours, shortened and compressed work week options and telecommuting
  • in addition to paid time off during the holiday season, new employees start at three weeks of paid vacation allowance

Employer Background

OpenText Corporation is a software development company, specializing in enterprise content management software for all types of businesses as well as public sector clients worldwide. Founded in 1991, the publicly-traded company's software helps organizations manage and gain the true value of their business content, helping organizations capture and preserve corporate memory, increase brand equity, automate processes, mitigate risk, manage compliance and improve competitiveness. The Waterloo-based company has grown to become one of Canada's largest software development firms, and today continues to create jobs and expand through acquisition and new business development at home and around the world -- the company's software supports millions of users in over 114 countries.


Industry: Custom Computer Programming Services. Major Canadian hiring locations: Waterloo ON, Kingston ON, Ottawa ON, Montréal QC. Publicly traded. Stock symbol: OTC-T; OTEX-Q. Revenues: $912 million. Established: 1991. Full-time at this location: 719. Full-time employees in Canada: 1,331. Full-time worldwide: 4,501. New jobs created in Canada last year: 55. Part-time employees in Canada: 5. Workforce engaged on a contract basis: 1.3%. Number of applications received at this location last year: 6,445. Average age of all employees: 41.

 Rating: APhysical Workplace

OpenText's physical workplace is rated as above-average. Located in Canada's high technology capital, the company's head office is located in the University of Waterloo Research and Technology Park. The campus-like setting offers great scenery, walking and bicycle paths and convenient access to the University of Waterloo, which is a nice benefit when combined with the company's generous tuition subsidy program. The company recently completed construction of a second office tower that is joined via an enclosed skywalk. Inside the head office, employees can take advantage of an employee lounge (with comfortable seating, fireplace, bar with barstools, television, video games, foosball, table tennis and opens onto an outdoor patio with barbeques, a pond and walking paths), informal meeting areas on every floor; nap room; religious observance room; onsite cafeteria (with healthy and special diet menus); free coffee and tea; outdoor eating area; pre-arranged discounts at local restaurants; secure bicycle parking; free parking; new two-level parking structure; shower facilities; and a massage therapy room with weekly visits by a registered massage therapist.

 Rating: A+Work Atmosphere & Communications

OpenText's work atmosphere is rated as exceptional. On the job, employees enjoy business casual dress; casual dress daily; can listen to music while working; employee sports teams; organized social events. The social committee organizes a variety of fun events every year, including themed summer barbeques, a family day at Canada's Wonderland, an employee Halloween dress-up contest, an evening Christmas party for employees and their partners as well as a separate party for the children of employees, a winter ski trip, and an Easter-egg hunt for employees' children as well as Easter chocolates for employees (no hunting required). Throughout the year, employees can provide feedback and are kept up-to-date through a company newsletter; corporate intranet site; email suggestion box.

 Rating: B+Financial Benefits & Compensation

OpenText's financial benefits are rated as very good. To keep salaries competitive the company participates in outside salary surveys every 6 months. Individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months. In addition, OpenText employees may also take advantage of share-purchase plan for all employees; signing bonuses for some employees; matching RSP contributions (up to 2% of salary); new employee referral bonuses (to $10,000 for some positions); life & disability insurance.

 Rating: B+Health & Family-Friendly Benefits

OpenText's health and family benefits are rated as very good. The company's health benefits plan is managed by Standard Life. As part of the health plan, the employer pays 100% of the premiums. Employees who work 20 hours per week receive coverage. There is no waiting period before coverage begins. Family coverage is available on the health benefits plan. The basic plan includes routine dental; restorative dental; orthodontics; eyecare ($250 every 2 years); traditional medicine coverage; alternative medicine coverage; fertility treatment medications; employee assistance (EAP) plan; healthclub subsidy (to $320 each year); medical equipment and supplies; physiotherapy; massage therapy; travel insurance. OpenText's family friendly benefits include; maternity top-up payments (to 100% of salary for 19 weeks); parental leave top-up for new fathers (to 100% of salary for 2 weeks); health benefits during maternity and parental leave; extended unpaid parental leave option (beyond the first year); flexible working hours; shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay); compressed work week; telecommuting.

 Rating: B+Vacation & Personal Time-Off

OpenText's vacation and personal time-off are rated as very good. New employees receive 3 weeks of vacation allowance after their first year. Vacation increases after 2 years on the job. Long-serving employees receive a maximum of 4 weeks of vacation each year. During the Christmas to New Year's holiday break, employees receive an additional 3 days off. Employees can also apply for an unpaid leave of absence. (Vacation entitlements increase by one day each year, starting after their second year on the job, up to 4 weeks paid vacation).

 Rating: AEmployee Engagement

OpenText's employee engagement program is rated as above-average. Employees receive individual performance reviews every 6 months. Managers receive training in how to conduct effective performance reviews. Performance feedback is also solicited from co-workers and other managers familiar with each employee's work. Exit interviews are provided for departing employees. Throughout the year, the company recognizes exceptional employee performance through the "eCard" program that includes an electronic thank you card for a job well done, and the "Capture the Moment" program, which includes a monetary award (from $25 to $500) in recognition of their hard work. The company also recognizes its longest serving employees after every five years of service. OpenText sponsors its own in-house employee satisfaction survey. (Surveys are conducted every 6 months); OpenText hires an outside consultant to conduct confidential employee satisfaction and engagement surveys. (These surveys are held every 12 months).

 Rating: B+Training & Skills Development

OpenText's training and skills development program is rated as very good. Employees receive tuition subsidies for courses related to their position. (Employer pays up to $3,000 in subsidies). The company also supports ongoing employee development with subsidies for professional accreditations; career planning services; in-house training programs; online training programs; online employee skills inventory; new employee orientation program.

 Rating: ACommunity Involvement

OpenText's community involvement program is rated as above-average. Every year, the company and its employees direct their efforts in support of local, national and international charitable organizations, targeting four primary areas of support, including: education and innovation for global change; children and family; disaster relief; and the annual United Way campaign. Employees take part in the selection of charitable groups assisted each year. Employees receive paid time off to volunteer with their favourite charitable organizations. Approximately 14 charitable and community organizations were supported last year. In the past, the company and its employees have raised funds in support of flood relief in Pakistan, the Canadian Cancer Society, CARE Canada and CARE International, the Earth Day 20 Minute Makeover, the KidsAbility Centre for Child Development, Prostrate Cancer Canada's "Movember" mustache growing fundraiser, and the Grand River Hospital Foundation, to name a few.

This Employer Review has been viewed 46,244 times.
©2013 Mediacorp Canada Inc. All rights reserved. Used by Eluta with permission. For comments or questions on this employer review, please contact Mediacorp's editorial team.



   

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