Tell us a little bit about yourself, your role in your business and about your company.
My name is Casey Collins, I am the CEO of Prairie Meats. At Prairie meats we provide meal solutions for our customers, whether that is through our 6 retail location or by servicing one of the many local restaurants, hotels or catering companies across the province.
My name is Joanne Ubell and I have been the HR Manager at Prairie Meats LP for close to 6 years. Prairie Meats LP is a Saskatchewan based company that provides high quality retail and food service products throughout the province. We pride ourselves in offering challenging and rewarding careers where employees are able to focus on quality, customer service and teamwork. We have 8 locations within 3 cities with a total of approximately 165 employees at any one time. In Saskatoon, we have 3 retail stores and 1 production plant/distribution warehouse. In Prince Albert, we have a retail store and a smaller production/distribution location and in Regina we have 2 retail stores with one of these having a transfer dock.
What is your company’s philosophy on Total Rewards?
Casey: We believe that its our responsibility to help our people in all aspects of their lives . This includes benefits, RSP’s and many things in between.
Joanne: We want to ensure that our team and their family are looked after wherever we can assist. We understand that the needs of each person are different so we have been working to tailor our Total Rewards Program to find something that is beneficial for everyone. In the last couple of years, we have been reviewing our benefit offering using input from our team. As part of our retention strategy and our way of recognizing the dedication of our full-time employees, we have recently introduced a health spending account and a matching RRSP Pension Plan.
Describe your culture. Why is your company a great place to work?
Casey: Our culture is based on the integrity of our people, driven by teamwork. Prairie meats is a great place to work because of the passion, focus and drive of our people.
Joanne: Prairie Meats LP started as a family-owned business. Although the ownership has changed, we still have a culture built on family values. The people on our team are unbelievably caring, dedicated and hard working and being part of that team is what makes this such a great place to work. During the past couple of years, we have been working to ensure our employees are empowered, have the tools and resources they need to be successful, and have a safe environment where they they contribute their ideas and opinions. In the last couple of years, I have seen so much growth and excitement for the future in even some of our team members that have been here for over 30 years. There is endless potential if you can keep that momentum going and that is why we are so focused on our entire Total Rewards package.
What is something you are proud of about your company?
Casey: I am very proud of our involvement in the community. Giving back to the communities where we live and operate our business is very important to Prairie Meats.
Joanne: The advancements and positive change that has occurred over the past couple of years has been incredible. When faced with the uncertainty and challenges of the pandemic, our team rose above, quickly adapted and came together to ensure our continued success. Although we are spread out among 3 cities, we found means during the pandemic to improve our communication throughout the company. It is through this improved communication that we are finding ways to support our employees and their families in a more holistic way.
Why does your benefits & pension plan matter? What’s the impact to your business?
Casey: It’s important to have benefits and a pension plan in place to help our employees look after their families. The impact on our business is creating an environment where people can stay with us long term and raise their families.
Joanne: The people are the core of our success. If we don’t look after our people, it would be hard for them to stay engaged or want to build longevity in the company. We want our employees to make Prairie Meats their career choice.
What is your most creative/ unique reward or favourite workplace benefit?
Casey: My favourite reward of working with Prairie meats is our staff discount. Having the ability to choose from so many products and receive them at a discount is great. It provides our staff the opportunity to have economical access to a wonderful variety of quality products.
Joanne: Prairie Meats LP offers an amazing staff discount to their employees. We want to provide them with an opportunity to feed themselves and families while saving a bit in their pocketbook. Through trying our products, they become our best brand ambassadors. Although our Health Spending Account is relatively new, I think it is becoming another favourite workplace benefit.
What advice would you have for other successful growing Saskatchewan companies in recruiting, rewarding and retaining top talent?
Casey: People are the foundation of any great business, and we must never take that lightly. Making sure you listen to your employees needs, as this will help you find the best balance in your benefits plan.
Joanne: My advice would be to really listen to the input from the team and make changes where possible to make their work experience positive. Some of our best employees have come to us through employee referrals. The wages offered does come into play when people apply for a position but I feel that when you can provide more than just a decent wage, you will get more from the people you hire and they will want to stay. Most people want to belong to an organization where they feel cared for, where there is room for advancement if they want it, and where management actually listen and hear their concerns.