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a 22 saturday feb 9 2002 economist sun stouffville tribune laurie mcrae vicepresident of human resources and organizational development with insystems in markham says a relaxed environment is encouraged at insystems dress is informal and there are lounges and game tables where staff can relax and interact away from work stations job satisfaction and recognition not money are prime employee motivators expert says bringing home the bacon by jeff mitchell staff writer do you really like your job or is it just a means of bringing home the bacon employees opinions on those questions could mean the difference bqrween a contented productive workforce or a dispiritr ed and grumpy staff workers today want careers that challenge and interest them as well as the security of knowing they play a valuable role in their companys success and that they and their contributions are valued said john walby of the community business access centre the cbac a nonprofit organi zation associated with human resources development canada helps new and existing businesses access information and services to aid in their development the office has been involved in the startup of hundreds of companies in york region mr walby said making the effort to build an enthusiastic and moti vated workforce is as important as meeting customer demands and balancing the books each month providing a suitable comfort able work environment rewarding success and keeping open lines of communication between manage ment and staff are among the ele ments that contribute to a positive workforce he said building a strong and cohesive team begins during the hiring process mr walby said it is impor tant to find the person who pos sesses the necessary skills knowl edge and education but thats not all prospective employees should be screened for a positive mental attitude that will figure in their workplace suitability adaptability and acceptability he said the really successful business es are looking format attitude mr walby said not only do you need a person with the right skills they have to fit the environment youve already got because that can be upset quickly that quest for compatibility works both ways according to laurie mcrae vicepresident of human resources and organiza tional development with insystems a hightech firm based in markham ultimately the single biggest measure of whether employees are productive and happy is company results she said the hiring process should be a getacquainted session between the company and a prospective worker during which both parties define their goals arid expectations our job in human resources is obviously to screen but also to present insystems as an attractive place to come and work she said we do everything in our power to set people up for success part of the interview process involves candidates talking with their peers the people with whom theyll be working and interacting on a daily basis after theyre hired new staffers go through an exten sive orientation process that further familiarizes them with the compa ny as well as the industry and the clientele insystems deals exten sively with the insurance arid finan cial services industry providing e- business solutions to whom theyll be supplying services the goalis to provide workers with a clear definition of the com panys goals and targets and the role employees play in helping achieve them she said that way both staff and management have a clear gauge of workers success its all about setting targets and measuring performance against goals ms mcrae said in a sense employees become selfmanag ing because a team approach is required employees are encpurr aged to spend timegetting to know one another to that end a relaxed environment is encouraged at insystems dress is informal and tliere are lounges and game tables where staff can relax and interact away from work stations were not runriing a boot camp its a freeflowing environment where people cari be creative ms mcrae said the company has developed what it calls a total reward policy a variety of benefits mat come with employment among them are competitive salaries and incentives opportunities for trainirig and career advancement attractive group benefits and an environment in which staff is encouraged to socialize and bond the result at insystems is a workforce that is loyal motivated and goaloriented she said ultimately the single biggest measure of whether employees are productive and happy is company results and insystems has a long track record of success ms mcrae said another telling statistic she said see investing page 23 s patrobinson inc trustee in bankruptcy call for a free personal discussion help with creditor problems proposal to creditors pat robinson trustee personal business bankruptcy aurora 15105 yonge st 201 atchutch 9057272577 richmond hill 9555 yongest 401 aiwddrick 905 5089493 toronto north 45 sheppard ave e 20 1 aiyongc 4l6 4106648 toronto downtown 150 york st 800 at adelaide 4l6 4106648 toll free 18777272577 jeniajl patpalrobjnsqn x v markville secondary school grade 8 information night wednesday february 13 2002 700 900 pm grade 10 11 information night thursday february 21 2002 700 900 pm this evening will be of special interest to parents and students who live in the trjipflgattenancs hmk t t v vw a journey to kabul doug pritchard of christian peacemaker teams toronto explores the role of hon- violent action in afghanistan pakistan after his recent visit to that region at the cafe maison in the cornell community of markham 730 pm on wed feb 13 sponsored by rouge valley mennonite church l