LANGLEY, B.C. – First West Credit Union has been recognized as a leading employer in Canada. Waterstone Human Capital named the British Columbia-based credit union as one of the winners of their “Canada’s Most Admired™ Corporate Culture awards for 2023. The prestigious award recognizes Canadian organizations that strive to build and enhance corporate cultures that drive performance.
The credit union’s chief people and culture officer, Liz Bailey-Connor, lauded First West’s belief in the value of diversity and compassion.
“We’ve seen firsthand that creating and nurturing a workplace where no one gets left behind, where everyone can elevate their careers while being their authentic selves builds a healthy organization, in all aspects,” said Bailey-Connor.
She also noted the pivotal role of the credit union’s employees in building the culture. “This award reflects each and every one of our team members—they’re the ones that seize the leadership team’s vision and then take the lead, building off the vision with ideas and plans for taking our culture to the next level, making it something extraordinary.”
With its win, First West joins the company of past Canada’s Most Admired™ Corporate Culture winners who are familiar names in households across Canada.
“Why our culture is so compelling is that everything we do, individually and together, is anchored in purpose,” said Launi Skinner, First West’s chief executive officer. “We’ve not only cultivated an organization that rallies around a purpose of helping members and communities thrive, but one where employees’ can live out their personal sense of purpose in tandem with our shared purpose of thriving members and communities.”
Earlier this year, First West also earned Canadian Occupational Safety’s 5-Star Psychological Safety Award, partly due to its focus on strengthening employee well-being through improved mental and physical health supports.