Culture Counts!

And in Guelph we are counting… no not reconciling taxes… but awards, as we are both proud and honoured to share that we are one of Canada’s 10 most admired corporate cultures for 2016 according to our friends at Waterstone Human Capital.

Hot on the heels of the November announcement of a third Best Small Medium Employers win, the team are reeling in the recent news. We often speak of the great things that come in threes; a hat trick, primary colours, the stooges…OK well maybe I’m off on the last one… but things aren’t off at RLB. For the third year in a row we have been recognized by Aon Hewitt as a winner of the top 50 Best Small and Medium Employers in Canada. This is the second year that RLB has “hit a homer” at the Platinum level, and is the only accounting firm to be recognized in this award category.

 

 

So what does it take?

Humbly each of us comes to work every day with the same core values in mind, being committed to collaboration, respect, passion, integrity, and building. And it certainly takes a “village to raise a child…”

We strive to build future leaders, by providing opportunities for formal and informal professional development, supporting the team through entrepreneurial initiatives such as building new client services and specializing in niche areas. Over half of our partners today started their careers as co-op students at RLB… many moons ago!

At RLB we have invested time to understand who we are as an organization and we’ve built a culture fuelled by team-oriented practical problem solvers. We use a well-rounded approach when hiring, looking for those who align not only with the technical capabilities of accounting but that personally live the same core values of our organization.

People like to stick around…

With a retention rate that far exceeds our industry norm, we pride ourselves on treating people as we would want to be treated. Reward and recognition is a valuable part of employee engagement and we try to think outside the box when celebrating team members… In fact, not just think outside the box, dance around the box and cover it in glitter!

Hard to believe this from an accounting firm?

Well drop on by our new Google inspired office! Whether it’s a meeting on a bean bag chair, the wide open work spaces, tax doodles on a smart board, or the IT team zooming along the corridor on a scooter… our goal is to provide a bright, innovative and collaborative environment for all. We strive to reward and take care of the hard work of all employees especially during the busy hours of tax season. The Fergus team will reassure you they are well fed with bagels for breakfast and catered meals for supper, as they work longer hours to meet critical deadlines. Visiting KW? Well you don’t have to head to the office to see them in action. The team are often found out and about extending the same care to our community because we truly believe that supporting our Community Counts.

 

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It’s each of these areas of focus that have led to RLB’s success, today representing a firm that employs over 130 people in three offices located in Guelph, Kitchener and Fergus. Proudly we have been recognized as one of Canada’s top 30 accounting firms, in terms of revenue, for the last 3 years. No small feat for a little old firm that originated in Guelph!

But just like any successful team this doesn’t happen overnight. As a 65 year old organization, we have continuously had to evolve and adapt by listening to the needs of our team, and truly understand what is important to them.

“If you don’t know where you’re going, how do you know when you get there?”

At RLB we have a clear vision; to tenaciously redefine our industry by shaping a legacy firm which provides access to a team valued for their expertise, innovation and positive impact

We believe it takes people and processes to create sustainable profitability and we start with the most important of those; great people. We believe that by inspiring a culture of thought leadership and innovation, without compromising local philanthropy, and social and environmental responsibility, our team, clients and community all benefit.

At RLB, people really do count!