Clio Recognized as Canada's Top 100 Employers
November 12, 2021
The award celebrates employers offering the nation’s best workplaces and programs that focus on intentional and meaningful connection—and Clio is topping the chart.
This post is authored by Sarah Bettencourt, Chief People Officer at Clio
At Clio, we consistently put our employees first and have built a culture of deliberate development, opportunity, belonging, growth and collaboration that has earned us recognition as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. For over two decades, Canada’s Top 100 Employers has recognized employers with exceptional human resources programs and forward-thinking workplace policies. This year’s list of the nation’s top employers had one belief in common: human connection is what will define workplaces of the future—and Clio is leading the way.
We are human and high-performing
Humans are inherently a heart and mind species. They thrive on building connections whether with fellow employees or the company they work for. We refuse to compromise on being both human and high-performing—at Clio, every decision we make takes both into account. We hold ourselves to aiming higher and achieving more, without sacrificing what it means to be our authentic selves, at work and at home.
We take time to make meaningful connections
Without being in person, it is harder for employees to make connections, that’s why we focus on building meaningful connections. We take time to get to know each other beyond the work we do. We believe relationships are the foundation of high-performing teams, so we carve out time to connect personally with our team and colleagues, we show we care for each other on a human level, and we put effort into understanding each other’s different experiences. We’re apart and we’re connected more than ever. More than just virtual meetings, we take the time to meaningfully connect with our fellow Clions. And we offer regularly scheduled company all-hands, cross-department mingles, employee-led resource groups, special events and a very lively Slack community where we talk about a plethora of topics.
We don’t believe in a one size fits all approach to work
The pandemic has inherently changed the way we work, as the hybrid work environment will be the reality for most businesses and employees. But it’s important to remember that not everyone thrives at home, but for many getting into the office every day is prohibitively taxing–it’s all about creating balance and flexibility for every Clion.
We are embracing a new world of working that is more inclusive and comprehensive of employee and organizational needs for flexibility, which we call Distributed by Design. Under this mandate, we are designed to operate with a fully remote workforce, supported by world-class physical offices in hubs within key tech centers: Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Dublin. Some employees will choose to return to the office full time, others more casually, and some will choose to remain remote. Our goal is to continue to invest in best-in-class tools, technology, and culture to ensure our team members are able to do their best work whether they prefer to work from an office or remotely.
We believe that purpose is the intersection of passion and skill
What we do every day at Clio matters, in the truest sense of the word. The law is the operating system of society, and we fundamentally believe this to be true. Clio is part of the legal ecosystem and one of the tools that help those who have dedicated their lives to serving and making a meaningful impact on someone’s life.
Over the last year, we have narrowed in on evolving our why–our purpose. To better support the permanent changes experienced as a global community in 2020, we expanded our mandate to include how society engages with, delivers, and experiences legal services. As of March 2021, our mission is to transform the legal experience for all. Our new mission encompasses every stakeholder within the legal and judicial systems—from legal professionals to legal organizations, clients, and consumers.
It’s more than improving our software products; it’s about the larger impact we can have on the legal experience, and increasing access to justice is a major component of that. We do this by being intentional about developing our cloud-based technology and leading with our client-centered mindset, thinking through all of the touchpoints where we can have an impact. We hold our why at the centre of everything we do–and how we do it–and look to overlap our passion with our skill sets.
That’s Clio’s passion. But we also encourage Clions to find what fuels them and focus on where their passions and skills intersect. For some of us, career development gives meaning; for others it may be our work relationships, innovating or serving people in need. Either way, we create a culture where all Clions are supported in their purpose, which ultimately enables us all to do meaningful work and help transform the legal experience for all.
We know employees are not looking for the wild perks anymore, they’re looking for flexibility
If there’s one positive thing that has come out of the pandemic it’s the fact that companies have learned that flexible work environments are not only possible but productive. This change has ushered in a new era of work that is more inclusive and comprehensive of #TeamClio’s needs.
At Clio, success is measured by impact, not by hours at a desk. With that in mind, work location–office or otherwise–is less important if employees are delivering successful outcomes for our business and their professional development. We encourage employees to work in an environment that enables them to do the best work of their careers. Whether that’s in a hub location, or from home, we’re empowering our team to make decisions that suit their work styles, while also providing them with the flexibility to care for family and loved ones.
We believe that a diverse, inclusive team will create a better, more equal tomorrow
To best honour our mission to transform the legal experience for all, our foundation–our people and culture–need to authentically reflect it. We proudly foster a culture of diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging and continue to intentionally build our team, ensuring we have varying perspectives, share different skills, and come from a range of backgrounds and experiences.
We strive to be an anti-racist organization. We use ‘strive’ intentionally because we know there is no end state to this goal; rather, it represents our ongoing commitment to continuously become a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable company. Being a leader in technology and a pioneer in legaltech, means that we have an added responsibility to set the tone for the next generation—and to help ensure that the technology shaping legal experiences is also serving the greater good. We proudly take this stance and are committed to using our platforms to elevate this conversation.
We thrive as #TeamClio by collaborating and continuing to live out our mission, ensuring our culture flows through everything we do–guiding our team interactions, customer experience and empowering us to fuel innovation to do the best work of our careers. In the next 5, 10, and 100 years, we will continue to gain momentum and redefine what it means to work for a successful high-growth company without losing sight of what it means to be human. Together, we can raise the bar, challenge each other, and grow together. Join us at clio.com/careers.
Sarah Bettencourt is the Chief People Officer at Clio. Previously holding C-suite positions at Lightspeed and PointClickCare, she brings over 20 years of transformational, people-first experience to technology/SaaS businesses. Sarah has been honored with numerous awards including Female Business Leader of the Year and Female Executive of the Year, and started her career working in a Toronto law firm. She is also an advisor for high-growth tech companies, helping them grow and lead through their talent strategy and determine the best way to create the right culture through key initiatives. When she isn’t running between soccer and tennis tournaments, she can be found travelling and enjoying the great outdoors.