Digital Research Alliance of Canada Attracts and Retains Top Talent with Pension Offering

Not-for-profit tackles talent attraction and retention challenges head-on

Industry: not-for-profit
Employer size: Less than 300 employees
Objective: talent attraction and retention

About The Digital Research Alliance of Canada

The Digital Research Alliance of Canada is a national not-for-profit organization, coordinating and funding activities in advanced research computing, data management, and software for a national digital research infrastructure. Its primary goal is to equip Canadian researchers with the necessary tools to conduct cutting edge research and drive innovation.

The Challenge

Luring Top Talent with Pension Security

The Alliance was concerned about attracting and retaining top talent in an extremely competitive hiring market. To remain on par with industry peers and public sector employers, The Alliance began actively pursuing a retirement savings plan.

Before engaging with CAAT Pension Plan, The Alliance did not have a retirement savings plan in place for its current or potential employees and saw supporting employees with a workplace pension plan as not only the right thing to do but a key part of their obligations as a Canadian employer.

The Solution

DBplus Meets Employer and Employee Needs

Being an innovative organization, The Alliance sought an equally innovative pension solution to enhance its overall compensation package, making it a more enticing employment prospect. The Alliance felt DBplus would offer employees valuable perks such as secure lifetime pensions, conditional inflation protection, early retirement options, and survivor benefits – all without the stress, risk, and time commitment associated with managing investments.

The Alliance was also looking for a solution to align with its business needs. Through DBplus, The Alliance could set its own contribution rates and no additional administration or management fees would be forthcoming. CAAT oversees the plan completely eliminating any pension-related balance sheet risks for the employer while providing ongoing support to ensure employee communication is simple, transparent, and aligned with The Alliance’s culture.

The Results

A Strong Presence in a Competitive Job Market

CAAT initially welcomed The Alliance’s 28 full-time employees to DBplus, bringing them closer to a secure retirement and potentially early retirement.

Implementing DBplus allowed The Alliance to position itself as a desirable employer, keeping pace with the competition by offering a highly coveted DB pension plan.

The Alliance was optimistic incorporating DBplus into its total compensation package would not only draw in top-tier talent but encourage them to stay longer term. This strategy has paid off and continued to support The Alliance’s talent management and growth objectives.

With DBplus, The Alliance enjoys cost certainty and fixed contribution rates while the majority of the administrative responsibilities are handled by CAAT.

Headshot of Taura Caroscio
“At The Alliance we aim to hire the best talent across Canada. Having CAAT’s DBplus as part of our total rewards offering has helped us level the playing field when it comes to competing for top talent in both the public and private sectors across the country. Offering a DB pension plan also demonstrates our commitment to our employees and their long-term financial wellness; simply put it’s the right thing to do for our employees.”
Taura Caroscio
Director of Human Resources,
Digital Research Alliance of Canada

Attraction and Retention

When it comes to attracting and retaining talent for smaller employers or non-profits, CAAT’s DBplus pension plan design helps organizations:

  • ✔Demonstrate a long-term commitment to employee wellness
  • ✔Enhance total rewards packages
  • ✔Remain competitive with the public sector and larger organizations currently offering the coveted and in-demand benefit of a DB pension
  • ✔Emerge as employers of choice for top talent

DBplus enables organizations across Canada to offer a world-class pension, giving employees what they want and need - at affordable contribution levels.

Upgrade your retirement. Great companies deserve a great pension.

Our Pension Solutions team is ready to assist you in making the transition to DBplus as smooth as possible, ensuring your employees benefit from a secure pension plan.

Fill out the form below to:

  • Book a 30-minute consultation
  • Request additional information
  • Learn how to join DBplus

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