'There's something about taking care of the people around you, that neighbourly spirit': Allison Corry on employee engagement amid U.S. threats
With Canadian pride surging in the media and Canadians showing their pride with “buy Canadian” initiatives, employers might be wondering if it’s time to inject some patriotism into their employee engagement strategies.
Although “show your pride” photo contests are fun and an easy way to engage around the moment, the HR head of one of Canada’s oldest and most recognized brands, Allison Corey, has advice for HR leaders: there are more substantial ways to tap into Canadian pride to increase engagement long term.
“It's a very interesting time in the world, and [it’s about] how you continue to let people show up as themselves, to work and create communities and build that sense of belonging,” she says.
“Where work is a safe place, a happy place, a motivating place for them to build relationships with one another, I think lean into that.”
Finding the pride: employee engagement that sticks
As a recent import to Canada herself, Corry recommends tapping into the “neighbourly spirit” she says she’s witnessed as uniquely Canadian.
“I think there's still something about taking care of the people around you,” she says. “That's something I've really noticed in living here.”
Admitting that encouraging Canadian pride is easy when the company in question is an age-old Canadian institution, Corry advises HR leaders to look around to their communities to tap into local regional spirit. For example, in addition to monetary donations to food banks in Canada, employees can volunteer at local food banks.
“I think that connection there, that support, that actually being out in your own neighbourhood, creates a deep connection,” she says.
“And the fact that the company is creating or enabling that opportunity, that also creates a sense of pride, in people contributing to their own Canadian neighbourhood, Canadian community.”
Through employee volunteering initiatives and other partnerships with local stakeholders, community pride can be grown organically, says Corry; the result of this long-term investment is increased sense of belonging and pride in the organization.
Celebrating wins increases company pride
To innovate beyond Canadian-centric pride initiatives, HR leaders can look to their own accomplishments for inspiration, because not everyone has a strong brand to point to or a local product to tout.
But even without a “made in Canada” angle, leaders can still find reasons to celebrate.
“It's tapping into what makes you great, to be able to celebrate that connection to Canada, whether it's through the product, whether it's through the role your team uniquely plays in a bigger company or a bigger picture,” she says.
“What are those significant moments or events or celebrations to lean into … for us, it's really about empowering our teams to be able to do that for what makes sense where they are.”
As an example of celebrating wins, Kraft Heinz scored a big win with a “Made by Canadians” Super Bowl 2025 ad that featured employees at work at Canadian plants. Beyond the obvious marketing opportunity, Corry describes how her team maximized the moment to create connection with employees: “One tiny piece of all that planning was also ‘How do we get out there on our communications?” she says.
“It's really fabulous to see our employees are starring in the show.”
Creating connection that resonates with Canadian communities
Relationship building with communities is important for building pride, Corry says, but employee relationship building is also a crucial part of the equation.
For example, again building on regional and local interests, she describes how a group of employees who work remotely in Alberta attended the Calgary Stampede together.
Such events, designed to increase engagement among remote and hybrid teams, are organized by employee committees dedicated to promoting belonging and wellbeing. The teams meet at least once a month, she says – “Sometimes it's more frequently.”
“They are based in the different sites across the country, and we talk about the different matters of employee engagement. How is collaboration? What does that teamwork feel like? Do you have a sense of belonging, both in your workspace and the wider company?”
Committees are focused on connecting remote workers with the experience of the rest of the company, Corry explains, including budgeting for those satellite employees to take part in volunteering, socializing and other events to promote a sense of community and belonging.
It’s this belonging and community building that Corry says is the cornerstone of pride in the workplace, with or without the patriotism.
“The most important thing is to spend time together, to get to know one another,” she says.
“Work gets done better when you know the people, when you're able to build those relationships. And sometimes having just that face time is really important, and we try to invest in that.”
