Each year, Ottawa Business Journal recognizes the region’s top workplaces through its annual Best Places to Work program.
There is no single formula for building a top-tier workplace. From navigating the return-to-office debate to scaling AI efficiency and preserving human connection during rapid expansion, Ottawa’s business leaders face radically different operational choices.
In this special collection, five participants from the 2026 Best Places to Work program provide an inside look at the practices shaping their employee experience.
Featured Employer Profiles
Bushbalm: How Bushbalm grounds its e-commerce expansion in personal connection
Jennings Real Estate: Building value through collaboration and solutions
Knak: How Knak is turning AI efficiency into innovation
Kongsberg Geospatial: Coding for NATO, caring for Ottawa
LiveWorkPlay: How LiveWorkPlay rebuilt the non-profit workplace around human value
About the Program & Methodology
Best Places to Work is an annual assessment program organized by Ottawa Business Journal.
Participating organizations undergo a rigorous two-part evaluation process administered by Workforce Research Group, an independent research firm. The process combines an in-depth assessment of corporate policies, workplace practices and benefits with an anonymous employee engagement survey. Combined reporting provides local employers with actionable data on leadership performance, workplace culture and job satisfaction.
Read the complete editorial feature in the September edition of Ottawa Business Journal, and explore all 20 of Ottawa’s top-ranked workplaces.
