Building trust within the team is key to business improvement, according to Joseph Gillett, Senior Manager of Business Performance at Maximus Canada Employment Services (MCES). 

Faced with the challenge of acquiring and integrating a company and its staff, MCES needed a seasoned technology leader and change manager. In November 2020, Joseph moved from his position as Employment Services manager and took on the new role. That challenge was compounded only a few months later as the coronavirus pandemic took hold, suspending in-person services for many weeks.

Coming from a background in information technology and focusing on process improvement, Joseph led the effort to start streamlining and centralizing services while strengthening virtual delivery. 

“Our focus is on making sure team leaders have the ability to deliver services to the client, which means they spend less time on administration,” says Joseph. Serving clients through the pandemic meant making a rapid pivot to on-screen meetings, texts, and phone calls. MCES also enhanced a client-facing proprietary database called CareerConnect. 

“The platform needs to be as usable and accessible as possible, says Joseph. “Populating the material is a huge endeavor and a collective effort. We are continually adjusting and improving the platform to meet client expectations.”

Reviewing the last 18 months, Joseph says, “It's always a nice moment when you're talking to the team and they tell you what their doubts were - in the past tense. People didn't know what virtual delivery was going to look like. Now we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.” 

"We're really proud of the work we can do for clients now, and our intent is to bring the best practices forward.” 

Looking to the future, Joseph is excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. “I get quite motivated when I see our influence in the policies and new mechanisms that the Ministry is putting in place for clients. The government is thinking of post-COVID recovery. The work we have been doing puts us at the forefront. When it comes to returning people to the labour market, we’re the essential workers of the post-pandemic environment.”

Scott Sherwood, Director of Strategy & Community Engagement at MCES, has this to say about Joseph Gillett: “Joseph has been a driving force behind developing our employment services business performance team, with a valuable ability to develop and implement strategies that focus on continuous improvement. Thanks to his work, Maximus Canada is solidly on the path to becoming the country’s leading employment service provider.”