United Kingdom, 02 April 2014

CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB) has been certified as a 2014 European Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute. This certification is awarded only to organisations that receive local certification in more than five countries in a specific region. CGI’s European certified operations are the UK, France, Germany, Belgium and Finland.

A comprehensive, independent research study found that CGI provides exceptional working conditions for its professionals, nurturing and developing talent at all levels of the company. CGI also demonstrates outstanding HR leadership. The certification recognises CGI’s strong commitment to its members and its company dream, which embodies the core principles of work enjoyment and company ownership.

“We are delighted to receive this award and to be recognised for the collaborative and progressive working environment we strive to create for our members,” said Joao Baptista, CGI’s president for Nordics, Southern Europe and South Americas. “We refer to our professionals as ‘members’ because anyone who joins our team is invited to become a company owner and shareholder through our share purchase plan. Our members also benefit from CGI’s Constitution, which outlines our dream of creating an environment in which we enjoy working together and, as owners, contribute to building a company we can be proud of.“

CGI’s certification resulted from a stringent assessment process that included an international best practices survey and an internal audit of CGI’s compliance with required standards established across five European markets. CGI excelled in the following compulsory employee-focused criteria:

  • Primary benefits
  • Secondary benefits and working conditions
  • Career development
  • Cultural management

Based in the Netherlands, The Top Employers Institute is an independent organisation that awards Top Employers certification to employers worldwide based on their employee offerings and compliance with international standards. It recognises the achievement of optimum employee conditions that drive personal and professional development, which, in turn, drive business growth.

About Top Employers
The Top Employers Certification Programme is an objective, internationally applicable HR policy audit through which leading national and multinational organisations across 45 countries are certified. The research programme begins with each participating organisation completing the HR Benchmark survey. This is followed by a rigorous audit, conducted by international audit firm Grant Thornton, into the quality and depth of the research completed and certification scoring application by the CRF Institute. The research programme ends with a Certification in which the Top Employers in each country are recognised and awarded; before comparative HR insight is provided back to all participants (not only Top Employer certified organisations). The insight is designed to assist the HR executive in improving the employee experience, engagement and attraction goals. The programme scores each participating organisation against an objective rating standard across the five HR dimensions: Primary Benefits, Secondary Benefits and Working Conditions, Training and Development, Career Development and Company Culture. The research methodology has been endorsed by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, which found the global Top Employers survey to be a 100% reliable measurement of HR excellence.

About the Top Employers Institute
The Top Employers Institute is the organisation behind the international Top Employers projects. Over the past twenty years, the Top Employers Institute has developed its proprietary research methodology which is endorsed by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and audited annually by the independent auditor Grant Thornton. The Top Employers Institute's Head Office is in Amsterdam.

About CGI
Founded in 1976, CGI Group Inc. is the fifth largest independent information technology and business process services firm in the world. Approximately 68,000 professionals serve thousands of global clients from offices and delivery centers across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific, leveraging a comprehensive portfolio of services including high-end business and IT consulting, systems integration, application development and maintenance, infrastructure management as well as a wide range of proprietary solutions. With annualized revenue in excess of C$10 billion and an order backlog exceeding C$19 billion, CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Website: www.cgi.com.