ECO CANADA HR Best Practices Report.pdf · ECO Canada would like to thank the following organizations for their participation and ... and molding staff to be ... personality and skills

Creating Workplace CultureEnvironmental HR Practices Inspiring Employee Engagement

Environmental Careers Organization

ECO CANADA

2012

ECO Canada’s HR BEst PRaCtICEs REPORt

ECO Canada’s HR Best Practices Report

2 E C O C a n a d a H R B E s t P R a C I t I C E s 3

IntroductionECO Canada’s HR Best Practices report highlights some of the most innovative HR strategies used by Canadian

environmental organizations. Categorized according to eight HR practice areas, this report shares the

remarkable practices that are allowing organizations to attract, motivate, engage and retain the top talent

needed to successfully meet strategic goals and attain long-term profitability.

these types of innovative practices will be crucial as organizations prepare for the retirement of the baby

boomer generation and struggle to retain top talent in a competitive industry.

While the practices featured in report are not one size fits all solutions to HR issues, they can be regarded

as innovative techniques that take into consideration employee engagement and corporate culture while

supporting the core values and business unique objectives of the organization.

Featured Companies Committed to ongoing HR excellence and improvement, the organizations profiled in this report were selected

based on management essays which showcased the innovative HR practices that set them apart from other

Environmental organizations.

ECO Canada would like to thank the following organizations for their participation and contribution in sharing

their Human Resources practices:

RWdI

EcoMetrix Inc.

Fielding Chemical technologies Inc.

Matrix solutions Inc.

Inside Education

summit Liability solutions Inc.

sims Recycling solutions

Paragon soil & Environmental Consulting

H2Flow Equipment Inc.

Green Calgary

aquatera Utilities Inc.

trace associates Inc.

transfert Environnement

sEnEs Consultants Limited

Cambria Gordon Ltd.

EsaK Consulting Inc.

Cambium Environmental Inc.

stratos Inc.

aEt Group Inc.

Intrinsik Environmental sciences Inc.

the delphi Group

terex Environmental Group Inc.

WEsa Group

northWind Land Resources Inc.

natural Resource solutions Inc.

LEPs

terrapex Environmental Ltd.

sustainalytics

EdI Environmental dynamics Inc.

table of Contents06 staffing, Recruitment, Retention

08 training and development

12 Communication

16 Performance Management

18 Compensation and Benefits

20 Culture and Engagement

24 Rewards and Recognition

26 Corporate social Responsibility

28 Miscellaneous


staffing, Recruitment, Retention

“We bring the same emphasis on individual growth

to our innovative, structured internship program

that attracts excellent recent Masters Graduates

and seasoned professionals to learn about the

work we do at stratos. Our internship program has

matured and evolved into a core component of our

recruitment program - providing us with additional

flexible resourcing and a high quality funnel for new

employees and interns with skills and experience to

leapfrog into a highly competitive job market.”

S T R AT O S I N C .

“the most significant challenge that trace faces is

finding the ideal employee to join the team. It is of

utmost importance for trace to maintain its culture,

and just “finding a warm body” is not acceptable. We

are under continuous pressure to fill new positions

and find that many acceptable candidates for the role

are being hired by industry rather than staying in the

consulting field. this makes it extremely challenging

to fill those positions. We meet this challenge by

welcoming all levels and types of people in the

recruitment process and then only hiring a candidate

if the recruitment team for that position is in

100% agreement that the person is a great fit for us

and that we will be a great fit for them.”

T R A C e A S S O C I AT e S I N C . “We have a good part of our group that has made

H2flow their home for many years. the average

tenure for all employees is 7 years.”

H 2 F L O W e Q U I P M e N T I N C .

“One of the more notable current opportunities is

the international work experience available for staff

in water and sanitation programs in El salvador.

this works provides significant retention incentive

for staff who are looking for a new and different

challenge within the environmental field. It is viewed

by staff as being work for ‘the heart’ and is particularly

attractive to the young generations at WEsa as well

as the more seasoned staff.”

W e S A G R O U P

“LEPs provides a rich environment with dynamic

projects to assist students and graduates utilize their

knowledge and experience, and practice and master

their employability skills in the fields of agriculture,

education and environmental conservation. Potential

employees are generally attracted to LEPs due to our

action-oriented, hands on projects and extensive

involvement in community stewardship. LEPs tends

to attract young professionals with a strong interest

in environmental sustainability who want to put

their skills to use and truly “be the change they want

to see in the world.”

L e P S


staffing, Recruitment, Retention

“some of aEt’s greatest success stories relative to

HR include opportunities for recent graduates; high

employee retention; and molding staff to be highly

skilled. aEt has always been a strong supporter

of the local University and College Co-operative

Education Programs. We currently have partnerships

with the University of Waterloo, University of Guelph,

Conestoga College and niagara College. as our

company is a youthful company, we provide numerous

opportunities for students in environmentally related

fields of study to gain first-hand experience in the

environmental industry. a number of our co-op

students have been offered positions with our

company upon graduation. additionally, we often

provide opportunities for recent graduates (either on

contract or full-time employment).”

A e T G R O U P I N C .

“We are located in the middle of alberta’s oil patch.

although “the patch” pays bigger money, we find we

have little difficulty recruiting former oil industry

employees because we offer a superior lifestyle. Most

aquatera people work regular work weeks, have

supper with their families and sleep in their own beds

every night. they have security and predictability and

can plan for the future.”

A Q U AT e R A U T I L I T I e S I N C .

“Knowing that our staff have opportunities for

growth is important, so we make a point of hiring

recent graduates who can be provided with lots of

opportunity for learning and career advancement

within our group. “

T e R e x e N v I R O N M e N TA L G R O U P

“Our team is relatively young, highly engaged and

at the top of their field. Many of our summer students

subsequently graduate to full-time positions with the

company and the early months are a time to focus

on professionalism, skills and “corporate fit”. Beyond

this initial period new employees are mentored and

trained by more experienced professionals and given

the opportunity to work on diverse projects. this

enables them to discover their likes and strengths and

thus perform their best, while being shown Paragon’s

way and ultimately embracing our core values.”

P A R A G O N S O I L A N d e N v I R O N M e N TA L C O N S U LT I N G

“WEsa’s success comes from our philosophy to

“build” not “buy” our employees. In recruiting, we

look for bright, young professionals who have the

personality and skills to grow within the organization

and become part of the WEsa family.”

W e S A G R O U P

“We have learned to be creative in the way we recruit.

For example, after a couple years of discussion with

a prospective employee from a big city, we offered

him a 6 month “trial/transition” period. this involved

company paid airfare to and from his home city every

2 weeks, as well as a week-long expenses paid trip

for him and his family for them to evaluate their fit

in the community. the employee has been one of our

senior staff for over 4 years.”

C A M B R I A G O R d O N LT d .


training and development

“soft skills are crucial to our employees’ success so

we provide them with a series of soft skill courses

called Career Builders. Career Builder topics range

from building trust to effective communication to

diversity to time management to leadership.”

M AT R I x S O L U T I O N S I N C .

“Our employees are provided the opportunity for

continual professional development through skills

training, accreditations and participating in industry

associations. aEt not only encourages all staff to

achieve certifications but will cover the initial cost

of the application including all renewal charges.

as a recognized supporter and promoter of the

EP designation, aEt has taken over 10 employees

through the EP designation (8 EP’s and 2 EPt)

including 2 EP(CEa) and 1 EP(EMsLa). aEt is unique

in that we have five certified professionals (EP-Waste

Management), which has enabled us to complete

over 700 waste studies across Canada. aEt is looked

at as a leader in this field.”


“summit’s biggest employee engagement effort is

the University of summit. Each year, summit gathers

the team from across north america for our in-house

training and development conference. the University

of summit is an intense 3 day event where we share

Industry and Company trends and knowledge as well

as get to know our fellow summit colleagues. this is

the true demonstration of the Work Hard, Play Hard

culture.”

S U M M I T L I A B I L I T y S O L U T I O N S I N C .

“In 2008, we launched what we call the stratos

academy. Our unique training academy focuses on

skill and knowledge development related to topics

identified as important to our staff and our business.

We continue to grow the syllabus of the academy -

building more tailored courses to meet our learning

needs. We apply adult education and growth

strategies to course development, ensuring there

is a shared and interactive learning approach for

all team members. the uniqueness of this program

is that it involves all employees, from the seasoned

consultant to the new, junior employees. the learning

comes from the questions and experiences of the

less experienced to the real-life experiences of the

seasoned professionals. It is also attended cross

functionally to ensure all employees benefit from the

program.”


“Mentoring is an important aspect of our

professional development program. Our senior staff

are recognized leaders within their respective fields

of expertise. Most senior staff hold advanced degrees

at either the Masters or doctorate level, and all have

many years of experience working on a diversity

of complex assignments. they have much to offer

to junior and intermediate staff. to facilitate this

transfer of knowledge, senior staff are responsible

for the professional development of one or two

junior/intermediate staff. this ratio provides ample

opportunity for interaction. In most cases, staff

develop rapidly and are able to progressively learn

new skills and take on greater responsibility.”

e C O M e T R I x I N C .


training and development

“We have a tradition of holding training days each

april. during this week, we bring all of our employees

together for training, networking, and team building.

training days is a combination of classroom, field,

and hands-on experience courses designed to address

specific training needs, have them practice skills and

educate our employees about the different facets of

the business. training days is capped off by a paid

fun day of team building in Banff with a variety of

activities such as skiing, hiking, or a trip to the spa.”


“Inside Education has a vibrant learning culture,

where knowledge sharing and continuous learning

are intrinsic to the organization. this is our strongest

organizational asset and human resources advantage.

We offer our employees unparalleled professional

development opportunities. Our employees’

perspectives are broadened by the wide variety of

experiences we provide them on the job: visiting a

wind turbine operation; flying over the oil sands;

floating down a river on a raft; walking a forest trail;

or hearing presentations from experts in government,

industry, aboriginal and environmental groups. In a

more structured learning environment, they might

be attending a management seminar, technology

workshop, conference, or scientific lecture. they are

also encouraged to seek out learning opportunities

not only for themselves, but also for their colleagues.

Last year we developed an innovative benefit called

the Learning & Wellness allowance, which provides

a designated annual amount for each employee to

self-identify and pursue learning opportunities on

their own initiative. this is in addition to the financial

support Inside Education provides in assigned or

directed learning and mentoring.”

I N S I d e e d U C AT I O N

“trace provides internal and external training based

on four structured curriculums: 1) High Performance

skills; 2) High Performance Leadership; 3) technical

advancement; and 4) Company Orientations and

Essentials. training is paid for by trace, available to

all staff, and is only offered during business hours.

In addition, each employee is allocated an annual

professional development and training budget that

they can work with their manager and technical

mentor to spend accordingly.”

T R A C e A S S O C I AT e S I N C .

“We want to create an environment where individuals

are encouraged to reach their potential. this is done

by paying for continuing education through our

Education assistance Program (up to $2000/year for

all employees to take continuous education); and by

providing continuous training for all employees to

help them develop and grow. We also take this 1 step

further by investing in the development and growth

in not only our employees, but our employees’

children who are getting ready to or are attending

University by awarding a $1500.00 scholarship

program through our parent company.”“Over the last couple of years, we have worked to

build Matrixskills, a catalogue of courses designed by

our technical staff. through Matrixskills, employees

can take skills courses from basic through to senior

level courses. By developing in-house courses and

sourcing appropriate outside courses, we increase

access to training, maximize our training dollars, and,

ultimately, develop a more successful workforce by

providing access to courses that are highly relevant.”

S I M S R e C y C L I N G S O L U T I O N S



Communication

“We have a pretty fast-paced work environment

with many program commitments, and so we need

to share a great deal of information with each

other. We also want to bridge the geography of

two offices, along with staff who travel frequently

and others who work from home. We keep the lines

of communication flowing freely, and help staff

feel connected and informed with team meetings,

and by taking full advantage of video calls, instant

messenger, weekly story and staff photo blogs, and

other creative solutions.”


“We involve all staff in the strategic planning of our

company. We communicate our plan to the staff and

report back to them quarterly on our performance;

conveying what is needed in the coming months to

meet that plan. Key strategic clients are also involved

in the development of this plan via interviews.

the president of trace summarizes the business

performance of the entire company monthly and

shares this information with all staff. Included in this

information is a brief analysis of why we performed

the way we did and what we should focus on in the

coming month.”

“We want our staff to feel empowered, that what

they do and the decisions they make not only

contribute towards meeting our goals, but that

their decisions matter. We see this empowerment

developing as more and more employees speak up

at health and safety meetings to identify areas for

improvements; we find more and more suggestions

in the suggestion box each month (that we in turn

address at monthly meetings); we see rumors being

anonymously questioned through a rumor box. We

discuss and share all of the rumors as a group every

month in a public manner.”


S I M S R e C y C L I N G S O L U T I O N S .

“the entire company receives most communication

from management in face to face sessions (instead

of email). these communications consist of weekly

team meetings and quarterly “state of the company”

presentations. the quarterly presentations include a

comprehensive summary of the previous quarter’s

performance compared to our strategic plan and

also outline what the next quarter and annual plan

will be.“


“With all the information and ideas we are exposed

to, employees also share and learn from each other.

staff have the opportunity to ‘team teach’ by leading

internal professional development sessions, sharing

knowledge and facilitating group discussions.

Collaboration is promoted through team-building

activities, team projects, social gatherings, open

internal communication channels, and physical

workspaces that lend themselves to collaboration.”


“sEnEs is unique in that it is run under a “flat

management” structure, with virtually all staff

working in a team environment. all senior staff are

involved on a day-to-day basis with servicing our

clients and working hand-in-hand with more junior

staff in fulfilling the needs of our clients. Furthermore,

an open door policy allows mentoring to occur on

a continual basis. this fosters the professional/

technical growth of staff and their participation in

the daily work of the company. We believe that this

encouragement of on-going, continuous interactions

amongst all levels of staff is one aspect of our HR

management that distinguishes sEnEs from other

companies.”

S e N e S C O N S U LTA N T S L I M I T e d


Communication

“We believe in constant communication. this is

demonstrated through weekly one-on-ones between

staff and their direct reports; monthly roundtables

where delphites across the country meet in person

and on the phone to go over policies, procedures,

new projects and to celebrate accomplishments;

quarterly team breakfasts, lunch with the CEO and

senior Manager meetings; weekly touch points with

all offices to gain input on critical issues; and bi-

annual company advances where all delphites are

brought together to touch base, participate in team-

building activities and discuss strategic priorities.

these activities engage staff and reinforce our

collaborative approach, while gaining their insight

and comments on critical operational and strategic

issues. this helps develop a clear path and activities

that all employees buy into and support, thereby

increasing productivity and performance.”

T H e d e L P H I G R O U P

“Every month, we hold a communication meeting

to share important human resources information

and give all of the employees the opportunity to ask

questions. We encourage suggestions, comments,

and open dialogue during these meetings to ensure

a continued focus on positive communication in the

workplace. Once or twice each year we welcome our

President and General Manager to these meetings

to share important news and information about

the company, as well as any announcements and

achievements. the more informed our team is, the

more they will be able to make sound, autonomous

decisions about their contribution towards the

overall company goals and visions.”

S I M S R e C y C L I N G S O L U T I O N S

“We have an open communication system where

employees have the opportunity to provide input

at all project stages. this helps achieve employee

buy-in and empowerment. they are also given the

freedom to make decisions, which again allows for

greater learning. Each employee is encouraged by the

company to voice their opinions and ideas, organize

meetings, and develop and/or conduct presentations

on safety, projects and innovative ideas. this type of

encouragement allows employees to be open, get

involved and contribute to company goals.”

“In response to comments in the 2011 ECO Canada

engagement survey and our internal quality review,

we hired an external senior communications

consultant to conduct an assessment of internal

communications at Matrix. Overall, we learned what

people want to know more about. as a result of the

communications assessment, we have developed a

framework for internal communications and change

management at Matrix, and have started to address

the issues identified. a Communications team, which

will be responsible for managing and implementing

our new communications framework has been

assembled and significant changes have already

been made. For example, we held a corporate day in

december at which we shared more information with

all our employees to begin to address their concerns.

this included the sharing of our workforce plan,

hiring projections and growth trajectory.”

e S A K C O N S U LT I N G I N C .



Performance Management

“as a person progresses in their career, the balance

of responsibility for performance management tends

to shift from the company to the individual. at one

time, the company conducted detailed performance

appraisals whereby specific career related objectives

were identified and then reviewed the following

year. We generally have not found these appraisals

of value, since objectives often change throughout

the year in response to the needs of our clients.

therefore, the company now provides direction and

review at a project level through a project manager.

staff generally participates in the preparation of

work plans and proposals, and are therefore made

aware of their responsibilities and encouraged to

take ownership of their component of the particular

project. Longer term career objectives are addressed

with the assigned mentor.”


“Our performance appraisals include metrics of

ensuring that employees are attempting to achieve

the ever-elusive work life balance.”

I N T R I N S I K e N v I R O N M e N TA L S C I e N C e S I N C .

“We do not believe in micro-managing staff. staff

are strongly encouraged to become independent

thinkers, rather than to be task-oriented and strictly

follow a “recipe” for the work to be done. they are

given significant responsibilities and we ensure

they have the authority to fulfill them. they are

encouraged to seek input from other managers if

they perceive a potentially difficult situation arising,

but their work is not scrutinized on a daily basis. We

have a rigorous performance review process which

evolves and improves each year based on employee

feedback.”

T e R R A P e x e N v I R O N M e N TA L LT d . “We utilize the Catalytic Coaching® process, which is a

collaborative approach to develop an annual training

and development plan that takes into consideration

the employee’s short and long-term career

ambitions, needs of the job (and future position) and

areas of strength and improvement. this process is

supplemented with biannual performance reviews

each year. training and development funds are then

allocated after each session to meet the catalytic

coaching objectives. “


“Our HR management approach promotes

communication on an individual basis to inform staff

when they are performing well or possibly to indicate

where improvements could be made. to ensure that

this communication is effective, sEnEs carries out

year-end interviews with staff. Issues that may have

been missed in the daily interactions throughout the

year are discussed. the interviews provide staff with

the opportunity to give constructive input towards

their career growth.”

“We continue to improve the performance review

and development dialogue processes with feedback

from employees. Improvements in 2011 have

included emphasizing the use of technical level

descriptors, developing job descriptions for support

staff, and the introduction of “Matrix Behaviours”

which enable employees and reviewers to better

understand what is expected of them and to better

target development needs. By strengthening the link

between the performance review process and the

development dialogue we have been able to ensure

that development goals and strategies are agreed at

the end of performance review and can be supported

from then on through the development process.”




Compensationand Benefits

“Our financial success is driven by our employees.

In recognition of this, 30% of our employees

are shareholders. a significant portion of our

yearly profits are reinvested in external training

and conference attendance for our employees

and strategic growth opportunities for the firm.

demonstrating our commitment to the science that

underpins our work is the generous publication

stipend awarded to employees that publish work in

peer-reviewed scientific journals. Finally, the bonus

pool is extended to all employees within the firm and

can be considered generous by any standard. Even

junior employees are eligible for a minimum of 10%

of their base salary in bonus.”

I N T R I N S I K e N v I R O N M e N TA L S C I e N C e S I N C .

“the benefits plan is quite generous and incorporates

“special benefits” that are not typical of smaller

organizations such as coverage for naturopathic

services and the cost of fertility drugs. a few

additional perks offered are a minimum of 3 weeks

of vacation for all new employees, a maternity

and parental leave supplemental benefits top-

up, an employer sponsored Group RRsP company

contribution matching up to 4% of an employee’s

salary, company profit sharing (semi annually), and

company ownership opportunities.”

C A M B I U M e N v I R O N M e N TA L I N C .

“although, as a non-profit, we are challenged in

that we cannot offer health benefits and regularly

increasing wage levels, we balance this in being

accommodating and flexible with staff hours and

telecommuting, allowing a healthy work-life balance

for our employees. LEPs also provides “Flex Fridays,”

whereby the office is closed every second Friday. this

flexibility comes back in production, having happy,

fulfilled and self-motivated staff willing to go the

distance to ensure the best for our organization.”

L e P S

“We also have a unique approach to profit sharing.

all employees, including senior management receive

an equal profit share. this tells employees that their

work is equally valued, and avoids office competition

and hierarchy.”


“a performance bonus is paid to staff based on their

contribution during the previous year. Performance

measures include contribution to profit, contribution

to business development, and contribution to

the administrative and corporate function of the

company. the first two categories are calculated from

the financial statements, therefore are completely

objective and transparent. the company allocates

one-third of the company profit to the performance

bonus. as a result, bonuses can represent a significant

portion of base salaries.”


“annual compensation reviews are conducted by

the division managers. all employees are asked to

document their existing total compensation and

provide management with their desired level of

compensation. Employees are also asked to provide

a business case for any adjustments they wish to

receive and management works with each employee

to find a win-win situation for both parties.“


“as a small company we aren’t always able to

compete with larger companies when it comes to

compensation; however, we do offer other unique

perks such as: assistance for employees who are first

time home buyers – the option to use deferred profit

sharing investments from aEt as a down payment

without any penalties or disruptions, paying

employees mileage for use of personal vehicles, work

from home program, health benefits and RRsP plan,

whereby aEt matches employee contributions”


“Health and wellness also lie at the core of employee

engagement – a healthy employee is a happy employee.

In constructing our new building, our management

team agreed that an even better approach to funding

external fitness club memberships would be to

construct our own fully equipped, fitness facility. not

just your home gym, this facility is complete with

satellite television, lockers and showers. Gone are the

days that northWind employees have to waste time

commuting to the gym outside of work hours. they

can now work out during their lunch break or on

either end of their work day and go home at the end

of the day to spend time with their families.”

N O R T H W I N d L A N d R e S O U R C e S I N C .


Cultureand Engagement

“We offer employees unique flexibility in setting

both their daily work hours as well as their yearly

hours. We operate a target hours system, which

enables employees to choose the number of hours

they will work each year, with employees receiving

compensation or time off if they exceed this target.

this flexibility allows employees to balance their

personal needs with their team’s and clients’ needs,

and appeals to a wide range of people. a large

percentage of our employees work a schedule other

than the standard 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Currently

20% of our employees take advantage of the option

to work a reduced schedule.”


“Fun and professional are the two words we use

to describe ourselves to others. We have friendly,

welcoming, upbeat work environment and

‘personality.’ We want people to be relaxed and happy

at work. Our offices are unique and non-traditional: in

Calgary our staff work in a loft condo in a converted

heritage building; in Edmonton we work in a 1930’s

character house (which we are currently ‘greening’

together). there is a genuine shared spirit of open

collaboration. You can stop by anyone’s workspace

to share an idea or ask for help in solving a problem,

and that employee will make time for you right on

the spot. that is part of our culture. You’ll often hear

laughter coming down the hall. Every day people

are smiling. Many employees have said, ‘work is a

sanctuary’ or ‘I love my job.’ that is high praise and

very gratifying.”


“We foster friendship and connection between

our staff and have noticed that over the years this

has led to a more fulfilling work experience for

everyone. We do this in part by building in time for

staff development, connection and team building.

activities include once a month afternoon movie

watching in our boardroom, board games and

potlucks in the park and team building events such

as rafting and scavenger hunts. We also promote

greater staff involvement in our strategic vision

through our annual staff retreat and visioning

session. Whatever the event, we strongly encourage

and acknowledge that connection, downtime, and a

venue to create conversation between all levels of

staff is vital to keeping us dedicated to our projects

and each other.”

G R e e N C A L G A R y

“Cambium recently purchased a ping-pong table

to provide staff with an alternative to the ‘coffee

break’. despite the good-natured jibs and tough

competition, employees are enjoying a break from

their desk, are stimulated, and are having some fun

at the same time.”

C A M B I U M e N v I R O N M e N TA L I N C .

“We are flexible with our HR policies to allow for an

individual employee’s specific circumstances. For

example, we have routinely supported reduced and

flexible work hours for new mothers and fathers

returning to work, for as long as it takes them and

their family to settle into the new routine, and we

supported a 6-week leave of absence for one of our

employees to accompany his spouse on a biological

research project in taiwan, recognizing that it was a

once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

T e R R A P e x e N v I R O N M e N TA L


Cultureand Engagement

“Leadership and employee engagement are directly

correlated. It is the result of a strong, youthful and

approachable leadership team that our employees

remain involved at work. the most significant

factor that separates us from other companies

in the industry is exemplified by our relatively flat

organizational structure and management’s open

door policy. this promotes an open dialogue amongst

all levels, generating some of the best ideas and thus

encouraging collaboration, initiative and promoting

employee pride.”

N O R T H W I N d L A N d R e S O U R C e S I N C .

“We support and encourage employees to pursue

activities and interests outside of regular work,

but related to it. For example, one employee who

had recently joined us was given an opportunity

to present his undergraduate thesis paper at an

international conference in Italy. While the topic was

not directly related to what we do, we gave him an

extra week of paid time off so that he could go to the

conference, present his paper, and network.”

T e R R A P e x e N v I R O N M e N TA L

“We spend a large portion of our lives at work, so we

believe that coming to work should be enjoyable. We

do our best to create a fun and relaxed environment

because it helps develop strong relationships

between co-workers, helps facilitate communication

and teamwork, and increases productivity.

We have regular social events, both employee and

corporate-driven. Our social committee organizes

events such as a family camping weekend, soccer

games and squash boxes. Corporate events include

a Golf day, springtime in Banff, our corporate

Christmas party, and children’s Christmas parties. For

the major events we bring our employees from across

Canada together. It is our belief that providing these

opportunities encourages employees to interact,

fostering communication and cooperation between

offices.”


“We mandate that life take precedence over work,

encouraging our staff to share their workload to allow

for frequent personal time. this is complimented

with unfailing moral, ethical and scientific standards

to engage the hearts and minds of our staff.”

T e R e x e N v I R O N M e N TA L G R O U P I N C .

“Our business driver is to focus on identifying and

recognizing employee strengths and focusing

on strengths rather than weaknesses, using each

individual’s strengths in a strategy for success

through the creation of a strong and diverse

team. Esak Consulting provides a supportive

atmosphere with emphasis on mentoring, teamwork,

and opportunities for personal and professional

development. the company allows employees the

freedom of finding solutions to different situations

and applying them. It is beneficial for all when each

employee is able learn from solutions and it fosters

a greater learning environment and allows for pride

of work.”

e S A K C O N S U LT I N G

“Flexibility of staff time is an important component

of the positive environment at sEnEs. the company

provides flexible working hours respecting the

value of family, and the willingness of sEnEs to

accommodate personal situations and problems

is appreciated by staff. Work at home or part-time

work is allowed and supported when required to

meet the specific needs of individual staff. sEnEs

works on an honour system allowing the freedom for

staff to complete their work without the pressure of

a time clock. Flexibility also occurs by encouraging

staff to work on a variety of projects and specialties.

this provides staff the opportunity to work alongside

other technical experts within the organization.”



Rewardsand Recognition

“We implemented a company awards program - the

“tERa” or terrapex Employee Recognition award - to

recognize staff who have something to celebrate in

their professional lives, or those who go above and

beyond the (already high) standards that terrapex

has set for all aspects of daily office/field existence.

Winners are selected from email nominations

submitted by staff each month. In addition to

receiving a $50 retail gift card, the monthly winners

become responsible for choosing the winners for the

next month. the program has been very successful

in promoting interoffice communication (and some

friendly competition) between staff at all levels, and

has proven to be a good way for all staff to hear

about other people’s successes, as the reasons for

nominations are announced to all.”

T e R R A P e x e N v I R O N M e N TA L LT d .

“Fielding employees participate in the IMPROVEs

program where they are financially rewarded for

ideas that lead to operational savings or sales.”

F I e L d I N G C H e M I C A LT e C H N O L O G I e S I N C .

“Positive recognition is a way of life at trace. Each

month we recognize an Employee of the Month, a

safety Leadership award winner, and the top revenue

earners at trace. additionally, at our annual awards

presentation, we recognize the top safety Leaders

in each division, the Best Overall Performer in the

company, and the top “Rookies” of the Year. the

annual and monthly awards are determined by votes

from all staff. “


“We routinely review every employee’s performance

two times a year. Outside of this formal performance

management process, we regularly recognize great

client feedback and employee achievements through

team ‘cowbells’. at a manager’s discretion, spot

rewards are provided to team members who are

excelling in particular roles.”


“some of the unique things we do at EcoMetrix

include: impromptu ball hockey games in the parking

lot; on nice summer days the office will host a BBQ

so that staff can get together to relax; the company

provides lunch three Fridays per month for all staff;

on the last Friday of each month the company makes

a donation to the local food bank in lieu of lunch and

staff volunteer a pot-luck lunch; the company has

a food and toy drive each Christmas to raise money

for the local community; the company matches all

donations of staff to the local food drive at Christmas;

the company offers all staff who are interested four

hours of spanish training per week.”


“We hold a deep appreciation for our ‘team’. One

way we show our admiration is by celebrating one

another and our achievements, big and small. staff

birthdays are marked with a handmade card, sweet

treats, and an afternoon break to enjoy these things.

Lunches or casual drinks out are planned regularly to

acknowledge a job well done or a particularly busy

month, and we contribute meaningful gifts to mark

major life events as they arise.”

G R e e N C A L G A R y


Corporate socialResponsibility

“We hold an in-house sustainability policy that covers

a range of day-to-day considerations, including

double-side printing, GHG emission reductions,

fleet management, turning off of all non-essential

electronics, HVaC reductions after hours and an

aggressive recycling and organics diversion program.

In addition, aEt actively promotes alternative

transportation across the company, including transit

subsidies, secure bicycle lock-up, with in-house

showers and carpooling programs.”


“to ensure our community contributions reflect the

values of our employees, each employee is allotted

$200 annually to contribute to a community cause

they deem worthy. this can be a cash donation, or

they can directly buy something specific to benefit

that cause’s needs.”


“We foster our mission-based culture by “walking

the talk.” We are first and foremost a mission-driven

enterprise, seeking to change the face of capitalism

by helping investors make decisions with positive

social and environmental outcomes, with the ultimate

goal of contributing to a more just and sustainable

world. to that end, the company is undertaking

to measure the social and environmental value it

creates and publish the results in a corporate social

responsibility report. We also “walk the talk” through

our operations: responsible purchasing practices,

carbon offsetting and an environmental policy have

long been a part of our regular operations.”

S U S TA I N A Ly T I C S

“Each day summit witnesses acts of selflessness

from its employees. Whether it is a fundraiser for

the people in slave Lake or a family in Hudson Bay,

sK that suffered significant loss, the summit team

consistently pulls together to pitch in and make a

difference. to be a success in any aspect of life, we

believe that one must give back to the community.

summit encourages all employees to become

involved with their community. We support this

effort by offering each employee one paid day during

the year to volunteer with a charity of their choice.

In addition to that, we further reward our employee’s

efforts with a Volunteer of the Month recognition

award.”

S U M M I T L I A B I L I T y S O L U T I O N S I N C .

“In 2009, terrace was suffering through a low point in

our economy. the park across from our office became

a place where homeless people congregated and the

community was challenged to find a way through

this new problem. Cambria Gordon stepped forward

with a commitment to provide financial support to

the Homeless Outreach Program to develop a soup

kitchen and resource centre near the downtown

core. We have sustained this commitment every

month since then, and are advised that our financial

support “keeps their doors open”. Our success in these

community endeavors has inspired us to engage our

clients in building this further. We now add a 1%

“community contribution fee” to our invoices to

increase our capacity for social responsibility. Our

clients are delighted to contribute, as they trust us

to fund community endeavors that are aligned with

their values.”


“We are committed to the environment and building

a sustainable organization by focusing on vehicle

and facilities equipment emission reduction efforts.

By the end of 2011, 60 per cent of aEt’s fleet will

be comprised of fuel efficient vehicles – a shift from

8 cylinder vehicles to 6 and 4 cylinder highly fuel-

efficient vehicles. Our biggest shift was to 4 cylinder

vehicles and the use of environmentally friendly,

soy-based foam in seat cushions that helps conserve

limited resources and reduce CO2 emissions. In

addition sustainable premium cloth-trimmed seats

made with 100% post-industrial materials, recycled

plastics and polyester fibers were used.“


“In 2011, we donated 1.34% of corporate gross

sales to local, national and international charities.

donations went to a variety of charities and not-for-

profit groups including the Boys and Girls Club of

Ottawa, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario,

amazing africa, Pollution Probe, Carleton University,

etc. We also sponsor 3 children in tanzania,

democratic Republic of Congo and sudan (sOs

Children’s Villages, World Vision, Plan Canada)”



Miscellaneous

“Our structure distinguishes RWdI from others in the

environmental field. We have separated our technical

career stream from our project delivery management

stream to allow technical employees to progress

all the way to a principal level without serving as

a project manager. this eliminates the glass ceiling

that limits career development for many technical

professionals. Our Leader structure also allows early

support for the development of interpersonal and

management skills.”

R W d I

“Our safety record is exceptional – over 2 years with

only 1 day lost to a minor injury. safety audits score

consistently over 95%. a new safety and training

expert was recently hired to ensure safety remains

a top priority.”

A Q U AT e R A U T I L I T I e S I N C .

“staff is in charge and strongly encouraged to

initiate social activities. these activities are varied

and occur throughout the year at the whim of arising

opportunities. the participation rate of employees is

almost 100%. therefore, maintaining the “non-social

club” is now a part of the list of activities included

in the company’s pride strategy. the following list

introduces some of the events held in the past: défi

à l’entreprise (Corporate challenge) – transfert was

the winner of the 2011 edition, first place, among 50

participants; Earth day Canada’s upcycling challenge

- Earth day Canada (transfert was the winner of the

Earth day Canada prize in the 2011 competition);

Montreal marathon; snow pentathlon; sledding day

at Mont tourbillon; Curling; a day in the country;

sugar camp and field trips such as snowshoeing.”

T R A N S F e R T e N v I R O N N e M e N T

“social Meetings – held monthly – all staff are invited

to attend an informal gathering to share news and

celebrate birthdays, events and accomplishments.

It also serves to elevate understanding of the

food, music, language and sometimes dance

representative of the many nationalities present

at Fielding. the employees participate in or read

about the company’s philanthropic and community

commitments captured in the sustainability Report

available at these gatherings. In addition, at least one

employee is recognized for outstanding performance

at each meeting.”

F I e L d I N G C H e M I C A L T e C H N O L O G I e S I N C .

“the office is pet friendly. Employees are often

accompanied by their pets in the office and during

site visits.”

N AT U R A L R e S O U R C e S O L U T I O N S I N C .

“the company maintains a commitment to “people

first,” and has continued to grow in a measured,

sustainable way. In 2011, we diversified our service

and client base with the purchase of streamline

Environmental Consulting. It has been a relatively

seamless transition, and the new employees have

embraced the exceptional level of team support from

their colleagues. success did not happen by chance,

but was a series of important and planned steps. It was

imperative managers clearly communicate to new

employees EdI’s commitment to the growth of our

company and all staff, and that the new relationship

expected to evolve would not only be for the

betterment of the company, but for every employee

through new collaborations and projects. Immediate

steps would be taken to start integrating existing

and new staff into projects. Resources available to

the existing EdI team would be made available to the

newest members of EdI immediately. the single most

important attribute of the streamline acquisition was

that of retention. this had to be recognized as the

primary objective of this new venture, as it was clear

that without the people, there was no real asset. We

are proud to state that through the integration of the

two companies, all staff have remained.”

e d I e N v I R O N M e N TA L d y N A M I C S I N C .

“Unique opportunities are provided to employees

identified with high development potential to gain

cultural insight and international experience through

overseas assignments that can last from a few weeks

to 2 – 3 years.”

R W d I

“Every day is bring your dog to work day.”


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Environmental HR Practices Inspiring Employee Engagement

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ECO Canada’s HR BEst PRaCtICEs REPORt

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