Committed to Evaluating and Elevating Performance
You may think it’s lonely at the top, but not if you’re EllisDon. Ranked #1 of the 50 Best Employers in Canada for 2012, the construction giant not only listens intently to its own people, it also pays close attention to what the other top-ranked employers are doing right. EllisDon is constantly striving to improve its game, engage its people and stay true to its core values. A certain humility is what characterizes the EllisDon attitude: We may be #1, but we know we can always do better.
EllisDon’s culture is built on a foundation of trust. From day one, employees are given freedom and accountability and, most importantly – the latitude to think for themselves and to operate in the best interest of the organization. “You’re smart people, we hired you because you’re the right fit, we trust you,” is the philosophy, says Janine Szczepanowski, VP, Leadership & Entrepreneurial Development. It begins with self-awareness. “We understand our own culture — we know what it is and what it isn’t,” she adds.
While the construction industry might bring to mind dump trucks and cranes, EllisDon calls itself first and foremost a “people company.” Its real strength lies in the expertise and knowledge of its employees, its greatest asset. It’s a mutually supportive environment: by trusting their employees and holding them accountable to make the best decisions for the organization, EllisDon demonstrates just how much respect it has for them. That validation, in turn, inspires EllisDon employees to be all the more committed for the long term and dedicated to achieving the best possible results for the company. EllisDon also relies on those employees to advocate for the organization. “Without committed and engaged people, our pipeline of ideas gets cut off,” says Szczepanowski. “We need people out there thinking about how we can be better and talking about EllisDon as a great place to work.”
Survey results — in particular, the ones that landed EllisDon in the top spot as the nation’s Best Employer – are tremendously useful tools for learning. At EllisDon, the senior leadership team studies the results, evaluating the organization against others on the 50 Best list across all categories. They look at the results at a business unit level so they can isolate where they’re under-performing. And each department head is responsible for collaborating with their team to create a plan to address what needs to improve. For example, while EllisDon’s overall engagement score was noted as high (89%), they believed they scored below their own benchmark in the area of work-life balance. In a project-based business, where timelines are critical, employees may work long hours and stress levels can soar. EllisDon’s leadership team now knows it must be more proactive in monitoring this issue and staffing up when necessary or finding other creative solutions to help improve the situation, a key takeaway and focus area for 2012.
Participating in the 50 Best Employers study alone has benefits in terms of building employee engagement. By identifying and addressing its peoples’ concerns, EllisDon proves that it is not only capable of really listening but also demonstrating the value of employees. With a CEO who is committed to that dialogue and supportive of any and all efforts to increase employee engagement, EllisDon has a functional advantage. There’s no mistaking the authenticity, either. Geoff Smith blogs every two weeks, responds to employee feedback himself and regularly articulates the values he expects leaders to live by. This type of open communication through multi-channels ensures that the organization’s message is received by its entire audience. Meanwhile, employees feel empowered to share their insights, galvanized by the reaction they receive. In the end, they are more inclined to take action to meet the needs of the business by direct engagement with those who are leading their organization.
As for advice from Canada’s top ranked employer? Szczepanowski says that when senior leaders hear “noise” in their organization and they know something is wrong, they should “jump on it”. Time is always of the essence in those situations. But there’s no sitting on laurels at EllisDon. Certainly, there is a benefit to being an employer of choice,” says Szczepanowski, “but that isn’t what motivates us.” Ultimately, it’s about creating a great place for people to work where they can build long-term careers. “At EllisDon, we believe this starts with personal leadership.”
Recognized for:
- Culture of trust and accountability
- Accessibility to and open communication from CEO
- Focus on Sustainability
Industry: Construction Services
Headquarters: London, ON
No. of Employees: 1,200
50 Best Employers 2012 Rank: 1st
