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HR bragging rights HRD: What programs or processes at Labatt help drive employee success and productivity? ADG: At Labatt we have 10 guiding principles, one of which focuses on our culture of continuous improvement. This idea of zero complacency, making sure that we’re always pushing ourselves to find ways to do things better, is really ingrained in what we do. To build that into the day to day and make it grassroots, our unionized employees created something called the Ideas Process in 1999 that encourages our operators and techs to bring forward their ideas on how we can do things better. They’re on the front line and know the business better than anyone. Over the years, the Ideas Process has been critical to our improvement. For example, we’ve set very aggressive goals to reduce our environmental footprint. The ideas our employees have brought forth and implemented have helped us reduce our usage of resources whether it’s water, fuel, energy or waste. Every year we push ourselves to do even better and it wouldn’t be possible without the ideas from our employees. More recently we’ve put in a new process called OpTech, where our operators help close gaps by taking more responsibility for key things that will drive the organization forward. We’re spending more on training and giving them the tools to engage
Labatt volunteer efforts
so that they can troubleshoot and drive solutions to take the business to the next level. HRD: Labatt is part of the international company Anheuser-Busch InBev. What influence does that have on the culture at Labatt? Is it largely independent, or highly influenced by the international culture? ADG: We’re proud to be part of a global company – but it’s a global company that is unique because of the collection of brewers that have come together to form a larger brewery network. While we’re all united under ABI’s strong corporate culture, the structure of the network has ensured that Labatt has maintained its proud Canadian heritage dating back to 1847. We continue to make the same commitments to our community that founder John Kinder Labatt implemented along with the relationships that we’ve nurtured with our partners, customers and Canadians. As part of a global company, we can tap into best practices from around the world and attract some of the most talented minds. Labatt exports talent to some of the other ABI offices and brings in other experts, resulting in a rich mosaic of ideas. HRD: How do you build career paths with employees so they feel they can have successful careers at Labatt? ADG: One of Labatt’s key principles is “Great people, allowed to grow at the pace of their talent and compensated accordingly, are the most valuable assets of our company.” To be a great company you need great people to sustain you. Competitors will be able to replicate some of your products and processes over time, but they can’t replicate talent. We spend the time and resources to make sure that we attract the best talent, give them the opportunities to develop and compensate them well to ensure retention. Labatt has several formal career programs in place, including two global programs we participate in – the global management trainee program and the global MBA program – where we’ll go to campuses and recruit at both the undergrad and graduate level. For example for the GMT program,
60 brands in Labatt’s portfolio including Budweiser (Canada’s #1 beer), Bud Light, Alexander Keith’s, Stella Artois, Michelob Ultra and, of course, Labatt Blue
6 breweries employ 3,000 people across Canada
$30 million invested in community sponsorship and donations last year
250 quality checks
go into every bottle of beer, including daily tasting panels at every brewery to check water and beer quality. This also means your Budweiser, Keith’s or Bud Light will taste the same no matter where in the world it was brewed.
1951
Labatt launched its now renowned Pilsner Lager. First launched in Manitoba, fans nicknamed it “Blue” because if it’s label and Labatt’s support of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The name seems to have stuck.
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