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Fortinet’s fast pace attracts top talent
hile some employers only hire candidates with Canadian work experience, Fortinet has a culture of hiring the best and brightest from around the world” says Joyce Chow, senior human resources manager at the network security company. One of their strategies is to hire straight out of immigration agencies it partners with. Their unique approach has not only resulted in a diverse employee base, but also earned a prestigious award for creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace for new immigrants. “There’s an incredible talent pool out there. As long as they’re technically brilliant, that’s our primary focus.” Fortinet’s Burnaby-based research and development facility is working on a array of consolidated security technologies including anti-malware, intrusion prevention, web filtering and anti-spam to name a few. They aim to proactively protect their customers against these threats and our firewall was named the fastest in the world by PC magazine last year. They’re also one of a few companies in the world that conducts research towards zero day vulnerabilities. “Threats to computer systems are constantly evolving, Fortinet’s FortiGuard Labs research allows customers to protect themselves in Real Time against Zero Day Vulnerabilities.” explains Chow.
Fortinet
■ YEARS IN BUSINESS: 15 ■ NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 2,800 ■ LOCATIONS: More than 35 global offices including Vancouver and Ottawa in Canada and Sunnyvale, New York and Miami in the United States. ■ HEAD OFFICE: Sunnyvale, Calif. ■ HIRING INCENTIVES: Competitive salaries, benefits and stock plans for all employees; opportunity to work with a market leader in network security. ■ APPLICATION PROCESS: Apply online at jobs.fortinet.com – Eric Leung photo Fortinet ensures a diverse and inclusive workplace by encouraging new graduates and newcomers to Canada to apply for jobs.
Because there is no official training program specifically geared towards antivirus analysts, Fortinet designed its own for newly graduated hires. For the first three months, a new graduate will attend classes, complete daily assignments and write exams. When they pass the final exam, they assume their new role as an anti-virus analyst. It was this innovative program that drew recent graduate Hong Kei Chan to apply at Fortinet. “You actually learn about the field and get to know the different kinds of malware out there,” says Chan, who has worked with the company for a year and a half.
“Once you complete your training, you get assigned a mentor who continues to guide you through your career. I was able to co-author a paper with my mentor and present it at a conference in Seattle this year. “They really care about our training and development and that’s only one of the things that make Fortinet special.” Other perks include a generous benefit package comprised of competitive wages, 15 per cent off company stock, a health care spending account and flexible hours. Free dinner is provided Monday through Thursday to staff working past 7 p.m., while four gym facilities on site offer
free fitness classes. More than 25 employee-run interest groups enable them to socialize based on common interests. From go-karting and board games to scuba diving and rock climbing, all groups are provided with a budget from Fortinet to fund their activities, which take place over lunch hours and after work. The company also gives back to the community; they recently supplied the Ronald McDonald House at the Children’s Hospital with equipment, WiFi and network security programs, which staff helped set up. “Knowing that the product they created is helping sick children and their families, is extremely rewarding,” says Chow.
This story was produced by Postmedia’s advertising department on behalf of Fortinet for commercial purposes. Postmedia’s editorial departments had no involvement in the creation of this content.
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BC’s Top Empl oy ers 2015
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