40
( 2018 )
Mentorships help Binnie build for the future
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or a junior employee, a mentor provides support, guidance, insight and encouragement based on years of experience. At R.F. Binnie & Associates, the relationship works both ways. Strong mentoring relationships have helped Binnie to create a workplace that reflects the evolving priorities of its employees. In addition to educational allowances, fitness credits and transit allowances, for example, Binnie accommodates employees who prefer to commute to work by bicycle or who form car pools and who may not even own a vehicle. “I learn so much from the people I mentor,” says Sharon Goddard, Knowledge Leader and Senior Project Manager at the company’s head office in Burnaby, B.C. We can teach a person how to design or manage a project, but we can’t teach personality or character. Sharon Goddard,
Knowledge Leader and Senior Project Manager
Founded in 1969, Binnie has earned a reputation for its high standards in civil engineering, surveying and project management services that it delivers to public and private-sector clients. An employee-owned firm, the company offers profit-sharing and referral bonuses of up to $5,000 for employees who recruit candidates from their personal networks. “When I started my career,” says Goddard, who joined Binnie in 2011 after working in the public sector for
BINNIE ENGINEER-IN-TRAINING, PAUL DOCHERTY, AT A JOB SITE
more than 20 years, “you almost took it for granted that everyone owned a car. Now, if employees have to make a site visit, we don’t tell them they need a car. We have an arrangement so they can use a Binnie vehicle. We even raise this point in job interviews.” With 200 full- and part-time employees across six offices in B.C. and Alberta, Binnie has laid the groundwork for its future growth, in part, by responding to the changing priorities of its employees. But as Goddard observes, the company’s growth will not come at the expense of its distinctive culture. “With new employees, we look for fit,” she says. “We can teach a person how to design or manage a project, but we can’t teach personality or character.” In fact, Goddard says, “we would rather leave a position open than hire the wrong person.”
Binnie’s search for individuals who fit into the firm’s culture extends to university co-op programs. Every year the firm hires a small number of students for a work term while they complete their undergraduate degrees. And even these students receive the support of an experienced mentor in the company. Paul Docherty, for example, learned from his mentors at Binnie about the intricacies of civil engineering as a co-op student at the University of British Columbia, and was surprised to discover that he had a passion for design. Since he joined the company full-time in 2015, Docherty has pursued his passion, working with municipal-government clients on local road rehabilitation, major road network upgrades, subdivisions and various other infrastructure projects while he pursues his professional engineering designation.
Since these projects involve complex design challenges, Docherty frequently turns to his mentors for advice and support. “In designing projects we bring together stakeholders from government and private contractors, and we have to make sure we’re fair to all parties,” he says. “In tough situations, I can talk with my mentor, who can help me to handle all the information and all the different people involved.” As Docherty points out, mentoring at Binnie extends beyond immediate work-related issues. “We talk about everything from transferable skills and qualifications to tough situations involving design, communications and project management.” As one of 35 employee-owners of Binnie, Sharon Goddard appreciates the importance of strong mentoring relationships in supporting her firm’s expansion. “Younger people today have a much broader scope,” she says. “They concern themselves much more with the quality of their job, and we need to keep pace. If we look after our people, they’ll look after our clients.”
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full-time staff in Canada jobs available last year job applications received last year years, average age of all employees