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Hatch Mott MacDonald

Hatch Mott MacDonald (HMM) is a big company with a small-company approach to business.
HMM-Nipigon-River-Bridge_Cropped
Hatch Mott MacDonald (HMM) is a big company with a small-company approach to business.

Hatch Mott MacDonald (HMM) is a big company with a small-company approach to business.

HMM is a marriage of two companies: Hatch, Canadian-owned engineering firm focused on heavy industrial, mining development, power stations, tailings dams and ponds, and Mott MacDonald, a U.K.-based firm with expertise in building infrastructure.

With 70 offices across Canada and the U.S., HMM has worked on some big projects: the Niagara Falls tunnel, the Toronto subway, Pearson International Airport’s de-icing pads, and Northern Ontario rail projects for Canadian Pacific Railway.

The Thunder Bay office is one of the larger locations in North America; it focuses on infrastructure, sewer and water mains, highways, and bridges.

Despite its size, the company recognizes its success comes because of its people, and puts emphasis on creating a welcoming environment for staff.

“They’re like any other big company: they have a business to run, and they’re very focused on making it productive,” said Gerry Bucknell, principal project manager with the Thunder Bay office. “But they also recognize that staff are important, and they try to look after them to the best of their ability.”

Training and education 

Heavy emphasis is placed on health and safety training, which are governed by the firm’s policies and code of conduct.

There are also plenty of opportunities for training, through the web and conference calls, for staff to continually upgrade their knowledge.

“They recognize that’s an important component of the business, that if people are going to do good work, they have to be trained well, so they put in the effort to make sure that happens,” Bucknell said.

Staff can tap into the firm’s large base of expertise, which is especially good for junior staff looking for build their careers, he said.

HMM will provide reimbursement for educational assistance and professional development for full-time personnel who have completed six months or more of service. The company also reimburses the initial examination and registration costs, along with annual registration fees for professional registration.

Community involvement 

Last year, HMM donated more than $100,000 to charitable organizations.

Individual offices get to decide where they put their efforts. In Thunder Bay, staff participate in golf tournaments that raise money for a variety of charities and also participate in the Big Bike ride for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

“It’s whatever the local office feels is important to them, and to some extent, it creates a bit of a profile for the company in the community as well,” Bucknell said. “For staff members who participate, it helps their frame of mind to know the company supports what they are passionate about.”

Communication/transparency 

There are a number of committees in place staff can become involved in to provide their input: young professionals, sustainability, ethics, risk management, professional excellence, diversity and more.

Bucknell said participating in these endeavours creates a sense of ownership for staff, providing personal fulfillment knowing they’re helping to inform the company’s culture.

Senior staff are accessible and easy to talk to.

“Upper management are very approachable, personable people,” Bucknell said.

President Nicholas DeNichilo has been on hand for events, refers to people by name, and will sit and chat with staff.

Wages/benefits 

Bucknell said the company is proactive in keeping pace with the industry when it comes to employee wages.

“They try to recognize, to the extent possible, the value of the staff with compensation,” he said. “So it’s a little bit ahead of the average, industry-wide, with employee benefit programs, wages and health benefits.”

Employees are required to enrol in the firm’s pension plan from their date of employment. They contribute five per cent of their earnings, and the company will contribute an amount equal to five per cent.

Health benefits are flexible and can be adjusted by employees to serve their needs best. Additionally, HMM has an employee assistance program to provide confidential counselling service to assist employees and family members in resolving personal problems.

Employee recognition 

Employee contributions are recognized at milestone anniversaries (one, five, 10, 20 and 25 years of service), and, on a more regular basis, a newsletter circulated to staff keeps everyone informed of new hires, milestones, achievements and activities taking place across
the organization.

The newsletter may be a small thing, but with 2,700 employees across North America, it helps bridge gaps in distance.

“You get to know the rest of the people as people, and not just employee numbers and names on a list,” Bucknell said.

www.hatchmott.com