In a competitive industry where attracting and retaining employees is key to company success, encouraging employee feedback on all aspects of the company may be key to employee retention.
James Popel, vice-president of human resources for Wardrop, a Canadian employee-owned company that specializes in engineering, environmental, IT and management consulting, developed an Annual Employee Attitude Survey where he and each department manager sits down with each employee and asks his or her opinion on what works and what does not. In Northern Ontario, Wardrop employs 80 people.
The survey asks questions about the company’s vision, tools for production, benefits plan, pension funds, training programs and manager communication. These are some areas in which Popel and the employees share ideas. Feedback has a direct impact on the manager’s performance rating and salary. It also has implications for company change, he says.
Popel found that employees liked their benefits plan, but wanted more of a choice. So Wardrop developed employee medical options that can be co-ordinated with their partner’s plan to reduce costs.
Wardrop administration also realized employees do not view their pension as being a significant contribution. The company kicks in an average of $1 million a year with the current pension benefits. Instead of a defined benefit pension plan where employees know what they get when they retire, the company is developing a time contribution plan.
“It is sort of like an RRSP,” Popel says. “They are in charge of it and they know how much is going into it. They can go onto the Internet and find out what their dollar value is.”
As well, a full performance review system has employees marking out their career direction. Six months later they receive management’s review.
Approximately a third of the employees are on a bonus system. The closer they are to meeting their goals, the larger their bonus. Administration can expect to receive up to 40 per cent of their base salary.
The company has also introduced an in-house management program called the Wardrop MBA, where promising employees fly to the United States, South Africa or Canada, to sit in on meetings.
“They get in there and take training together to share ideas and concepts.”
There are career paths for all the employees. Each new person joining the team gets set up with a “buddy” to help make the transition easier. As well, softer courses such as stress, time or communication management are also encouraged.
Inasmuch as pensions, benefits and education are essential, so, too, is the informal comaraderie.
In the Thunder Bay office, barbecues, dragon boat races, softball teams, and hockey events are welcomed.
The company holds an annual hockey event where 80 to 100 people play off against various regions. Northern Ontario will play against southern Ontario, Manitoba would face off against the West, “its all just an ice breaker.”
