Recognized as one of Waterloo Area's Top Employers (2023):
Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Nov 30, 2022)
Here are some of the reasons why BlackBerry Limited was selected as one of Waterloo Area's Top Employers (2023):
- BlackBerry is committed to the health and well-being of its employees, offering a minimum of 10 paid sick days annually and up to $1,500 in coverage for mental health services -- the company's flexible health benefits plan also enables employees to direct excess credits to savings, a wellness or personal spending account, or a health spending account
- BlackBerry supports employees over the longer term with retirement planning assistance and contributions to a matching RSP plan -- employees may also be able to share in the company's successes through share purchase and year-end bonus programs
- BlackBerry strongly encourages ongoing employee learning through in-house and online training initiatives, as well as through generous tuition subsidies (to $6,000 annually) for courses related and not directly related to their current position
Recognized as one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2022):
Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Jan 17, 2022)
Here are some of the reasons why BlackBerry Limited was selected as one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2022):
- Students at BlackBerry are invited to the organization's virtual Power Bar sessions to grow their skills in a variety of areas -- and holds a student-exclusive session each term called "College to Career," focused on successfully transitioning from an academic environment into the workplace, discussing techniques for time management, prioritization, goal setting and workplace professionalism
- Students and new grads are a foundational part of BlackBerry's history (Mike Lazaridis was a local University of Waterloo student when he founded Research in Motion in 1984) -- continuing in that spirit today, 20 per cent of open roles at BlackBerry are targeted for new graduates, hiring over 400 students per year in paid positions that range from four to 12-month contracts
- BlackBerry's research and development team hosts annual BlackBerry Lab Days, internal hackathons in which students are encouraged to join as individuals or as part of a team to tackle the challenge at hand
BlackBerry offers a secure future on the cutting edge
It didn’t take long for Maddie Whibbs to conclude BlackBerry Ltd. was a great employer.
When she first reported for work at the iconic Canadian technology company in 2018, Whibbs found that all the resources she needed to settle into her job were ready for her.
“I remember my first week just feeling like, Wow, this is what it’s like to work for a company that takes care of the employees,” says Whibbs. “It really solidified in my mind that this was a good career move for me and I’m ‘good to go,’ and ‘good to grow’.”
The latter point has been proven to her over and over again since her first week at the intelligent security software and services provider. Initially a talent acquisition lead on the university & colleges team, Whibbs has since moved into a managerial role.
Her ascent has been aided by strong mentorship and myriad opportunities to learn on the job. Whibbs has been particularly impressed with the Leadership Edge Program. During the 12-month course, about 20 rising stars within BlackBerry cover a range of management topics with an emphasis on real-world case studies.
Employees also have access to self-directed learning courses. In addition to taking management classes, Whibbs has been inspired by her company’s cutting-edge work to take technical courses, which also help her understand more about the professions they are hiring for. To further expand the breadth of opportunities, the Waterloo, Ont.-based company has a tuition and education reimbursement program to make it easier for an employee to continue post-secondary studies outside of BlackBerry.
“I’ve been really supported both personally and professionally since I’ve joined,” Whibbs says. “I have been able to grow in my role, and to me that is very important.”
The company’s engagement with young people thrives because managers actively listen to them and treat them like professionals, says Heather Roberts, human resources business partner director for global university recruitment and staffing.
Those same themes permeate the student program. The four-month stints quickly integrate students into working teams.
“They’re challenged in the projects that they work on,” Roberts says of the students. “They have a real-life experience at BlackBerry, on real projects.”
And all leaders are very approachable, Roberts says. As part of that effort, BlackBerry has instituted a program called Fireside Chats, where students are given an open line of communication to senior leaders. Given the calibre of the students in the program, the executives also benefit from their presence, Roberts says.
“It’s kind of a two-way street,” she says.
The pandemic challenged BlackBerry to find ways to crank up those communications. Virtual meetings were scheduled regularly, all kinds of wellness sessions were made available, and managers kept in close contact with anyone isolated in apartments or dorms.
“We all got very human, making sure everyone was okay and checking in,” Whibbs says.
The pandemic response showed Whibbs once again why BlackBerry, with its focus on such advanced technology as the internet of things (IoT), is not just an exciting place to work but a supportive environment.
“What I think is great about joining BlackBerry in your early career is that you get the support and security of an established corporation,” Whibbs says. “But at the same time, you get exposure and the opportunity to be a part of these new and up-and-coming products and technologies BlackBerry delivers in the cybersecurity and IoT space.”
Recognized as one of Canada's Greenest Employers (2022):
Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Apr 19, 2022)
Here are some of the reasons why BlackBerry Limited was selected as one of Canada's Greenest Employers (2022):
- BlackBerry developed a Commuting Action Plan that involved surveying employees about their commuting patterns annually to determine how employees get to work and designing programs to encourage sustainable modes of transportation -- the plan covers its worldwide operations with the goal of reducing single-occupant trips across the company
- BlackBerry hosts annual waste audits at all of its major sites, achieving an impressive waste diversion rate of 88 per cent -- the company's programs collect everything from coffee pods and snack wrappers to wood pallets and shipping material, has eliminated plastic bottles from all vending machines and introduced a program to test reusable cutlery and dishes for its free breakfast program
- BlackBerry participates in Waterloo's TravelWise program, offers transit subsidies and recently hosted its first "Team BlackBerry" bike ride to help new cyclists develop confidence when riding two wheels to work -- along with offering secure bike storage, lockers, showers and even two bike repair stations
The Career Directory
BlackBerry Limited has been selected for The Career Directory, our guide to entry-level recruitment for recent college and university graduates.
