BC Ferries sails on a sea of opportunity
It takes more than 5,500 employees for British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. to run one of the world’s largest ferry services and safely transport 22 million customers every year, says Cameron Brine, vice president and chief people officer. “I have really come to appreciate just how much the people at BC Ferries actually love their jobs,” Brine says.
“I can see it in how our passengers are greeted and in the number of multi-generational employee families,” he adds. “It’s hard to find a stronger example of how people love working here than when they encourage their own kids to come on board.”
Satisfied workers make for satisfied customers. “The experience we want our passengers to have relies on their interactions with our people,” says Brine. “I believe that if you take care of your people, they’ll take care of your business.”
BC Ferries offers good benefits – including a defined-benefit pension and robust health plans – to maintain that care, as well as flexible scheduling and a wide array of in-house training. “This is an organization you can come into at the ground level, often out of high school, and work your way up by multiple different paths,” Brine says.
“We will support our people with training for the licensing and certifications they need or reimburse tuition at outside institutions,” says the vice president. “Everything we do, from world-class training to flexible schedules, is basic bottom line for us – how do we take care of our people so that they can take care of their passengers?”
Ashley Weathered, a terminal attendant at Bear Cove – BC Ferries’ most northerly Vancouver Island terminal, and minutes away from her home in Port Hardy – has enjoyed her four years on the job. “I like the fast pace and the new things that happen,” she says. “You know what to expect in general, but something might occur during any day. You could have a drill or the weather can change.
“And there’s the people, a lot of regulars who you always see and, during the summer season, all those tourists excited for their first time on a big boat,” Weathered says. “It’s just exciting to see everybody’s faces and the whole community aspect of it.”
Weathered also appreciates the discounted travel fares BC Ferries offers its employees and the recent changes it has adopted to smooth out the industry’s seasonal nature. “We ramp up staffing for the summer season and then taper off a little bit throughout the rest of the year,” Brine says. “Now, we are providing better guarantees and pre-determined schedules with a minimum number of hours.” For employees at Bear Cove, where winter sailings are once or twice a week, the scheduling changes mean “we know which days we could be called in and we can book time off without repercussion,” says Weathered.
“The greatest aspect about working at BC Ferries is all the opportunity it offers,” Weathered adds. “I’ve been through tons of training with the company. I’ve done forklift and I’ve moved up to ticketing and supervising. There is always opportunity to apply for things and engage yourself.”