CN gets employees’ career growth on track to success
Every day is take-your-kid-to-work day for Valeria Yanez. When the senior manager of procurement and supply management at CN returned from maternity leave last October, she was able to get a spot for her daughter at the on-site childcare facilities at CN’s Montréal head office.
“It’s made coming back to work even more fun, because I commute to work with her, drop her off and I can go and see her at any point,” says Yanez. “And it helps as a woman in a leadership position, I don’t have to rush back home to pick her up.”
On-site daycare is a great perk, but far from the only way Yanez has felt supported by CN. During her maternity leave, she says her leaders and colleagues kept in regular contact to plan for her return – and when a more senior job opened up, they tapped her for it. It meant coming back to an entirely new role after a year and a half away, but Yanez says the return-to-work transition was much easier than she expected.
“I’m really grateful for that. The fact that I was going on maternity leave didn’t delay my career growth,” she says.
Yanez was initially drawn to CN because of its reputation as a “great school” where employees are always learning and for the ability to develop her career in the organization. So being given an opportunity to advance even while on leave was particularly meaningful.
Hoang Tran, director of passenger and executive operations, also came to CN for its professional development opportunities. After 21 years with his previous employer, Tran says, he attended a session with a professional coach who asked him what his career ambitions were. “I said, ‘I’d like to find out if I’m a good railroader.’ And if you want to find that out, you’ve got to rub elbows with the best. In my mind, the best was CN,” he says.
Around the same time, an opportunity at CN opened up to lead passenger operations and Tran went for it. In the five and a half years since he took the leap, he’s been handed increasing responsibilities and major files – including streamlining CN’s multiple control centres, helping to find employees new opportunities throughout the company and working directly for CN’s chief operating officer and chief executive officer.
“Talent development is something that I’ve found is very well-managed at CN,” says Tran, who now oversees CN’s agreements with Via Rail, Metrolinx, Rocky Mountaineer and Exo to use the company’s infrastructure. “There are a lot of opportunities for movement and gaining new experiences,” he says. “There’s always this capacity for people to try different roles.”
CN is about more than just career growth, Yanez says. Despite it being a large organization with employees across the country, she says she feels connected and close to her colleagues. The company also puts a focus on recognizing employees’ successes, from calling out good work in team meetings to acknowledgments during company town halls.
“People are driven to do their best because they understand CN’s importance to the North American economy,” Tran says. “Without CN, farmers can’t get propane, gas stations run out of gas, people couldn’t get fertilizers, wood or consumer products. It’s meaningful and important work.”
CN’s programs and people put inclusion on track
Over the 13 years that Yasintha Vivekanandarajah has worked for the Canadian National Railway Company (CN), the company has had a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, which she says she’s seen demonstrated in multiple ways. The company has long been committed to diversifying its ranks of employees and to attracting more women into fieldwork positions through a range of efforts – including things as seemingly small as redoing outpost washroom facilities to make them accommodating of all genders.
It has also invested heavily in training and development to retain talent and help them advance through the ranks. Vivekanandarajah, whose job as CN’s senior manager of strategy involves helping the business make long-term strategic choices and investments, was also asked to participate in CN’s five-month LINK development program. The program gives a small cohort of employees across the organization the opportunity to grow their skill set and their knowledge of the entire enterprise and connect with senior leaders.
“When I look at that group I see diversity – it was a good balance of genders, and people of colour were well-represented. I’m seeing the focus on diversity and development,” she says.
Imran Ahmad, an assistant superintendent in CN’s transportation department, says he can pinpoint the moment when he knew he would spend the rest of his career at CN. Within the last five years Ahmad’s faith has become a more important part of his life, and one year, just before Ramadan – the Muslim holy month dedicated to fasting, generosity and prayer – Ahmad’s supervisor sat down with him to learn more about what the month meant to him, and how his team could support him while he was fasting.
The timing for Ramadan shifts every year, and that year it was in the summer, when Edmonton’s daylight hours stretch until 10:30 p.m. Ahmad’s supervisor and team were very accommodating so he could work shorter days the last two weeks of Ramadan.
“To have that support and understanding, and celebration – we celebrated Eid together with my team at work – that was really special for me,” says Ahmad, who joined CN when he was 18 and has worked for the company for more than 13 years.
Vivekanandarajah agrees. “There’s a culture of inclusion I really admire,” she says. “It’s nice to see that it’s something everyone’s embracing and believing in and being there to support us in. I really appreciate that about the company.”
Vivekanandarajah also praises CN’s support for its employee resource groups (ERGs), which were launched over the last few years for groups of employees who share a common identity or experiences. CN provides funding for the eight ERGs – which include a group for Women and allies (WE), one for people with diverse abilities (A.D.A.P.T.), Latinos CN for the Latinix, RISE for CN's Black and African American communities, PRIDE for their LGBTQ2+ communities, and one for Indigenous Peoples – and each group has an executive sponsor. Vivekanandarajah is a co-chair of P.A.C.E. the Pan-Asian Community Engagement ERG, which has hosted events for Asian Heritage Month, Diwali and Lunar New Year.
In addition, CN’s corporate communications team develops campaigns with ERG members to celebrate various holidays and invited Ahmad to help develop an Eid greeting.
“The fact that they took the time to understand the holiday, that showed a real attention to detail and care,” he says. “I truly have felt supported and encouraged to celebrate my beliefs and share my culture.”