Fluor Canada’s caring spirit moves employees

In August, Fluor Canada employees were in south Calgary to celebrate the grand opening of Subnivean Farm, a vegetable garden and peaceful outdoor space for youth at the campus of the children’s mental health non-profit Hull Services. But not only that – they were also marking a fruitful four-decade relationship with the organization.

Subnivean Farm, and the solar-powered greenhouse that had been operating at Hull Services since 2016, were built with financial support from Fluor and the enthusiastic volunteer efforts of employees, who designed and constructed the greenhouse and planted trees at the site.

“We went there and did a tour,” says Tasha Sherbanuk, vice-president and general manager of Fluor Canada, a Calgary-headquartered engineering, procurement and construction company. “It was very special to hear them talk about how the greenhouse and engaging with the work associated with farming vegetables, and enjoying those fresh vegetables as part of a horticultural therapy program, is really making a difference.”

Sherbanuk herself volunteered with Hull a few years ago, painting at one of the non-profit’s facilities.

The company’s ongoing relationship with Hull Services is part of its commitment to supporting the communities in which it operates through its Fluor Cares charitable giving and volunteering program, Sherbanuk says. Fluor staff volunteered more than 4,300 hours cumulatively in 2023, and the company supports more than 570 charities and organizations, including the Alberta Children’s Hospital, Tree Canada and Jill of All Trades, many of which it has years-long relationships with.

The company also now engages with the Orange Shirt Society and Indspire, which Sherbanuk connects to Fluor’s Indigenous relations strategy to deepen its understanding of and relationships with First Nations communities in Canada.

Terri-Lynn Levy, senior manager for human resources, says employees appreciate Fluor’s community relationships and volunteering. Levy co-leads the company’s wellness committee, which in 2024 helped to organize a group of 27 employees who attended the Centre for Suicide Prevention’s annual Run for Life, and a fundraiser for the organization. The wellness committee also organized a series of events over a week, including a mental health knowledge session and a close-out luncheon.

“With the prevalence of suicide in construction, and how culturally diverse our workforce is, it’s nice that the company recognizes the importance of doing this and talking about our mental health,” Levy says.

Fluor doesn’t just have long-lasting relationships with community organizations, but with its employees as well.

“There are many people who stay here for their entire careers,” says Sherbanuk, who has worked at Fluor for the entirety of her career. She attributes employees’ – and her own – desire to stay to a “tremendously supportive” culture at the organization, a sense of camaraderie and working together toward common goals, and professional development opportunities that give people the opportunity to travel the world, work in an office or at a job site, and try out different areas of the business.

Levy started working at Fluor in 2012, and says she’d heard positive things about the company’s culture and growth opportunities before she applied. The company has more than delivered.

“Instantly, I knew it was going to be the right fit for what I was looking for. Twelve years and six roles later proves that what I anticipated it to be like, it absolutely was,” she says. “You don’t have to leave in order to do more, and you can make an impact and feel good about what you do.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Alberta’s Top Employers winners, published January 28, 2025 in the Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.

Fluor Canada helps young talent build their networks

Nicole Grandinetti was familiar with Fluor Canada well before she began working for the company in 2022. While Grandinetti was still in school in 2020, the company invited her and other students from her university to join its employee resource groups (ERGs) in an informal capacity and attend their virtual events.

“I got to meet Fluor’s head of human resources and the director of operations, people I wouldn’t have otherwise met, and hear them talk about professional growth. It was a great networking opportunity, especially in a virtual environment,” says Grandinetti, 28, now a materials management specialist.

That outreach left an impression. “When the opportunity presented itself for me to join the company, it was a really easy choice,” she says. Grandinetti first joined as an intern and was quickly hired full-time, working within the supply chain department.

Fluor, an engineering, procurement and construction company with its Canadian headquarters in Calgary, has long prioritized supporting and developing young employees with training opportunities, ERGs and committees they can join, and a formal talent development committee, says Conrad Dickson, project operations leader.

“We’re very much about building the next generation, making sure they’re being developed and seeing them challenged, satisfied, happy and engaged,” he says.

Dickson himself is proof positive, having joined Fluor fresh out of university 25 years ago. The chemical engineer by training says he was drawn to the company for the opportunity to work in a variety of roles and travel the world. About seven years of his career were in his original field, before he moved on to other roles in construction, estimating, project management and operations.

“From the early days through to my current role I had amazing support from my leaders, sponsors and mentors, expressing confidence when I didn’t – just saying, ‘Hey, you can do this, we’re here to support you,’ and pushing me into stretch roles,” he says.

One of the first ERGs Fluor launched was the Graduates Advancing to Professionalism group for early-career staff. Employees who start at Fluor within four years of graduation are automatically enrolled. The group hosts professional development opportunities, networking, and social events, such as laser tag and mini golf.

“It’s really cool that starting at the company you automatically have a network,” says Grandinetti. “It’s nice to meet people who are in your broader department, or maybe outside of your discipline as well, especially since the team I’m on is a smaller team.”

For employees who want to grow within their role, move up the career ladder or transition to a different team, Fluor has an in-house online training portal with a huge number of courses. “Professional training and development is critical for us as we pride ourselves on execution excellence in the industry. We want our people to have every opportunity to do their jobs well,” Dickson says.

It also has a regional talent committee, which Dickson chairs, that is committed to career development and to sponsoring employees who are at “tangible junctures” in their careers and need support, either through the process of building their skills or network, or with figuring out their next move. That support can also be material, such as finding an open role for a sponsored employee or providing education subsidies.

Dickson says Fluor’s support for employees is more holistic than just promoting their professional development. The company’s wellness committee hosts events and company-wide challenges around mental, physical, financial and social wellness, and in the past year the company launched a new Pride ERG.

“We really strive to create a safe environment in all the ways that entails,” he says. “It’s such an empowering environment to be in.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Canada's Top Employers for Young People winners, published January 21, 2025 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.