Recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2021) and Greater Toronto's Top Employers (2021):
By Richard Yerema and Kristina Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Nov 12, 2020)
Here are some of the reasons why Hatch Ltd. was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2021) and Greater Toronto's Top Employers (2021):
- Hatch helps employees prepare for life after work with retirement planning assistance services, along with a defined contribution pension plan and a health plan that extends into their retirement (shared premium contributions) with no age limit -- and offers phased-in work options for those nearing retirement
- Hatch recognizes employee dedication and accomplishments through an annual global awards program with a variety of categories, including best paper (for technical papers submitted at a conference or for publication), construction management, sustainability, innovation, and a recently added award for diversity and inclusion
- Hatch's flexible health benefits plan allows employees to customize coverage to suit their personal needs and transfer unused credits to a health spending account, a group RRSP or taken as taxable income
Hatch employees are ‘agents of positive change’
At one of the regular virtual meetings of employees this past spring, Hatch Ltd. CEO John Bianchini said the Mississauga, Ont.-based global engineering firm was working on ways to help communities struggling as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he encouraged employees to figure out what they could give individually as well. Recalls Hannah Ehtemam, a project engineer with the infrastructure group: “We became little voices in our communities.”
Ehtemam, together with members of a professional engineers association, devised a design challenge for children’s masks. Doctors, local politicians and industrial engineers served as judges to determine the winner – a mask that actually fits children 12 and under and is comfortable. The winning design was to be manufactured and then distributed to local health care centres and hospitals.
“Generally, we’re a very flat organization – you can have an idea and you’ll be told to take it to wherever you can,” says Ehtemam. “Instead of looking up to find out what you should be doing, it’s looking at what you can do.”
Hatch’s manifesto – its mission, vision and values – is what guides the company, according to David Neilly, global director of HR. “We see ourselves as agents of positive change – it’s what drives us,” he says. “So we feel a deep sense of responsibility for the communities in which we work.”
The company’s philanthropy tends be driven by the energy and efforts of its employees. In typical years, those initiatives range from robotics sponsorships to cancer fundraisers. But this year, with different needs arising out of the pandemic, the focus has been more back to basics. In one initiative, Hatch raised more than $20,000 for local food banks just by stirring up support -- virtually – among employees.
Following conversations with representatives of Marten Falls and Webequie First Nations, two remote Indigenous communities in northern Ontario, the company delivered 300 care packages of cleaning supplies to last up to six months. “Anything we pitch in and help with usually involves elbow grease from our employees,” says Neilly, “so we typically follow those things that our employees are passionate about.”
Hatch is also working with researchers at McGill University in Montréal to produce a cost-effective antiviral coating that can be used to reduce the rate of COVID-19 transmission on high-touch metallic surfaces in public spaces, such as hospitals or on public transit. “We don’t know where it’s going to go but we believe we can use our engineering expertise to help it along,” Neilly says.
Despite the disruption of the last several months, the experience has not been without its benefits. For one thing, Ehtemam says, it has sparked innovation – hardly surprising in a company full of engineers. One team devised a headset equipped with a camera, connected to the internet and providing a live feed from a site so that engineers could do site assessments without leaving their home offices. “We could meet our deadlines and keep the projects going and not let the current situation affect us,” she says.
The unusual circumstances also dramatically increased connectivity within the company from their CEO to the most junior employees. “In a funny way, being remote and working together has kind of democratized communications,” Neilly says. “When we’re on calls together, collaboration is improved and our flat organization has become even flatter, which fuels innovation.”
The company has been agile, employees have been innovative, and clients, Neilly adds, have become more open to working in a flexible way with them. “This has improved our ability to engage Hatch expertise around the world to solve our clients’ toughest challenges,” he says. “So there’s definitely a lot of silver linings for us – although we’re just as anxious as everybody to get to something resembling normal.”
Recognized as one of Canada's Greenest Employers (2020):
By Richard Yerema and Chantel Watkins, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Jun 15, 2020)
Here are some of the reasons why Hatch Ltd. was selected as one of Canada's Greenest Employers (2020):
- Hatch's head office features water efficient appliances and automated building sensor technology, the "It's Cool to Be in the Dark" program to reduce AC and lighting usage in the summer months, native tree species planted on the grounds, bioswales to mitigate containments from water runoff, and a community garden where employees can practice their green thumbs
- Hatch partners with Smart Commute and encourages employees to consider alternative transit, offering carpoolers $2.50 per passenger per one-way trip (along with the convenience of an online sign-up system and preferred parking spots for poolers) and cyclists $2 per day
- Hatch's specialized environmental services practice group ensures that environmental and sustainable design considerations are factored into all of its projects -- the unique practice area provides support to engineering and technical departments and ensures social, environmental, carbon management and sustainable development considerations are incorporated into all phases of a project
Recognized as one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2021):
By Kristina Leung, Stephanie Leung, and Jing Wang, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Jan 18, 2021)
Here are some of the reasons why Hatch Ltd. was selected as one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2021):
- Hatch manages a Professional Development Program (PDP) to help recent grads in their first to third year of employment transition to the working world -- the PDP program is driven by the Young Professionals Committees at Hatch, who help plan events and present budgets for approval
- Hatch regularly partners with universities across Canada to collaborate on educational, research and development projects as well as for scholarship grants -- the company sponsors the University of Toronto's Community of Practice for Engineering Leadership, which provides students with access to industry mentors and programs that focus on professional development
Recognized as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers (2021):
By Kristina Leung and Stephanie Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Mar 1, 2021)
Here are some of the reasons why Hatch Ltd. was selected as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers (2021):
- Hatch recently set a goal to have women represent 40 per cent of its workforce by 2023, and to ensure the company provides equal access to opportunity for women, Hatch will aim to have a third of all experienced hires and half of student and young professional interview slates be women -- additionally, the company is piloting a sponsorship program to address the advancement of women through its pipeline
- Hatch partnered with Our Children's Medicine to 'Indigenize' its application process to help ensure it represents Indigenous way of life, culture, and that inclusion and systemic barriers are considered throughout an applicant's journey -- the company also offers scholarships and internships for Indigenous youth (in partnership with Indspire) and mentoring for students interested in engineering (as part of the Oskayak High School Job Shadowing Program in Saskatchewan)
"As a female engineer belonging to a visible minority, I’d faced many situations in the past that gave me the impression that in order for my opinions to matter, I needed to work much harder and prove myself much more when compared to my colleagues. There were parts of me that would wonder if this was a diversity issue, or if it was a fault in my character, maybe a lack of confidence or ability. However, I was surprised to find that those feelings began to disperse when I joined Hatch and have been diminishing since. This issue that I’d convinced myself was a reality for my future just didn’t matter anymore. I realized that at Hatch, your abilities and character are what define you. Diversity within the company then becomes an advantage, as it offers a wider array of ideas and a broader perspective." Nina Warrier, Geotechnical Engineer-in-training
The Career Directory
Hatch Ltd. has been selected for The Career Directory, our guide to entry-level recruitment for recent college and university graduates.
