CULTURE

As a McElhanney employee you can expect:

• An inclusive, respectful, and supportive culture.
• Annual performance bonuses and competitive salaries, with overtime pay for eligible positions (including overtime pay for positions that are typically exempt under Canada’s Employment Standards Act).
• An opportunity for qualified staff to become company shareholders.
• Great benefits, including a full health and dental package, healthcare spending account, RRSP matching, maternity leave top-up, and parental leave.
• An employee and family assistance program, which offers 24/7 health, life-balance, career, and counselling support for all employees and families online or over the phone.
• Ongoing professional development support and mentorship opportunities.
• Flexible work hours to accommodate your lifestyle.

1. We care about each other, our clients, and our communities.

We are proud to support our employees and communities through our McElhanney Cares program. From local events to employee wellbeing initiatives, McElhanney Cares is an integral part of our identity, allowing us to celebrate our local communities by giving back. Recent activities include:

• Organizing the annual McElhanney Cares Charity Tournament, benefiting Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon.
• Launching a company-wide food drive to raise funds and gather non-perishable food items for the Food Banks of British Columbia and Alberta.
• Releasing 7,000 chinook salmon fry into Quibble Creek in Surrey for Earth Day.
• Participating in a variety of local charitable initiatives, such as running a winter coat drive in Surrey; volunteering at the Edmonton Food Bank; sponsoring the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s “Wishes on the Roof” event in Vancouver; volunteering at the Hope Mission; and participating in Salmon Arm’s “Coldest Night of the Year.”
• Sponsoring the construction of a pedestrian bridge in Bolivia, in partnership with Engineers in Action and other members of the bridge building community.

2. We are driven by our grit, passion, and perseverance.

Whether we’re in the field in northern BC, on site on the Trans-Canada Highway in the Albertan Rockies, or surveying in downtown Victoria, we take on our clients’ challenges like they’re our own.

3. We rally behind safety and respect for all.

We all play a critical role in keeping our teammates safe. We think safe, work safe, so we can get home safe. We all contribute to a diverse workplace, where all perspectives and opinions are sought out and valued.

4. We Own it.

“Own it” describes the McElhanney way. It’s a commitment we make to ourselves, and to each other. It means if the solutions are not clear, we dig deeper. If people aren’t uniting, we bring them together.

Women at McElhanney (WAM)

Today, women continue to represent a minority within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professional roles – this is something McElhanney is passionate about changing.

Both the recruitment and retention of women, as well as thoughtfully creating environments where everyone can thrive, is essential to McElhanney. Thus, the Women at McElhanney (WAM) committee was created in 2018.

WAM concentrates on leadership, career development, and support of our women staff by providing training, outreach, scholarship, and networking opportunities. As a company-wide initiative, WAM provides safe spaces for women employees to have important discussions, a bi-annual WAM conference, and company-wide Lunch and Learn webinars on topics such as gender bias, parental bias, career development, and more. WAM also provides sponsorship of women-led initiatives, promotion of women-led projects through social media campaigns, and initiatives to result in more women in all levels of leadership positions.

With guidance from the WAM Committee, McElhanney’s Corporate Strategic Plan aligns with Engineers Canada’s 30-by-30 goal, by matching the target of having 30% of STEM roles filled by women at McElhanney by 2030.

Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI)

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is central to McElhanney’s culture, reflecting our commitment to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment. Our EDI initiatives aim to drive positive change in our industry, ensuring individuals from all backgrounds thrive in the workplace.

The EDI Committee plays a key role in promoting dialogue and supporting management by raising awareness of challenges faced by underrepresented groups, including neurodivergent individuals, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, equity deserving groups, and members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community.

Through company-wide discussions – including Lunch & Learn webinars on topics from ADHD in the workplace to cultivating inclusion for transgender and gender non-conforming professionals – as well as our Indigenous Peoples, Pride, and Equity Scholarships, we highlight the specific barriers and biases these groups encounter. These initiatives foster a culture of empathy and understanding.

By championing diversity and inclusion, McElhanney not only enhances its own organizational culture but also sets a benchmark for the industry, demonstrating that a commitment to EDI leads to a more innovative, dynamic, and equitable workplace for all.

Young Professionals (YPs)

McElhanney’s Young Professionals (YP) Committee is dedicated to nurturing staff under 35 into the next generation of leaders, with the Chair representing their interests at the executive level.

This committee focus on enhancing YP engagement, integrating them across various disciplines and branches, promoting peer-to-peer knowledge transfer, providing networking opportunities, and continually gathering their feedback to drive positive change.

Key YP initiatives include quarterly professional development sessions with external and internal speakers, speed networking events to broaden YP networks, Lunch & Learns, mentorship programs, and regular sessions with Vice Presidents. Each year, our YP conference hosts 75+ YPs to share ideas, build their networks, discuss opportunities, and promote career pathing and development.

Planet Positive Committee

The Planet Positive Committee believes in making environmental sustainability educational and fun, and is always looking for new ways to bring planet positive outcomes to McElhanney. The committee embeds environmentally conscious practices through the grassroots Office Champions Program, engages partners like BMO Radicle to conduct carbon footprint assessments, and advises staff about carbon reduction strategies at work, at home, and in our communities.

The Planet Positive Committee is always working to encourage action on environmental issues, bringing exciting events to our staff like Bike to Work Week, the Planet Positive film competition, Earth Week events and learning, and supporting and leading branch-based river and beach clean-up events.