Being invested in the community according to Ève Giard
Before launching our new employer brand this fall, we spent some time examining our corporate culture. I was certain that CDPQ had a solid culture built on a tradition of over 50 years, but I was less certain if the words used to define it still reflected the reality of our employees.
As the person responsible for human resources, I care deeply that our culture meets your expectations when you join our ranks.
As the person responsible for human resources, I care deeply that our culture meets your expectations when you join our ranks.
Far from being an abstract HR concept, culture as we see it is the way we work every day—a vector for performance that separates the good organizations from the great. It’s the foundation that our employer brand stands on—it’s what sets us apart from our peers. In other words, it’s our promise to provide a work experience you won’t find anywhere else.
Listening to our people
The last time we considered our culture was over five years ago. So much has changed since then—and so has CDPQ, particularly as we globalized. To make sure that our culture stays aligned with the day-to-day of our colleagues across all our offices, we explored what really matters to them.
That exploration allowed us to confirm a few of our strengths, like ambition and collaboration, which we want to continue prioritizing. We also found some areas for improvement. For example, in terms of openness, while we have a good basis, we believe we can do more. How? By encouraging debate, seeking differing points of view and bolstering a climate conducive to innovation. After all, our culture is expressed and embodied every day through the small actions we take.
In addition, what I take away from this exercise is just how important it is for our employees to find meaning. They want to commit to an organization whose values correspond to their convictions. They want more diversity, inclusion and flexibility, especially to facilitate work-life balance. Is this a consequence of new, post-pandemic habits, or of a generational change, since 40% of our labour force is under age 35? Whatever the reason, we can’t ignore these factors if we want them to build a career at CDPQ and thrive.
Événement de lancement de notre marque employeur, septembre 2023.
A culture that reflects our pride
Focusing on culture ultimately means finding a way to rally the teams—unifying them is key for a global investment group with offices on four continents. It means pursuing a shared objective that inspires pride. And I use that word on purpose because that feeling is the common denominator that connects our colleagues from Montréal to New York City and from London to Singapore.
Culture plays an important role in a company’s success and should therefore be thoroughly defined and continuously strengthened.
Pride in executing CDPQ’s mission. Pride in contributing to the financial security of millions of Quebecers. Pride in taking real action to create a more sustainable world.
Culture plays an important role in a company’s success and should therefore be thoroughly defined and continuously strengthened. This paves the way to more clearly affirm who we are and what we want to be: an open, ambitious, collaborative and accountable organization. With our new employer brand firmly anchored in or culture, we are equipped to mobilize our employees and attract new talent who also want to be invested in the community.
See what that means in this video
