Redbrick employees from different teams get together to judge a hackathon it sponsored at UBC.Provided
“We are who we say we are,” says Christine Tatham, vice-president of people and culture at the Victoria, B.C.-based Redbrick Technologies Inc. “We really do what we preach, and that goes from the top down.”
It’s important to the company, she says, to “take care of the whole person, not just as a person working at Redbrick but in ways that help them as a person and as a dad and as a mom and their whole being.”
One way it does this is with its outside-the-box benefits.
Perks include payments of $12 a day for employees who commute to either of the company offices in Victoria or Minneapolis, Minn., $500 to upgrade home offices for those who work remotely (outside of essentials provided at no cost) and a $500 reimbursement annually to those who participate in a bike-to-work program. It also started a financial wellness program with webinars, seminars and free one-on-one sessions. This year, a similar program is starting with a nutritionist.
“We like to offer benefits that are unique and people won’t find elsewhere, and that goes back to taking care of the whole person,” says Tatham.
With a diverse team, Redbrick also offers personal significance days so that people can work traditional statutory holidays in order to take other time off. For example, some employees swapped days off at Easter for time off at Eid.
Helping people grow and develop while working at Redbrick is a priority, says Isla Swanwick, people and culture specialist.
“Professional development is a big one for us,” she says.
There are internal programs and opportunities for external courses, whether that’s taking part in a leadership development program, advancement of coding skills, or customer service training. There’s also a lot of knowledge sharing between the various teams, Swanwick says.
She does a lot of recruitment, and the ability to fit well within a team is one of the key things she looks for when hiring. “We also don’t want anyone with an ego, we want someone who can be supportive and willing to learn because, in tech, things change so quickly.”
Swanwick has elevated the co-op program in the four years she’s been with Redbrick, and it now hires from schools across Canada, taking about 10 students each term. “There’s so much value in our co-op students we bring on.”
Redbrick is always looking for people who will bring a fresh perspective when hired. And in offering the ability to work remotely, the company casts a wide net looking for the best talent. It recently hired a C++ developer from Ukraine and another person from Brazil, who will eventually be moving to Victoria.
“There are many other countries we can do this with,” says Tatham. “We want to hire the best person, wherever they are.”
Redbrick started in 2011 as a software developer. It has expanded to acquire five portfolio companies in Canada and the U.S. that support the digital entrepreneur in areas like email marketing, website development and video creation. The company has an aggressive expansion strategy and is looking to double the number of companies it owns in the next few years.
“We far exceeded our revenue targets last year and there’s no chance that we’re slowing down this year,” says Tatham.
Innovation is important to Redbrick and its portfolio companies, she says, as they grow every day.
“It’s good for people to know that if you want to feel engaged and inspired in your daily work, we have a place for you.”
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Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail’s editorial department was not involved.