Robert Bourbeau began working for the construction and building materials company CRH Canada 22 years ago, as a project engineer. Since then, he’s had several roles with increasing responsibility, achieving his current position as president of construction and materials last January. “And I’m still having fun!” he says.
Bourbeau’s experience says a lot about CRH Canada’s ability to nurture its employees’ talents and keep them happy. “We share a set of core values across all the business units, everywhere we operate,” he says. “Safety first, creating value, leading with integrity, acting as one company and building enduring relationships. Folks relate to these values, and know they make for a good working environment.”
Safety has always been a top priority at CRH, but in the past year it has introduced additional measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Every month we have a ‘SEE STOP DO’ day when no one is allowed to book a meeting,” says Bourbeau. “That day is dedicated to going to see what’s happening on our sites, challenging the methodology of something in the field, and discussing its safety.”
The company also provided a telemedicine service to give employees access to doctors virtually and added two nurses to its staff. “The nurses help employees who might have had a work-related injury and need support,” Bourbeau says. “Sometimes it’s just minor back pain, but they ensure access to doctors and physiotherapists. They also do prevention – they go through our operation, observe things we might not notice, like the way we shovel, and suggest a better way.”
Employee development is another priority, from student placement programs like Engineer in Training, where many of CRH Canada’s managers started, to training, mentorship and leadership programs.
“All our employees go through IDP, or individual development planning,” Bourbeau says. “We make sure they experience areas like special projects, acquisitions and large investments, so they have exposure to everything we do.”
Lindsay Lootsma, a prime contract director at CRH’s Dufferin Construction division, started as a co-op student 19 years ago and participated in a management development program where she gained experience in other business units. “That was a unique opportunity,” she says. “I also received full support to do my MBA, which was amazing. CRH has sound corporate values that people stand behind, great opportunities and strong leadership.”
Bourbeau is proud of CRH’s efforts to make its workforce more inclusive. This year it started an initiative called Women in Science to help develop the next generation of women in the industry. “We’re sponsoring camps where our female engineers explain the construction industry and provide mentoring to girls who foresee a career in science,” he says. “All they need are opportunities.”
“You don’t see a lot of heavy construction operations enabling women to climb to senior levels,” says Lootsma. “But I’ve been supported since the day I started. Now I have four female construction co-ordinators and two female co-op students on my team, and one of my managers is a female engineer.”
CRH Canada also partnered with Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario and York University to establish the Way Forward program, in which post-graduate students from other countries can get job experience in Canada in the finance field. “We talk a lot about inclusion and diversity, but this program made it very meaningful,” says Bourbeau. “We were able to bring in people from different backgrounds, and it’s been a tremendous experience for all of us.”
