At Groupe Dynamite, passion is always in fashion

As a senior manager of e-commerce for Montreal-based fashion retailer Groupe Dynamite, Niki Marinos is not afraid to boast: "I tell everyone I have the best job in the building."

Fortunately for the rest of her colleagues at head office - and in the more than 400 Garage and Dynamite stores in eight countries - Groupe Dynamite employees all share in the workplace attributes that Marinos loves so much.

"What I love about working here is every day is not the same," she explains. "You're consistently challenged at every level, and you learn from a lot of brilliant people.

"You get to be so creative," she adds, "and we're always there to help and support each other. That's what's kept me here for 14 years."

At the end of the day, it's all about attitude, says talent & culture vice-president Sarah-Paula Brami. "We want people who are proactive, who want to get involved, who are passionate about what we do and about satisfying the customer."

At Groupe Dynamite, employee satisfaction is a two-way street, adds Brami. When people care about what they do, she says, the company wants to do everything it can to help them feel fulfilled and supported. That begins with a very open workplace culture. "Everyone has a voice," she notes, "and all ideas are welcome."

The support continues with generous benefits. The company helps employees save for the future with matching RSP contributions. It also provides extended health-care coverage, tuition assistance for employees interested in continuing their education, and generous discounts on Garage and Dynamite products.

In addition, Groupe Dynamite manages an extensive recognition program to honour and celebrate exceptional employee performance at all levels of the company. That includes an annual awards gala, a yearly trip to a luxurious destination for top store sales leaders and a VIP weekend getaway for store teams that provide exceptional customer service.

The company's spacious, light-filled head office near the revitalizing Côte-des-Neiges Triangle is designed to promote collaboration. And its attractive, atrium cafeteria is a popular employee meeting place, with its delicious hot meals, salad and sandwich bar and barista.

Groupe Dynamite's strong sense of teamwork is enhanced through social events organized throughout the year, including a popular Christmas party. It also encourages staff members to actively support local charities such as Centraide through donations and volunteer time.

Being recognized as one of Montreal's Top Employers has special meaning for the company, says Brami. "We're really proud that it's a Montreal-based, Canadian company."

Groupe Dynamite features 'a super-open culture'

For Anthony Gervasi, the graduate program at Groupe Dynamite opened a door into the exciting world of fashion - and it suits him to a T.

The 26-year-old Product Manager for the Montreal-based women's clothing retailer entered the three-month program in February 2014, after graduating from Concordia University's John Molson School of Business. "I had heard that Groupe Dynamite offered a good environment," says Gervasi. "But it was really the grad program that set it apart."

The opportunity helps business grads from across Canada find their forté by allowing them to work in a variety of departments, including supply chain management, in-store operations, finance, planning, product management, marketing and regional product intelligence. Program participants also attend lunches and presentations hosted by senior executives, and work on a Groupe Dynamite business case, which they later present to the leadership team.

"When they get to their final destination here, they're better prepared," says Talent & Culture VP Sarah-Paula Brami. "They really understand every function of the business, and they feel like they're supported in their learning process."

Interns and recent graduates joining Groupe Dynamite receive an accelerated two-week orientation, which includes a half-day information session, a full tour of the head office and distribution centre, and a welcome lunch with President and CEO Andrew Lufty.

Gervasi still remembers the energy he encountered the first time he walked into Groupe Dynamite's bright, open-concept headquarters, which serves as the nerve centre for the company's more than 400 Dynamite and Garage stores in Canada and around the world.

"It's very young, it's very fast, and it's very exciting. You get that the second you walk in," he says. "I didn't really know what I wanted to do, but I loved it. And, pretty quickly, through the program, I was able to say, 'I'm setting up shop here.'"

Five years later, Gervasi has been promoted twice, and is more committed to the company than ever. "I continue to like it more everyday," he says, "because I find the more you learn, the more impact you can have on the business, and that's satisfying."

In every respect, says Brami, Groupe Dynamite's airy head office is designed to promote collaboration, creativity and entrepreneurialism. "Everyone has a voice, and all ideas are welcome," she adds. "There's a super-open culture, and it's all in the spirit of making the brand successful."

That sense of teamwork is enhanced through social events organized through- out the year, including a popular Christmas party and cocktail gatherings organized to introduce graduates to the executive team. Employees also attend Groupe Dynamite's annual meeting and fashion show, where its spring and summer collections are unveiled. The cafeteria in the head office atrium is a popular meeting place, with its delicious hot meals, salad and sandwich bar, and barista.

The company encourages staff members to actively support local charities like Centraide through donations and volunteer time.

Employees are also assisted through a generous benefits program that features a matching retirement savings plan, extended healthcare coverage, subsidies for continuing education, and generous discounts on Dynamite and Garage products.

"I think if you make your employees happy," says Brami, "they'll want to make the company successful. It's a two-way street.

"We just want employees to feel like they contribute," she adds, "and we give them the environment so they can feel they're fulfilled and that this is a place where they can flourish and grow."