The Association of Consulting Engineering Firms of Quebec (AFG) wanted to know what could attract and retain workers in its industry, whether engineers, technologists and technicians, executives and managers or other professionals. In a world of work where the phrase “big quit” haunts employers, the good news is that 80% of employees surveyed plan to stay in the consulting engineering industry for the next five years. What are the benefits of working there? The variety and diversity of projects and mandates, say 80% of the 15,000 employees surveyed (out of the 28,000 in the industry). According to the 31 firms surveyed (of the 61 existing), renewable energy is by far the most promising area for the future of consulting engineering (48%); then tied (30%) are civil engineering and artificial intelligence. For young people aged 25 and under, contributing to the ecological transition and the scale of the projects are the two most important factors of attractiveness.
Times have changed a lot from the days when we could insist that our student workforce skip classes in order to accommodate our work schedule needs. The Laval Regrouping for Educational Success (RLPRE), in collaboration with the Carrefour jeunesse-emploi de Laval (CJEL), launched the “My boss is the best” contest. The goal is of course to reward employers who support the educational success of their student employees by promoting a balanced work-study balance. However, we are also taking the opportunity to make everyone aware of the importance of going to school when it is time and of working at a time that does not interfere with your studies. Laval pupils and students aged 14 and over chose the winning employers. Similar initiatives have been led by CRÉPAS in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, TREM in Mauricie, R3USSIR in Estrie and COSMOSS in Bas-Saint-Laurent.
Are your employees yawning after 90 minutes of training? It’s normal. Attention span varies from human to human. For some, it is limited to 30 minutes. “Putting employees in a room for a day or two and joking around doesn’t work anymore,” says Jorj Helou, leadership awakener, coach and training, at Leaderzone. “Scientific studies confirm that the brain reaches a saturation level and the information no longer comes in, people no longer learn,” he said over the phone. Leaderzone therefore offers powershot or in French “intravenous” training. It is a question of condensing rapid and dynamic learning over a short period and spreading it over several weeks, explains Jorj Helou. “It allows people to quickly learn certain elements and then take the time to apply them. They return to the next training having assimilated the information and resume a new learning. On June 19, Jorj Helou will give a training on how to design this quick and effective training with a unique message and designed for busy organizations and workers.
— Hudson’s Bay’s new president, Sophia Hwang-Judiesch, talks about the importance of being yourself in FN magazine, the go-to publication for footwear and fashion executives. First and foremost, she believes in the importance of mentorship by giving time and opportunities to other women. This desire for mentorship also matches his penchant for connecting with people. “I have a real interest in understanding what motivates a person and how I can bring out the best in someone. It’s amazing when you take the time to ask more questions and really be there with someone what you can learn about them. This way of connecting more personally to people was unnatural. The organization had to ask her to make an effort to show who she really was. “My greatest strength now is that my team knows all my facets, they know what motivates me and what my vulnerabilities are. »
“We are at a dangerous point,” said Arndt Kirchhoff, head of an employers’ association in Germany and head of Kirchhoff, a manufacturer of automotive components. Germany recently slipped into a technical recession. Many companies invest abroad rather than at home. Since the lifting of pandemic restrictions, Chinese consumers are importing less. Orders from engineering companies fell 20% last month. The most pressing concerns of employers are, according to a recent survey of industrial companies, the prices of raw materials and energy which remain high, the availability of skilled labor and rising wages. And don’t run the bosses over the paperwork. A new law obliges companies with more than 3,000 employees in Germany to check whether their suppliers around the world comply with human rights and environmental standards.
