OSPE - The Voice - May 2019 - 26

CAREERS

back to Ontario to gain more technical experience. She enjoys
working on a mix of industrial, private-sector and municipal
projects at GHD, and notes that the new collaborative
workspace allows her to meet people in different groups that
she otherwise wouldn't work with.
Jason Clarke, EIT, is an engineering intern who works on
innovative waste solutions at GHD. He says the new office space
allows him to work more easily with other teams in the office,
especially when a pressing issue arises. "We often have to react
quickly, and in this space we're able to alert the right people
right away, and easily collaborate to come up with a solution."
PROMOTING A WORK-LIFE INTEGRATION

With a gym that provides a variety of fitness classes, including
spin, yoga, boot camps and more in the morning, at lunch
and after work; a cafeteria with healthy food options and
areas to socialize; coffee and tea stations throughout the
office with healthy snacks; and modern, agile workstations
with standardized universal docks that anyone can plug in to,
GHD's new building makes it easy for teams to move around
depending on the nature of their work each day.
"Having the gym on-site that offers early-morning classes
and after work classes - you end up working out with senior
managers and get to know them outside of a strictly workrelated environment," Spiteri said.
The integration has also increased employees' ability to
get team members on board for social or charitable projects.
Hunter says the new office is alive all the time with activities
like ping pong tournaments, charity runs and awareness events.
"For International Women's Day, we hosted a discussion forum
on the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
The energy and engagement that filled a room so quickly is
very powerful."
"I believe new grads are looking for employers that
26

THE VOICE

Summer 2019

appreciate them as an individual and not only as a worker,"
said Kate Gaffney, EIT, an engineering intern in GHD's water
group. "It's really nice to work for a company that is invested in
your wellbeing and encourages a positive work-life balance. I
find it easy to work with my team in this environment. Starting
a new position can be intimidating - but in an open concept
like this, everyone is more sociable and approachable."
Clarke says the open-concept provides a big opportunity
for mentorship and asking questions, which is particularly
beneficial for new employees and new grads. "You get exposed
to everyone - the principal of a group could be sitting right
next to you. It helps when you're going into work each day to
know that you will have the opportunity to talk to and meet
new people. That's a huge draw for young people starting out
in their careers who are eager to learn."
After a full year in the new office, the team at GHD is
confident they made the right move. "We came into this office
space with a mixed audience of people who loved the idea and
those who were skeptical," said Quigley. "I think we have as
close to 100 per cent as you can get of people who love where
we are and where we are headed. It's a fantastic place to come
every day.
You need a significant footprint to do all of this. We're lucky
to have the history that we have that lets us put 550 people in a
building like this, while giving them the environment to thrive
and do great work."
➝ To learn more about GHD and its innovative work,
visit www.ghd.com

http://www.ghd.com

OSPE - The Voice - May 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of OSPE - The Voice - May 2019