Recently, we sat down with Michelle Cogan, our Senior Manager of People & Culture, to chat about the opportunities that are possible for a fulfilling and enriched career at Entuitive.

Hi Michelle, thanks for sitting down with us today. What do you think are some of Entuitive’s top priorities when it comes to our people?

Thanks so much! I am thrilled to be discussing one of my favourite topics, how to lead, learn, and grow here.

Do you have any comments on what a typical career path looks like at Entuitive?

We get asked this question a ton. Of course, there is a “typical” career path at every engineering firm where you start as a Junior Designer and move through the levels to reach Principal. For corporate team members, you move through levels from Coordinator to Leadership.

Entuitive is different. You can follow the “typical” path and move from individual contributor to leadership BUT we have so many more options that are not just a straight ladder up.

Consider the team member working in Administration who transitions to People and Culture, or the Structural Engineer who transitions to Building Envelope. What about the Technologist in Toronto who wants to grow his career overseas in the UK, or the UK-trained employee who wants a full-time role in Toronto?

Oh yes, there is also the Senior Engineer who asks to take on a leadership role as a Regional Rep and now sits on the Management Team.

We have worked hard to impart on our people the fact that truly anything is possible IF you own your career and are willing to take a risk.

What we offer at Entuitive isn’t a ladder but rather a lattice. This is a place where you can take a left turn and then a right turn – with the full support of our leaders.

The most important thing I want to stress here is that your career path doesn’t have to be typical.

Just ask Matthew Smith, Belinda Wong, Michelle Cullen, Emily King, Rita Wong, Andy Ion, Greg Riewe, Stephen Cohos, Blaine Jansen, or the many other incredible people who have put their hand up for something different and achieved it at Entuitive.

I really want our people to believe that anything is possible here and that we will work with them to help them achieve their goals.

What does “leading at every level” mean to you?

I love this. Gone are the days where the boss dictates what to do and when to do it. At Entuitive, we believe that the best ideas are with our people and all we need to do is create an open environment where we listen and collaborate.

To me, leading at every level means you don’t need to have a certain title or seniority to make an impact here – positive change is possible from anyone and anywhere – all you have to do is raise your hand and be willing to own the outcome of your decision.

An example of this is our internal idea challenge, Dragon’s DENnovation. Stephen Cohos pitched the idea of Entuitive U, an online interactive recruiting platform to help us better identify the engineers of the future. All it takes is an idea and the willingness to see it through. Stephen is a great example of a leader. He is someone others want to get involved with. He doesn’t hold the most “senior” title here but he’s going to change the way students experience Entuitive through Entuitive U.

How do you help employees realize their professional development goals?

The first step is to discuss what you’d like to achieve so that we can help with the how.

Entuitive provides some financial support for those pursuing a master’s degree. We have supported others who have chosen to shift their careers with external training so that they can realize their potential.

Again, all you need is an idea and a plan – we will work with you on the rest.

I should mention that professional goals need to be discussed with leaders and colleagues. There is so much knowledge and experience within our team. If there is something you want to learn or an area you’d like to test drive, all you have to do is have the courage to ask.

What about life outside the office? Do we help employees stay true to their larger personal vision for their development?

We encourage our employees to share their passions outside of work at work.

In this dynamic world of work, we need the integration of both your professional passions and your personal passions so that we can build a connected community. We are all multifaceted and diverse.

I love our Whole Self series. It illustrates the talent we have at Entuitive by focusing on the overall individual and showcasing their passion.

We have artists, photographers, musicians, and athletes who also happen to engineer, design, and project manage.

Any final thoughts?

I could go on for a lot longer about the art of the possible at Entuitive.

Seriously, there are so many incredible career stories at Entuitive.

If you haven’t seen our Career path stories, please watch for inspiration from Barry Charnish, Randy Thesen, Sanja Buncic, and Sean Smith (below).

For employees, if you haven’t read or participated in one of our Fireside chats – take time to read the summaries or reach out to Belinda Wong.

We hosted a career path panel and have the recordings available for our employees on Stream – take the time to listen to them.

Your career at Entuitive is up to you! You own your own outcome and the opportunities are endless.

We’re different and we’re glad you’re here.

Thanks for sitting down with us today, Michelle. We couldn’t agree more – there’s a wealth of opportunity to lead, grow, and develop for everyone at Entuitive!