At the end of 2021, we opened the shutters to give you a glimpse into the inner workings of the firm. As part of a complete revitalization of our talent management tools, we decided to bring to life an idea that had been floating around for a long time by officially creating the VAD committees.
Wishing to share our initiatives and observations with you, we are presenting this formula, which has helped strengthen the sense of belonging within VAD and spark several innovative ideas. In an effort to better plan, organize and communicate internal initiatives, particularly in a hybrid work context, the implementation of our five committees gives employees the power to take action, along with clear guidelines to do so.
Today, it is time for a review.
The first 2-year mandate of the committees is coming to an end, and we will be reshuffling the teams in February during our next VAD L’AVANT, our quarterly team meeting.
In light of this first round, we will take the opportunity to review how the committees operate and see how we can optimize our formula. We are also looking forward to looking back on all the actions that were initiated and carried out during this period. We are also preparing an activity that will facilitate the handover of each committee from the outgoing team to the newly elected members.
Here is a review of what our committees accomplished in 2021 and 2022:
The Well-being Committee, whose mission is to lead the implementation of strategies that promote employee health and well-being, focused on the small everyday gestures that make a difference.
Its accomplishments include: organizing a conference on workstation ergonomics, both at the office and at home, as well as creating a desktop background reminding us of best practices. It is also responsible for implementing free feminine hygiene products at the office. Its latest gesture, which proved particularly popular with the moms on the team: a gift-wrapping blitz at the office during the holiday season, in an effort to slightly reduce their workload during an all-too-often hectic period.
The Green Committee, for its part, has the mission of improving the environmental performance of our workplace and enhancing our design practices in terms of sustainable development.
Its first initiative in early 2021 was the implementation of a collection and recycling box for single-use protective masks, in partnership with the local organization Go Zéro. It organized a conference on urban gardens, led by Micro-Habitat, as well as an opportunity to donate or exchange clothing and items during a Christmas bazaar. The Green Committee also introduced various actions to reduce paper use internally and offered us a summer group outing: an educational visit to the Maison du développement durable, followed by a memorable boreal gastronomy dinner at Bivouac.
Guardians of VAD’s good mood and cultural activities, the Happiness Committee supports the permanent team in organizing annual celebrations and everyday happiness initiatives.
We are infinitely grateful for the anecdotes it allows us to create together — long live karaoke!
During its mandate, the committee gave us: a Valentine’s Day surprise delivered to employees’ homes by its members during lockdown, a unique and highly personalized concept for celebrating every employee’s birthday, the first edition of the fall FestiVAD, a true Oktoberfest in the office parking lot, as well as the organization of two memorable Christmas parties. If we work hard every day, it is also so we can celebrate our wins together.
The Outreach Committee’s mission is to support VAD’s communication strategies and represent the firm at industry events.
During its mandate, it contributed to the VAD blog on the website and imagined a very special social media campaign in honour of International Women’s Day, highlighting the work of inspiring women in our industry. It also shone through the organization of a very special event by VAD at Place Ville Marie last October.
For the Industry Committee, which oversees our large product materials library, the Fabrique, and orchestrates activities with suppliers in our industry, the pandemic and the refinement of digital tools sparked a major reflection on the future of the materials library.
This reflection will continue to evolve in the years to come. In the meantime, we thank them for carrying out a major reorganization and cleanup of our Fabrique. They also created the Second Chance Network: an initiative aimed at giving a second life to surplus materials and literature that is duplicated in-house or no longer being used. Last year, we donated more than a dozen boxes to daycares and schools that wanted to use them for crafts and school projects.
These past two years have confirmed our vision: for VAD, the committees help create value, give employees the power to take action and allow us to deepen our connections by working on projects that take us beyond our daily tasks and deliverables.