Concert Properties develops employees and communities
Just when Dennis Marchand thought he was out of the building operations game, Concert Properties pulled him back in. And nearly five years later, he says he’s so glad the Vancouver-based real estate company did.
After making a career change, Marchand wasn’t planning to return to building operations work. But when a recruiter at Concert Properties reached out, he liked what he heard — particularly the company’s commitment to sustainability and being an active part of the community.
Now, Marchand says the company has more than lived up to those ideals. As a building manager who oversees Concert Properties’ head office tower, Marchand observes the company’s sustainability efforts in practice every day. He notes that Concert Properties has been working to reduce its energy usage and gas consumption by adding occupancy sensors in its buildings, fully converting to LED lighting and adopting new artificial intelligence technology to help increase HVAC efficiency.
Marchand also appreciates the company’s volunteer opportunities, including serving food at Vancouver’s Oppenheimer Park in support of Union Gospel Mission’s annual summer barbecue.
“It’s not only good for the community, it’s good team-building as well because you get to engage with people outside of your work bubble,” he says. “It’s a chance to give back to the community and also connect with people within the company’s community.”
Founded in 1989 and owned by union and management pension plans and institutional investors representing over 200,000 Canadians, the company develops, owns and manages rental apartments and seniors’ active aging communities; develops condominiums; develops, acquires and manages commercial properties; and invests in, develops and manages public infrastructure projects.
Aran Clarke, senior vice-president of people experience, says many employees are drawn to Concert Properties because of its reputation as a values-based organization — herself included.
“That’s a big differentiator for Concert Properties. The cofounder, David Podmore, OBC, instilled the values that are still alive today after almost 35 years,” says Clarke, who joined the company in 2019. “That was a big driver for me to come here and stay, and that’s actually a big driver for most people who join.”
Concert Properties’ signature community initiative provides funding across Canada to skilled trades training programs, as well as students, through its annual corporate charity golf tournament — a tradition since 1995. “Hearing the impact stories from those who benefit from this funding is so meaningful to employees,” she says.
Clarke says the company’s most recent employee engagement survey affirmed the importance of Concert Properties’ founding principles and guiding values to employees. She was also heartened to see that 94 per cent of employees feel engaged, which she attributes to the company’s people-first culture.
“We really listen to what people want and need to thrive at work,” she says, noting that after employees highlighted the need for better mental health support, Concert Properties raised its benefit maximum for mental health providers from $500 per year to $1,500. The company is also in the third year of a three-year diversity, equity and inclusion strategy that was developed based on employee insights. It has included offering educational sessions on gender diversity and auditing its recruitment processes.
Marchand says that this employee-centred culture also shows up in Concert Properties’ support for professional development, something that initially attracted him to the company. When he started, it was in an entry-level position, and the company gave him time off to go back to school for the engineering ticket he needed to be promoted.
“I don’t believe it stops here. I think there’s still room to grow,” he says. “They seem eager to keep me around and have me take on more responsibilities.”