Bell invests heavily in skills development

In an era of extraordinarily rapid technological innovation, Bell Canada is in the midst of transitioning from a traditional telecommunications company into a tech services and digital media leader. Oksana Vassilieva is on the front lines of that change.

“I like Bell’s vision of using innovation to drive the customer experience,” says Vassilieva, senior manager with the national cyber security testing team. “This transformation is aligned with what’s happening in the world.”

Vassilieva, who joined Bell in 2005 as a security consultant, works in Bell’s business markets division, which serves diverse clients, including federal and provincial governments, manufacturers, retailers, insurance companies and financial institutions among others.

The reliability and security of their systems are of paramount importance for such clients. “Our team performs real-world threat simulation testing where we replicate the tactics, techniques and procedures used by malicious cybercriminal groups,” says Vassilieva. “Our mission is to help customers be secure by identifying weaknesses and vulnerabilities in their networks, web and mobile applications, and cloud services.”

There's a strong focus on technology across all teams, ranging from marketing to finance, legal to operations. It's an incredibly diverse organization. “One of the great things about Bell is the breadth and scope of the company,” says Payal Gabrani-Bahl, senior vice-president, consumer marketing. “There are so many different roles you can move into internally and have completely different careers.”

When she was an economics student at University of Waterloo, Gabrani-Bahl envisioned a career in the financial services industry – until she did a four-month co-op with Bell.

“After I graduated, I tried a couple of different things. Then an executive I worked with during my co-op asked if I’d like to work with him,” says Gabrani-Bahl, “He was a phenomenal leader so I accepted his offer and I’ve been here ever since.”

That was nearly 20 years ago. Her journey has included stints in corporate strategy, product development, sales and distribution, marketing and now the consumer side of the business, which includes residential internet and TV, voice and home security as well as wireless cellphone services.

Bell promotes career mobility through multiple professional development platforms. The company is investing in STEM talent and individual career development through internal resources offered through Bell U (Bell University).

These include university-level programs in business intelligence, cloud computing, cyber security, data science and software development among other subjects. Over the past three years, hundreds of employees have completed one or more of these programs. Employees interested in evolving technological trends have access to the Bell Learning Hub, which is powered by LinkedIn Learning.

Bell also offers mentoring programs designed to build the skills of individual employees and foster a robust high-tech culture. The company supports employees who want to pursue job-relevant outside degrees, certifications and accreditations.

“I’ve had phenomenal leaders who spent time mentoring me and helping me get to where I am today,” says Gabrani-Bahl.

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Canada's Top 100 Employers winners, published November 17, 2023 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.

Collaboration and learning at Bell Canada

Minnie Kim got her first taste of working for Bell Canada as a student intern in the summer of 2021. When she completed her degree in computer science, with a concentration in artificial intelligence and machine learning, she jumped at the opportunity to join the company full time through Bell’s grad leadership program.

“One of the best things about Bell is the environment,” says Kim, a data science developer in field services business intelligence. “I’m surrounded by younger people, but there are more experienced people as well. You learn so much from so many different people.”

Especially her leaders. “When people ask me what is one of the things that I like most about my job, I say the fact that I have supportive and trusting leaders,” adds Kim. “They answer all my questions, and are always there to help.”

Jean-Philippe Paradis joined Bell in the early 1990s as a new grad after earning a degree in industrial engineering from Polytechnique Montréal. Since then, he has held over 15 positions and was able to complete an MBA with the support of the organization.

He has been a front-line manager, a senior manager, a director, and president of Bell technical solutions. Recently he took on a new role as vice-president of subscription sales, distribution, out of home and business intelligence with Bell Media.

Bell supports career growth and professional development in a number of ways. The company offers a diverse suite of learning and training opportunities through resources like LinkedIn Learning and Bell U (Bell University).

The grad leadership program also helps jumpstart careers. Kim attended the annual Bell grad leadership summit in Toronto where she met with over 250 new grads from across Canada. It was also an opportunity to attend question-and-answer sessions with senior leaders from various Bell business units, including the CEO.

The company also finds opportunities for new grads to connect with each other and learn from leaders in other parts of the business through local and virtual meetings and events.

“Because of those activities, I’ve made great friends within my cohort and within Bell in Montréal and across the country,” says Kim.

Mentoring is available to employees at various stages of their career. “I’ve learned a lot through mentoring,” says Paradis. “I currently mentor several team members, some of which have become very successful leaders, and I continue to personally learn a lot from this experience.”

Kim was assigned a mentor as soon as she was part of the grad program. “The program allows you to get the perspective of someone in a more senior position from another department or business unit,” she says.

Paradis adds: “What drives your career is energy, a willingness to collaborate with partners and curiosity. If you have those three qualities, you’re going to enjoy a great career with a lot of depth and satisfaction.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Montreal’s Top Employers winners, published February 27, 2024 in the Montreal Gazette. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.

New grads get curated experiences and mentoring at Bell

Ann-Julie Bonin joined Bell Canada in 2017 shortly after earning an engineering degree from Montréal’s Concordia University. She was enrolled in the company’s three-year new-grad program and, to her surprise, was quickly managing a team of 30 field technicians – some of whom had children older than she was.

She embraced the challenge and found lasting benefit. “I loved the experience,” says Bonin, who is currently director of technical services with the field services business unit. “It taught me so much about how to manage a team. I still use what I learned there on a day-to-day basis.”

In her current role, she oversees a team of 30 managers. They are responsible for the smooth operation of the company’s contact centres and the 1,500 agents who work there.

“Bell has a strong focus on bringing in and nurturing early-in-career talent through our grad and intern streams, and our co-op and summer student programs,” says Angie Harrop, director, talent strategy. “We also offer career growth and learning opportunities for all team members through our mentoring program and Bell University resources.”

Brandon White accepted a position at Bell in September 2020 after graduating from Queen’s University in Kingston with a bachelor of computing degree, which is a mix of computer science and software engineering. “I wanted a company that had a new-grad program,” says White, a technical product manager based in Toronto. “I thought that would be the best way to get exposure to the company and get up to speed on industry knowledge.”

The program exceeded his expectations and made for a smooth start to his career. First, he participated in orientation sessions where he and other new hires were able to speak to executives. He also had an opportunity to meet and network with other recent graduates. “It helped create a community of young people,” says White.

Those who participate in the program are expected to spend a year in a position before moving on to something else. “There was a very clear path for the first three years of my career,” says Bonin. “You’re given that flexibility to find roles across the organization that are tailored to your interests and skill set.”

Mentoring has also proved invaluable to both White and Bonin. “I’ve had multiple mentors,” says White. “I was assigned a mentor who was on the cloud professional services team. He always had time for me whenever I had questions. Some were very straightforward, but I felt comfortable asking them.”

He has also felt comfortable speaking up and providing his perspective even when working with colleagues many years his senior. “It doesn’t matter how old you are, they know everyone’s voice matters,” White says. “Even seasoned employees seek out a grad’s idea.”

For her part, Bonin still has the same mentor assigned to her when she joined the company. She has found the relationship rewarding enough that she has become an enthusiastic mentor herself. “I mentor three graduates in the new-grad program,” she says. “It is extremely rewarding to be able to give back and watch your mentees grow.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Canada's Top Employers for Young People winners, published January 23, 2024 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.

Bell sets science-based emission reduction targets

Serita White earned a degree in environmental science and worked in environment and sustainability for 15 years before joining Bell Canada in the spring of 2022. Her rationale was that working for one of the country’s largest employers would be the best way to make a difference. She hasn’t been disappointed.

“We have a lot of emission reduction initiatives,” says White, who is a senior manager with Bell’s corporate responsibility and environment team. “There’s a lot of innovation and engagement going on across all of Bell’s business units.”

Setting ambitious targets to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and environmental footprint has been a key driver across the company. Bell has set science-based targets to reduce operational (scope 1 and 2) GHG emissions by 58 per cent and its scope 3 GHG emissions by 42 per cent by 2030.

Bell’s emissions come from multiple sources – including the administrative and operational buildings it owns or occupies across the country and its fleet of thousands of gas-powered vehicles that employees drive to deliver internet, TV and phone services to residential and commercial customers.

The company has adopted a number of measures to reduce emissions from its buildings. “Several years ago, we switched to LED lighting in our buildings,” says Julie Ricketts Daniel, vice-president, real estate. “We have natural gas-powered boilers in many of our buildings, which we’re replacing with electric heat pumps and electric boilers. This is a big contributor to our de-carbonization goals.“

Bell has adopted a smart spaces model in its buildings to optimize space and improve collaboration and overall work experience while reducing energy consumption.

In addition to its environmental impact, the new model will also contribute to employee wellbeing. “It gives our team members more options for how and where they work,” says Ricketts Daniel. “The office space renovation brings more features for our teams to enjoy. We now have adjustable sit-stand workstations, many new work settings and through some smart design choices we have created more consistent access to natural light throughout the workday.”

Bell has embedded circularity into its operations to eliminate unnecessary waste from its processes. It has reuse and repair/ refurbishment programs that allow it to extend the life of set-top boxes, wi-fi pods and modems and to reduce waste from landfill. A three-year goal to divert e-waste from landfills by collecting seven million used electronics was surpassed with 7,760,323 devices collected from October 2020 to September 2023.

In 2023 alone, more than 5,379 tonnes of customer electronic devices were diverted from landfills. In 2023, Bell replaced 1,079 older vehicles with more fuel-efficient models, and currently has 332 electric and 66 hybrid vehicles in service.

Employee engagement is another key piece of the company’s efforts to reduce emissions and achieve its science-based targets. “Connecting with our team members is so important, so we set up an innovation working group from across the organization to discuss new ideas,” says Ricketts Daniel. “That engagement is making our workplace better and having a positive impact.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Canada's Greenest Employers winners, published April 16, 2024 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.