Happiness at work can’t be counted!

"The media has said a lot that we bought an island for recruitment," he said straight away. "We received tons of resumes following the media coverage, but I hope no one comes to work for us just for that!"

Giving and sharing comes naturally to Sylvain. It’s safe to say that he’s a deeply generous guy. “It’s part of my role as a team coach to put in place the conditions so that it’s enjoyable to work. Of course, we have performance goals, but it’s the least we can do to take care of our people .”

“And then, it’s so simple to do! And it’s not that expensive, contrary to what you might think. The island, for example, is a real estate asset that will increase in value and absorb the costs related to maintenance. It requires a little management, but very little compared to everything it can offer. The gain is immense , as much for the connection between employees, the feeling of belonging, as the importance of disconnecting and having fun. When people have a smile on their face in the hallways, it’s worth all the gold in the world.”

At MonTechnicien, we offer a range of à la carte services, including access to the island but also to doctors from private clinics, a condo-hotel in Montreal (“for those who would like to go see a show and come home late”), restaurants, etc. On Thursdays, everyone is at the office. “We have a BBQ on the terrace, we chill in the lounge. It’s important to see each other. The happy hours often stretch out!”

There is also flexible compensation, which can be adjusted according to needs . Those of a 25-year-old single person without children are not the same as those of a 40-year-old mother with four children. "We allow them to choose: to simply have the salary, or to take part of it and put it on vacation. It reduces the salary by a few cents per hour, but it allows for a better work-life balance, for example." The company adapts to the realities of each person, knowing that needs change over time.

It's no coincidence that MonTechnicien has been voted one of the best companies to work for in the country for five years in a row, according to Great Place to Work Canada , and that it received the Employer of the Year award in 2022 from the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de Laval.

A corporate culture based on sharing, it makes sense!

There is a strong culture of sharing at MonTechnicien. The company uses the Quebec application Partage Club , even for the island. “We also have a pick-up available, we have lots of party items, like a cotton candy machine, a popcorn machine, inflatable games, a drive-in movie theater! When we look at everything we have, each on our own, we realize that we all have the same things. Pooling things together just makes sense .”

A reflection that he extends to our tools, our garden accessories, all those chalets unoccupied most of the year, and so many others... "Why not simply let others benefit from them when we are not using them?"

"You could question buying the cottage, but with a good job, you become a little more comfortable, and there will always be those who want to buy one. And probably use it two weeks in the summer and one at Christmas. Working even harder to pay for all that, and the associated costs. Might as well have a common cottage!"

"It's crazy how much overconsumption there is, how much we burn the planet's resources by each having our own things." From there, it's only a step towards ecological consideration. The entrepreneur has a well-established environmental conscience.

"We are hitting a wall. However, we are still at the stage of becoming aware and convincing the most reluctant, but it is a huge waste of time. There are not enough concrete actions. The pooling of equipment, or mutualization of goods , is one of the good options that has a significant impact on the environment. We are also interested in urban farms, green roofs, bees. We are planting trees, we have electrified our vehicles, we continue to look for solutions to be innovative and influence other companies."

Sylvain is also the president of BuroLoft, a coworking space. Same principle: he had a conference room that was rarely used and empty offices. He thus made his space profitable and shared it with others. "It also allows for a great workplace with large spaces, a huge terrace and a lounge that we use for ourselves, but also to receive our clients and provide training."

Everything is aligned for MonTechnicien. With law 25 on data protection, attacks that are constantly increasing, insurers who now require minimum standards, the IT company is well placed. "The day we are no longer able to remember everyone's name, we stop growing!"