When the time comes to recruit, we often tell candidates that the career of their life begins at Soucy. Why "the career of a lifetime"? Because our employees are encouraged to develop professionally through training and with the support of their manager.
If an employee is looking for new challenges, he can apply for an open position in his subsidiary or in the twelve other subsidiaries of the company. At Soucy, employees can change careers while working for the same employer!
Over the years, many employees have switched careers while staying at Soucy. Here are the testimonials of three of these employees!
From welder to production supervisor
Michael Bergeron joined Soucy in 2011 for a welding internship to complete his DVS. He then pursued his career in robotic welding for several years. In 2012, he switched to a job as a prototypist. Then, in 2019, he finally obtained a supervisory position.
We had the chance to ask him a few questions about his career at Soucy.
What led you to change positions at Soucy?
"I like to face new challenges and I seize opportunities when they come up. I need to get out of my comfort zone to perform better and evolve. Every time I changed positions, I had no experience. I developed all my knowledge within the company thanks to my colleagues, my managers and training."
Do you think Soucy promotes professional development?
"To promote the development of its employees, Soucy always pushes us towards new training every year.
When I applied to become a supervisor, I had three interviews with human resources. There was no pressure. They even gave me a probationary period to allow me to fully understand the supervisory role before I commit further. If these new responsibilities didn't suit me, I could have returned to my old position without any problems."
Interview with Michael Bergeron, production supervisor.
From the engineering team to the sales team
After joining the engineering department in 2014, Shawn Rossignol Jenei moved to the powersports sales department.
Here are the questions we asked him.
What led you to change departments?
"I saw this career move as a great opportunity to grow. I also followed the suggestions of Julie Tremblay, Director of Product Development, who advised me to explore the social side of my job. At Soucy, supervisors encourage their teams to constantly progress. They allow each employee to seize the opportunity to evolve if he or she wishes to do so."
Did you already have sales experience?
"I already had sales experience, but in a different field than powersports. However, I was able to acquire some knowledge of this industry through my first position at Soucy, as a project manager."
Interview with Shawn Rossignol Jenei, Eng, Account Manager at Soucy International.
From the communications department to the logistics department
Throughout his career at Soucy, Vincent Cabana-Vaudrin has held several positions within his subsidiary, moving from communications to logistics, two completely different fields.
We have asked him a few questions about his career path.
How long have you been working at Soucy?
"I started working at Soucy in 2010 as a marketing project manager. After a few years, I became manager of communications and promotional marketing. In 2018, I reoriented my career by becoming production supervisor for the new GTS line. Then, a year later, I became manager of the logistics department."
What led you to change careers?
"Having worked in the corporate marketing communications department for several years, I had the chance to collaborate with different teams in the organization (sales, human resources, IT, continuous improvement, OHS, etc.), visit all the group's subsidiaries, discuss their business processes, work with people at all levels, participate in strategic planning, etc.
Basically, through my role in marketing, I discovered all sorts of facets of the company. This is what sparked my desire to learn even more and explore the operations side of the business, a branch that was totally new to me.
I have also crossed paths with people who have really inspired me and made me want to take on challenges like this. Whether through their backgrounds or through the open discussions we had, these people positively influenced me."
Do you think Soucy promotes professional development?
"Yes, without a doubt! When I expressed my desire to change careers, I felt supported from the very beginning. Then, through tools such as the personal development plan or psychometric tests, I received a lot of advice. For example, I was able to talk to people in operations to help me better understand what I was getting into.
So yes, I believe that Soucy encourages the development of its employees, but it works both ways. As an employee, we are responsible for our own development. We have to talk openly about our professional objectives to our managers. Opportunities will not be offered to us on a plate. You have to create them."
Did you already have experience in logistics?
"I had absolutely no experience in operations before I took the plunge. I learned everything during my last two years at Soucy and, of course, I continue to learn every day."
Interview with Vincent Cabana-Vaudrin, logistics manager.
These career paths reflect the importance of continuous professional development at Soucy. The "career of a lifetime" is not about doing the same job all your life, but about evolving in your profession and developing new skills.