What kind of people does Chant look for? I am an experienced construction professional, but not an engineer. Is there a place for me?

Chant performs a variety of roles on a relatively wide range of projects throughout North America. Our people consist of engineering, technical, supervisory, safety, estimating, quality and administrative personnel. Our clients choose us because we understand the construction process, especially in the heavy civil and electrical sectors of the industry, from a contractual, engineering and delivery perspective as contractors. They like the level of our commitment, sense of urgency and dedication to performance. We differentiate ourselves from much of our competition through a culture of acting in the Project’s best interest when making decisions, whether as an owner’s representative, construction manager or contractor.

To this end, we believe that forging open, honest and professional relationships with both our internal and external customers is the best way to conduct our business. We embrace those individuals who value teamwork and believe that they can provide exceptional service to all stakeholders through such partnerships. If this approach excites you, there may well be a place at Chant. We need and actively seek to have a diversity of skill sets in our company.

I am currently employed with a large company, but am looking for a change. Chant is relatively new. Is there a risk the company will cease operations anytime soon?

It is true that Chant was established relatively recently (in December of 1998), and does not boast 125 years of corporate history. While there are no guarantees anywhere (the President’s personal experience), taking a “risk” on a newer company (by leaving an established one) may not, depending on personal circumstances, be a prudent course of action at any particular point in time (family needs, financial constraints, difficult to travel and so forth).

Our company is driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, and we are risk takers, but we evaluate our risks and exposures and take steps to mitigate them. We do not always get this right. Again, there are no guarantees. We do continually strive to find the balance between providing the organizational structure that a national company requires to stay on top of its processes, and nurturing a culture that fosters continual improvement and idea exchange. The excitement for Chant staff is the opportunity to be an integral part of the company’s early years, and to help build Chant into one of those 125 year long success stories.

Does the company expect me to travel?

Chant currently has corporate offices in Aurora, Ontario, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Richmond, British Columbia and in Queensbury, New York. Our projects can be in the far north, in remote locations or near populated communities. At one point in time, we had work in South Florida and Yukon going on at the same time.

We seek out opportunities where there are few bidders and will go wherever our clients need us. All levels of staff can be expected to have some amount of travel during the course of their employment. Project personnel in particular may be based on a project site for extended periods of time; project duration and location depending. We do our best to provide our employees with the support they need to be able to balance work and home-life in this fast-paced and challenging industry, but our reality is we work primarily in remote locations and we expect you to go where the work is. So the answer to this question is yes, and often for extended periods of time.

Will I be asked to work in the United States?

Chant Power Inc., our United States entity, is quickly gaining momentum with a number of new and exciting clients. We expect that our Canadian employees will have the ability to travel to various locations in the U.S. should the company require them to do so, and that our U.S. employees will have the flexibility to provide their services to our Canadian based clients, wherever we need them. The answer is to this question is maybe, but likely yes.

What kind of training opportunities does Chant provide?

We encourage our staff, through annual goal-setting and individual performance reviews to pursue safety and other professional development education. Ongoing safety training is paramount to the success of our projects and continually improving skills is one way in which our teams stay current with methods and technology. Chant is in the process of evaluating the many best-practices from other successful organizations in order to develop a formal training and mentoring program that meets the needs of our company. Our experience has taught us that each individual is unique in their education and training needs.

How is my performance reviewed? What does the company do to ensure salaries keep pace with personal growth and the marketplace?

Our annual performance review process is only one of many less formal processes by which we assess an employee’s growth within the organization. Annual goals are set and direct reports work closely with their supervisors to ensure the achievement of these goals. Salary levels are established annually that provide for changes in the marketplace and flexibility for management. Our total compensation package is very competitive.

I am an engineer in training (EIT). Does Chant offer the kind of employment that will facilitate my professional registration?

We strive to provide our EITs with a broad and hands-on education. Through direct exposure to skilled engineers, diverse and challenging tasks and a mentoring program, we work closely with our EITs to ensure they meet the requirements for their professional registration.

Is there an opportunity for me as an employee to become an owner of the company?

In January of 2007, Chant became “employee owned” through an Employee Share Ownership Plan (“ESOP”).

The purpose of the ESOP is multi-faceted. It was established at Chant:

• To motivate employees to become accountable for company spending and revenue.
• To create a work environment where employees as owners can generate wealth based on the success of the company.
• To create opportunities for employees to directly contribute to the long-term success of the company through input and collaboration.
• To empower employees and to give them a voice within the company; a sense of ownership, involvement and control.

Employees are offered shares based on an eligibility formula, after the first full year of employment.  Shares are allocated in January of each year.

Employee participation in the ESOP is voluntary. Shares are purchased purely at the discretion of each employee.