Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2025) Magazine - Flipbook - Page 30
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CANADA’S TOP EMPLOYERS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE (2025)
Young employees are a source of energy for BCI
H
elping young
employees at the
start of their careers
is a priority at
British Columbia
Investment Management
Corporation (BCI), the Victoriabased investment management
firm with offices in Vancouver,
New York City and London,
United Kingdom.
Rechelle Effendy, senior vice
president of finance and chief
financial officer, says that not just
new hires, but interns and co-op
students, are a vital part of the BCI
workplace.
I felt a sense of care,
like they wanted me
to grow as a person
instead of just
assigning me tasks.
— Zehan Zheng
Senior Analyst
“They come with a great deal of
energy and intellectual curiosity,”
she says, “so it’s great to hear their
voices and see their willingness to
speak up and drive the business
forward. There’s also a curiosity
about where they land in all
of this, and how they navigate
through it.”
Zehan Zheng is a senior analyst
who joined BCI in 2021, just out of
the University of Victoria, after he
had interned at the company. He
remembers that he was eased into
his new role by his manager.
“When I joined, I thought I'd
get a task right away,” says Zheng.
“Instead, I was given the opportunity to interact with my teammates
Young employees at BCI receive thorough onboarding when joining the organization, including support from
colleagues to help them adapt.
and learn about their projects.
I felt a sense of care, like they
wanted me to grow as a person
instead of just assigning me tasks.
This made me feel like a valuable
team member.
“The values the company taught
were actually demonstrated by
the day-to-day behaviours of
my colleagues,” Zheng adds. “I
was amazed by the openness of
my colleagues, how everyone is
willing to sit down with me or
anyone else who reaches out to
solve a problem.”
Effendy says that onboarding is
a crucial part of a young employee’s career at BCI. “This is their
first glimpse into the corporate
or professional world, so moving
through that is something that we
help them with.”
She adds that mentorship is
crucial to this process. “They’re introduced to individuals who have
a number of years of experience,
to understand how to navigate the
environment and not just their
role but the broader management and business itself. These
individuals are able to help them
understand what they’re looking
for longer term.”
As an intern, Zheng remembers
connecting through the corporate mentorship program with a
senior analyst. Zheng appreciated
receiving the guidance his mentor
provided on productivity, time
management, and more. This
mentorship made a significant
difference in his early career.
