It would be hard to go through an entire day without crossing paths with a product or service from the Rogers brand family. Just by standing in line at your local grocery store, you’ll see MacLean’s, HELLO! Canada, FLARE, and Chatelaine filling up the magazine rack. Leading in market share in their wireless division and employing over 28,000 Canadians across the country, it’s hard to believe the company’s humble beginnings date back to 1960, when company founder Ted Rogers was inspired by his father’s ingenuity in inventing the first alternating current radio tube. Determined to follow in his footsteps, Ted Rogers went into the radio business and expanded the company into what it is today. Rogers Communications Inc. is a multi-platform, communications and media empire with interests in television, radio, publishing, sports (including ownership of the Toronto Blue Jays), and wireless services.
Why Rogers is different
With roots in the entrepreneurial spirit, Rogers attracts talent through its culture. Employees are expected to be innovative and to take chances. “It’s a safe space where risk taking is encouraged,” says Christina Nestor, a new grad in the human resources rotational development program. Successes are rewarded through the Rogers Corporate Recognition Program, where exceptional results are acknowledged in three key areas: business impact, customer first (for outstanding customer service), and community involvement. The CEO awards, as the name suggests, recognizes individual achievement and is selected by the CEO personally.
Corporate social responsibility is also a significant part of Rogers’ appeal. While many other organizations toss the term around loosely for brownie points, Rogers has actually made a serious commitment: one percent of net earnings before taxes are reserved for various charities, including partners of the company’s signature giving program – The Rogers Youth Fund – and through the Imagine Canada Caring Company network.
Why you’ll love Rogers
New grads can expect support from the beginning of their careers and all the way through it at Rogers. Upward mobility and internal promotions are encouraged through a number of development programs. The Walk a Mile program gives employees the opportunity to experience Rogers through the eyes of the customer as part of their long term career planning, which is in line with one of the company values of customer focus. The Emerging Leaders program gives those with no supervisory experience, training in people management skills, allowing for a smoother transition into senior roles. Being an equal opportunity employer, women are supported through the Rogers Women’s Network where guest speakers offer advice on career management; mentoring opportunities are also available.
In a world that is constantly changing, and with Rogers striving to lead it, employees are encouraged to stay on top of their professional development through FastTrack, an online training system complete with modules and a resource library. People managers also have access to Harvard Business Publishing’s ManageMentor® program which teaches the most effective management skills used to date.
The Perks
Everyone likes a bargain, and when those discounts include quality products, it’s all the more impressive. Rogers employees enjoy a significant discount on wireless, cable, internet, home monitoring, home phone services, magazine subscriptions, Toronto Blue Jay tickets, items ordered from the Shopping Channel and ebeauty.com too. You can also offset your discounted purchases and use your savings to contribute to the Rogers Employee Share Plan. You get an immediate return on investment from a progressive matching contribution – the longer an employee is a member of the plan, the greater the amount Rogers contributes.
How to apply
At university and college campuses across the country, Rogers actively recruits new grads for co-op opportunities, internships, internal rotational programs, and permanent positions, which are posted in the career section of their website at jobs.rogers.com. Google Social@Rogers and stay connected through their Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter accounts.
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