Gen Z employees at Fidelity Canada are invited to join Vibe Check, the organization’s social networking employee resource group.Supplied
After taking part in four different co-op work terms — one at Fidelity Canada — Cody Fisher felt fortunate to be offered a full-time position at the Toronto-based financial services firm, returning to the business unit support team where he had been as an undergrad.
“I really wanted to get my foot in the door at a big and reputable asset management firm and get my bearings in the industry,” says Fisher, who onboarded during the pandemic. “My manager was patient, giving me lots of time to learn the role. It ramped up quickly but with tons of support and room to make mistakes and learn.
“What I’ve noticed at Fidelity Canada is that young people are given a lot of responsibility over their work.”
Currently a senior financial analyst, Fisher says he’s benefited from ongoing mentorship, both formal and informal.
“Fidelity has an open-door policy so my team is always there to help me,” says Fisher. “My biggest mentor is my manager, but finance is a very collaborative group, so I can point to 10 different mentors in the room. There’s a culture of openness and a lot of collaboration that happens within the team.”
Kelly Creelman, senior vice-president of products and marketing, says the company recently extended the mentorship program to co-op students and interns — not just full-time employees — aiming to help them understand the breadth of opportunities available.
“Career paths are never what students think,” says Creelman, who started out at the company as an analyst. “They think it’s going to be a straight line — it never is. There are really good opportunities to move around here.
“I love hiring people from different departments because they really bring diversity of thought to the role. We can train them on what they need to know. If employees have a strong desire to learn, we can identify opportunities for them that help them grow while providing even better support and solutions to our clients.”
Initiatives for young employees include the Gen Z group, Vibe Check, which has grown from 125 to over 400 members since its launch in 2023. The group focuses on internal networking and external engagement, hosting innovative events in Toronto such as a DJ party at the CN Tower and a pop-up event on trendy Queen Street West, where nearly 2,000 people dropped in to learn about Fidelity Canada’s exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
“We challenged the group to come up with ideas on how we can be more relevant and interesting to young investors,” says Creelman. “It’s a great opportunity for them to spread their wings and really lead an initiative.”
Beyond his core duties, Fisher has found deep meaning in his involvement with the Charitable Giving Committee, a group of employees who help direct the firm’s community support — from education and arts programs to health and social services — in the places where clients and colleagues live and work. Fisher describes this role as a very unexpected but welcome aspect of the job.
“This company does a great job of getting people out of their shell, giving them experience in presenting and bringing forward their ideas,” says Fisher. “I also think we run a lean company, and that makes things fast-paced. Because we’re so lean, there’s no shortage of work to go around which leads to really great development opportunities, particularly for younger members.
“I think Fidelity Canada offers a great opportunity to make your own name and your own reputation with the work that you do. I really enjoy that.”
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Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail’s editorial department was not involved.