WORKING IN MONTREAL,
DOING BUSINESS IN CANADA

The official website of Immigration Québec provides a very good summary of the characteristics of life in a company in Québec (in extenso):

• The minimum education required in the majority of job offers is 11 years of schooling, which corresponds to a high school diploma (DES).
• Written and spoken knowledge of French and English greatly determines the chances of career advancement.
• Good written language skills are highly valued throughout the professional labour market.
• Some professions and trades are regulated and require various conditions to be met in order to practice them. If this is the case for you, you should contact the appropriate professional order or regulatory body to obtain the required information.
• Quebec offers good opportunities for self-employment.
• The Quebec labour market offers full-time, part-time, temporary and contract employment.
• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the ones that recruit the most workers.
• It may be easier to get an interview with potential employers outside the summer vacation period.
• The dominant values in Quebec companies are generally equality, cooperation, flexibility and participation. Quebec managers value employee participation in the company. Although they do not do so systematically, they do not hesitate to consult their subordinates when necessary. They expect direct communication and constructive feedback.
• In Quebec, the value of equal opportunity is very important. Even if you come from a high socio-economic background and have degrees from top schools in your country of origin, employers expect you to prove yourself, as do all Quebecers. Proving yourself may mean working, at least for a while, in a less skilled job, a part-time position or a contract position.
• In Quebec, what is written in an employment contract is more important than the relationship you can establish with your employer. The duties associated with a position are usually precisely defined, but they leave room for personal initiative on the part of employees. If a dispute arises with your employer, your employer will generally defer to the terms of the contract rather than the relationship you have established with them.
• Quebec employers value respect for schedules and deadlines. Work meetings are generally prepared with a specific agenda, which encourages structured and orderly discussions based on the objectives of the meeting.
• In Quebec, hiring and promotions are generally based on individual employee skills, achievements and performance. Often, Quebec employers also take into account the person’s ability to integrate into the work team.
• Women are very present in the Quebec labour market. Like men, they work in the profession or trade of their choice. They hold a variety of positions and are found at all levels of the corporate hierarchy.
• In Quebec, it is considered that a young person can be competent even if he or she has little experience; therefore, they sometimes manage people who are more experienced than they are.
• Quebec managers usually seek consensus and resolve conflicts through negotiation and compromise.