Our Culture

‘This is Where We Want to Work’

The City of Kitchener's "This is Where We Want to Work" statement was developed, written and refined by employees. It is the foundation of the City's People Plan document which identifies how the organization will continue to support its employees, enabling them to deliver quality service to more than 220,000 residents each day.

We are the "people" of this organization. Not simply city workers — people. People who are honoured to serve this community. We are proud of what we do. And what we do is every bit as important as how we do it.

We strive to understand and appreciate the needs of those we serve. One of the most important measures of our success is how we treat other people. We walk in their shoes. We listen. And we respond. We treat one another with the same respect and fairness. We build trust together. We talk openly. We hear and consider multiple interests. And we share the information that we need to do our jobs well.

Sometimes we debate. We don’t always make popular decisions. But we always stand behind them. We are diverse. We all see and experience differently. We are who we are. We believe that we all have value. We embrace and build upon our unique histories, expertise and aspirations.

We seek the best people and promote continued development. We encourage and mentor one another to reach our full potential. We have fun. And we know the power of “thank you.” We don’t work in silos. We work together. Because our success depends on all of us. We are honest. We are humble. We do what we say we’re going to do. We do the right thing. For our citizens and our community. And for ourselves.

We can all be leaders – leading by example. Through attitude and action. From out front or from behind. We stand up for what we believe in. And we don’t do things just because that’s the way they’ve always been done. But the point is that we do things. We don’t just talk about them.

We finish what we start. Sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes we have to start over. That’s okay. That’s how we learn. We change. We grow. We share an unwavering commitment to excellence in everything that we do. We go the extra mile. Because our work makes a difference in the lives of citizens. Everyday.

We make history happen. We are helping to build the world – one neighbourhood at a time.

Is this Where You Want to Work? If you’re not convinced yet, we’ll give you 20 more reasons to work here!