Seen from the outside, the world of sustainable mobility probably seems to be progressing at a comfortable pace. But from the inside, the reality is very different. The team at FLO is unanimous: things are moving fast. Very fast. And we love it!
If you eavesdrop in the corridors of our Quebec headquarters, or our offices and factories in North America, you quickly understand that everything in the industry is still to be built. That's what motivates people at FLO: the bubbling of ideas, the pace of progress, and above all the chance to have an impact on people's lives.
I took an hour to discuss it with Edmund Leduc and Olivier Peteuil, respectively Interaction Designer and Digital Product Manager on the Omnichannel Experience team. Two crucial roles whose job description is not obvious.
When you ask the famous question What does an interaction designer actually do? to Edmund, his smile depicts the difficulty of explaining this emerging role. "Basically, my role is to understand drivers' needs and to find a way to make their lives easier." Nothing less.
"Every week, I run research and interviews to identify friction points that slow the adoption of electric vehicles. We have a pool of about 400 drivers in North America. They tell us about their charging experiences at home and on the road, with our chargers and those of other networks. It's the first time in my career that I work for a company that places so much importance on studying users' needs," explains Edmund.
Olivier echoes the same sentiment. He was first attracted to FLO by its environmental values, but it's above all the company's mission that lights him up every day. Cfight climate change by accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles. "For me, it's not empty talk. We all share the same goal and we give ourselves the means to achieve it. We want to change things, we want to take part in the energy transition. What we are doing is big and it makes me proud to see the impact of my work on drivers' daily lives. Few industries can claim to offer such a good balance between professional challenges and job security."
It must be said that in recent years, the electrification of transport has made rapid strides. With the announcement of ambitious targets by North American governments and massive investment from automakers, it’s fair to say this is a sector with a future. And Quebec is well placed to lead this transition. "When my friends ask me who FLO is, the first thing I tell them is that it’s a local company — for real. Our chargers are designed, engineered, assembled and improved in Shawinigan and in Michigan, Edmund explains. It’s a source of pride for my team to see how far Quebec expertise has come when we see our chargers in New York, Alaska and even the Yukon."
"The FLO adventure was born from a project at Laval University. It's crazy when you think about it. Our president, Louis Tremblay, embarked over 13 years ago on a field that was still light-years away from what it is today. In 13 years, the industry has completely changed, but not FLO's DNA. Louis believes in it more than ever and it shows. He still takes a moment each week to share his vision with us and encourage us to keep going. Even with more than 400 employees, we want to do things right," recalls Olivier.
Doing things right has several meanings deeply rooted in the company culture. For Edmund, it means reaching out to users and digging to identify the root of problems. "We know there is a significant gap to fill across the industry. We compare the charging experience to that of gas stations, which has been perfected over more than a century. My team's role is to improve every interaction with FLO's services and products to approach the simplicity of that experience," Edmund says. "There is still a huge amount of work to do, but we give it everything we've got to get there," adds Olivier.
The determination found in Edmund and Olivier is exactly what FLO's Talent team looks for. "When we meet candidates, we focus a lot on their curiosity. We seek experiences, profiles and personalities as varied as possible, but everyone who succeeds at FLO is a person with a deep desire to learn and move forward. We put a strong emphasis on personal development and learning. Because we believe that the more competent and motivated our team is, the more the sustainable mobility industry can evolve," explains Alexandre Lebel, Talent Acquisition Advisor.
If they agree on one thing, it's that they have daily the flexibility and latitude to step outside the natural boundaries of their roles. "Because FLO is vertically integrated, I collaborate directly with the designers responsible for software, physical chargers, and the network. I can pass on the issues raised by users. That allows us to quickly put into practice what we learn in the field and continually improve our products," explains Edmund.
According to Olivier, this flexibility characterizes the company. "There is something very human about FLO. We want to progress, but not at the expense of user experience or employees' quality of life. Work-life balance is truly present. For my part, it allows me to do my MBA part-time. That kind of initiative is encouraged; you can feel there is a desire to elevate the team at the same pace as the company grows."
One thing is certain: FLO is not lacking in challenges and opportunities. Our Talent team is always looking for people who share our values and believe in our mission.
This sponsored content was produced as part of the En route! project – The career destination for electric and smart transportation.
