DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE
Canada’s experience with diversity distinguishes it from most other nations in today’s world. Its 32 million citizens reflect a racial, cultural, and linguistic makeup constitutes a diversity found nowhere else on the planet. Approximately 200,000 new immigrants from all parts of the globe continue to choose Canada as a place to call home. They are drawn by its quality of life and its reputation as an open, peaceful, tolerant and caring society that welcomes newcomers and totally embraces diversity.
That is why in today’s workplace, companies of every size and from every walk of industry are ensuring that they benefit from the multitude of incoming talent from such diverse backgrounds. Organizations that embrace this are in win-win situations.
Why Diversity is Good for Business
Diversity is simply more than just an act. It’s a prudent and simply smart way to do business. There’s absolutely no mystery here, and no hidden agendas. After all, the challenge in the workplace has always been to recruit and hire the best prospects available; the best individuals people for the job. And the best people just happen to be Canadian – albeit some of them maybe new. A diversely talented and a wonderfully diverse workforce that represents the nation can only help foster a stronger and more vibrant atmosphere; both in the private and government segments.
Canada’s Best Diversity Employers
This is a list that recognizes most, not all, of the employers that offer Canada’s most inclusive workplaces. It would be instrumental and beneficial to assess the common traits that these companies and organizations share in common when it comes to addressing the concerns pertaining to diversity and inclusiveness in the workplace.
Background
Now entering its fourth year, Canada’s Best Diversity Employers recognizes employers that have exceptional workplace diversity and inclusiveness programs. This program also recognizes a range of diversity initiatives covering five major employee groups:
a) Women
b) Members of visible minorities
c) Persons with disabilities
d) Aboriginal peoples
e) Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual peoples.
Here are the companies listed in Canada’s Best Diversity Employers 2010. This project was assisted by BMO Financial Group, which has agreed to fund the competition’s costs, and the diversity consulting firm, TWI, Inc., developers of The Equity Continuum – an industry-recognized diversity measurement methodology. Here is a brief overview of the unique diversity programs initiated and operated by these companies and organizations.
Agrium Inc.
■ provide mentoring, networking and career development opportunities for women employees through formal women’s leadership groups, mentoring lunches and dinners, and seminars and workshops on work-life balance and stress management.
■ based upon the of the women employee’s leadership group, the company is launching a long-term formal diversity training and inclusiveness strategy with wider scope – the program is being led by their CEO and supported by an in-house Diversity Council.
BC Hydro
■ has developed pilot programs fro cross-cultural diversity workshops and rolled out a customized workplace English as a Second Language program.
■ created a special recruitment team to focus on Aboriginal recruitment.
Boeing Canada Operations Limited
■ recruits Aboriginal employees through a partnership with the Centre for Aboriginal Human Resource Development’s aerospace training program.
■ has an employment equity and diversity team that meets biweekly to discuss diversity initiatives and plan future awareness programs.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
■ integrates diversity accountability into the performance measurement for managers.
■ includes diversity awareness components in new hire orientation training, leadership training and management training programs.
Canada Safeway Limited
■ has taken a leadership role in hiring persons with disabilities, employing over 600 individuals with disabilities at their Canadian operations.
■ reviews the progress of their diversity goals on a quarterly basis, measuring results against annual diversity hiring and promotion targets for women and visible minorities.
Ernst & Young
■ launched a new “Coaching our Leaders” program, a reverse mentoring program that pairs partners with mentors who are visible minorities or women.
■ requires all of their staff to complete annual inclusiveness training and hosts nationwide training programs and workshops for partners on inclusive leadership.
Health Canada
■ has integrated diversity accountability at all levels of the organization.
■ regularly apprises all managers and Human Resource advisors of diversity hiring goals and equity group “gaps” in Health Canada’s workforce to ensure it continues to be representative of Canada’s changing population.
The Home Depot
■ established a Diversity and Inclusion Committee in 2007 that is led by the Vice-President of Human Resources. The committee meets every two months.
■ reserves a portion of media spending on job advertisements in ethnic media outlets in order to reach to and attract Aboriginal and visible minority job candidates.
HSBC Bank Canada
■ established a diversity recruitment program to train individuals from designated groups for permanent job openings at the bank.
■ launched a specialized diversity newsletter to specifically inform the employees of HSBC about its diversity goals, programs and mandates.
KPMG LLP
■ recently installed “reflection rooms” in their Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Edmonton offices for employees who need space to worship or conduct religious observations during the business day.
■ put into operation a compulsory online training program on diversity in the workplace for all staff. It has customized modules for entry level, as well as,, managerial and executive level staff.
Manitoba Lotteries Commission
■ launched a two-year diversity strategic plan in 2008 with a view to expanding in-house diversity programs, including internships for women, visible minorities and the disabled.
■ tracks the progress of their equity goals by preparing and reviewing monthly reports.
McGill University
■ provides equity and diversity training in the workplace for supervisors.
■ offers training in cross-cultural communications to all employees.
Ontario Public Service
■ released a formal three-year diversity strategic plan in 2009, with the goal of integrating diversity into all of OPS programs, policies and services and representing Ontario’s population at all levels of their workforce.
■ have included diversity, inclusion and accessibility comprehension in their competency requirements for leaders and management.
Procter & Gamble Inc.
■ require all employees to complete a diversity training workshop, and holds a special diversity workshop for leaders and managers.
■ has several diversity network groups for employees from various cultural backgrounds.
Royal Bank of Canada
■ offers the Diversity Dialogues mentoring program, pairing mid-level women and visible minorities with a mentor in a senior leadership position.
■ organizes an annual diversity progress statement to review its target goals, in addition to an employment equity account to ensure they continue to be a leader in these areas.
SaskPower Corporation
■ hosted an education session for hiring managers and supervisors, in which representatives from four primary employee resource groups (including Aboriginals, persons living with a disability, women and visible minority groups) each gave presentations on the concerns and issues faced by their respective groups.
■ follows the progress of diversity-related hiring goals through standard reporting to senior management, and has revised the company’s training materials.
Shell Canada Limited
■ offers an extensive workshop on diversity and inclusion awareness and skills for every staff member employed in human resources or in any other diversity-related capacity at the company.
■ offers a career development program for women employees, where they can network and discuss work-life balance concerns.
Telus Corporation
■ operates a formal employment equity committee that meets twice a year to recommend changes to employment policies and practices.
■ manages a special council whose mandate is diversity and inclusiveness. This council is comprised of employees from every levels within the corporation, and their role is to support and push forward the business case for diversity which they report to their executive steering committee.
These companies and organizations are just some of the ones listed in the 2010 list and in the interest of brevity; only two examples of their diversity initiatives were included here. What makes the good is that have gotten their act together in terms of their willingness to assess and address the current realities of the workplace.
These companies and organizations have wholeheartedly embraced the new realities of encouraging diversity and inclusiveness because it works. They have targets and goals that make their initiatives not only possible, but they help foster better communities in addition to empowering their employees and as well as their managers, supervisory staff and executive leadership.
From a Canadian perspective, diversity in the workplace is simply a matter of instituting policies that bear a close resemblance to the population it reflects. These companies and organizations are passionate about the profitability of a diverse workforce and their respective leadership is aware of this; because what filters down from the top, will invariably affect the all-encompassing bottom line.
Many would not doubt the fact that Canada has done a remarkable job with regards to diversity in the workplace since Canadian businesses are now, more than ever aware of the fact that one cannot but help realize in the power of diversity. Although there is always room for improvement in any human policies or programs, the fact of the matter remains that Canada is ahead of the game with the overall policies of inclusion and diversity. We not only do it, but we do it well.