Canada's Best Diversity Employers (2018)

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CANADA'S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

CO-PUBLISHED BY: ct100.ca/dv MEDIACORP

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

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CHRISTOPHER KATSAROV/ THE GLOBE AND MAIL

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p A Toronto Transit Commission / TTC bus pulling out of the new York University subway station in Toronto. anada’s Best Diversity Employers competition celebrates Canada’s vibrant and increasingly diverse work force.

The winners listed here for 2018 have been judged as having an inclusive and respectful work environment that benefits everyone.

But what does being inclusive in the workplace really mean to people? Some might say it’s simply about feeling respected and comfortable in your own skin at work, no matter what your race, where you originally come from or how long you’ve been here. Others might describe inclusion as being able to bring your whole self to work so you can do your best, instead of having to hide who you are.

An employer’s inclusion strategy might mean that some people will be hired, despite having a disability, because that employer is willing to provide an accommodation for them in the workplace. It can also mean that people with invisible disabilities, such as mental-health challenges or learning disabilities, will get the support they need to succeed at work. Examples

include Toronto law firm McCarthy Tétrault LLP, which has created a multiyear initiative on mental-health awareness that includes education and awareness as well as training for leadership, or SaskTel in Regina that created the Supported Employment program for candidates with cognitive disabilities, in partnership with the Saskatchewan Abilities Council.

Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2018 lead the way in trying to make the workplace more inclusive through a variety of innovative and compassionate diversity initiatives. By their example, these winning employers are sending a message to Canada and the world that being inclusive is not only the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do for business. Diversity energizes an organization by bringing fresh voices to the table, sparking innovation and boosting performance.

Looking at the many unique programs offered

by Canada’s Best Diversity Employers 2018 is a good place for any organization to start the conversation about inclusion. Then take it further.

– Diane Jermyn

11th Annual Edition

CANADA'S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018 Magazine Anthony Meehan, PUBLISHER

Karen Le,

VICE-PRESIDENT

Editorial Team:

Richard Yerema, MANAGING EDITOR

Kristina Leung, SENIOR EDITOR

Stephanie Leung, ASSISTANT EDITOR

Advertising Team:

Kristen Chow,

DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS

Ye Jin Suhe,

CLIENT SUPPORT COORDINATOR

Sponsored Profile Writers:

Berton Woodward, SENIOR EDITOR

Michael Benedict Brian Bergman Sheldon Gordon Simon Hally D’Arcy Jenish Bruce McDougall Nora Underwood Barbara Wickens

© 2018 Mediacorp Canada Inc. All rights reserved. CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS is a trade mark of Mediacorp Canada Inc. Editorial inquiries: ct100@mediacorp.ca

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ADRIAN WYLD/ THE CANADIAN PRESS

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

p A display for the Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet, manufactured by Boeing Canada.

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MET HO DO LO GY

he methodology and selection criteria for Canada’s Best Diversity Employers competition remains the same. This year’s list reflects the growing strength and number of applicants who continue to address issues of diversity and inclusion. The competition recognizes employers across Canada that have exceptional workplace diversity and inclusiveness programs.

These include successful diversity initiatives in a variety of areas, including programs for employees from five groups: women; members of visible minorities; persons with disabilities; Indigenous people; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered/transsexual (LGBT) people.

To determine this year’s winners of the Canada’s Best Diversity

Employers competition, Mediacorp editors reviewed diversity and inclusiveness initiatives at employers that applied for the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project.

From this overall applicant pool, a smaller short list of employers with noteworthy and unique diversity initiatives was developed. The short-listed candidates’ programs were then compared with those of other employers in the same field. The finalists chosen represent the diversity leaders in their industry and region of Canada.

Any employer with its head office or principal place of business in Canada, whether in the private or public sector, may apply for this competition.

– Diane Jermyn

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2018 WI NNER S

CCENTURE INC., Toronto. Management consulting; 3,576 employees.

Created a National Accent on Enablement employee resource group, which is sponsored by a senior executive and includes two distinct chapters for mental health and persons with disabilities.

ACCESS COMMUNICATIONS CO-OPERATIVE LTD., Regina. Cable and telecommunications; 217 employees. Produced a unique television show called Exceptionalities featuring extraordinary individuals challenged by disorders, disabilities or diseases.

AGRICULTURE AND AGRIFOOD CANADA, Ottawa. Federal government; 4,483 employees. Employed its first departmental elder to support Indigenous students and employees through mentoring.

AIR CANADA, Saint-Laurent, Que. Air transportation; 24,755 employees. Launched a new partnership with Ready, Willing and Able in an effort to match the unique qualifications of candidates with intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorder to specific roles.

AMEX BANK OF CANADA, Toronto. Credit card issuing; 1,629 employees. Created a mentorship guide in partnership with the Women’s Executive Network to help women structure beneficial mentoring relationships.

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C PUBLIC SERVICE, Victoria. Provincial government; 27,785 employees. Created Accessibility 2024, a 10-year action plan to help make the province more accessible and inclusive for persons with disabilities as well as increase employment opportunities.

BDC / BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BANK OF CANADA, Montreal. Secondary market financing; 2,244 employees. Is a founding member of the Syrian Refugees Jobs Agenda Roundtable in the Greater Toronto Area.

BELL CANADA, Montreal. Communications; 37,137 employees.

Established an LGBT network in 2009 to support the inclusion and professional development of LGBT employees.

BLAKE, CASSELS & GRAYDON LLP, Toronto. Law firm; 1,357 employees. Provides support, mentorship, networking opportunities and personal and professional resources for its female employees through the Women@Blakes network.

BOEING CANADA OPERATIONS LTD., Winnipeg. Aircraft equipment manufacturing; 1,449 employees. Partners with Red River College to develop Boeing-specific skills for the Stevenson Aviation program curriculum.

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AMH / CENTRE FOR ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH, Toronto. Specialty

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2018 WINNERS

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hospital; 2,246 employees. Manages Employment Works!, a program to help individuals with mental health or addiction issues to access meaningful employment through skills development.

CANADA MORTGAGE AND HOUSING CORP. / CMHC, Ottawa. Federal government; 1,808 employees. Is currently creating a Diversity Index, which will include hiring targets for employees across a broad spectrum of groups.

CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY CO. / CN, Montreal. Railroad transportation; 14,885 employees. Produces quarterly diversity report cards to help track the organization’s progress in achieving diversity goals.

CAPGEMINI CANADA INC., Toronto. Information technology; 392 employees. Offers a two-day Culture, Bias, and the Brain training program to help employees understand and mitigate conscious bias in everyday business decisions.

CAPITAL ONE BANK (CANADA BRANCH), Toronto. Credit card issuing; 1,122 employees.

Launched a Women in Technology business resource group to support the company’s focus on women in technology through awareness, outreach and education.

CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY OF TORONTO, THE, Toronto.

Child and youth services; 798 employees. Maintains the Out and Proud program to ensure its services are open, inclusive, safe and positive for the LGBT community as well as its employees.

CIBC, Toronto. Banking; 36,482 employees. Created a Pathfinder program to offer peer support for new Indigenous employees.

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ENTONS CANADA LLP, Vancouver. Law firm; 1,189 employees. Is currently working on a diversity and inclusion training resource manual and guide.

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DMONTON, CITY OF, Edmonton. Municipal government; 10,409 employees.

Supports the employment efforts of job seekers with disabilities through the Abilities in Action work experience program.

EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CANADA, Gatineau, Que. Federal government; 23,747 employees. Created a three-year diversity and employment equity plan.

ENBRIDGE INC., Calgary. Natural gas distribution; 7,650 employees. Works with a number of community organizations to provide mentoring and speed networking opportunities for new Canadians.

EXPORT DEVELOPMENT CANADA, Ottawa. International trade financing and support; 1,482 employees. Created an Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award to recognize employees who actively promote diversity and an inclusive work environment.

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ENERAL MOTORS OF CANADA CO., Oshawa, Ont. Automobile manufacturing; 8,614 employees. Maintains a longstanding Supplier Diversity Council, which works with more than 200 certified minority and female-owned businesses in Canada and the United States.

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EALTH CANADA / SANTÉ CANADA, Ottawa. Federal government; 9,304 employees. Maintains a sex- and gender-based analysis policy as well as a departmental Sex and Gender-Based Analysis Action Plan.

HOME DEPOT OF CANADA INC., Toronto. Retail; 14,137 employees.

Created the Women in Leadership initiative to improve career opportunities for female employees.

HP CANADA CO., Mississauga. Computer technology and services; 467 employees. Introduced a sponsorship program in 2017 called Catalyst@HP to connect protégés to senior leaders

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

for coaching and mentoring.

HYDRO OTTAWA, Ottawa. Electric power distribution; 650 employees. Works with Employment Accessibility Resource Network and the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities at Carleton University to provide summer student employment opportunities.

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AZZ AVIATION LP, Dartmouth, N.S. Air transportation; 4,340 employees. Is currently developing a corporate strategy to support mental health in the workplace.

PMG LLP, Toronto. Accounting; 6,620 employees. Operates and supports a dedicated people network for the LGBT community called pride@KPMG. AFARGE CANADA INC., Calgary. Concrete manufacturing; 6,726 employees. Partners with a number of local employment and career services organizations to help new Canadians find work.

LOBLAW COMPANIES LTD., Brampton, Ont. Supermarkets; 28,208 employees. Piloted a dedicated LGBTQ Youth Internship at its Maple Leaf Gardens location, developed in partnership with several organizations.

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ANITOBA HYDRO, Winnipeg. Hydroelectric power generation; 5,980 employees. Manages a DisAbility Access Program to help persons who have sustained severe brain injury reintegrate into the work force.

MANITOBA PUBLIC INSURANCE, Winnipeg. Insurance; 1,906 employees. Offers comprehensive training on Truth and Reconciliation.

MANITOBA, GOVERNMENT OF, Winnipeg. Provincial government; 12,412 employees. Launched a Safe Spaces initiative to create awareness of LGBTTQ issues in the workplace.

MANULIFE, Toronto. Insurance; 12,743 employees. Works with Career Edge to offer paid internships for persons with disabilities.

MCCARTHY TÉTRAULT LLP, Toronto. Law firm; 1,272 employees. Created a multiyear initiative on mental health awareness.

NATIONAL BANK OF CANADA, Montreal. Banking; 15,798 employees. Launched an assistance program for new Canadians, providing resources on topics such as financial products, schools, health care and job search.

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ORTHWEST TERRITORIES, GOVERNMENT OF THE, Yellowknife. Territorial government; 5,902 employees. Manages an Advisory Committee on Employability.

NORTON ROSE FULBRIGHT CANADA LLP, Montreal. Law firm; 1,589 employees. Manages the Career Strategies development program for high potential women who aspire to partnership.

NOVA SCOTIA GOVERNMENT, Halifax. Provincial government; 9,454 employees. Created formal guidelines to support trans and gender-variant employees.

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NTARIO PUBLIC SERVICE/ OPS, Toronto. Provincial government; 62,205 employees. Introduced anti-racism legislation to provide measurable targets, public reporting and community consultation through renewable multiyear strategic plans.

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ROCTER & GAMBLE INC., Toronto. Consumer product manufacturing; 1,710 employees. Manages internal employee networks which offer support for professional development as well as forums for employees to network.

PUBLIC SERVICES AND PROCUREMENT CANADA, Gatineau, Que. Federal government; 11,373 employees. Created a Mental Health Ombudsman, the first such position within the federal public service.

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ED RIVER COLLEGE, Winnipeg. College; 1,324 employees. Appointed an executive director of Indigenous strategy.

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CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018 Continued

ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS INC., Toronto. Communications, cable, publishing and subscription programming; 22,304 employees. Launched dedicated pricing for customers with accessibility needs.

ROYAL BANK OF CANADA / RBC, Toronto. Banking; 52,519 employees.

Donated more than $3.5-million to various Aboriginal groups and organizations to help increase education, engagement and awareness.

RYERSON UNIVERSITY, Toronto. University; 3,043 employees.

Created a Teaching about Diversity Fund to help ensure that instructors infuse diversity and inclusion into their curriculum.

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ASKATOON, CITY OF, Saskatoon. Municipal government; 3,219 employees. Partnered with OUT Saskatoon to host educational workshops on the LGBT community, including how to be an ally.

SASKPOWER, Regina. Hydroelectric power generation; 3,431 employees. Is committed to creating an inclusive environment for persons with disabilities.

SASKTEL, Regina. Telecommunications; 3,054 employees. Works with Open Door Societies to provide employment readiness workshops for new Canadians as well as work placement opportunities.

SHAW COMMUNICATIONS INC., Calgary. Communications, cable and subscription programming; 10,668 employees. Created a Diversity Index to measure tangible progress toward achieving the goals outlined in its diversity strategy.

SHELL CANADA LTD., Calgary. Crude petroleum and natural gas extraction; 7,529 employees. Created a 14-week career development program to help female employees achieve personal and professional goals.

SODEXO CANADA LTD., Burlington, Ont. Food service contractors;

6,067 employees. Committed to hiring more than 200 individuals with disabilities in 2017 and more than 500 hires in 2018.

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D BANK GROUP, Toronto.

Banking; 46,405 employees.

Is piloting a hiring program with Specialisterne Canada to hire individuals on the autism spectrum.

AARON LYNETT/THE CANADIAN PRESS

2018 WINNERS

TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION / TTC, Toronto. Public transit; 14,122 employees.

Maintains an advisory committee on accessible transit.

TORONTO, CITY OF, Toronto. Municipal government; 22,070 employees. Established the Profession to Profession Mentoring Immigrants program in response to employment barriers faced by skilled immigrants.

TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING CANADA INC. / TMMC, Cambridge, Ont. Automobile manufacturing; 8,620 employees. Created a task force led by senior management to focus on attracting women.

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BC / UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, Vancouver. University; 10,555 employees. Offers Speak-Up! workshops for employees to learn how to use inclusive language and how to interrupt discriminatory practices.

UNILEVER CANADA INC., Toronto. Consumer product manufacturing; 1,134 employees.

Launched Success Circles to help female employees working at factory facilities build networks across North America.

UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY, Calgary. University; 5,924 employees.

Established an Office of Diversity, Equity and Protected Disclosure.

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA, Winnipeg. University; 4,914 employees. Maintains a Women in Science and Engineering outreach group to help educate and motivate youth, particularly young girls, to pursue careers in engineering and science.

p Employees at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada assembling Lexus SUVs in Cambridge, Ont. UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, Toronto. University; 9,574 employees. Is establishing a new bursary program for students and scholars who have obtained refugee status.

UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA, Victoria. University; 3,037 employees. Provides mental health training to help employees recognize early warning signs for students experiencing difficulties.

UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, Waterloo, Ont. University; 5,254 employees. Committed to enhancing female faculty representation to 30 per cent by 2020, and advancing women into positions that lead the university.

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ANCOUVER AIRPORT AUTHORITY, Richmond, BC. Airport operations; 462 employees. Is piloting a project to attract persons with disabilities to participate in co-op student placements.

VANCOUVER CITY SAVINGS CREDIT UNION, Vancouver. Credit unions; 2,050 employees. Partnered with the Vancouver Police Department to be recognized as a safe haven for members of the LGBTQ

community in the event that they are unsafe or at risk of harm.

VANCOUVER, CITY OF, Vancouver. Municipal government; 7,105 employees. Created a threemonth Aboriginal Production Apprentice Program to train, place and employ select applicants.

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ILLIAM OSLER HEALTH SYSTEM, Brampton, Ont. Hospital; 3,172 employees. Offers training on inclusive language and barriers to care.

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MCA OF GREATER TORONTO, Toronto. Individual and family services; 1,733 employees. Shares vacancies with ethnic newspapers and websites to help ensure diverse groups of applicants have access to job postings.

YORK, REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF, Newmarket, Ont. Municipal government; 3,485 employees. Is developing a Corporate Diversity and Inclusion Charter, which will be a road map to creating an organization inclusive of employees and customers alike.

–Diane Jermyn

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA

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p Professor Issa Traoré, Coordinator of Information Security & Object Technology (ISOT) Lab at the University of Victoria, one of this year's winners.

Expanding the Conversation NOW IN ITS 11TH YEAR, THE CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS COMPETITION SHOWS EMPLOYERS HOW FAR THEY’VE COME

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By Berton Woodward here are some landmark years in the history of diversity and inclusion in Canada. Among them are 1986, when the federal Employment Equity Act was first introduced, and 1999, when the Supreme Court of Canada required employers to offer spousal benefits to same-sex partners. As the years progressed, there were many other signs that Canada was becoming a world leader in supporting and celebrating diversity in the workplace. So in 2008, Mediacorp Canada decided it was time to recognize and encourage that trend with the inaugural edition of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers.

This is the 11th edition of the list, honouring employers that go above and beyond in their approach to diversity. And arguably, every year of that “diversity decade” has brought further landmarks. Statistics, including those gathered by Mediacorp from Canada’s Top Employers, show that participation in management and leadership by women and visible minorities has shot up. So has hiring of Indigenous people and individuals with disabilities. Almost every large organization has established employee resource groups to help people of various identities network and support one another.

Most dramatically in recent years, people from the LGBTQ+ community have come into their

own, and the phrase “bring your whole self to work” – rarely heard a decade ago – is now a hallowed cliché of the human resources industry.

But Canada’s Best Diversity Employers continue to evolve and expand their policies and approaches. For one thing, notes Kristina Leung, the Senior Editor at Mediacorp who has overseen the list for the past seven years, many employers have moved well beyond just the idea of diversity – ensuring representation of many different kinds of people – and embraced inclusion, where everybody’s voice is heard. “It’s almost a two-step process,” she says. “You need to have the diverse representation in place, and then you have to ensure that these individuals are not being ignored, or

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SANDY NICHOLSON FOR ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP): 1. An Ottawa employee from Public Services and Procurement Canada taking part in Indigenous Awareness Week.

2. Nova Scotia Government employee Enrique Ferreol is co-chair of Pride Nova Scotia.

3. The redesigned 'Sharespace' workplace at Rogers Communications accommodates evolving work styles for all employees in a pioneering modern workplace design.

NS GOVERNMENT

PS&PC

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

SHAN QIAO PHOTOGRAPHY FOR BELL CANADA

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p Sharing a workplace also means sharing a culture: employees at Bell Canada working in one of the company's collaborative workspaces.

Expanding the Conversation

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prevented from advancing, say. I think inclusion is the hardest challenge. It’s a culture change.”

Employers are also drilling down into the nuts and bolts of diversity. Many corporate recruiters are now going into high schools to encourage under-represented groups to enter various industries. Girls, particularly, are being urged to take more science and math courses in order to consider, say, engineering or finance as a future career. Organizations are reaching out to Indigenous youth to increase awareness of opportunities they may not have considered.

“The employers are looking to ensure that future talent pools are more diverse,” says Leung.

She also sees more intense attention being paid to people with disabilities. “Even within that definition, there has been such an expansion,” she says. “Are we talking about mental health, are we talking about intellectual disabilities, about physical disabilities, about accessibility? It has been a wide-ranging conversation among this year’s winners, and very interesting to follow.”

CIBC, for example, has partnered with support groups and committed to hiring more people with disabilities, including people on the autism spectrum. At the food and facilities management company Sodexo Canada, Katherine Power, Vice President Corporate Affairs, sees people with disabilities as a “huge opportunity” and her company’s top priority for diverse recruitment. “It’s a highly untapped population that is very educated and under-hired,” she says. “We’ve done some business cases around it. People with disabilities have better safety records, better attendance, fewer sick leaves and they stay in the job longer. It impacts the overall engagement of our teams and increases customer satisfaction.

Just all around, it’s really, really positive for us.”

Given that most major organizations now have at least one manager – and often a senior executive backed by a team – with a title focused solely on overseeing diversity, expect more groups to receive attention and support. Leung notes that military veterans – a valuable recruitment pool given their training – are coming into the spotlight. “Some of their their needs as they

transition out of the service align with a lot of organizations’ mental health supports,” she notes. Many HR professionals also talk about inter-generational diversity, actively bringing together Millennials and older generations, and policies to support introverts, who may need help expressing themselves with colleagues.

As a matter of history, it’s worth noting that many of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers were well ahead of the pack. TD Bank counts itself the first bank in North America to introduce spousal benefits for same-sex couples in 1994, well before the Supreme Court required it, and RBC, which today is among the first organizations to produce a comprehensive set of guidelines supporting employees who are transitioning their gender in the workplace, followed in 1995. Air Canada had similar timing, as did a number of other progressive organizations.

You can count on all the employers on Mediacorp’s list to continue to improve their diversity and inclusion policies as the second “diversity decade” dawns. Says Leung: “The conversation just keeps going and going, and expanding.” n

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CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

A global open-door policy at Access Communications

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arth Vyas was more than a little bit nervous when he walked into his manager’s office with a special request that he expected would be refused. Vyas, who had come to Saskatchewan four years ago from India, wanted to return home for his wedding to a Canadian he had met here. And to do the wedding properly, his family back home insisted, he needed six weeks off, three more than he was normally entitled to. Complicating the matter was that he already had taken two weeks’ vacation earlier in the year from his job as a Broadband Technician at Access Communications Co-operative Limited.

They don’t care about the colour of your skin or where you come from.

Parth Vyas

Internet Support Representative

He needn’t have worried. His manager worked out an arrangement with Vyas taking some time off without pay to make the lengthy wedding-trip holiday. “I didn’t have to plead at all,” he says. “If your company goes to bat for you in such a situation, it goes a long way to cementing employee loyalty.”

Vyas had hit it off from the get-go during his job interview with Access Communications, a leading Reginabased provider of Internet, TV, phone and security services for Saskatchewan.

It was 2015 and Vyas was working elsewhere after graduating from a twoyear electronics technician program. His student visa was about to expire, and his employer at the time could not help

PARTH VYAS, INTERNET SUPPORT REPRESENTATIVE, AT ACCESS COMMUNICATIONS

him meet the requirements to remain in Canada.

Vyas raised the issue during the interview. “Access said, ‘No problem, let’s do it’,” recalls Vyas, “and they did.”

For Vyas, that effort demonstrated that Access Communications “welcomes anyone who is willing to work hard and build a career.” He adds: “They don’t care about the colour of your skin or where you come from. And when you need someone to help, they are there for you.”

After sponsoring Vyas – a first for the company, which has just over 200 fulltime staff – Access Communications has assisted 21 more employees achieve permanent status in Canada through the province’s Immigrant Nominee Program. “Why wouldn’t we help out?” asks Carole Sauer, Manager, Human

Dedicated to growing diversity. myaccess.ca

Resources and Safety. “People from different backgrounds, different cultures bring with them different ideas and different skills. In the end, it’s great for the company in so many ways.”

As a co-operative with a community focus, Sauer adds that it is important for the Access Communications workforce to “reflect the changing population landscape.” She is particularly proud that the proportion of visible minority employees has doubled in three years to 17 per cent.

But diversity at Access Communications goes beyond skin colour. The company works closely with an employment agency that helps people with barriers get jobs. It provides paid internships for individuals with disabilities. And Access is an

active recruiter at career fairs targeting Indigenous students and young women.

Among executive role models at Access Communications, half are women.

Meanwhile, the company’s community TV channel, Access7, is a showcase for various minority populations. The Four, a weekly onehour talk show now in its fourth season, has become part of the curriculum for Indigenous studies and women’s issues in several educational institutions. It features four successful First Nations and Métis women discussing challenges they have faced -- and continue to face.

Another Access7 production, Invisible Wall, a series on visible and invisible barriers faced by immigrants, won first prize in its category at the 2016 Yorkton Film Festival.

Vyas now has returned to school full time, studying programming and other computer-related technology, but he still works weekends at Access Communications as an Internet Support Representative. “My manager was very supportive of me taking more courses to build my career, and he helped me land my part-time job,” Vyas says.

Once he finishes his studies, Vyas looks forward to returning to Access full time. “I would proudly retire from here,” he says. “They have been so great.” n

50%

OF EXECUTIVE TEAM ARE FEMALE

17%

OF EMPLOYEES ARE VISIBLE MINORITIES

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

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Air Canada has a long history of championing inclusion

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he requirement that Canadian employers offer marriedcouple benefits to employees’ same-sex partners dates to a ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada in 1999. But if you talk to people at Air Canada, you learn that the country’s leading airline was well ahead of the curve.

“I’ve been here 20 years and it predates me,” says Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Senior Vice-President, People and Culture. “It has always been a non-issue for us. We did it long before the government told us we had to.”

Eric Lauzon, now Manager of Community Partnerships, remembers joining Air Canada in 1995 and, as a gay employee, noting that same-sex benefits were already becoming available for health, life insurance and pensions.

“I’ve never felt discrimination of any sort in the workplace here,” he says.

“I’ve always had jobs I really liked. I’ve been blessed.”

If a person can do the job, we make sure that person gets the job.

Arielle Meloul-Wechsler

Senior Vice-President, People and Culture

Lauzon’s career reflects Air Canada’s LGBTQ-friendly history. Based in Montreal, he started in the Air Canada call centre while a student, doing his BA and then an MA in tourism marketing, where he focused on LGBTQ communities. That led to a position in tourism marketing with the airline,

ERIC LAUZON, MANAGER, COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, AT AIR CANADA

at a time when “companies were really going after the ‘pink dollar’,” he says.

Lauzon got Air Canada involved in trade associations, conferences and promotions involving the LGBTQ community. “I would say we really put Air Canada on the gay map.” The airline was also a strong supporter of Pride celebrations across the country, and of HIV/AIDS causes.

Lauzon had other roles, too. For six years, he was the person who most passengers would consider critical to their well-being in the air – he was in charge of in-flight entertainment. Along with many improvements to the system and its content, he also contributed to the launch of a summertime Pride channel.

In his current role, Lauzon is at ground zero for diversity, guiding Air

Canada’s involvement in community events and sponsorships. The outreach includes ethnic communities, First Nations groups, Indigenous film festivals, youth initiatives, women’s leadership forums, and, of course, LGBTQ groups, plus much more. “We invest in about 100 community events a year,” he says. “It keeps us very busy.”

It’s also a measure of Air Canada’s commitment to diversity that its recruiters often now attend Lauzon’s events. “It’s a good way to proactively work with various ethnic groups, such as Indigenous people, to find new talent,” he says.

Meloul-Wechsler notes that Air Canada continues to make strides in diversity. A little over a year ago, the airline appointed its first female C-suite

At Air Canada, we take pride in bringing Canada to the world. Together, we are propelling forward in the pursuit of achieving new heights. #FlyTheFlag

leader, Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer Lucie Guillemette. “A woman is now part of the top four in the company, and I firmly believe that changes the dialogue at the table,” says Meloul-Wechsler. “It adds more diversity of thinking, and it really comes from the top down. Our CEO champions our diversity initiatives.”

She also points to the Women in Aviation forums that Air Canada regularly holds, where successful women in business share their experiences candidly, and where male employees are invited as well. “We very much believe this is not a dialogue that should happen just among women,” she says.

Meloul-Wechsler notes that given Air Canada’s overarching goal to become a Top Ten global airline, “there is a real recognition that our workforce has to reflect our customer base. So we are extremely diverse in our employee pool.” The airline works hard to recruit Indigenous people and to accommodate people with disabilities. “If a person can do the job, we make sure that person gets the job,” she says.

“We are always focused on being an inclusive workforce,” says Meloul-Wechsler. “And we keep this top of mind in all our programs and policies.” n

43.3%

OF MANAGERS ARE WOMEN

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REGIONAL DIVERSITY COMMITTEES, IN MONTREAL, TORONTO AND VANCOUVER

À Air Canada, nous sommes fiers de faire connaître le Canada au monde. Ensemble, nous nous propulsons vers de nouveaux sommets. #HautLeDrapeau

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CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

Diversity drives innovation and creativity at Bell

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hen Hélène Vallée joined Bell Canada in 1999, she was hesitant about coming out as a lesbian to her new colleagues and worried about how it might affect her career.

After making the decision to bring her partner to a company gathering, she quickly discovered that she was, in fact, part of an inclusive team and valued for who she is.

“I was relieved,” says Vallée, “and happy that Bell supports people for being themselves. It’s been positive and transformative.” As her career has advanced, she’s taken an increasingly active role in promoting diversity and inclusivity by volunteering at Bell and other organizations in her hometown of Montréal.

“I believe that when you can bring your authentic self to work, you can use that energy to help your colleagues, the company and your customers,” says Vallée, who is now a Senior Service Proposal Advisor with Bell Business Markets.

I believe that when you can bring your authentic self to work, you can use that energy to help your colleagues, the company and your customers.

Hélène Vallée

Senior Service Proposal Advisor, Bell Business Markets

Bernard le Duc, Executive Vice President, Corporate Services, agrees. “Bell is committed to building a fair, inclusive and accessible workplace that reflects the diversity of our customers and the communities we serve.”

He also notes that Bell appreciates how workplace diversity enhances innovation and creativity.

BELL’S DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STRATEGY FOSTERS AN ENVIRONMENT THAT ENABLES ALL TEAM MEMBERS TO REACH THEIR POTENTIAL

“Our team members bring a wide range of backgrounds, skills and perspectives that allow us to develop multiple ways to solve a problem,” says le Duc. “Our unique corporate culture means we’re more likely to come up with solutions that hit the mark, resulting in best-in-class service to customers throughout the country.”

Bell’s diversity and inclusion strategy focuses on enabling all team members to reach their potential regardless of age, gender, family status, cultural background, religion, sexual orientation or physical ability.

The company demonstrates its commitment in numerous ways. Its Diversity Leadership Council ensures Bell’s business strategy and human resources policies are in line with its diversity and inclusion goals. Council members include senior leaders from across Canada who are re-

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sponsible for developing plans that foster a workplace environment where all employees feel valued, respected and supported.

This includes events, education, specific supports in the workplace, as well as a supplier diversity program and recruitment partnerships to help attract a more diverse, inclusive workforce.

“There’s been an evolution in the company’s diversity goals over the past few years,” says le Duc. “Today, diversity is not a destination. It’s a journey – and I’m so proud of the journey we’re on.”

While it’s still important to accommodate team members with specific needs, le Duc says there’s now a greater focus on actively promoting inclusion. This includes the company’s inclusion networks, such as the LGBT Network and Women at Bell.

Led by employee volunteers, the networks promote events and provide professional

development, mentoring and networking opportunities throughout the company.

Bell is also a leader when it comes to mental health – the leading cause of workplace disability in Canada. Supported by the groundbreaking Bell Let’s Talk initiative, programs include enhanced mental health coverage and a range of online and in-house resources to help team members and their families.

More than 10,000 Bell leaders have been trained in mental health best practices, providing them with the knowledge and tools they need to support colleagues in need. As a result, Bell now sees growing numbers of individuals who are comfortable coming forward when they experience difficulties, says le Duc. Vallée echoes the sentiments of other employees when she says Bell’s mental health initiatives are a source of pride for her. So too is Bell’s overall approach to diversity and inclusivity, with programs that are regionally and culturally distinct.

On Canada Day in 2017, for instance, Bell was a sponsor and media partner for Montréal’s Pride Parade.

“Holding hands with my partner in front of that float was an extraordinary experience,” says Vallée. “It’s clear that Bell does much more than accept our differences. It welcomes and celebrates them.” n

10,000+

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CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

12

Blakes defends the right to be yourself

R

ahat Godil was about to give birth and, like so many other pregnant working women, she faced a dilemma. As a senior associate lawyer at Blake, Cassels & Graydon (known as Blakes) in Toronto, Godil wanted to take the full one-year maternity leave but feared that might stall – perhaps even derail – her path to partnership. Taking only a few months might be a good career move, but as a new mother she really wanted to have the option to maximize the time with her baby.

In the end, Godil did not have to choose. “My Practice Group Leader told me to take the full year,” she says.

“So I did, and then I became a partner within a year of returning to work.”

As a person of colour who did not grow up in Canada, I thought I might not fit in. But I was wrong… very wrong.

Rahat Godil

Partner

Adds Godil: “I love Blakes for that.

Their understanding and support enhanced my loyalty and renewed my commitment to stay.”

Indeed, Godil, the first Muslim woman partner at Blakes, was not entirely sure how long she would stay when she joined the firm a decade ago. “As a Muslim woman, as someone who did not drink, who fasted during Ramadan, as a person of colour who did not grow up in Canada, I thought I might not fit in,” she says. “But I was wrong… very wrong.”

EMPLOYEES CELEBRATING ‘DIVERSITY DAY’ AT BLAKES

She adds: “Blakes is a place where you can be yourself. It’s a place that allows you to thrive and reach your full potential. If I had not felt valued for who I am – if I’d had to cover up integral aspects of my life – that would have been stifling. It would also have prevented me from being a good lawyer, and I probably would have quit.”

For Mary Jackson, Chief Officer, Professional Resources, Godil’s story reflects how Blakes, one of Canada’s leading business law firms, has evolved in recent years. “There was once a time when people didn’t talk about differences,” Jackson says.

“Now we celebrate them. People are

encouraged and are brave in being much more open.”

In 1993, a quarter century ago, Blakes was one of the first in the legal profession to establish an equity and diversity committee. The initiative is now known as diversity and inclusiveness, and it’s still a work in progress, Jackson says. “We are still working on increasing our diversity, but we also focus on taking more measures to make sure that people bring their whole selves to work, that they feel included and supported.”

Jackson has been particularly involved in “pipeline initiatives” that work to increase the number and success of diverse students choosing

At Blakes, we believe that diversity is a strength that helps us better serve our multinational clients in a competitive and international marketplace.

careers in business law as well as in programming to support parents in the workforce. Blakes offers coaching before, during and after parental leaves to ensure that new parents experience as little career disruption as possible.

The pay-off for such efforts is enormous. “When people feel truly respected and appreciated for who they are, they are stronger and more creative at work,” Jackson says. She acknowledges that diversity and inclusion efforts are not only the right thing to do but also benefit the firm.

“As we continue to expand and adapt these initiatives, we are building an increasingly diverse, committed and compassionate workforce,” she says.

“It’s a pretty fantastic upside. We recognize that.”

In addition to focusing on its own workforce, Blakes collaborates with clients and the business community to advance diversity and inclusion more broadly in corporate Canada. Blakes is a founding member of corporate Canada’s 30% Club and has already surpassed that group’s goal of achieving at least 30-per-cent-female representation at the top management level by 2022. The firm’s 12-person executive committee now has four women – and counting. n

70%

OF MANAGERS ARE WOMEN

50%

OF SENIOR MANAGERS ARE WOMEN

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP | joinblakes.com

13

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

BDC breaks down barriers inside and out

I

n 2017, having actively promoted diversity and inclusion, or D&I, among its employees for several years, the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) adopted a new approach.

“We thought we should step back and revisit our strategy for diversity and update the way we address D&I. Things change and every company is different; at BDC we want to be doing what’s best for our people and our clients,” says Ellen Austin, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at BDC, a Montreal-headquartered federal Crown corporation that provides financing, advisory services and capital to entrepreneurs across the country.

I think we’ve empowered people on D&I. At BDC, I feel, you can have an idea and make it happen.

That makes you feel valued.

Mathieu Desjardins

Analyst, Information Management Department

“In the past, diversity was all about the workforce – do we have a diverse group of employees?” she says. “Now when we talk about D&I, the workplace has become important too – are we helping the diverse employee groups thrive once they join BDC? Are they comfortable being who they are?

“And we must also consider the marketplace – how are we working to support D&I among our clients? This is a kind of outreach. For example, when newcomers to Canada apply for loans, they may not meet traditional credit requirements, such as Canadian credit history. BDC developed a newcomer

BDC ENCOURAGES INNOVATION FROM EMPLOYEES AND CLIENTS

loan that doesn’t require Canadian credit history and focuses on other attributes. To be inclusive we had to amend our policies to serve this community.”

The new approach was accompanied by a new D&I governance structure within the bank. “We established two co-chairs for the Diversity Committee, one from business, one from HR,” Austin explains. “I’m the co-chair representing HR, and as of April 2017, I also hold the new position of Director of Diversity and Inclusion.

“Because we see the workforce rapidly changing, BDC felt the need to look beyond the four traditional communities of focus – women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities and visible minorities – and also include the communities that encompass LGBT, the

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military, newcomers and intergenerational/millennials.

“Eleven senior leaders at BDC were identified – one to head each of the eight groups, as well as two leaders to act as liaisons with the Employee Experience Committee and Client Experience Committee, and another who supports groups with specific challenges. We reached out to our employees, looking for committee volunteers, and were delighted that more than 60 people stepped up. That’s over two per cent of BDC’s employee population,” says Austin.

Each group meets monthly or bimonthly to review progress against strategies and the full committee meets twice a year. The co-chairs report quarterly to the president on progress against

defined objectives and to discuss new opportunities in the marketplace.

“The new model with eight groups is extremely relevant and has had a great impact on employees,” says Mathieu Desjardins, an Analyst in BDC’s Information Management department and a member of the LGBT support group. “There’s openness to ideas from the different groups, and I think we’ve empowered people on D&I. At BDC, I feel, you can have an idea and make it happen. That makes you feel valued.”

Desjardins is also Quebec Regional Lead for Pride at Work Canada, which is dedicated to encouraging workplace cultures to recognize LGBT employees as an important part of a diverse and effective workforce. After joining BDC six years ago, he urged the bank to get involved with the organization, which it did. “They are always open-minded about diversity, so I had great support for this,” he says. “It’s fantastic how BDC has helped break down barriers.”

Looking at the long-term outlook for D&I at BDC, Austin says, “Eventually we shouldn’t need my position because D&I will be embedded in the BDC culture.” Does that mean she’s planning to work herself out of a job? “Don’t tell my boss,” she replies with a laugh. n

4 of 5

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS IN BDC FINANCING ARE WOMEN

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CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

14

At CAMH, diversity is embraced and celebrated

W

hen the subject is diversity at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, it’s impossible not to talk in terms of both staff and patients. Because when you’re the largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital in the country and you’re located in the heart of one of the most multicultural cities, embracing, understanding and celebrating diversity is a must.

“We have a very diverse patient population,” says Kim Bellissimo, Vice-President, Human Resources and Organizational Development. “It’s important for us to be able to provide excellent care, and that means we need to understand our patient population better than just the illnesses they present.”

BRIDGET AKIOYAMEN, CLINICAL MANAGER, OUTPATIENT CLINIC, AT CAMH

It’s very helpful to have all these diverse ideas to connect us with our clients in a more fundamental way.

Bridget Akioyamen

Clinical Manager, Outpatient Clinic

Bridget Akioyamen is the Clinical Manager of one of CAMH’s Outpatient Clinics that helps patients through their recovery period with medication management, counselling and more.

“Here, in my own little world, at my clinic, you can see diversity in the staffing mix,” says Akioyamen, herself a racialized woman. “It’s a miniature of CAMH.” Clinic staff are well balanced between male and female, with people of Asian, South Asian and Caribbean descent,

among others, serving the diverse clientele. “It’s very helpful to have all these diverse ideas to connect us with our clients in a more fundamental way,” Akioyamen adds. “The different perspectives are wonderful.”

As an organization, CAMH is focused on the wellness of its employees.

“We have a tremendous amount of work under way to support the wellness of our staff, some of whom deal with a broad range of patients with complex needs,” says Bellissimo.

For Karen Fournier, a social worker in CAMH’s New Beginnings Clinic, working with the influx of Syrian refugees who have come to Canada after enduring unspeakable conditions means working with stressors. “They are fleeing war and persecution, and

many have been jailed or kidnapped or tortured or have experienced other hardships,” says Fournier. “They’re a population at risk for having mental health needs.”

Since it opened in early 2016, the clinic has been open one day a week to provide direct support, assessment, consultation and referrals for refugee claimants and government-assisted refugees who have been in Canada for two years or less. Some may come to the clinic only once; others need additional support – advice around medication or treatment, family doctors, counselling or connection to community resources, among other things.

“We’ll stay involved until they don’t need us anymore,” Fournier adds. “Surprisingly, though, once the majority of

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refugees reach safety and get established, their mental health improves. It speaks to the resilience of this population.”

Because many refugees do not speak English well or at all when they arrive, an Arabic-speaking administrative assistant in the clinic is instrumental in reaching out and connecting with the newcomers.

Around the rest of CAMH, there is an onsite Sweat Lodge and many specialized programs that are run by and cater to diverse groups. Different faiths are celebrated in regular ceremonies for staff and patients in a Sacred Space, which is also available for individual meditation and prayer. CAMH has also recently opened a wellness centre, which offers a variety of activities to appeal to the diverse staff, such as hands-on art programs, nutrition workshops and music sessions, as well as a fitness centre.

But at CAMH, diversity is much more than just a necessity: it’s something to be celebrated. In fact, there are many celebrations throughout the year – some spiritual, others geared to activities in the city, such as Black History Month or Pride Week, but all of which involve the organization’s senior leaders.

“We always find that opportunity to celebrate something,” says Akioyamen.

“It’s part of our wellness.” n

68.8%

OF EXECUTIVE TEAM ARE WOMEN

160+

LANGUAGES AVAILABLE FOR FREE, PROFESSIONAL INTERPRETATION

15

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

CN signals its commitment to inclusion

A

t CN, Helen Genoway works in an operations environment where she doesn’t think about her gender. As Senior Manager Autoport, Eastern Region, she oversees the complex activities of hundreds of CN and Autoport employees and suppliers.

“I pitch in and help with the offloading when things are really busy or there are challenges,” she says. “I don’t see myself as a woman in Operations.

I am recognized for what I contribute, and my gender is not a factor. It is hard work, but at the end of each day, I can see the fruits of my labour.

When I go home, I feel like I have made a difference.”

Genoway has been with CN for 17 years, starting as a truck dispatcher for Intermodal (CN’s container traffic) and later working in Sales, Marketing, Human Resources and Operations.

“Unlike a small company, CN has many departments,” she says. “You can move around, trying new things. CN is fabulous at training and developing people.

I have never experienced any barriers to advancement because of my gender.”

Diversity provides us with a wider range of ideas and perspectives. This increases the effectiveness of our decision-making, helping to foster innovation.

Mike Cory

Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer

The Montreal-headquartered company is committed to promoting

HELEN GENOWAY (2ND FROM LEFT) WITH HER TEAM AT CN’S MONTREAL AUTOPORT

a diverse and inclusive work force.

“Diversity provides us with a wider range of ideas and perspectives,” says Mike Cory, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer. “This increases the effectiveness of our decision-making, helping to foster innovation.”

CN’s strategic diversity and inclusion plan has a number of initiatives to increase diversity, including ensuring that 50 per cent of the candidates interviewed for any position are from diverse backgrounds. This requires efforts to reach out to diverse groups through their social media channels and their associations.

For example, CN draws on its relations with Aboriginal communi-

you

THIS COULD BE

ties along its route to encourage the hiring of Aboriginal peoples and has close to 650 Aboriginal employees working in Canada.

So far this year, 35 per cent of CN’s new hires were from diverse backgrounds, and approximately one-third of those diversity hires were women. “This is a transportation and logistics company, and we don’t want the women we hire limited to office jobs,” says Cory. “We want them to be comfortable whether driving an engine, working on the track or on our IT systems. And we want to see more women rising to leadership positions. In 2016, around 20 per cent of our promotions in Canada were filled by women.”

“ Working with a wide variety of technologies and knowing my work contributes to CN’s ability to be a back-bone of the Canadian economy makes my job stimulating. ” Catherine Corbeil – Senior Manager, Delivery

Through its workplace culture of continuous learning, CN helps employees develop their skills.

“The company is very interested in investing in long-term, sustainable, experienced employees,” says Genoway. “I have taken many training and development courses that CN has offered over the years.”

In addition to development courses, another key channel for the success of diverse groups is mentoring, either by leaders or peer to peer. “In one sense, there is equal opportunity, and in another sense, we make sure that people who start from a tougher position receive help and coaching so that they can succeed,” says Cory.

Mentoring has played an important role in Genoway’s advancement.

“I had great leaders who took the time to mentor me,” she recalls.

Early in her career, her manager “saw something in me and pushed me forward. That was a turning point for me.”

Later, when she was an entrylevel manager at Intermodal, her boss also encouraged her, telling her she had much more potential than she realized. “I have a lot to pay forward,” she says. n

495

ENGAGED CN AMBASSADORS

35%

OF TOTAL HIRES IN CANADA FOR 2017 WERE DIVERSE

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CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

16

Diversity breeds innovation at Capital One

C

apital One Canada places a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion because innovation depends on diversity of thought and perspective, says Christina McClung, Chief People Officer.

“Our company was built on a culture of innovation and collaboration, and we’ve built a diverse team that reflects the communities and customers we serve.”

Capital One’s success is driven by the power of perspectives at the table, she says. “Culture is everything. It’s more than hiring diverse people – it also means including them in decision-making to improve our policies and procedures. We’re committed to making sure people feel understood and valued, both internally and externally. All our associates know their voice is truly heard – and matters.”

We’re committed to making sure people feel understood and valued, both internally and externally.

Christina McClung Chief People Officer

Capital One takes two distinct approaches to promoting diversity and inclusion, McClung explains. One is programmatic, the other behavioural.

The programmatic approach is based on multiple Business Resource Groups (BRGs). Driven by associates but backed by the company’s leadership, these BRGs work both within the organization and through outreach programs to help break down barriers and support diverse communities.

Senior Brand Associate Julia Sanges is one of the co-leads of the CapAbil-

JULIA SANGES, LEAD OF THE CAPITAL ONE CAPABILITIES BUSINESS RESOURCE GROUP

ities BRG Canada. She’s responsible for co-developing and helping implement the group’s annual strategy. “Our mission is to make sure every associate feels they belong at Capital One,” Sanges says. “We welcome associates who identify with disabilities, as well as caregivers and allies, and we focus on their abilities, not disabilities.

“For family reasons, I have a strong passion to spread awareness and provide support for people impacted by Down syndrome. Not long after I joined the bank in July 2016, I casually mentioned my passion to a colleague. That’s when I learned about the CapAbilities BRG, which existed in some of our U.S. locations. I helped launch it in Canada, and now I get a voice in the room – I feel so encouraged by this,” says Sanges, who works at the company’s Toronto headquarters.

In addition to the CapAbilities BRG, Capital One Canada has an Asian BRG, an LGBTQ+ BRG and a Women in Technology BRG. Referring to that last group, which now has close to 50 members, McClung says, “It’s no surprise that even today women face many barriers getting into the tech industry. The number of STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] majors has increased but it’s still low. We recognize this gap and invest in programs that help bridge it. In fact, more than 50 per cent of our workforce are women.”

The behavioural approach to encouraging diversity and inclusion is multi-faceted. “For example, we spend time creating a positive onboarding experience, so people feel they fit in from the very start,” says McClung. “We offer

them a culture of appreciation where they can feel safe and share their stories.”

Other initiatives include “Not Myself Today” and a newly launched BRG called “1 in 5,” both in support of mental health in the workplace. “We want our people to know we foster a safe and supportive work environment for those who may be affected by mental health issues or the challenges associated with mental wellbeing,” McClung says.

For her part, Sanges has been involved not only in the CapAbilities BRG but also in a related project with Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital: the FIRST Robotics Program, a partnership with the charity FIRST Robotics Canada which encourages young people in rehab to grow in STEM by building and coding robots.

Capital One also collaborates with Holland Bloorview in Youth@Work, which helps young people with physical or developmental disabilities who are entering the workplace for the first time. Through this program, four interns worked at the bank last summer, boosting their confidence and providing them with invaluable work experience.

“Our passions are really valued here,” says Sanges. “It’s very inspiring and I haven’t seen these types of opportunities at other companies I’ve worked for. We can have a great career, follow our interests and truly make a difference.” n

40%

OF ALL CAMPUS EMPLOYMENT OFFERS IN 2017 WERE TO WOMEN

5

BUSINESS RESOURCE GROUPS

We’re proud to be one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers. capitalonecareers.ca

17

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

CAS embraces diversity with training and listening

N

icole Bonnie, Director of Diversity, Anti-Oppression and Community Development with the Toronto Children’s Aid Society, puts it this way: “As an organization dedicated to child welfare, we have a responsibility to ensure that injustice and inequity do not get reproduced in the work we do.”

That means embracing diversity, equity and inclusion, and, to that end, CAS has developed a comprehensive anti-oppression and anti-racism framework that applies to everyone – from the board of directors to frontline workers. “The framework recognizes how certain groups, whether it’s the poor or the LGBTQ, Indigenous and racialized communities, get marginalized from opportunities and resources,” says Bonnie. “Our role is to recognize this marginalization, acknowledge it and correct it.”

We all have biases, but we need to acknowledge them in order to become better workers.

Bianca Stewart

Senior Child Welfare Worker and Trainer

All new employees are required to participate in two days of anti-oppression training, which teaches new recruits about racism, sexism, classism, transphobia and homophobia, and the organization has recently added an Indigenous component.

The training includes activity-based learning, viewing videos and assessing case scenarios as well as small- and large-group workshops.

PROUD TO BE NAMED ONE OF

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS

NICOLE BONNIE, DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY, ANTI-OPPRESSION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (LEFT) AND BIANCA STEWART, SENIOR CHILD WELFARE WORKER AND TRAINER, AT CAS TORONTO

“We all have biases, but we need to acknowledge them in order to become better workers,” says Bianca Stewart, a Senior Child Welfare Worker and Trainer. “I train new workers and it helps them understand the journey we’re on around diversity, anti-oppression and anti-racism.”

The Organization’s Out and Proud program offers staff training around issues of sexual orientation and gender identity. “We have to recognize the breadth and depth of diversity in the families and youth we support,” Stewart adds.

However, communication is not a one-way street at CAS. The organization is committed to listening to employees, especially around issues

of race, culture and representation.

“Black-identified staff work toward building awareness and consciousness within the organization so that we can support the black community,” says Bonnie. “They also help build awareness around their cultural identity.”

“Where we have under-representation, groups have been set up to address the issue,” she adds. “We listen to our staff so we understand the strengths of the organization as well as the gaps around how we are addressing the needs of multiple individuals.”

CAS also takes advantage of opportunities to celebrate diversity within the organization and within the communities it serves. The

organization holds a series of events in February to celebrate Black History Month. Last year, the black-owned radio station G98.7, which reaches over one million listeners, broadcast live during an evening that featured a dinner, a keynote address, drumming and dancing.

“The night was designed to inspire and recognize the contribution of the African-Canadian community,” says Bonnie. “We had a huge turnout and the station was so impressed that we did such a large event.”

Throughout the year, CAS’s Black Education Association Committee meets monthly and organizes activities for children in care. “Once a year we take a group of black children and youth away for a week,” says Stewart.

“Last year there was a trip to Jamaica.

We said, ‘Let’s look at the history and culture of the Jamaican people’.”

CAS also organizes a number of events each June to support Pride month, culminating in a barbecue for LGBTQ employees, their families and their parents. “It’s a great event,” says Stewart. “The performances and program are designed by the LGBTQ staff and allies like myself. It’s a night of artistic expression and, along with staff, is open to youth in care and post-care.” n

65%

OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARE WOMEN

50%

OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARE VISIBLE MINORITIES

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

18

CIBC takes a thoughtful approach to inclusion

A

t CIBC, investing in the future can sometimes be kids’ play. In August 2017, CIBC’s Live Labs and Digital Strategy teams welcomed 30 girls aged seven to nine for a session of Girls Learning Code, part of Canada Learning Code. CIBC challenged the girls to design a marketing campaign for a brand and devise ways to connect consumers to the business.

The result? “It was so much fun!” says Ricky Chandarana, Director Digital Strategies. “Our teams got the girls’ creativity flowing and we learned a lot from them as well.”

I’m very proud to be part of an organization that’s so dedicated to making a difference.

Ricky Chandarana

CIBC LEADERS PARTICIPATING IN A ‘DISRUPTING UNCONSCIOUS BIAS’ WORKSHOP

Director Digital Strategiese

Live Labs and the Digital Strategy team are part of CIBC’s broader effort to enhance the client experience across all of its award-winning digital platforms.

And like Canada Learning Code, a notfor-profit champion of coding and other digital skills, CIBC seeks to increase diversity in tech-focused disciplines.

Forming partnerships is, in turn, just one way CIBC demonstrates their commitment to inclusion and diversity at all levels of the organization. The Board of Directors recently endorsed a three-year strategy emphasizing the importance of inclusive leadership. The strategy is supported by the bank’s Inclusion and Diversity Leadership Council, which is chaired by a member of the Executive Committee, and supported by a dedicat-

ed Inclusion and Diversity Team, as well as senior leaders across the bank.

Amy South, Senior Vice President and Head of Investor Relations, is one of the executive sponsors. She says that while the bank determines the overall vision and goals, different business areas face different challenges in achieving them. With input from a variety of employee volunteers and People Networks, each area develops a viable inclusion plan for its operations.

“Some remedies are more or less obvious than others,” South adds. “But whether we’re setting specific, measurable goals or creating a respectful and welcoming workplace, we know that diverse teams working in an inclusive environment are more innovative and make decisions that better serve the changing needs of our clients.”

One area CIBC continues to improve upon is the numbers of women in senior management. With its expertise in data analytics, CIBC scrutinized its employment metrics and learned that, although women were well represented in general, their numbers dropped in some areas of middle management. South says further research has helped to identify opportunities for better gender balance across the bank.

“This is not a women’s issue,” says South, “this is everybody’s issue.” That is one of the reasons CIBC partners with non-profit Catalyst to offer its Men Advocating for Real Change (MARC) leadership training program to the bank’s senior executives. Among MARC’s key lessons for creating a more inclusive workplace are developing awareness and stopping practices that inhibit inclusion.

Inclusion makes all the difference.

CIBC is proud to be one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for the eighth year in a row.

We celebrate what makes us unique, and foster an inclusive, client-focused culture where talented minds can connect and thrive.

To learn more, visit cibc.com/careers CIBC Cube Design & “Banking that fits your life” are trademarks of CIBC.

In a further step towards more inclusive leadership, CIBC board members, the global leadership team, and more than 500 senior leaders across the bank have participated in training to help disrupt unconscious bias. As a result, participants are now equipped with the knowledge and skills to help identify, challenge and adjust the behaviours that result from unintentional bias Both initiatives, and the plans to cascade them more broadly across the bank, are aimed at furthering a culture that celebrates uniqueness and promotes belonging, says South. And even though effecting sustainable, long-term change takes time, she says people are already being more mindful of their language and personal interactions.

Chandarana, who joined CIBC two years ago, says he too, is seeing improvements in what was already a good environment. The Digital team, for instance, is testing whether blind résumés, where names aren’t visible, can help remove bias from the hiring process.

“I’m very proud to be part of an organization that’s so dedicated to making a difference,” says Chandarana, who, like CIBC, takes the long view.

“Being the dad of an infant daughter, I really look forward to opening all the doors I can for her.” n

30%

OF EXECUTIVE ROLES ARE HELD BY WOMEN

41%

OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARE WOMEN

19

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

City of Edmonton workers mirror their city’s diversity

N

icole Plachy felt unfulfilled in her office job. She had her sights on a more challenging career. But there was a problem – it was in a field still dominated by men. “I wanted to work with my hands, I wanted to see the results of my efforts,” says Plachy, now an Apprentice Welder with the City of Edmonton.

Her path to job – and career – satisfaction came, as it turned out, through a City of Edmonton outreach program designed to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace. First, Plachy quit her job and signed up for a 16-week training program with Women Building Futures (WBF), a not-for-profit that provides women with training in various trades. In Plachy’s case, it was welding.

Most employers don’t appreciate women in the trades. I got lucky.

Nicole Plachy

Apprentice Welder

Through WBF, Plachy landed work experience with the City, one of the organization’s founding sponsors and an ongoing supporter. She performed so well on the job that she was hired as a seasonal worker.

Her fellow workers were supportive and provided helpful advice. “Everyone was terrific,” she says. “Most employers don’t appreciate women in the trades.

Not the City of Edmonton. I got really lucky . . . seriously lucky.”

When Plachy applied for a permanent apprentice welder position in the City’s fabrication shop, she won the competition. Now, she is about to receive

MEMBERS OF THE CITY OF EDMONTON’S DIVERSITY & INCLUSION COMMITTEES

her welder’s certification, the end of a three-year academic program that the City supported financially and in other ways. “I got all my tuition, I always got the time off I needed for my studies or for any family situation,” she says. “The City wants you to succeed, to become the best you can be, so they do their best to accommodate you.”

WBF is one of several community organizations linked to the City’s diversity and inclusion initiative. “To create a diverse workforce, we understand the importance of collaborating with post-secondary institutions and external organizations like WBF,” says Aly Moorji, the City’s Human Resources Manager for Diversity and Inclusion. “To provide the best municipal programs and services, our workforce

building a great city through diversity AND inclusion For more information, visit edmonton.ca/diversity

must reflect the city’s demographics.

By building relationships throughout our community, by collaborating, we can develop programs that make an impact.”

Meanwhile, the City conducts an employee engagement and diversity survey every two years to measure the demographics of its workforce. “The findings are positive,” Moorji says. “This diversity within our workforce helps better serve the people of Edmonton.”

Among them are Indigenous people, nearly five per cent of both the city’s workforce and its population and the second-largest urban concentration after Winnipeg. All City workers now must undergo Indigenous awareness training where participants hear the lived experiences of an Indigenous speaker,

participate in a facilitated discussion and hands-on activity, and leave with a greater understanding of Canada’s residential school system. “It’s an eye-opener for some of our staff,” says Moorji.

“Not only do they become more aware of the injustices, but hearing about it directly in person has a tremendous impact and is a big step toward overall reconciliation.”

Another of the City’s programs that highlights collaboration with the community is The Abilities@Work Program, which provides meaningful employment for people with intellectual disabilities.

By bringing such individuals into the workplace, fellow employees enhance their understanding of mental-health challenges.

Says Moorji: “When people have a greater understanding of differences, they work more effectively together. In order to create high-performing teams, you have to include, value and leverage this diversity. We continue to make inclusion a priority.”

For her part, Plachy is so happy that she has moved out of the office onto the shop floor – and with how she has been accepted on the basis of her work alone – that she has no plans to switch employers. “I want to live out my career here,” she says, “and impart what I have learned to others.” n

21%

OF EMPLOYEES BELONG TO A DIVERSE CULTURAL COMMUNITY

10%

OF EMPLOYEES ARE INDIGENOUS AND LGBTQ2+

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

20

Diversity is a core value at Export Development Canada

A

s the world becomes increasingly connected, a diverse workforce is an asset.

For the employees at Export Development Canada, diversity and inclusion are essential components of their collective strength and competitiveness.

“For us, diversity includes how we think as well,” says Jeremy Melhuish, Director, Strategy and Transformation.

“We want different views, different perspectives, different experiences, and we see all of those elements as contributing to a really strong workforce. For us, it’s critical to being a successful global organization.”

Here, there is respect for each and every individual, which makes us stronger and the culture healthier.

Sarah Eltawansy

Senior Advisor, Operational Excellence

In fact, the Ottawa-based Crown corporation has a number of activities and policies in place to deliver on this particular core value. A diversity and inclusion committee, for example, ensures that the organization maintains a diverse, inclusive workforce.

In addition, all HR policies have been changed to reflect gender neutrality; specialized training helps EDC’s leaders understand how unconscious bias might influence their thinking; and mental health training is given to leaders as well.

“We are working to ensure that our management systems are aligned with

EMPLOYEES CELEBRATING PRIDE WEEK 2017 AT EDC’S HEAD OFFICE IN OTTAWA

how we want to reflect diversity and inclusion,” Melhuish adds.

The organization holds different events throughout the year that bring greater recognition to the value of diversity. For Pride Week, for example, a Pride flag is raised at the national office. On Canadian multiculturalism day, the focus is on life in different countries, and at an annual internal trade show, people can learn about diversity and inclusion.

On a company-wide diversity blog, different employees write about their experiences and share insights into their own situations. And in Humans of EDC, employees are profiled and tell their life stories; the profiles are

played on the company’s in-house network. “It’s an investment that people appreciate and notice,” says Melhuish. “And it’s really part of the fabric of the organization that we embrace diversity and inclusion as a way to really create value for Canada and better serve our customers.”

That embracing of diversity is something that Sarah Eltawansy could see and feel the moment she interviewed at EDC four years ago.

“It’s not easy to find a job as Muslim wearing a hijab,” says Eltawansy, Senior Advisor, Operational Excellence.

“When I was interviewed at EDC, people were friendly, very respectful.

It was a great experience.”

During an onboarding week for new hires, Eltawansy came to understand the company’s different business lines and what its values were, which, she says, gave her a good idea of what the work environment would be like.

“And it was something that I didn’t find in any other organization,” she adds. “Here, there is respect for each and every individual, which makes us stronger and the culture healthier.”

Melhuish agrees that a diverse and inclusive culture can help EDC retain the best and the brightest as well as attract new talent. “At the end of the day, we as a global business want to demonstrate that our success comes from having a workforce that does have different perspectives and experiences and is reflective of the cultures and countries in Canada and around the world,” he says. “It’s neat to see. It’s making us a much better organization.”

Because it is has a diverse workforce, EDC also provides employees with flexibility to take off time for holidays they celebrate. “It’s like a mini-Canada here,” says Eltawansy.

“I think having a culture like EDC’s affects my productivity in a positive way. I really don’t like to be away from work. I love being around the people I work with here.” n

50%

OF EMPLOYEES ARE WOMEN

90%

OF EMPLOYEES BELIEVE EDC GIVES FAIR TREATMENT WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION

21

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

Hydro Ottawa goes deep to change its culture

R

oger Marsh, Chief Energy Services Officer with Hydro Ottawa, describes himself as a white male and father of three who has worked in the electrical utility industry for nearly four decades.

Nevertheless, when asked to lead the company’s Pride Network, Marsh readily agreed.

“I worked with members of the LGBTQ community for years, but a lot of them wore a mask every day they came to work,” he says. “No one should have to do that. Having the freedom to live your life the way you want to live is very important to me.”

Hydro Ottawa launched the Pride Network in 2015 as part of a broader Diversity and Inclusion Plan that also focuses on women, youth, visible minorities, new Canadians, people with disabilities, and First Nations.

“We want to attract, retain and engage employees that reflect the diversity of the communities we serve,” says Chief Human Resources Officer Lyne Parent-Garvey. “Diversity spurs innovation, drives growth and gives us a competitive advantage.”

Diversity spurs innovation, drives growth and gives us a competitive advantage.

Lyne Parent-Garvey

Chief Human Resources Officer

The company introduced its first Diversity and Inclusion Plan in 2014 with a number of foundational initiatives aimed at changing the broader organizational culture. With an em-

EMPLOYEES FROM HYDRO OTTAWA ACCEPTING AN EMPLOYER AWARD FROM A LOCAL IMMIGRANT ASSISTANCE ORGANIZATION

phasis on leadership alignment, communication, stakeholder engagement, and training, those in executive and management positions were taught to be aware of unconscious bias when hiring or promoting, and training was provided for every employee on respect in the workplace.

The Pride Network is one of several groups established to advance the initiatives of the Diversity and Inclusion Plan. Hydro Ottawa also has a Diversity Council, Youth Council and an Accessibility Committee. Parent-Garvey says that the company has rolled out some 50 initiatives and has formed partnerships with a number of community organizations.

Hydro Ottawa has successfully recruited people with disabilities

through its partnership with the Employment Accessibility Resource Network. The company works closely with the YMCA/YWCA and Hire Immigrants Ottawa and their Employer Council of Champions and Working Groups in order to recruit members of visible minorities.

“The key to success for us has been our partnerships in the community with like-minded organizations that are working toward the same goal,” Parent-Garvey says. “We couldn’t have done it on our own.”

The company is a founding member of the Leadership Accord on Gender Diversity for the Electrical Industry.

“We’re a very male-dominated industry,” she says, “but we’re hiring more and more women in engineering, the

trades and technical positions as well as leadership roles.”

Indeed, for the first time, the managers of metering systems and distribution asset planning are both women. As well, the company provides training for female leaders and emerging female leaders through the “Taking the Stage” program delivered by the Niagara Institute.

It is also supporting the Ottawa Catholic School Board’s JourneyUp! program which educates and encourages female high school students to consider careers in engineering and the trades. Hydro Ottawa has put together several video profiles of its own women who work in these fields and shares them with teachers.

Marsh, meantime, says the Pride Network has made considerable progress in changing attitudes toward the LGBTQ community. The network has about 10 members from all levels of the organization who meet regularly, especially in the lead-up to Capital Pride Week each August.

“Five years ago there was unease around raising the Pride flag,” he says. “Now we have a week of activities. More and more people are getting involved. We’ve had an exponential increase in participation in the parade. People want to get involved and make a difference.” n

32

LEADERS AND EMERGING FEMALE LEADERS COMPLETED ‘TAKING THE STAGE’ PROGRAM

11

PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

POWERED BY PEOPLE Hydro Ottawa is passionate about being a great employer for great people. That’s because we rely on our employees to literally power the lives of our customers. Our employees are the kind of people who believe that service means putting our customers at the centre of everything we do, and that giving where we live is as important as sustaining the environment around us.

hydroottawa.com

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

22

Diversity at Manulife starts ‘at the top of the house’

I

t all started with a lunch in February, 2017 to coincide with Black History Month. Malaika Gonzalez, an Administrative Coordinator in the downtown Toronto office of Manulife, arranged the outing with a group of like-minded colleagues.

By June, they were up and running as VIBE – Valuing the Inclusion of Black Employees – one of seven Manulife employee resource groups that boast over 7,000 members across North America as well as in Asia.

“The employee resource groups support Manulife’s culture of diversity and inclusion,” says Gonzalez. “They boost morale. Employees take pride in participating in ERG events.”

Manulife has built a culture where diversity is encouraged and embraced.

Stephani Kingsmill

Senior Advisor to the President

The ERGs are just one component of Manulife’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. That commitment starts “at the top of the house,” as Stephani Kingsmill, who served many years as Manulife’s Executive Vice-President Human Resources, puts it.

“Our board of directors expects to get regular updates from senior management on progress against various diversity initiatives,” says Kingsmill, now Senior Advisor to the President. “Last year, our President and Chief Executive Officer Roy Gori asked his direct reports to come up with plans to further improve diversity within their respective organizations.”

Gori chairs Manulife’s Diversity Council,

ROY GORI, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AT MANULIFE, SPEAKING AT A GALA FOR PAN-ASIAN LEADERS

which includes executives at various levels of the organization and from various areas of the company. The council works directly with the human resources team to develop the diversity strategy, execute specific initiatives and ensure that the various business groups remain committed to a diverse and inclusive corporate culture.

“Manulife has built a culture where diversity is encouraged and embraced,” says Kingsmill. “We are committed to setting tone at the top, providing people with the opportunity to learn from and about one another, and importantly, creating an environment where all people can be themselves.”

Manulife has developed several initiatives to put principles into practice. Manulife’s Work Smart program, for example, which recognizes that employees often deal with challenges ranging from childcare to elder

We’re stronger together

Proud to be recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers manulife.ca

care, allows employees to work from home or adopt flexible hours of work.

“We’ve put in place technology to support flexible work arrangements,” Kingsmill adds. “Twenty-eight per cent of our North American workforce is on a flexible plan. It’s a core part of our value proposition to employees.”

Manulife is also attempting to break down the stigma surrounding mental health issues by introducing one of the most generous benefits plans in the financial services industry. Employees, as well as family members, are entitled to up to $10,000 per year per person to cover counselling or other forms of treatment.

Kingsmill notes that Manulife supports people with disabilities through a mentoring program. In April and October last year, individuals with disabilities came in for a day of job shadowing at company

offices in the Greater Boston area and the Greater Toronto Area. Employees were encouraged to speak about living with disabilities and a number of them shared educational pieces and personal perspectives and stories on internal social channels.

Employee resource groups may begin as grassroots initiatives, but they, too, receive plenty of support from “the top of the house.” In addition to VIBE, the groups include Professionals Reaching Out for Unity and Diversity (PROUD) for LGBTQ employees, the Global Women’s Alliance (GWA), and the PanAsian Community for Employee Success (PACES). Each group has an executive sponsor and the company makes available a pool of funds that are distributed to the groups each year based on the size of the employee base in the region and the activities planned.

VIBE, one of the newest groups, grew quickly to 175 members from a variety of cultural backgrounds, including Caribbean, West Indian and African. And they’ve kept themselves busy. They had a booth at last year’s Employee Experience Fair, held lunch time meet-and-greets, and organized holiday pot lucks. The run-up to Black History Month is perhaps the busiest time of the year for the group. “We have so many ideas,” Gonzalez says.

“It’s a big project for us.” n

60%

OF EMPLOYEES ARE WOMEN

46%

OF MANAGERS ARE WOMEN

23

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

The Nova Scotia Government aims for full participation

T

racey Thomas is optimistic.

When she joined the Government of Nova Scotia public service seven years ago as Senior Policy Analyst for the Office of African-Nova Scotian Affairs, she didn’t see many women who looked like her at inter-departmental meetings.

She still doesn’t. But she is hopeful that by 2024, the end of the International Decade for People of African Descent, the public service executive ranks will look very different than they do today.

“The opportunities are now presenting themselves, for African Canadian women specifically and women of colour in general, to advance,” she says. “Women are now applying for jobs and getting the interviews, and some are getting positions.

This is all a recent change that I consider a positive, because I see some diverse people ascending the ladder.”

When people from diverse backgrounds come for an interview, they see themselves reflected in the panel.

Laura Lee Langley

Head of the Public Service

Laura Lee Langley, Head of the Public Service, is leading the charge for full participation. “We want to make space for people from diverse backgrounds to have meaningful roles while we’re shaping public policy and providing services,” she says. “We can’t do that if we don’t prepare the workplace and the people already in the workplace to create that space. We think we’re making progress, as measured against the Nova Scotia labour force. We’ll keep working at it.”

DO BIG THINGS

NOVA SCOTIA PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES CELEBRATE PRIDE 2017 AT AN ANNUAL PARADE IN HALIFAX

Some 60 per cent of civil servants are women, and more than half of the deputy ministers are female. Also encouraging is that 8.2 per cent of the civil service is composed of racially visible persons (versus 5.9 per cent of the provincial labour force). “But we are struggling to get racially visible persons in senior-level positions,” says Langley. “For example, Aboriginals and African-Canadians are under-represented in the civil service, and more intensive recruitment efforts are focused on those groups.”

To make the workplace more welcoming, the public service undertakes diversity training of all its employees. Diversity and Employment Equity is a mandatory one-day interactive course. There is also Understanding the Aboriginal Context in Nova Scotia and Respectful Workplace, a mandatory program for employees and managers.

The civil service has initiated Posi-

tive Spaces, a program that promotes inclusiveness for LGBTIQ+ employees.

It includes two days of learning about the diversity of LGBTIQ+ people and how to be an ally. In the past year, the government has launched guidelines to support trans and gender-variant employees.

Hiring policies have also evolved. For the past 18 months, 35 management-level positions have been designated for diverse candidates only. Also, the province has developed diverse hiring panels. “When people from diverse backgrounds come for an interview, they see themselves reflected in the panel,” says Langley. “It has made a significant difference in how candidates feel about their experience in the hiring process.”

A training program called Pathways to Advancement has been implemented specifically for under-represented groups.

“It’s like someone has nine months with an executive coach around their career,”

Work for

says Langley. “They were previously being passed over for training and development opportunities.”

The government hosts six employeeled diversity and affinity groups. They are African-Canadian Women in Public Service, L’nu (for First Nations), GoverNEXT (for younger employees and those interested in innovation), Pride Nova Scotia Employee Network, the Public Service Disability Network and the Immigrant and Newcomer Network. Most networks also encourage allies to join.

Each network is championed by a deputy minister at the weekly meetings of the Deputy Ministers Table. “Part of the deputy ministers’ responsibility is to be accountable for ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion and to demonstrate actively that commitment,” says Langley.

The Diversity Roundtable, an interdepartmental forum on which the employee networks and the government employees union are represented, meets every six weeks to discuss diversity and inclusion policies. With Thomas as cochair, the Roundtable is developing its first strategic plan.

Its hardest-won achievement to date was to have Inter-cultural and Diversity Proficiency included in the set of competencies used to evaluate managers and other non-unionized employees.

“This was a very big win,” says Thomas. n

59.5%

OF EMPLOYEES ARE WOMEN

51.7%

OF MANAGERS ARE WOMEN

jobs.novascotia.ca

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

24

Real pride: How RBC supports the LGBT+ community

S

awyer James started work at RBC at a very sensitive time in his life. Only months earlier, he had come out as a transgender male, and he was still in the initial stages of his transition. But once he arrived at the bank in early 2016, things couldn’t have gone better.

“It has been great,” says James, who works as a Cards Advisor in the Credit Card Department at RBC’s Advice Centre in Mississauga, Ont. “The support I have received has been more than I could have expected from a company and from the people I work with.”

Although legally he was not Sawyer yet, the bank readily respected his new identity, he says. And he was able to join the centre’s LGBT+ steering committee.

But what impressed James most occurred a few months later in 2016, when he was asked to speak at a panel on transgender issues at the Advice Centre. “I brought up the fact that I didn’t feel comfortable yet using the male washroom. And just because of that one remark, RBC has created gender-neutral washrooms.”

A lot of managers have the ‘safe space’ rainbow symbol on their desks. I feel I can speak to anyone about pretty much anything.

Sawyer James Cards Advisor

Indeed, the bank created a whole new washroom on the ground floor of the Advice Centre, and now is in the process of creating 22 more such facilities at RBC premises across the country. “It happened very fast,” says

KAREN MCCARTHY, VICE PRESIDENT, ASSOCIATE GENERAL COUNSEL AND CORPORATE SECRETARY AT RBC, SPEAKING AT THE PROPRIDE EVENT IN TORONTO

James. “RBC is not afraid to break new ground and make something happen.”

James has also become a minor RBC celebrity. Last June, he was profiled in an online feature on the RBC portal, seen by all 80,000 employees around the globe. The article was among the top three viewed in 2017, and has led to many other bank employees reaching out to him for advice and mentorship, often encouraged by their supervisors.

“I find RBC is very open, they believe in people and the power of their dreams,” he says. “A lot of managers have the ‘safe space’ rainbow symbol on their desks. I feel I can speak to anyone about pretty much anything.”

In fact, when the controversy erupted in North Carolina in 2016 over

use of washrooms according to gender identity, RBC quickly signed on to a court filing by 68 major companies aimed at blocking discrimination against the transgender community.

“Support for diversity and inclusion at RBC is broad, deep and longstanding,” says Karen McCarthy, Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. She should know – when she joined the bank 14 years ago she was able to be completely open about being in a committed same-sex relationship with a fourmonth-old son.

“Culture is so important in an organization,” says McCarthy. “RBC had the culture where I felt I could be my authentic self, build new skills and develop as a leader. How do you

not discuss children or your partner?

I wanted to work in an open and supportive environment, and it has been that way since the moment I started.”

McCarthy is an ongoing member of the RBC Diversity Dialogues Mentoring Program, which pairs senior leaders like her with individual employees with diverse backgrounds. They meet regularly for a year to expand awareness of diversity topics, often for both participants.

On LGBT+ issues, the bank continues to be on the leading edge, notes McCarthy. Recently RBC Capital Markets and the industry group LGBT in Capital Markets launched Common Grounds, Canada’s first coaching program for LGBT+ capital markets professionals. The bank is also a founding partner of the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, which in 2016 gave its first corporation of the year award to RBC for its support of LGBT+ suppliers.

“Those are the types of areas where RBC really is in the forefront,” says McCarthy. “We base our ongoing diversity and inclusion journey on a solid foundation of respect for all individuals and the belief that we all benefit when everyone can bring their whole selves to work and contribute to their fullest potential.” n

8

NATIONAL EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUPS (ERG)

3,000+

MEMBERS OF RBC PRIDE ERG FOR LGBT+ AND ALLIES

25

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

Shell’s diverse networks help employees succeed

A

s a business student at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Lindsay Hubert planned to pursue a career with non-profit, community-based organizations. Her plans changed when she met representatives of Shell Canada at the Belcourt Brosseau Métis Awards, a foundation that provides financial support for Métis students.

That led her to apply for a summer internship with Shell in 2015 and, impressed with that experience, she took a full-time job after completing her degree program in the spring of 2016.

“I never envisioned myself working in the oil and gas industry until I was exposed to Shell’s genuine commitment to diversity and inclusion,” says Hubert, a Policy and Compensation Analyst in the Human Resources department. “I was excited by the many opportunities to be an agent of social change in a global company.”

I never envisioned myself working in the oil and gas industry until I was exposed to Shell’s genuine commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Lindsay Hubert

Policy and Compensation Analyst

Shell has gone to great lengths to ensure that diversity and inclusion have become embedded in the corporate culture. “We have a whole fleet of leadership development programs, from frontline through to strategic leaders,” says Trish Moore, Shell Canada’s VicePresident of Human Resources for Canadian Operations. “We incorporate

LINDSAY HUBERT, POLICY AND COMPENSATION ANALYST, AT SHELL CANADA

inclusive leadership in those programs to help our leaders understand how they can create an environment where people can be fully themselves.”

Shell also promotes diversity and inclusion through affinity networks that bring employees of similar backgrounds or interests together for both professional and social activities. There are networks for women, new professionals, LGBTQ employees as well as those who come from Hispanic, African, Asian and Indigenous backgrounds.

“Our workforce is very diverse and we strive to make it reflective of the population base of Canada,” says Moore.

Hubert is an active member of the Indigenous Network’s leadership team and has also participated in many events orga-

nized by the new professionals and women’s networks. She has benefitted from both a social and professional perspective.

In addition, she believes that mentor relationships have played a paramount role in shaping her success. Many of her informal mentors were the result of relationships developed through her Shell Canada Network involvement. Hubert attributes these individuals with helping her quickly navigate Shell’s culture and expectations.

Shell’s commitment to diversity and inclusion extends beyond the company and reaches into the communities it serves. In 2013, the company donated $100,000 to the Belcourt Brosseau Métis Awards and Shell has been actively recruiting student recipients of the awards.

BE PART OF A BETTER FUTURE BE PART OF SHELL Shell.ca/careers #makethefuture

“Members of our Indigenous network are also active in reaching out to First Nations children and educating them on all of the opportunities available to them in the energy industry,” says Moore.

Shell has also taken its support for the LGBTQ community into the community. Moore says the company displayed Shell-branded Pride materials at five Calgary retail outlets during Pride Week which carried the colours of the LGBTQ rainbow flag. The company was also active and visible at Pride parades.

“Our LGBTQ network was heavily involved in organizing our participation in the Pride parades in Edmonton and Calgary,” says Moore. “We had about 200 Shell employees and their families marching in the Calgary parade.”

Shell has also introduced 10 weeks of paid parental leave for adoptive parents and new fathers as part of its broader diversity and inclusion program, and extended fully paid leave to 16 weeks for birth mothers.

“It is very exciting that Shell is taking a leading role in broadening the standard definition of diversity to be more inclusive of all groups, underpinned by our authentic care for people,” says Moore. n

30

YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH INDSPIRE TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLES

14

WEEK CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TO HELP FEMALE LEADERS

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

26

There’s a banquet of diverse opportunities at Sodexo

R

obert Lebel knows a lot about diversity and inclusion, just from being who he is.

Not only is he a member of the Oneida First Nation, he is also a person with a disability – hearing impairment. So he has credibility when he tells you that his seven years at Sodexo Canada have been the best of his career, not only for his work and for the support he has received, but for Sodexo’s full-on approach to diversity in the workplace.

“It’s wonderful,” says Lebel, now Claims Manager for Ontario. “It’s energizing for individuals. It’s welcoming, it’s very open. There’s no hiding it. It’s out there in the forefront and that’s what I really enjoy the most – we promote it so much.”

Lebel is speaking partly as a member of Sodexo’s Diversity and Inclusion Council, but also from his varied career at the Burlington, Ont.-based food and facilities management company. Hearing impaired since he was 18, he has worked in human resources for some 30 years, for large organizations and for non-profits.

We have so many different kinds of jobs where we can find a good fit.

Katherine Power

Vice President Corporate Affairs

In 2010, he joined Sodexo as a compensation advisor at head office.

He wears two hearing aids, and when he’s in an office environment, has a telephone and computer headset provided by Sodexo. He has no difficulty

SODEXO WORKS HARD TO MAKE A PLACE FOR EVERYONE

talking on the phone or in person, but sometimes prefers to move out of large rooms into smaller ones for meetings.

In 2013, he took up an opportunity to move into Operations – which runs Sodexo’s many onsite cafeterias and other support services – and work as First Nations relations manager in a northern Ontario power workers camp. “It was a chance to use my talents and my passion as an Aboriginal,” he says. He later served as assistant general manager there and as a quality assurance manager in northern Manitoba.

In such remote areas, he says, Sodexo works hard to help Indigenous employees fit into a large, structured corporation, and to prepare them

to move to other sites or other roles in the company if they want. “We also look at how we may have to do things differently as an organization, such as offer time off for an Indigenous person to go hunting with their family during hunting season, because it’s part of their culture. We’ll do our best to accommodate that.”

When he had to return to head office in 2015 for family reasons, “Sodexo was really awesome in helping me transition back,” he says. He was delighted to work on the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games held in Toronto that year as assistant HR manager.

Now he handles employees’ injury claims lodged with Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, working mainly from home. He’s

also heavily involved in the Diversity council, currently serving as co-vicechair of the Adept employee resource group for people with disabilities, one of six Sodexo ERGs. “We share best practices and look at how we can all work together,” he says.

Katherine Power, Vice President Corporate Affairs, says diversity is “part of who we are” at Sodexo, a global company. “It’s been part of our values since the company was founded 52 years ago in France,” she says. “It’s really embedded into our culture.”

Given that food services and other facilities work often attracts new immigrants, Sodexo Canada especially takes those values to heart, she says.

Currently, too, the global company is focused on gender balance. “In Canada, 87 per cent of our management teams are gender-balanced,” she says, meaning “40 to 60 per cent, either way” between women and men.

In Canada, says Power, the number one priority is hiring people with disabilities, like Lebel. “It’s an untapped population that is very educated and under-hired,” she says. “So we see that as a great opportunity for us. We have so many different kinds of jobs where we can find a good fit.” n

300+

MEMBERS IN ‘WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING’ PROGRAM

87

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES HIRED IN 2017

27

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

TD Bank takes a holistic approach to diversity

J

onathan Kim knows how to deal with adversity. He has had to use a wheelchair since he was in a car accident at the age of 14.

While he credits his emotional recovery to a strong support net-work of family and friends, searching for a job after graduating from Western University often left him discouraged. “Some employers didn’t seem interested in hiring me because of my disability, while other places were simply inaccessible,” he recalls.

Kim says his experience changed when he was hired at TD Bank.

“At first I was shy, worried if I could do the work and succeed,” he says, “but the culture was so accepting that I became more comfortable with my disability and more confident in myself.”

Each of us needs to feel included in order to unlock our full potential.

Riaz Ahmed

Group Head and Chief Financial Officer, and Chair, Inclusion and Diversity Leadership Council

Kim started working as a customer service representative at a TD branch in London, Ont., before working his way up through other roles to the position of

JONATHAN KIM AND COLLEAGUES AT TD BANK ATTENDING THE UNITED WAY GALA

manager of Customer Service. In June 2017, he moved to TD’s head office in Toronto as National Coordinator for the bank’s United Way Campaign.

“TD sets me up for success by making sure I have access to the tools I need so that I can do my job while ensuring I work in a place that celebrates differences,” Kim says.

Riaz Ahmed, Group Head and Chief Financial Officer, TD Bank Group, and Chair of TD’s Inclusion and Diversity Leadership Council, says fostering an inclusive and accessible environment where everyone feels welcome is essential for attracting and retaining the best talent. “Each of us needs to feel included in order to unlock our full potential,” he says.

TD is proud to be one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers.

The bank’s goal is to ensure that inclusion and diversity are embedded as much as possible into every aspect of the business, including workplace practices, customer relationships and community involvement, Ahmed says. “Our success depends on it. Our culture needs to reflect the communities where we do business and where our colleagues and customers live and work.”

Since many employees relate to more than one diverse group and are now more willing to talk about their identities, TD has recently adopted a more holistic approach to inclusion and diversity initiatives. Ahmed says colleagues and executives are using internal blogs, online discussion forums, social media, videos and events to share stories that historically have not been part of the workplace conversation.

That kind of engagement from peers inspires Kim to advocate for inclusion and diversity within TD. “We all have a role to play in ensuring we create a culture where everyone feels valued, respected and supported,” he says. n

430+

PEOPLE MANAGERS COMPLETED A NEW INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM IN 2017

50+

EMPLOYEE NETWORKS BUILD AWARENESS ON INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

28

Unilever thrives on a feast of inclusion

W

hen the material planning team of Unilever Canada Inc. gathered recently for a lunch meeting at the company’s Toronto headquarters, they had more to choose from than egg-salad sandwiches and chocolate-chip cookies.

“I brought biryani,” says Afifa Jaheen, Demand Planner in the company’s personal care products division. “It’s a mixture of rice, spices, vegetables, meat, eggs, yoghurt and dried fruits. Others on the team brought pasta, desserts and Sri Lankan shrimp.”

The different dishes reflect the diverse heritage and backgrounds of the team’s nine members, ranging from Indonesian, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi and Indian to Guatemalan and Scottish, as well as the diversity of the company’s 750 employees.

Diversity makes the company a stronger and more resilient organization. You get to learn a lot, and you get everyone’s different perspective on things.

Afifa Jaheen

Demand Planner

Tracing its history back to the 1890s, Unilever Canada puts that diversity to good use through formal and informal teams that “tap into the thoughts and experiences of all our employees, collectively making a greater impact from both a business and social standpoint,” says the company’s President, Gary Wade.

Unilever Canada’s culture of diversity extends to gender balance at the management and executive levels and

UNILEVER CANADA STAFF CELEBRATING WOMEN IN MANUFACTURING WITH GLOBAL CEO PAUL POLMAN

in the company’s factories and supply chain, Wade adds. “I’m very proud of the progress we’ve made. We achieved gender balance in 2014 and currently have 54 per cent women represented in our management and above team.”

Employees themselves have helped to create Unilever Canada’s inclusive culture. With the company’s support, they’ve created five Business Resource Groups (BRGs) that provide leadership, professional development and networking opportunities.

Each BRG has its own unique mission and offers professional development through education in social and cultural issues. They focus on recruitment of diverse talent, development of a sustainable culture of inclusion and driving innovation and business

growth, while giving back to the diverse communities within which they live and work.

Currently, BRGs include a Women’s Interactive Network, which further develops the universal benefits of gender equality at Unilever; a young professionals’ group called U-Connect, which is a grassroots community of junior employees whose aim is to create a culture of knowledge sharing, community and fun; N’Abling, a group for people with disabilities that contributes to a workplace culture that celebrates accessibility and inclusion; a professional development group called Enrich U, which promotes personal and professional growth opportunities, and a Sustainable Living Team that educates, inspires and supports employee and customer-led sustainability initiatives.

“BRGs play a vital role in shaping a culture of inclusion at Unilever,” says Wade, “by ensuring that everyone is valued, feels included, and can bring their personal passion into our workplace. We’re looking forward to building an even more inclusive culture and going beyond gender, so that employees can bring their authentic selves to work.”

For Afifa Jaheen, Unilever Canada’s inclusive and diverse culture has already made a noticeable impact. “It makes the company a stronger and more resilient organization,” says Jaheen, who spent her Professional Experience Year at the company as a chemical engineering student at the University of Toronto before joining full-time in 2015. “You get to learn a lot, and you get everyone’s different perspective on things.”

Born in Ireland, Jaheen grew up in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, with a population of 14 million. By the time she arrived with her family in Canada, she’d moved seven times throughout Asia and the Middle East. “It made me who I am,” she says.

Now in her mid-twenties, Jaheen contributes her own unique perspective to her team and to the company.

“Inclusion makes a big difference to the culture of this company,” she says. “And I love the different foods.” n

54%

OF EMPLOYEES ARE WOMEN

54.4%

OF MANAGEMENT TEAM ARE WOMEN

Unilever is proud to be recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers.

Every voice matters, every story celebrated.

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CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

University of Manitoba embraces accessibility and inclusion

D

ale Stevenson believes that improving access for people with disabilities is as much about changing attitudes and behaviours as it is about removing physical obstacles. As a student and now an employee at the University of Manitoba, Stevenson has first-hand knowledge of some of the accessibility challenges facing those who study and work on campus.

For Stevenson, who relies on an electric scooter for his personal mobility, accessibility is not only appreciated – it’s vital.

“When I was a student, if I couldn’t get to a particular classroom, they would move the entire class to a different location,” he says. “In my experience, there are always solutions to barriers.”

I think we are definitely seeing positive changes across campus.

Krystyl Bergen

Accessibility Coordinator

Stevenson earned his master’s degree in disability studies and now works as a research assistant with the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy – a public, not-for-profit research unit that is part of the university’s Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.

Committed to creating a community where all people feel valued, respected and included, the U of M strives to offer a welcoming environment that supports all abilities.

The institution promotes inclusion, accessibility and diversity in all of its programs, employment opportunities and affairs.

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA STAFF, KRYSTYL BERGEN (LEFT) AND JACKIE GRUBER, LEADING AN EMPLOYEE ACCESSIBILITY TRAINING SESSION

Part of this commitment has been undertaking a comprehensive response to the Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA), which became provincial law in December 2013. The purpose of the AMA is to clearly identify, prevent and remove barriers for people with disabilities. Customer service was the first of five accessibility standards to come into force last November.

More than 6,000 of the university’s faculty and staff recently completed accessible customer service training, which focused on increasing awareness about access challenges faced by people with disabilities and providing guidance on how they could best respond. New standards on information and communication, transportation, employment and the built environment come next.

Krystyl Bergen, Accessibility Coordinator with the Human Resources department, notes how barriers might not only be physical. “A lot of this is about showing how attitudinal barriers impact and limit opportunities for people with disabilities,” she says.

She found the response from faculty and staff encouraging. “I think we are definitely seeing positive changes across campus.”

In addition to training, significant amounts of accessibility work and enhancements have been completed over the past year. The university created a comprehensive Accessibility Plan, which will be updated annually, and launched the Accessibility Hub website to provide a centralized information resource.

Bergen, who is directly involved with the university’s accessibility planning,

d i v e r s i t y m a k e s u s s t r o n g e r.

U M A N I T O B A .C A / C A R E E R S

join our commu n ity.

is proud the university places such importance on accessibility and all aspects of diversity. She is also a student, currently finishing her master’s degree in city planning with a specialization in accessible planning.

“It’s good to work for an organization that recognizes there are so many diverse needs,” she says.

Like Bergen, Caretaking Supervisor Mike Gobert is proud the university strives to promote diversity and inclusion. “We are all different and we all have our own personal challenges. It’s important that we be respectful of everyone.”

Gobert recently received an SCE LifeWorks Employee of the Year Award for mentoring a caretaker who experiences significant challenges with anxiety.

“My goal is to make him feel comfortable in the workplace and to talk him through any problems he’s experiencing,” says Gobert, who works with the university’s Physical Plant. “This encourages him to feel more confident in his work and his abilities.”

Gobert oversees a staff of 25 and says that working with the caretaker has helped him become a better boss.

“It’s made me a better communicator and helped me become more adaptable and flexible. It has also been a learning experience for the staff. I think we’ve all benefitted.” n

56%

OF MANAGERS ARE WOMEN

20+

DIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS WITH EXTERNAL ORGANIZATIONS

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2018

30

Schooled in diversity at the University of Waterloo

W

hen it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusivity, everybody at the University of Waterloo is a stakeholder. As a concept, that’s straightforward. In practice, ensuring that everyone feels welcome and empowered to achieve their goals on a campus as sizable and complex as Waterloo’s requires substantial, sustained effort.

The university, for starters, believes its faculty and staff should reflect its diverse student body – and society as a whole.

That’s why Waterloo reviewed its recruitment policies and practices because who doesn’t get hired can be as significant as who does. Associate Provost, Human Resources Marilyn Thompson says Waterloo now also looks upstream to ensure it recruits from as wide a pool of candidates as possible, including historically disadvantaged and under-represented groups.

The university is taking a longterm, comprehensive, sustainable approach to gender equity. We can be a galvanizing force for social change across Canada.

Prof. Diana Parry

Associate Vice-President Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion

Waterloo also works to level the hiring playing field by addressing another key issue. Before many selection committee meetings, its members are prompted to think about how unconscious beliefs and opinions can skew one’s judgment.

“We all come with different experiences and have inherent biases, even the most well-intentioned among us,” says Thompson. “But we know from the

THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO JOINED THE UNITED NATIONS ‘HEFORSHE’ INITIATIVE IN 2015

research that being reminded of them can mitigate their impact.”

One area where Waterloo has made great strides is in its commitment to gender equity. With input from various advisory councils and change champions, the university proactively promotes the advancement of those who self-identify as women. It also has processes in place to identify and remove systemic barriers to inclusion and equity.

As a leading STEM-focused university, Waterloo is well aware that women are significantly under-represented in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math. Not only that, women are outnumbered at the senior levels of all six of the university’s faculties, though well represented within the administration.

Among an array of initiatives to redress the situation, Waterloo conducted a gender pay equity review of all faculty.

This resulted in an across-the-board salary adjustment. The university is currently conducting a compensation review of non-academic staff.

As a Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies, Diana Parry is well versed in women’s and gender issues. Parry, recently named Associate Vice-President Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion, commends Waterloo for its approach to gender pay equity.

“While others may be loath to admit their failings, the university recognized that it has problems and took a very broad, transparent approach to addressing them,” she says.

The United Nations recognized those efforts in 2015 when it invited Waterloo to help lead its HeForShe global effort to engage men and boys in removing the social and cultural barriers that prevent women and girls from achieving their potential.

The UN initiative includes the IMPACT 10X10X10, a framework involving 10 heads of state, 10 CEOs and 10 university presidents to advance gender equity. The only Canadian organization participating, Waterloo set itself three targets for 2020 that address gender equity across the entire campus.

The university has already surpassed the first target: attracting more girls and young women into STEM outreach experiences and initiatives. In 2017, 35 per cent of participants in its outreach programs, including summer camps and school clubs, were female (the goal was 33 per cent). It’s also close to the other two goals: a faculty composition of 30 per cent women; and women holding 29 per cent of academic and executive positions.

“The university is taking a long-term, comprehensive, sustainable approach to gender equity,” says Parry. “We can be a galvanizing force for social change across Canada.” Even so, she quickly adds there is still much work to be done on a number of fronts.

Given its groundbreaking track record, Waterloo won’t shy away from the challenges ahead en route to creating a safe, equitable and inclusive environment for the entire campus community. After all, as Thompson puts it, “We have every reason to want our people to be successful.” n

500+

EMPLOYEES TRAINED TO THE CANADIAN STANDARD FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE

17%

OF RESEARCH FUNDS COMMITTED TO GENDER EQUITY SCHOLARSHIP IN EACH OF THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO IS PROUD TO BE NAMED ONE OF

Canada’s Best Diversity Employers

For two days in April, join the organizers of the annual Canada’s Top 100 Employers project as they explore the key themes they will be covering in next year’s competition. Join world-class speakers, authors, journalists and dozens of business leaders from this year’s winning employers – all handpicked by the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers to bring you the latest thinking on becoming an employer-of-choice. Attending the Top Employer Summit is an ideal way to have all your questions on the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project answered in a convenient two-day, non-commercial format.

For information or to register, please visit: www.EmployerSummit.ca

Tell us your story If you are an exceptional employer with progressive human resources programs and initiatives, consider applying for next year’s edition of Canada's Best Diversity Employers.

Now entering its 19th year, our Canada's Top 100 Employers project is Canada’s longest-running and

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS

best-known editorial competition for employers.

For information on next year’s application process, visit:

CanadasTop100.com/2019 Applications for our 2019 competition are now available and must be submitted by May.