Sandy Austin: Spearheading BCLC’s 5-star pursuit of D&I excellence

SANDY AUSTIN:

Spearheading BCLC’s 5-star pursuit of D&I excellence

The Chief People Officer shares the blueprint behind the success of British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) and its diversity and inclusion efforts, following its 2022 recognition as a five-star employer in the field.

BY NICK WARE

Diversity and inclusion may be just buzzwords to some organizations, but BCLC is living proof that this way of thinking does not apply to all. The lottery corporation has been servicing the gaming industry for over three decades. And a commitment to its people has been at the forefront of its success.

Sandy Austin hasn’t been at BCLC since its inception in 1985, but her 22 years (and counting) of service is no mean feat. She has witnessed significant changes in the industry and many comings and goings at BCLC, but one thing has remained constant - the importance of ensuring people feel valued.

“Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DI&B) is a core focus for BCLC,” Austin explained to Canadian Gaming Business. “As an employer, it’s our goal to create an environment free of discrimination and open to diverse perspectives, where all employees feel they are seen, heard, and that they belong.

“As a business, we believe we must create experiences that are sensitive and responsive to the communities and players we serve. And as a Crown corporation, we must reflect the commitments our province has made and contribute to building a society where all have equal opportunities and are treated fairly.”

Last year, BCLC launched a new DI&B policy to support its core values of respect, integrity and community, three different components which all have an important and unique meaning.

“Respect means we treat all people with dignity, and value diverse perspectives. Integrity means that the games we offer and the ways we conduct business are fair, honest, transparent and trustworthy. Community means we create a positive impact for people and the planet.”

BCLC’s DI&B journey has been underpinned by the work of its

employees, many of whom have volunteered as part of the program.

“Engaging with our employees to listen to their diverse perspectives is an essential component of our DI&B Policy and Strategic Action Plan,” Austin explained.

“We’re currently one of the few publicsector organizations in British Columbia with such a plan, demonstrating our efforts to foster inclusion and empowerment in partnership with our people.

In May 2021, BCLC also launched a first-of-its-kind self-identification portlet for employees.

“We received an encouraging response rate and are using the key learnings to inform our DI&B strategy and understand systemic and process barriers,” noted Austin.

“Understanding the value of listening and learning from the diverse perspective of our employees, we continue to host workshops and conferences focused on diversity, identity, culture and inclusion.”

BCLC’s work in the field was recognized earlier this year when it was listed as a 5-star Diversity & Inclusion Employer by HR Director Canada.

“It’s certainly a nice recognition of BCLC’s efforts as a social-purpose company working to generate ‘winwins’ for the greater good, and towards fostering a more inclusive culture.

“It also speaks to the direct results of DI&B being embedded within our various employee-resource groups and across our organization as a whole. The insights from the many different people within these groups have continued to inform our actions and enabled us to enhance how we action various DI&B initiatives.”

Notably, though, BCLC was the only Canadian company, with employees ranging between 500-2,499, to be selected in the 5-star category.

So what advice does Austin have for companies aiming to emulate BCLC?

“Listen to and consider the perspectives of your people, whether it’s building inclusive policies, processes and structures to foster that inclusive culture, or creating or changing your work environment to be open to diverse perspectives from all employees.”

The journey has been an eventful one for BCLC and Austin, but there are still plenty of ideas floating around and numerous events on the horizon.

“Our DI&B journey will continue to evolve with our employees and we’re very excited to continue engaging with them to consider how we can further our work to promote an even more inclusive workplace.

"WE BELIEVE WE MUST CREATE EXPERIENCES THAT ARE SENSITIVE AND RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITIES AND PLAYERS WE SERVE"