canada's best diversity employers (2015)

C O - P U B L I S H E D B Y

MEDIACORP

“Canada is rich not only in the abundance of our resources and the magnificence of our land, but also

in the diversity and the character of our people.”

– The Will of a Nation: Awakening the Canadian Spiritby George Radwanski & Julia Luttrell (1992)

2 0 1 5 W I N N E R S

CANADA’S BESTDIVERSITY EMPLOYERS

2 CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS

Diversity matters – particularly to the organizations named as Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2015. Each of the 65 winners has shown a serious commit-ment in addressing diversity and inclusion within their organization, and acting to create a workplace where all individuals can feel comfortable to do their best.

Beyond providing support, mentoring, networking opportunities and educational resources to their own employees, diversity for many has evolved to include outreach initiatives in the community. For instance, British Columbia Institute of Technology in Burnaby, B.C., offers a women-in-trades program to provide skills training to unemployed or disadvantaged women. SaskTel in Regina provides summer employment and internships for persons with disabilities. Diversity is also being incorporated more broadly into day-to-day busi-

ness operations through diverse supplier programs such as those managed by Hewlett-Packard or Accenture.

Kristina Leung, senior editor of Canada’s Top 100 Em-ployers, notes that this year many organizations have included initiatives for those with invisible disabilities, such as mental health or addiction challenges or cogni-tive and learning disabilities. Examples include a unique program managed by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. in Ottawa that provides work experience and skills development for individuals with Down syndrome, or Ryerson University’s mental health advisory committee in support of mental well-being.

As in past competitions, these forward-thinking employ-ers provide a catalogue of workplace best practices for others to follow.

– Diane Jermyn

I N T R O D U C T I O N

p University of Toronto employees unwind at the Ralph Campbell staff lounge.

CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY

EMPLOYERS

Anthony Meehan, PUBLISHER, MEDIACORP

Karen Le, VICE-PRESIDENT, MEDIACORP

Editorial Team:

Richard Yerema, MANAGING EDITOR, MEDIACORP

Kristina Leung, SENIOR EDITOR, MEDIACORP

Advertising Sales:

Kristen Chow, OPERATIONS MANAGER, MEDIACORP

Amy Wong, SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, MEDIACORP

Stephanie Smith, ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, MEDIACORP

Profile Writers:

Berton Woodward, SENIOR EDITOR

Ann BrocklehurstD’Arcy Jenish

John Schofield

© 2015 Mediacorp Canada Inc. and The Globe and Mail. CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS is a trade mark

of Mediacorp Canada Inc. All rights reserved.

2015 Magazine


3CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS

ACCENTURE INC., Toronto. Manage-ment consulting; 3,623 employees.

Created a diverse supplier development program in which Accenture executives create mentoring partnerships with certified minority and women-owned business enterprises.

AGRIUM INC., Calgary. Nitrogenous fertilizer manufacturing; 3,774 employees. Created a diversity and inclusion plan to engage employees and help create awareness.

BANK OF MONTREAL, Toronto. Banking; 27,285 employees. Main-

tains a dedicated diversity and inclusion intranet site that includes learning tools, articles and related materials to help em-ployees embrace diversity and inclusion.

BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA, Toronto. Banking; 32,002 employees. Created a dedicated diversity and inclusion website.

BC HYDRO, Vancouver. Hydroelectric power; 4,986 employees. Established an aboriginal employee network to engage and support aboriginal employees.

BLAKE, CASSELS & GRAYDON LLP, Toronto. Law firm; 1,346 employees. The Women@Blakes Network provides support, mentorship, networking oppor-tunities and personal and professional resources to female employees.

BOEING CANADA OPERATIONS LTD., Winnipeg. Aircraft and parts equipment manufacturing; 1,645 employees. Estab-lished an aboriginal recruitment and retention strategy.

BRITISH COLUMBIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (BCIT), Burnaby, B.C. Schools; 1,797 employees. Manages a women-in-trades program to provide skills training to unemployed or disad-vantaged women.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BANK OF CANADA (BDC), Montreal. Financing; 1,920 employees. Works with local com-munity organizations across the country to support the employment efforts of new Canadian job-seekers.

CAMECO CORP., Saskatoon. Uranium mining; 2,985 employees. Established

a northern workforce strategy to focus on the recruitment of residents from northern Saskatchewan, of which a large percentage are aboriginal.

CANADA MORTGAGE AND HOUSING CORP. (CMHC), Ottawa. Administration of housing programs; 1,887 employees. Created a program for individuals with Down syndrome, which includes mento-ring, work experience and skills develop-ment opportunities.

CAPGEMINI CANADA INC., Toronto. Computer systems design services; 379 employees. Offers monthly webinars as well as dedicated training on topics such as unconscious bias.

CAPITAL DISTRICT HEALTH AU-THORITY (CDHA), Halifax. Hospitals; 6,407 employees. Employs a dedicated co-ordinator to manage the hospital’s Pride Health initiative.

Canada’s Best Diversity Employers 2015

p Lawyers and staff at Stikeman Elliott LLP sample a multicultural luncheon with food from employees’ home countries.


CARGILL LTD., Winnipeg. Agricultural products; 8,076 employees. Manages a reverse mentoring program called Men-tor Up for senior leaders to help increase their understanding of various dimen-sions of diversity.

CENTRE FOR ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH (CAMH), Toronto. Hospitals; 2,276 employees. Manages Employment Works!, a program to help those who have experience living with mental health or addiction access mean-ingful employment.

CIBC, Toronto. Banking; 35,122 em-ployees. Launched CIBC’s Diversity Dialogues Hot Docs series and screens diversity-themed documentaries during June.

CONOCOPHILLIPS CANADA, Calgary. Natural gas extraction; 2,488 employees. Offers a one-day aboriginal awareness training course conducted by local mem-bers of the aboriginal community and a three-day cultural camp immersion.

CORUS ENTERTAINMENT INC., To-ronto. Broadcasting and entertainment; 1,595 employees. Established a chair of women in management role at the Uni-versity of Western Ontario’s Ivey Business School to develop research, teaching ma-terials and outreach programs on women in management.

DELOITTE LLP, Toronto. Account-ing; 8,563 employees. Participates in

the Toronto Region Immigrant Employ-ment Council’s (TRIEC) mentoring part-nership program, with employees acting as mentors to new Canadian job-seekers.

DENTONS CANADA LLP, Toronto. Law firm; 1,305 employees. Launched a steering committee to investigate how to make the legal profession more inclusive for persons with disabilities.

EDMONTON, CITY OF, Edmonton. Government; 9,153 employees. Partic-

ipates in a variety of multicultural and diversity-themed career fairs, events and programs.

ENBRIDGE INC., Calgary. Natural gas distribution; 5,770 employees. Employs a manager of diversity and hired two additional full-time employees to help support the company’s diversity and inclusion strategy.

HEALTH CANADA/SANTÉ CAN-ADA, Ottawa. Administration of

public health programs; 9,476 employees. Offers diversity awareness training as well as mandatory training on bias-free selection and duty to accommodate.

HEWLETT-PACKARD (CANADA) CO., Mississauga. Computer equipment man-ufacturing; 5,532 employees. Maintains support for minority and female-owned businesses through a supplier diversity program.

HOME DEPOT OF CANADA INC., Toronto. Retailer; 12,345 employees. Plays host to quarterly diversity roundtables to review and evaluate industry best practices.

JAZZ AVIATION LP, Dartmouth, N.S. Passenger air transportation; 4,531

employees. Recruiters contact recent ab-original graduates through a partnership with the Aboriginal Human Resource Council (AHRC).

KPMG LLP, Toronto. Accounting; 6,020 employees. Maintains a multi-

faceted mental health strategy that is in-tegrated with the firm’s overall initiatives.

LAFARGE CANADA INC., Cal-gary. Construction materials; 3,003

employees. Held internal focus groups to examine how their diversity and in-clusion activities resonated with various employee groups, including women and visible minorities.

LOBLAW COS. LTD., Brampton, Ont. Supermarkets; 28,211 employees. Created a cross-functional accessibility commit-tee to address requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabili-ties Act (AODA).

MANITOBA HYDRO, Winnipeg. Hydroelectric power; 6,133 employ-

ees. Manages an acquired brain injury program to help persons who have sus-tained severe brain injury reintegrate into the work force.

MANITOBA PUBLIC INSURANCE CORP., Winnipeg. Insurance: 1,661 em-ployees. Holds regular lunch-and-learn sessions on a variety of topics, including mental health, cultural competency, and generations in the workplace.

MANITOBA, GOVERNMENT OF, Winnipeg. Government; 14,432 employ-ees. Launched an initiative for training and awareness of LGBT issues in the workplace, a series of one-day awareness workshops facilitated by local Rainbow Resource Centre.

MCCARTHY TÉTRAULT LLP, Toronto. Law firm; 1,450 employees. Created a network for LGBT employees that holds national events and education sessions.

MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL, Toronto. Hospitals; 2,302 employees. Manages a subcommittee that is responsible for cre-ating a welcoming environment for LGBT staff and patients.

NATIONAL BANK OF CANADA, Montreal. Banking; 15,086 employ-

ees. Is a founding member of the Employ-ment Equity for the Disabled Business Network.

p The Government of Northwest Territories works actively to provide career opportunities for aboriginal residents.

q Employees at Lafarge Canada’s performance testing laboratory in Edmonton.


NEWALTA CORP., Calgary. Materials re-covery facilities; 1,947 employees. Created a new managing director role for diversi-ty, talent attraction and engagement.

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, GOVERNMENT OF THE, Yellowknife. Government; 5,592 employees. Created a government-wide traditional knowledge policy to ensure that aboriginal knowl-edge, values and experience are handed down from generation to generation.

ONTARIO PUBLIC SERVICE (OPS), Toronto. Government; 61,672 em-

ployees. Launched Accessibility@Source, a campaign to provide practical infor-mation to employees on how to consider accessibility at the beginning of their projects, processes and policies.

OTTAWA, CITY OF, Ottawa. Govern-ment; 12,130 employees. Has a partner-ship with Hire Immigrants Ottawa on an annual basis to stage a coaching event for new Canadians.

PROCTER & GAMBLE INC., Toronto. Consumer products; 2,120 employees.

Manages the Canadian Asian Profes-sional Network, which organizes cultural events and advocates equal work force representation for Asian employees.

PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP (PWC), Toronto. Accounting; 6,431 employees. Issued a call-to-action to management and coaching personnel to create high-profile opportunities for high-potential women.

RED RIVER COLLEGE, Winnipeg. Schools; 1,320 employees. Recently

hired a full-time workplace equity and diversity co-ordinator.

ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS INC., Toronto. Telecommunications, cable and programming; 24,721 employees. Partners with Career Bridge to provide employ-ment opportunities to internationally educated professionals.

ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, Toronto. Banking; 51,423 employees. Manages Di-versity Dialogues, a mentoring program that unites diverse candidates with senior leaders from different professional expe-riences and backgrounds.

RYERSON UNIVERSITY, Toronto. Schools; 2,682 employees. Created a men-tal health advisory committee to improve on-campus services, training, policy and curriculum, and pedagogy to support mental well-being.

SASKATCHEWAN GOVERNMENT INSURANCE (SGI), Regina. Insur-

ance; 1,831 employees. Has maintained an aboriginal advisory network for nearly 20 years.

SASKATCHEWAN PUBLIC SERVICE, Regina. Government; 8,489 employees. Created a Youth Advisory Group to pro-vide youth perspective and recommenda-tions on how to enhance the public ser-vice experience for young professionals.

SASKATOON HEALTH REGION, Saskatoon. Hospitals; 6,474 employees. Manages pre-employment programs through partnerships with Saskatoon Skills and Trades Centre and the Gabriel Dumont Institute.

SASKATOON, CITY OF, Saskatoon. Gov-ernment; 2,856 employees. Established a dedicated role to manage aboriginal affairs and build relationships with ab-original communities.

SASKPOWER, Regina. Hydroelectric power; 3,120 employees. Maintains a diversity department responsible for de-veloping programs and initiatives to im-prove workplace diversity and inclusion.

SASKTEL, Regina. Telecommunications; 3,196 employees. Works with the Sas-katchewan Abilities Council to provide summer employment and internship op-portunities for persons with disabilities.

SHELL CANADA LTD., Calgary. Oil and gas extraction; 9,130 employees. Manages Senior Women Connect, a leadership program for senior-level women.

SODEXO CANADA LTD., Burlington, Ont. Food service contractors; 5,993 em-ployees. Maintains a strategy to promote the inclusion and accommodation of persons with disabilities.

STIKEMAN ELLIOTT LLP, Montreal. Law firm; 1,109 employees. Created a gender balance committee to examine office demographics, hiring and attrition patterns, various statistics, literature and industry trends.

TELUS CORP., Vancouver. Telecom-munications; 24,532 employees.

Recently launched a 12-month supplier diversity mentorship program.

TORONTO-DOMINION BANK, Toron-to. Banking; 44,068 employees. Initiated diversity reporting to review its market creative by quarter to ensure marketing materials meet diversity standards from an imagery perspective.

UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUM-BIA (UBC), Vancouver. Schools;

11,294 employees. Started an Asian-Cana-

dian community engagement initiative to synchronize the university’s activities with local communities.

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, Toronto. Schools; 9,019 employees. Manages 13 offices dedicated to equity and diversity.

UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA, Victoria. Schools; 2,875 employees. Manages a mental health task force, which meets on a monthly basis and sponsors events throughout the year.

VANCOUVER ISLAND HEALTH AUTHORITY (VIHA), Victoria.

Hospitals; 8,274 employees. Employs a full-time aboriginal employment adviser and created a dedicated website for aboriginal employment.

VANCOUVER, CITY OF, Vancouver. Government; 6,947 employees. The city’s Fire and Rescue Services have partici-pated in outreach initiatives to increase female representation within the depart-ment.

WILLIAM OSLER HEALTH SYS-TEM, Brampton, Ont. Hospitals;

2,921 employees. Participated in the cre-ation and endorsement of a region-wide diversity and inclusion charter for the Region of Peel.

XEROX CANADA INC., Toronto. Computer equipment; 3,133 employ-

ees. Established an executive diversity council comprised of senior leaders from across the company.

YMCA OF GREATER TORONTO, Toronto. Individual and family

services; 1,326 employees. Holds annual diversity and social inclusion learning forums for senior leaders.

YORK, REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF, Newmarket, Ont. Government; 3,056 employees. Created the York Region Immigration Portal, a website to provide newcomers with resources and informa-tion on settlement and employment.

– Diane Jermyn

p Police officers at the City of Vancouver reflect the communities they serve.


Canada’s Best Diversity Employers recognizes organizations across Canada that have exceptional workplace diversity and inclusive-ness programs. While the method-ology and selection criteria for the competition hasn’t changed, the winners’ list has increased to 65 employers this year, reflecting the growing number of applicants.

To determine the 2015 winners, Mediacorp editors reviewed the applications of employers that applied for the 2014 Canada’s Top 100 Employers project, short-list-ing a group of employers with noteworthy and unique diversity initiatives. Each candidate’s pro-grams were reviewed to determine how they compared to those of other employers in the same field. The finalists chosen represent the diversity leaders in their industry and region of Canada.

Mediacorp’s editorial team judged employers on how they promoted cultural diversity through their programs for five major employ-ee groups: women; members of visible minorities; persons with disabilities; aboriginal peoples; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered/transsexual (LGBT) peoples. Additional criteria for diversity include initiatives relating to: recruitment, retention, develop-ment, training and education, em-ployee resources, affinity groups, leadership and management accountability, customer, market, vendor and supplier diversity, and community partnerships. It was also considered essential that winning companies have a clearly defined strategy to reach their diversity goals along with review and tracking measures.

– Diane Jermyn

M E T H O D O L O G Y

q Saskatchewan public service employee Albert Windigo.


If you are an employee who is taking care of a parent with Alzheimer’s,

does that have anything to do with diversity and inclu-sion?It does to Jason Winkler, managing part-ner, talent, at Deloitte LLP, and to many other leading diversity officers in compa-nies and organizations across Canada.

It’s all about “bringing your whole self to work”, a phrase that often includes such areas as gender,

culture and sexual orientation. “Elder care might not historically have been viewed as an inclusion issue,” says Winkler. “And yet if I’m coming to work and this is affecting my time and working hours, that’s as much a part of me and what I have to address at work as the elements of traditional diversity.”

Employer, he says, need to ensure the employee feels safe and comfortable in bringing such an important part of who they are into the workplace – and talking about it.

It wasn’t long ago that diversity and inclusion policies in Canada were mainly focused on four straightforward employment-equity groups: women, visible minorities, people with disabilities and aboriginal peoples. Today, leading employers have a wide range of programs designed to make everyone – including the LGBT community, inter-

Where Difference Makes a DifferenceCanada’s Best Diversity Employers lead the way in helping everybody shine

nationally-trained professionals, people of faith, and many others – feel warmly included.

And it’s a measure of the importance Canadian companies now place on diversity and inclusion that this eighth annual listing of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers is the biggest ever.

In recent years, Mediacorp Canada has chosen 55 employers who exemplify best practices in the field. But due to a significant increase in the pool of applicants, the 2015 group has grown to 65 honou-rees.

“More and more employers are recognizing the value of diversity and inclusion,” says Mediacorp Senior Editor Kristina Leung, who was the lead ed-itor on the project. “At the end of the day, it makes good business sense. It results in increased produc-tivity, diverse perspectives and a better bottom line. And employers realize the demographics of the

p At Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, diversity is often the distinctive feature that attracts new lawyers and staff to the firm.


country are changing, and they must ensure their workforce reflects the community they serve.”

Many employers now have dedicated departments or senior personnel overseeing diversity and inclu-sion work. Company-wide support networks – for women, cultural groups or the LGBT community,-say – are becoming ever more specific. At Accen-ture Inc., there is a portal specially for transgen-dered people. More organizations, too, are paying attention to people with mental health issues. And some companies are extending their efforts to the supply chain, ensuring there is diversity in their vendors.

To choose the select 65, Leung and her team took a close look at the programs and policies employers offered in support of the original four equity cate-gories and the LGBT community, plus any other ar-eas that various employers said they were targeting, such as new Canadians, religious accommodation, young people or older workers. How do they han-dle recruitment? What kind of diversity training do they offer? What about community partnerships?

Not all the winners are at the same stage. “We want to profile employers with well-established pro-grams and policies,” says Leung, “but we also want to showcase committed employers that are still on their journey down the diversity path.”

In promoting the benefits of diversity and inclu-sion, most employers naturally focus on the busi-ness case, particularly in the private sector. But in building better organizations, they are also helping to build a better and stronger country.

“The entire diversity conversation in Canada, which includes this competition, can be seen as a uniquely Canadian undertaking,” says Mediacorp Managing Editor Richard Yerema, who oversees Mediacorp’s suite of employer listings. “In some parts of the world, religions, ethnicities and lan-guages are used as wedges to divide populations. We should be proud that Canadians, and Canadian employers, prefer to create an inclusive society where differences are generously accommodated.”

– Berton Woodward

“More employers are recognizing the

value of diversity and inclusion”

–KRISTINA LEUNG, SENIOR EDITOR, MEDIACORP CANADA INC.

z Employees at Red River College take part in an annual aboriginal traditional teaching series.

Saskatchewan Public Service employee Jennifer Brass.

z


s one of the world’s largest fertilizer producers, Calgary-based Agrium Inc. believes diversity is an essential seed for

its future growth. That’s one reason why the 16,000-employee global enterprise put responsibility for continuous improvement in its huge Wholesale business unit in the hands of a woman who originally hails from Brazil.

When Maria Silveira was hired two years ago to head up the brand new department, she was prepared for a challenge. “I was ready for huge resistance, and people saying, ‘Who is this woman coming to tell us to do things better,’” recalls Silveira, Agrium’s Director, Continuous Improvement. “What I found was a willingness to listen, and a lot of it had to do with the culture of inclusiveness here. You never feel it’s a bad thing to be different. If anything, they embrace it. They’re very open to what you can bring.”

celebrated,” says Webb, “that’s a terrible place to be because you’re boxing in the individual and they’re never going to be as engaged as they could be.”

At Agrium, diversity begins at the top, with its corporate board. Fully 25 per cent of its directors are now women—the highest proportion in the company’s 84-year history. And it is committed to continuing to diversify its senior leadership. In a new approach to succession planning, says Webb, the company is doubling the size of its high-potential talent pool, and it will include more managerial candidates from identified groups.

Agrium closely tracks and targets key performance indicators for diversity, notes Webb. One of its main goals now is to increase the participation of women in its senior ranks to nothing less than 15 per cent. It falls just below that level currently.

The Agrium Women’s Leadership Group (AWLG) has played a major role in moving women into managerial roles. Now in its 11th year, the in-house initiative provides female employees with opportunities for mentoring, networking, and participating in professional development events. A full-time co-ordinator runs the group, which currently oversees 150 mentoring partnerships in Agrium locations around the world. AWLG also participates in MentorNet, which provides mentoring to female post-secondary students in the fields of science, technology, engineering, math and agribusiness.

Beginning later this year, a newly created head of diversity will be responsible for all of Agrium’s diversity programs. That includes its Diversity and Inclusion Change and Engage Plan, which involves awareness events, surveys, and discussions on diversity-related topics. To help bring about lasting changes, the company is working closely with Dr.

Steve L. Robbins, a leading diversity speaker and consultant who has assisted numerous Fortune 500 companies.

“This is not a glossy brochure exercise,” says Webb. “This is getting to the roots of human behaviour and why we do what we do. We want this to have stamina and to become part of our DNA.”

Agrium is also developing an Aboriginal workforce strategy and has worked with the Aboriginal Human Resource Council to increase employment accessibility for First Nations candidates.

As part of that effort, Agrium awards bursaries totalling $2,000 to $5,000 every year to eight First Nations students in engineering, agriculture or instrumentation technology programs.

For Silveira, it’s just another example of how diversity makes strong business sense. “People with different backgrounds have different perspectives on what the opportunity is or what the challenges are and how to solve them,” she says. “We find that brings a lot more value.”

FOR AGRIUM’S MARIA SILVEIRA, DIVERSITY MAKES STRONG BUSINESS SENSE

Celebrating differences helps Agrium blossom

The appointment of Agrium President and CEO, Chuck Magro last year brought a renewed emphasis on diversity, says Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Mike Webb, who has spent much of his career in senior HR roles in Hong Kong, Singapore, India and the Middle East. “If you don’t feel you’re working in an environment where differences can be leveraged and

We’re proud of growing Diversity at Agrium

Inclusion Achieves Success

A

“You never feel it’s a bad thing to be different. If anything, they embrace it. They’re very open to what you can bring.”

– Maria Silveira, Director, Continuous Improvement

bursaries awarded to First Nations

students each year

up to

$5,000female mentoring

partnerships worldwide150

1 0 CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS

ot even a Winnipeg winter or a ski accident could cool Edith Duarte’s love for Canada. As a student from sunny Mexico

studying agricultural engineering at the University of Manitoba in December 2000, one of her first introductions to the Great White North was to break her leg during a cross-country ski excursion.

Undaunted, she returned in 2009, this time to Ottawa, where she worked in a business development role with the Mexican ministry of agriculture. After several years in the position, she decided to become a permanent resident. Through World Skills Ottawa Job Match Network, an employment program geared to new Canadians, she landed an internship with the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) at its Ottawa West Business Centre. She was promoted to Account Manager a month later and hasn’t looked back.

“You could say I’m a product of NAFTA since I’ve lived, worked and studied in the three countries,” she jokes. But with colleagues at BDC from countries such as Egypt, China and Bangladesh, she adds, “the group we had for training was one of the most diverse I’ve ever been in.”

location that develops annual action plans and reports yearly to BDC president Jean-René Halde. A number of affinity groups work alongside DAC’s national committee to plan training events and develop best practices on the creation of a diverse and inclusive workplace.

The results of the committee’s work are reflected today in BDC’s approximately 2,000 employees, who represent 33 language groups. “The DAC was really the foundation,” says Senior Vice-President, Human Resources, Mary Karamanos. “That’s when we started having much deeper discussions around what’s important about diversity and what are the things we should be doing.”

BDC has moved past simple awareness and sensitization to launching key initiatives to promote diversity, says Karamanos. Foremost among them are the partnerships it has forged with community organizations across the country that support the employment efforts of new Canadian job-seekers, including the national agency Assisting Local Leaders with Immigrant Employment Strategies (ALLIES). In Ontario alone, those partnerships have resulted in 35 new hires for BDC. Duarte is a shining example.

As a bank dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs, BDC’s own diversity helps it better serve its increasingly diverse clientele. “Diversity isn’t just a good business practice, it’s a business imperative,” says Karamanos. “More and more, talent is global.”

BDC also helps new Canadians realize their own entrepreneurial dreams through initiatives like Entrepreneurial Connections, an intensive, four-week program launched in partnership with Toronto’s ACCES Employment in 2012 that’s designed to help newcomers in the Greater Toronto Area expand their professional networks and start their own businesses. In its first year,

about 50 per cent of graduates went on to launch a business, and enrolment increased significantly last year.

BDC is now looking to replicate the program with community partners in other parts of the country. Says Karamanos: “These grads are going on to start their businesses better equipped, knowing what they’re going to face in the market.”

Aboriginal Canadians are also an important part of BDC’s diversity strategy. Through its Aboriginal summer internship program, it hires 10 college and university students each year, helping them gain work experience and mentoring opportunities. BDC also supports Aboriginal entrepreneurs.

Duarte says she is inspired by the opportunity to help entrepreneurs succeed. In her own way, she says, she is contributing to a brighter economic future for all Canadians—not least among them her infant daughter. And BDC allows her to excel in that role.

“The fact that you bring international experience and education provides you with the ability to see things differently and open the eyes of businesses to their own business practices,” she adds. “At BDC, they’re open for feedback because they recognize it can improve the organization. The atmosphere is open and nurturing to help you thrive in your role.”

BDC’S EDITH DUARTE, LEFT, CHATS WITH SENIOR VP OF HR, MARY KARAMANOS

BDC partnerships focus on opportunities for new Canadians

BDC’s journey on the road to diversity stretches back at least 12 years with the formation of its Diversity Action Committee (DAC), a national network of Diversity Champions in every BDC

BDCEntrepreneurs needneeds you

Visit bdc.ca/careers

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“Diversity isn’t just a good business practice,

it’s a business imperative. More and more, talent

is global.” – Mary Karamanos,

Senior Vice-President, Human Resources

placements in annual Aboriginal summer student

internship program

10 of executive team are women48%

1 1CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS

s an undergraduate student, Temisan Boyo knew she wanted to go into law, but she was pretty sure she’d never

want to work in a big corporate firm like Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP.

That was before she received an Equity & Diversity Pre-Law Internship at the firm, known as Blakes. The paid internship provides an undergraduate student who is interested in law the opportunity to work on the firm’s various diversity initiatives over the summer. “Working at Blakes really helped me break down some misconceptions about Bay Street,” she says.

Boyo, a native of Nigeria whose family moved to Canada as she entered Grade 6, was finishing at the University of Toronto and planning on law. But not corporate law. “I thought it would be very white, very male, very formal and very unaccepting of things that were not part of the status quo,” she says.

was a very comfortable environment. The people at Blakes were more diverse than I expected. And the work is very interesting. This was very refreshing for me, and it made me want to come back.”

Which she did, for the next two summers as part of the Blakes summer student program, while also studying law at the University of Oxford in England. Soon she will begin articling at Blakes, on track to become a corporate lawyer. “If it hadn’t been for the Blakes internship,” says Boyo, “I don’t think I would have entered this area of law.”

That’s music to the ears of Linc Rogers, a Blakes partner and member of its Diversity & Inclusion Committee as well as the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers. “At Blakes, everyone’s alive to the fact that, historically, diverse candidates have been underrepresented in large corporate law firms in Canada,” he says.

“There’s been a real emphasis in the last several years to address that, not only on the grounds of equity but also because of the compelling business case. Diversity provides for stronger client service, more creative thinking and more dynamism in the way we provide our legal advice.”

In what Blakes calls “pipeline” initiatives, the firm has been reaching out to students at various levels, including undergrads like Boyo. “We can’t meaningfully increase the pool of diverse candidates going into corporate law by just hiring people the law schools graduate,” says Rogers. “You need to increase the number of diverse candidates going into law school who are interested in corporate law.

“To do that, the initiative has to start at high school and undergrad so students can make informed decisions and tailor their academic careers appropriately.”

Another part of this pipeline is Blakes’ Indigenous Summer Student Program,

a paid summer placement in which an Aboriginal law student spends time at Blakes and at a major financial institution to get a sense of corporate law. The firm is also involved with the University of Toronto’s Law in Action Within Schools (LAWS) program, which engages students from all backgrounds with events and visits to the firm.

Blakes also works with law schools themselves. Recently the firm organized an event with York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School aimed at attracting diverse undergraduate students to learn more about careers in business law.

Internally, Blakes supports affinity groups such as Women@Blakes, Pride@Blakes and the Blakes Law Firm Diversity and Inclusion Network and holds an annual Diversity Day at its offices across the country.

Rogers says Blakes competes with other top corporate firms for high-achieving students from diverse backgrounds. “We want them to choose Blakes and when they do,” says Rogers, “the differentiator is often our commitment to diversity and our eagerness to talk about how we want to use diversity to enhance our practice.”

PARTNER LINC ROGERS WITH SYED HUSSEIN, PARTICIPANT IN BLAKES EQUITY & DIVERSITY PRE-LAW INTERNSHIP

Blakes builds a diverse ‘pipeline’ to corporate law

She applied for the Blakes summer position mainly to get some experience. But when she arrived at the firm, her impressions began to change.

“They were very flexible,” she says. “You have to be flexible to accommodate people from different walks of life. It

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“Diversity provides for stronger client service, more creative thinking and more dynamism in the way we provide our

legal advice.” – Linc Rogers, Blakes Partner

languages spoken by Firm staff47 annual Blakes

Diversity Day celebrated last year7th


reddie Throassie is getting used to travelling far from northern Saskatchewan and his First Nations roots from time to time.

As a community liaison for Cameco, one of the world’s largest uranium producers, he found himself in the deep outback of Australia, meeting with people from the Aboriginal communities where Cameco was exploring.

At a gathering in the desert, Freddie was encouraged to deliver his presentation in his Dene language, with a translation afterward. “It was a very special experience,” he recalls. “All the elders got up off the sand to shake my hand. It meant a lot to me.”

Throassie, who has served as a chief of his own First Nation community in Black Lake, Sask., is an example of Cameco’s commitment to working with the Aboriginal communities located near its operations. Its four major sites are located in the Athabasca Basin in far northern Saskatchewan, where most of the 12,000 residents are Aboriginal people of Dene or Cree heritage. Cameco also has operations in Ontario, the U.S., Australia and Kazakhstan.

Saskatchewan’s north, or RSNs. The current tally has reached about 50 per cent of the 2,800 people working for Cameco and its contractors at the four sites, says Lynn McNally-Power, vice-president of human resources. “The numbers have grown substantially over our history.”

The company puts a lot of effort into spurring that growth. Throassie is one of five liaison officers who work for both Cameco and Areva Resources in northern Saskatchewan to do a wide range of support work with local communities, both to explain the ways of the uranium industry and to help people get involved in it. He goes into schools to advise on employment and encourage kids to study math and science, assists with applications and resumes, engages with elders and community groups and helps employees get services they need.

“We encourage the free flow of information between the company and the communities in the Athabasca Basin,” he says. At times he takes that expertise outside Saskatchewan, travelling for the company to communities in Nunavut, Quebec and his three-week stint in Australia.

Cameco also offers scholarships and summer employment to local students, as well as a career development program for northern employees. And it ensures that its contractors and suppliers have proper diversity and inclusion policies as well.

“Our approach recognizes the strong emphasis we put on local hiring and on supporting the communities in which we operate, in terms of employment, business opportunities and educational outreach,” says McNally-Power. For female employees, the company also supports involvement with the Women in Mining and Women in Nuclear industry groups.

Cameco’s seven-days-on, seven-days-off work schedule suits the traditional lifestyle

some employees like to stay in touch with. Each week, planes fly the workers to and from about a dozen northern communities, as well as larger centres.

Throassie uses some of his free time to take at-risk youth on canoe trips to teach them about living off the land and about the heritage of their ancestors. “It gives me great pleasure to be that link,” he says. Several of the young people now work at Cameco. For work, he often takes managers and fellow employees into the wilderness as a team-building exercise. “I make them aware of our

culture,” he says. Recently, he was even set to take the visiting president of the Kazakhstan operation out hunting.

But the company’s most distinctive nod to its Aboriginal workforce may be the three elders it employs part-time at the mine sites, available for any worker to consult about issues at work or at home. “The elders are recognized and respected in the Aboriginal community,” says Throassie. “They listen to the younger workers and counsel them, and they also take their concerns back to Human Resources. They are role models.”

CAMECO’S FREDDIE THROASSIE AT THE STONY RAPIDS AIRPORT IN NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN

Cameco has deep roots in Aboriginal communities

Under an arrangement with the provincial government, Cameco has a long-term target of 67 per cent of the local workforce being residents of

Canada’s #1 industrial employer of Aboriginal people

Freddie & Michelle Throassie Black Lake, SK cameco.com

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“Our approach recognizes the strong

emphasis we put on local hiring and on supporting the communities in which

we operate.” – Lynn McNally-Power,

Vice-President of Human Resources

of northern workforce classed

as Residents of Saskatchewan’s

North51% annual

scholarship funds for students$140,000


uring his darkest hours struggling with alcohol, Stephen Lincoln couldn’t conceive of living a normal

life, and was afraid he would more than likely lose it. Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) gave him hope again—and a life again.

The former university professor was introduced to CAMH in 2010 as a patient in its Rainbow Services treatment program for LGBTQ clients concerned about their use of drugs and alcohol. Today, thanks to the hospital’s Employment Works! initiative for people who have experienced addiction or mental health issues, Lincoln works for CAMH as Coordinator, Risk Management and Administration, in its Quality, Patient Safety and Risk department.

“I never thought I’d get back to work ever,” he says. “The very fact that they open their doors and embrace employing people with mental health and addiction issues has probably been the biggest thing for me.”

building diversity into its organizational values for more than 10 years. She adds that the very nature of the hospital’s patient population helps foster a more accepting and supportive culture.

Bellissimo remembers noticing it on her second day on the job. “I was in the employee orientation program,” she recalls, “and as I sat in the back of the room, I heard four or five people talking about either having grown up with alcoholic parents or siblings with mental illness. I thought, ‘It’s day 2 for everyone in this room, and these are people who feel confident enough to self-disclose.’ It was amazing.”

Last year, CAMH took steps to enhance its culture by phasing out its traditional harassment and discrimination policy and replacing it with a new approach that emphasizes respect and inclusivity. Bellissimo says the new policy is focused on resolving issues as soon as they arise and has led to a decrease in formal HR investigations.

The hospital’s diversity strategy is informed, in part, by a number of employee working groups for LGBTQ employees, visible minorities and persons with disabilities. Each group also provides informal support to its members. All new recruits at CAMH are required to participate in a full-day training program on diversity, and can choose at any time from a variety of optional courses on specific diversity interests.

For those like Lincoln who have lived through the challenges of addiction or mental illness, CAMH’s Employment Works! program has been transformational. Staffed by an Employment Works! Advisor, it helps participants find meaningful work by coaching them through the recruitment cycle. In partnership with TD Bank and Accenture, some sessions are hosted by TD or Accenture recruiters, who provide

advice on how to be competitive when applying for jobs at their organizations and elsewhere. CAMH also has an ongoing partnership with Toronto’s George Brown College to develop career education programs for former patients.

Whenever possible, says Bellissimo, CAMH creates job opportunities for people who have faced mental health or addiction challenges—typically in entry-level positions such as Peer Support Worker or Community Ambassador.

The hospital also ensures that its contractors do the same. Out of This World Café, an independent restaurant and business at CAMH that also provides cafeteria services for the hospital, is

staffed entirely by people with lived experience of mental illness or addiction. And when construction begins on two new buildings in 2016-17 as part of a multi-phased redevelopment, a certain segment of the jobs will also be filled by workers with lived experience.

Regaining employment is a critical part of the recovery process, says Lincoln—and he is thankful for the opportunity he was given at CAMH. “So many people who work may be unhappy with their work, but when you don’t have that, it can be devastating,” he says. “As much as I loved teaching, this is the best job I’ve ever had. It’s been an incredibly healthy environment to work in.”

A VIEW OF CAMH’S QUEEN STREET SITE IN TORONTO, ON

For CAMH, inclusion includes those with lived experience

Embracing diversity is nothing new at CAMH, says Kim Bellissimo, Vice-President, Human Resources. It’s been

Join CAMH, Canada’s leading hospital for mental health, and help transform the lives of people living with mental illness and addiction.

Transform your career with one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers

Visit our website and transform your career. www.camh.ca

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“The very fact that they open their doors and embrace employing

people with mental health and addiction issues has

probably been the biggest thing for me.” – Stephen Lincoln,

Coordinator, Risk Management and Administration

of executive team are women73.3% languages spoken

by employees160+


wo years ago Majid Kazmi emigrated from Pakistan to Canada and six months later he landed a good job with CIBC,

thanks to a networking event arranged by a non-profit that connects employers with employees from diverse backgrounds. “I met a senior director of the bank and, after a five-minute conversation, he asked for a copy of my resume,” Kazmi recalls. “I got a call from the bank the next day and received a formal offer three weeks later.”

It was a stroke of good luck because Kazmi has found himself in an open, inclusive workplace that respects and encourages diversity. “Two years ago, I had no idea that companies were so serious about diversity and inclusion,” adds Kazmi, a Business Consultant, Strategy and Delivery with the Mobile Sales Force. “After joining the organization I realized the effort that goes into it. We have a very diverse workplace that is representative of our clients and the Canadian market.”

it essential that its workforce reflects the diversity of it clients and understands their needs.

“We’re looking to create and foster an inclusive work environment that allows all employees to succeed and to achieve their full potential, regardless of their age, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation,” says Whitebread.

The challenge is to ensure that diversity and inclusiveness permeate the culture of a national institution with over 44,000 employees worldwide and more than 1,100 branches scattered from coast to coast. But for over 20 years, the bank has put policy into practice by celebrating Diversity & Inclusion Month every June across the CIBC network.

Branch and regional offices are encouraged to come up with initiatives to celebrate diversity and share their success through internal social media and online communities. Meantime, employees in downtown Toronto enjoy a lunchtime event in the courtyard behind the CIBC tower at Bay and King Streets.

The theme of last year’s event was “Uniquely Me”. Set up like a marketplace, the event included entertainment and food that showcased various cultures and talents. A new feature encouraged employees to identify their country of origin. Turns out they hailed from 64 different nations.

Another initiative held in June is the Diversity Dialogues Hot Docs series in which diversity-themed documentaries are screened for an employee audience. Last year two films were shown, one on multi-racial identity and a second on mental health. Each screening was followed by a panel discussion, with the filmmaker on hand to field questions.

“They engaged the employees in discussions of topics that can be difficult to talk about at work,” says

Whitebread. “They were catalysts for conversation. We’ve created an environment where our team members can bring their whole self to work.”

CIBC also has employee-led affinity networks for women, Aboriginal peoples, Hispanics, blacks, persons with disabilities, Asians, Southeast Asians and members of the LGBT community. The eight networks boast over 5,000 members. Each has an executive sponsor and an organizing committee that plans both professional and social events.

CIBC also has a number of emerging networks to support diversity and

inclusion. Kazmi co-chairs one of them, the International Professionals Network, which supports newcomers to Canada like himself with their integration into the organization. The group offers its members peer-to-peer mentoring and seminars to teach workplace soft skills such as negotiation and cross-cultural awareness training.

“CIBC has provided me with the opportunity to lead within this organization,” says Kazmi, “which goes a long way toward showing how seriously the bank takes diversity and inclusiveness.”

CIBC EMPLOYEES CELEBRATING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION MONTH LAST JUNE

CIBC’s workforce reflects the diversity of its clients

In fact, as of Dec. 31, 2013, just over 28 per cent of the CIBC workforce self-identified as being members of a visible minority, versus 21 per cent for the labour force as a whole.

That’s no accident, notes Gillian Whitebread, Vice-President Diversity, Inclusion and Executive Talent Management. The bank considers

Proud to be one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers

5 years in a row

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“We’ve created an environment where our

team members can bring their whole self to work.”

– Gillian Whitebread, Vice-President Diversity

new Canadians mentored by

CIBC employees500+ employee affinity networks to promote D&I8


ou might not immediately think Christine Bergeron’s story highlights diversity and inclusion. But at Deloitte

LLP, it does. Think inclusion.

Bergeron, a tax expert, had been working in a high-powered law firm in Montreal. As she went on maternity leave for her first child in 2012, she decided she wanted a challenging job but with more work-life balance. Deloitte beckoned, and, recognizing her talent, was willing to have her work four regular days a week, on diverse, interesting projects.

Bergeron initially worried that she would be stigmatized as part of the “Mommy track” and wouldn’t get the really interesting work. Far from it, she says. “It is much, much better now. I have a lot of flexibility for my personal life and my children, and the work is very challenging, exciting and diverse.”

the workplace. An inclusive environment allows someone to say, here’s who I am, here’s what’s important in my life.

“We have to be as inclusive of, say, a single mother with a long commute as we do with someone who comes from a very different cultural background,” he says. “All of them are wrestling with how to be effective at work and be who they are.”

Deloitte, like many large firms, has long seen a strong business case for diversity and inclusion, both for employee retention and for reaching out to clients. “Being able to be who you are makes people more effective in their work and therefore more successful in their careers,” says Winkler. “And inevitably this connects with clients, who often have their own diverse backgrounds. When they see we have this kind of support, it helps us in the marketplace.”

As a professional services firm with 8,500 employees and more than 800 partners in Canada, Deloitte provides mandatory

diversity and inclusion training to em-ployees. “But we are shifting away from separate training and more to embedded training,” Winkler says. “It is becoming a part of whatever we do, from orientation for new managers to using diversity as the examples in the case studies.”

The firm also supports a variety of internal and external diversity programs, including LGBTQ employee and recruitment networks, mentoring for new Canadian job-seekers, several chapters of the Canadian Women’s Initiative Network (canWin), and a network for people with disabilities that is providing broader awareness, including in event planning.

“Some of our priority areas going forward

will be people with disabilities and the Aboriginal community,” says Winkler, echoing a goal expressed by a number of top companies. “There is more work to be done.”

Winkler has had his own reason to feel included at Deloitte. When he married his partner Allan last year, cards and well wishes flowed in from other senior executives. “I wasn’t quite expecting it,” says Winkler, who has been with Deloitte for 23 years. “It’s a recognition that at the executive level there is not just lip service, but strong support for anything going on in people’s individual circumstances.”

And, he says, he really likes being able to bring the term “my husband” to work.

DELOITTE EMPLOYEES FOSTER INCLUSION AND DISRUPT THE STATUS QUO AT THEIR GREENHOUSE

Counting the benefits of inclusion at Deloitte

To Jason Winkler, Deloitte’s managing partner, talent, this is one of the experiences that diversity experts call “bringing your whole self to work.” That phrase has long included people’s cultural backgrounds, gender, or sexual orientation. But it goes further, says Winkler.

“We’re embracing all the people we feel we need to bring into the practice,” he says. “So if you open the aperture a bit, ‘whole self’ means that, whatever you have going on in your world, you should feel comfortable and safe about bringing it into

Y

“Being able to be who you are makes people

more effective in their work and therefore

more successful in their careers.”

– Jason Winkler, Managing Partner, Talent

managers are women48.1% employee-driven

inclusion networks8


iversity and inclusion often means helping employees who are newcomers to Canada deal with language issues.

But “it can go both ways,” says Candy Khan, senior diversity and inclusion consultant for the City of Edmonton.

She recalls how a particular unit had a lot of internationally trained professionals. “These are brilliant engineers, but they sometimes had difficulty with articulation, pronunciation and their accents. I did some investigation and learned that the branch manager was from England. He had an accent as well, and people had a hard time understanding him.

“So we built a program called Clear Speech and Clear Conversation, both for internationally trained professionals and for anyone else experiencing communication barriers.”

The Englishman modified his style, she says. “Now he’s much more mindful of the problem and he speaks more slowly.” And the unit puts more information in writing. “It changed the whole dynamic of that shop,” says Khan.

Khan, who helps oversee a wide variety of diversity and inclusion programs for the City of Edmonton’s 10,000 employees, knows this ground well. When she arrived in Canada in 1979 with her Indian Muslim family, she took the name Candy after other children mispronounced her real name, Huma, often deliberately. “Kids can be cruel,” she notes.

At the City, all employees receive mandatory Respectful Workplace training, and diversity and inclusion ambassadors are embedded in all departments. There are mentorship programs for internationally trained professionals, and a number of supports for people with disabilities, including the intellectually challenged. Every year, there is a “Day of Pink” where staff wear pink to celebrate the LGBT community and declare that it is an anti-bullying workplace.

The City also offers strong outreach to the Aboriginal community, maintaining an Aboriginal Relations Office and offering such initiatives as the Edmonton Aboriginal Employees Resource Network (EAERN), which provides mentoring and information sharing.

Dale White, a light duty technician in Fleet Services, is a member of the Alexander First Nation and has been involved with EAERN and other Aboriginal initiatives since he joined the City in 2007. “I go to career fairs and symposiums involving First Nations, people of colour, Metis and Inuit,” he says. “I talk to people about applying at the City. I encourage them to come and work here. This is one of the best environments, and I’ve had so many opportunities.”

White says he’s been in sessions involving other employers who have antiquated attitudes. “People think we fish and hunt all fall so they shouldn’t hire us,” he says. “This just isn’t true, of course. Here in the City we have Aboriginal

awareness training where they teach the employees about respect, and that there are no barriers. There’s no special treatment. I feel very respected where I work—they look at me as an individual.”

While there is always more work to be done at the grass roots, Khan says the City is ready to take its diversity and inclusion approach to a higher level.

“Beyond the visible differences, we are moving toward the model of thought diversity, which is tied to creativity and innovation, and how we can leverage it

for our businesses,” Khan says. “Say you have a room where everyone at the table is middle class and heterosexual, or one where it’s all Filipino men—they will tend to see things through the same lens.

“Your social location—the intersection of culture, race, gender, sexual orientation and class—gives you that lens,” Khan explains. “Thought diversity means we need people at every table who see through different lenses and have different ideas.”

TECHNICIAN DALE WHITE IS INVOLVED IN ABORIGINAL INITIATIVES AT THE CITY OF EDMONTON

Seeing the workplace through different lenses at City of Edmonton

The process also led to creation of a special chapter of Toastmasters, for the professionals and for any Canadians who had difficulty giving a presentation. “They’re all learning to be better leaders and more effective communicators,” says Khan.

BUILDING A GREAT CITYThe City of Edmonton is proud to be named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers.

D

“Beyond the visible differences, we are

moving toward the model of thought diversity,

which is tied to creativity and innovation.”

– Candy Khan, Senior Diversity & Inclusion Consultant

employees given diversity and

inclusion training10,000outreach consultants,

for Aboriginal, disability and

newcomers & youth recruitment

3


hen Tina Larson joined Lafarge Canada Inc. in 2010, she was the first female general

manager in its Calgary market and one of very few in its Western Canada division. But Lafarge has been working hard to change that.

In fact, Larson, a chemical engineer by training who had been working in the pulp industry for 16 years, was headhunted as a candidate for general manager of Lafarge’s concrete pipe business. “I thought I would go to brush up my job-interview skills,” she says. “I ended up with the job.”

She handled it so well that she was recently promoted to director, health and safety, for Western Canada.

What was it like taking over as a female boss in the decidedly male world of large sewer and drainage pipes? “There were definitely some growing pains,” says Larson. “I would be surprised to walk into a room and realize I was the only female there.”

diversity brings—different opinions and different people in the room providing a better solution in the end.”

She also recalls with a laugh the time a client asked her to get him a cup of coffee, not realizing she was the executive he had come to meet. “Even customers had to get used to it,” she says.

Bob Cooper, vice-president and general manager for cement in Western Canada and the company’s senior executive sponsor for diversity and inclusion, is the first to say that the construction industry—and Lafarge—still have a way to go. “Ten or 15 years ago, it was the good-old-boy network,” he says. “But today people are a lot more open to differences than they were in the past. The world has changed.”

Lafarge boosted its diversity efforts after the equity-based Federal Contractors Program was implemented, followed by the Paris-based global company’s 2012 commitment to diversity and inclusion as part of its Ambitions 2020 strategic document.

So far Lafarge Canada has put strong focus on bringing more women into leadership roles, Cooper says. When the company interviews job applicants, 50 per cent of the interviewees are to have diverse backgrounds. The interviewing panel is also 50 per cent diverse.

“What gets measured gets done,” says Cooper. “Initially we didn’t set a diversity target. The problem we found was that we weren’t advancing. So we said OK, maybe we’re at the point where you set a quota.”

The company has also set target numbers for diversity among senior managers. Cooper admits there was concern expressed about this internally at a “Women in Lafarge” focus group the company brought together. “They

said they want to be the best candidate for the job. They want to get hired and promoted and valued for what they add to the organization. They don’t want to be valued because they’re a female or diverse candidate.

“And that’s very fair,” says Cooper. “We need to keep that in mind and be careful about it. But on the other side, if we don’t set a target, progress is hard to measure.”

Lafarge’s other key focus has been on Aboriginal recruitment across Western Canada. Lafarge works with

First Nations chiefs, community groups and third party agencies, and Lafarge employees often go into local schools to tell First Nations youth about employment possibilities at the company.

In the future, Cooper says, the company plans to expand its work on inclusion, with more attention to the overall work environment in terms of accepting differences and leveraging each individual’s unique talents. “We’re pleased with our progress,” says Cooper, “but the journey has just begun.”

LAFARGE EMPLOYEES VOLUNTEERING TO HELP BUILD BETTER COMMUNITIES

Lafarge builds women into leaders

“But for the most part, the team was pretty excited to have someone who was different—they were proud. And it was a good growth opportunity, because you saw the dynamics of what

W

“Today people are a lot more open to

differences than they were in the past. The world has changed.”

– Bob Cooper, VP and General Manager for Cement,

Western Canada

of interviewing panel for job

applicants are diverse

50% executive team are women25%


s RBC tries to become as diverse and inclusive as possible, it is asking employees to examine their

blind spots and banish their “mind bugs.” It’s all part of an organizational strategy to address unconscious bias that has been in place since 2013.

Based on the work of Mahzarin Banaji, a Harvard University professor of social ethics and co-author of Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People, RBC’s unconscious bias campaign is “confronting these issues to start a dialogue as opposed to making people feel guilty or wrong for having bias,” says Rod Bolger, senior vice president, finance and controller.

Bolger was first introduced to the concept of unconscious bias a few years back when Banaji was invited to speak to RBC’s senior executives and its diversity leadership council. Taking part in that first workshop and other follow-up sessions has been an eye opener for Bolger, and made him more conscious about many of the work decisions he regularly has to make.

person he usually did. “But I stepped back and said, ‘Am I choosing this person due to an unconscious bias?’”

In the end he sent a team member of a different race and gender. “They went and did a great job too, bringing a ton to the table and adding a lot of value different from what I would have gotten had I sent the same person I would have typically sent.”

Norma Tombari, director of global diversity, says learning about unconscious bias helped clear away some of her mind bugs, as Banaji calls them, and made her realize how bias can sometimes be a by-product of the way you work. “We are so pressed for time and we’re very quick in some of our decision-making and in discussions with people,” Tombari explains.

“One thing I try to do when we’re working through a solution is to stop, reflect and ask, ‘Are any biases or blind spots evident here?’ We now have a common language that helps open doors to comfortable conversations,” she says.

“The work in this area goes well beyond the notion of diversity. It is about inclusion and inclusive leadership. We do think fostering diversity of thought will enable us to be more innovative.”

Bolger notes that the way diversity is addressed in the workplace has evolved from an initiative seen as “the right thing to do” to a business strategy conferring competitive advantage to today’s drive for inclusiveness. “It’s always a moving frontier,” he says. “Unconscious bias is that next frontier.”

So is advancement of women, which Tombari says is a theme that continues to resonate across the world. Globally, RBC launched the Women in Leadership program, with 26 women from across the bank participating in the first 10-month program designed to provide exposure to

executives, encourage network building and offer peer coaching and support. RBC has also created a new Women@RBC community on the company’s private social networking platform. Employees can meet virtually to discuss issues important to women and access a range of resources, including how to launch a “Lean In” circle.

Bolger notes that RBC is committed to measuring its progress in all areas of diversity including women, visible minorities, people with

disabilities, LGBT and aboriginal communities. “We try to capture what we can measure so we can see tangible benefits,” he says, noting that more than 11,000 RBC employees have had exposure to the unconscious bias programming and the training goal is to reach most employees by 2016.

“Hopefully we can continue to make progress on this front,” says Bolger, “as I think it benefits the broader community, the more it’s understood.”

HARVARD’S BANAJI (CENTRE) WITH RBC CEO DAVE MCKAY AND CHIEF HR OFFICER ZABEEN HIRJI

RBC, addressing unconscious bias to root out blind spots

For example, shortly after learning about unconscious bias, Bolger had to choose a member of his team to send to work on a new project in New York. His first instinct was to assign the

A

“The work in this area goes well beyond the notion of diversity. It is about inclusion and inclusive leadership.”

– Norma Tombari, Director of Global Diversity

initial participants in Women in

Leadership program26 participants in Diversity Dialogues mentoring program2,000+

PROUD A feeling that results from fulfilling a promise. We are one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers! That’s because RBC® follows through on its promise of a great work environment with high performing, collaborative and inclusive teams.

Visit rbc.com/diversity ®™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada.

150212-0255 Best Diversity.indd 1 2/17/15 2:14 PM


unch and learns have become commonplace at many companies and institutions, but Ryerson University--located

in the heart of downtown Toronto--has introduced an interesting twist to the practice. Ryerson’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion holds monthly soup and substance sessions and, as the name suggests, soup is always on the menu, but the substance changes from month to month.

The office has sponsored lunch-time panel discussions on race and racism in the Canadian context, Aboriginal knowledges, and identity based on such things as country of origin and sexual orientation. Initially, says Dr. Denise O’Neil Green, Assistant Vice-President and Vice-Provost Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, the sessions attracted 60 to 70 people.

Green joined Ryerson in 2012 and was given a mandate to provide leadership in integrating equity, diversity and inclusion throughout the university to the point where it becomes part of the institutional DNA.

“My office has now started to look at different policies and practices across the organization,” she says. “We’re looking at hiring committees and the process for committees that review promotions and tenure. We’re looking at orientation for new employees and we’re looking at the curriculum and ways of integrating equity, diversity and inclusion where it makes sense.”

Meantime, the university already has a number of initiatives in place to create an open and inclusive environment. Positive Space is a coalition of students, faculty and staff working to ensure that Ryerson is a safe, open and welcoming place for members of the LGBTQ community.

Last June, during World Pride Week in Toronto, the university flew the Pride flag for the first time, students performed an annual ritual when they dropped a larger version of it from the roof of the student centre, and the administration organized a competition in which faculty and staff were encouraged to decorate their offices to demonstrate their support for Pride Week.

And the Positive Space coalition raised a contingent to participate in the Pride Parade. “I was part of the Pride march, not as a gay man, but as part of Ryerson,” says Brandon Smith, Coordinator of Residence Life and Education with the Department of Housing & Residence Life, “There were a lot of students and student groups as well as faculty members and staff. It was a massive group and it was very exciting.”

Smith adds that the environment generally at Ryerson is more open and inclusive than other institutions where he has worked. “What’s inspiring about Ryerson is it’s not only open,” he says. “It encourages every member of the community to bring their whole self to work or to school. We really embrace the values of diversity, inclusion and equity in ways I haven’t experienced before.”

Green adds that her office oversees a program called Access Ryerson to identify and remove barriers and to ensure that the university is open

as a place of study and work for all persons with disabilities. And the goal is to ensure that the institution goes well beyond the legal requirements set out in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act.

As well, her office in 2013 established the Alan Shepard Equity, Diversity and Inclusion award—named for a former provost and vice-president academic—to recognize outstanding commitment to these principles on the part of students and employees. Recipients are entitled to awards of up to $4,000.

RYERSON ASSISTANT V.P. DR. DENISE O’NEIL GREEN, FAR LEFT, MODERATES MONTHLY “SOUP AND SUBSTANCE” PANEL

Ryerson aims to make diversity part of its DNA

“Now,” she says, “we have standing room only. They provide a safe space where members of the community--students, staff, faculty and members of the public--can come together to discuss equity-related issues and to raise questions that they may have reservations raising elsewhere.”

Proudly diverse, intentionally inclusive

L

“We really embrace

the values of diversity,

inclusion and equity

in ways I haven’t

experienced before.” – Brandon Smith,

Coordinator of Residence Life and Education

managers are women64% team award for

commitment to diversity & inclusion$4,000


red Moyer is finishing off his shift at the Red Chris copper and gold mine in northwestern British Columbia, where he works

as a baker in the on-site camp run by Sodexo Canada. He’s just made enough lemon bars, peanut butter cookies and red velvet cake to feed 250 people, the population of the camp. Moyer is putting to use the skills he learned at a seven-month cooking course he took last year in Cornwall, Ontario, all paid for by Sodexo.

“At first, I was puzzled and kind of stunned—like wow! Only four or five people were picked and the company has hundreds,” says Moyer, a 55-year-old Aboriginal from northern B.C. “I was really amazed at my age I got that opportunity in life.”

“A lot of people say I look younger than my age,” he jokes, adding that he can’t eat too much of his baking if he wants to stay in shape and keep that image.

“I work really hard and I guess working hard pays off,” says Moyer about his training. “The people that were teaching the course, the chefs and sous chefs, they were great on helping out and teaching me a lot of different ways of cooking.” Although his four-weeks-in-camp, two-weeks-off schedule isn’t always ideal for family life, Moyer appreciates that he has less stress now than his previous job as a restaurant cook.

Katherine Power, vice president of communications at Sodexo, says that running a camp like the Red Chris one is like operating a hotel. “We often manage everything from feeding everyone, housekeeping, recreation, managing the gym, security.” In northern Manitoba, a new camp for a Hydro facility can hold 2,000 workers, making it more like a small town.

As a major player in the services industry—working in universities, hospitals and corporate offices, as well as in the north—Sodexo Canada is a major employer of new Canadians. They fill many of its 9,000 frontline jobs, doing everything from running the cash to landscaping to janitorial work. “For people who are new immigrants and whose English isn’t strong, there are a lot of opportunities,” says Power. “It’s one of the challenges we face as an organization: how do we engage with those employees when their English or French is not strong?”

Power notes that a recent engagement survey showed that diversity and inclusion is the number one factor driving engagement. It was an “aha! moment” for her when she realized “how big a deal this is to the average employee in the company.”

In tight-margin businesses like Sodexo’s, keeping employees engaged is critical because it limits turnover costs. That’s just one of the reasons Sodexo is

looking to hire well trained and educated employees with disabilities. “People with disabilities have higher engagement, stay longer and have fewer accidents. Those positive trends also spill over to their co-workers around them,” says Power.

On a global level, Sodexo’s primary diversity focus is ensuring women are represented equally at all levels of the organization. The company carefully tracks and measures its diversity

progress right down to different divisions and teams. If women aren’t being promoted equally it can investigate what’s going on, be it unconscious bias or one particular manager.

At present the leadership team is 43 per cent women. But Power notes that there are just 13 slots so if one man were replaced with a woman, it would shift to 57 per cent.

SODEXO WORKS WITH ABORIGINAL PARTNERS TO HIRE FROM AND SUPPORT LOCAL FIRST NATION COMMUNITIES

Sodexo finds recipe for great Aboriginal partnerships

As a result of running these hydro, mining and oil and gas camps up north, Sodexo Canada currently has partnerships with 35 Aboriginal communities and is committed to hiring Aboriginal peoples, offering job training opportunities and supporting First Nations businesses. It’s one of the company’s top priority diversity initiatives in Canada, unique to its operations in this country.

@SodexoCanadaVisit us at: www.sodexo.ca

F

“Only four or five people were picked

and the company has hundreds. I was really

amazed at my age I got that opportunity in life.”

– Fred Moyer, Baker, Sodexo Canada

partnerships with Aboriginal

communities35 of leadership team are women43%


ou don’t have to look too far to see evidence of diversity at TD Bank Group. The senior executive team includes three

women and two visible minorities—including CEO Bharat Masrani, who was born in Uganda of Indian descent, and is celebrated as the first person of colour to head a Canadian bank.

But inside TD, you’ll find that proud as they are of Masrani, they see their real achievement as making sure diversity and inclusion are “embedded” in the company—at every level and in every area. It’s a company-wide process that has been going on in earnest for the past 10 years.

“It’s important to understand that this is a business initiative,” says Amy Hanen, Associate Vice-President, Corporate Diversity. “It was not an HR-led initiative, it was not a compliance-driven initiative. From the very beginning there was an understanding that while diversity and inclusion are obviously the right thing to do, it’s also a business imperative in a changing market—both the market for customers and the market for talent.”

Leadership Council — chaired by Masrani in recent years—with subcommittees that focus on six key areas: women in leadership, visible minorities, LGBT and allies, Aboriginal people, people with disabilities and, on the customer side, serving diverse communities.

All TD employees get diversity and inclusion training, and the bank maintains a wide variety of resources and support systems, including Women in Leadership chapters, an LGBTA Pride network, talent outreach to Aboriginal communities, internships for students with disabilities, social media outlets for employees, and many other programs.

Today, all of TD’s key indicators are on a rising trend, according to its most recent Corporate Responsibility Report. Women make up 36.5 per cent of the bank’s senior leadership in Canada, for example, and visible minorities 10.4 per cent. Some 5.2 per cent of the bank’s 50,000 Canadian employees are people with disabilities. But beyond numbers, says Hanen, “it’s about the culture. It’s about how diversity and inclusion are embedded in everything we do.”

Indeed, behind the stats are real people experiencing real change. Hanen recalls an employee who wrote a thank you note to the CEO because the exposure she had to TD’s inclusive culture enabled her and her husband to respond to their 16-year-old son coming out in a more loving way than they otherwise might have.

“It’s a very open environment,” Hanen says. “People have started to blog internally about their identities and cultural background, their lessons learned. One executive recently wrote a post entitled ‘A Tree Too Tall,’ describing how, after immigrating to Canada, he reconciled the stories and advice he got from his parents

to ‘always keep a low profile’ and ‘don’t stand out too much’ with his desire to be recognized as a leader and fulfil his potential. ”

Li Ping Han may be an ideal example of TD’s business case for diversity—in talent and in the marketplace. China-born, she joined TD in Montreal in 2008 as an assistant investment advisor in wealth management. After a while, seeing a gap in the market, she applied to become an investment advisor specializing in the local Chinese

community. “I felt I could develop business there, and my manager saw that I would have an advantage in getting Chinese clients.” Now she regularly attends events in the Chinese community and finds herself often advising newcomers to Canada.

Han says she has the example of Bharat Masrani to follow—and her own. “I’m happy that TD gave me this opportunity,” she says, “so I can tell new immigrants, you can make it here.”

TD EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATE IN THE WORLDPRIDE PARADE IN TORONTO LAST SUMMER

From the very top, diversity is ‘embedded’ at TD

To drive that business initiative, TD instituted a top-level Diversity

td.com/diversity

® The TD logo and other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.

Banking should be comfortable. For everyone.TD is committed to diversity and inclusion.

Y

“It’s a very open environment. People have started to blog internally about their identities and cultural background, their

lessons learned.” – Amy Hanen,

Associate Vice-President, Corporate Diversity

of managers are women56.4% LGBTA Pride

Network members3,000


illiam Osler Health System, located in Toronto’s western suburbs, serves one of Canada’s

most diverse populations. More than half the people in its coverage area are visible minorities, 42 per cent have a mother tongue other than English, 46 per cent are newcomers to Canada, and 10 per cent have arrived within the last five years.

As a result, Osler - which has been somewhat of a diversity pioneer both externally, given the community it serves, and internally with its own employees - has “started a journey moving beyond diversity to really capturing equity and inclusiveness,” explains Susan deRyk, vice president of patient experience, communications and strategy.

“As much as we have a diverse popula-tion, we’re all looking for the same thing when it comes to health care - equitable, quality health care in an environment where we feel welcomed and included.”

educational materials translated into up to ten languages, says Tina Parmar, who is patient care manager of ambulatory care at Osler. And thanks to the diversity of the staff, it’s usually not a problem to find someone who can relate culturally to the patient, including speaking their language.

Parmar adds that technology is a big help in this area. She supervises several diabetes clinics, including one tailored to the specific needs of the South Asian community. The use of iMD terminals is being piloted in these clinics to provide automatic translation so physicians are better able to educate patients about their care. “Having those resources has been fantastic. It’s an amazing tool for our clinicians,” says Parmar, a nurse with a master’s degree in health administration.

If Osler is now in a position to move beyond diversity, as deRyk puts it, getting to this point has been, in many ways, a well-planned trajectory. The hospital’s equity and volunteer services department employs two full-time diversity project coordinators, one part-time administrative assistant, and one director. It has a diversity executive council, and involves its president and CEO and senior leadership team in its initiatives. And there’s also a diversity advisory council, comprised of employees from across the organization who are responsible for implementing related programs and policies in their departments.

On top of all this, Osler gets input from a range of community advisory councils and committees. One member, Khush Sra, was born at Etobicoke General and gave birth to her three children there. Sadly, she also witnessed the other end of the spectrum of life when two of her grandparents died at Osler.

“Often there was a nurse who spoke Punjabi, there was always someone down the hall or close enough to be called upon to translate,” says Sra. “The hospital

was very flexible for allowing different visiting hours.” Her connection to the hospital is what prompted her to volunteer for the community advisory council and to continue to work to make the health system as accessible as possible.

Serving a fast-growing region adds yet another challenge as the organization works to offer the latest medical and scientific advancements to the community. Parmar’s clinics, for example, see some 600 patients a day. “With a rapidly growing population comes changing demographics, and we have to continuously evolve to ensure we are always able to meet

the specific health care needs of every single patient,” she says.

In April, Osler is sending an exploratory mission to the Punjab, where a lot of patients originally come from. “We want to learn from their experts as well as share our knowledge with them. We want to learn how equity in health can be delivered both here in our region and in India,” says deRyk.

“Over the last few years, we’ve placed an emphasis on the development of equitable health care among populations that currently don’t receive it, both in our own community and beyond.”

WILLIAM OSLER HEALTH SYSTEM SERVES ONE OF CANADA’S MOST DIVERSE COMMUNITIES

Even technology supports diversity at William Osler

Osler’s two hospital sites - Brampton Civic and Etobicoke General Hospital - have built up an extensive bank of

W

“We’re all looking for the same thing when it comes to health care -

equitable, quality health care in an environment

where we feel welcomed and included.”

– Susan deRyk, VP of Patient Experience,

Communications and Strategy

of executive team are women62% employees volunteer

as internal diversity change champions70+

Call for ApplicationsIf you are an exceptional employer that

fosters an inclusive workplace, we invite you to submit an application for next year’s

edition of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers. For more information, please visit:

www.CanadasTop100.com/apply

Application deadline: April 24, 2015


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