Hard to believe April is here already! I’m looking forward to getting my hands in the dirt and planting this year’s garden. As spring unfolds around us, bringing its inherent sense of renewal and rebirth, I find myself also reflecting on the transformative journey we are on together in the realm of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This season of new beginnings echoes the strides we are making in fostering inclusive environments that celebrate diversity and promote equity.
Moving from the personal to the global, I had the privilege of participating in a joint presentation at the NGO Commission on the Status of Women’s World Forum in New York City. This global civil society gathering, which took place March 10-22, 2024, drew over 14,000 attendees from around the world, both in person and virtually, united in their advocacy for gender equity. It was an honor to contribute to this pivotal conversation, alongside CCDI’s partners in the Global Inclusion and Diversity Alliance (GIDA) – Diversity Council Australia, Diversity Works New Zealand, and Community Business (Asia). Our collective effort underscores the critical importance of centering the voices of women in our pursuit of a more equitable world.
As a testament to our collective efforts, CCDI UnConference 2024 has received an overwhelmingly positive response, with 87% of respondents indicating they would recommend the event to friends. This feedback is incredibly rewarding and forms the cornerstone of our continued mission to address DEI challenges and foster a culture of belonging. Your insights and affirmations are a vital source of motivation for our dedicated work.
Looking ahead, I am delighted to announce that Marie Gervais of Shift Workplace will be joining me for the April episode of the Leader Talks podcast. This special episode, aligned with the World Day for Health and Safety at Work at the end of April, will aim to elevate the conversation around mental well-being, illuminate the challenges posed by unhealthy work environments, especially those related to DEI issues, and share strategies to restore peace and collaboration. We invite you to tune in as we explore these essential topics, with the goal of equipping listeners with insights and tools to effect positive change .
As we embrace the spirit of spring, let us renew our commitment to creating spaces where everyone can thrive. Together, we are building a foundation for a more inclusive, equitable, and diverse future.
Warm regards,
Anne-Marie Pham
CEO, Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion
Canada’s diversity is fundamental to our nation, showcasing a rich mosaic of cultures, communities, and traditions. However, fostering a diverse work environment goes beyond mere compliance; it benefits organizations. By embracing diversity, organizations can enhance employee engagement, job satisfaction, and retention rates.
As Canada’s population becomes increasingly diverse, organizations must adopt strategies to enable their workforce to perform at their fullest potential. The future projections demonstrate the need for organizations to attract, recruit, and hire diverse candidates. Statistics Canada reported that between 2016 and 2036, the proportion of workers who are immigrants to Canada is expected to increase from one in four to one in three. The Indigenous-identifying population in Canada is growing significantly faster than the non-Indigenous population. Forty-seven percent of workers over 15 are women and 53 percent of university-educated workers are women. With people retiring later, there is more generational diversity in the workforce, and the proportion of people with disabilities in the workforce has increased from 4.9 percent in 2006 to 9.1 percent in 2016.
Given Canada’s shifting demographics, organizations must make purposeful strides to establish themselves as employers of choice. Current job seekers consider an organization’s commitment to DEI, as evidenced by Glassdoor’s Diversity and Inclusion Workplace Survey, where 76 percent of employees and job seekers said a diverse workforce was important when evaluating companies and job offers.
Inclusive hiring practices are crucial to promoting equal employment opportunities, improving the workplace environment, and integrating diverse perspectives and experiences, particularly for marginalized individuals. Additionally, inclusive hiring fosters creativity, innovation, and problem-solving by bringing together employees with various backgrounds and perspectives.
To support organizations in their efforts, the Inclusive hiring practices toolkit offers various resources and best practices for every stage of the hiring process from the point of candidate interest to the final hiring decision. It also provides tips for overcoming unconscious bias, creating inclusive job descriptions, and improving candidate outreach. The toolkit is designed to benefit all individuals in the hiring process, ranging from human resource professionals to hiring managers. In each section, you will find a summary of key learnings, reflection questions, and helpful resources.
Registration is now open for the CCDI Community of Practice events. Reserve your spot for the in-person and virtual sessions taking place in May and June. The spring 2024 edition is focused on Bridging differences: Generative dialogue as a catalyst for DEI transformation and offers highly interactive sessions of immersive experience designed to deepen understanding and foster the emergence of new insights.
Using an experiential learning format, participants will explore the concept of generative dialogue – a way of collaborating through conversation that reveals new knowledge and ideas for initiatives that individuals could not generate on their own – within the context of DEI initiatives. We will introduce the World Café method as a structured approach for facilitating impactful conversations to gain important insights to guide meaningful organizational change.
Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is a federal Crown corporation that aims to enhance rural Canada by providing financing, insurance, software, learning programs, and other business services to producers, agribusiness owners and agri-food entrepreneurs nationwide. FCC is demonstrating its dedication to DEI through comprehensive initiatives to develop a workforce representing the diversity and strength of its industry and community.
DEI initiatives such as its Indigenous employment equity efforts, partnerships with Indigenous communities, improving accessibility across the organization, programs and resources around mental health for their employees and customers, and fair and equitable access to employment opportunities underscore FCC’s commitment to helping make Canada barrier-free by 2040 as outlined in their FCC 2023 Accessibility Plan Progress Report.
Together we are shaping more equitable workplaces, schools and communities through our Employer Partners, moving towards a truly inclusive Canada. Join us in extending a warm welcome to our newest Employer Partners.
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