Nick Noorani Website

Diversity in the workplace brings new creativity, innovation and opportunities. That’s not just according to us. That’s according to some of the biggest and most successful companies and organizations in Canada. The Canadian Immigrant Magazine wants to recognize those employers that are doing their part in welcoming diversity in their organizations with our inaugural Top Employers for Workplace Diversity awards.

[Banking/Finance]

RBC Financial Group
To hear Gordon Nixon, president and CEO of RBC Financial Group, tell it, diversity in the workplace is not just the right thing to do, it’s an economic imperative. This month, he is speaking at the Vancouver Board of Trade, May 10, to convince employers of this fact.
His main message? Few countries in the world stand to gain as much economic benefit from diversity and immigration as does Canada. If Canada succeeds at leveraging the diversity of our workforce and consumer base, Nixon says we will have an unrivalled competitive advantage in the global economy. He calls this Canada’s “diversity imperative.”
With RBC in the ranks of the most successful corporations in Canada, with half a trillion in assets and about 60,000 employees, its CEO must be doing something right. One thing RBC is doing is including diversity as one of its five corporate values: “diversity for growth and innovation,” explains Norma Tombari, senior manager, diversity and workforce solutions.
RBC’s recruitment strategy is definitely in line with this value. “In terms of recruitment, it’s very pivotal to have a robust diversity strategy when looking at the issue of increasing representation of the workforce,” says Tombari.
Tombari says RBC recruiters undergo training so they are aware of some of the issues faced by immigrants and visible minorities. “We want to ensure we have bias-free interviews, so our recruiters are cognizant of communication differences. We have had external consultants come in to provide some diversity training in this regard.”
Workshops on improving cross-cultural competency are offered to other RBC employees, too, such as its sales staff. “It’s an overall priority for us that not only our current employees but also potential employees and clients see as us inclusive and forward thinking. We want to be seen as valuing diversity.”
What makes RBC really stand out on the issue of diversity is a result of something they are not doing – they are no longer asking applicants from where they received their academic credentials.
“We no longer ask for the university name; it’s more about what education they acquired instead of from where,” explains Tombari. “It’s a subtle change, it sounds basic, but many organizations don’t do that. By removing it, we instead focus on skills, competency and potential, instead of where they came from.”
Why is RBC so committed to the idea that a diverse workplace is beneficial? One, the demographic imperative for diversity is pretty clear in terms of today’s statistics, says Tombari.
Two, businesses benefit enormously from having diverse groups and immigrants because they bring new energy, and different perspectives and knowledge, resulting in a more creative, dynamic environment. “When you have great people thinking new ideas, you’re better able to better respond to the needs in the workplace and from clients,” she says. “It brings vibrancy, creativity of thought, and it generates good teamwork.”
And it’s not just at low levels of the company either. At the executive level, about nine per cent are visible minorities; at the managerial level, about 39 per cent are visible minorities and about 50 per cent are women. “That’s quite good in terms of representation,” says Tombari.
Alvin MatthewsAlvin Matthews, sales director for RBC Insurance
“As a new immigrant, RBC gave me opportunities for professional growth and to use my skills. It took me only five years to go from insurance representative to sales director – that speaks for itself. I’m so loyal to the company, I often say my blood is blue, not red.”
[Government/NGO]
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
It’s telling that the most recognized national figure today coming out of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) is a visible minority – Ian Hanomansing, a Trinidadian immigrant of Indian descent, heads the CBC six o’clock national television newscast.
“Surveys have indicated Ian Hanomansing to be one of the most well-known and trusted news anchors in Canada,” says Alden E. Habacon, manager of diversity initiatives for CBC Television.
And so it should be.
After all, the public broadcasting corporation is supposed to reflect Canada, and Canada is, in fact, a multicultural country.
Indeed, shouldn’t all CBC programming – whether television or radio – reflect the diversity in Canada? And, by extension, shouldn’t the people behind the scenes at CBC also be diverse?
Yes!, say CBC executives from both the television and the radio sides of the huge organization.
Rae Hull, a senior director for network programming in Vancouver, certainly thinks so. “For CBC Television, for example, having diversity on our airwaves is an absolute asset for us if we are to reflect the country,” she says. “It’s not about doing anyone any favours … we’re better if we have diversity.”
Hull explains that CBC Television tries to embed diversity as a core practice, starting with engaging senior managers, who must submit diversity plans with their annual performance objectives. “That may seem bureaucratic, but it’s necessary to ensure the workplace keeps evolving.”
In terms of programming, producers, both independent and internal ones, are expected to consider diversity in their decision-making as well.
Hull is also a member of something CBC calls the diversity lead team, which was created to coordinate diversity efforts between the television, radio and human resources sides to the national organization.
Some specific diversity initiatives Hull points to include a full-day workshop on leading diversity that CBC offers to its managers. “More than 300 managers and leaders took that program in 16 months, and we got unbelievable feedback.”
Another innovative way that CBC promotes diversity is through the use of community snapshots. “We ask each region to do a snapshot for their cities and towns, to get a sense of what that community’s all about.”
Joan Andersen, regional director of CBC Radio in B.C., ensures the snapshots are used in developing radio programming for the B.C. region.
“Every program has several pages describing in detail who the population is that they are serving, and [the staff] are required to use that in determining their objectives for that program,” she says.
A natural extension of that is hiring people who understand those communities, adds Andersen. “We can’t think of hiring without diversity.”
And that doesn’t just apply to on-air talent, either. For off-air employees, Andersen says the representation of employees from visible minorities, women, disabled and Aboriginal persons reflects the population.
“On air, we want to sound like the communities in which we’re located,” adds Andersen. So, in Northern B.C., there is an Aboriginal emphasis. In the Lower Mainland, Andersen wants to properly reflect the Chinese and Indian communities.
“We feel as public broadcasters that we are supported by all the people of Canada, and we’re not doing our job if we don’t reflect them,” she says. “I think we end up with more relevant and more creative programming by having people from different backgrounds and perspectives.”
Of course, there are still many challenges to incorporating diversity, say both Hull and Andersen.
“One challenge is to ensure both the existing staff and new staff feel comfortable that decisions are based on merit, not based on the colour of skin they have,” says Andersen.
“We still have lots of work to do to make sure our workplace culture keeps pace with the country,” adds Hull.
But it looks like CBC is at least on the right track.
Priya RamuPriya Ramu, radio host of CBC’s On the Coast
“What I have appreciated most is the consistent drive to be reflective and to try and create a diverse workforce. It’s a slow process, but that determination has remained. I have had many opportunities and that’s a testament to that commitment to diversity.”
[Education]
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, B.C.-based Simon Fraser University (SFU) has a lot to celebrate. It turned 40 this year and, in its relatively short existence, it has become acknowledged as a top Canadian university, consistently recognized in Maclean’s annual university rankings over the years.
But did you know that it’s also a top school for diversity?
SFU’s list of values and commitments starts off with: “we are an open, inclusive university whose foundation is intellectual and academic freedom. Our scholarship unites teaching and research: we celebrate discovery, diversity and dialogue.”
Dr. Michael Stevenson, president and vice-chancellor of SFU, is a new Canadian himself, albeit he admits that as a South African with native English, integration has been a lot easier for him than other immigrants. Stevenson looks at SFU’s commitment to diversity as more than just academic. “The university also has a social responsibility that requires a commitment to diversity,” he told the Canadian Club in a speech titled Diversity and the University.
“It is established and funded by society to produce the research and teach the skills required for social and economic progress. This entails a responsibility to translate the potential economic advantage of a multicultural society in the era of globalization into reality.” He continues on to say that this responsibility entails the recruitment of students and researchers who have direct experience in diverse communities.
Professors with academic credentials from other parts of the world are normal at SFU; international students buzz around the AQ, getting just as lost on their first day as Canadian-born students; and studying other cultures, languages and histories are part and parcel of the curriculum.
But that commitment to diversity extends to its hiring practices, too. SFU has an employment equity policy to ensure that no individual is denied employment opportunities for reasons unrelated to their ability, such as gender or race.
“The principles of employment equity are incorporated within all new hiring of new faculty and staff including at the most senior level of the university,” says Bruce L. Anderson, executive director, human resources.
Here are some statistics on the representation of visible minorities among faculty and staff: they make up eight per cent of professors, seven per cent of associate professors and seven per cent of assistant professors. Thirteen per cent of non-faculty staff were visible minorities in 2003 – six per cent of senior managers, five per cent of middle managers, 19 per cent of professionals and 14 per cent of technical staff. It’s also interesting to note that the last two chancellors of SFU, Dr. Milton K. Wong and current chancellor Dr. Brandt C. Louie, are both of Asian heritage.
In terms of women among faculty and staff: 20 per cent of full professors, 35 per cent of associate professors and 32 per cent of assistant professors were female. Among instructors and lecturers, the percentage was higher at 43 per cent and 39 per cent respectively. Among non-faculty staff, women were 23 per cent of senior managers, 40 per cent of middle managers, 54 per cent of non-faculty professionals and 32 per cent of technical positions.
In order to bridge the divide across cultures on campus, “SFU has regularly provided diversity training” says Anderson. “The university worked with the Hastings Institute, a non-profit organization specializing in employment equity, to create a training program [to ensure that all cultures and nationalities feel at home].”
Other examples of SFU’s commitment to diversity Anderson points out is SFU’s Human Rights Office, and ad hoc diversity committee and SFU Library’s diversity working group, which is hosting a Multicultural Canada Conference from May 31 to June 2, 2006. “SFU is a great place to work with a very strong commitment to openness and inclusiveness with a highly diverse and multicultural community involved in learning, research and work,” says Anderson.
Ruby NgRuby Ng, from SFU’s faculty of education
“In the faculty of education, it’s such an energetic and dynamic working environment. Diversity is valued at all levels, even at the executive level, and to feel that is very motivating.”
[Retail]
Safeway
If you look under the “About Us” section on Safeway’s website, “Diversity” comes up second on the list of links, right under “Our History.”
That’s a pretty good position, for one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America (1,775 stores in total; 221 in Canada).
The company is not just paying lip service. Safeway has been a consistent champ with awards that recognize diversity. It is the winner of the 2005 Catalyst Award, which is given to companies with proven results in the recruitment, development and advancement of woman. It also landed on Fortune’s list of America’s 50 Best Companies for Minorities in 2004.
“With many of our staff retiring as part of the baby boomer generation, coupled with a declining population growth rate, we have recognized the need to actively recruit from a very valuable source of employable candidates – new Canadians,” says Cliff Yeo, an adviser in the human resources department.
Recruiting is definitely the word – Canadian Safeways are busy recruiting between 40 to 80 new employees per store, which are being remodelled and re-oriented to reflect Safeway’s new emphasis on helping busy Canadians with products like semi-prepared and fully prepared meals.
“We have approached several immigrant services societies in order to spread the word of the employment opportunities,” Yeo says. “We’re far past the notion of “tolerating” a diverse workforce. To the contrary, the company embraces diversity.”
Yeo adds that since the corporate culture embraces the differences people can bring to the workplace, those from other cultures tend to discover quickly that their “differences” are treated with respect. Safeway is also well known for hiring disabled persons.
Every member of management from the president to the assistant store manager has to attend a full-day workshop that encourages open dialogue about how a diverse workforce makes good business sense, Yeo explains. “They are provided with a skills set that has helped to mould the culture within. Safeway has evolved because of a diverse workforce, not in spite of it.”
When asked about the challenges of diversity, Yeo mentions the common issue of language. “We do require employees to speak English. We recognize, however, that an accent does not necessarily mean a failure to communicate in English.”
That’s certainly a progressive perspective at a time in Canada’s history when many people will view a British or Aussie accent as charming, but a Punjabi or Chinese one as off-putting.
Many of the jobs available at Safeway are at the retail level, such as service clerks, cashiers, grocery clerks, produce clerks, bakers and so on. And no prior experience is necessary, as Safeway will provide all necessary training. “But there is also the opportunity for those who excel to be promoted into supervisory and management positions within the company,” says Yeo.
Another forward-thinking decision Safeway has taken is considering applicants who may not yet have Canadian references – a big barrier for newly landed immigrants. “The store management is skilled at determining a good candidate through the interview process,” says Yeo. “If you have what it takes, you will be recognized!”
Jessie MannJessie Mann, first assistant manager at the Marpole Safeway in Vancouver.
“Throughout my career, Safeway has proven its support and commitment to diversity, and provided an inclusive environment in which to work.”
[Hospitality/Entertainment]
channel m Television
It seemed only natural to include Vancouver-based channel m Television on our inaugural list of diverse employers. While there are lots of ethnic media outlets in Canada, many tend to focus on one ethnicity; channel m and just a few other television stations in Canada like OMNI Television have become truly multicultural.
Diversity is channel m’s niche, so to speak. You can tune it to its news programs in Punjabi, Mandarin or Cantonese. Or enjoy their English-language productions such as cooking and talk shows, which bring in hosts, guests and topics from around the world.
Art Reitmayer, president and CEO, says the strategy of the station is a combination of trying to service various ethnicities, while also bringing them together – emphasizing the “multi” in multicultural Canada.
“If you look at our coverage on the Lunar New Year in English, for example, it was aimed at a very broad audience. And when we covered the activities around the Vaisakhi parade, we tried to explain the background of this event,” says Reitmayer.
Diversity at channel m is about more than just programming, however. “If you look around the station, we’re really the United Nations of our building,” he says.
The behind-the-scenes employees are just as, if not more, diverse than the on-air personalities, he adds.
“Yes, diversity is necessary for us in our programming, but there is a whole number of staff who don’t work in front of the camera who represent a good cross-section of the population, in technical and administrative areas – we’re talking graphic artists, master control operators, it doesn’t matter,” says Reitmayer.
And it’s not by accident, he adds. “A lot of us came from a traditional media background, so it would have been easier to go to the standard places to find people. But we wanted to make sure that everything we do here is representative of the community.”
To create this diverse environment, channel m made a point of using recruitment methods outside mainstream press classified ads. “Conventional newspapers may not be really reaching other members of the community,” he says. channel m also developed a careers section on its website for openings at the station.
To encourage effective cross-cultural communication among its staff, Reitmayer gives a couple of examples of things the station does for teambuilding.
“We do all kinds of things to make sure people feel welcome,” he says. They ensure they introduce each new employee around and there are celebrations at the office for different ethnic holidays – “food is definitely involved, there’s no question,” says Reitmayer, with a chuckle.
But in addition to just sharing ethnic treats, staff members are asked to do a presentation about the significant event they are celebrating.
Of course, there are some challenges to being so diverse, says Reitmayer. “For example, there are sometimes some language hurdles, but all of our employees do speak English and it’s something we’re able to work with. When dealing with clients, we always make sure they are comfortable in dealing with our staff.”
And the benefits far outweigh any challenges. “Our employees each bring something different to the table. You’re better off by having a good mix.
The greater the diversity, the better.”