50 Top Diversity Employers in Canada 2012

CSR business programs are becoming more and more prevalent in business culture today and diversity and inclusion policies are an integral part of them. The recently released 6^th annual list of Canada’s Best Diversity Employersis further proof and testament of this emerging (and important) business trend.

Images courtesy of canadastop100.com

BMO Financial Group sponsors the list that recognizes the exceptional efforts of companies across Canada. Mediacorp’s editorial team determines the finalists however the diversity consulting firm TWI Inc. assisted with the initial review of over 2700 business applicants for the competition.

Criteria such as program development, training and education of employees, employee resources, affinity groups, leadership and management accountability were considered along with customer, market, vendor, supplier diversity and community partnerships.

Diversity and Inclusion strategies generally protect 5 major employee groups including: Women; Visible minorities; Persons with disabilities; Aboriginal peoples; and Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) peoples. However, that definition continues to evolve as “Employers with well-established diversity programs are moving beyond the groups that traditionally have been covered.” according to Richard Yerema, Managing Editor of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project at Mediacorp Canada Inc.

The following is a sample of 10 Canadian companies who made the top 50 list along with a brief summary of some of the contributing reason(s) that got them there. Click each company to read their complete profile from the list:

1. Amex Canada Inc. This Markham-cased credit card company have organized a number of employee resources inducing HOLA” for Hispanic Origin and Latin American employees and “AXP” for Asian employees. They manage an in house organization that women network called “Women’s Interest Network” (WIN).
2. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Specialty hospitals, located in Toronto, Ontario. One of their many initiatives includes creating a designated position to manage Aboriginal recruitment.
3. Corus Entertainment Inc. is a media and entertainment company that owns 37 radio stations and television services including YTV, Treehouse, Nickelodeon (Canada), TELETOON (50%) and TELETOON Retro (50%); the W Network, Cosmopolitan TV, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network (Canada) and W Movies, CMT (Canada), Sundance Channel (Canada), DUSK and Telelatino. They have an equity and diversity committee and maintain a formal employment equity and cultural diversity plan along with many other initiatives.
4. Home Depot Canada. Hardware stores, located in Toronto, Ontario. Created the position of Manager of Organizational Effectiveness, Diversity, and Inclusion to help oversee the implantation of their various diversity programs.
5. Loblaw Companies Limited. Supermarkets, located in Brampton, Ontario. Their stores participate in events in their local communities including “Aboriginal Human Resources Council’s Inclusion Works event and career fair, recruitment events organized by G-Force in Toronto and Montréal, as well as the Rainbow Employment Network’s job fair in Toronto.
6. Mount Sinai Hospital. Located in Toronto, Ontario. Established a diversity and human rights office to develop and monitor their diversity goals and policies.
7. TD Bank Group. Commercial banking, located in Toronto, Ontario. Implemented a range of additional employee resources groups including “LGBTA Pride Network for LGBT employees, Ability Network for persons with disabilities, Aboriginal Employee Circle and Chinese, Korean, South Asian and Hispanic Community Networks.”
8. Telus Corporation. Telecommunications, located in Vancouver, British Colombia. They created a “national women’s employee network which is comprised of over 2,900 members.” The group offers professional development courses and workshops that are tailored to women in the workforce.
9. University of Toronto. Colleges, universities and professional schools, located in Toronto, Ontario. Has 13 offices that are dedicated to issues such as “Equity and Diversity, including the Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office, Sexual & Gender Diversity Office, and the Status of Women Office, to name a few.”
10. YMCA of Greater Toronto. Individual and family services, located in Toronto, Ontario. They created positions to oversee their diversity programs and initiatives including “General Manager, Director, and Managers of Diversity and Social Inclusion.”

Canada’s Best Diversity Employers list serves as an inspiration for all businesses to grow and develop their CSR business programs while stressing the importance of diversity in our society. 

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Miratel Solutions is a Toronto call centre, eBusiness, and letter shop mail house specializing in professional fundraising services including telephone fundraising, online fundraising, lottery services, donation caging, donation processing and other donor management services. We are committed to our CSR business values in all contact centre services and mail house operations and advancing the missions of the nonprofits we proudly serve.