You are on page 1of 3

Elements of a diverse workforce | Diversity at Work | HR Toolkit | hrcoun... http://www.hrcouncil.ca/hr-toolkit/diversity-workforce.

cfm

HOME | CONTACT US

ABOUT US WORKING IN NONPROFITS LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION ISSUES & INSIGHTS HR RESOURCE CENTRE NEWSROOM

Home » Resource Centre » HR Toolkit » Diversity at Work » Elements of a diverse workforce


Resource Centre Home

HR CheckUp
Diversity at Work
HR Management Standards
Elements of a diverse workforce
In Canada, diversity extends beyond race or ethnicity, religion, culture or newcomer status to include factors such as geography,
HR Toolkit
language, politics, gender, beliefs, sexual orientation, economic status, abilities, skills and interests.

HR Toolkit Home
A diverse workplace reflects our communities. Small organizations may have to think about diversity more broadly and consider
their volunteer base, board of directors and community partners.
HR Planning

When addressing workplace diversity, emphasis is often placed on groups of people who, for historical, cultural and systemic
HR Policies & Legislation
reasons, have been excluded from the workforce or face barriers or discrimination that limit their full participation in the labour
market. Diversity initiatives commonly refer to the policies, programs and strategies designed to promote representative
Getting the Right People
diversity within organizations.

Keeping the Right People


The broad categories of people that are generally used when addressing diversity in Canadian workplaces are outlined below.
While these groups may face similar barriers, they are each distinct and extremely diverse within themselves
Compensation & Benefits

Unless otherwise noted, the following labour force data is from recent Statistics Canada information at www.statscan.gc.ca.
Diversity at Work

Overview New Canadians (also referred to as immigrants or internationally trained workers)


Canadians born outside of Canada (excluding temporary foreign workers and work- or student-visa holders) represent almost
Elements of a Diverse Workplace
one-fifth of the Canadian population. In the very near future, immigration is projected to account for almost all of Canada's net
Why Diversity Matters population growth. The vast majority of recent immigrants to Canada are from Asia (including the Middle-East) followed by
Europe, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Africa.
Building a Foundation for
Diversity
Racialized communities (also referred to as visible minority or ethno-cultural communities)
Legal Considerations According to Statistics Canada figures from 2006, roughly one in six Canadians are members of a visible minority group. These
numbers will continue to rise, as more new Canadians arrive from Asia, Africa, Central and South America. More than half the
Recruitment and Hiring Practices
population of Toronto, and close to half the population of Vancouver, are racialized Canadians.
Inclusive and Supportive
Workplace According to the HR Council’s 2008 Labour Force Study, the nonprofit sector isn't as racially diverse as other economic sectors.

1 of 3 10/4/2015 1:53 PM
Elements of a diverse workforce | Diversity at Work | HR Toolkit | hrcoun... http://www.hrcouncil.ca/hr-toolkit/diversity-workforce.cfm

Inclusive Language Guide While some areas of the sector are more representative of the wider population (for example, organizations that offer
immigration and settlement services tend to be more diverse), overall, the paid workforce in the nonprofit sector is not.

Workplaces That Work


Ancestral diversity

Learning & Development Aboriginal Peoples is a collective term that includes three separate peoples with unique heritages, languages, cultural practices
and beliefs: First Nations, Métis and Inuit. The Aboriginal Peoples population in Canada is young and growing. Statistics Canada

Resource Index estimates that there will be a 41.9 % increase of young Aboriginal adults in the Canadian labour market between 2001 and 2017.

Ontario and the four western provinces have the largest Aboriginal Peoples populations. In 2006, the highest proportions of
Take Stock Aboriginal populations were found in Nunavut (85.0%), the Northwest Territories (50.3%), Yukon (25.1%), Manitoba (15.5%)
and Saskatchewan (14.9%). Aboriginal Peoples in Canada are increasingly settling in urban areas.

Many nonprofits that work specifically with Aboriginal Peoples communities have a much larger representation of Aboriginal
employees than the rest of the sector. While many current labour force initiatives are focused on the integration of Aboriginal
Peoples into the workforce, the majority of these are found in construction, forestry, trade and business sectors.

The Aboriginal Human Resource Council creates and markets a wide range of products, services and networks to help
organizations develop inclusive workplaces. In addition, the BC Association of Friendship Centers in British Columbia
convenes a network of Aboriginal nonprofits to address common HR issues. Advancing the Aboriginal Non-Profit
Workforce is their first report.

Looking for a specific checklist,


tool, template or sample policy?

Find it fast in the Resource Index. Gender in the workplace


The nonprofit sector’s labour force is predominantly female: a full three-quarters (75%) of those working in the sector are
women. In most areas of the sector, however, men occupy a disproportionate number of senior management positions, while
women are overrepresented in administrative and support-staff areas. One notable exception to this is the Health and Social
Services sector, where women are better represented in senior positions. While increasing the number of women working in the
sector is not a priority, the gender gap in leadership is an issue of concern.

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, two-spirited and queer (GLBTTQ) community


GLBTTQ employees are a part of all Canadian communities and are increasingly “out”, open and thriving in the workplace.
While Canadian society’s attitudes towards GLBTTQ people is shifting towards increased awareness and acceptance, there is
still work to be done to assure that all job seekers and employees are treated with equal respect and dignity, and are protected
from discrimination and harassment.

People who identify themselves as GLBTTQ may be hesitant to reveal their sexual orientation or gender identity due to
consequences that could occur in the workplace. Colleagues may change the way they behave or career opportunities could
become stifled. Individuals themselves may become the focus of discrimination or harassment in many forms, ranging from
subtle comments or inappropriate jokes, to more blatant and hostile homophobic conduct and bullying. For some GLBTTQ
employees, fear about being one’s true self at work is an ongoing source of stress. This stress limits the quality of workplace
relationships and can have a negative impact on productivity and health.

CharityVillage’s Non-Profit Neighbourhood directory provides a listing (under LGBT) that makes it easy to find GLBTTQ
organizations in any community, For further online information, webinars and training courses, please visit Out and Equal
Workplace Advocates.

2 of 3 10/4/2015 1:53 PM
Elements of a diverse workforce | Diversity at Work | HR Toolkit | hrcoun... http://www.hrcouncil.ca/hr-toolkit/diversity-workforce.cfm

Employees with disabilities


Millions of Canadians have one or more disabilities. The term disability can be interpreted broadly to include:

A physical impairment, mental illness, developmental or learning disability


Permanent disabilities, such as a hearing or mobility impairment
Temporary disabilities such as an illness or impairment resulting from an accident
Visible disabilities, such as person who uses a mobility aid or wheelchair
Invisible disabilities, such as an intellectual impairment or mental health illness. These disabilities are sometimes referred to
as hidden because they often are undisclosed due to societal stigma and fear of negative impact on employment

While it is true that some people with disabilities are unable to participate in the paid workforce, many can work, and would like
to work, but are prevented from doing so because of discrimination and barriers.

For more nonprofit sector labour force information, please visit the Labour Force Matters section of the HR Council’s website.

Next section: Why a diverse workplace matters

Back to top

Copyright © Community Foundations of Canada | Content Disclaimer | Privacy Statement

3 of 3 10/4/2015 1:53 PM

You might also like