Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER May 2, 2016 12 NEWS where they fit in terms of number of representation and all of it." As part of its recruitment strategy, Cogeco also includes diversity in its external visibility, which means including diversity statements in internal and exter- nal job postings. And an internal women's network aims to support the career advancement of wom- en within the organization. Port of Vancouver maps out talent Another winner, Port of Vancou- ver, is the country's largest port and it's also looking to become the most sustainable port in the world, according to Sandra Case, vice-president of human resourc- es and labour relations. "To do that, we need to access the best talent and so we make tar- geted efforts to make sure that we bring everyone into the competi- tion," she said. "When I announce our employees' names at the town hall for the new hires, I can't say half of them because we're really looking around the globe for our talent and we're getting it." In accessing all of the different talent pools, people aren't blocked out because they are a certain na- tionality or have a certain disabil- ity, and actually get the best talent, she said. "You literally bring everyone into the competition and then you hire the best person, so that affects your bottom line and it af- fects your productivity and your innovation." To ensure greater equity, the CEO of the 330-employee port has provided leadership in this area, particularly around gender, said Case, which means making sure women are half-and-half represented in the competition for leadership positions. "As well, our HR team has a very diverse background so there's no bias going into any of the inter- views, and we educate our man- agers that they've got to recognize that they want the best talent, not the people who look or act like them." e port provides training on the topic, particularly for HR, and targeted leadership training has also helped, said Case. "Leadership opportunities come up in different areas out- side of our organization — to be on our board of trade or to rep- resent the organization — and we use our talent map to reach out to people. Often, they're people who might not be the corporate white male profile and… I often have the response 'I don't know why you're asking me' and my response is 'Well, it's because you're smart and you work hard,' and people are noticing that," she said. "But I think a lot of people who are in visible minority positions or female, or persons with disability or Aboriginal, all those categories, there's sort of a reticence to think that you deserve a promotion or to think that you are entitled or could be a leader, even though you work as hard and are as smart as anybody else. So I would say that's kind of a different approach too, in that we really look at our talent map and try and get people involved who are in key positions." As for the award, that helps the cause, said Case. "We're a very competitive or- ganization, we're competing in the world marketplace and so this has set a new benchmark for us in making sure that we win next year and improve our stats going forward." Group strategy at Cargill At Cargill AgHorizons Canada, selecting, developing, engag- ing and retaining diverse talent enables the company to achieve its strategic goals, according to Leslie Stanier, director of human resources in Winnipeg at the provider of food, agriculture and risk management products and services. "Not only does diversity make the workplace more dynamic and interesting for everyone, but hav- ing an inclusive culture that builds on that diversity is what leads to successful business results," said Stanier. In addition, diversity has an impact on the brand as it can be- come a self-fulfilling prophecy, she said. "We want to attract employees who bring a broad range of diver- sity and prospective employees want to work for an employer who appreciates their unique perspec- tive," said Stanier. "When people with different backgrounds come together to meet challenges and solve prob- lems, business is more creative, innovative and, ultimately, more successful. Leveraging inclusion and diversity in Cargill leads to more ideas, meaningful connec- tions with community groups and more value for our custom- ers. is is what makes a great company." e company, which has 150,000 global employees, has several ini- tiatives to improve diversity in its workforce. For one, leadership has developed an inclusion and diver- sity strategy that is linked to the business strategy. ere are also business resource groups (BRGs) comprised of employees who focus on recruiting, developing, engag- ing and retaining a diverse work- force in an inclusive environment, she said. "Each BRG has a focus area aligned with employment equity requirements and they work col- laboratively together with leader- ship support and governance." A communication strategy sup- ports the efforts of each group, with tactics such as monthly awareness articles distributed to employees, quarterly newsletters, lunch-and-learn sessions, a web- site and posters. Inclusion training is also pro- vided to managers, which they facilitate to their team members, said Stanier. And partnerships are developed with external organiza- tions that support the strategy and goals. ere is a comprehensive on- boarding program for new hires and Cargill employees also com- plete a self-declaration survey on a regular basis and. A regular employee engagement survey also asks questions about the inclusive environment. And information gathered from exit interviews is reviewed regularly to understand inclusion and diversity impacts, she said. And when it comes to recruit- ment, "job postings, policies and programs are reviewed regularly to ensure compliance with em- ployment equity requirements and eliminate any barriers to inclusion and diversity," said Stanier. In the end, receiving the award was great recognition for Cargill's focus on inclusion and diversity, she said. "It provides us with an oppor- tunity to promote our commit- ment externally and internally and provides recognition for the employees that volunteer their time to increasing the diversity of Cargill and creating inclusive environment." Diversity integrated into management practices AWARDS < pg. 9 Employees at Port of Vancouver, which focuses on bringing everyone into the competition, says Sandra Case, vice-president of human resources and labour relations. "When people with different backgrounds come together to meet challenges and solve problems, business is more creative, innovative and, ultimately, successful."

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