The Context for EDI in Staff Recruitment

Key Concepts and Context

Overview of Key Concepts

Before we discuss the steps in the recruitment and selection process, let’s discuss the context for equitable hiring. This next section will:

• Provide a picture of the diversity landscape across Canada;
• Emphasize why an equity and inclusion lens is important in the recruitment and selection process; and
• Dispel myths about equity and inclusion in the recruitment and selection process.

The Context for EDI in Recruitment

What percentage of individuals in Canada do you think identify as women?

• 50.4 percent of the population identifies as female in Canada.

Racialized?

• More than a quarter (27%) of young Canadians aged 15–34 self-identified as a member of a diverse racial/ethnic group in 2016, slightly more than double the share (13%) in 1996. The median age of people of colour in 2016 was 33.9, compared to the overall population’s median age of 40.7.

Indigenous?

• More than 1.67 million people in Canada (4.9% of the population of Canada) self-identified as an Indigenous person on Canada’s 2016 Census of Population.

As a person with a disability?

• According to the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability, more than 6 million Canadians aged 15 and over (22% of the population) identify as having a disability, and it is expected actual numbers are likely higher.

As a member of the LGBTQ2IA+ community?

• According to CCHS data from 2015 to 2018, an estimated 900,000 Canadians were lesbian, gay, or bisexual, representing 3.3% of the population aged 15 and older. Within this group, a slightly larger proportion identified as bisexual than lesbian or gay (1.8% versus 1.5%).

What percentage of senior company leaders in Canada do you think identify as members of equity-deserving groups?

New study finds less than 1 per cent of Canadian corporate leaders are Black (The Star)

• 50% of distributing corporations have at least one woman on the board of directors. 16% have at least one member of a visible minority, 1.7% have at least one Indigenous person, and 1.7% have at least one person with disabilities.
• Women hold 17% of board seats, members of visible minorities hold 4%, and persons with disabilities and Indigenous persons hold 0.3% each.
• Women hold 25% of all senior management positions, members of visible minorities hold 9%, persons with disabilities hold 0.6%, and Indigenous persons hold 0.2%.
• 14% of distributing corporations have set targets for the representation of women on their boards, and 1% have set targets for at least one of the other designated groups
• 32% of distributing corporations have adopted written policies relating to the identification and nomination of women on their boards, and 26% of have adopted similar policies relating to Indigenous peoples, members of visible minorities and persons with disabilities.

What does the diversity of your own department look like? What diversity gaps do you identify?

Source: Canada, C. (2021, May 14). Diversity of boards of directors and senior management of Federal Distributing Corporations. Corporations Canada. Retrieved March 29, 2022, from https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cd-dgc.nsf/eng/cs08998.html