Talent Processes Tool

Alignment with the Publicly Available Specification (PAS)

It is important to note that terminology is ever evolving and may not be reflected in external links and resources throughout the What Works Toolkit. The terms used within the toolkit align with the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) document developed by the Diversity Institute, and sponsored by the Standards Council of Canada in support of the Government of Canada’s 50 – 30 Challenge. Section 3.1 in the PAS defines Equity-Deserving Groups as follows:

3.1 Equity-Deserving Groups

The Challenge’s equity-deserving groups include those identifying as: Racialized, Black, and/or People of Colour (“Visible Minorities”), People with disabilities (including invisible and episodic disabilities), 2SLGBTQ+ and/or gender and sexually diverse individuals, and “Aboriginal” and/or Indigenous Peoples. The program and participants recognize First Nation Peoples, Métis Nation, and Inuit as founding Peoples of Canada and under-represented in positions of economic influence and leadership.

Please refer to the PAS for additional information on the 50 – 30 Challenge as well as tools and resources for your organization.

Purpose of this Tool

Talent processes are the foundational systems and mechanisms in place to support organizations in attracting, developing and retaining its talent.

The purpose of this Talent Processes tool is to support your organization in adapting your talent processes to be more inclusive and equitable and promote diversity:

This tool will deep-dive into several critical processes to support organizations in hiring and developing their leaders
Examples of leading practices and recommendations for each process will be highlighted
Case studies are included throughout to emphasize how others made a difference through their talent processes

Through this tool, you will gain a deeper understanding on:

How your organization can shape your leadership makeup
How you can best support various priority groups through talent processes
What your organization can do to support diverse talent

How is this Relevant to the 50 – 30 Challenge?

Talent processes are the primary channel through which leaders enter and develop within an organization
Talent processes can serve as a barrier or enabler for priority groups to enter and succeed in an organization
Talent processes develop current employees into Senior Leadership and Board positions

Talent processes interact with and impact everyone in an organization.

Key Takeaways for All Organizations

1.0 The Leader Journey

There are several talent processes through which your leaders interact with your organization. These processes are visualized by the Leader Journey.

Once you have a need identified for a leadership role to be filled within your organization, you will engage in different talent processes to attract, recruit and retain this individual.

2.0 Recruitment

You must first determine if you are going to recruit and fill this role internally or externally. There are considerations you must make for both circumstances.

When recruiting internally, it is important to ensure that each qualified candidate is given an equal opportunity to be successful.

When recruiting externally, it is critical to consider barriers and enablers for candidates across all stages of the recruiting cycle.

3.0 Mentorship

Ensuring that all leaders have access to mentorship opportunities to grow within your organization will not only promote retention but also contribute to business success.

Formalized mentorship programs support this and cultivate a community of togetherness, with leaders helping one another.

When engaging in activities, it is important that activities are inclusionary and consider the preferences of all leaders.

4.0 Training and Development

Training and development helps your organization to upskill your leaders and build their competencies in several areas.

Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) trainings will support the development of cultural competencies for leaders. Soft skill and technical trainings will help your leaders be set up for success in their roles.

5.0 Succession Planning

Succession planning is a fundamental process to helping current employees grow into and enter the leader pipeline.

It is important to establish a formal succession planning program that takes into account all leaders and assesses them against a uniform set of criteria and expectations.

Additionally, organizations must be accountable for promoting diversity at the leadership level, and therefore should continue to track representation across all levels.

6.0 Education and Awareness

Organizations have a unique platform to shape the next generation of leaders within Canada.

To those that have the resources to do so, organizations are highly encouraged to invest in education and development programs to build the skills of candidates before they even enter their Leader Journey.

What Does this Mean for Small / Medium Organizations?

1.0 The Leader Journey

The Leader Journey will have the same number of Pit Stops, however the leader can vary from owner, to supervisor, to manager
Have an individual or small team dedicated to overseeing the execution of activities at each of the Pit Stops, who have received HR training and understand how to apply an EDI lens
As a current organizational leader, continue to set the tone for the Leader Journey and provide oversight and direction to embedding EDI in talent processes at each of the Pit Stops

2.0 Recruitment

Ensure that the individual(s) leading the recruitment efforts has received basic EDI training, free of charge
Maintain at minimum two individuals to facilitate the recruitment efforts to minimize potential bias throughout the process
Regularly and clearly communicate the organization’s employee policy and values towards EDI and leverage inclusive language in all recruitment materials
Leverage and install browser extensions that help to remove photos and gender-coded words from searches

3.0 Mentorship

Establish a group mentorship program with several leaders so that colleagues can get together, learn from each other and receive mentorship support
Host small team socials with leaders that are inclusive and non-gender conforming in nature, to provide networking opportunities to your leaders
Promote a culture of allyship so that priority group leaders feel that they have colleagues to help support them and lift them up

4.0 Training and Development

Ensure that all leaders in the organization are receiving basic EDI training, free of charge
Ensure that the organization supports leaders in receiving necessary skills-based and role-based training that is required for them to succeed, free of charge
Hire an in-house or temporary learning and development lead to create and facilitate training for leadership roles. This can include partnerships with community organizations
Call on current leaders to help facilitate training as they can draw on their past experiences (e.g. hosting a “lunch and learn”)
Consider signing up for community activities like book/article clubs to receive education around structural racism, unconscious bias, and other social justice and equity issues

5.0 Succession Planning

Instate a regular performance cycle and communicate the criteria used to evaluate leaders. These reviews can also be used as a space to discuss growth opportunities with leaders and how they can progress in the organization
Perform an assessment to track representation across levels of the organization and determine pain points where the organization can be doing more

6.0 Education and Awareness

Owners and leaders should connect and participate in online or in-person affinity groups to expand their networks and join diversity conversations
Hire volunteers, interns or part-time staff at a younger age to provide them with coaching and experience earlier on in their professional careers

What Does this Mean for Large Organizations?

1.0 The Leader Journey

Establish a formalized People Strategy at the start of each fiscal year that includes sections dedicated to specific actions the organization will take for each Pit Stop to promote EDI
Dedicate at least two individuals from the HR team to act as EDI Champions, who review talent processes and provide feedback from an EDI perspective

2.0 Recruitment

Create a dedicated HR team with at minimum two assigned individuals to lead recruitment efforts for specific functions or departments within the organization
Partner with talent agencies who can help the organization source talent from non-traditional channels and different priority groups (e.g. ‘hidden workers:’ caregivers, veterans, military spouses, immigrants, refugees, people without traditional qualifications, as well as those with physical disabilities, mental health challenges, and from less-advantaged populations)
Engage with recruitment technologies that are able to anonymize personal identifiers throughout the recruitment process and provide a more personalized candidate experience
Regularly and clearly communicate the organization’s employee policy and values towards EDI and leverage inclusive language in all digital, recruitment and brand materials

3.0 Mentorship

Establish a formal mentorship program through individualized one-on-one or small group program(s)
Host large-scale mentorship events, such as Fireside Chats, where several mentors and mentees can get together and participate in coaching-themed events
Increase sponsorship of priority group leaders to support them in reaching senior leadership levels
Have mentorship programs dedicated to leaders identifying from specific priority groups so that leaders can learn from mentors with who they have shared identities and experiences

4.0 Training and Development

Offer additional EDI courses to leaders to further their development (e.g. workshops, online courses, etc.)
Have a dedicated learning team that promotes a culture of learning and develops leadership learning paths for each function of the business
Engage with a learning consulting organization who can provide content and/or facilitate training for cultural competency development
Work with internal ERGs to host dedicated training sessions to share knowledge and broaden understanding of leadership of different priority groups
Consider launching internal community activities like book/article clubs to provide education around structural racism, unconscious bias, and other social justice and equity issues

5.0 Succession Planning

Assign a dedicated performance manager to each leader who helps to guide them through the succession planning process and achieving the next steps in a leader’s career
Perform at minimum annual assessments that track representation at a detailed level, across functions and departments
To enhance and secure the organization’s commitment to EDI, consider publishing diversity and inclusion data publicly

6.0 Education and Awareness

Instate cross-training programs to provide various skills to priority groups members that tend to congregate in specific functions and roles (e.g. providing financial training to women and/or non-binary employees in HR roles in the organization to increase representation of women and/or non-binary employees in Finance leadership roles)
Develop formal partnerships with educational institutions, including community colleges, colleges and universities to host upskilling and educational events, free of charge
Provide scholarships to students from priority groups who demonstrate leadership qualities, to support their education and career development
Hire interns at a younger age to provide them with coaching and experience earlier on in their professional careers

Scenario: Meet Karan

Karan is the Chief People Officer of a restaurant technology start-up.

While the start-up is continuing to experience strong growth, Karan has noticed a lack of diversity at the leadership level. This is starting to also impact the number of diverse candidates applying to entry-level roles. Karan wants to support his Human Resources team in taking actions to increase the diversity of the organization’s leadership, but doesn’t know where to start.

Karan comes to the Talent Processes Tool for help.

1.0 The Leader Journey

Welcome to the Leader Journey!

You are at Pit Stop #1, where you have recognized a need for a leader within your organization. You have officially opened your position, but where do you go from here?

The Leader Journey symbolizes the various talent processes that your leaders and talent interact with. Each of these Pit Stops are critical to ensuring your organization develops a diverse composition of talented leaders.

Whether you are hiring new leaders or developing your internal talent into the next generation of leaders, it is important that each of your talent processes ensure equity and promote a sense of belonging.

1.1 Position Open: Identifying a Need for a Leader

When determining the need for a position to open in your organization, consider engaging in the following activities:

Become aware of where under-representation lies in your organization. Under-representation can include skills, competencies, or priority group gaps
Engage in strategic discussions with other leaders to understand talent needs and challenges within different functions
If resources allow, conduct a workforce analysis to have a detailed understanding of your organization’s strengths and opportunities
If resources allow, conduct a survey with employees to see if they identify any talent or workforce needs at the leadership level
Halt and correct conversations that go in the direction towards tokenism

It is critical to be intentional and focused when you identify the need for a leader in your organization. Leadership sets the tone for culture, modelling inclusive behaviour and cultivating the next generation of leaders that continue to push EDI forward.

2.0 Pit Stop #2: Recruitment

Welcome to Recruitment!

Now that you have determined the need to hire your leader, you need to recruit them and fill the role.

You should first start by asking yourself where you will source and recruit your talent from.

Based on this, you can implement the right mechanisms to ensure that all individuals are set up for success within your recruitment process.

2.1 Reflection Moment: How Will I Recruit to Fill This Role?

You can and should first turn inwards if you have an internal pool of candidates that meet the qualifications required. If not, you will need to source the candidate through external channels.

2.2 Internally Source Candidates: Questions to Ask Yourself to Select the Right Individual

1. What qualifies an internal candidate to be a successful leader in this role?

2. Are the skills and criteria I am looking for achievable by all internal candidates?

3. What process am I engaging in to fill this role internally? Is this process equally available to everyone?

Appointment: Are all qualified candidates being considered before a leader is appointed?
Nomination: Am I ensuring that all leaders who nominate a candidate have equal say?
Selection: Am I considering all qualified candidates instead of just relying on those who apply?

4. Am I ensuring that the leader will bring in diverse perspectives currently not present on my leadership team?

5. Am I ensuring to use a uniform and consistent interview guide that assesses all candidates equally?

2.3.a Externally Source Candidates: Job Descriptions and Employment Postings

The first point of contact for a prospective candidate with an organization is through the Job Description and Employment Posting. This sets the tone and establishes your brand perception as an organization.

leading practices:

Develop a page on your organization website and/or career portal dedicated to equity, diversity and inclusion and your commitments
Dedicate an individual of your team to establish relationships with priority-group-based organizations to build a long-term pipeline of candidates
Go beyond job postings and attend / contribute to events from community-based organizations
Work cohesively with the marketing and public relations individual(s) of your organization to ensure your organization’s external brand image communicates your values on diversity

Specific actions to follow:

Simplify language on job postings so it is clear and easy to understand
Remove gender-coded words from job descriptions and postings
Align the desired candidate qualifications and experiences to only those necessary to complete the role’s tasks. Consider the value of metrics that may create a barrier for specific priority groups, such as years of work experience or formal education
Promote accessibility by posting to various channels. Ensure that the employment posting site is easy to navigate and simple to understand
Conduct outreach to priority-group-based talent organizations and job boards to promote your organization’s opportunities
Establish partnerships with organizations that work to advance candidates for priority groups

2.3.b Externally Source Candidates: Applicant Screening

Applicant Screening is a critical step through which candidates enter or are unable to enter the recruitment pipeline and subsequent next steps.

leading practices:

Implement resume screening tools that remove personal identifiers within each application, to prevent bias from hiring manager(s)

Specific actions to follow:

Remove personal identifiers from candidate applications that are not required or related to the role
Develop criteria to ensure consistent screening across all recruiters per role
Assess applications for skills stated in the job description, and focus on the “must-have’s”

2.3.c Externally Source Candidates: Candidate Interviewing

The interviewing process is what determines which candidates receive an employment opportunity in your organization, and can be heavily influenced by biases.

leading practices:

Ensure that hiring panels consist of diverse interviewers of varying intersectional backgrounds, so that candidates can see themselves reflected in the organization
Encourage post-interview debrief conversations amongst all interviewers to discuss each candidate with uniform criteria and ensure each candidate is assessed equally
Provide regular unconscious bias training, guides to identifying personal bias within the recruitment process, and progress tracking to interviewers as part of a comprehensive approach to bias reduction

Specific actions to follow:

Develop interview questions that are objective, relevant, and focus on core competencies required for the role
Adopt a standardized interview process for each role, with a standard duration, set of questions, and objective criteria to identify a successful candidate
Ensure that interview questions are focused on the role and would not put certain candidates at a disadvantage due to intersectional factors
Ensure all interviews are conducted at minimum in pairs of interviewers, in order to prevent personal bias from one interviewer in impacting the final decision

2.3.d Externally Source Candidates: Candidate Experience

Whether a candidate receives an offer or not, the candidate experience during recruitment is critical to ensuring the candidate feels comfortable and has a lasting positive impression of your organization.

leading practices:

Provide candidates with verbal and personal feedback if they are not selected for a role, to support their development and recruitment journey

Specific actions to follow:

Understand that all candidates hold unique needs that may not be easily or comfortably articulated. As an organization, adopt a proactive mindset to anticipate candidate needs and remove pressure from a candidate to disclose
Provide candidates with the option of requesting accommodations if required
Share resources, such as an Interview Success Guide, with candidates to provide clarity on the interview process and how to best prepare

2.3.e Externally Source Candidates: Hiring Manager Enablement

It is important to ensure that your hiring manager is educated and aware on their role to mitigating bias during the recruitment process.

leading practices:

Engage all hiring managers in bias training, as well as anti-racism and anti-discrimination training, on a regular basis
Involve senior leadership by dedicating a Recruitment Champion, who receives updates from hiring managers on a minimum quarterly basis and is able to escalate any concerns from the group and provide resources

Specific actions to follow:

Implement mechanisms to receive feedback from candidates to ensure continuous improvement of your recruitment process
Ensure hiring managers meet internally on a regular basis to review and discuss processes with each other and address questions
Create an interview guide for each role, so that all hiring managers are able to assess for each role equally and feel well-equipped to succeed

2.3.f Externally Source Candidates: Compensation and Total Rewards

When recruiting and providing an offer to a candidate, your organization must play a role in pay equity and reducing pay discrepancies.

leading practices:

Explicitly state salary expectations or ranges for a leadership role within job description and/or during interview to avoid discrepancies in candidate expectations and negotiations
Analyze existing pay across demographics within workforce to determine any discrepancies exist

Specific actions to follow:

Ensure pay equity practices are up to date and implement regular reviewing period on a minimum annual basis
Implement formal reward/recognition system that enables employees to recognize each other for their hard work through monetary and non-monetary means
Implement a regular performance evaluation period, during which salary decisions are made

Recruitment: Regional and Industry Considerations

Industry: Banking and Financial Services

Research from Bloomberg in 2020 indicates that Canada’s banking industry falls behind Canadian national progress with regards to EDI. At most Canadian banks, over 33% of staff identify as non-white, yet only 10% of senior executive roles and 8% of non-executive board positions are held by Racialized, Black and/or People of Colour individuals.

Recruit intentionally and with EDI in mind. Historically, Canadian banks and financial institutions have recruited from the same pools of talent, hindering the advancement of priority group talent.

Consider the following:

At the campus recruitment levels, student bodies within target schools are often not as diverse and pose financial barriers for diverse talent to enter. Seek partnerships with historically diverse educational institutions rather than focusing specifically on traditional target schools
Facilitate employment opportunities focused on specific priority groups, to cater to their needs. Ensure that recruiters and interviewers leading the change identify with these priority groups

Region: Northern Canada

Organizations operating in Northern Canada often find it difficult to attract and recruit talent from priority groups, as the majority of talent tend to live in metropolitan, urban areas.

Consider the following:

State opportunities for flexible working arrangements in job descriptions where possible, to expand the talent pool outside of the closest physical community. Flexible work can include remote working or hybrid working
Increase partnerships with community-based employment organizations, which offer job boards, resources and/or candidate matching with priority group talent

Industry: Food Services

According to Restaurants Canada, EDI considerations bring economic, operational, and morale benefits to the business. The food services sector is a leader in providing opportunities to priority group candidates.

Consider the following:

Remove areas of the job application that require a candidate to disclose the country in which they obtained their experience
Use competency-based measures to assess or showcase a candidate’s skills (job-related testing, behavioural interview questions, scenarios, etc.)
Recognize the value of on-the-job training

Scenario: Checkpoint 1

Welcome to your Talent Processes Scenario: Checkpoint 1!
After reading about Recruitment practices in Pit Stop #2, Karan went back to his HR team to learn about how the organization currently recruits leaders. Karan learns that the organization does not have a formalized recruitment process as there was no time to establish one while the start-up was growing. Currently, all applicants for leadership roles come through referrals, as this is the easiest way for the organization to quickly hire.

What actions should Karan take to improve the recruitment process? Select all that apply.

Work with HR to develop job postings that can be posted on the organization’s website

Keep the recruitment process as is. The referral system has worked so far and it can continue to work in the future

Create a formalized recruitment strategy to identify additional channels where the job description can be posted

Remove the referral process altogether

3.0 Pit Stop #3: Mentorship

Welcome to Mentorship!

Now that you have hired your leader, your next step is to help them grow within your organization.

Mentorship fosters a sense of belonging and ensures your leaders are able to learn from others on how to be successful within their role.

It is critical that mentorship is offered equally to everyone, and that the mentor opportunities cater to the unique identities of all leaders.

3.1 Mentorship: Formal Mentorship Opportunities

Formal mentorship opportunities are organization-developed programs that provide employees with the tools to enhance their leadership capabilities.

leading practices:

Focus specific mentorship programs / events on allyship to encourage leaders to support co-workers who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ and/or gender and sexually diverse individuals
Facilitate mentor training on how to become an impactful mentor and champion for leaders
Encourage senior leaders and board members to open space in their schedules to allow for mentorship opportunities for the next generation of leaders

Specific actions to follow:

Establish formal mentorship programs within your organization to support high-potential and board-ready talent in receiving active feedback and coaching to achieve senior leadership positions
Allow mentorship programs to be sponsored by senior leaders to ensure that junior leaders are receiving visibility and benefit from expansion of their network
Advise mentors to encourage mentees of priority groups and empower them to apply for leadership roles
Provide equal mentorship opportunities to all leaders to remove influence of informal mentorship mechanisms
Mentorship program activities should be inclusionary in nature. All mentees should receive an invitation and options to ensure the activity is not “traditionally exclusionary” (e.g. team-building events rather than golfing or hockey games, dinner at a restaurant rather than drinks after work)

Mentorship: Regional and Industry Considerations

Industry: Technology

The 2020 People of Colour in Tech report demonstrated that less than 5% of the workforce for large technology companies are composed of Black, Latinx and “Aboriginal” and/or Indigenous tech professionals. Employees of Colour find it difficult to access mentors, and Black employees reported it 62% more difficult to find a mentor than white respondents.

Priority group employees in the technology sector often do not see many leaders who look like them, and struggle to progress within the organization due to a lack of exposure.

Consider the following:

Design mentorship programs keeping in mind career progression, to enable priority group employees to achieve leadership positions
Host priority-group specific technology mentorship events, such as Black Professionals in Tech
Partner with community-based organizations to provide mentorship to young professionals looking to enter the technology industry

Region: Atlantic Canada

According to a 2022 report from the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council, women are well represented in employment in Atlantic Canada, consisting of approximately 50% of the workforce. Racialized, Black and/or People of Colour however only account for about 1 in 20 workers. The report also indicated that Black employees specifically are less likely to be promoted to manager and leader roles.

Consider the following:

Provide mentorship opportunities specific to diverse talent and leaders new to Atlantic Canada to help them expand their local network, and reduce social isolation that often arises from not being a local
Ensure mentors can provide education and learning for those learning French, if required by the role
Provide training on intersectionality to mentors, so they are able to support diverse talent

4.0 Pit Stop #4: Training and Development

Welcome to Training and Development

To continue building the competencies of your leader and ensuring they are supporting your organization, training and development are critical.

Training and development helps to upskill leaders with various identities and increases your employer brand reputation amongst competitors.

It is important to consider ways you can support your leaders, their growth, and ultimately, their success.

4.1 Training and Development: Training

Training includes resources provided directly by your organization or externally procured to support your talent in learning new skills and developing new competencies.

leading practices:

Align training with your organization’s operating goals and use corporate communications to ensure all leaders are aware of opportunities
Provide training that meets the unique identities of different leaders (e.g. Networking and Personal Branding for Women program)
Offer trainings that meet the unique learning styles and preferences of leaders, such as lectures, gamification and scenario-based trainings

Specific actions to follow:

Enable employee resource groups (ERGs) or internal priority-group-based associations to provide formal training or informal “lunch and learns” regarding their communities
Offer training in-house or through external service providers that teach both soft and technical skills required of your leaders
Ensure all leaders have equal access to training opportunities and training meets their unique needs
Promote learning throughout the year as a continuous process, not a one-time initiative
Review and update your training program on an annual basis to keep up with evolving role expectations

4.2 Training and Development: Growth and Development

In addition to training, there are several other ways your organization can support the growth and development of your leaders.

leading practices:

Host cultural competency workshops for leaders, in partnership with priority-group-based organizations
Assign internal coaches to leaders who can work with them to action their growth and development goals

Specific actions to follow:

Establish professional development programs to help leaders achieve their professional goals
Promote a culture of continuous learning and development through internal communications and messaging from senior leadership

Training and Development: Regional and Industry Considerations

Industry: Fisheries and Oceans

The ocean sector is lagging behind in attracting a diverse labour force as opportunities in this industry are not highly visible due to their niche, technical training and hiring processes.

To improve inclusion of women and/or non-binary individuals within the sector, consider the following:

Improve education and awareness that a career in the ocean sector is viable and accessible; partner with women and/or non-binary individuals, allies, and employers
Sponsor women and/or non-binary individuals to pursue leadership roles within the organizations and encourage them to offer diverse perspectives on company management and talent attraction
To pursue work as newcomers without prior connections to this field, women and/or non-binary individuals would benefit from additional resources, financial aid (gender issues can complicate pursuit of first-time loans), assets (support to purchase a boat/equipment, obtain a license), access to well-advertised education/financial opportunities, networking and mentorship

Industry: Healthcare

According to a report from Osler, in 2021, only 15% of Executive Officers and 17% of Board Members identified as a woman in the Life Sciences Industry, ranking as the smallest percentage from 13 industries.

Diversity in healthcare is important to ensure equitable healthcare outcomes for staff and patients as well.

Consider the following:

Provide training to staff to understand the importance of accommodation to meet priority group healthcare needs
Dedicate leaders to oversee training and partnerships for priority group healthcare education

Scenario: Checkpoint 2

Welcome to your Talent Processes Scenario: Checkpoint 2!
After reviewing Training and Development at Pit Stop #4, Karan goes to investigate the role requirements the organization has set out for leaders. He realizes that the organization asks each leader to have a specific food license certification which costs approximately $2300 to obtain. The organization currently expects all new leaders to obtain and hold this certification prior to joining.

Karan is reflecting on what he has learned so far and is not sure if this mandatory certification is an inclusive practice. What should Karan do?

Keep this requirement. It is important that everyone has this certification as it provides the skills needed for leaders in the organization

Remove the requirement altogether

Keep the requirement, however, remove it as a pre-requisite for the role. Provide leaders with financial compensation to cover some or all costs to ensure everyone can achieve the certification

5.0 Pit Stop #5: Succession Planning

Welcome to Succession Planning!

You are at the final stop in your Leader Journey!

Whether you have hired new talent externally or filled your position internally, succession planning is a key talent process that enables growth and retention.

Succession planning is a primary consideration your organization needs to make to ensure the longevity of your leader pipeline.

5.1 Succession Planning: Program Development

Developing a robust succession planning process and program ensures that employees can visualize their journey to becoming a leader, and current leaders see growth in their roles.

leading practices:

Provide candidates from priority groups with the opportunity to participate in informational interviews so they are able to prepare for the promotion process and receive feedback
Integrate equity, diversity and inclusion into leadership competencies and link back to performance evaluation

Specific actions to follow:

Develop a formal succession planning program so candidates are aware of opportunities to grow within the organization, if resources are available
Create a structure where employees are able to self-nominate for promotions and / or participation within a succession planning program
Ensure an established structure and criteria are in place to assess candidates objectively and mitigate various biases

5.2 Succession Planning: Accountability

It is important you remain accountable for your role and contribution to sustaining the pipeline of leaders within your organization.

leading practices:

Collect disaggregated self-identification data to identify gaps in current leadership composition and where action is required
Place accountability by sharing progress and results towards diverse representation at leadership levels externally, via communications

Specific actions to follow:

Actively track representation across all levels and metrics to measure priority group success in achieving leadership and board positions within the organization
Leverage analytical solutions to visualize and report changes internally

Succession Planning: Regional and Industry Considerations

Industry: Forestry

Statistics Canada identified that the forestry industry currently employs 17% women, 9% Racialized, Black and/or People of Colour, 7% “Aboriginal” and/or Indigenous peoples and 12% newcomers to Canada.

Due to working conditions within the forestry sector, such as often operating in remote areas, as well as performing heavy-lifting and labour, there is currently a lack of diversity within the industry.

Consider the following:

Provide flexibility in employment opportunities with internationally accredited individuals, who have the right skills and possess potential to grow
Sponsor priority group talent to grow into leadership roles
Consider new arrangements to help caregivers better manage work-family conflict and improve work-life balance. For example, those that require time to commute to place and pick-up their child from daycare should be provided time and accommodations to do so

6.0 Starting from the Beginning: Education and Awareness

What Can You Do Before You Even Start the Leader Journey?

As an organization, you can play a significant role in developing the next generation of Canadian Leaders.

With the right tools and resources, you can start developing the leader pipeline by investing in the education and awareness of those young in their careers or not even in the labour market as of yet.

6.1 Education and Awareness

For organizations with the resources available, there is a key opportunity to begin building leader talent, especially for priority groups, at an early stage.

Specific actions to follow:

Offer high school internship or volunteer opportunities to open up roles and exposure to individuals at an early age
Partner with priority group community-based organizations focused on providing education and skill-building tools to youth
Target alternative forms of education within your recruitment pipeline, such as various degrees, trades and professional designations

Education and Awareness: Regional and Industry Considerations

Industry: Media and Publishing

Traditionally, entry-level career opportunities and internships within the publishing industry have been limited, with unpaid or underpaid roles available to young people. Many publication organizations have also relied on traditional pipelines within familiar circles to recruit talent, preventing the entry of priority group talent. This structure limits access to the industry and benefits only those with economic privilege to participate.

To expand the applicant pool to attract candidates from priority groups, consider the following:

Create databases for candidates from priority groups and target a wider range of job boards for posting opportunities
Provide information to the public on how to enter the industry, offer opportunities to gain specialized industry skills, and host fairly paid internships and job placements
Go beyond usual internal networks in hiring staff and contributors
Provide paid opportunities and pay according to fair, consistent, and transparent wage structures
Offer media-related training and courses to help develop skills for priority group talent

Region: Remote Areas in Canada

Organizations operating in rural areas of Canada can often lack diversity in their workforce and communities. It is important to move away from the concept of a “business case for advancing EDI,” as diversity in thought, perspective and identity benefits everyone.

Consider the following:

Provide remote working opportunities, if possible, to broaden the reach of roles and attract priority group talent
Work with community-based organizations focused on specific priority groups to engage with those communities

Region: Urban Areas in Canada

Organizations operating in highly-populated areas of Canada often focus solely on their surrounding urban communities. Often times, this causes populations who experience barriers to access and opportunities, on the outskirts of urban areas, to be overlooked.

Consider the following:

Host employment workshops in targeted areas, such as traditionally low-income neighborhoods, with limited access to opportunity. Provide educational opportunities to youth to develop their skills and talent
Invest in communities, such as creating learning spaces, specific job opportunities, or providing resources

Scenario: Checkpoint 3

Welcome to your Talent Processes Scenario: Checkpoint 3!
Karan reflects on Pit Stop #5 about Succession Planning. Currently, a large component of organizational assessments and consideration for promotion at leadership levels is the number of “big profile projects” an individual has led. These projects are known to have long hours and a high-stress environment. Individuals who volunteer have an expectation to work evenings and weekends.

Karan wants to present a business case for leadership as to why this is an unfair consideration for the promotion process. What should he include? Select all that apply.

There is no need for the business case. It is fair to expect leaders to put in the work and time if they want to be promoted

This expectation is not fair for those who are caregivers or have additional commitments outside of work that prevent them from putting in additional hours

This expectation can act as a barrier for priority group employees who are uncomfortable “competing” for high-profile projects

The organization should not be promoting a culture that leads to burnout

Considerations for Various Sectors

Private Sector Organizations

Leaders should look for opportunities to leverage the agility and resources of the private sector to provide actions that benefit workers and ultimately improve the bottom line. For example, private sector organizations can:
- Show a real commitment to supporting businesses owned by different priority groups (supply chain diversity)
- Demonstrate a commitment to ethics — providing living wage, paid family leave, tuition reimbursement, time off to participate in parent-teacher conferences and to volunteer, provide work-from-home flexibility when needed, increase philanthropic commitments, and match employee donations
Leverage the “Build, Buy, or Borrow” approach to grow talent internally, hire externally, and use contingent workers to bring in expertise temporarily — all with EDI in mind. Firms can implement early-career programs, lateral talent training, job shares, and rehire programs to help improve their EDI profile. They can also employ executive recruiters from boutique search firms and community-based organizations to hire external talent
Seek to understand the value of your organization’s social currency within the landscape of the broader community and the people you serve. How is your organization’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion viewed, and is there alignment with your actions and the values of the surrounding environment?

Public / Non-Profit Sector Organizations

Historically, non-profits have a top-down leadership structure where decisions are made exclusively at the top; consider whether the decision-making structure needs more collaboration with representatives from priority groups; enable, empower, and elevate the voices of members of priority groups, encourage them to craft solutions to the challenges they face
Commit to deeply embedding equity, diversity and inclusion within your governing bylaws
Think creatively about recruitment: consider internships, hackathons, virtual project teams, and other strategies that can help build relationships with a wider region, raise awareness of career opportunities, and emphasize the value and satisfaction of working in the public service
Avoiding immediately disqualifying candidates with a criminal record, unless required by the role (e.g. unless the role has financial responsibilities or requires close work with children)
Consider what training, leadership, educational, or social barriers there are in your organization that keep priority group team members from reaching their full potential (overt racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, unfair performance evaluation, unequal access to networks)

Additional Resources

There are many other resources that you can leverage to adapt your talent processes to be more inclusive and promote equity, diversity and belonging. Consider the resources below!

Catalyst Canada
- 7 Things You Can Do to Recruit Women of Colour (Blog Post) | Catalyst
The Conference Board of Canada
- Small-Medium Organizations: Work-Integrated Learning in the post COVID-19 World
Free to Grow
- EDI Resources for the Forestry Industry
Government of Canada
- Rethinking Disability in the Private Sector
Government of Northwest Territories
- Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Framework
- Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Action Plan
Indigenous Leadership Development Institute
- Building a Legacy of Indigenous Leadership
New Brunswick Multicultural Association
- Cultural Competency Training
Public Policy Forum
- Mapping the Landscape: Indigenous Skills Training and Jobs in Canada
RevolutionHer
- The Importance of Mentorship
Rick Hansen Foundation
- Accessibility Certification Tip Sheet
Tidal Equality
- The Equity Sequence Training
The 519
- LGBTQ2S Inclusion Playbook: A Series of Best Practices for Healthcare Environments
Fortay
- Culture Add Hiring

There are multiple organizations with job boards focused on providing priority-group talent with opportunities. Some examples include:

Tellent: Post a Job to Reach More Female Talent
Board Ready Women: Find Female Talent for Your Board
Rick Hansen Foundation: Post an Accessibility Job
Pride at Work: Become a Partner and Post on the Job Board
Indigenous Professional Association of Canada: Post a Job to Reach the Indigenous Professionals Community

Scenario: Conclusion

After reviewing the Talent Processes Tool, Karan has a better idea of specific steps and actions his organization can take to invite more priority group leaders into his organization.

Karan has a great Human Resources team that is passionate to drive this forward, but understands the importance of his role as a leader in providing direction, oversight as well as resources to make this all a reality.

Karan is excited to get started!

References

Allen, P., CNBC (2010). 10 Ways to Invest in Youth
Altimare, J., Forbes (2022). Four Ways To Increase Representation And Pay For Black Women In Corporate America
Association of Canadian Publishers (2018). 2018 Canadian Book Publishing Diversity Baseline Survey: Summary Report
Bergman, F., Maity, S., Atlantic Provinces Economic Council (2022). By the Numbers: Diversity & Inclusion in Atlantic Canada
Bersin, J., Nangia, N., The Josh Bersin Company (2021). Scotiabank Transforms Campus Recruiting. Replacing Resumes with Behavioral Assessments
Canadian Bankers Association (2021). Focus: Representation of Women at Banks in Canada
Creary, S., Ghai, S., McDonnell, M., & Scruggs, J., Harvard Business Review (2019). When and Why Diversity Improves Your Board’s Performance
Cronin, N., Guider (2022). How To Start A Mentoring Program: A Step By Step Guide
Davidson, S., CTV News (2022). This Ontario company will pay you for a job interview and here’s how much
Diversio (2021). Achieving Diversity and Inclusion in The Banking Sector
Forbes Business Development Council, Forbes (2018). 15 Best Ways to Ensure Employee Training Makes An Impact
Fosbrook, B., Kaplan, S., Pichette, J., Pride at Work (2020). Transitioning Employers: A survey of policies and practices for trans inclusive workplaces,” a joint report from the Institute for Gender and the Economy and Pride at Work Canada
Free to Grow (2020). Our Story – FAQS
Gino, F., & Coffman, K., Harvard Business Review (2021). Unconscious Bias Training that Works
Glassdoor Team, Glassdoor (2021). The Blind Hiring Process: What It Is & How to Do It?
Heighington, J., Google (2021). Using Self-ID to Create a More Inclusive Workplace
Jamal, A., Jamal, Z., Zenec and Associates, Diversity and Inclusion Consultants (2021). The State of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity in the Canadian Magazine Industry: Survey Report (Summary)
Johanson, M., BBC (2021). Hybrid work: How ‘proximity bias’ can lead to favouritism
Jouany, V., & Martic, K., Haiilo (2021). Diversity and Inclusion Best Practices to Focus on in 2022
Journalism & Communication, Carleton University (2021). Globe and Mail launches new mentorship program for Indigenous and Racialized journalism students at Carleton University | School of Journalism and Communication
Kang, S., Decelles, K., Tilcsik, A., & Jun, S., Harvard Business Review (2016). The Unintended Consequences of Diversity Statements
MacDougall, A., Valley, J., & Jeffrey, J., Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP (2022). Diversity Disclosure Practices
McMaster University (2020). Museum launches curatorial mentorship program for BIPOC leadership
Nathan, A., SHRM (2016). 7 Key Steps for Better Training and Development Programs
National Consortium for Indigenous Economic Development, University of Victoria (2020). Indigenous management and leadership programs
Obsidian HR (2022). 7 Tips to Improve Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in Small Businesses
Olsen, S., Inhersight (2021). Succession Planning: Building Diversity, Equity & Inclusion into Your Company’s Leadership Pipeline, 2021
Huisache, S., TrustRadius (2020). 2020 People of Color in Tech Report
Strategic Policy and Evaluation Division., Government of Prince Edward Island (2020). Gender Inclusion in Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Fisheries in Prince Edward Island, Canada: Results from a Survey
Suiter, T., CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion (2022). Catalyst@HP
Restaurants Canada., Centennial College (2019). How to Create a Positive & Inclusive Workplace
Russell-Kraft, S., Business Insider (2020). How to build a diverse and inclusive workforce as a small business
The Ocean Allies Project., Nova Scotia Business Incorporated (2020). Diversity and Inclusion in the Ocean Sector Labour Force
Toronto Public Library (2022). Elders in Residence
White, D., Hill, B., London Health Sciences Centre (2022). Indigenous Healing Space

Talent Processes Tool

Alignment with the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) ​

Purpose of this Tool

Key Takeaways for All Organizations

What Does this Mean for Small / Medium Organizations?

What Does this Mean for Large Organizations?

Scenario: Meet Karan

1.0 The Leader Journey​

Welcome to the Leader Journey!

1.1 Position Open: Identifying a Need for a Leader

2.0 Pit Stop #2: Recruitment

Welcome to Recruitment!

2.1 Reflection Moment: How Will I Recruit to Fill This Role?

2.2 Internally Source Candidates: Questions to Ask Yourself to Select the Right Individual

2.3.a Externally Source Candidates: Job Descriptions and Employment Postings

leading practices:

Specific actions to follow:

2.3.b Externally Source Candidates: Applicant Screening

leading practices:

Specific actions to follow:

2.3.c Externally Source Candidates: Candidate Interviewing

leading practices:

Specific actions to follow:

2.3.d Externally Source Candidates: Candidate Experience

leading practices:

Specific actions to follow:

2.3.e Externally Source Candidates: Hiring Manager Enablement

leading practices:

Specific actions to follow:

2.3.f Externally Source Candidates: Compensation and Total Rewards

leading practices:

Specific actions to follow:

Recruitment: Regional and Industry Considerations

Industry: Banking and Financial Services

Region: Northern Canada

Industry: Food Services

Scenario: Checkpoint 1

3.0 Pit Stop #3: Mentorship

Welcome to Mentorship!

3.1 Mentorship: Formal Mentorship Opportunities

leading practices:

Specific actions to follow:

Mentorship: Regional and Industry Considerations

Industry: Technology

Region: Atlantic Canada

4.0 Pit Stop #4: Training and Development

Welcome to Training and Development

4.1 Training and Development: Training

leading practices:

Specific actions to follow:

4.2 Training and Development: Growth and Development

leading practices:

Specific actions to follow:

Training and Development: Regional and Industry Considerations

Industry: Fisheries and Oceans

Industry: Healthcare

Scenario: Checkpoint 2

5.0 Pit Stop #5: Succession Planning

Welcome to Succession Planning!

5.1 Succession Planning: Program Development

leading practices:

Specific actions to follow:

5.2 Succession Planning: Accountability

leading practices:

Specific actions to follow:

Succession Planning: Regional and Industry Considerations

Industry: Forestry

6.0 Starting from the Beginning: Education and Awareness

What Can You Do Before You Even Start the Leader Journey?

6.1 Education and Awareness

Specific actions to follow:

Education and Awareness: Regional and Industry Considerations

Industry: Media and Publishing

Region: Remote Areas in Canada

Region: Urban Areas in Canada

Scenario: Checkpoint 3

Considerations for Various Sectors

Additional Resources

Scenario: Conclusion

References

Alignment with the Publicly Available Specification (PAS)

1.0 The Leader Journey