In the past two and a half years, the Advancing Equity for Women and Girls team has developed several resources and initiatives aimed at addressing barriers to employment for immigrant and racialized women. Following last week’s blog, we will explore two more strategies included in our DEIA toolkit for employers, “Paving the Way: A Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Guide to Support Immigrant and Racialized Women in the Canadian Labour Force.”

Strategy 8: Integrate DEIA in Communications

To foster a positive and respectful work environment, you can integrate DEIA into your internal communications strategy. There are several benefits of integrating DEIA, from increasing understanding between teams to enhancing employee engagement and well-being.

But how can you achieve this? Creating an awareness campaign or initiatives to promote the use of inclusive language is a great way to start. During the campaign, training can be provided, and leaders can encourage employees to use inclusive language in both written and verbal communications, such as using gender-neutral terms and avoiding gendered words.

For inclusive language to be integrated, it’s important that leaders not only encourage but also lead by example and demonstrate this inclusive behavior to the organization.

Strategy 10: Apply DEIA Best Practices in the Hiring Process – DEIA in Job Postings

Regarding external communications, consider integrating DEIA into the hiring process, starting with job postings. Keep in mind that a job posting is most likely the first connection and impression an applicant will have of your organization. As such, having a clear commitment to DEIA is of benefit to attract the candidates you want. Consider the following when writing a job posting:

• Use gender-neutral language to avoid gendering job postings or characteristics
• List all skills and requirements needed, including transferrable skills
• Inform if it’s a remote, in-person or hybrid role
• Include salary, wage and benefits (if available)
• Include clear instructions on how to apply, required documents and the deadline

To further integrate DEIA, ensure that the posting meets accessibility standards, such as having alternative text and machine-readable documents.

Learn More with the “Paving the Way” Toolkit 

For a deeper dive into strategies supporting immigrant and racialized women in the Canadian labour force, access our toolkit for employers, “Paving the Way: A Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Guide.” 

Access it here

About Advancing Equity for Women and Girls

Funded by Women and Gender Equality (WAGE), Advancing Equity for Women and Girls supports a feminist response and recovery from the impact of COVID-19 on the employment of immigrant and racialized women in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) by contributing to systemic change to promote women’s economic prosperity and equality.

Contact Us

For any questions regarding the project, contact us:

• Hodan Mohamed, Project Coordinator: hmohamed@achev.ca
• Mayela Lozano, Community Liaison: mlozano@achev.ca

Read more about our program here: Advancing Equity for Women and Girls – Employment Services

In the past two and a half years, the Advancing Equity for Women and Girls team has developed several resources and initiatives aimed at addressing barriers to employment for immigrant and racialized women. After conducting a consultation phase with immigrant and racialized women, employers and key stakeholders, the AEWG team, in partnership with SEASONOVA, a BIPOC-led social enterprise, developed a DEIA toolkit for employers, “Paving the Way: A Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Guide to Support Immigrant and Racialized Women in the Canadian Labour Force.”

The “Paving the Way” toolkit offers a guide on implantable strategies to recruit, hire and retain immigrant and racialized women in the Canadian labour force by applying DEIA principles and practices. In this blog, we will explore two of the ten strategies presented in the toolkit.

Strategy 1: Cultivate Senior Management Buy-In for DEIA

Suppose your organization is in the early stages of its DEIA journey. It is crucial to engage with its leadership to cultivate their buy-in and commitment toward DEIA efforts. This can include having a Lunch & Learn session to create awareness and understanding of what DEIA means, its benefits to the organization and its employees, and the risks of not cultivating a diverse and inclusive workforce.

It’s highly encouraged that before engaging with senior leadership, one should develop a business case for DEIA in one’s organization. One approach is to present DEIA not just as an HR strategy but as an ongoing business tool that can improve the attraction and retention of diverse talent and maximize workforce potential (The Building Industry and Land Development Association, 2021).

Another approach to present the significance of DEIA for your organization or company is “competitive advantage” or “organizational benefits.” The following section outlines some of the key contributors to understanding and developing your business case. Remember that as each organization is unique, there is no one correct business case, and it’s okay if the business case evolves over time:

• War for talent: inclusive employers are more attractive employers.
• Employee engagement: inclusion has been linked to engagement. Disengaged employees cost money. Engaged employees provide better service, speak more favorably about your organization, go above and beyond more, and have less absenteeism and lower voluntary turnover.
• Succession planning: invest now in your pipeline of future leaders.
• Think global: better global picture/context for international or cross-cultural business.
• Market opportunity: better business development opportunities in a changing marketplace.
• Mirror the marketplace: reflect your customer and your customer’s customer.
• Foster innovation: diversity in teams leads to increased creativity and improved products and services.
• Your brand: set yourself apart, creating employee and customer loyalty.
• Resiliency: increased ability to respond to change over time.

After you engage with the leadership, with a clear perspective of the benefits of DE&I initiatives for the organization, the next step is to have your company’s leadership state their reasons for improving diversity and belonging to garner greater buy-in.

Having a senior leadership champion the initiative is a critical success factor. Without at least one executive sponsor, the initiative will likely end before it starts. To learn how to successfully acquire leadership buy-in, from having an executive sponsor to establishing a permanent and working DEIA committee, you can read our toolkit.

Strategy 9: Introduce the Use of a DEIA Lens

DEIA lens is a tool that supports leaders in their decision-making process when developing programs and policies. It can be used to identify positive and negative impacts for diverse groups of employees. DEIA lens can be applied in several different ways within the workplace, such as communications, training, service delivery, policy development and human resources, amongst others.

A prime example of a DEIA lens is the Government of Canada’s Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus). GBA Plus is an analytical tool that aims to ensure equitable benefits and opportunities for everyone. This tool supports leaders in assessing “how the needs and experiences of different groups of people are influenced by intersecting parts of their identity, the context they are in and their lived experiences.” GBA Plus can support you in identifying problems, challenging your assumptions, and identifying the potential impacts of your initiatives. To learn more about GBA Plus, explore our toolkit and access Women and Gender Equality Canada’s course “Introduction to GBA Plus.”

Learn More with the “Paving the Way” Toolkit 

For a deeper dive into strategies supporting immigrant and racialized women in the Canadian labour force, access our toolkit for employers, “Paving the Way: A Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Guide.” 

Access it here

About Advancing Equity for Women and Girls

Funded by Women and Gender Equality (WAGE), Advancing Equity for Women and Girls supports a feminist response and recovery from the impact of COVID-19 on the employment of immigrant and racialized women in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) by contributing to systemic change to promote women’s economic prosperity and equality.

Contact Us

For any questions regarding the project, contact us:

• Hodan Mohamed, Project Coordinator: hmohamed@achev.ca
• Mayela Lozano, Community Liaison: mlozano@achev.ca

Read more about our program here: Advancing Equity for Women and Girls – Employment Services

Advancing Equity for Women and Girls (AEWG) at Achēv hosted three panel discussions with experts from various sectors, including AI, business, and government leadership, between September 2023 to November 2023.

The objective of this series of panel discussions was to unpack the challenges faced by immigrant and racialized women, as well as young women, in the labour market. This phase marked the intervention stage of the AEWG project, aiming to engage both employers and employees with solution-oriented recommendations.

Among the panelists were Warsan Hagi-Yusuf, DEIA Specialist at Deloitte; Amal Masri, founder of Fix The Broken Rung; Theirry Lindor, Co-Founder of Happly.ai; Dorian Spears, Director of Partnerships & Strategy at the Gender Equality in Tech Cities initiative; Nammi Sriharsan, Executive Coach and AI Leader; Jhoanna Gonzales Miners, CEO of SEASONOVA; and Richard Sharpe, Director of the Black Equity Branch at the Treasury Board Secretariat in the Ontario Public Service.

Key emerging themes from all three panel discussions included:

1. Importance of Intentionality and Accountability in Implementing DEIA in the Workplace

There is a crucial need for intentional recruitment processes, especially concerning the recruitment of women, particularly immigrant and racialized women. For instance, the collaborative efforts between corporations and the non-profit sector, such as Achēv, are essential to reach racialized women and other equity-deserving groups.

Intentional data analysis is crucial for mitigating inherent biases within IT, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) development being a key focal point. The solution lies in cultivating diversity of expertise within development teams and fostering collaborations with non-profit and educational institutions. Additionally, recognizing the important role of government regulations is essential in ensuring equitable and unbiased outcomes.

2. The Benefits and Pitfalls of Hybrid Work Models

The pitfalls within our current hybrid workplace are that it can foster biases among the leadership in organizations and companies, where social networks and sponsorship are being missed for women in the workplace. There is a strong potential of impacting women and their ability to progress career-wise. For example, “Fix the Broken Rung” has been providing racialized professional women a platform to share their experiences and develop solutions to reducing biases in the workplace by promoting inclusivity and shifting the focus on the talent and contribution women make in the workplace.

Sponsorship opportunities hold significant importance for working women, particularly racialized and immigrant women, in leveling the playing field and ensuring equity in access to professional opportunities.

In the current hybrid workspace, cultivating a healthy workplace culture entails rejecting a surveillance-oriented approach and instead encouraging leaders to regularly check in with their teams, ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard and valued.

3. Shifting the Paradigm in the Business World Around Skilled Immigrants

For sustained success, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) initiatives cannot solely rely on Human Resources (HR) departments. Instead, they must be integrated throughout the organizational structure and operations. This approach fosters trust by prioritizing transparency and accountability at all levels.

Immigrant and racialized women represent some of the most educated and skilled individuals in Canada today. Shifting the paradigm requires employers to recognize the invaluable assets they bring to the labour market. These women are not merely employees; they are also entrepreneurs and job creators for their communities and Canadian society as a whole.

The current partnership between businesses and non-profits, particularly Employment Service Providers, has the potential to cultivate experiential opportunities through work-integrated learning, such as co-ops, internships, and volunteer opportunities.

During the panel discussions, some employers and business owners highlighted the importance of decolonizing our mindset when navigating the Canadian labour market. They emphasized the need to avoid devaluing the education and work experiences of newcomers recruited by the government based on their expertise.

Fostering alliances with diverse communities, sharing knowledge, and recognizing the potential that emerges from organizing both people and data are crucial elements in navigating the forthcoming changes in the labour market.

 4. Equity Audit as a Key Part of Successful DEIA Implementation in the Workplace

The effectiveness of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) within an organization or company relies on hiring a third party to conduct surveys, interviews, and focus groups. This serves as a mechanism for organizational accountability.

Sharing the results of the equity audit conducted by the company or organization with employees presents an opportunity for employers to commit to improvement and address burnout, dissatisfaction, and high turnover among their employees, particularly those belonging to equity-deserving groups.

Adopting a multi-pronged approach towards Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) involves education, fostering diverse perspectives, and conducting institutional and individual self-assessment. This is a long-term effort and not a quick fix. Throughout this process, it’s crucial to deprioritize the comfort of those in dominant spaces and recognize the impact harmful work practices have on marginalized groups within companies and organizations.

In all three panel discussions, guest speakers emphasized the critical role communities play in holding those in powerful positions, whether in government or the private sector, accountable for advancing essential systemic and institutional changes. Measuring the impact of an organization or company’s DEIA initiatives is crucial, as it provides leaders with contextualized, qualitative upward feedback, along with recommendations for the next steps. Conducting an Equity Audit requires companies and organizations to cultivate a culture of psychological safety, which is central to fostering humility among leaders and making earnest efforts to respect, recognize, and connect with all employees. DEIA work is a collective effort, and it’s important to view all small progress as steps in the right direction.

Learn More with the “Paving the Way” Toolkit 

For a deeper dive into strategies supporting immigrant and racialized women in the Canadian labour force, access our toolkit for employers, “Paving the Way: A Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Guide.” 

Access it here

About Advancing Equity for Women and Girls

Funded by Women and Gender Equality (WAGE), Advancing Equity for Women and Girls supports a feminist response and recovery from the impact of COVID-19 on the employment of immigrant and racialized women in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) by contributing to systemic change to promote women’s economic prosperity and equality.

Contact Us

For any questions regarding the project, contact us:

• Hodan Mohamed, Project Coordinator: hmohamed@achev.ca
• Mayela Lozano, Community Liaison: mlozano@achev.ca

Read more about our program here: Advancing Equity for Women and Girls – Employment Services

LinkedIn has rapidly turned into a major resource used by recruiters to identify new talent. While the site typically has over 14 million open jobs, 87% of recruiters regularly report using LinkedIn to find qualified candidates. Here are eight ways to make your profile stand out to recruiters.

Have a Quality Headshot

Your photo is the first thing that someone sees on your profile. It’s very important that you use a quality headshot. Getting one from a professional photographer is often more affordable than people think. However, if you don’t want to go this route, you can have someone take one for you. Stand against a plain background and take a picture from your chest up in work attire with your head looking slightly to the side. Don’t use a selfie.

Make Your LinkedIn Profile Easy to Read

If a recruiter looks at your LinkedIn profile, they’re going to want to be able to skim it fairly quickly. Thus, you want to ensure that it’s easy to read. Use short paragraphs and concise writing to keep people’s attention. Bullet points are also a great way to organize information.

Grow Your Network

There are many benefits to having a large network on LinkedIn. One advantage is that more recruiters may notice you as you’ll be more likely to have connections in common. You can grow your LinkedIn network by making it a habit to send connection requests after meeting someone. Additionally, connecting your LinkedIn to your address book can help optimize connection suggestions for you.

Giving Endorsements Gets Endorsements

A great way to stand out to recruiters is to have endorsements. Many people wonder about the best way to get endorsements. While it’s perfectly fine to ask someone close to you to provide you with one, the best way to get endorsements is to give them to others. Look through your network and identify people you’ve worked closely with that you can endorse for a particular skill. Typically, people will want to return the favor. This is a great way to quickly rack up some endorsements.

Engage in LinkedIn Learning

It’s no secret that organizations typically value people who are lifelong learners and spend time on their own professional development. There are great ways to showcase these qualities to potential employers, one of which is by completing courses on LinkedIn Learning. In addition to being a great way to learn new skills, LinkedIn Learning allows you to add a course completion certificate to your profile. This is a great way to further advertise the skills you continue to accumulate.

Share Content to Your Feed

Getting noticed by recruiters on LinkedIn involves getting noticed by LinkedIn’s algorithms. Being more active on the platform is one way to help increase the chances of your profile showing up when recruiters search for people with your skills. A great way to begin doing this is by sharing content to your feed. Watch your LinkedIn feed and share interesting content when you see it. Be sure it’s something relevant to your industry or the types of jobs you would hope to attract. This is a great starting point for garnering more attention.

Provide Well Thought Comments

A great way to further enhance your engagement on the LinkedIn platform is to comment on the posts and shares of others. If you read an interesting article, feel free to comment. The key to a good comment is that it’s thoughtful, reflective of what has been shared, and helps further the conversation. Additionally, be sure to positively engage with people when they respond to your comments. This discourse will help you connect with others and raise your performance with LinkedIn’s algorithms.

Understand Your Target Audience

One of the most critical aspects of creating an engaging LinkedIn profile is understanding your target audience. If you’re looking to be hired by recruiters, make sure that your profile is written with them in mind. LinkedIn is quite different from other social networking sites in that it’s aimed at the professional world. Think about the words you use when designing your profile and ensure you’re using language that highlights skills and experiences that recruiters in your field would look for.

Final Thoughts

LinkedIn can be a powerful resource in your search for a job and can continue to link you to many opportunities for years to come. However, getting noticed by recruiters means ensuring that your LinkedIn profile is optimized for them to find you. These tips are great ways to ensure your LinkedIn profile stands out to recruiters.

At Achēv, our Employment Ontario Services offers a wide range of resources to support your career and employment needs. Our employment centres are located across the Greater Toronto Area, including Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga and North York. Contact us today to register for our free employment services.