Issue 113 – July 2022
Are companies embracing diversity, equity & inclusion?
“Saying ‘Our support is with X community’ doesn’t cut it any more. You need to communicate results, and if you don’t have any, get working on action plans.” – Colin Druhan, Executive Director, Pride at Work Canada
Pride Month may be over, but the need for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at work is only getting stronger.
Building on that idea, the theme for the June issue of the newsletter I edit for IABC/Toronto's independent professionals was “pride and inclusion.” To find out how well corporate Canada is supporting DEI, I talked to Colin Druhan.
Colin is Executive Director of Pride at Work Canada / Fierté au travail Canada. The organization aims to empower employers to build workplaces that celebrate all employees, regardless of gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Here's our conversation, which was originally shared in The Buzz:
This is a basic question, but what is the right umbrella term to be inclusive?
The language is constantly changing. At Pride at Work Canada, we use 2SLGBTQIA+. That’s Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and a + for other ways people self-identify.
That said, what a company uses should reflect what it’s doing. So if it isn’t taking meaningful action related to Two-Spirit employees, 2S probably shouldn’t be there. But we encourage companies to include as many identities as they can and plan their strategy to catch up.
How are organizations doing at embracing inclusion and diversity?
DEI is still in its infancy as a business area, so there are a lot of great intentions but not necessarily the actions that create an inclusive culture.
For example, a lot of employers chimed in about the need for inclusion of Black employees after the murder of George Floyd, but we haven’t seen a big change in the wage gap for Black workers in Canada. Or a float in a Pride parade may help start a conversation, but we haven’t seen HR benefits relevant to all employees, especially in the drug coverage offered and medical procedures supported.
What improvements have you seen in organizational initiatives over the last few years?
The biggest one is employers publicly stating an intent with a goal attached to which they can be held accountable. So a company might start by committing certain funds to a DEI committee, or putting representation numbers in annual reports. Once they’ve done that, there’s an expectation people will see an improvement next year, and if not, a commitment to fix it.
We’re also seeing a focus on training. While it’s fine to teach straight cisgender folks about trans folks, it’s equally important for a company to invest in its employees. There’s work to be done to make it easier for queer or trans employees to apply for a job, go through the hiring process, and advance to management as an “out” professional.
How should companies ensure their initiatives are truly inclusive, not just window dressing?
Definitely talk to employees with lived experience in the community. Make sure you ask for their perspective and give them the lead time they need, or compensate them in some way. And the 2SLGBTQIA+ community is diverse, so don’t put it all on the shoulders of one gay person to speak for others.
Also, create a meaningful partnership with an external organization that has a track record of working with the community, such as a local Pride group.
How can organizations communicate diversity and inclusion, and do it authentically?
Saying “Our support is with X community” doesn’t cut it any more. You need to communicate results, and if you don’t have any, get working on action plans. Once you’ve got plans in place, publish what you’re going to do and people can hold you accountable.
Should a company say ‘we’re looking at X’ even if they haven’t done anything?
Yes, they could say “We’ve identified this gap and here’s how we’re going to address it.” Admit they have an issue, ask for help, set out a timeline for action. No excuses, like trying to say the company isn’t diverse because the province isn’t.
What advice do you have about pronouns?
It’s one of more visible measures employers can take: Have employees include their pronouns in their email signature, Zoom name, on business cards and so on. And make it a regular part of a conversation, the way you share your name or your title. When one person does that, it’s an invitation to others to do the same. That creates a culture where everyone feels comfortable and it reduces misgendering.
How can communication professionals get leaders on board with DEI initiatives?
Appeal to their competitive nature! When Pride at Work Canada works with a well-known company (see some of our partners here), we always see interest from their competitors shortly after. And companies known to be inclusive are the ones that will have a good reputation and be successful in the long term.
Are you seeing progress in DEI initiatives in the workplace? Is the use of pronouns becoming more commonplace? I’d love to hear your experience.
Related reading:
More on using pronouns, including “rolling pronouns” like she/they
TD Bank employees talk about the benefits of sharing pronouns, including showing respect
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