The Ontario Broker - Volume 21, Issue 5 - 15

DIVERSITY
& INCLUSION
DIVERSITY
& INCLUSION
KB: Any individual, group or association that's looked
up to as a leader within an industry has an obligation
to lead by example. An association can't say, " DEI is
what we all should be doing " but then consciously or
unconsciously exclude groups from leadership roles
and opportunities. Associations can lead initiatives
to help their membership become more aware and
be the face of an industry in diverse communities.
As an example, The Multicultural Foodservice and
Hospitality Alliance does this by hosting workshops for
young people in minority communities and leveraging
panelists who have been successful in the food and/
or hospitality industry to show that there are viable
careers there.
MF: Being part of IBAO's DEI Committee, our initiative
is working together to establish and implement a
morally and ethically sound culture with an inclusive
value system that advocates for all human rights.
It's critical that part of RIBO's required training is
curriculum related to DEI-this will contribute to our
efforts to drive important conversations within the
insurance industry.
Are there any companies or industries you've seen
handle this topic well you'd like to emulate?
CU: Any company having these conversations is on
the right track. The more we allow others to speak and
allow ourselves to be open learners, the easier the
conversations will become.
KB: This is one area where companies and industries
should continue to come together and learn from
each other. Doing so isn't giving away trade secrets
or secret sauce, it's all of us banding together to
make our communities and companies better. Rather
than looking at benchmarking and emulating in the
aggregate, I like to pick initiatives that would work well
within the culture of the company. There are some
strategic approaches that are common no matter the
company, but how things are executed can be very
particular to individual companies based on their
culture.
MF: A great resource is 2021 Canada's Best Diversity
Employers. It's difficult to choose just one to emulate.
Many of the employers have implemented amazing
Diversity and Inclusion initiatives like mental health
benefits, extended maternity leave, retirement savings
plans, defined benefit pension plans, working from
home flexibility, hybrid work arrangements, personal
savings accounts, paid vacations, tuition subsidies,
charitable donations and financial support for families
affected by the pandemic. These types of initiatives
are all great and I'm happy to see organizations take
the lead to implement them. For myself, what really
resonates is employers who work to physically remove
barriers for individuals, as this truly vibrates an
inclusive, diverse workplace.
VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 5
15
The Ontario Broker - Volume 21, Issue 5

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Ontario Broker - Volume 21, Issue 5
