These days people talk a lot about diversity; and seeking human

diversity in businesses. However, many of those same people don’t

really realize some essentials about what diversity is and what it
looks like; since people often immediately associate race/ethnicity
and gender as the only elements of this desirable dynamic.
First of all, race is a social construct; one that historians and past
generations have “created”; oftentimes to create and perpetuate
white privilege to keep them in positions of power over people of
colour.*
*Source DiAngelo, Robin; White Fragility

Ethnicity is real and does certainly differentiate groups in some

ways...think Italian Canadians habits, Chinese Canadians habits,
Canada’s Indigenous lifestyle and values. Just go to Quebec for a
long visit and you will see ethnic differences Francophones & Anglophones
Gender is also real and does also bring some differences in values
and behaviours (with exceptions of course).
The ignorance regarding diversity factors/elements is that many of
us don’t recognize the value of hiring people who:
● Have different ages / generation groups
● Have different educational / work experience backgrounds
● Have lived in different countries / differing life experiences
● Comes from differing socioeconomic “class” (wealthy, middle, working class,
people who have experienced poverty)
● Are members of different family sizes and structures
● Have different religions / faiths
● Have different skill sets (math wiz, marketing wiz, bilingual, computer “nerds” etc)
● Have different personality types (extrovert, introvert etc)
● Have different physical characteristics and abilities (including intelligences)
● Are of different sexualities (LGBT)
Some Diversity Data Here in Canada

✔ Diversity does not just mean one’s ethnicity…

organizations should also seek to hire & promote people of different
genders, ages, sexualities, educational backgrounds, family
‘structures’, personalities, and most of all, abilities.

✔ ~6.5M people live in GTA, almost 2.8M in city of Toronto

✔ Canada admits ~400,000 immigrants/year

✔ ~33% of population of GTA are first generation

Canadians

✔ 5% of Canadians but only 2% of Ontarians are

from indigenous communities (First Nations, Metis & Inuit)

✔ About 30% of all Canadian born Canadians earned

degree (C or U); >50% of new Canadians have one

✔ The % of women working outside home is ~65%

✔ Sadly, women still earn less than what men earn in

all FT work in Canada (~78% in 2010 and 89% in 2021) cbc.ca/news

✔ Median age of workers in now 40, highest ever

Brainstorm and work together to create a list of the 3 BEST benefits

of having diverse HUMAN RESOURCES in Canadian organizations
(YRDSB, TD Bank, Google Canada, Rogers, Lululemon, TorStar).
Then create a list of the 3 BIGGEST challenges/problems of having
that same diversity in HR.
Rank these benefits and challenges like this:

Diversity: Biggest Organizational BENEFITS

#1

#2

#3

Diversity Biggest PROBLEMS/CHALLENGES to overcome

#1

#2

#3