Closing the Divide: Innovative strategies for confronting discrimination and supporting a diverse workforce

While organizations may recognize the importance of a diverse workforce and even identify diversity as a priority, they regularly encounter challenges in successfully recruiting and retaining diverse employees. Furthermore, despite programs and policies designed to promote inclusivity, many people still face discrimination and other barriers that prevent them from realizing their full potential at work. In this session, experts will share practical measures that employers and unions may take to confront discrimination and support a diverse workforce.

• Understanding diversity: What constitutes a diverse workforce? What are the benefits of diversity in the workplace? How does diversity affect productivity? Do organizations with diverse workforces have a competitive advantage?
• Barriers in recruitment and hiring: How can employers improve recruitment and hiring practices to build a more diverse workforce? What barriers might diverse applicants encounter in recruitment and hiring processes? How does an employer’s duty to accommodate apply during the hiring process?
• Inclusivity at work: What is an inclusive workplace? What factors contribute to an inclusive workplace, and what strategies can employers and unions use to promote inclusivity? What is unconscious bias, and how does it affect the workplace?
• Communication and conflict: What types of communication challenges might arise in a diverse workplace? How can employers and unions facilitate collaboration and improve communication between diverse employees? What are effective approaches to conflict management and resolution in a diverse workplace?
• Addressing discrimination and harassment: In addition to complying with relevant obligations under existing legislation, what steps can employers and unions take to prevent or respond to discrimination and harassment in the workplace? How can employers foster a respectful organizational culture and working environment?
• Retention: What types of strategies are effective for retaining a diverse workforce? What factors influence diverse employees’ decisions to stay at or leave an organization? Why might a diverse workforce be unresponsive to traditional retention strategies and require new and different approaches?