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 Employer Review:

Vancity Group

  

Vancity Group
Chosen as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers for 2009:
By Rachel Caballero and Richard Yerema, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors  (Feb 20, 2009)

Some of the reasons why Vancity Group was selected as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers 2009:
  • nearly two-thirds of their management employees are women, including their Board Chair and CEO
  • is a leading sponsor of Vancouver's annual Pride Parade, which includes sponsorship of an entertainment venue and employee volunteers who actively participate in the parade
  • launched a recruitment advertising campaign to immigrant settlement agencies, ethnic newspapers as well as organizations supporting disabled people and Aboriginal communities
  • provides training for recruiters helping them to recognize how job candidates from other cultures may answer interview questions differently
  • launched a targeted advertising campaign to recruit job-seekers from the LGBT community nearly a decade ago

 Diversity Recruiting and Support for the LGBT Community

Vancity is closely involved with Vancouver's annual Pride Parade, providing employee volunteers to help organize the event and sponsoring venues every year. A few years ago, Vancity tacitly announced its support for the LGBT community by introducing openly gay images in its advertising as well as launching a targeted advertising campaign to recruit job-seekers from the LGBT community back in 2002.

The credit union has also refined its workplace policies and procedures to reflect its changing community, such as providing diversity training for its employees. In addition, Vancity has targeted recruitment advertising in ethnic community newspapers as well as working relationships with community advocacy groups that represent people with disabilities and Aboriginal Canadians.

 Addressing Potential Barriers in the Hiring Process

The credit union also provides special cultural and communications training for their recruitment personnel. To ensure that qualified candidates are not overlooked due to cultural and other biases, Vancity recruiters learn to recognize how other cultures may answer various interview questions differently than expected. It is a subtle undertaking but an important one that recognizes the importance of culturally-sensitive communication skills.

"Diversity to me means a sense of belonging , like being part of a family that genuinely cares about each other. At Vancity my career path was in my hands, and this made me take advantage of all the professional development opportunities available."
— Njeri Kontulahti, Senior Community Leadership Associate
Score on The Equity Continuum by TWI Inc.: 1.87
This Employer Review has been viewed 15,524 times.
©2010 Mediacorp Canada Inc. All rights reserved. Licensed by Eluta Inc. with permission. For comments or questions on this employer review, please contact Mediacorp's editorial team.





   

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