The benefits an organization can reap from a diverse workforce can range from being more competitive in a global marketplace, to fostering and developing unique ideas and opportunities. The rewards from a highly effective diversity workplace policy can be limitless to a company or organization’s bottom line.
But as most companies strive to achieve a more diverse workforce, it has become apparent that diverse hiring practices have evolved from just simply looking at a candidate’s racial, cultural and religious background. In the era of “Black Lives Matter”, #metoo, and “Cancel Culture”, what exactly is “diversity” now for organizations in 2021? Are organizations truly optimizing the ideals of a diverse workforce, outside of just filling quotas and projecting a perfectly manicured corporate image to the outside world?
A recent BDC study found that although 80% of Canada’s population growth by 2032 will be from immigrants coming to Canada, they found that during that time, subgroups such as those who identify within the LGBTQ2S+ and indigenous communities will be account for 37% of the workforce by 2032. So even though the pool of future employees is potentially going to come from the immigrant population, one must be cognizant of the other groups that are growing within the workforce pool as well.
Companies need to look at a diverse hiring practice as more than just an exercise in PR or a corporate hiring quota. They need to see the true value of a diverse workforce, in all facets and aspects of their day-to-day operations. In today’s global marketplace, having a wealth of ideas and innovations within your organization that comes from a wide scope of diverse and talented individuals, equips any company with the competitive tools and resources it needs to be a serious player on the world stage.
Another key aspect is having a workforce that clearly respects and represents the community and the marketplace it serves. Having a diverse background of employees and staff that understands the unique qualities and nuances of a community and a marketplace provides any organization with an advantage. Ethnic groups alone in Canada account for a substantial amount of new business opportunities for companies. Industries such as the financial sector, retail, and even education are all acknowledging that having a deeper understanding of how to reach and interact with these groups can prove crucial to the success of their organizations.
The same can also be said for the LGBTQ2S+ community, which over the past few years has shown itself to be a force for change within the greater community and population, as well as in the marketplace and economy. Advertisers and companies have seen the exponential growth potential this group presents and having staff and employees who not only represent and advocate for the LGBTQ2S+ community within their organizations further enhance their knowledge and understanding of their community as a whole.
With all of this talk about the importance of progressive and diverse hiring practices, companies and organizations must also remember to “practice what they preach”. In as much as a company or organization chooses to implement this practice, it’s important to remember that organizations must encourage and nurture the ideals of diversity within their own organizations, once the staff and employees have been hired. Practicing these ideas within their day-to-day operations enables the virtues of a progressive workforce to permeate within a company or organization’s corporate structure and philosophy.
This progressive hiring practice is one that Atlantic Packaging has been at the forefront of for many years. The belief that an organization should represent the community it serves has been one of the key points in their approach in recruiting and retaining top-tiered talent for their many operations and facilities in Canada. By harnessing the diverse workforce they have assembled, the countless innovations and unparalleled commitment generated by their employees and staff have yielded amazing results for their clients and customers, year after year. From having a much better and deeper understanding of various groups, communities, and marketplaces, their diverse teams have been able to provide Atlantic Packaging with a competitive edge that has kept the company a leader in the packaging industry. And it is with this forward-minded approach that Atlantic Packaging will continue its search for the best and the brightest, amongst all of the various and diverse groups in Canada and around the world.
It is imperative that organizations today push forward a clear and progressive diversity hiring practice. Not just for the overall success of a company from a financial perspective, but a clear and progressive diverse hiring practice fosters and cultivates a rich collection of different ideas, thoughts, and innovations. These further enhances not just a company’s corporate culture, but strengthen their bond with the community at large.
The diversity seen in companies like Atlantic Packaging is a microcosm for the communities and the marketplaces that they conduct business and participate in their day-to-day operations. As Canada continues to move further towards embracing a more diverse country and population, it is only imperative that organizations look to Atlantic Packaging, and take their hiring practices and broaden the reach of their diversity.
