Olga Shcherbyna was interviewed by BC HRMA’s PeopleTalk Editor
– What are the primary challenges for organizations seeking to better understand and factor diversity into their business success?
– I think the structure of our provincial economy poses one of the biggest challenges. Traditionally, most immigrants who come to our province settle in Metro Vancouver where close to 90% of the businesses are small to medium- sized companies. These companies quite often do not have an HR person and/or PD funds to deliver diversity training to their hiring managers. In the whole of Metro Vancouver we might have less than a dozen Diversity Managers.
– Another problem has been the fluctuating economy. The feedback I receive from HR professionals I have worked with for the last three to five years is that when companies are downsizing or tightening their belts, they are less likely to implement new recruitment practices and spend money on diversity training.
Having a diversity champion at the executive or at least senior management level makes all the difference in the world. If the CEO supports diversity initiatives through a personal endorsement and allocation of budget to training, this top down approach work miracles.
Tags: Employer challenges, inclusive, workforce
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