Strategic Planning for Human Resources:
A Diversity Perspective
A Canadian Association of Broadcasters
Diversity Webinar
Richard Cavanagh, Partner
CONNECTUS Consulting Inc.
November 27, 2008
Webinar focuses on a starter set of
ideas...
 Why a diverse workforce?
 Key issues in strategic planning/HR/diversity:
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Recruiting
Engaging Management
Organizational Commitment
Workplace Accommodation
 Practical – and cost-effective – approaches to the issues
 Key resources
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Some background
 Webinar material developed from a number of sources:
 CAB – Joint Societal Issues Committee and Human Resources
Committee
 Current research/studies on diversity and human resources
 Informal network of HR professionals
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Why a diverse workforce?
A number of compelling reasons to
focus on Diversity and HR...
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1) Canada’s Growing Diversity
 Currently, Canada’s diversity looks like:
 Ethnocultural Groups = 16 percent of Canadian population
 Persons with Disabilities = 14 percent
 Aboriginal Peoples = 5 percent
 In 2011…
 Ethnocultural Groups = 20 percent
 Persons with Disabilities = 18 percent
 Aboriginal Peoples = 7 percent
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Canada’s Growing Diversity
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Canada’s Growing Diversity
 Diversity planning tends to focus on the four target groups
identified in Employment Equity legislation, i.e. visible
minorities, persons with disabilities, Aboriginal Peoples and
women
 Two observations: (i) broader, inclusive approach can
include mature workers (50+) & LGBT and (ii) companies in
smaller markets may “see” less diversity
 But diversity is a reality in markets of all sizes
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2) Legal & Regulatory Obligations
 Legal and Regulatory Obligations: Employment Equity
legislation for firms with over 100 employees
 CRTC requirements & expectations – annual reporting by
individual television broadcasters and by the CAB
 Introduction of Radio Best Practices through the 2006
Review of Commercial Radio; approved in Public Notice
2007-122
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Legal & Regulatory Obligations
 CRTC has high expectations about broadcasters’ diversity
initiatives
 Driven in large part by a much more diverse population
(Section 3 of Broadcasting Act = reflection of multiracial &
multicultural society; Task Force Report of 2004)
 Most recent focus: Accessibility Proceeding (although it’s
more about access to the system than about employment)
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3) Realities of the labour force
 Shortage of talent: approaching 3 million workers in the next
20 years
 Talent drain to other countries – younger workers are
increasingly mobile; increasing competition for talent
 Higher expectations (driven by regulator and industry
players) to recruit, hire & retain talent that reflects
community diversity
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4) The Business Case
 70 percent of Canadian population growth is due to
immigration
 Combined spending power of Chinese and South Asian
consumers alone in Canada: $40B*
 From a Human Resource perspective, linking diversity
strategy to corporate/business objectives makes sense
 Diversity = a competitive edge
* Source: Research Solutions Inc. 2008
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The Business Case
Equitable
Employment
Systems
Client
Commitment
Employee
Satisfaction
Employee
Commitment
Client
Satisfaction
Superior Client
Value
Increased
Revenues &
Profitability
“The EmployeeCustomer Satisfaction
Chain” *
*Source: Trevor Wilson
Diversity at Work: The
Business Case for Equity
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Key Issues in Strategic Planning
A review of diversity studies and on-going dialogue with HR
professionals points to a number of persistent issues:
 Issue 1 – Recruiting
 Issue 2 – Engaging Management
 Issue 3 – Organizational Commitment
 Issue 4 – Accommodating Persons with Disabilities
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Key Issue 1 – Recruiting for a Diverse
Workforce
 Getting started: defining diversity to meet your needs – and
be realistic
 Know your community: local demographics can shape your
approach...find the best starting point & start early!
 Links with educators: fundamental to know who’s who in the
schools
 Mentoring programs: have a strong track record of success
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Recruiting: Practical & Cost-effective
Suggestions
 Creating a mission statement/guidelines
 Get HS kids to come to you – and don’t forget the loot bags
 Essay/art contest w/prizes and spin-off promotion
 Leverage internal experience/diversity = role models
 Link to local Diversity Days
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Key Issue 2 – Engaging Management
 Still a fundamental challenge in many organizations – and
an outright barrier in others
 Likely due to other priorities - such as the bottom line
 Task is to link diversity to those priorities – to get
management’s attention (and keep it)
 “Strategic planning on a budget”...if you have one
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Engaging Management: Practical &
Cost-effective Suggestions
 Getting started: assess existing business priorities, branding
needs, other management focus – make the link
 Tell the story – may be more important than the data
 Can we link to existing CSR or community work?
 Launch and create a cycle of feedback for a ‘Diversity
Newsletter’ (= education)
 Is there a champion in our midst?
 Hold an internal Friday afternoon session with a diversity
focus: people, food, beverages
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Key Issue 3 – Organizational
Commitment
 Are we a company committed to diversity – what does it
mean to us?
 Assess the barriers...lack of interest, plain old hesitation or
uncertainty...
 Or maybe it’s just not fun!
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Organizational Commitment: Practical
& Cost-effective Suggestions
 Again, A mission statement can help: how do we view our
diversity as a company, what does it mean to us?
 Tap an internal committee from all departments: branding &
marketing, sales & promotion – ‘sub-contracting’ tasks can
build commitment
 Clearly identify a simple goal or two – and create strategic
support for these
 Recognize/build around existing celebration ‘months’: Black
History, Asian, Disability, etc.
 Company Diversity Day: food, culture, music – take over the
building
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Key Issue 4 – Accommodating
Persons with Disabilities
 Supreme Court decisions on transportation & CRTC
Accessibility Proceeding elevate disability issues overall
 A number of workplace accommodation issues persist –
largely to infrastructure but also the unique elements of the
broadcasting industry
 These include lighting, steps, narrow confines, even
decentralized locations (raising issues of transportation)
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Accommodating Persons with
Disabilities: Practical Suggestions
 A number of different ways to approach issues of
accommodation
 Environmental scan
 Consult with local disability community
 Keep curb cut solutions in mind...accommodation often
includes more people than those with disabilities (e.g. tight/
sharp corners)
 Costs can vary widely, from assistive devices to renovation
 Keep in mind that “reasonable accommodation” and “undue
hardship” tests apply
 Internal committee/external outreach are invaluable
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Some thoughts on making mistakes
(or fearing them...)
 Political and cultural mistakes are common in strategic
planning for diversity
 For example, Flag Day can mean civil war; Ethnic Food Day
can offend; Celebrating our Diversity can leave out those
with disabilities
 Expectations can be too high (idealism rather than practical
reality) – can take on too much; focus on the positive
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Making mistakes (or fearing them):
Practical Suggestions
 In extremely diverse companies, recognize they are
impossible to avoid
 Deal with mistakes directly and across as many
organizational layers as necessary
 Ensure short term effects rather than long term – and decide
if laughing off is workable
 If there are resource implications, investigate beyond a
stated reason
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A lot of helpful information...
...from broadcasting, government and human
resources...
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CAB Diversity in Broadcasting Website
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Other Media Resources...
www.rtndacanada.com/Content.asp?PageID=2.9
www.olmcm.org/section.php?SectionID=11
www.diversitytoolkit.org.uk
www.managementmarketing.unimelb.edu.au/mcib/Diversity.cfm 26
Government...
Statistics Canada 2006 Census – Community Profiles
http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census/Index.cfm
Human Resources and Social Development Canada –
Workplace Equity Overview
http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/lp/lo/lswe/we/information/overview.shtml
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Regulatory...
CRTC
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/INFO_SHT/b308.htm
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Human Resources...
http://www.diversityintheworkplace.ca/
http://www.twiinc.com/
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Accommodating Persons with
Disabilities...
http://www.totb.ca/english/index.asp
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A final thought...
Diversity is the one true thing we have in common.
Celebrate it everyday.
- Anonymous
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Your feedback is important!
 This is the first CAB diversity webinar
 A short survey will be circulated to participants to get your
views on the content and presentation – please take a few
minutes to complete and return
 An audio recording of the webinar will be available shortly;
details will be sent out very soon
THANK YOU!
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