The University of Guelph is one of the top diverse places to work for in Canada.
Forbes magazine released its annual survey of Canadian employer diversity this month and the U of G placed 53rd out of 200 employers in the country.
Indira Naidoo-Harris, associate vice-president of diversity and human rights, said this recognition is a great way of acknowledging the school’s hard work from over the years.
“People are saying, ‘This is a good place to work at. The U of G is a place I want to be.’ I feel like the people who work in this institution are really there to be welcoming and really make everyone feel comfortable,” Naidoo-Harris said.
It’s the university’s third straight appearance on the survey. The post-secondary school also placed seventh among universities ranked and puts it within the top 25 per cent of its industry.
She feels great that they’ve made the list, and they have been focused on making the university a place where everyone has a sense of belonging and feels welcome.
What Naidoo-Harris enjoys most about working at the university is that it gives her a sense of purpose to help setup a strong path forward to a successful future for students.
The survey, in partnership with Statista Inc., polled nearly 40,000 Canadian workers from companies and institutions with at least 500 employees and asked them to rank their employers anonymously on diversity-related issues such as age, ethnicity and LGBTQ2 equality.
In addition, it looked at diversity-related practices including employee resource groups, creation of accessible workplaces for people with disabilities and the percentage of women in higher executive roles.
She said the university’s work in diversity, inclusion and equity, as far as policies and hiring practices go, has been successful. Naidoo-Harris said the school is taking diversity and inclusion and equity seriously,
“It’s lifelong work, it’s intentional. It means we have to listen, learn and grow with individuals in our community” she said.
She said the university has been working hard to keep up with policies and procedures to consistently make the list, and to appear on it again next year. Naidoo-Harris said the diversity team is coming up with ideas including growing and updating its training initiatives.
She said the yearly recognition it receives from Forbes shows that the institution is doing something right, and people are feeling good about where they work.
The recognition also shows future applicants that the university welcomes people of all backgrounds.
“Regardless of how they identify, this is a place where people are really going to treat you well and with respect and it’s a place where we are trying to create something very special,” she said.