Canadian attitudes on diversity and inclusion (D&I) are changing. Many Canadian organizations have woken up to the reality that a diverse workforce—provided it has an inclusive workplace—is a genuine asset to any organization. To better understand how far Canadian organizations have really come, The Conference Board of Canada invited a wide range of organizations to participate in a survey in 2017.

Measuring Up: Benchmarking Diversity and Inclusion in Canadian Organizations provides a snapshot of diversity-related investments, policies, practices, and programs across Canadian organizations. Several levers motivate organizations to pay attention to D&I. Demographic shifts and skills shortages are compelling organizations to look outside their traditional labour pools. Government regulations also require many organizations to report on representation in their workforce. Despite these contextual drivers, it is the positive impacts seen and felt inside business that are driving the attention and investment in D&I practices.

Measuring Up: Benchmarking Diversity and Inclusion in Canadian Organizations

• Executive Summary
• The Inclusion Imperative
• Four Strategic Drivers Are Converging
• Diversity and Inclusion Strategies in Canadian Organizations
• Structure of Diversity and Inclusion in Canadian Organizations
• What Are Canadian Organizations Doing?
• Measuring Diversity and Inclusion
• Conclusions

Appendix A—Bibliography

Appendix B—Respondent Profile