02 Sep 2022 Meet the Finalists for ‘Gamechanger: Diversity & Inclusion’
About this award: Selected from the three Finalists showcased below, the winner of this Technology Impact Award has gone above and beyond in making a game-changing difference to advancing the Diversity & Inclusion that is so vital to B.C.’s society and economy. The 2022 “GameChanger: Diversity & Inclusion” award is presented in partnership with PwC.
In late 2020, the Vancouver-based global leader in social media management hired Tara Ataya as its first Chief People and Diversity Officer. Since then, Ataya has moved the needle on diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I) to an extent never before seen in the Vancouver tech ecosystem. Among many other initiatives, she has restructured Hootsuite’s hiring and recruiting processes, made unconscious bias training available to all employees, expanded mental health benefits coverage by six times, and established partnerships with the Black Professionals in Tech Network and Pride at Work Canada with the goal of further expanding Hootsuite’s diverse network.
Key stat: As of 2021, Hootsuite has achieved global pay equity for all of its employees.
This Vancouver-based digital marketing bootcamp initiative launched a program in 2021 whereby scholarships valued at $180,000 were offered to Indigenous communities across British Columbia. Jelly Academy partnered with Indigenous and Métis organizations to distribute the scholarships, as well as with Best Buy to supply the tech resources needed for participants to enter the program. As it stands, the percentage of Indigenous peoples working in the B.C. tech sector is just 2.2 percent.
Key stat: To date, 82 Indigenous students have gone through the program.
The Vancouver-based Canadian arm of the world’s largest provider of enterprise application software is home to three trailblazing D&I programs: Autism at Work (AaW), Indigenous Inclusion, and a focus on gender equity at SAP. Piloted in Canada, AaW hires and retains neurodiverse talent by partnering with recruitment programs such as Orbital Learning. Indigenous Inclusion works with the First Nations Technology Council to reimagine recruitment processes, train Hiring Managers on cultural sensitivity and inclusion, and emphasize employee learning through decolonization training and workshops from Indigenous-led organizations. Among other achievements, SAP’s focus on gender equity led to a founding partnership of Maturn, Canada’s first comprehensive program supporting mothers throughout their maternity leave with resources that ease their transition back to work.
Key stat: 91 percent of SAP Labs Canada employees report that they feel their direct manager creates an environment where everyone can be their authentic self.
