As a Black queer woman, I was looking for workplaces that aligned with my values first and foremost. I felt that office life and banking were incompatible with my personal and professional values, which are about trying to contribute to a more just and equitable world. When I arrived at BDC in 2021, my conversations with my colleagues quickly dispelled my prejudices.
First, BDC has made diversity, equity and inclusion a fundamental component of its mission, business strategy and values. This is one of the main reasons why it has been ranked among Canada's Best Diversity Employers since 2010 .
But more importantly, it’s clear that when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion, BDC’s mission is grounded in concrete actions. In my initial conversations with colleagues, it was clear that BDC is committed to creating spaces for employees to have their voices heard, as well as opportunities for learning and unlearning. BDC is not a perfect organization, but it is working hard to ensure that diversity, equity and inclusion is not a separate topic. Rather, it is embedded in the culture of the organization.
Diversity isn’t always visible. It’s about noticing who’s not there, what perspectives are missing, and what voices aren’t being heard.
Jennifer Addison
Coordinator, Human Resources, BDC
LGBTQ2+ people face challenges in business and workplaces
Canada’s LGBTQ2+ community continues to face both overt and subtle discrimination in the workplace. According to a 2019 study by the Canadian LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC), nearly half (46%) of LGBT+ entrepreneurs 1 have concealed their identity in business relationships to avoid losing business opportunities, and one-third have acknowledged losing opportunities because of their identity.
Intersectionality is a framework that helps us understand how different aspects of people’s identities, such as race, class or disability, combine to produce a particular experience of discrimination or privilege. I am queer and cannot separate this aspect from my experience as a Black person or a woman. Some people may make judgments based on stereotypes, as well as their own biases and judgments. To continue to ensure that BDC is a safer, more inclusive and equitable workplace, it is essential that we apply an intersectional lens to our work on diversity, equity and inclusion.
Authenticity: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Return to Work
These challenges are a priority as we enter a new phase after the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, with many employees and companies returning to work or adopting hybrid work models. After a car owner database year of online meetings, most of my colleagues know that I am Black and likely identify as a woman. However, my queer identity may not come across in remote meetings. After all, my colleagues haven’t seen my shoes!
As a diversity, equity and inclusion specialist working in the human resources team, determining how much I should assert my identity at work is a priority for me. I imagine many staff members are struggling with this issue.
Fortunately, I felt comfortable discussing this with my colleagues, who genuinely value my well-being. We don’t tend to associate consideration and care with the workplace, but creating a culture of consideration is a crucial part of taking action as part of a diversity, equity and inclusion mandate.
I am queer and I cannot separate that aspect from my experience as a black person or a woman.
Jennifer Addison
Coordinator, Human Resources, BDC
Creating safe spaces to listen
At BDC, we do our best to create a space where we can practice active listening, tune into people's needs, and work consciously to produce meaningful change.
Diversity isn’t always visible. It’s about noticing who’s not there, what perspectives are missing, and what voices aren’t being heard.
Through our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion focus groups, we ask people across the organization how they perceive the work being done at BDC on diversity, equity and inclusion. This means listening to employees, asking for their ideas, and seeking feedback regularly, while being open to changing our opinions – and our policies – as we learn new information.
BDC’s Employee Resource Groups ( ERGs) meet monthly to discuss issues they consider critical, share their experiences, provide a voice to employees who are part of diverse groups within the organization, and provide advice on employee growth and development. We look for opportunities for ERGs to collaborate and take a more intersectional approach to their work.
The issue of diversity, equity and inclusion is not just an HR issue
Diversity, equity and inclusion is a shared journey for all BDC employees. This journey is embodied both from the top and the bottom up, through policies and actions that start before recruitment.
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team includes a Senior Advisor, Talent Acquisition who continually ensures that our recruitment strategy reflects the inclusive workplace we strive to create and ensures that our job postings are written to attract a pool of candidates with diverse experiences. We are also adapting our vocabulary and policies to be more inclusive, such as using gender-neutral terminology.
Creating meaningful partnerships
By building strong relationships with diverse organizations, we are helping to give the LGBTQ2+ community a stronger voice while addressing important issues.
BDC has established working relationships with Pride at Work Canada , the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) and the Canadian LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC) .
In 2022, BDC collaborated with Lez Spread the Word (LSTW) magazine to promote stories of lesbian entrepreneurs.
BDC's partnership with QueerTech creates opportunities for LGBTQ2+ people in the technology sector to network, overcome financial barriers, collaborate and succeed.
Beyond Pride: Major Changes
Annual Pride celebrations are important. In addition to being fun, they provide an opportunity to educate people about LGBTQ2+ history and culture, celebrate diversity, and foster inclusion. But what matters is what happens when the rainbow flags aren’t flying.
BDC is committed to moving in the right direction by listening, informing, telling, learning and adapting to bring about meaningful change.
As American writer and civil rights activist Audre Lorde once said : “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our failure to recognize, accept, and celebrate them.”
It’s true that we will measure our success by the diversity in our organization, how inclusive people feel, and how equitable our workplace is. But we will only be truly successful when we no longer need a diversity, equity and inclusion team, because every BDC employee will be involved, every day, in creating an organization where all people feel a sense of belonging.
