Opinion: More can be done to improve Indigenous employee experiences – Calgary Herald

Aug 02, 2024

In this Truth and Reconciliation era, Indigenous employment has become a hot topic. National conversations are unpacking Indigenous employee data, most industries have made a dedicated effort to recruit Indigenous talent, and corporations have publicly committed to upholding Call to Action 92. As a result of these shifts, there are more Indigenous employees in the workforce today than ever before. But retention is a different story. While these recruitment efforts are needed and commendable, what is often missed is the experience of these employees once they are hired.

Research by Catalyst in its report, “Building Inclusion for Indigenous Peoples in the Canadian Workplace,” indicated that 52 per cent of Indigenous employees who completed their survey felt on guard to bias in the workplace, which included being vigilant to racism, stereotyping, discrimination and microaggressions. Multiple factors can contribute to these feelings, but a few common dominators exist, including surface-level inclusion statements, “checkbox” hiring, increased emotional labour required of employees, misaligned values, and a lack of Indigenous employees in decision-making positions.

Read More: https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-re-centring-the-indigenous-employee-experience