How diversity is helping Canadian companies achieve results

Many business leaders agree that when you understand your customer, the likelihood increases they'll stay your customer.

We talked with organizational leaders from several Windmill partners, including Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Toronto Pearson Airport and Toronto’s triOS College. They told us about the impact diversity has on their organizations and the critical roles immigrants play in enabling them to understand their customers better, grow their businesses and advance organizational success. Their responses shine a light on how companies, across sectors and across the country, benefit from immigrant employees' valuable contributions.

Brien Convery, RBC's National Director, Early Talent Communities and Inclusive Recruitment, says the bank's commitment to diversity brings forward the best ideas and freshest perspectives.

"Newcomers are an important fabric of the diversity at RBC because they bring us lived experiences, skills and knowledge that one cannot learn in the classroom,” says Convery. A perfect example of enabling its talent to be a catalyst for change is Tech@RBC, a platform which allows RBC employees to help clients use emerging technologies to develop innovative solutions for their organizations.

Toronto Pearson is Canada's busiest airport, with service to more than 175 cities around the world. Ian Clarke, Chief Financial Officer believes the airport should be a true reflection of Toronto's diverse population. Toronto Pearson's consistently strong passenger satisfaction rankings are linked to the strong performance of its diverse staff.

"We believe that if there is one place that should be a true reflection of diversity and inclusion, it must be an airport. Toronto Pearson is a place that connects Canada globally and brings the world to our country's doorstep. Immigrants play a significant role at Pearson. According to our 2019 data, 46% of our airport's workforce were born outside of Canada. It's through workers' diverse backgrounds, skills and experience that we can meet and exceed the needs of our global passenger demographic."

The post-secondary education sector across Canada similarly reflects the country's diverse population. A recent survey by StatsCan found that approximately one-third of post-secondary faculty and researchers, across universities and colleges in Canada, are from diverse backgrounds. Stuart Bentley, President at triOS College believes their multicultural faculty can better serve the institution's diverse student population.

"We have a very diverse teaching staff that often communicate to students in their native language, and who can fully understand the challenges they have integrating into Canadian society. Our extraordinary teaching and administrative staff not only assist our students with their education and career goals but make them feel welcome in a new land," says Bentley.

As Canada welcomes hundreds of thousands more immigrants and refugees in the years to come, Canadian businesses wishing to strengthen relationships and loyalty with diverse consumers can follow the lead of these Windmill partners, whose results speak for themselves.