Toronto Metropolitan University earns No. 1 spot on list of Canada’s Best Employers for Diversity

TORONTO July 14, 2023 – Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) ranks number one on the Forbes (external link)  list of Canada’s Best Employers for Diversity 2023, a ranking of the top 150 organizations across the country promoting creative, diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces. TMU’s Diversity Self-ID program has been critical in supporting efforts to increase representation of equity-deserving groups and informing equity, diversity and inclusion goals, and used to measure the university’s progress. 

“We are honoured that Toronto Metropolitan University has been named Canada’s Best Employer for Diversity 2023 by Forbes,” says Mohamed Lachemi, President and Vice-Chancellor, Toronto Metropolitan University. “The university prides itself on being intentionally diverse and inclusive, carrying out a core value that we actively embed into everything we do. This achievement is a result of the dedication and passion of numerous people who have worked tirelessly to establish our uniquely vibrant, diverse and inclusive culture. We encourage other organizations to continue to strengthen their commitment to EDI as a way to enhance creativity and innovation, broaden perspectives and support socially relevant research excellence.”

Transparent data collection 

Canadian universities have been collecting employee and student diversity data for decades to fulfill the requirements of the Federal Contractors' Employment Equity Program. However, TMU was the first to move beyond compliance with legislative and government requirements and develop an institutional diversity data program for employees and students. With a high level of data transparency, that involves collection, analysis and reporting aligned with the university’s values and goals. 

“The university's efforts in promoting a workplace environment built on equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization are meaningfully addressing systemic barriers and racism, with the objective of creating a human rights-centred university where all community members feel valued, have a sense of belonging and can reach their potential,” says Tanya (Toni) De Mello, Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion. “We are doing this work proactively and every day, because we want to be a place that doesn’t just respond in times of crisis and tragedy, but works arduously to create a stronger sense of belonging on our campus.”

The diversity data has been key to removing barriers and promoting inclusion, and is accessible to faculties and departments to inform their policies and practices around hiring, retaining and promoting diverse talent. Specific strategies to improve inclusion span hiring and promotion practices, bias training, access to gender-affirming health benefits and employee engagement initiatives to better understand the diverse and intersectional experiences of TMU’s workforce.

“At TMU, our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is intentionally built into every stage of the employee lifecycle. From recruitment to onboarding to performance and development and through our policies and collective agreements, this is our priority,” says Jenny O'Donnell, Chief Human Resources Officer at TMU. “It starts with the Candidate Diversity Self-ID application which allows us to understand our talent pools to increase diversity and address barriers in the recruitment process to create robust pipelines of talent.” 

While Toronto Metropolitan University has made significant progress in addressing systemic racism and discrimination, this work is ongoing. TMU commits to continue its efforts to embed inclusive and equitable practices to enhance workplace culture.

Forbes surveyed 12,000 Canadian workers at companies with at least 500 employees on their diversity practices and analyzed the companies’ diversity-related best practices. To see the full list visit: https://www.forbes.com/lists/canada-best-employers-diversity/ (external link) .

-30-

About Toronto Metropolitan University*

Toronto Metropolitan University, formerly known as Ryerson University, is Canada’s leader in innovative, career-oriented education. Urban, culturally diverse and inclusive, the University is home to more than 46,000 students, including 2,900 Master’s and PhD students, 4,000 faculty and staff, and 225,000 alumni worldwide. For more information, visit torontomu.ca.

*In April 2022, the university renamed and began a new chapter

Media contact
Tania Ulrich
647-785-0984
tulrich@torontomu.ca