The Diversity at Work site seeks to bring together individuals, workplaces, and communities with the goal of improving the employment landscape of diverse individuals. This matters as much for individuals as it does for workplaces and communities.
It matters to individuals who have historically been underrepresented within the workplace. For far too long, they have been underemployed, underestimated, and undervalued. Many have a deep desire and capacity to work – whether that be full-time, part-time, contract, or self-employment – and possess the necessary skills and talents to be successful within workplaces and communities. They are, however, far too often overlooked.
It matters to workplaces who struggle to find and keep good employees. It can be time-consuming and expensive to onboard and train new staff. Rural and remote communities aren’t immune from the megatrends impacting the employment landscape – e.g., AI and automation, climate change, and generational shifts. To better address such changes, workplaces need new perspectives from diverse individuals.
It matters to communities who have limited resources to support those with complex needs, especially those in rural and remote communities. They understand just how much such individuals can contribute to workplaces, provided they are given opportunities and the supports they need to succeed – often through simple, inexpensive accommodations. Communities play an important role in shaping workplaces that reflect their diversity.
Note: If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to visit the Crafting Your Vision for the Future resource, take a moment to review it now. With a refined sense of your purpose, you’ll have a better sense of the bridges you can build with other stakeholders.
Individuals, workplaces, and communities each play an important and interconnected role in the success of the other. To ensure the “system” is functioning in a positive and effective manner, all groups need to work together – disjointed, isolated efforts won’t effectively bridge the disconnect.
For example:
An individual completed “skill building” or “employment readiness” training through community-based career service providers, but didn’t have access to employment opportunities which were meaningful and/or motivating.
A workplace has committed to support inclusive practices and leaders have taken the time to engage with underrepresented individuals in meaningful ways; however, they are located in communities that ignore systemic barriers in essential services and supports (e.g., transportation, accessible education).
A community provides services that actively support job placements for individuals struggling to find and keep work, but they don’t offer supports to those workplaces to integrate the new workers (e.g., on-the-job coaches, accommodation supports).
These examples here represent incidents where at least one party was disconnected or left out of the equation. Choose one example to reflect on more deeply.
How were the needs of individuals considered/addressed?
How were the needs of workplaces considered/addressed?
How were the needs of communities considered/addressed?
How could the disconnect be resolved? What was missing? What is needed instead?
As an example, a community-based program from Free Rein, and the inspiration for this website’s refresh, sought to bridge the disconnect between individuals with disabling conditions and local employers. The Right Fit filled a need in the community by bringing together a largely untapped labour pool with employers dealing with labour shortages in key sectors.
This resource will summarize a few of the lessons learned from this program as they pertain to individuals, workplaces, and communities – your location, reputation, approach, connection, and reality all matter. As you review, we invite you to consider more than your own perspective. Bridging the disconnect requires a curiosity and understanding of the others’ perspective. Over time, an acceptance of and respect for diverse lived experiences and perspectives will enable collaborative, win-win solutions to develop more authentically.
Rural communities are simply less densely populated than urban/suburban areas. Consequently, the commercial and residential properties are spread out over a larger area. The walkability and/or accessibility of these spaces isn’t always a primary concern of developers where most people rely on personal motor vehicles to get around.
Transportation is a systemic issue that comes up time and time again – it’s an external factor that individuals typically have no control over (e.g., bus schedules not aligning to work shifts).
For individuals with disabling conditions, especially for those in rural and remote communities, location is a paramount concern. Can they get to where they need to go in a timely fashion? Are there reliable, affordable transportation options (e.g., public transit) and can those options accommodate any mobility restrictions and/or supportive devices? What about weather, construction, or natural disasters that may temporarily (or permanently) close routes? Are detours available and are they reasonable?
When individuals with disabling conditions arrive at their destination, what will they find in terms of accessibility? Will they be welcomed in or treated more as a disturbance or inconvenience? Can the location meet the needs of conditions that are degenerative in nature rather than stable/chronic?
As you consider your individual circumstances, use the following questions to guide your reflection
What location-related challenges have you experienced?
What do workplace and community groups need to know about the realities of your location-related challenges?
In your opinion, what would be the best solution? How reasonable would this be for workplaces and/or communities?
For workplaces in rural and remote areas, the owners, employees, suppliers, and customers/clients may experience similar transportation challenges that individuals with disabling conditions face but may be better able to access alternatives. Finding a central, convenient location that works for everyone isn’t always easy. For some seasonally operated, eco-tourism businesses, the location isn’t negotiable – it may need to be in close proximity to a specific natural resource and/or the landscape/terrain may impede accessibility.
Although there are legal accessibility requirements for workplaces, those aren’t always convenient or welcoming for those with disabling conditions (e.g., having a ramp “around back”). Further, as we move forward in our inclusion efforts, accommodation requirements aren’t always as clear cut – it’s more than just whether or not someone can physically get in and out of this space, but also, is the space safe and inviting for all groups?
As you consider your workplace, use the following questions to guide your reflection.
How are you welcoming and fully including people who have disabling conditions?
Have you included individuals in the conversation about what works and what doesn’t in your workplace?
As you consider what “reasonable accommodations” might include, what other adjustments to your physical environment, work flow, processes, and procedures might support everyone?
How prepared are staff to support individuals with disabling conditions when they come in?
For communities, it’s important for service providers (e.g., non-profit organizations, government-funded agencies/contractors) to be especially aware of their location; it needs to be convenient, low-barriered, and accessible. This, of course, means different things to different people – something that works for one condition, might not work for another. It may also be beneficial to have several service providers in close proximity so that individuals can more readily access services. In addition, service providers who meet clients where they are, engage in outreach efforts, and/or leverage technological solutions may be better equipped to ensure supports are available and utilized by those who need them. This applies to both individuals with disabling conditions and workplaces, as workplaces need supports, too.
As you consider your communities, look beyond just formal service providers. Community supports extend to family, friends, role models, elders, etc. These kinds of supports may also experience the location-related challenges previously described.
As you consider your communities, use the following questions to guide your reflection.
What location-related challenges have you experienced?
What are the community structures in place to support people with disabling conditions?
What are the community structures in place to support employers?
It’s important for all groups to remain trustworthy, reliable, and respectful in their interactions with each other.
Especially in rural and remote communities, it can be hard to overcome a tarnished reputation – word can travel quickly in a place where everyone knows everyone.
Generally, individuals want to put their best foot forward in the workplace – individuals want to be seen as a valuable resource that is contributing in some way to the business. They want to be compensated fairly for their work. For those with disabling conditions, there may be additional supports and/or resources needed to do the job adequately. Unfortunately, requests for accommodations may be interpreted as complaining or asking for an unfair advantage. However, in the absence of such adjustments, the result is low engagement, motivation, and ultimately performance. Labelling such individuals as “bad” workers, completely disregards the systemic issues at play and results in further stigmatizing those with disabling conditions as “unemployable.”
Generally, workplaces want to find and keep good employees while building their business and making a profit. Recruiting, onboarding, and training new employees can be expensive and time-consuming at all levels (e.g., HR creating job advertisements, management conducting interviews, co-workers supporting on-the-job training efforts), especially in rural and remote areas where the pool of qualified applicants can be limited. Workplaces who don’t hire individuals with disabling conditions or refuse to offer reasonable accommodations, may be seen as toxic, exclusionary, or even worse, discriminatory. The perception of being a place that people don’t want to work at, whether that’s justified or not, will impede the ability to attract high quality staff and perhaps also limit who wants to do business there.
In communities, some service providers, specifically those focused on employment, are increasingly following a dual-client service model where individual employees and job seekers, as well as the workplaces, are considered to be “clients.” This means offering services, supports, and resources to both groups (individuals and employers) and finding ways to bridge their competing demands, viewpoints, and opinions in a diplomatic and productive way. As service provider, to maintain your positive reputation, you’ll need to communicate the benefits of your services to both sides clearly, effectively, and persuasively while maintaining fairness and objectivity.
As you consider your reputation, use the following questions to guide your reflection.
What strengths do you bring?
How can you show those strengths to others?
What perception might others have of you that supports your ability to move forward?
Everyone is trying to put their best foot forward – individuals (e.g., I’m the best worker for this position!), workplaces (e.g., This is the best place to work!), and communities (e.g., This is the best place to live!).
As we seek to bridge the disconnect between groups, consider the following.
For individuals:
For workplaces:
For communities:
As you consider your reputation, use the following questions to guide your reflection.
What strengths do you bring?
How can you show those strengths to others?
What perception might others have of you that supports your ability to move forward?
Whether you are an individual, workplace, or community, it’s importance to foster authentic relationships and build genuine connections. It’s these connections that enable us to understand and empathize with each other in kind ways.
Strong connections are the foundation for building strategic partnerships and creating collaborative solutions.
For any individual, whether or not you have a disabling condition, feeling connected to your workplace and community provides a strong motivating factor to bring your best self to work. Connections can be built by individuals through:
Fostering connection is as important to existing staff as it is to incoming workers, especially individuals with disabling conditions. Connections can be built within workplaces through:
Often workplaces and individuals need the support of a third party to bring them together. This is where communities can play an integral role in facilitating the relationship-building process.
Connections can be built within communities through:
Use the following questions to guide your reflection.
In considering the points relevant for you, which resonates with you the most? Why?
What specific actions have you taken that show evidence of this approach?
In considering the points from the other sections, which resonates with you the most? Why?
Where/when have you seen evidence of this? What was the result?
In rural and remote communities, the reality is that things just “come up” (e.g., the only key for the sole commuter bus is missing) which will ultimately require you to be flexible and adjust your approach. For individuals, workplaces, and communities, it’s important to listen to the locals and follow their lead.
Although smaller communities may have a slower pace of life and limited access to resources, the reality is that they’ll come together to support each other when in need.
Individuals with disabling conditions are keenly aware of the limitations that their condition imposes and the external factors that work to constrict (or facilitate) their success within workplaces and communities. As an individual, you are perhaps the best person to express your experiences and needs. Begin with addressing basic needs to create stability (e.g., transportation, housing, phones, accessibility devices) and then look to additional supports and funding to improve your circumstances (e.g., training grants, employment services). The reality is that accessing these tangible supports often means navigating a bureaucratic maze of disjointed services and dealing with long wait times and complicated application processes. It takes time and energy, which not everyone has. Ask your support network for guidance on the best approach.
Beyond these tangible supports, as an individual with a disabling condition you’ll also need to consider how you’ll address bias and assumptions that others make about you and your skills, desires, and priorities. Although you may not be on the receiving end of outright discrimination, you may get asked personal (perhaps offensive) questions or be given accommodations that you don’t need. These instances are often fueled by misinformation or incompetence and, although these can be frustrating, they can also offer an opportunity to spur change and build allyship. Consider how you can maintain your boundaries and safety while challenging others to think differently.
Use the following questions to guide your reflection.
How can you engage your support system to assist you with tangible resources?
How can you create teachable moments to address bias/discrimination in kind ways?
Even for those workplaces with a strong desire for, and commitment to, corporate social responsibility and inclusion, the reality is that workplaces are economic endeavours and, to be sustainable, a profit is necessary. It’s important, however, to balance this need for profit with the needs of the people in your community – they are both your workforce and client/customer base. Consider how an investment into employing traditionally under-represented groups, such as those with disabling conditions, can benefit your business. Be realistic about what shifts you’ll need to make to create a safe, inclusive space for all workers – some adjustments are in your control (e.g., height of desk, number of breaks) and others might not be (e.g., start time).
Consider what supports and resources are available to support shifts within the workplace – look beyond just community organizations to include individuals with lived experiences themselves.
Use the following questions to guide your reflection.
Where does corporate social responsibility and inclusion, as opposed to profit, rank as a priority item for the workplace?
With whom can you speak or where can you go to deepen you understanding of the reality of those with disabling conditions?
Although there a variety of tangible supports available within community spaces (e.g., libraries), the reality is that smaller communities do not have the same resources as larger communities. As such, it’s important for community-service providers to be aware of what other service providers are in the area and to whom they can refer individuals or workplaces if they require more supports. There are going to be gaps, so service providers to be proactive and planful about how to address these. They need to act as resource navigators.
In addition, communities can play a supportive role in helping individuals to navigate the complexity of applying and accessing pockets of funding; they can provide insight into the process, verify eligibility, assist with filling out forms, send reminders about deadlines, etc. Other members of an individual’s social network (e.g., friends, family members) can also offer similar supports even if they don’t have expertise – e.g., picking up paper forms, mailing applications.
Use the following questions to guide your reflection.
What supports can you offer individuals with disabling conditions?
What supports can you offer workplaces?
In conclusion, individuals, workplaces, and communities each play a role in bridging the disconnect in employment of those with disabling conditions within rural and remote communities. The reflections embedded throughout this resource are a helpful starting point. As you look back and consolidate your learning,
we invite you to consider how Shifting Perspectives might deepen your understanding of others. For example, if you are an individual, consider what it might look like for you if you were a representative of workplace or community. How can this extend your understanding of your circumstance?
Use the following to complete the Shifting Perspectives activity. Consider which group you represent: Individual, Workplace, or Community.
As a member of this group, what is one thing you’d like to communicate to the two other groups to help bridge the disconnect?
Put yourself into the other two groups, consider what they might want to communicate to you.
Success is experienced in different ways by different people. In this resource, we’ll examine what contributes to the success of individuals seeking to find and maintain employment as a member of underrepresented groups (e.g., persons with disabling conditions), workplaces seeking to hire/employ them, and communities seeking to support both individuals and employers within rural/remote settings. As you review, be aware of how your own definition of “success” impacts your understanding of the factors that contribute to success.
