Building More Inclusive Workplaces in Canada: Turning DE&I Commitments into Action

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) have become an important part of how organizations across Canada think about hiring, employee experience and long-term workforce success. But creating a more inclusive workplace requires more than a commitment. It requires organizations to examine how people access opportunities, how talent decisions are made and whether employees have the support they need to succeed once they are hired.

That focus on meaningful action is at the heart of the inaugural Fall 2026 issue of Leading North, a BlackNorth Initiative publication examining the organizations, leaders and ideas working to turn DE&I commitments into measurable change.

The Adecco Group Canada is proud to be featured in the inaugural issue, with insights from three of our leaders: Vanessa Duarte, Director, EmpowerWork Solutions; Eileen Gittens, Vice President, Staffing & Strategic Delivery; and Zara Marfo, Director, DE&I, Sustainability & Social Responsibility.

Together, their perspectives highlight an important lesson for Canadian employers: building a more equitable workplace is not one initiative or one hiring decision. It is about creating systems that support access, belonging, development and opportunity throughout the employee journey.

Creating equitable access to employment opportunities

Inclusive hiring begins well before a candidate receives an offer.

In her Leading North interview, Vanessa Duarte discusses Adecco's work with Dress for Success Toronto, Gibson's and other partners through EmpowerWork Solutions. The initiative was designed to address an important challenge: talented women candidates can face barriers to employment even when they have the skills and potential to succeed.

As Vanessa explains, traditional hiring systems can miss capable candidates because readiness is often measured too narrowly.

The program took a broader approach to workforce readiness, helping prepare women through realistic job previews, role-aligned learning, preboarding and ongoing support. Candidates also had access to workplace attire, professional development tools and other resources designed to help address barriers that can affect employment.

The support did not end once someone was hired. It continued through onboarding, ramp-up and early performance.

That distinction matters for employers considering how to make their recruitment strategies more inclusive. Equitable hiring is not simply about expanding who enters the recruitment process. It is also about examining whether that process gives people a meaningful opportunity to succeed.

The initiative also demonstrated what can happen when employers and community organizations work toward a shared objective. Vanessa noted that the structured cohort model, tailored learning paths and intentional employer engagement successfully converted participants into temporary-to-permanent employees who entered the workforce with greater clarity and confidence.

Inclusive workplaces require more than representation

Getting people through the door is only one part of building an inclusive workplace.

Zara Marfo's interview  focuses on what needs to happen next: creating workplace systems that make success sustainable for all employees, especially women.

For employers, that means considering whether employees have equitable access to opportunities and development, whether talent decisions are transparent, and whether people feel psychologically safe enough to contribute, challenge ideas and take risks without fear.

Zara identifies three important conditions for sustainable workplace equity: real access to opportunity, talent systems that do not rely on "good judgement" alone, and psychological safety and inclusion.

For example, access to opportunity should extend beyond mentorship to sponsorship and stretch assignments that can help women develop their careers. Talent processes such as performance reviews, promotions and succession planning can also benefit from greater calibration, transparency and diverse decision-making.

The underlying message is simple: workplace inclusion should be built into the systems employees experience every day.

As Zara explains, sustained success happens when women do not have to constantly navigate barriers because those barriers have been identified and intentionally addressed.

Moving DE&I from intention to measurable impact

Another challenge for employers is determining whether their DE&I partnerships and initiatives are creating meaningful results.

At the Adecco Group Canada, Zara explains that the DE&I Partnerships Scorecard assesses partnerships through three lenses: value and impact, strategic alignment and system influence.

The approach asks important questions. Is a partnership creating measurable value? Does it support the organization's broader DE&I strategy? Is it expanding access to talent and opportunity or influencing how systems work?

Partnerships can then be assessed based on whether they are driving strong impact, building momentum or primarily raising awareness.

For business leaders, this provides a useful principle that can extend beyond DE&I partnerships: activity and impact are not necessarily the same thing.

Organizations looking to strengthen their diversity, equity and inclusion strategy can consider not only what programs they have in place, but what those programs are changing.

Leadership accountability helps make inclusion part of the business

Meaningful workplace change also requires leadership involvement.

Eileen Gittens, Vice President, Staffing & Strategic Delivery and Executive Sponsor for the BlackNorth Initiative at the Adecco Group Canada, describes sponsorship as something that goes beyond advocacy.

In her interview, Eileen explains that leaders have an important role in influencing decisions about who receives visibility, stretch assignments, coaching opportunities and sponsorship when they are ready for more.

That responsibility also means creating opportunities for employees whose voices may not always be the loudest in the room, but whom are more than capable and talented.

Her perspective reinforces why DE&I cannot operate separately from the rest of the organization. Equity should be reflected in how companies hire and develop talent, discuss succession, review performance and build leadership teams.

Regional and local leaders also play an important role. When inclusion becomes part of everyday conversations about talent, community and business decisions, it can move from being a separate initiative to becoming part of how an organization operates.

Strong partnerships can help create stronger workplaces

Across all three interviews, one theme consistently emerges: lasting workplace change requires collaboration.

Employers, community organizations and workforce partners bring different strengths and perspectives. When expectations, responsibilities and measures of success are clear, those partnerships can help address barriers that one organization may not be able to solve alone.

Vanessa's work illustrates how collaboration can help women transition into employment with stronger preparation and support. Zara's perspective demonstrates the importance of evaluating whether partnerships are producing measurable outcomes. Eileen highlights the role leaders play in ensuring that commitments translate into decisions and opportunities.

Together, these perspectives offer Canadian employers a practical way to think about DE&I in the workplace: not as a standalone program, but as an ongoing part of recruitment, talent development, employee experience and leadership.

Continuing the conversation on the future of work

Creating more equitable and inclusive workplaces requires organizations to keep listening, learning and examining how their decisions affect people.

Our partnership with the BlackNorth Initiative is part of the Adecco Group Canada's ongoing work to support greater accountability, representation and opportunities for Black professionals across Canada. We are proud to contribute to Leading North and to platforms that amplify diverse leadership voices while encouraging organizations to turn intention into action.

These conversations also extend to Workforce Unscripted, Canada's first staffing agency podcast, hosted by Christine Marinho and Melissa Tabakian. The podcast takes listeners behind the scenes of today's world of work, exploring topics ranging from hiring trends and talent management to career development, workplace culture, DE&I and labour market insights.

 

Want to hear more conversations shaping the future of work?

Listen to Workforce Unscripted on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

 

Looking to strengthen DE&I within your organization?

Connect with Adecco Canada to learn more about our DE&I initiatives and how we work with organizations to support more inclusive workplaces.

 

You can access the full inaugural Fall 2026 issue of Leading North here.