Introducing: Equity & Diversity Job Applicant Self-Identification Questionnaire
Welcoming the unique talents, perspectives and contributions of the different people who make up our campus community implies fair treatment for all and will lead us toward excellence in our delivery of education, service, scholarly activities and research.
In Canada and worldwide, there is a growing realization that diversity is vital for communities to flourish, to be at their healthiest and most successful. People from different backgrounds and identities bring unique perspectives, talents and ways of knowing that benefit us all. VIU is committed to achieving improved and lasting diversity, equity and inclusion, and many of VIU’s strategic planning initiatives include core commitments to equity, diversity and inclusion. In addition, we have signed on to Universities Canada’s Inclusive Excellence Principles and the Dimensions Charter, and have received support from the Federal Tri-Agencies, to help us advance our equity, diversity and inclusion goals.
At VIU, we believe that having employees who reflect the diversity of our students, and our community makes us a better university. One of the ways to move towards greater diversity is through collecting diversity data to assess the recruitment, representation and retention of employees from five equity-deserving groups: women, persons with disabilities, racialized persons, Indigenous peoples, and persons of a minority sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
VIU is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion throughout the University and all its operations. Through the development of evidence-driven practices and systems, including gathering self-identification data on job applicants, the University commits to attracting and retaining faculty, staff, and leaders from all backgrounds.
In Human Resources, we are committed to identifying where barriers exist in our recruitment process, creating strategies to address them and measuring our success. Understanding the diversity of our applicants and their progress through the hiring process will inform our goals, strategies and actions.
Why collect diversity data of applicants?
Self-identification data will be used to set equity, diversity, and inclusion goals; develop action plans and report on progress. Data will also be used to inform strategies for improving the job application experience and climate for applicants, particularly those from equity-deserving groups.
We are working on strengthening our hiring strategies and processes; however, without data, we limit our ability to measure the success of these initiatives.
Having data related to employee recruitment will help the university understand who is applying, progressing through the hiring process and ultimately who is successful in attaining positions. This will help us take action to increase representation through external hires and assess internal movement and growth for existing staff from equity-deserving groups. Understanding where barriers exist helps us address them in an intentional and focused way.
Upcoming EDI Initiatives
To further support search committees, Human Resources and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Human Rights are also developing an Unconscious Bias training module. This training module will be available in the fall for all members of search committees and will help search committees recognize and counteract unconscious bias throughout the recruitment process.
Employees will soon be able to self-identify in equity-deserving groups. Human Resources is working on a voluntary Equity and Diversity Employee Self-Identification Questionnaire, which will help the University further understand the current demographic and representation of employees. Data will help inform future initiatives, as well as identify areas for improvement.
Learn more
To learn more, visit the FAQs, or connect with the Recruitment Team.