Executive Summary
Visible minorities are an integral part of Canadian society. Their proportion in the labour force rose from 5.9% in 1986 to 9.1% in 1991, and is estimated to be about 12% in 1996. Despite this, their representation in the Canadian public service has increased only from 2.7% in 1987 to 4.1% in 1995. For Canada, known to be a racially-tolerant country in the community of nations, such a low level of visible minority representation in its public service is less than acceptable. Indications are that the federally-regulated private sector is doing much better in hiring visible minorities. Between 1987 and 1994, the visible minority group representation in the private sector increased from 5.0% to 8.2% of the labour force. The five major chartered banks had a representation level in the range of 10.7% to 18.2% in 1995. Interestingly some banks assert that visible minority employees in their workforce help to increase productivity and profitability.
Given the above numbers, the Canadian Human Rights Commission initiated this study to provide the public service with constructive input by identifying elements in hiring practices and in the workplace environment that may help to explain the statistical patterns observed above.
Fourteen departments and agencies were chosen in order for the study to reflect a representation of the public service. They ranged in size from the very large to small; some had greater success in hiring visible minorities, and some appeared to be making a greater effort to do this. More than 2,000 employees of these departments volunteered to participate.
The multi-faceted approach undertaken in the study involved both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The groups that received questionnaires, participated in focus groups or were interviewed were: visible minority employees including a group of former public servants, a control group of non-visible minority public servants; public servants with staffing/managing responsibilities, and the executives known as EXs - primarily Assistant Deputy Ministers and directors general.
Twelve private sector firms also received a questionnaire, and eight high-ranking human resources officials of the private sector were interviewed along with the former president of the Canadian Bankers' Association.
Both visible minority employees and public service managers, including EXs, expressed the view that racial discrimination against visible minorities is prevalent in the public service. However, it was clear from the questionnaires and focus group meetings that discrimination per se tells only part of the story. A significant number of other factors were cited by both groups contributing to the low representation of visible minorities. These included:
A lack of flexibility in the staffing process, which reduces the scope for creativity in outreach, recruitment and selection standards.
A perception that candidates for appointments and promotions are "pre-selected", and the failure to factor in visible minority representation into the composition of hiring boards. As a result, some visible minority employees have screened themselves out of competitions because they believe they cannot win.
Difficulty in getting information on jobs and their requirements, both for people who want to enter the public service and for those who want to progress within it.
A certain level of discomfort with the workplace environment and the feeling that networking, kinship and social ties play a major role in hiring and promotion.
The overall perception of the public service by visible minority communities, exacerbated by "public service bashing", cultural biases against public service employment, and low salary levels for some professions in comparison with the private sector.
The lack of a simple yet structured approach to career development and training opportunities. Problems often cited included the lack of information, accessibility, encouragement and funds.
A failure to focus efforts to hire visible minorities into senior management. The absence of a critical mass of visible minority senior managers means that employees do not see themselves reflected in the top echelons. Without this critical mass, it is harder to encourage visible minority employees inside the system to aspire to senior management positions.
A continuing need for diversity training opportunities; not just courses and job fairs, but focused training for managers about how to build diversity into daily processes; and training for people entering the public service to understand and cope with the environment.
A perception that public service managers - from the top on down - are not fully committed to increasing visible minority representation. This commitment must be strengthened and demonstrated through concrete action, integration of employment equity objectives into business plans, and accountability for producing results.
Particularly significant were comments related to flexibility, on the one hand, and accountability on the other. Participants in the study said that hiring policies and procedures - restrictions on external recruitment, for example - are insufficiently flexible to provide increased employment opportunities for visible minorities. At the same time, at least some participants felt that visible minorities were adversely affected when managers use their discretion, for example, in the case of acting appointments or deployments. One might conclude that an increase in flexibility and manager discretion will only be effective if managers are held accountable for the successful implementation of employment equity goals; and that these goals are factored into all aspects of the staffing process.
Conclusion
The most significant point made by all the participants in this study is that commitment at the highest level of authority is a must to herald change. Once that commitment is there, the process can begin in earnest to establish and accomplish diversity goals that fully reflect the spirit and the law of both the Public Service Employment Act and the Employment Equity Act.
What the public service needs is not quotas for visible minorities but a removal of barriers to make sure that real merit is recognized and rewarded. The study's recommendations are put forward to facilitate the changes that are necessary for a public service on the threshold of the 21st century. Canada needs a public service that is dynamic, adaptive and productive. For this, the Canadian public service needs a new diversity strategy.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank all those who assisted with the study.
From the very beginning of the study, the Treasury Board Secretariat agreed to facilitate access to and share the information available centrally on visible minorities in the public service. The Secretariat wrote to the fourteen participating departments and agencies selected for the study requesting their cooperation in facilitating this initiative of the Canadian Human Rights Commission. The Public Service Commission assisted us in meeting the information needs on their programs and services.
The fourteen departments and agencies (see Chapter 1) chosen for the study rendered invaluable help in making this study a success despite constraints imposed by the summer season. The employment equity coordinators and committees in various departments and/or agencies, and in particular the visible minority advisory committees, where they existed, provided helpful practical advice on procedures, and offered suggestions about approaches to be used. They helped to publicize the study and commented on draft questionnaires, distributed them and collected and forwarded to us names of prospective participants for the focus groups, and attended information meetings. Deputy Ministers and Assistant Deputy Ministers in some departments wrote to all employees requesting them to cooperate. Several senior public servants spared the time to discuss with us some of the issues and possible solutions.
The unions, approached through the National Joint Committee Employment Equity Subcommittee, were quite enthusiastic about the study. The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada publicized the study through its publication, Communications. The Public Service Alliance of Canada issued a special memorandum on the study. The unions also commented on draft questionnaires and urged their members to participate.
Senior personnel from a number of firms chosen from the private sector filled out questionnaires and took the time most willingly to be interviewed on their policies and practices regarding visible minority recruitment, retention, promotion and workplace environmental issues.
We are most thankful to those who attended the focus groups, and who expressed their views candidly, filled out the questionnaires, volunteered information on the issues through letters, phone calls, e-mail, and copies of relevant reports. Without their willing cooperation and candid views it would not have been possible to conclude the study so successfully. The summer season and the normal vacation periods posed particular challenges for the study. However, the participants showed patience and were willing to give us the benefit of their ideas and observations based on experience. The hiring and/or managing group in the public service and the executives (EXs) in particular showed considerable interest in the study by responding to the questionnaires and participating in focus groups.
John Samuel Lloyd Stanford Camylle Tremblay
John Samuel & Associates Inc., Ottawa
Printable Version
Email This Page
