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Workforce diversity and inclusion

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are key priorities at the City of Mississauga. The City is committed to creating a respectful and supportive workplace that fosters a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion and which broadly reflects the communities and residents we serve.

An equitable, diverse and inclusive workplace is beneficial to everyone. With a diverse workforce, the City can enhance our ability to develop innovative new programs, foster stronger relationships with communities and enhance service delivery by leveraging the unique talents, skills and expertise of employees. We are striving to create a workplace where everyone belongs and has an opportunity to succeed, free from discrimination.

Employee Diversity, Inclusion and Demographic Surveys

The City conducts Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Surveys to better understand the current workforce demographics and provide employees with the opportunity to anonymously share their perceptions about inclusion.

The data collected is used to identify where equity-deserving groups may be underrepresented, to develop policies for improving workplace inclusion, and to inform initiatives and strategies for eliminating barriers to achieving a more equitable workplace.

Creating a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion

We understand that creating a work environment that values equity, diversity, inclusion, respect and fairness is rooted in a culture of continuous EDI learning, development and improvement.

Throughout the employee life cycle, the City is working to include an EDI lens to attract, retain and support the growth of diverse talent.

  • Identify and work towards eliminating any systemic barriers in our recruitment process.
  • Provide training to hiring managers and recruitment staff that increases their awareness of issues like unconscious bias and offer resources on how to eliminate such barriers.
  • Broaden outreach to increase engagement with a more diverse talent pool.
  • Support employee professional development and ongoing learning by developing educational toolkits, EDI micro learning opportunities and other resources that focus on a variety of EDI topics.
  • Offer internal courses and training to help advance employee understanding of EDI topics, such as racism, micro-aggressions, allyship, including mandatory training for leaders and employees on Indigenous Cultural Awareness.
  • Continuously review and expand existing EDI training with the goal of enhancing the offerings available to employees.
  • Introduced new leadership program that aims to foster a culture of trust and fairness and remove barriers to participation in succession planning by ensuring an equitable and inclusive process. The program will select highly qualified, ‘ready now’ participants that will positively impact employee engagement through a self-nomination process.

Workplace Psychological Health and Safety Strategy

We introduced a new Workplace Psychological Health and Safety Strategy for employees that aligns with the Canadian Standard on Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace.

Psychological health and safety is embedded in the way people interact with one another on a daily basis, is part of the way working conditions and management practices are structured, and the way decisions are made and communicated.

While there are many factors external to the workplace that can impact psychological health and safety, the strategy addresses psychological health and safety aspects within the control, responsibility and influence of the workplace that can have an impact within, or on the workforce.

Employee Equity Advisory Committee

The Employee Equity Advisory Committee is a group of employees who share a common interest in advancing EDI, and meet regularly to exchange knowledge and support change at all levels of the corporation.

This cross-departmental group provides advice and feedback to fellow employees, including senior leadership, on initiatives that help build an organizational culture of shared responsibility for EDI. Committee members also help inform consistent best practices for addressing EDI issues.

Employee Resource Groups

The City introduced Employee Resources Groups (ERGs) to all employees in 2023. ERGs are employee led groups by and for those who share a common identity, lived experience and/or set of interests.

ERGs offer employees a sense of community, camaraderie and connections to the organization that helps create a sense of belonging and a safe space to share lived experience, dialogue, and support. In addition, ERGs introduce new and current employees to the organizational culture, and help build and maintain employee engagement and satisfaction.

The City has endorsed the following ERGs:

  • Racialized
  • Indigenous Peoples
  • Black
  • 2SLGBTQ+
  • People with Disabilities

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