At Associated, we value diversity and are committed to fostering an inclusive work environment where everyone can freely be their authentic selves and be treated with dignity, creating a sense of belonging and value within our company.
Our DEI vision is to “reflect the diversity of our communities and foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and are valued” with a mission to “cultivate an environment where we encourage and celebrate everyone to be their authentic selves.
To achieve this mission, we will:
- Act as an inclusive and bias-free company
- Broaden our base of potential employees to attract and retain the best talent
- Promote an inclusive culture through staff development and networking
- Leverage the power of diversity to unlock insight into the needs of our staff, clients, and community
- Make diversity and inclusion everyone's responsibility
- Create a space where no one feels the need to edit their identity
Although we have many DEI-related achievements to be proud of, we recognize there is still more work to do. Through our Diversity & Inclusion Committee, we have created a DEI Strategic Plan and started to identify priority areas to focus our attention. Our DEI Plan falls under our Company Strategic goal of a Caring Environment.
Other committees and working groups such as our Women in Science & Engineering Retention (WISER) Committee and Indigenous Commitment Working Group have also identified important issues and challenges, resulting in key initiatives and action plans.