RBC Royal Bank
Embedding Diversity and Inclusion into the Culture.
Diversity and Inclusiveness is core to RBC’s workplace culture and way of thinking. RBC promotes diversity and inclusion throughout the organization in a strategic and coordinated manner. RBC encourages the following actions:
• Speaking up for inclusion and empowering people to grow and achieve more
• Seeking out and respecting different perspectives to challenge conventional approaches
• Identifying and acting on the opportunities and needs that client diversity brings
RBC has embedded various strategic initiatives in order to build a strong and inclusive workforce and leadership. From the start, all employees participate in Diversity and Inclusiveness training through an eight series program starting with understanding and overcoming unconscious biases.
Through the Diversity Dialogues mentorship program, senior leadership are matched with potential future leaders to help bring awareness to diversity within the organization. Senior leadership at RBC also participate on the Diversity Council.
At the recruitment stage, RBC uses a specialist firm to evaluate the Canadian equivalents of international qualifications. All leaders and recruiters are taught how to identify and mitigate unconscious bias and recruitment interviews consist of panels to ensure fairness in the process. RBC participates in recruitment events in the community and works with local partners to host mentoring and coaching sessions. RBC works with Career Edge to provide a variety of paid internships to immigrants with international work experience.
Recognizing the value of employee referrals, RBC’s Star Finder program rewards current employees who make successful referrals. This has been an effective means to reach top immigrant talent.
RBC also invests in a formal onboarding process for all employees. Immigrant employees are at times connected with colleagues of similar cultural background to help them understand and navigate the workplace. This has been found to reduce anxiety for the new employee and lead to a more comfortable adjustment to a new workplace.
Once onboard, new hires take part in monthly one-on-one meetings – a confidential forum in which they can discuss challenges and obtain help to succeed in their new role. RBC celebrates diversity and builds and embeds inclusion in all activities. RBC has policies on respecting different cultural and religious holidays and provides employees with flexible scheduling and leave to accommodate for different holidays and practices.
RBC recognizes the role of Diversity and Inclusion as an enabler for diversity of thought, enhanced creative thinking that embodies varied perspectives, life experiences, cultures and ways of looking at the world to generate insight and superior results. Growing a diverse and inclusive workplace culture gives it access to a rich pool of fresh ideas and new perspective, to continue to deliver exceptional client experience and build a future that represents the communities it serves.
“The mix of cultures, backgrounds and perspectives provided by new immigrants strengthens the fabric of our country. To realize the power and potential of our population, we all have to help ensure new immigrants have the opportunity to contribute fully, so that we all belong equally.” Said Louise Summers, Regional Vice President, Ottawa Central.
