Employers in Canada Leading the Way with Inclusive Hiring Practices
Real-Life Examples of Inclusive Hiring Practices in Canada
Inclusive hiring in Canada is transforming workplaces and these 80+ examples prove it. From tech and healthcare to education, finance, and skilled trades, Canadian employers are showing exactly how to remove bias, reach underrepresented talent, and build stronger, more innovative teams. In this guide you will see what is working, why it matters, and how you can apply the same strategies in your organization.
Key Highlights from Our Inclusive Hiring Roundup
80+ real world examples of inclusive hiring from Canadian employers
Proven methods to remove bias from recruitment and interviewing
Practical low cost steps any employer can use to attract and keep diverse talent
Strategies for building workplaces that reflect Canada’s diversity
Insights from sectors including tech, healthcare, education, finance, non profit, and trades
Inspiring Inclusive Hiring in Canadian Workplaces
Canadian employers across industries are leading with equity-driven hiring strategies that make recruitment fairer and more representative of the country’s diversity.
They’re dropping outdated requirements, opening doors for overlooked talent, and proving that inclusion works - in the boardroom, the classroom, and the shop floor.
Inclusive hiring in Canada isn’t just a nice to have anymore. It’s becoming the way smart organizations build their teams. Employers from tech to trades are proving that when you open the door to more people, you open the door to more innovation, stronger performance, and a workplace that truly reflects the community.
At HireDiverse, we’re proud to work with many of these employers to help them reach diverse candidates across Canada. Their actions show that inclusive hiring isn’t just possible, it’s already happening.
Inclusive hiring means designing recruitment, interview, and onboarding processes so they’re fair, accessible, and welcoming to everyone.
That could mean removing degree requirements when skills matter more, posting jobs in community networks, or making interviews more accessible. And the best part is that it works.
According to a 2023 report from the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion, organizations with higher levels of workforce diversity are 35 percent more likely to outperform their industry peers financially.
Statistics Canada data also shows that immigrants now account for nearly one in four people in the Canadian labour force, making inclusive recruitment not only a values-driven choice but also a strategic necessity to access top talent.
Employers who invest in removing hiring barriers and broadening candidate outreach are positioning themselves to better reflect the communities they serve and to thrive in an increasingly competitive market.
Canadian companies putting diversity and inclusion into action
Canadian companies committed to diversity and inclusion don’t leave it to chance, they take intentional steps in every part of HR. From writing job postings that welcome all backgrounds, to using fair and transparent hiring processes, to offering mentorship and career growth opportunities, these organizations make inclusion part of how they work every day.
These are the kinds of employers you’ll find on HireDiverse, and they’re proving that equitable hiring isn’t just possible, it’s already happening.
Abbott
Implements accessibility-focused recruitment technology, provides bias training for hiring managers, recruits through disability employment networks, and offers flexible work arrangements.
Acadia University
Integrates equity hiring goals into faculty recruitment and offers mentorship for underrepresented groups.
AGF Investments
Ensures diverse interview panels and tracks hiring metrics for women and racialized professionals.
Anytime Fitness
Recruits inclusively in rural and urban markets, adapting roles for accessibility.
ARPAC Storage Systems Corporation
Provides skilled trades apprenticeships to newcomers and women in construction.
BES Executive Search
Embeds DEI criteria in candidate sourcing and assessment.
Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black CAP)
Recruits community members with lived experience and offers culturally safe hiring processes.
Boat Rocker Media
Ensures casting and crew recruitment reflect Canada’s diversity.
Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
Runs targeted hiring programs for veterans and newcomers.
Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA)
Uses anonymized resume screening and structured interviews to reduce bias.
Canadian Partnership Against Cancer
Actively recruits Indigenous and Francophone staff.
Canadian Urban Institute
Posts jobs in community-based networks to reach marginalized groups.
Centre for Newcomers
Provides newcomer job readiness programs and creates direct employment pipelines.
CGLCC - Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce
Creates LGBTQ2S+ employment pathways.
CGI
Runs mentorship programs for women in tech and partners with Indigenous communities for recruitment.
CIFAR
Prioritizes global researcher diversity and offers relocation support.
City of Kitchener
Uses equity impact assessments for hiring decisions.
City of Markham
The city’s Diversity Action Plan outlines clear commitments to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. It also focuses on advancing anti-racism and anti-discrimination.
City of Oshawa
Hires through community employment agencies to expand reach.
City of Saint John
Focuses on accessibility and Indigenous hiring partnerships.
City of Toronto
Uses anonymous screening and community-based hiring panels.
Clearrex Windows and Doors Manufacturing Inc
Adapts manufacturing roles for persons with disabilities.
Collingwood School
Embeds DEI into educator recruitment processes.
Common Sense Software
Hires from underrepresented tech communities.
COTA
Ensures inclusive hiring for mental health roles.
County of Simcoe
Engages diverse community boards in recruitment.
Crawford Connect
Specializes in inclusive recruitment for non-profits.
Crofton House School
Ensures diverse candidate pools for education roles.
Durham Region
Partners with settlement agencies to reach newcomer talent.
Dying With Dignity Canada
Recruits individuals with advocacy experience from diverse communities.
EllisDon
Partners with community organizations to hire women and racialized workers, tracks diversity metrics for apprenticeships, and offers inclusive onboarding and mentorship.
Ending Violence Association of Canada
Recruits survivors and community advocates for relevant roles.
Fondation Rideau Hall Foundation
Prioritizes bilingual hiring and inclusive leadership development.
Glenlyon Norfolk School
Incorporates cultural competency training in hiring.
Good Shepherd Centres
Hires individuals with lived experience in housing and social support sectors.
University of Manitoba
Embeds Indigenous hiring goals in job postings.
Huron University
Provides pathways for international academics and researchers.
JAM Industries
Ensures inclusive recruitment in creative and technical roles.
KPMB Architects
Integrates equity criteria into job descriptions and provides cultural competency training.
Lakeshore Area Multiservice Project Inc (LAMP)
Hires from local marginalized communities and provides training.
Lambton Kent District School Board
Sets hiring targets for diverse educators.
Loft Community Services
Focuses on inclusive recruitment in mental health services.
Love HR Inc.
Guides clients in implementing inclusive hiring frameworks.
Loyalist College
Supports Indigenous and international student hires.
Luke's Place Support & Resource Centre for Women & Children
Prioritizes trauma-informed recruitment.
Lumenus Community Services
Lumenus offers a broad range of high-quality mental health, developmental, and community services for infants, youth, children, individuals, and families across Toronto.
Nava Wilson LLP
Builds legal teams representing diverse communities.
Ontario One Call
Adapts customer service hiring for multilingual support.
Out Adventures
Recruits travel staff with LGBTQ+ cultural competencies.
Region of Peel
Implements inclusive leadership recruitment strategies.
Region of Waterloo
Uses community input in hiring.
Request Office Services Inc.
Provides employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Retro Appliance
Hires trades workers from newcomer communities.
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College advances learning for specialist physicians and embeds equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism in its work to help build a more equitable health care system.
RTOERO
Hires across generations and provides inclusive benefits.
Safety Cybersecurity
Creates pathways for women in cybersecurity.
Stamped
Offers remote roles to expand access for rural candidates.
Surrey Place
Prioritizes inclusive recruitment in developmental services.
The Bishop Strachan School
Recruits educators from diverse backgrounds.
The Hospital for Sick Children
Uses diverse hiring panels and equity-focused postings.
The Ottawa Cancer Foundation
Engages diverse communities in fundraising and staffing.
The UBC
Prioritizes Indigenous faculty hires.
Trickster Theatre
Hires diverse creative teams.
University of Toronto
Expands outreach to underrepresented academic communities.
University of Waterloo
Offers mentorship for women in STEM.
University Pension Plan Ontario
Embeds diversity metrics in leadership hiring.
Vancity
Offers bilingual hiring support and accommodations.
Venor
Recruits inclusively across Atlantic Canada.
Voiceflow
Hires globally to increase diversity in tech teams.
Volta Labs Incorporated
Runs programs to hire underrepresented startup founders.
Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care
Uses inclusive hiring in clinical roles.
Wesley
Provides employment opportunities for marginalized job seekers.
YMCA Of Three Rivers
Focuses on youth employment equity.
Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa
Recruits from vulnerable youth populations.
Summary of Inclusive Hiring Practices
Canadian employers across industries are adopting innovative, equity-driven strategies to make hiring fairer and more representative of the country’s diversity. These practices include:
1. Removing barriers to entry
Many organizations use anonymized resume screening, structured interviews, and accessibility-focused recruitment technology to reduce bias and ensure fair candidate evaluation.
2. Active outreach and partnerships
Employers partner with community organizations, Indigenous communities, disability networks, newcomer agencies, and equity-focused job boards to reach underrepresented talent pools.
3. Skills-first hiring
Companies prioritize lived experience and transferable skills over formal credentials, offering opportunities like internships for self-taught professionals and apprenticeships for underrepresented groups.
4. Inclusive job design and accommodations
Roles are adapted for accessibility, and bilingual or language-inclusive postings help candidates from different backgrounds feel welcome.
5. Training and accountability
Many employers provide bias and cultural competency training for hiring managers, track diversity metrics, and set measurable equity hiring goals.
6. Retention through mentorship and culture
Beyond recruitment, inclusive employers invest in mentorship, leadership development, and benefits that support employees at all life stages.
Together, these actions demonstrate that inclusive hiring is about more than posting diverse-friendly job ads. It is a systematic approach that changes how organizations attract, evaluate, hire, and retain talent.
What makes these practices inclusive?
Inclusive hiring isn’t about quick fixes. It’s about rethinking the systems that shape who gets hired, how they are evaluated, and how they are supported once they join the team.
The most effective approaches go beyond rewriting job ads to truly embed equity into recruitment, onboarding, and career development. They focus on measurable change and long-term impact.
Here are three proven ways to turn those principles into systemic change:
Reduce structural barriers, not just tweak language
Track and report outcomes, not just intentions
Connect hiring with retention and real culture change
How to apply these inclusive hiring strategies in your organization
Begin by reviewing your hiring and recruitment data to identify gaps, barriers, and patterns that may limit access for diverse candidates.
Update your job postings using our inclusive job ad guide so they are clear, bias-free, and accessible to underrepresented talent pools.
Promote your open roles where diverse professionals in Canada are actively looking, such as HireDiverse, to maximize your reach and attract qualified applicants from all backgrounds.
Inclusive Hiring in Canada Builds More Successful Teams
The companies here show that inclusive hiring is not just something for HR to worry about. It is a smart business move that fuels fresh ideas, builds stronger teams, and makes workplaces better reflect the communities they are part of.
By weaving equity into every step of hiring, these employers are creating places where diverse talent does not just get hired but grows and succeeds.
No matter your size or industry, there is something to learn from their example. The next steps are simple. Commit to equity, track your progress, and keep going until fair and inclusive hiring becomes just hiring.
If your organization is making changes to hire more inclusively, we’d love to hear about it. Share your story with us and you could be featured in our next roundup of inclusive employers in Canada.
Frequently Asked Questions About Real Inclusive Hiring Practices in Canadian Companies
Answers to some of the most common questions about inclusive hiring in Canada.
1. What is inclusive hiring?
Inclusive hiring is the practice of designing recruitment, interview, and onboarding processes so they are fair, accessible, and welcoming to candidates from all backgrounds. It goes beyond removing bias in job ads to include outreach, accommodations, mentorship, and retention strategies.
2. Why is inclusive hiring important for Canadian employers?
Canada’s workforce is increasingly diverse, with immigrants making up nearly one in four workers. Inclusive hiring helps employers tap into this talent, improve innovation, and better reflect the communities they serve.
3. Which industries are leading in inclusive hiring practices?
Inclusive hiring is strong in tech, healthcare, education, finance, skilled trades, and non-profits. Employers in these sectors are rethinking job ads, using diverse interview panels, and creating mentorship programs for underrepresented groups.
4. How do companies remove bias from the hiring process?
Common steps include anonymizing resumes, using structured interview questions, training hiring teams on unconscious bias, and posting jobs through equity-focused networks.
5. What role do community partnerships play in inclusive hiring?
Many employers work with newcomer agencies, Indigenous communities, disability networks, and LGBTQ2S+ organizations to reach qualified candidates who may be overlooked by traditional recruiting methods.
6. Can small businesses also use inclusive hiring practices?
Yes. Many strategies, like reviewing job ads for bias, widening recruitment channels, and offering flexible work arrangements, can be applied at any size and budget.
7. How do inclusive hiring practices support retention?
They connect recruitment with onboarding, mentorship, and career growth opportunities, ensuring employees feel valued and supported long after they are hired.
8. Are there examples of Canadian companies doing this well?
Yes. The article lists over 80 Canadian employers, from Abbott to YMCA of Three Rivers, each with real examples of how they embed diversity and equity into hiring.
9. How can my company get started with inclusive hiring?
Start by reviewing your current hiring data, updating job postings using an inclusive job ad guide, and posting roles on diversity-focused job boards like HireDiverse.
10. Is inclusive hiring just about meeting diversity targets?
No. It’s about creating systems that give everyone a fair chance to succeed, measuring progress, and making equity part of everyday workplace culture.
Reach more diverse candidates across Canada.
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