As baby boomers retire over the next 15 years, the Canadian economy is relying on a steady stream of immigrants to replace them in the labour force. In fact, Statscan predicts that one out of every three Canadian workers in 2026 will have been born in another country.

That’s right. Fifteen years from now, one-third of the labour force will be immigrants, and many of them will be visible minorities. Businesses that have considered diversity as a “nice to do” for the HR department will be losing the battle to hang onto and attract talented employees to their competition, companies that are taking action today to integrate newcomers into their workforces.

A Catalyst survey team found that many visible minority respondents perceived that workplace barriers, such as lack of fairness in career advancement processes, an absence of role models, inequality in performance standards, and fewer high-visibility assignments, made advancement more difficult for them than for their white/Caucasian colleagues. In addition, visible minorities reported fewer developmental opportunities.

Given these perceptions, it’s no surprise that a smaller percentage of visible minority respondents believed senior management of their organization was committed to cultural diversity.

Employees report greater career satisfaction and organizational commitment—known to be related to greater productivity and profitability—when they feel their organizations’ career advancement processes are fair. And an important predictor of that sense of fairness was the perception that their senior leaders were committed to diversity.

The message? Canadian business leaders not only need to do a better job of encouraging the emergence of talented employees, they need to expand responsibility for diversity beyond the HR department, and link it to broad corporate objectives with a champion from the most senior ranks. TD Bank’s President and CEO Ed Clark demonstrates TD’s commitment to talent development by personally mentoring promising employees—which might explain why he was an inaugural Catalyst Canada Honours Champion, and Canadian CEO of the year for 2010!

Look around your workplace. Where does it fit on the diversity scale—and what can you do to nudge it higher?

This summer, even the backyard barbequers have been worried about the U.S. debt, and we were interested to read some thoughts on women as money managers. Would the financial world be a different place if the Lehman Sisters were in charge? Some additional thoughts on the challenges of getting more women on boards—and a few ways to stretch for the top!

If Women Are So Savvy, Why Aren’t They in Charge?

Women are outperforming men in financial management, so why do the senior positions continue to elude them?

READ: “How Money-Savvy Women Can Save the Economy” by Justine Rivero, Forbes, July 25, 2011.

Can’t We Just Pass a Law?

Some of the barriers to women’s advancement…and some reasons that quotas are only part of the answer.

READ: “Lonely at the Top” The Economist, July 21, 2011.

Or Hunt Different Heads?

A reminder of how government and corporate efforts to recruit more women to senior positions can be undermined by outdated attitudes.

READ: “Executive Search Firms Pledge to Seek More Women for Boardrooms” by Dan Milano, The Guardian, July 22, 2011.

Or Learn from a Leader?

Annette Verschuren, who recently finished a successful run at the helm of Home Depot Canada, shares some of the wisdom she learned as she grew from Cape Breton farm girl to corporate leader. This summer, she prepares to chair the Governor-General’s Leadership Conference and ponders her next professional challenge.

READ: “Still Hungry, Annette Verschuren Takes Her Time Choosing Her Next Course” by Gordon Pitts, The Globe and Mail, July 8, 2011.

Start With a Personal Board!

Women can manage their own careers by seeking a network of counsellors for advice and support.

READ: “Five People You Need on Your Personal Board of Directors” by Tina Vasquez, The Glass Hammer, July 15, 2011.

Our Own Sunniva Sorby Brings Lessons from the Top!

Sunniva’s climb of Mount Kilimanjaro taught her some lessons about stretch goals and the value of networks. Now she’s sharing those insights with Catalyst members and business leaders in Montreal.

READ: “High Spirits—and a Will to Achieve” by Margaret Webb, The Calgary Herald, July 14, 2011.

Pride Month is an excellent reminder that the life experiences people bring to the workplace, as much as their talents and training, contribute to their effectiveness as employees and leaders. Brent Chamberlain, Executive Director of Pride at Work Canada, recently participated in Catalyst’s webinar to mark Pride Month. Here, Brent shares some insights on another, potentially transformative, event that took place this month.

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At 8:30am on June 1, the first day of Pride Month, a group of senior executives entered a room. By the time two hours had passed, a national network of LGBT executive sponsors had formed.

The importance of this development should not be underestimated. After all, sexual orientation and gender identity aren’t exactly at the top of the diversity and inclusion pile for most companies. Therefore, it’s essential that LGBT employee resource groups have this kind of executive support.

But I digress. What of the event itself?

After months of planning, 21 of Pride at Work Canada’s 28 (at the time) Corporate Partners sent representatives to talk about the role of executive sponsors and how they can be game changers in the LGBT workplace arena. Some, like Garth Issett from IBM and Kasey Reese from TELUS, were veterans, while others had stepped up to the plate that very week to champion the issue. The mixture of individuals in the room, all bound together by a common purpose, made the event nothing short of extraordinary.

The event was kicked off by Mandy Shapansky, President and CEO (and LGBT executive sponsor) of Xerox Canada, who spoke passionately about her firm’s commitment to creating an inclusive workplace environment. Then, before the introductions had even ended, a participant looked around the room—shocked at the sheer level of seniority of those gathered around the table—and said, if this was how seriously his clients’ companies took LGBT issues, his firm needed to change, and fast.

And what better way to start the change? Being surrounded by peers gave the participants a better idea of what “good” looks like and how to start setting their goals internally.

The sponsors agreed on something else: they can’t bring about change on their own.  They need help from LGBT employee resource groups, from the members of the C-suite, and finally, from out lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans-identified staff at senior levels of the organization.

Now that the event has finished, Pride at Work Canada is working with the sponsors to grow the network not only in numbers but also in strength. We have every hope that, one day, people will remember this as a giant step in creating a nation where all LGBT individuals can achieve their full potential at work.

The end of a successful event—and the beginning of a strong network for inclusive, effective workplaces!

Each year, the Catalyst Canada team looks forward to the networking and camaraderie that form part of the Catalyst Awards Conference and Dinner. But, like most traditions, the impressions you take away depend upon your perspective. So we invited our new Membership Manager – Western Canada, Andrea Zess, and Catalyst Canada veteran Sylvia Apostolidis, Senior Director, Member Services, to share their take-aways from the event.

Andrea:

Prior to attending my first Catalyst Awards Conference and Dinner in New York, I heard from many of my colleagues that the experience would be unforgettable. It’s hard to imagine a room full of 1,600 people celebrating innovative diversity and inclusion initiatives by some of the top companies in the world.  Allow me to provide you with a glimpse of the day.

The energy of so many people coming together to discuss the advancement of women in the workplace is inspirational and encouraging for those of us who work at Catalyst every day. For me, the most powerful moment was witnessing Catalyst’s values put into action: Connect, Engage, Inspire, and Impact. I could sense the power of the new connections being made in the room to strengthen the network of diversity and inclusion leaders. Our President  & CEO, Ilene H. Lang, certainly engaged her audience when she said: “All over the world women are seen as less than men, and this is a problem.”

The inspiration came when the CEOs of Award-winning companies gave genuine expression of the positive effect of inclusion of women in their workplaces. We can only imagine the resounding impact that this one day of connection, engagement, and inspiration will have on the people who attended—and on their workplaces. The Catalyst Awards Conference and Dinner signify our commitment to”walk our talk” as we encourage and support other organizations in changing workplaces and changing lives.

Sylvia:

INSPIRING? Most definitely! The Catalyst Awards Conference and Dinner is a one-of-a-kind event, inspiring, engaging, and connecting champions of women and business from all over the world. I’m a Catalyst Canada veteran, having attended my first Catalyst Awards Conference and Dinner in 2007. The buzz and inspiration shared by the people in the room has been a hallmark of this event over the years, and I still experienced goose bumps when new and exciting initiatives were shared in the various sessions. And now, with the use of social media, the buzz can be extended beyond the elegant walls of the Waldorf=Astoria.

Recognizing the impact of social media, Catalyst has built a presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter with a strong following. The Catalyst Canada Honours and the Catalyst Awards videos are posted on YouTube.

But, for the first time, social media allowed attendees to share the vitality and excitement with their colleagues back home. The Twitter station we set up was a key focal point as participants read and responded to the tweets of others—and often arranged to extend the conversation in person! We also connected participants pre- and post-event through the Catalyst Awards Conference website, providing a forum to share insights, learn from each other, and create initiatives to advance women in business.  

In the six years since I joined Catalyst, we have evolved from an organization that distributed printed research reports to one that embraces technology to change workplaces and change lives, engaging individuals everywhere—on iPhones and Blackberries, and at home and at work.

Leading change—it’s the reason I joined Catalyst. It’s the reason I continue to be inspired by a network of incredibly committed individuals!

On March 9, in Montreal, Sunniva Sorby, Membership Manager—Quebec and I attended the most recent event in our Catalyst Connects series, sponsored by BMO Financial Group. Monique F. Leroux, Chair of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Desjardins Group, spoke to a room of almost 100 high-potential women, offering wisdom she’s gained over her career. Below, Sunniva shares the insights that resonated most with her.

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 Some issues are just too important to let competition for market share get in the way. That the advancement of women is one of these issues was clear earlier this month when our BMO-sponsored Catalyst Connects event was held in Montreal. Two high-powered women in banking shared the spotlight when Lynn Roger, Senior Vice President, Talent Strategies and Executive Resourcing Managing Partner, BMO Financial Group, interviewed Desjardins Group CEO Monique F. Leroux about her long and winding road to the top.

Career advice from Ms. Leroux isn’t available every day, and audience members took advantage of the opportunity to ask her questions.

 One woman wondered how she manages difficult situations. The response may sound cliché, but Ms. Leroux’s passion made it live: Be true to yourself. Develop and articulate your own set of core values, and don’t lose yourself along the way. Be a woman of conviction, and don’t compromise on values. And her experience proves that standing for principle enables other people to understand and trust you and your values.

 What did Ms. Leroux identify as her own values? She loves working hard, connecting with people, and making a contribution. She is always looking for ways to make a contribution which, she notes, makes what we do more meaningful. The passion that we bring to work is also more likely to lead to advancement than “targeting” a senior position.

 Ms. Leroux urged her audience to take risks. Without them, she said, you will never get out of your comfort zone or grow. “Stand up for what you believe in,” she said. “And please remember to have a sense of humour along the way!” Especially when tensions are high, it’s helpful to laugh at ourselves and find the people who will help us keep a balanced perspective.

 I was deeply impressed by how Ms. Leroux is very “centred around her core,” and how she never targeted a particular position but rather sought opportunities that would allow her to contribute in meaningful ways. Ms. Leroux’s story proves that values and principles don’t have to be sacrificed for advancement. In fact, they’re the very stuff of success!

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 Le 9 mars, à Montréal, Sunniva Sorby, gestionnaire d’adhésion  – Québec et moi avons assisté au plus récent  événement de notre série “Catalyst Connects”, parrainée par BMO Groupe financier.  Monique F. Leroux, présidente du Conseil, présidente et directrice générale du Groupe Desjardins, s’est adressée à un auditoire d’environ 100 femmes, toutes  possédant un immense potentiel. Elle a partagé avec nous la sagesse qu’elle a acquise au cours de sa carrière.  Ci-dessous, Sunniva partage les idées qu’elle a échangées avec elle. 

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Il est impensable de laisser la concurrence prendre les parts de marché. Certaines questions sont tout simplement trop importantes. L’avancement de la femme est l’une de ces questions qui ont été clairement soulevées plus tôt ce mois-ci lors de notre dernier événement à Montréal, parrainé par BMO ” Catalyst Connects”.

 Deux femmes influentes dans le secteur bancaire partagent la vedette.

 Lynn Roger, première vice-présidente – Stratégies de gestion des talents et renouvellement haute direction, BMO Groupe financier, interroge Monique F. Leroux, présidente du Conseil, présidente et directrice générale du Groupe Desjardins, sur sa longue et difficile ascension vers le sommet.

Les conseils de Mme Leroux à propos de la carrière ne sont pas offerts tous les jours.  L’auditoire en a profité pour lui poser des questions.   Une femme a demandé :”comment gérez-vous les situations difficiles ?” La réponse peut sembler banale, mais Mme Leroux a affirmé :

 Vivez votre passion !  Soyez fidèle à vous-même !

Définissez et respectez vos propres valeurs fondamentales, et ne vous perdez pas en chemin!

Soyez une femme de conviction et ne faites pas de compromis sur vos valeurs.

Son expérience démontre que de se laisser guider par ses principes et de se baser sur ses valeurs permet aux autres de mieux nous comprendre, et par le fait même, engendre la confiance.

Ce que Mme Leroux identifie comme ses propres valeurs ?

Elle aime travailler dur et elle favorise les liens avec autrui, ce qui lui permet de contribuer de façon considérable à son milieu de travail.

 Elle est toujours à la recherche de moyens pour se démarquer ce qui, à son avis, rend ce que nous faisons beaucoup plus significatif.

C’est la passion avec laquelle nous travaillons qui est susceptible de nous conduire à l’avancement vers un poste supérieur, plutôt que le fait de cibler une place spécifique au sein de l’organisation.

Mme Leroux a encouragé son auditoire à prendre des risques. Sans eux, vous ne sortirez jamais votre zone de confort!

« Défendez ce qu’en quoi vous croyez!», dit-elle.

«… Et n’oubliez pas d’avoir un sens de l’humour, tout au long de votre parcours »

Spécialement lorsque la pression est forte, il est favorable d’être capable de rire de nous-mêmes et de trouver des gens qui nous aideront à garder une perspective équilibrée. 

J’ai été profondément impressionnée par Mme Leroux.

Sa façon d’être, son point de mire et son système de valeurs. 

Sa philosophie concernant l’avancement d’un poste : saisir les occasions tout en contribuant de façon importante.

L’histoire de Mme Leroux démontre que les valeurs et les principes n’ont pas à être sacrifiés pour l’avancement.  En fait, ils sont très certainement la clé du succès !

Maybe it was the proximity to International Women’s Day. Or maybe it’s an issue whose time has come. But last week’s release of the 2010 Catalyst Census: Financial Post 500 Women Senior Officers and Top Earners has caused waves in the media across the country. In my five years with Catalyst, I don’t remember such strong media response to our work. The recognition of the quality and significance of Catalyst’s work is gratifying.

But neither do I recall being so frustrated by the level of understanding of the barriers that still block career advancement for many Canadian women. In almost every interview I did, I was asked questions like: “Are women not reaching the top because they ‘opt out’ to raise families?”

True, those questions aren’t answered by the Census, which is intended to be a snapshot and a check on the progress in Canada’s leading companies. Other research, such as Pipeline’s Broken Promise, provides some of the answers.

That study demonstrates that smart, educated women start their careers at lower levels and earn about $4,600 less than their male counterparts. And the gap never closes, even for women who remain single and childless. No opting out. No family before career. Just a glass ceiling and a sticky floor.

If anyone doubts that we have to keep gathering the statistics and telling the stories, a quick skim through the comments on any of the media coverage of the Census will quickly convince them. There you’ll find the folks who think that women have it made or that women gain at the expense of men. Some even declared victory, as Margaret Wente did in her Globe and Mail International Women’s Day column, where she stated “The war for women’s rights is over. And we won.”

Pointing to advances women have made is good—it’s the encouragement we all need to keep going. But we can’t ignore the lack of equity at the top. The confusion of the past week shows that we have to keep challenging pat assumptions that women have made it—or risk being lulled by complacency and a clever headline.

Last week, Christine Silva, Director, Research, Catalyst Canada, led the most recent event in our Engaging Men as Diversity Champions series, sponsored by CIBC. Three terrific panellists shared their insights and experience: Bob Elton, former Chief Executive Officer, BC Hydro, and Executive Chair, Powertech Labs Inc.; Glenn Ives, Chairman, Deloitte & Touche LLP Canada; and John Silverthorn, Senior Vice-President, Talent Management, CIBC. And then a woman in the audience shared a story that made everyone stop and think.

After you’ve read Christine’s report, tell us your reaction.

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It isn’t often that silence descends upon a Catalyst event. But last week in Vancouver, a participant shared a story that made everyone in the room take a mental step back and think about the implications of a couple of our favourite words: diversity and inclusion. 

It was the story of a hockey team one of her colleagues plays on. The league had a rule that 50% of the players must be women. But then they decided their goal shouldn’t only be diversity, but also inclusion. After all, what good is it to have different people on the team if they aren’t full participants? So the league made an additional rule that 50% of the goals must be scored by women.

What, she asked, did the panellists think about that?

The panellists were three strong champions of women. They had already shared their personal journeys to becoming diversity champions, including some of the challenges and successes they’ve had along the way. They talked about the difference between treating people equally and fairly, the importance of recognizing what leaders and individuals value, and the need to set goals as an organization and make sure you have a way to track progress.

And they had already spoken about sports, in terms of coaching soccer and bringing senior managers out to the golf course.

But this?

This fundamentally changes the game, one thought out loud. Is it necessary? Is it desirable? The panellists went back and forth, finding no obvious right answer. Of course inclusion is the end goal, but should we completely change the rules to make it happen?

After the panellists talked, the woman who asked the question shared the outcome of the rule change. The men on the team passed the puck more. They now had a vested interest in making sure everyone had an opportunity to develop and demonstrate their skill.

The question had caused discomfort for many in the room—after all, rethinking the status quo is never easy. But it created a real learning opportunity. As someone reflected after the event, organizations should be striving to figure out how to create a rising tide that will lift all boats. What a perfect way of describing the win-win of diversity and inclusion.

One of my last duties of 2010 was an appearance before the Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce to support action to improve the representation of women on Canadian corporate boards, because diversity is important to women, and equally important to maintaining Canada’s competitive economy.  Today, C This Canada! includes a look at some of the reasons for the lack of women  in the boardrooms of the nation.   And we share some research, an industry success story, and a personal and moving story about the value of managing a healthy work-life balance.  An innovative partnership between schools and a technology giant also caught our eye.

Not quite as equal?

It may be barriers on the bottom and middle floors, rather than the glass ceiling, which are keeping women from reaching the boardroom in numbers that reflect their presence in the work force.  How do we identify the problems, and what are the remedies?

READ:  “Equality Not the Same as Parity in the Boardroom”, Kim Covert,  Postmedia News, December 23, 2010.

Accountants do it better!

Accounting firms are leading with innovative programs to ensure employees maintain a personal life, even during the high-pressure audit period.  Employees, and the businesses, benefit from the initiatives.

READ: “Flex Time Flourishes in Accounting Industry” Stephen Greenhouse, The New York Times, January 7, 2011.

We knew it!

Research suggests that your health may depend upon your approach—and your boss’s—to balancing work with the other important things in your life.

READ: “The Real Cost of Upsetting the Work-Life Balance”, Susan Pinker, The Globe and Mail, December 20, 2010.

And some personal evidence of the work-life link

FedEx Canada President Lisa Lisson speaks about the importance of balance between work and life as she coped with the strain of a personal crisis.

READ: “FedEx Chief Finds Strength, Comfort in Her Work”,  Gordon Pitts, The Globe and Mail, January 12, 2011.

Girls Find Place in Technology World

Schools across the country are finding a way to attract more girls to their technology training—with girls-only classes that allow participants to pursue their interests.  And the schools are being supported by Cisco Systems in an effort to address the technology skills shortage by overcoming the stereotype.

READ: “Girls-Only Computer Class Hits Refresh on IT’s Geeky-Male Image”, Kate Harmer, The Globe and Mail, January 4, 2011

I’ve been reading, as I’m sure you have, the breathless media coverage about today’s well-paid young women. You know, the one who makes more than her boyfriend. These reports are enthusiastic, optimistic—and wrong.

The young woman may make more money than her boyfriend, but the chances are that she makes less, and is in a lower position within her company, than the men she graduated with. Catalyst research, which followed 4,000-plus M.B.A. graduates from top schools around the world, shows a far less rosy picture.

Women started their careers in lower levels than their male counterparts. And they earned approximately $4,600 less per year than the men they had graduated with, even accounting for the fact that they were starting in lower levels.

The initial inequity persists and the pay gap grows throughout their careers. And who are the losers? The women who don’t get the opportunity to achieve their full potential, and earn accordingly, of course.

But, equally seriously, Canadian businesses and the Canadian economy also suffer from the failure to put all our talent to work.

Progressive business leaders, faced with research like Catalyst’s Pipeline’s Broken Promise, question the myth that time and education would sort out the gender inequities. We’ve given it time. Women now earn over half of university degrees in Canada, and make up almost half the workforce.

But the representation of women in executive ranks is not keeping up with women’s educational achievements or presence in the workplace. And women with university degrees still earn only 63 cents for every dollar earned by men.

Business leaders know they can’t put faith in the one-off studies that put women suddenly at the top of the pay heap. And they don’t share the excitement of some media reports about research that show a leisurely climb to equity in 30 years.

They know we can’t afford to wait because they know the competition—across the street or around the globe—is paying and promoting its best talent, regardless of gender.

That’s why they’re introducing mentoring programs for employees, and changing corporate policies that disadvantage women.

Let’s celebrate our progress. But let’s understand that we still need to overcome some tough barriers. And let’s do it before today’s young women attend their own retirement parties.

Earlier this week, parents across Canada watched their kids go off to school, college and university.  Yesterday, the Canadian Education Statistics Council told us that the bright little girl we’re sending off to school is likely to attain a higher level of education than the boy in the next desk—but she’ll earn 63 cents for every dollar he makes. 

After years of struggle for equal opportunity in the workplace, this is disappointing.  But it’s not a surprise.

It supports—yet again—Catalyst research that female graduates of top M.B.A. schools enter the workforce at lower levels than their male colleagues, and earn $4,600 less.  Their promotions are slower, and less lucrative.  So the initial gap continues and grows, year after weary year. 

Women continue to be underrepresented at senior levels of business, despite their educational achievements and despite the influence of women in the economy.  For the individual woman, that is reflected in less personal income and reduced career satisfaction.

Businesses and the national economy are the biggest losers.  They’re losing the opportunity represented by 50 percent of the talent pool, brain power, and capacity for innovation and productivity.  And they can’t afford to continue losing that contribution.

As young women gained strength in business and professional schools, it seemed that equal access to the workplace would lead to equity in the workplace.  Now, we understand that workplace culture has to change—or those little girls who started school last week will be fighting their grandmothers’ battles, all over again.

Isn’t it time to fix it?