Diversity and Inclusion at the TTC

Dear Colleagues,

Earlier this year, the TTC’s Human Rights Department expanded its mandate to include diversity and inclusion. The renamed “Diversity and Human Rights Department” has since developed a two-year plan to transform the TTC into a more diverse and inclusive organization, focusing on People (one of the seven core strategies within our Five-Year Corporate Plan). This is a key element of our commitment to modernize the TTC from top to bottom and to develop and embrace a customer-led, diverse and supportive culture, in which good people can thrive and build fulfilling careers.

Attached (see below) are highlights of the 2015-2016 Diversity and Inclusion plan. It includes a number of new initiatives that benefit all of us.

So why have we done this? Specifically:

• To create a workplace culture where everyone’s differences are valued and supported, ensuring that all employees feel welcome, appreciated and included. The TTC must be a place where we all participate, where our contributions are maximized and where we can achieve our full potential.
• To build a more diverse organization that better reflects the diversity of our customers and the city we serve.
• To continue to create a more inclusive environment for our customers by reducing barriers and ensuring that our services meet their needs.

In short, a diverse and inclusive workplace benefits everyone. It’s about embracing and leveraging our diverse perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. It’s also about adopting open communication, attitudes and behaviours to strengthen the workplace.

The TTC’s Employee Charter commits to creating a work environment that is supportive and fair, where employees feel engaged and able to achieve their full potential. The Diversity and Inclusion plan delivers on all of this.

You can look forward to receiving more on this in the weeks ahead, including details around training.

Your contributions and support are critical to the success of these initiatives and to making the TTC a workplace that is welcoming to all.

Andy Byford
Chief Executive Officer
November 19, 2015

2015 Diversity & Inclusion Plan Highlights (by category and strategy)

Policies

• Develop a Diversity and Inclusion Policy.
• Review all other relevant HR and Employment Policies to embed diversity and inclusion where relevant.

Training

• Develop and launch a diversity and inclusion training program for TTC employees.
• Update and re-launch TTC’s behavioral interview training.

Awarenes

• Circulate internal information to raise awareness among TTC employees of diversity and inclusion issues
• Raise awareness externally by profiling TTC’s diverse employees, diversity topics and cultural events through articles in the 24hrs Toronto newspaper.

Lens

• Develop a Diversity and Inclusion Lens for TTC employees to identify/address unintended barriers and impacts to equity-seeking groups in employment and the provision of services.

Data Collection

• Continue to collect self-identification demographic data from TTC employees to measure and assess our diversity strategies.

Recruitment

• Increase TTC’s outreach, partnerships, internships and job posting locations to attract more diverse job applicants.
• Update TTC’s diversity commitment statement in job postings.
• Mandate that all hiring panel members complete behavioral interview training and ensure that panels include diverse representatives where possible.
• Consider the feasibility of collecting voluntary self-identification demographic data from job applicants to assist in identifying any systemic issues in the recruitment process.

Mentoring & Succession Planning

• Develop a program to enhance mentoring and advancement opportunities for all employees, including those from equity-seeking groups.

Procurement Strategies 

• Explore ways to embed diversity and inclusion into TTC’s procurement process to increase supplier diversity.

Compliance & Planning

• Measure, plan and report achievements and goals annually.

2016 Diversity & Inclusion Plan Highlights (by category and strategy)

Awareness

• Continue to build and deepen awareness internally and externally through articles and communications.

Lens

• Launch and provide training to employees on how to use the Diversity and Inclusion Lens.

Resource Materials

• Develop other practical tools for employees to embed diversity and inclusion deeper into their everyday practices.

Data Collection

• Develop and augment new diversity and inclusion data collection practices.

Awards & Recognition

• Embed diversity and inclusion criteria into TTC’s employee rewards and recognition program.

Performance Appraisals

• Build diversity and inclusion commitments and accountability into performance appraisals for employees.

Employee Resource Groups

• Assist in bringing together and supporting employee resource groups/networks.

Exit Surveys

• Explore the feasibility of conducting employee exit surveys, which contain diversity questions to understand if reasons for departures are related to diversity.

Internal Accessibility Committee

• Convene an internal committee to identify barriers/enhancements to make TTC’s internal environment fully accessible.

Compliance & Planning

• Measure, plan and report achievements and goals annually.

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The TTC Board received the TTC’s 2014 Annual Report on Diversity and Human Rights Achievement on Oct. 28, 2015, and received and the TTC’s 2014 Annual Human Rights Report on Sept. 28, 2015.

2014 Annual Report on Diversity and Human Rights Achievement
2014 Annual Human Rights Report