WCT Sponsors
A BEST PRACTICE FORUM FOR EMPLOYERS FROM WOMEN IN COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY
Diversity delivers business results. Organizations that are diverse are better-governed, more innovative and deliver better results than those that aren’t and many employers are already reaping the benefits of a more diverse workforce.
Their leadership in diversity and inclusion has equipped them with a wealth of experience about the business practices that help build diversity, equity and inclusion and they are happy to share this expertise.
WCT is pleased to present an 8-part webinar series for Alberta employers, delivered by Alberta employers. Topics range from recruitment to organizational leadership. Webinars are free for Alberta employers, are an hour long and will be delivered to your desktop through 2021 and 2022.
Whether your organization is just beginning to explore diversity, equity and inclusion or is simply seeking insight on current best practices, WCT’s Diversity Xchange is an excellent opportunity to improve your diversity practices and outcomes.
WEBINAR 1 - EFFECTIVE RECRUITING
Face-face-face recruiting is a thing of the past and it may not have a future. This panel discussion looks at best practices in virtual recruiting (including the use of gender inclusive language in job descriptions and job postings, achieving gender balance in the candidate pool and creating gender balanced interview panels) and assesses the present and future benefits of virtual recruiting.
It also looks at strategies for ensuring a robust supply of skilled female professionals in STEM roles where they have been previously under-represented.
Panelists: Jennifer Roynon, IBM and Carolyn Levy, Randstad
Moderator: Natalie Farden, TELUS
WEBINAR 2 - MAINTAINING CULTURAL COHESION IN A DISPERSED WORKFORCE
Creating a culture of diversity, equality and inclusion doesn’t happen by accident or evolution. It is a strategic and deliberate approach that can pay off in a variety of ways such as employee loyalty and retention. It can also deliver an enviable competitive position in the marketplace that becomes particularly valuable in time of disruption.
Panelists: Sona Khosla, Chief Impact Officer, Benevity; Ruth Nyaamine, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, TELUS
Moderator: Megan Zimmerman, Director, Business Development, Calgary Economic Development
WEBINAR 3: THE WELL-EQUIPPED HOME OFFICE
The global pandemic has fundamentally changed our ideas about where work can be performed. After a year of managing a work-at-home workforce, many employers are considering making this a permanent feature. This places new emphasis on the importance of connectivity and IT infrastructures. This panel, composed of a leading CIO and two technology experts discusses effective strategies to deliver home office productivity.
Panelists: Sarah Shortreed, CIO, ATCO; Betty Rhiger, CTO, Microsoft Canada; Guillermo Salazar, CEO and Co-founder, ICwhatUC
Moderator: Tracey Nyholt, Founder and CEO, TechJutsu
WEBINAR 4: THE ROLE OF ERGS, MENTORSHIPS, SPONSORSHIPS AND OTHER SUPPORT PROGRAMS IN EMPLOYEE DIVERSITY AND RETENTION
This panel explores the value of women’s networks, mentorship and sponsorship programs to retain and advance the careers of those who would otherwise be marginalized. Join our esteemed speakers to learn how your workplace can reap the benefits of diversity! Support programs are key in overcoming the isolation experienced by women and people from other under-represented groups in the workplace, and can play a huge role in employee retention.
Panelists: Roselle Gonsalves, Director Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging ATB Financial; Lenore MacAdam, Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Corus
Moderator: Jillian Kruschell, CEO, Libra Consulting
WEBINAR 5: THE ROLE OF LEADERSHIP IN DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION TRAINING - AND BEYOND
The key determinant of the success or failure of diversity and inclusion initiatives is executive leadership. This webinar looks at the importance of leadership, not only in initiating a DE&I transformation, but consistently and wholeheartedly through every step of the process. Two experts - one a human resources executive and one a training and consulting professional - outline the importance of leadership, how to secure it and how to ensure it stays firmly in place.
Panelists: Randall Sellar, Director, Diversity, Inclusion and People Insights, Shaw Communication; Kelly Nolan, Founder, Talent Strategy Institute
Moderator: Kylie Woods, Founder, Chic Geek
WEBINAR 6: BEYOND MEASURE - AN INTRODUCTION TO GENDER BASED ANALYSIS (GBA) AND GBA PLUS
The first step in the process toward building diversity, equity and inclusion in organizations is simple math - as simple as counting. Knowing how many women across lived diversities are in a work force can illuminate how near or how far an employer is from its diversity goals.
But deep analysis of the data can also unlock a trove of business intelligence on topics like hiring and retention, performance, professional development and wage equity. It can instruct on the need for policy changes or employee benefit improvements.
And beyond workforce management, the practice of GBA (and GBA Plus) can provide new insights on product development, marketing and investment strategies. as well as our progress toward a more equitable economy.
Panelists: Lechin Lu, Associate Director, Institute for Gender and the Economy (GATE), Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto; Denise Gareau, Director, Policy and External Relations Branch, Women and Gender Equity, Government of Canada
Moderator: Jake Stika, Executive Director, Next Gen Men.
WEBINAR 7: DELIBERATELY DIVERSIFYING GOVERNANCE IN ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Achieving diversity in organizational leadership - in the C-suite and on the Board of Directors - doesn't happen naturally or by accident. Like any aspirational transformation, it requires strategic intent driven by the same performance indicators that drive all other core business activities. This panel brings together four outstanding senior female leaders in companies that are making significant strides toward equitability to discuss what it is going to take to fully diversify the leadership of companies and other organizations.
Panelists: Elizabeth Alves, Vice President, Enterprise Strategy and Social Responsibility, Cogeco; Carolyn Levy, Group President - Technologies, Randstad; Shazia Sobani, Vice President, Network Implementation, TELUS
Moderator:Margot Micaleff, Founder, CEO, Oxford Capital Partner
WEBINAR 8: PATHWAYS TO TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION
To honour the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in a meaningful way that would support and promote the purpose of the day, Symcor set out to create a special program for its employees.
In partnership with Innovation for Learning Canada, Symcor was able to open the dialogue and spark reflection by connecting its employee with the Indigenous community and deepen their understanding of Indigenous history. In the process, it uncovered further opportunities for longer term engagement between the worlds of technology and education.
Panelists: Jacob Pitawanakwat, Program Manager, Innovations for
Learning Canada; Jeannie White, Director of Employee Experience at Symcor; Fabrice Grover, Executive Director at Innovations for Learning
Moderator: Vera Houle, Director of Community Relations at Aboriginal Peoples Television Network