Reference no: EM133292502

Case Study:

ABC INC. (the Company) is an outsourced call center service.  They provide call center services for different organizations across Canada. They opened a new call center in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario in 2020.  They employ 250 full-time employees in the Sault Ste. Marie area.  The company just hired a new CEO and the CEO has made diversity, equity, and inclusion a top priority for the organization.  Specifically, the CEO has committed to ensure that the company's workforce is representative of the communities in which they operate. 

In 2021, the new CEO implemented a voluntary, anonymous survey across all call centers to allow employees to disclose information about themselves (gender, race, religion, disabilities, etc.) to help the company understand the demographics of their workforce.  The survey was completed by 95% of employees at the Sault Ste. Marie call center, and uncovered the following concern:

1. 2% of employees who completed the survey at the Sault Ste. Marie call center self-identified as Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, Inuit, etc.)
   1. 12.4% of the population of Sault Ste. Marie is Indigenous

The company has learned that Indigenous people are underrepresented in relation to the local population in its Sault Ste. Marie location.  In addition, the company has learned the following through the survey:

1. Current Indigenous employees felt uncomfortable during the recruitment/selection process as the interviewers frequently discussed local politics asking candidates for their opinions about municipal political issues. In addition, interviewers asked candidates if they had any friends or family who lived on the reserve.
2. Current Indigenous employees feel uncomfortable with the extensive workplace celebrations for Christmas and Easter, given the church's role in residential schools.
3. Current Indigenous employees are frustrated that the company donates thousands of dollars to local religious charities and non-profits, but no charities or non-profits that focus on Indigenous causes. 
4. Current Indigenous employees do not feel that they are represented or considered in the company's decision-making processes.
5. Current Indigenous employees believe there are many strong Indigenous candidates in the community, but most of the company's recruiting is done informally through word-of-mouth or through referrals from current non-Indigenous employees.
6. Current Indigenous employees feel that their colleagues and management do not possess the skills they require to effectively interact with people of different cultural backgrounds.
7. All current Indigenous employees reported that they are dissatisfied with their current employment experience and are planning on resigning within 6 months.

You have been hired as an HR Consultant to develop a strategy to 1) increase the representation of Indigenous people in the Sault Ste. Marie call center and 2) to help improve the employment experience of current Indigenous employees in the Sault Ste. Marie call center.  Specifically, the company is looking for you to put together a presentation that answers the following questions:

1. What can the company do to increase the number of applications from Indigenous People at the Sault Ste. Marie call center?
2. What can the company do to ensure that Indigenous people are not at a disadvantage during the recruitment and selection process?
3. What can the company do to improve its retention of Indigenous employees?
4. What can the company do to better engage its Indigenous employees at work?