A strong track record and ongoing commitment to creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace has once again earned McMaster a spot among Canada’s top employers for diversity.  

The university placed third in a nationwide ranking of the top 150 diversity employers by Forbes, moving up 22 spots from last year.  

The rankings, released this week, are based on surveys of about 12,000 employees at large organizations and companies across the country.  

Earlier this year, McMaster was recognized for the fifth consecutive year as one of Canada’s top diversity employers in a Canadian ranking, and was named a top employer in the Hamilton-Niagara region for the seventh year in a row.  

Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista for the rankings, where participants anonymously rated their employers. Respondents from marginalized groups were also asked to evaluate the diversity practices of other employers they knew within their respective industries.  

The rankings also take into account the fact that McMaster gathers and analyzes employee diversity data and invests in hiring faculty and staff from diverse and sometimes marginalized groups, a crucial step in allocating resources to create a diverse and inclusive workplace.  

Forbes also analyzed other practices that aim to advance equity, diversity and inclusion, such as the creation of employee resource groups; efforts for more diverse recruitment; providing an accessible environment to people with disabilities; and gender diversity and representation in senior leadership.  

Over the past year, McMaster surpassed its initial goal of recruiting and hiring 12 Black faculty members, instead hiring 18 accomplished Black scholars across faculties. The Black, Indigenous and Racialized Staff Employee Resource Group also continues to grow and recently held a large gathering to support its members. The group provides support to its members, access to leadership training, informal gatherings and works to amplify the voices and needs of these staff members at an institutional level. 

The university continually evaluates programming, policies and processes to better meet community needs, training 550 academic recruitment and selection committee members on attracting a diverse talent pool to make faculty hiring more equitable and inclusive.   

The Inclusive Excellence Leadership Program pilot ensures leaders across the university are equipped to apply an equity, diversity and inclusion lens in the workplace. 

As well, flexible work guidelines enable leaders and teams to adapt to employees’ needs while remaining inclusive and connected. The university also expanded coverage of mental health practitioners as part of its benefits plan and created a dedicated mental health-site with resources and supports for students, staff and faculty.