Diversity and Inclusion in Canadian Manufacturing

By Brian Pho | August 17, 2021 | Industry Trends

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Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) training has mostly been a critical component in defining what makes Canadian Manufacturing companies unique. It is important to address that diversity and inclusion can lead to drive performance and innovation. Companies with a diverse workforce experience increased productivity and better organization management. They also have shown to have a competitive advantage in the manufacturing shop floor.

Diversity and Inclusion Affects Company Culture

Having a diverse workforce brings new ideas and new innovation to business. Saint Gobain Corporation has created a Diversity and Inclusion Council to help people express themselves and be who they want to be. Due to the diversity in the workplace, this leads to new innovative and fresh ideas on how production and business processes operate. Diversity and Inclusion has become a key part in company culture and helped shape Saint Gobain to who they are today.

Canadian Manufacturing Work Places Are Diverse In Nature

As a Plant Manager, you have to learn how to work with a diverse group of individuals on your shop floor. In today’s modern manufacturing environment, your manufacturing shop floor could look like the United Nations. With employees representing many different countries and where you are all trying to achieve the same goal. Respecting everybody’s identity is important and new diverse cultures can bring a breathe of fresh air to an already stalled problem. Additionally, conflicts can definitely arise due to the diversity you experience. Keeping calm , reasoning out the issues and empathizing with other cultures is the key to communicating and working with others.

Diversity And Inclusion Can Increase Skilled Trade Workers In Your Talent Pool

Having a hard time filling a skilled trade role? Manufacturers are starting to source talent from a global supply chain of people. Multi-national companies in Italy and Germany offers specialized training and apprenticeship programs to train younger professionals to the manufacturing industry. I am seeing more requests from companies to source outside of North America to find qualified Welders and tradesman that are specialized in their specific machinery. This increases the diversity within the Canadian Manufacturing environment. Understanding and increasing awareness of Diversity and Inclusion training within the Canadian Manufacturing workplace is an important aspect when working with Canadian manufacturers.

As a recruiter I love seeing the increase in diversity and inclusion in the manufacturing industry. If you want to continue the conversation don’t hesitate to reach out.

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