June 24th, 2016
Tapping into inclusion: Alona Puehse, Executive Director of Corporate Development for Open Door Group (second from right) congratulates BC Workplace Inclusion Award winners (left to right) Tamara Vrooman, President & CEO of Vancity, Julia Tanaka, Co-owner of Jules Café, Arley Cruthers, Communications Manager of BC Wheelchair Basketball Society, Shaugn Schwartz, Manager of The Cleaning Solution, and Jenny Magenta, Performance Artist. (Not pictured: Jasmine Marchant, Director of Human Resources at Edgewater Casino).
On June 2, 2016, CLBC CEO Seonag Macrae, along with a number of senior staff, an inclusive employer and representatives from Rotary@Work and MentorAbility joined more than 150 of British Columbia’s most inclusive and diverse business leaders at the UnTapped Awards Gala to celebrate the five winners chosen for this year’s 2016 BC Workplace Inclusion Awards. The award winners were chosen from the close to 50 diverse businesses from across BC who were nominated for the award. The businesses ranged from small cafes to multinational organizations, and are located in communities from Vancouver to Merritt, and from Quadra Island to Kamloops.
The gala was hosted by VanCity President and CEO, Tamara Vrooman, who was also a recipient of a 2016 BC Workplace Inclusion Award for her organization’s inclusive hiring practices. VanCity launched its inclusive hiring program in 2015 and as of April 2016, 15 people have been employed in administrative support roles and in information technology, both at its head office and in branches in Vancouver, Victoria, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Langley, Surrey, Burnaby and Richmond.
“Diverse workforces are the future,” says Open Door Group’s Executive Director of Corporate Development, Alona Puehse. “At UnTapped, we saw how inclusive hiring isn’t just about doing what’s right, it’s about doing what is essential to be successful in this economy. A company’s greatest resource is its people, and companies that tap into a wider pool of candidates reap real rewards. Inclusive employers see diversity and inclusion as an integral part of their business strategy, vital to their ability to innovate, adapt, and prosper.”
The ceremony was the final event of a series of events organized by Open Door Group for business leaders to explore how diverse workplaces are the key to addressing the critical labor shortage in British Columbia. Click here to find out more about the BC Workplace Inclusion Awards.
