Edmonton Companies Stand Out for Promoting Workplace Diversity
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Edmonton is fast emerging as an international city.
The city is attracting a diverse population of newcomers from all corners of the globe. Many of the businesses here welcome these new citizens with open arms and want their companies to be a reflection of the diversity in the community at large.
Two of the firms leading the way are Associated Engineering Group Ltd., and KPMG of Canada.
Associated Engineering, an employee-owned consulting engineering firm with services in water supply and treatment, waste management and urban development, recently made the list of Top 20 Best Employers for New Canadians. Mediacorp Canada Inc. compiled the prestigious ranking.
The company was recognized for its aggressive recruitment of engineers from other countries and its programs, including language training, that help these new Canadians adjust to life here. The company also helps internationally educated engineers obtain a provincial engineering license and encourages new Canadian employees to enroll in special business communication programs provided by a local college.
And when it comes to adjusting to life in Edmonton, the company goes all out to help its new recruits, from greeting them at the airport, making sure they have accommodations or simply buying groceries for them, Liana Mah of Associated Engineering says.
That philosophy was what attracted Milada Majumdar to the company from a job in Ottawa.
“I was hoping that it would be a great company to work for and it really is,” says Majumdar, who is an electrical engineer of Indian origin. “Their culture is to retain the employees and to develop leaders, so they really put so much into all their employees.”
Over at KPMG, a firm that provides auditing, tax and financial services, the commitment to diversity is a top priority. KPMG is ranked as one of Canada’s 25 Best Diversity Employers, according to a 2008 ranking also compiled by Mediacorp.
It even has a full-time staffer devoted to promoting diversity.
The man who filled that position says having a diverse workforce that respects employees without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation or age is vital to the company.
“I would say that it’s close to the top of our list of priorities with people,” says Michael Bach, director of diversity, inclusion and equality.
Edmonton itself, he says, is a reflection of a culturally mixed city that has grown dramatically in the last 10 years.
The company’s commitment to diversity was a big draw for Esther Weltert, a senior accountant who came to the Edmonton office of KPMG in January of 2008. Originally from Switzerland, Weltert was drawn to the company because of its reputation and its client base, as well as its workforce. “I think it’s an advantage,” she says of the diverse group of employees at KPMG. People from different backgrounds, she says, bring many different perspectives.
Story by Sheila Burke
Photo by Jeff Adkins
