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We aspire to be leaders in providing an inclusive, equitable workplace for a diverse workforce and to inspire our clients and communities to do the same.
Influencing Supply Chain Diversity in Capital Projects
Learn how Microsoft achieved its goal for supply chain diversity on a recent capital project in Edmonton, and the questions and challenges often faced by key players in the process, including owners, project managers, design and engineering consultants, and contractors.
Our intentional approach to diversity and inclusion (D&I) focuses on three priority areas.
It is governed by a core employee working group, with the active involvement and sponsorship of our CEO Franklin Holtforster and our designated D&I champion, Bonita Craig. ›
In our organization
Our D&I approach includes tangible, measurable actions identified through employee feedback, emerging data, and our ambition to be a market leader and attract top talent.
We communicate these objectives company-wide, monitor them for progress, and renew them annually.
In 2021, we successfully rolled out the following policies and programs:
- Core training for all employees, including Indigenous cultural awareness developed in partnership with 4 Seasons of Reconciliation ›
- A ‘Human Library’ to make it easier for employees to meet with, and learn from, colleagues of diverse backgrounds
- Providing Indigenous land acknowledgements and guidance in their use
- An option to specify gender pronouns in our standard employee signatures
- A Supplier Diversity Program to support our clients’ diversity, equity and inclusion mandates
- Enhanced mental and physical health resources and tools for employees
Our plans for 2022 include additional inclusive HR practices and employee wellbeing initiatives, blind CV screening, and scaling our Supplier Diversity Program.
In partnership with our clients
As a procurement agent and advisor for thousands of project owners across Canada, we are uniquely positioned to help drive change through our client supply chains.
To help achieve this goal, we have developed a structured procurement approach focused on increasing the proportion of diverse suppliers participating in our clients’ procurement events.
This approach incorporates four key steps:
- Informal Market Engagement, where we openly share diverse supplier goals and work with an ever-growing pool of diverse suppliers and their network groups
- Prequalification, involving a three-part information request and rating scale
- Tender/Bid, where the same three-part information request is also required as part of the submission
- Post-Award, where specific training, reporting standards, corrective action plans and commitments are included in supplemental conditions or as part of a services agreement.
We are in the initial stages of this effort, working with clients that have identified supplier diversity as a priority. The clear, ambitious goals of these clients have allowed us to capture lessons learned, and refine our tools and approach.
We are a proud supporter of these diverse supplier business networks
Have a question, comment or suggestion? Please contact us. ›