b'Diversitytives are going to start ramping up in the coming months, says Its as much about unlocking fresh mindsets, adoptingBill Ferreira, Director of BuildForce Canada. For example, next school year you can expect to see some very aggressive campaigns global mindsets and acquiring new skills as it is aboutthat will provide young people with more balanced information about careers in the trades and help them explore their options.Promoting diversity is only the first step; the next is ensuring being seen as an employer of choice. every team member feels safe and respected on the job. After all, Ferreira says, All it takes is someone having a bad experience on the job to damage an employers reputation. Whether that some-one is a woman, Indigenous or a new Canadian, theyre going to tell their friends and family, and that compounds the challenge of trying to recruit good talent from those under-represented com-munities.Supporting inclusivityDiversityandinclusiongohand-in-hand.Andlikemany workplace culture-shifts, promoting an inclusive workplace be-gins at the top.The number one thing I stress to the employers I train is that diversity and inclusion start with leadership, Hofford in-sists. Not only do you need to embed diversity and inclusion into your strategic business plan, but you need your leaders to be walking the talk every day.What does walking the talk look like? Hofford explains its reflecting the firms commitment for inclusion in the words lead-ers say, the messages they put out and the actions they take to address incidents of discrimination.Employers arent alone in their journey. BuildForce Canada, for one, provides a Respectful and Inclusive Workplace Toolkit (buildforce.ca/en/respectful-workplaces)tohelpemployersad-dress diversity and inclusion from a policy perspective. These include self-assessment tools, policy framework guides and an online course on dealing with negative jobsite behaviours and biases.Internally, employers may not even be aware that their work-place culture is being exclusive to certain employees, notes Fer-riera. You can have veterans who arent used to working with women and arent respecting them as they should, a new arrival to Canada that isnt being heard or certain demographics being left out of social events. These things can make individuals feel like they dont belong, and that undermines an employers re-cruitment and retention strategy.Immediate actionsDespite best efforts, there will be bad experiences. Its impor-tant to manage with these situations as they emerge and use them to reflect on what can be done to avoid repeat events.You have to deal with incidents of racism and discrimination head-on, but also take time to determine what went wrong, what the root cause is and how the company can address it in a way that makes the team stronger, says Hofford. Every situation is unique, and responses will vary. At the end of the day, however, a truly inclusive workplace thrives on every-one being respected and heard. When you put in the policies and structures to make that voice heard, you get more engagement, better productivity and a stronger culture as a result, says Hofford. Thats when you become an employer of choice, and when good people start com-ing to you.ThisarticleoriginallyappearedintheFall2020issueofBuildManitobamagazineandisreprintedwithpermissionfromthe Winnipeg Construction Association.12ONTARIO ROOFING NEWSISSUE 3 2020 THE ONLY SOURCE FOR PROFESSIONAL ICI ROOFING CONTRACTORS IN ONTARIO ORN'