OCM's Statement re: CBC's Go-Public:
Monday March 14, 2022:
Just as Reconciliation cannot happen in one conversation, our work in corporate reconciliation with First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples cannot be shared completely in one statement, however we would like to share the following:
Kiinago Biinoogi Muskiiki (‘Our Children’s Medicine’ in English) began our work in 2014 with the goal of closing the Indigenous employment gap by collaborating with community leaders to develop a culturally inclusive application and hiring method for employers across the country. The process we’ve created allows for a thoughtful sourcing, on-boarding, employment and retention experience for First Nations, Metis and Inuit job seekers at companies across Turtle Island.
In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #92, our organization, which is a registered charity, works with employers to implement our hiring process at their companies and create action plans to learn from, engage with and attract talent from the Indigenous community.
To ensure a safe and welcoming employment and interview experience, our organization provides essential education and cultural learning opportunities to our employers, including cultural awareness sessions, presentations by Elders and Knowledge Keepers, and our signature training on how to ‘Indigenize’ the hiring process. Over 1,100 individuals across our employer partners have participated in our trainings to date. Job applications for our employers, including assessment questions, are crafted by our organization in consultation with Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers and other members of the community. Applications are housed on our platform and provide a unique opportunity for Indigenous candidates to share their whole selves with potential employers, allowing hiring managers to identify an Indigenous candidate’s lived, cultural and transferable skills (which get lost during a traditional ‘corporate’ application and interview process).
We are proud of the progress we have made on this journey, having worked with more than 92 employer partners to date, including CIBC. Our partners include other national banks, accounting firms, corporations and community organizations - large and small - who seek to reduce barriers and close the employment gap for Indigenous workers. We have created a community of more than 41,000 Indigenous job seekers from coast to coast, who have completed 122,300 applications over the last five years with 1,681 Indigenous job seekers securing employment with our employer partners. Our programs have increased the number of Indigenous job seekers being hired amongst our partners and added $12.8 million dollars towards the economic wellbeing of the Indigenous community through increased wages, added wages, job stability and retention. We are thrilled that over the course of our relationship, CIBC has hired more than 70 Indigenous candidates in collaboration with our organization.
We always value hearing feedback from our community and partners, and we welcome an opportunity to share a circle and our process with Christine Paquette, as well as to discuss her concerns.
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