Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada

Goal setting

Question 1

Has your organization set goals (for fiscal year 2023-2024 or future fiscal years) for recruiting and promoting Indigenous peoples and Black and other racialized people?

• Work is underway to set goals.

Please provide details and/or examples, including what your organization is using to set its goals (e.g., operational priorities, labour market availability [LMA], population data, workforce availability [WFA]), and how these goals are communicated to employees, if applicable. What has been the most helpful in advancing towards the goals you have set? What challenges, if any, have you encountered?

The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) 2020-2023 Employment Equity Plan identified goals for increasing representation of Indigenous employees across all employment equity occupational groups. While steps were taken to advance this goal, including targeted recruitment processes, OSFI remains below labour market availability (LMA) for this equity group. Representation of racialized people at OSFI currently exceeds LMA.

OSFI started collecting disaggregated data as part of the 2022-2023 self-identification campaign, to further understand the experience and intersecting identities of our employee community, including Black and 2SLGBTQIA+, etc. and build awareness around potential barriers that may exist.

In 2023-2024, OSFI did not have specific goals for recruitment or promotion of Indigenous Peoples, Black people, or other racialized people outside of continuing to move towards representation to meet or exceed LMA. However, OSFI’s staffing team worked diligently to advise hiring managers of any gaps in representation (sector and organizational wide data) when compared to LMA and encouraged people leaders to consider this data to support informed staffing and hiring decisions. OSFI delivered training to hiring managers on how to implement changes related to amendments to the Public Service Employment Act to build additional awareness related to the changes and support hiring managers to understand their obligations and accountabilities.

In 2023-2024, OSFI participated in the Government of Canada’s Information Technology (IT) Apprenticeship Program for Indigenous Peoples, a 24-month program for Indigenous apprentices at the entry level IT group. The program focuses on potential rather than education level and contributes to closing educational, employment, and economic gaps faced by Indigenous Peoples in Canada. We successfully hired 2 apprentices via this program. The program provides participants with self-paced developmental training and hands-on experience.

In addition to the apprenticeship program, OSFI actively advertised for co-op students from employment equity groups, and one team specifically targeted Indigenous co-op students.

In 2024-2025, upon the completion of our ongoing comprehensive Employment Systems Review (ESR), OSFI will develop its new 3-year Employment Equity Plan in consultation with OSFI’s Employment Equity and Diversity Advisory Committee (EEDAC). This plan will span 2024-2027 and, based on the quantitative and qualitative data from the ESR, will include concrete goals for recruitment and promotion for Indigenous Peoples, Black and other racialized people. The plan will be shared widely with all people leaders and employees at OSFI and will be championed by the Executive Leadership Team.

Following the development of OSFI’s new Employment Equity Plan, and when we’re positioned to move ahead with external staffing, we intend to develop and implement a strategic recruitment campaign for Black and Indigenous employees, endorsed by the Superintendent.

OSFI’s Human Resources team will work closely with hiring managers to ensure that they have access to the tools and supports to advance the recruitment goals. This will include training for both staffing advisors and hiring managers, as well as the provision of disaggregated data for informed decision-making.

Question 2

Has your organization set goals to foster greater inclusion (for fiscal year 2023-2024 or future fiscal years)?

• My organization has set goals to foster greater inclusion.
• Work is underway to set goals.

Please provide details and/or examples, including which metrics or data your organization is using, if applicable (e.g., your Public Service Employee Survey results, pulse surveys, exit interviews, human resources administrative data).

In 2023, several consultation and engagement sessions occurred throughout the organization to articulate a set of promises and commitments that would serve as performance measures to support a renewed culture - one in which each of us can bring our best selves to work every day. The promises and commitments were communicated to employees through the intranet and in all-staff town halls and added to 2023-2024 performance management cycle as mandatory competencies. In November 2023, “critical success factors” of grit, urgency, and integrity were identified and communicated to employees. These define how we approach our work and articulate expected behaviours of employees and people leaders.

Employees and leaders were assessed on their demonstration of the promises and commitments. Employees’ promises include “Working together as one,” which expect every employee to work to create a psychologically safe environment and “Embracing our differences,” where employees are expected to be inclusive through collaboration, transparency, and interpersonal communications. Key behaviours identified to realize this promise included seeking to learn about diverse perspectives and experiences and respecting these perspectives, actively listening, and reflecting on diverging views, and cultivating empathy in the workplace. Leaders’ commitments include “Leverage our talent,” where every leader is expected to take meaningful actions to identify barriers and use inclusive hiring practices to create a diverse workforce that reflects all Canadians, and “Maintain the focus on our people,” where leaders are expected to build and sustain a healthy workplace by supporting the physical and psychological health and safety of employees, including the prevention and resolution of harassment and discrimination. In addition, OSFI’s updated Leadership Competency Model (LCM) includes “inclusion” as a competency and defines expected as well as unwanted behaviours.

In 2022, OSFI developed a 3-year Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Action Plan which identifies activities to foster inclusion. The action plan included the creation of a logic model and performance measurement framework to monitor progress over time. The activities are ongoing. The Plan will be reviewed in 2024-2025 to assess whether it continues to be relevant, if it’s aligned with the Call to Action and forward direction and identify any changes that are needed to address gaps.

OSFI’s 2022-2023 Biennial Employee Survey and 2023-2024 Employee Experience Surveys included questions related to feelings of psychological safety, perceptions of leaders’ commitment to inclusion, and feelings of support related to career development. These are starting points to identify areas for improvement. OSFI’s overall engagement survey approach (in terms of survey vehicles and calendar of activities) has recently been reviewed and survey questions will be revisited to enable a deeper dive into the sentiments of employees and could allow a more comprehensive approach to measuring inclusion.

Results of the September 2023 Employee Experience Survey indicated that Black, Indigenous, and other racialized employees agreed that their immediate supervisor creates a psychologically safe work environment. These results were comparable or exceeded the OSFI-wide results. Black, Indigenous, and other racialized employees also agreed that they felt safe being their authentic self at work. Again, these results were similar or higher in agreement than the overall OSFI results. These same groups indicated strong support from their immediate supervisor in considering their professional growth and development as a priority. OSFI will be using this disaggregated data as its benchmark for evaluating progress.

Going forward, OSFI surveys could disaggregate data by identity factors which would better inform analyses in 2024-2025 and beyond.

This data, coupled with the results from the performance measurement process, will allow OSFI to gain greater clarity on areas of improvement and allow for the integration of leading practices in fostering a culture of inclusion.

As mentioned in section 1, OSFI is currently performing an ESR, which will lead to the development of a new 3-year Employment Equity Plan. This plan will span 2024-2027 and will include concrete goals for recruitment and promotion for Indigenous Peoples, Black and other racialized people.

Measuring progress

Question 3

Has your organization developed an approach for measuring progress towards your established goals? 

How is the approach being implemented within your organization (e.g., how is it communicated to employees? What are the roles of executive team members including the Chief Data Officer and Head of Audit and Evaluation and regional management if applicable? How are you reporting on results and outcomes both internally and externally?)?

As a part of the development of the 2022-25 DEI Strategy, OSFI created both a logic model and a performance measurement framework. Progress towards our goals, both from the DEI Strategy perspective as well as employment equity are measured via employee surveys and self-identification campaigns.

Employee experience survey and self-identification campaign results are discussed at the senior executive tables and shared with employees across OSFI via our intranet pages. OSFI also publishes, internally, its Employment Equity Annual Report, which highlights progress on its overarching inclusion demographics.

Human resource officers share employment equity statistics, including areas that are underrepresented or at risk, both at sector and organization-wide levels, with hiring managers to help inform decision-making. These dashboards are created on a semi-annual basis (pending an update from Statistics Canada, the LMA are from the 2016 census).

In 2023-2024, OSFI initiated an ESR to identify barriers in policies, programs, and practices for equity and equity seeking groups. Broad consultation was done with executives, people leaders, functional groups, and members of employment equity groups at all levels. Upon completion, the recommendations from the ESR will be used to develop concrete goals and key performance indicators for 2024-2025 and beyond through a new Employment Equity Plan, which is expected to be in place by March 2025.

Originally, OSFI was assessing its maturity against the Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Benchmarks. However, with the creation of the new Maturity Model by the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS), OSFI has opted to adopt this new model to allow for alignment with the Government of Canada.

Consequential accountability

Question 4

How is your organization using performance management and/or talent management processes to establish accountability for results?

• Work has not yet started to develop approaches to establish accountability for results in either of these processes.

Please provide details about how performance management and/or talent management processes are being used to establish accountability for results.

OSFI conducts formal talent management (TM) and succession planning exercises for the executive community annually. Through the TM questionnaire, executives are encouraged to answer voluntary employment equity and diversity questions. Questions are the same as those included in the self-identification questionnaire administered for the purpose of the Employment Equity Act. Representation metrics are shared with the Executive Leadership Team and considered in talent and succession discussions and processes. Documents supporting the executive TM exercise include information on ways to mitigate bias in the TM process.   

In terms of developing talent, OSFI launched the SponsorMe program which aligns with the broader Government of Canada’s Mentorship Plus initiative and focuses on employees from employment equity-seeking groups (Indigenous Peoples, women, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, 2SLGBTQIA+ ). Sponsorship supports talent development and is one of the effective talent management tools that nurtures and promotes a diverse high-performing talent pipeline while promoting the growth of equity-seeking groups. This program is identified in our Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) action plan. 

SponsorMe supports candidates from equity-seeking groups to be considered for career development opportunities such as special projects, and professional developmental opportunities. There were 17 sponsor/protegé relationships created during the first cohort of the SponsorMe program. In addition, OSFI is sponsoring 2 employees in the 2023-2024 cohort of the TBS Mosaic Leadership Development program.

In April 2022, OSFI’s LCM was updated with the inclusion competency, reflecting OSFI’s evolving emphasis on DEI. In addition, as part of the 2022-2023 performance management process (PMP), 2 mandatory DEI commitments were included; one applicable for all OSFI employees, and a specific one for people leaders. These commitments demonstrated commitment to, and accountability for DEI, by enhancing awareness of DEI through a curious mindset, cultivating and embedding a DEI culture, and building a diverse talent pipeline. 

As mentioned in section 2, OSFI’s promises and commitments were introduced in 2023-2024 and were integrated as mandatory competencies in our PMP. More specifically related to DEI, our promise to “Embrace our Differences” supports employees to be inclusive, learn about diverse perspectives and experiences, cultivate empathy in the workplace, and actively listen and reflect on divergent views. 

Furthermore, in March 2024, an article was developed by one of OSFI’s Inclusion Network streams and posted on OSFI’s intranet to promote ways to mitigate bias in performance management, along with a toolkit for how to manage unconscious bias. Understanding the types of unconscious bias helps people leaders be more aware of how they can affect their employee performance evaluation decisions.

Specific, tangible actions outlined in the forward direction of the Call to Action

Question 5

Have you, as head of your organization, and/or your executive teams sponsored at least two Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees to prepare them for leadership roles?

• Work is underway to develop an approach to sponsorship.

Please provide details about the nature of sponsorship that you and/or your executive team have provided, along with other programs, such as mentorship or leadership development, if applicable.  

In 2023-2024 OSFI ran its first cohort of SponsorMe and MentorMe, 2 programs aimed at the development of employees. While MentorMe was made available to all employees, SponsorMe was specifically created to support a limited number of candidates from equity-seeking groups to be considered for career development opportunities such as special projects, professional developmental opportunities, etc. Modelled after the TBS Mentorship Plus initiative, SponsorMe focuses on advocacy and actively removing barriers to advancement to help level the playing field for communities that face systemic barriers when it comes to being chosen for those opportunities. There were 17 sponsor/protegé relationships created during the first cohort of the SponsorMe program.

In 2023-2024, the Superintendent and one Assistant Superintendent participated as sponsors in the program however neither sponsored a protégé that identified as Black or Indigenous.

Question 6

Have you, as head of your organization, personally endorsed at least one recruitment campaign for Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees?

• I have personally endorsed at least one recruitment campaign for:
  • Indigenous employees

Please provide details.

In 2023-2024, OSFI participated in the Government of Canada’s IT Apprenticeship Program for Indigenous Peoples, a 24-month program for Indigenous apprentices at the entry level IT group. The program focuses on potential rather than education level and contributes to closing educational, employment, and economic gaps faced by Indigenous Peoples in Canada. We successfully hired 2 apprentices via this program for 2-year terms. The program provides participants with self-paced developmental training and hands-on experience. After successful completion of the program, our graduate apprentices will be deemed to meet the combination of education/training and/or experience as per the Government of Canada qualification standards for the IT group, and our intention is to appoint them indeterminately.   

In addition to the IT Apprenticeship Program, OSFI also actively advertised for Indigenous co-op students, and led a recruitment campaign for students from equity-seeking groups more broadly.

The Superintendent carried out focused outreach to Simon Fraser University to better understand how to support Indigenous recruitment efforts for OSFI. OSFI staff liaised with Simon Fraser personnel regarding their Indigenous Business Leadership Executive MBA. Additional research was done to expand potential areas of selection that could be considered for more focused recruitment efforts. In August 2023, an “Overview of Indigenous Recruitment and Hiring Research” was presented to the HR management team to raise awareness and share key takeaway recommendations from the research into ways to increase hiring of Indigenous talent in Canada​.This information will be used in support of the recruitment initiatives outlined in our upcoming Employment Equity Plan.

In 2024-2025, following the development of OSFI’s new Employment Equity Plan, we intend to develop a strategic recruitment campaign for Black and Indigenous employees.

Question 7

Has your organization prioritized official language training for Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees who are ready for advancement?

• Work is underway to develop an approach to prioritizing official language training for Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees who are ready for advancement.

How is your organization prioritizing official language training?

As part of the new Official Languages Strategy and Action Plan, launched in 2023-2024, OSFI is developing an approach to prioritize language training, which will include considerations for employment equity groups.

Does your organization offer access to Indigenous language training or have plans to offer access? Please provide details. 

OSFI doesn’t offer Indigenous language training and has not made plans to offer such training. OSFI is currently focused on enhancing resources and tools and access to second language training (French and English as Canada’s two official languages) in support of OSFI’s new Official Languages Strategy and to ensure compliance with the new TBS requirements (government-wide reprofiling exercise). However, we’re supportive of individual learning efforts as part of employees learning plans.

Question 8

Has your organization provided support and/or invested resources for organizational employee networks and communities?

• Engagement with employees and employee networks in my organization’s decision-making is meaningful and regular.
• Governance structures are in place to support employee networks and communities (e.g., champions, champions/chairs participate at management tables).
• Material supports are provided for employee networks and communities (e.g., dedicated funding, FTE support, allowing time to engage in activities).

Please provide additional detail about how your organization engages with and supports employee networks and communities.

Our goal is to create an environment that values the individual, where employees feel safe, involved, connected and able to bring their whole self to work.

OSFI consults with the EEDAC on DEI-related initiatives impacting employment equity groups. OSFI also regularly consults with its Inclusion Network (IN), which is championed by an Assistant Superintendent and consists of 2 co-chairs, 8 streams and 3 affinity groups, on issues that impact equity and equity seeking groups.

The IN brings together staff interested in promoting workplace inclusion and nurturing diversity of thought. All employees, including allies, are welcome to join the streams and affinity groups. There are regular events hosted by the various streams that are open to all employees regardless of membership in the network. In addition, the IN also hosts activities for important and commemorative dates. Attendance at these events is high, with employees at all levels including senior leadership participating.

In 2023-2024, OSFI’s Superintendent met with each stream and affinity group to gain a better understanding of their needs and openly discuss their challenges, including the lack of targeted resource planning to allow sufficient time for participants to engage in network activities. The outcome of these meetings was a presentation by the IN to the Executive Committee in April 2024, which included recommendations to advancing inclusion and diversity at OSFI. The IN plans on providing the Executive Leadership Team updates on a regular basis.

OSFI’s IN has a dedicated budget every year and receives administrative support for financial management from the Office of the Chief Human Resource Officer.

Question 9

Has anti-racism, equity and inclusion work been embedded in your organization’s integrated business plan and/or mental health plan?

• Anti-racism, equity and inclusion work has not been embedded in my organization’s plans.

Question 10

Does your organization have a calendar to avoid holding major meetings and events during significant religious, spiritual, and cultural periods?

• Work is underway to develop this calendar at my organization.

If the calendar already exists, please provide additional details on how this calendar is communicated or promoted within your organization.  

OSFI promotes important and commemorative days through internal posts and articles. Our intranet’s DEI page refers employees to various Government of Canada calendars for other important dates. While OSFI doesn’t have a formal policy or shared practice to avoid these dates when planning meetings or events, our communications team takes these important dates into consideration when planning dissemination of messages. People leaders are also encouraged to consider the impact of scheduling meetings and events during these periods.

In 2024-2025, OSFI will begin discussions with the EEDAC and IN to explore the development of guidance on this important subject matter.

Additional information about your organization’s ongoing initiatives 

Question 11

What are two or three specific barriers that you have faced in advancing work on the Call to Action?

Please provide two or three examples.

1. There is a lack of access to updated labour market availability data and comparators for Black and other racialized people. This has created a barrier to understanding OSFI’s current employee demographics regarding diversity.  
2. Accountabilities for the Call to Action requirements are not specifically tied to business targets, performance, or talent management, minimizing the incentive to change behaviours and move the dial on anti-racism, equity, and inclusion in a meaningful way.  

Question 12

Recognizing that employees often have multiple identities, what actions is your organization undertaking to support Indigenous employees and Black and other racialized employees who are also members of other communities, such as persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and religious minorities who face compounding barriers of discrimination?

Please provide details.

OSFI’s Inclusion Network includes 8 streams* and 3 affinity groups** focused on different identity factors and encourages employees with intersectional identities to join multiple streams to help employees feel safe, involved and connected.

In 2023-2024, OSFI launched the first cohort of its SponsorMe program, which enabled senior leaders to advocate for employees with multiple identities. In addition, OSFI is supporting the participation of 2 employees in the TBS Mosaic Leadership Development Program which is focused on removing barriers for equity-seeking employees to join the senior ranks.  

*IN Streams: 2SLGBTQIA+, Age inclusion, Diversity of thought, Family responsibilities, Gender, Mental health and accessibility, Multiculturalism, and Unconscious bias.

**IN Affinity groups: Black affinity group, Indigenous affinity group, and Pan-Asian affinity group.

Question 13

In your first year of implementing the forward direction of the Call to Action, what impact has this work had on the culture of your organization?

Please provide the two or three most important impacts. 

The coordinated and focused approach with implicated parties, including employee resource groups (ERGs), to identify barriers, needs, and opportunities has led to the creation of an environment of inclusion that has had a meaningful impact on the culture of the organization. In addition, the Superintendent has hosted multiple “Ask Me Anything” sessions with employees allowing them to bring forward ideas, concerns, questions, or opportunities for his consideration and perspective.

As referenced in section 8, in 2023, the Superintendent met with every IN stream and affinity groups to better understand their concerns and lived experience. The outcome of these meetings was a presentation by the IN to the Executive Committee with recommendations to advancing inclusion and diversity at OSFI which will support the Call to Action and inclusion at OSFI. These efforts by the Superintendent have had a positive impact on the organization where employees feel valued and heard.

OSFI has made efforts around better understanding disaggregated data and shared it with ERGs so that they are better informed and have a deeper understanding of the dynamics and lived experience of their communities. This data has also provided OSFI with benchmarks that provide a foundation from which meaningful progress can be measured.

OSFI’s IN fosters a respectful and inclusive environment for all. Family tables, introduced in the spring of 2021 by the IN’s Unconscious bias ERG, consist of discussion forums that promote inclusion while prioritizing respect and psychological safety for OSFI employees to share their lived experiences. They combine 2 important elements: empathy and community. 

To support family tables and other discussion forums, the IN’s Unconscious bias ERG developed a guidance paper on how to ensure safer spaces when events are organized to ensure full participation of all employees, and to draw expectations of participants and accountability and expectations of presenters. This guidance paper and the conditions for safer space were initially released in 2022. A new edition was published in May 2023, which included best practices for safer spaces, a handout on how to provide peer support and group agreements, which participants are expected to uphold.