Self-declaring for Government of Canada jobs

How and why to self-declare as a member of an employment equity group when applying to federal public service jobs.

Why self-declare:

It gives employment equity group members access to tailored programs, mentorships and networks
It helps build a public service that represents Canada’s diversity
It allows the public service to identify and eliminate barriers to hiring members of employment equity groups, by measuring their success rates at each step of the hiring process

Some federal public service jobs are open only to people who self-declare as members of one of the 4 employment equity groups. To apply to those jobs, if you belong to at least one of these groups, you’ll need to self-declare when you apply.

How self-declaration is used

To identify who belongs to an employment equity group in a hiring process. Some job opportunities are open specifically to members of those groups.
To compile information on designated employment equity group members appointed to the public service, for reporting to Parliament.
For statistical purposes (reports, analyses and special studies).

Who can self-declare

You can self-declare if you are a member of one or more of these 4 designated employment equity groups: women, Indigenous (Aboriginal) peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities, as identified by the Employment Equity Act.

When to self-declare

Every time you apply to any Government of Canada job, you’ll have the option to self-declare that you belong to an employment equity group. If you don’t self-declare at the application stage, you can still self-declare at any point during the appointment process.

How to self-declare

If you belong to an employment equity group, there are a few ways to self-declare:

when you apply for a job through GC Jobs, complete the Employment Equity section under Requirements
state it on your cover letter or your résumé
mention it in an email to your contact for the hiring process

Self-declaration is voluntary

Self-declaration is voluntary, but it’s to your advantage to self-declare if you belong to any employment equity groups. For some jobs, managers can only select you if you have self-declared.