Diversity Champion: Shell Canada

Thank you to the entire HR and
Recruitment team at Shell
Canada.

This month we are pleased to recognize Shell Canada as our Diversity Champion, our ongoing monthly feature where we acknowledge forward thinking businesses and leaders who embrace inclusion and diversity in our community.

As part of their commitment to building a diverse workforce, Shell recently invited Champions to host a Diverse-Abilities event as part of an Away Day for their HR and Recruitment team. We chose to host the event at the Winter Sport Institute at Canada Olympic Park – a key training facility for Canada’s Paralympic athletes and team. The connection? That just as a disability doesn't mean you can’t be a world class athlete, it also doesn't mean you can’t be top talent for an employer.

The Away Day featured speakers from Shell and Champions, both of whom spoke about challenges and best practices for recruiting persons with disabilities, and then we moved on to interactive games and disability simulation exercises.  The enthusiasm and participation from everyone at Shell was amazing as participants eagerly took part in all of the activities. The day wrapped up with a small panel discussion where members of the Shell team were able to ask members of Champions questions surrounding disabilities, recruiting and accommodation.

Speaking with Deborah Green, Senior Diversity Recruiter at Shell, it becomes easy to see how important diversity is to the company.

“As an oil and gas hub, there is a lot of competition in Calgary. To attract diverse talent the biggest challenge is making sure our inclusion piece is in place. We can recruit all we want, but without an inclusive environment our talent could be going out the back door. We really strive hard to make sure people feel they can be themselves at work.”

Shell Canada combines education and awareness training with employee networks to build an inclusive workplace. In Calgary alone, Shell utilizes seven different employee-driven diversity networks to raise awareness and build support within the company. For their efforts, Shell Canada has been ranked in the Top 100 Employers in Canada for the last 12 years, and been listed as a Top 45 Diversity Employer for the last six.

At Champions, we have been partnering with Shell since 2006 and have provided numerous disability education and awareness sessions to their team over the years.  Thank you to everyone at Shell Canada for your commitment to diversity and repeatedly inviting us to collaborate with you.