Majority of Canadians Oppose Diversity-Based Hiring Practices: Survey

Pedestrians walk past a Now Hiring sign in Arlington, Virginia, on March 16, 2022. Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

As major corporations scale back their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring policies, a newly released survey says most Canadians also oppose these practices.

Fifty-seven percent of 1,539 Canadians polled responded no when asked if it’s important for employers to consider cultural background, such as racial or visible minority status, in hiring decisions, according to a Leger survey conducted for the Association for Canadian Studies.

The results were similar across all age groups, with at least half of respondents expressing opposition. The opposition was higher among respondents aged 35 and over. Those aged 45 to 54 led at 62 percent, followed by 60 percent for those aged 35 to 44 and 58 percent for the two oldest age groups, those aged 55 to 64 and those over 65.

The majority of respondents in the younger age groups also oppose DEI, at 51 percent and 50 percent respectively for those aged 25 to 34 and those aged 18 to 24.

Breaking down the results by province, the survey indicated that Quebecers are the most likely to oppose considering cultural background in hiring, with 63 percent sharing this view. Albertans were next, at 58 percent, followed by respondents in British Columbia at 57 percent.

Researchers note that Canadians (57 percent) show more opposition to DEI when hiring than Americans, with 46 percent of U.S. respondents opposing the practice. The survey, conducted between Nov. 22 and 24, included 1,009 American participants.

The findings come as U.S. retail giant Walmart announced plans to make changes to its DEI initiatives, joining a growing list of companies re-evaluating or scaling back these policies, including Ford, Molson Coors, John Deere, Tractor Supply, and Lowe’s.

Conservative filmmaker Robby Starbuck, who is working on a film about DEI initiatives in major American corporations, shared a letter from Ford president and CEO James Farley in August on social media in which he announced the decision to renounce DEI goals. In the letter, Farley said the company had ceased participation in some DEI practices and initiatives.

“We will continue to build a high-performance culture focused on ‘what’ we deliver with aligned objectives, high standards and accountability and, as importantly, ‘how’ we deliver it through excellence, focus, and collaboration,” he wrote.

Farley also currently serves on the board of directors for Harley-Davidson, which, like Ford, dropped its DEI policies in August.

DEI remains central to Canada’s federal employment policy, particularly under the Employment Equity Act. The act mandates specific requirements in terms of the degree of representation of women, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and visible minorities in the workforce.

The Leger survey indicated that 50 percent of Canadian participants who identify as immigrants disagree that it’s important for employers to consider their cultural background when hiring.

Among both Canadian and U.S. participants who identify as racial minorities, more Canadians (49 percent) believe it is not important for employers to consider cultural background, compared to 36 percent of U.S. respondents.