York University encourages all employees to complete the Employment Equity Self-Identification Survey in HR Self-Serve before Dec. 31 to help the University reach its goal of 75 per cent participation in the survey.
The survey is a voluntary questionnaire, accessible to all York employees, to self-identify aspects of their demographic background. Its results help the University better understand the diversity of its workforce and take meaningful steps to ensure that everyone feels valued, respected and supported. With an up-to-date picture of employee demographics, York can identify gaps in representation and take action to remove barriers – helping to build a more inclusive, respectful and healthy work environment for all.
“The Employment Equity Self-Identification survey gives us a picture of who comprises our workforce – information we can then use to reflect on and improve how we recruit and subsequently support faculty and staff members,” says Laina Bay-Cheng, vice-president equity, people and culture. “Our DEDI Strategy calls for action based not only on principles, but also on data, including analyses of our employment systems to identify and address any inequities in hiring, support, recognition and career progression.”
Employees who wish to participate can consult a recent email from"epcinfo" with instructions on how to complete the survey, which can be accessed in HR Self-Serve and only takes a few minutes.
“Employees can easily update their self-identification responses at any time, in the same way they update any of their other personal details, like their address or emergency contact,” says Leigh Scott, assistant vice-president human resources and chief human resources officer, adding that all information entered remains private.
“I would like to assure the community that great care is taken to ensure confidentiality – reporting is done on an aggregate basis only and no individual can be identified. It’s an opportunity for employees to ensure they and their identities are fully and accurately represented.”
Community members can view current results of the survey on York’s Employment Equity Dashboard, which is housed on York's data hub. The dashboard reflects aggregated data from the survey and helps track progress toward the University’s equity goals. It is refreshed annually in January, is viewable to the public and illustrates the diversity of the University employee community.
The dashboard also displays comparison data from the Ontario workforce and the York student census. Additional insights from the findings of the survey are reported on in the Annual Employment Equity Report and can be viewed online.