Canadian Tire is creating a more inclusive workplace with the contribution of Waterloo co-op students and alumni

By: Jed Bick (he/him)

The iconic Canadian brand is navigating toward creating an equitable, diverse and inclusive workplace.

Founded more than 100 years ago, Canadian Tire Corporation Ltd. is a nationally recognized brand and group of companies that includes retail and financial services. The retail giant is changing their work environment and brand to cultivate diverse talent and prioritize the needs of equity-deserving communities.

Canadian Tire hires Waterloo co-op students in corporate and retail office roles. The COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement were catalysts in changing how the company involves all members of society, including co-op students, in its workplace.

“I think most organizations, Canadian Tire included, felt they created an inclusive environment,” says Letecia Rose (she/her), vice president of diversity, inclusion and belonging at Canadian Tire.

Learning from each other

At Canadian Tire, employees, including co-op students, are a driving force behind building a culture of belonging. Students work in roles including compliance analyst, store operations and digital product co-op student.

“Proximity promotes empathy, so you need to get close to folks to understand what they're going through,” says Rose. “If you can listen to them, then you can show up and hear them in a way that makes sense.”

Qi Rao (she/her), a recent graduate from Waterloo’s Financial Analysis and Risk Management program, works at Canadian Tire as a financial analyst. In her experience, the company listens to its employees and uses employee insights to frame their approach to creating a more inclusive workplace.

“By experiencing the culture at Canadian Tire, I have this expectation of how equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) should look in the workplace,” says Rao. “If you have an inclusive environment like that, you can build a great connection within teams, and you will be able to learn from each other.”

Creating a workplace where everyone belongs

Canadian Tire has implemented multiple changes in everyday practices and workplace culture based on feedback from employees. Staff, including co-op students, are welcome to volunteer in employee resource groups (ERGs) at the company. Led by employees, the ERGs build communities around groups with shared cultures, identities and experiences.

These groups work to help educate, celebrate, support and empower workers in the broader organization. They focus on inclusion in daily activities like company meetings, initiatives, activities, observances and celebrations.

The company also believes that knowledge is imperative in creating change. It offers various events and resources to help educate and raise awareness including live events, online learning resources, mandatory team training sessions, town halls and a monthly newsletter.

Waterloo co-op students and alumni contribute to the EDI strategy and help define organizational culture through these initiatives and employee resource groups.

“Co-op students bring innovative ideas,” says Rose. “They take our EDI initiatives and challenge our assumptions by helping us think outside of the box. There's something refreshing about having those unfiltered and just exuberant, empowered-thinking people.”

The company received the award for shifting its company culture to make its workplace and brand more inclusive and diverse for employees and Canadians.