Archived - Fifty per cent Aboriginal Hiring Strategy

Background

In 1994, the Honorable Minister Ron Irwin announced INAC's (now known as Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada) commitment to fill 50 per cent of the department's vacancies with Aboriginal peoples. The department's commitment to this goal is directly related to the business of INAC (now known as Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada) and the continued focus on achieving self-government for First Nations. INAC (now known as Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada) has committed to a workforce that is culturally sensitive and representative of its Aboriginal partners.

In 1995, INAC (now known as Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada) developed the Employment Equity Recruitment Plan which outlined the department's plans to increase Aboriginal representation through a 50 per cent Aboriginal hiring strategy.

This plan was further strengthened on November 22, 1996 when a Letter of Understanding was signed between the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and INAC (now known as Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada). In this letter of agreement the 50 per cent hiring strategy was addressed as follows:

"In view of its unique mandate and its special relationship with First Nations, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development has a long term objective of having a majority of DIAND employees with Aboriginal ancestry. The Department will make every reasonable effort to reach an objective of a 50 per cent hiring share for Aboriginal peoples until the department meets its objective. The Department undertakes to make every effort to ensure that Aboriginals are equitably represented across all occupational groups and levels in the department, including management positions."

Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Framework

In December 2016, INAC has adopted a new Indigenous Recruitment and Retention Framework which focusses on three major themes: measures to promote Indigenous hiring, increasing outreach activities and measures to retain Indigenous employees.

The Framework aims to support departmental priorities, including:

• Creating a culturally inclusive workplace
• Enhancing Indigenous representation
• Building capability and career development for Indigenous employees
• Fostering Indigenous leadership through talent management.

Employment strategy within staffing practices

In order to facilitate hiring and increase the department's Aboriginal workforce, integrated planning of human resources and recruitment initiatives undertaken within current staffing activities are encouraged.

External and internal employment opportunity advertisements include information to the effect that the department may consider its employment equity objectives as current and/or future organizational needs either at the time of pre-screening or when appointing candidates from one of the employment equity groups, especially for Aboriginal candidates. Therefore, specific statements have been developed and are included on all INAC's employment opportunity advertisements for external staffing processes as well as internal staffing processes.

Furthermore, asset qualifications can also be used in order to help the department achieve its objectives in terms of hiring employment equity group members, particularly Aboriginal people. Targeted selection processes only opened to Aboriginal peoples can also be conducted.

Through these practices, hiring managers can contribute to increasing Aboriginal representation. This employment strategy supports INAC's commitments to establish a workforce that reflects the cultural differences and is representative of its Aboriginal partners.