The 50 – 30 Challenge: Your Diversity Advantage

From: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

The 50 – 30 Challenge program was designed to support organizations across Canada in fostering diversity and inclusion by promoting gender parity (50%) and increased representation of equity-deserving groups (30%) within leadership roles.

The program was developed in collaboration with the Government of Canada, businesses and various diversity organizations, institutions and networks.

Key results at a glance

2,853 organizations signed up

Canadian organizations of all sizes and sectors signed on to the 50 – 30 Challenge to increase the representation and inclusion of diverse groups within their workplaces.

Testimonies

Discover the experiences of participants who joined the 50 – 30 Challenge, and learn about the transformative changes their organizations implemented through the support of the program.

Browse testimonials

Benefits

Diversity in the workplace has consistently been shown to drive organizational success. Research reveals that diverse organizations are not only more likely to outperform their peers but also twice as likely to meet or exceed financial goals and eight times more likely to achieve superior business outcomes.

Strategic approaches to diversity and inclusion enable organizations to attract top-tier talent, bridge skill gaps, and develop innovative solutions by incorporating varied perspectives. Studies^{Footnote 1} have shown that companies with gender-diverse executive teams outperform their peers by 48%, while culturally diverse executive teams excel by 36%. Additionally, businesses with diverse management teams experience a 19% increase in revenue as a result of innovation.

Support and resources

The 50 – 30 Challenge Ecosystem Partners supported participants in adopting diversity practices within their organizations to create workplaces that embody the diversity of Canada's population.

The 50 – 30 Challenge program is now closed, however a variety of resources prepared by the 50 – 30 Challenge Ecosystem Partners remain available to assist organizations in continuing their efforts toward diverse and inclusive workplaces.

Information offered by non-Government of Canada sites is not subject to the Privacy Act or the Official Languages Act and may not be accessible to persons with disabilities.

Supporting your diversity journey

• What works toolkit: Online toolkit designed for Canadian organizations looking to implement equality, diversity and inclusion practices.
• Guide on terms and guidance of the 50 – 30 Challenge: Guide defining key terms included in the 50 – 30 Challenge and how to apply these definitions to advance equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Self-assessment tool: Guidance for self-assessment and the necessary tools to enable organizations to demonstrate their compliance and/or progress towards compliance with the 50 – 30 Challenge goals.
• Diversity assessment tool: Digital tool to assess the equity, diversity and inclusion policies and practices of organizations and help you develop a customized strategy.
• Diversity and inclusion playbook: Resource supporting the Diversity Institute's Diversity Assessment Tool to provide organizations with actionable resources to build more inclusive workplaces.

Inclusive workplace practices

• Accessible job posting template and job posting IDEA checklist: Template and checklist to create inclusive job postings.
• Appropriate and inappropriate interview questions: Examples of appropriate and inappropriate interview questions related to protected grounds.
• Sample gender diversity accommodations plan: Example of an effective accommodation plan that incorporates the benefits of other universally designed policies to provide systemized support to gender transitioning employees.
• Name and pronoun change procedure checklist and employee name change sample form: Guidelines to track employee name and/or pronoun change procedure.
• Creating the role template: Template to be used by hiring managers or human resources to outline the specific responsibilities of a new position and the associated necessary qualifications.
• Welcoming your trans or non-binary colleague: Article about workplace inclusion.
• Universal washrooms: A quick guide: Guidelines to create, regulate, and educate about universal washrooms.

Educational resources and leadership tools

• The micropedia of microaggressions: Resource to learn more about microaggressions and their impact.
• Inclusive facilitation best practices guide: Tips and techniques to facilitate, administer and develop sessions that are inclusive.
• The inclusion imperative: Resource to identify and remove barriers to equal employment opportunity; develop inclusion-informed human resource policies and practices; and increase the representation of qualifiable equity-denied candidates in senior executive roles.
• Psychologically safer spaces assessment tool: Psychologically safer spaces assessment statements.
• Inviting feedback as a leader: Questions that foster feedback around inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.
• Elements of inclusive, anti-oppressive governance: Guidelines on creating inclusive and anti-oppressive governance structures.

Mentorship and sponsorship

• Mentorship sponsorship guide: Capacity Building manual for organizations.

The 50 – 30 Challenge program has closed to new signatories. If you have any question, reach out to 50-30challengeinfodefi50-30info@ised-isde.gc.ca, but note that the inbox will be monitored for a limited time.