Kyle Nimmrichter’s first day at CAAT Pension Plan in Toronto was a groundbreaker. He attended a team meeting where one of the members went out of his way to explicitly state that CAAT is a place where everybody should feel welcome and included, and the kind of a place that genuinely celebrates diversity.
“By saying that, he gave me the opportunity to come out to my team on my very first day, whereas previously it’s taken many, many months before I could feel comfortable sharing that with my teammates,” says Nimmrichter, a pension policy analyst. “That was heartwarming for me and really demonstrated that CAAT takes diversity and inclusion seriously.”
Now on the organization’s inclusion and diversity committee, Nimmrichter is involved in fostering its objectives at CAAT, one of Canada’s leading providers of sustainable defined-benefit pensions. The committee balances fun, socially engaging sessions – think online Musical Bingo during Pride Week celebrating the LGBTQ+ community – with more serious educational events sparking discussion about inclusion and diversity in Canada and all over the world.
“In response to the revelation of mass graves at Indigenous residential schools in Canada, we hosted an education session in late September, where we invited the Woodland Cultural Centre to give a virtual presentation on the history of residential schools in Canada,” says Nimmrichter. “It was a very powerful presentation.”
The heart-wrenching stories left Julie Giraldi in tears.
“The first step is in educating people, because until you listen to those stories and have those conversations you really don’t understand,” says Giraldi, chief human resources officer. “We need people to look at things from different perspectives. Raising awareness is the only way we’re going to change the world for the better – and we can start right here at CAAT.”
When Giraldi joined CAAT three years ago, she established an Employee Engagement Committee and an Inclusion and Diversity Committee. Both play a vital role in creating an environment that allows employees to bring their whole authentic selves to work and nurtures a culture that is open, transparent, supportive and living the company’s values. The committees are made up of a cross-functional group of employees who volunteer for the role.
The Employee Engagement Committee helps in guiding decisions in the organization, such as for rewards and recognition programs, or looking at employee engagement results and helping come up with action plans to make the organization better.
The Inclusion and Diversity Committee’s mandate is to foster safety, education, awareness and belonging at CAAT as well as providing a platform for staff to champion diversity in the workplace.
Some of the most powerful events have included virtual lean-in circles, open to everyone at CAAT. People share their struggles and experiences in a safe forum as a way for others to gain insights and understanding. One that was held to support Black colleagues was particularly moving.
“It was really an exercise of listening – helping each other understand what it means to walk in someone else’s shoes,” says Giraldi. “When it’s your colleague talking to you, it really clarifies your thinking. It’s someone you know at the office, someone you have a personal connection to, so it raises a different level of awareness.
“The entire senior executive team participated, not to share but to listen. Diversity and inclusion are something we need to continue to build on – and not just because of a certain situation. It needs to be part of our journey moving forward.”
