Create an Inclusive Workplace

More employers in British Columbia are recognizing the benefits of inclusive hiring practices. Hiring from a diverse population strengthens your business, increases your impact in the community and brings in new knowledge and fresh viewpoints.

Learn how to make your workplace a more accessible, inclusive and welcoming environment.

Hire Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous Peoples are a growing part of the workforce. With rising education levels, from university graduate programs to training in technologies and trades, workers from Indigenous communities can bring commitment and skills to workplaces across B.C.

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Hire Young Workers

Young people form an untapped employment resource. Employers who hire youth often find enthusiastic, committed workers who want to learn. Young workers bring:

  • Current knowledge about new techniques and technologies.
  • A desire to learn and work as a team to accomplish goals.
  • Renewal for an aging workforce.
  • Connections to new customers.

In many cases, funding is available to help employers recruit, train and hire young employees. Find out about employment programs for youth.

  • Canada youth and student employment programs – Take advantage of programs that fund jobs for students, young employees, skills development programs, and more.
  • Hire an Apprentice – Hire a young tradesperson and benefit from employment incentives, as well as the growing skills and up-to-date techniques the apprentice will bring.

Hire People with Disabilities

A Canadian business case (PDF) on inclusive hiring reports that employees with disabilities have:

  • A very low turnover rate and high attendance.
  • A safety rate that is as good as or better than average.
  • No additional costs of employment.
  • A strong positive impact on workplace and community values.

Employers who hire by matching an applicant’s abilities to the needs of the job will find a pool of motivated workers who bring unique strengths and perspectives to the job.

Find out more from:

  • WorkBC – Get information about programs and supports for employees with disabilities.
  • Presidents Group – Find more about employers experiences with recruiting, hiring and retaining people with disabilities
  • Open Door Group – Learn about services and supports for employers who hire people with disabilities.
  • Inclusion BC – Find resources and success stories to support employers who hire people with disabilities.
  • Ready, Willing and Able – Build an inclusive workforce by hiring employees with an intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder.
  • Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities – Get funding for certain activities that help people with disabilities obtain or maintain employment.

For additional resources, see the Government of Canada's Hiring persons with disabilities website. You'll find facts on the benefits of inclusive hiring, tools to make your workplace inclusive, and sources of financial support.

Quick Facts

  • There are approximately 334,000 British Columbians age 15 to 64 who self-identify as having a disability.
  • According to the 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability, approximately half of working-age people with disabilities are employed. With a forecast of 903,000 job openings in B.C. between 2018 and 2028, British Columbians with disabilities are an important, and largely untapped, talent pool.
  • Most workplace accommodations for a person with a disability cost $500 or less, with many accommodations having no cost.

Inclusive hiring by employers in B.C. supports Accessibility 2024, government’s vision of becoming the most accessible province in Canada for people with disabilities—including having the highest labour participation rate.

Learn More About Inclusive Hiring

Learn how WorkBC Assistive Technology Services supports people who have a work-related barrier due to a disability or a functional limitation. Assistive technology can help with mobility supports, alternative keyboards, voice input equipment, workplace modifications and other services.

Read more about B.C. employers' experiences with starting accessibility initiatives, their successes, challenges and lessons learned at AccessibleEmployers.ca.

Why should you consider hiring people with disabilities? Read the compelling business case.

Check out B.C.'s 10-Year Accessibility Action Plan and progress updates.

For additional resources, see the Government of Canada's Hiring persons with disabilities website. You'll find facts on the benefits of inclusive hiring, tools to make your workplace inclusive, and sources of financial support.

Are you an employer with a success story to share? Email us at wbcinfo@gov.bc.ca.

Are you someone with a disability? Find relevant career resources on workbc.ca/accessibility. You can also access more information through one of B.C.’s 102 WorkBC Centres.

Hire Immigrants

Immigrants form over 20 per cent of Canada’s workforce, and are a large pool of skilled workers. Most immigrants are highly educated, speak more than one language and can link your business to customers in Canada’s ethnic communities and abroad.

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Hire Temporary Foreign Workers

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) helps employers who cannot find qualified Canadian workers. The program allows eligible foreign workers to work in Canada for a limited time. To access the program, you must show that you cannot find Canadian workers to fill job openings.

Take the time to thoroughly understand this program before you apply to hire a temporary foreign worker (TFW). Use the following information to make the best decisions for your workplace.

How to Hire a Temporary Foreign Worker

Hiring a temporary foreign worker, in most cases, involves three main steps:

  1. As the employer, you apply for a labour market impact assessment (LMIA, formerly known as a labour market opinion or LMO). You must be able to show that you have genuinely tried to find Canadian workers and have been unable to do so. Find out if you need a labour market impact assessment and how to get one.
  2. If you receive a positive LMIA, you can make a job offer to a foreign worker. The worker then applies for a work permit from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The application would include your written job offer and the LMIA. If the IRCC assessment is positive, the worker is issued a work permit.
  3. When the worker arrives in Canada, he or she is screened by the Canadian Border Services Agency to confirm the LMIA and work permit information.

There are a number of exceptions and special rules for categories such as agricultural workers, film and entertainment workers, and skilled workers. For details, please read CIC’s guidebook for employers, How to Hire a Temporary Foreign Worker.

Tips for Employers

  • Consult B.C. labour market information (LMI) before designing your recruitment strategy. LMI will help you make informed decisions on local and international recruitment. Track your recruitment and advertising methods and results to show that you have made reasonable efforts to hire Canadians.
  • Take care to comply with immigration processes and policies. You must also observe provincial employment, labour and safety requirements in your workplace.
  • If you choose to recruit workers through a third-party representative, check the experience and references of agencies you are considering. Also ensure that a recruiter is licensed in B.C., even if their business or main operations are located outside the province. Businesses or organizations that offer recruitment services do not get licensed – only individuals (including those within businesses and organizations) are licensed. Recruiters who operate without a licence could receive significant fines. If you use a recruiter who isn’t licensed in B.C., you can be fined and/or have your registration to hire temporary foreign workers cancelled. Find a licensed recruiter.
  • Consider the information from the B.C. Employment Standards Branch and the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.
  • Prepare for the arrival of your temporary foreign workers to ensure they clearly understand their working conditions, and how to live and work in B.C. You can find additional information for TFWs at WelcomeBC.ca.
  • If you want to keep your temporary foreign worker in your business, you may be able to help them pursue permanent residence under B.C.'s Provincial Nominee Program. This provides access to immigration for qualified high-skilled workers, entrepreneurs and entry-level or semi-skilled workers in select careers. Another option for permanent residence is the federal Express Entry system.

Read more about B.C.’s programs for international workers at WelcomeBC.