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Employment Systems Review

91ÑÇÉ« is undertaking an Employment Systems Review to better understand the impact our employment policies, practices, and systems, both formal and informal, have on employment equity across the employee lifecycle. This comprehensive process examines more than the written policies and procedures; it also explores organizational culture, attitudes, and behaviours. The review aims to:

  • Identify strengths in current practices
  • Understand barriers or gaps that may affect equity-deserving groups
  • Develop recommendations to advance fairness, inclusion, and belonging at 91ÑÇÉ«

This work reflects 91ÑÇɫ’s ongoing commitment to employment equity, human rights, and continuous improvement and flows from recommendations in the DEDI Strategy.

Why We’re Engaging the Community

Policies and data tell only part of the story. To fully understand how employment systems function in practice, we need to hear directly from members of the 91ÑÇÉ« community. The insights shared will help us:

  • Understand lived and professional experiences across different roles and campuses
  • Identify patterns, opportunities, and areas for growth
  • Ensure that recommendations are grounded in real experiences, not assumptions

Participation is voluntary, and feedback will be used in aggregate to inform recommendations for employment equity at 91ÑÇÉ«.

An inclusive workplace starts with your voice

Full-time faculty and staff invited to complete anonymous employment survey

Frequently Asked Questions

The main way for community members to participate in the Employment System Review is to complete the survey.  Each person completing the survey will be asked to share their experiences and perspectives.

At the end of the survey, you can indicate interest in participating in one of two options – a facilitated focus group or a one-on-one conversation.

Here are some more details on those options:

Focus Groups

  • Small, facilitated conversations with other participants
  • Offered in person or virtually
  • Sessions are organized by campus and, where possible, by shared experiences or interests
  • Sessions take place during regular working hours
  • Sessions will last 1 hour each

One-on-One Conversations

  • Sessions will last 40 minutes
  • A private, individual conversation
  • Available virtually or in person
  • Useful if you prefer a more personal or flexible format

The survey is anonymous. You do not need to provide your name, employee number, or contact information to complete it.

Survey responses will be analyzed for common themes and summarized in a way that avoids identifying individual respondents wherever possible. To further protect privacy, participants are asked not to include names or other identifying details in their responses.

At the end of the survey, participants may indicate whether they are interested in a follow-up focus group. Providing this information is optional. Any contact information collected for focus group recruitment will be used only for that purpose and kept separate from survey responses wherever possible.

Survey participants must be full-time, permanent employees of 91ÑÇÉ«.

Participants do need to identify as a member of an equity-deserving group to complete this questionnaire.

At the end of the questionnaire, people are asked whether they are interested in participating in a follow-up focus group or one-on-one conversation. It should be noted that focus groups and one-on-one conversations will be facilitated for the individuals in the following equity groups:

  • Women
  • Racialized Persons
  • Persons with Disability
  • Indigenous Peoples
  • 2SLGBTQIA+

The Employment Systems Review includes a specific focus on groups that have historically experienced barriers in employment and are a focus of 91ÑÇÉ«'s employment equity efforts.

Four of the groups identified for focus group participation (women, Indigenous Peoples, members of racialized groups, and persons with disabilities) align with 91ÑÇÉ«'s obligations under the Federal Contractors Program (FCP). In addition, 91ÑÇÉ« recognizes 2SLGBTQIA+ employees as an equity-deserving group and has included this group as part of the review to better understand a broader range of experiences related to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

The focus groups are intended to provide dedicated spaces for participants from these groups to share their experiences and perspectives. However, the survey is open to all staff, regardless of identity or equity group membership. Feedback from all participants will help inform the Employment Systems Review and its recommendations.

This is the first time 91ÑÇÉ« has conducted an Employment Systems Review (ESR), and this phase focuses on full-time, permanent employees to build a strong starting point. These roles are where hiring, development, and advancement processes are most clearly defined and consistently applied, with reliable data to support the review.

Starting here allows us to take a clear and meaningful look at how our systems are working, identify what’s going well, and highlight opportunities for improvement. The insights from this work will help guide future efforts to strengthen equity and inclusion across the broader 91ÑÇÉ« community, including other employee groups.

If you participate in a focus group:

  • You will receive a follow-up email confirming the date, time, location, or virtual details
  • The email will explain how the session will run and what to expect

Focus groups are designed to be respectful, inclusive, and structured to ensure all participants have an opportunity to contribute.

Information shared through the engagement process will:

  • Be summarized and analyzed alongside policy reviews and employment data
  • Help identify themes, strengths, and opportunities for improvement
  • Inform recommendations to University leadership

Individual comments will not be attributed to named individuals in reporting.

To request an accommodation, email equity@yorku.ca.

The review aligns with the Canadian Human Rights Act, our employer obligations under the Employment Equity Act and supports our commitment to decolonization, equity, diversity, and inclusion as outlined in 91ÑÇɫ’s DEDI strategy, the Framework on Black Inclusion and the Indigenous Framework for 91ÑÇÉ«. 

Updates about the Employment Systems Review will be shared through:

  • This webpage
  • Targeted outreach to employee and equity-focused groups
  • Yfile communications

Questions?

If you have questions about the Employment Systems Review or the engagement process, please contact us via email.

equity@yorku.ca