The call for nominations for the IS Awards is now closed. Winners will be announced on April 3rd, 2013. Stay tuned for the next call for nominations in Fall 2013. The TRIEC IS Awards consist of four distinct awards with their own criteria. Select the link below to learn more about each award.
- CBC Toronto Immigrant Advantage Award
- RBC Immigrant Advantage Award for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)
- Toronto Star Award for Excellence in Workplace Integration
- Canadian HR Reporter Individual Achievement Award
CBC Toronto Immigrant Advantage Award
This award will recognize an organization that demonstrates the business impact of leveraging the skills of immigrants, yielding tangible results for both business and skilled immigrants.
Criteria:
- Ability to show a direct link between business success and skilled immigrant employees
- Skilled immigrant employees should be satisfied with their level of employment
Examples of potential winners include, but are not limited to:
- Organization that has leveraged skilled immigrants’ connections to local and/or international markets to expand their business
- Organization that has leveraged skilled immigrants’ knowledge to create a more innovative products/services or new lines of business
Example of a previous winner of a similar award: Huawei Technologies Canada
Huawei is the global telecommunications company headquartered in Shenzhen, China, attributes 100% of its success in Canada to its mostly immigrant employee base. In establishing itself in Canada, Huawei embraced a strategy of hiring skilled immigrants who often had the advantage of experience with Huawei technology in other countries. Read more about Huawei Canada.
RBC Immigrant Advantage Award for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)
This award will recognize a small or medium-sized organization that demonstrates the business impact of leveraging the skills of immigrants, yielding tangible results for both business and skilled immigrants.
Criteria:
- Ability to show a direct link between business success and skilled immigrant employees
- Skilled immigrant employees should be satisfied with their level of employment
- Small or medium-sized organization*
Examples of potential winners include, but are not limited to:
- Organization that has leveraged skilled immigrants’ connections to local and/or international markets to expand their business
- Organization that has leveraged skilled immigrants’ knowledge to create a more innovative products/services or new lines of business
* Organizations are requested to self-identify as small or medium sized. The selection committee retains the right to reassign nominations to different award categories as they deem appropriate.
Example of a SME that was recognized in the previous year: Samtack
At Samtack, thinking globally isn’t just a program, policy or initiative – it’s the way they do business every day. With more than 90 per cent of its workforce internationally trained, the company’s diversity is a distinct competitive advantage. Read more about Samtack.
Toronto Star Award for Excellence in Workplace Integration
This award will recognize ONE practice or a suite of practices related to ONE of the following: sourcing, recruiting, onboarding, integration, inclusion or promotion of skilled immigrants. The practice or suite of practices must be innovative, and fully implemented and established with positive results that are transforming the organization.
Criteria:
- The practice/s or their application is innovative and immigrant-specific
- The practice has been effectively incorporated within the organization
- More skilled immigrants are being hired/retained/promoted
- Submissions will be judged on the evidence of an organization’s internal changes
Examples of eligible practices include, but are not limited to:
- Established sourcing practice where the organization is specifically seeking out skilled immigrants with success
- Established onboarding practice where skilled immigrants are better integrated to the Canadian workplace
Example of a previous winner: Maxxam Analytics
This Mississauga testing laboratory systematically recruits skilled immigrants through their co-op program. Co-op placements gain elusive Canadian workplace experience and significant training while the company is ensured an ongoing pool of exceptionally well-prepared professionals to address skill shortages in their field and meet the demands of its fluctuating workloads. Maxxam has taken 400 placements since 2005 and has hired half of them full-time. Read more about Maxxam.
Canadian HR Reporter Individual Achievement Award
This award will recognize an individual who has demonstrated leadership and innovation in HR practice in integrating skilled immigrants in the workplace.
Criteria
- Submissions will be judged on the individual’s impact in the workplace as demonstrated through outcomes for skilled immigrants and the business
Additional examples include, but are not limited to:
- Someone who has changed recruitment practices and culture to include skilled immigrants
- Someone who has developed and implemented skilled immigrant success metrics into the organization’s practices
Example of a previous winner: Zuleika Sgro, Manager, Talent Management Services and HR Business Partner, Questrade
When Zuleika Sgro had to oversee a mass hiring at the rapidly expanding online brokerage Questrade, she set her sights on skilled immigrants. She quickly connected with community agencies and immersed herself in the field, building her own library and networks. One year and 100 hires later, Sgro has emerged as an expert and advocate in the field. Today, her company is seen as an employer of choice and recognized internally and externally for the value placed on diversity among its staff. Read more about Zuleika Sgro.
