Majority of Canadians Oppose Diversity-Based Hiring Practices: Survey

As major corporations scale back their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring policies, a newly released survey says most Canadians also oppose such practices.
At least half of respondents across all age groups oppose considering cultural backgrounds when hiring. Among the age groups, those aged 45 to 52 lead at 62 percent, followed by respondents aged 35 to 44 at 60 percent. Fifty-eight percent of respondents in the 55 to 64 and over 65 age groups also disagreed with the practice.
The majority of respondents in the younger age groups also oppose DEI, coming in at 51 percent and 50 percent respectively for the 25 to 34 age group and the 18 to 24 demographic.
Breaking down the results by province, the survey found that Quebecers are the most likely to oppose considering cultural background in hiring, with 63 percent sharing this view. They are followed by 58 percent of Albertans and 57 percent of respondents in British Columbia.
Researchers note that Canadians (57 percent) show more opposition to DEI when hiring than Americans, with 46 percent of U.S. respondents opposing the practice. The survey, conducted between Nov. 22 and 24, included 1,009 American participants.
“We will continue to build a high-performance culture focused on ‘what’ we deliver with aligned objectives, high standards and accountability and, as importantly, ‘how’ we deliver it through excellence, focus, and collaboration,” he wrote.
The Leger survey found that 50 percent of Canadian participants who identify as immigrants disagree with the statement that employers should consider their cultural background when hiring. Similarly, among Canadian and U.S. participants who identify as racial minorities, more Canadians (49 percent) believe it is not important for employers to consider cultural background, compared to 36 percent of U.S. respondents.