Canada's Best Employers For Diversity Were Ranked & 12 Quebec Companies Made The List

Forbes released its 2023 ranking of Canada's best employers for diversity and a number of Quebec-based companies managed to make the list, with Hydro-Québec earning the province's top spot.

Forbes ranked organizations that do better in providing a diverse, equitable and inclusive workspace. In order to compile the list, Forbes collaborated with Statista, an online platform specialized in data gathering and visualization, which surveyed approximately 12,000 Canadian workers at companies with at least 500 employees. Participants anonymously rated their companies based on criteria such as age, gender, ethnicity, disability and LGBTQ+ equality, as well as diversity overall.

Forbes also analyzed the company's diversity-related practices, which include the presence of employee resource groups; efforts to recruit minorities; the publication of diversity data; providing an accessible environment to people with disabilities; and the percentage of women in board and executive positions.

A total of 12 Quebec companies managed to secure a spot on the list, with Hydro-Québec ranking the highest. The utility corporation, which currently has 21,168 employees landed in 15th overall.

Transat A.T. whose headquarters are located in Montreal, and employs roughly 5,000 Canadians landed 29th overall. Ardene (38), Desjardins (45), and Groupe Dynamite (45) also appeared on the ranking, securing spots in the top 50.

Concordia University followed suit, landing in the 54th spot. McGill University also snagged a spot on the list. However, the Montreal institution fell far back in the ranking, landing 145th overall.

A handful of banks headquartered in la belle province also made the cut. The National Bank of Canada, which employs over 25,000 Canadians snagged the 66th spot. iA Financial Group was ranked 96th while BMO ranked 142nd (while the organization's head office remains in Montreal, BMO's operational headquarters and executive offices are located in Toronto).

The Canadian National Railway also made the cut, ranking 123rd. CGI Inc. is the final Quebec company to have made the 2023 ranking. The information technology consulting company employs a whopping 90,250 Canadians.

Wondering which other Canadian companies managed to make the list? Here's the complete top 10 of Canada's Best Employers for Diversity:

1. Toronto Metropolitan University
2. Lululemon Athletica
3. McMaster University
4. Memorial University of Newfoundland
5. The Keg Steakhouse + Bar
6. Microsoft
7. LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics
8. Cisco Systems
9. FedEx Canada
10. IKEA