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Four seasons. Four employment equity groups. And one company that believes that Canada’s population is just as diverse as the weather and “in that variety, we gain strength and experience.”
The company is Pelmorex Inc.
Pelmorex may not be a household name but the two specialty channels it owns and operates—The Weather Network and MétéoMédia—are. Needless to say, it’s as passionate about diversity as it is about the weather.
“Certainly we have been able to achieve over the years, representation that is reflective of the Canadian population,” says Jerry Humes, director of human resources. “And that’s very important to us.”
Humes is responsible for the company’s Diversity Committee which was created in 1999 but makes it clear that the committee is more than a human resources initiative.
 “It’s one thing to look at things from a human resources point of view but there are so many other points of view,” she says, explaining that the committee is very much employee-driven. “I think more than anything they just wanted to provide their perspective in the area (of diversity). And that’s something we truly, truly value.”
Committee members meet quarterly with the programming management team to discuss new ways of incorporating diversity in their on-air product. Those discussions have resulted in annual scholarships to students with disabilities, visible minorities, and aboriginals through the Access Centre at Ryerson University, as well as a close relationship with the CNIB who has provided training to staff and producers in the area of descriptive narrative, to eliminate vague terms such as “over here” or “over there” by on-air presenters referring to weather maps.
The committee has also contributed to Pelmorex’s ongoing diversity measures. One of those initiatives was the use of extra office space as multi-faith prayer rooms. In fact, when Pelmorex built its new headquarters in Oakville a couple of years back, two rooms were designed just for that purpose.
Pelmorex has been forecasting the weather since 1989 and, besides its main broadcast centres in Oakville and Montreal, has smaller regional offices in Vancouver, Calgary and Moncton, employing 350 fulltime, part time and on call staff company-wide.
Humes is particularly proud of the retention rate at Pelmorex which she attributes to “this very inclusive culture where employees feel comfortable, where employees feel very welcome.”
“I like to think that stems in part from the diversity practices we have in place here,” she adds.
Pelmorex has received well-deserved recognition for its efforts: the Vision Award for Workplace Equity from Human Resources and Social Development Canada, and an ‘A’ from the federal government in its annual employment equity report. Both of which have helped the company attract good candidates.
“We realize that extra effort needs to be made to reach out to those (designated) groups and we want to make sure we’re doing all we can, so when a position comes available, we have a wide number of candidates to consider.” Hume says. “Our practice is to always hire the best person for the job.” |
