Two CFA Member brands and Diversity and Inclusion “Champions” share their insight into the importance of creating a welcoming workplace within a franchised business

In September of 2022, Statistics Canada’s Centre for Demography released a set of detailed demographic projections for immigration and ethnocultural diversity in Canada and its regions. According to the projections based on ongoing trends, half of the Canadian population will be made up of immigrants and their Canadian- born children by 2041. By 2041, one in four Canadians will have been born in either Asia or Africa and about two in five Canadians will be part of a racialized group.

As the demographic landscape of Canada becomes increasingly more diverse, it is becoming more and more critical that diversity and inclusion become paramount values of all franchise systems throughout the country. Businesses must strive to accommodate and embrace individuals from all backgrounds to create a culture of openness that fosters growth and innovation.

For franchisors, it is important to recognize the value of having diverse partners and employees who bring different perspectives and experiences to the table. Not only does this help foster collaboration and creativity, but it can also give them a competitive edge in their industry as they can better understand the needs of their customers. Diversity also improves customer service by allowing for more tailored solutions that fit specific cultural or demographic needs.

Every year, the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) Recognition Awards honour individuals and member companies for their impact on the Canadian franchising community. Among these Recognition Awards, is the Diversity and Inclusion Champion award, which recognizes a company or individual for extraordinary leadership in improving and promoting diversity and inclusion within their workplace and the franchise community in Canada.

For clarity, within the concept of this award, the following definition of diversity is used:

• Diversity: Respect for and appreciation of differences in ethnicity, gender, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, education, and religion.
  
• Inclusion: The concept and practice of diversity in action by creating an environment and culture where all people feel valued, supported, and respected, without bias or preconceptions, and have equal access to opportunities without the need to conform.

Elements taken into consideration include demonstrated championship and advocacy for diversity and inclusion; identifying and eliminating discrimination and barriers to create welcome and inclusive workplaces and communities; uniqueness and/or innovation of programs and initiatives; and evidence of leadership as a role model for accelerating progress in diversity and inclusion in Canada.

Here, The Franchise Voice takes a look at two recent winners of the Diversity and Inclusion Champion award (one traditional franchise and one non-traditional franchise) to provide insight into the importance of promoting diversity and inclusion in Canadian franchising.

Making diversity and inclusion a key part of franchise governance, core values, and strategy

Driverseat is proud and humbled to be the recipient of the 2021 Diversity and Inclusion Award.  As a Canadian business with locations across Canada, we feel that it is our responsibility to value the genius found in diversity.  This is a core value at Driverseat and one that we take seriously. 

As a franchise, we appreciate that it is essential to not only promote and build programs to create better inclusivity, but to teach our franchise partners about the importance of this. When we value the genius in diversity, we don’t simply accept or promote this as a way of doing business, but see it as a strategic advantage. 

In addition, as organizations that have customers and are licensed to do business in Canada, and have the amazing support of so many including the CFA, we have a social responsibility to do our part in ensuring we are contributing to improving diversity and inclusion in every industry.

We are a long way from where we need to be. We have made this a regular part of our discussions internally and externally: we seek management team members, support staff, and franchise partners who reflect all parts of society and we publicly declare our approach to this. 

We have future goals including measuring all parts of the company on diversity in the workforce; rewarding high levels of inclusion, creating stronger onboarding and training programs for our franchise partners, and continuing to grow the number of BIPOC and other minority groups on our leadership and support office team.

Each franchise organization is also part of an industry that exists outside of franchising.  Given the business model, we have the opportunity to impact diversity and inclusion for each of our respective industries. The transportation space (Driverseat offers consumer and employee shuttle services), has often been seen as one that has less diversity than other industries.  Driverseat chooses to help impact this through leadership and by sharing what we do. As our actions will have a positive impact not only on our main office but also on our franchise locations. With Driverseat franchise locations across North America, our reach is significant.

We encourage all franchise brands to make diversity and inclusion a key part of their governance, core values, and strategic plan.  We commit to doing better and to continue to listen to all of our team members, who provide a unique perspective.

Brian Bazely is CEO of Driverseat, which provides chauffeur and shuttle services through its franchise network. Brian co-founded Driverseat in 2012 with his brother Luke and together, they franchised the business in 2013.

Bringing corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies to life in your franchised business

More organizations are setting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals and the same goes for franchised businesses. Having a policy on DEI that your employees understand and are proud of can make a difference in attracting talent to your organization. So where do you start?

Franchisors can provide suggestions, tools, and guidance, but the real impact comes from franchisees bringing DEI to life in their own businesses. McDonald’s global aspiration is that inclusion and equity are as evident and familiar as the Golden Arches themselves, wherever and whenever you interact with McDonald’s. McDonald’s franchisees put that to action every day as they create welcoming, comfortable and safe places that feed and foster communities across Canada.

Representing the diverse communities in which we operate 

Hetal Rana is a new McDonald’s franchisee who took over her first restaurant in Ottawa on February 14, 2022 with a goal of ensuring her Crew reflects the diversity of the community, across race, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, ability, and more.

She implemented an inclusive hiring plan with a focus on domestic and international students and refugees looking for work. Today she’s on track to meet her DEI goals and setting new ones to find more ways of helping the Ottawa community.

Business owners know it’s hard to improve if you’re not tracking progress. It is best to start on a hiring plan by benchmarking where your workforce is today and, continuously set new goals as you achieve them.

Dismantling barriers to economic opportunity 

If your organization is big enough to have front-line workers and a leadership team, it’s important to include the leadership team in your DEI strategy and think about your talent pipeline.

For example, McDonald’s franchisee Stephanie Jones from Truro, NS prioritizes bringing more diversity into her management team and ensures all members of her staff have the same access to growth opportunities and new roles. This encouraging approach to leadership fosters an inclusive environment where employees feel empowered and comfortable to learn and ask questions about the business to develop their skills.

Accelerating cultures of inclusion and belonging

Franchisees and local business owners have a unique opportunity to adapt corporate DEI strategies to the specific needs of their communities. A long-time supporter of local immigration and refugee organizations, Moncton McDonald’s franchisee Georges Nammour welcomes employees who are new to Canada. One out of every four employees working in his restaurants has been in Canada for less than five years. As a designated employer for the Atlantic Immigration Program, he can now offer a way for international workers to obtain their permanent residency in Canada.

The initiatives of our franchisees like Hetal, Stephanie, and Georges show the success of approaching DEI as a business imperative and help to ensure that diversity is reflected in the McDonald’s brand.”

To further our commitments, we’re removing barriers in our franchisee recruitment initiatives to increase the number of new franchisees from all backgrounds, including historically underrepresented groups, who share our belief that a diverse and inclusive workforce is critical to success.

Kerry Boarder is the National Franchising Director at McDonald’s Canada and is recruiting its next generation of franchisees.