Staff Demographic Census

As a leadership team, we are committed to creating a great place to work for all.

The Region of Waterloo has long prided itself on service to the community. Just as important as that service to community, is service to you – our staff. 

An important part of creating that great place to work is acknowledging that the employee experience has not been consistent for all. We know that as a result of the impacts of systemic racism and discrimination, we have a lot of work to do together to make the Region a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable organization where everyone feels a strong sense of belonging and can bring their full self to work.

This is not something that can be achieved overnight but is an intentional journey that we are committed to as an organization and as a leadership team.

One of the important steps on this journey is better understanding the diverse employees that make up the Region’s workforce. We want to thank everyone who participated in the Region’s first demographic census. We had a 52% completion rate which is really positive and provided a significant representative sample of the organization.

We recognize that this data is an information point and does not tell the whole story – but it serves as valuable insight as we work together to make our organization more representative of the population we serve. And as we support one another in creating that great place to work.

Key Findings:

The results of the Region’s first-ever demographic census provides significant insight into the workplace and the staff make-up. Key findings of the census include the following:

• When asked about language spoken, 82% of Region staff respondents indicated they speak English only; 2% speak English and French. Close to 16% indicated speaking other languages beside English and French that includes: Spanish; Hindi; Portuguese; Punjabi and Mandarin.
• The education breakdown is as follows: 35% have a bachelor degree; 31% possess a college certification; 17% have a master’s degree and 8% have a high school diploma.
• Age breakdown indicates that five generations are working together at the Region;  30% are between the ages of 35-44; 28% are between the ages of 45-54; 55 plus years old make up 19%; 25-34 years old make up are 19% and 3% are under 25
• When asked about Indigenous Identity, 91% of Region staff respondents reported not being Indigenous and First First Nations, Metis and Inuit make up 2%.
• When asked about Ethnic/Racial Background, Region staff respondents reported to be 68% White, and 6% members of South Asian and mixed heritage. Those identifying as being Black make up 3%, and East Asian and South American make up 2%.
• When asked about disability, 84% indicated they do not have a disability and 8% indicated they had a disability. Close to 3% indicated having anxiety, depression and schizophrenia and 2% have multiple disabilities.
• When asked about religious or spiritual affiliation, 43% identified as Christian, 38% indicated that they did not have a religious affiliation; 3% identify as Muslims, 2% indicated that they are Hindu, and 1% advised that they were either Sikh, Buddhist or Traditional /Indigenous spirituality.
• Gender identity, 64% of the respondents are women and 32% are men. Sexuality identity included 2% of respondents identifying as Bisexual; and 1% indicated they were either Queer, Gay or Lesbian.

Staff Recommendations:

When asked what three suggestions do you have for the improvement of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging programs and practices at the Region, staff respondents identified the need to ensure that equality/equity exists for everyone to ensure there is a sense of belonging and inclusion. Other suggestions included diversity and equity learning/training for all staff; regular communication on our progress, creating a respectful work place, on-going staff appreciation, working with community partners, more diversity representation in management, and addressing racism at the region.

So, what now?

Initiatives are already underway that reflect what we have heard from staff, they include:

• Employee recruitment now includes diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) focused questions in the interview and reference check process; leader specific interviews include specific questions to assess both experience and commitment to creating a work environment where staff can be their true selves.
• DEIB training is being offered to all employees covering topics ranging from diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging literacy, to identifying and addressing unconscious bias and allyship.
• A review of employee policies and programs with an equity and inclusivity lens has started.
• Implementation of the Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan has begun – with Reconciliation and EDI at its core: Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan
• Truth and Reconciliation and DEIB are central to the approach being taken to develop our next strategic plan – including reviewing our vision, mission, and values.

We also want to unpack the data a bit more to better understand the employee experience and hear from you on other actions and ways we can support one another on this journey. Stay tuned and follow along for updates. We know we have a long way to go and are committed to doing this work together.

Thank you again for participating and for all of your work in service to our residents and each other.

View the staff census infographic

Corporate Leadership Team

Bruce Lauckner
Chief Administrative Officer

Kim Bellissimo
Commissioner, Human Resources and Citizen Services

Craig Dyer
Commissioner, Corporate Services

Mathieu Goetzke
Commissioner, Transportation Services

Connie MacDonald
Chief Communications & Strategy Officer

Rod Regier
Commissioner, Planning, Development and Legislative Services

Jennifer Rose
Commissioner, Engineering & Environmental Services

Peter Sweeney
Commissioner, Community Services 

Hsiu-Li Wang
Commissioner, Public Health & Paramedic Services/ Medical Officer of Health