The organization has therefore adopted a plan to recruit and include within the team more people who reflect the real composition of our society, in particular, racialized people, immigrants, members of First Nations and Inuit, members of the LGBTQ2+ community, people with disabilities, and to allow for better representation, people who identify as male.

A three-year plan was therefore drawn up and some fundamental objectives were identified:

1. Achieving a minimum proportion of 30% of colleagues who identify with equity-seeking groups within the large Evol team;

2. Achieving a proportion of 30% of colleagues who identify with equity-seeking groups within roles with key accountabilities in terms of financing, support and governance. The objective is to allow the organization to benefit, in roles directly associated with its mission, from a broader vision that is closer to the reality of entrepreneurs;

3. Achieving a proportion of 20% of positions occupied by colleagues identifying as male in order to achieve better representation.

Sévrine Labelle, in collaboration with Chantal Roy, implemented this plan in February 2020. Since then, the representativeness for these three targets has improved significantly:

1. from 19% to 26.5%

2. from 19% to 24.6%

3. from 4% to 16.4%

DIVERSIFICATION AND PERFORMANCE

Ms. Roy, for her part, affirms that the creation of this evolving plan, “which belongs to everyone at Evol,” was also motivated by performance issues: “Several studies demonstrate that diverse teams generate higher levels of performance.”

“What makes us productive is the ability to make decisions by considering all the blind spots as quickly as possible,” adds Ms. Labelle . “A diversity of points of view and experiences increases the effectiveness of the processes. Our highly participatory management model (Evol is an Opale-type company, which encourages a strong corporate culture and employee engagement) is inspired by precisely that.”

The arrival of new colleagues in the team therefore allows for a change in proportions. “As a growing organization, we had the opportunity to look for profiles that were complementary or different from our own,” says Ms. Labelle.

Precisely, growth opportunities at Femmessor (now Evol) have encouraged the hiring of people from different backgrounds. The team, which had 29 employees in 2020, more than doubled (61 colleagues and 19 open positions) by changing its identity and obtaining an expanded mandate.

Femmessor's mission, which was to encourage entrepreneurial development among women, grew when the organization became Evol: it now offers its financing and support expertise to those who identify with all groups underrepresented in entrepreneurship, including women, racialized people, immigrants, those from LGBTQ2+ communities, First Nations, Inuit and people with disabilities. The definition of diversity for Evol's people is aligned with the characteristics of its clientele.

The actions

One thing is certain, diversifying a team is not done overnight, especially at the beginning of the process. “Getting started was a challenge,” recalls Evol’s President and CEO . “But it’s getting easier over time. New employees from diverse backgrounds help the organization continue this transition.”

“The trap is to recruit only from our known and local networks. However, within these networks, there are generally people who are like us! So we had to change our habits and open up to new networks. We then got in touch with people like Vickie Joseph (entrepreneur and co-founder of Groupe 3737) and Dorothy Rhau (diversity consultant, CEO of the organization Audace au féminin and founder of the Salon international de la femme noire) who agreed to help us . ”

According to Sévrine Labelle, good communication about the HR diversification plan is essential within the organization. It is also crucial to reassure the members of the existing team, while mobilizing them in the process so that they are part of the "shift" at Evol. "The reception of this plan is very positive. Since the organization has a lot of women, there is a particular sensitivity to the reality that people in a situation of underrepresentation can experience. Indeed, during their careers, some have had to adapt to a man's world or even face bias and discrimination."

Inclusion

In all this, inclusion is also a significant challenge. “How can we bring to life and value the richness of this diversity within the team,” asks Sévrine Labelle. “With Chantal’s help, I’m thinking about it. Events, discussions, thematic activities, celebrations? We haven’t made a decision yet. Currently, we are very busy recruiting professionals. But we want to make sure that the environment is extremely caring.”

The management model at Evol already promotes the inclusion of colleagues, according to Chantal Roy. It is put forward in many situations. Regardless of their role in the team, people participate in projects that concern them and in major decisions. The workplace at Evol is inclusive in every sense of the word.

According to Sévrine Labelle and Chantal Roy, such a diversification approach is only possible with a firm desire to transform one's organization. They emphasize that it is important to share one's vision and to specify in detail one's objectives, which will eventually be measurable. They also suggest, if necessary, partnering with qualified professionals. For example, Evol called on an external firm. Ms. Roy mentions that this firm conducted a diagnosis of the organization's recruitment practices. "Among other things, it studied how and where we post our positions to be filled. It also analyzed our interview guides and interviewed team members. Its recommendations helped us transform and improve our practices."