National Defence should reflect the diversity of the country it defends. A cornerstone of meeting this objective is the recruitment, promotion and retention of under-represented populations within the Defence Team, including Black, and other racialized employees.
If the number of people who belong to a racialized group who are employed by the Defence Team remains static or is lower than the target, it would inform decision makers to undertake proactive programmes to improve recruitment, promotion and retention of people who belong to a racialized group in the Defence Team. Failure to achieve representation of racialized people could impact our ability to operate in an increasingly complex world. Further, the Defence Team must meet its legal obligations under the Employment Equity Act.
Indirectly, the indicator measures the attainability of employment for candidates from diverse groups, the inclusivity of the workplace, and the proactive practices that the department commits to in an effort to identify, remove and prevent barriers to a fulfilling employment experience.