Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - Heritage Office Furnishings Ltd.

The diversity, equity and inclusion journey is one that Heritage began long ago. They are values we promote, communicate, and live daily, giving us access to a range of talent and skills which makes us unique, innovative, and effective. As we continue on this journey of creating the best work experience possible for our team members, we endeavour to learn more and do more to establish a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment for all.

Our Values: Our Team Is Everything

We are Hardworking

believe hard work leads to success
are accountable to one another
know hard work instills personal satisfaction

We Celebrate Diversity & Inclusion

lead and model diversity throughout our organization
empower cross-functional teams
respect and honour cultural differences

We Succeed Together

collectively celebrate wins and milestones
provide opportunity for growth and development
support our local community

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Recruitment

We believe in hiring the right person for the job and have tailored our hiring practice to eliminate unintentional discrimination due to language and cultural barriers. Our recruitment efforts are led by the human resources team where members are trained in unconscious bias so that candidates are selected fairly based on skills and merit. All interviews conducted by hiring managers include a member of human resources to ensure a consistent and fair approach is used to avoid unconscious bias. When advertising, a multitude of online platforms are used for job postings to reach a wide range of candidates including sites geared towards recent immigrations. Where possible, we incorporate practical components into our interviews which allow candidates the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and knowledge rather than rely on their ability to articulate complex answers. This more accurately reveals how they would perform on the job and removes bias.

Communication

Without an inclusive workplace, we would have no means to harness the benefits of our diversity. We have spent the last year carefully developing cross-functional teams to resolve issues, improve working relationships and drive engagement, all through collaboration. Team members have a chance to give valuable insight to processes which they are intimately familiar with but would not otherwise have the ability to impact. It is an empowering experience as they become the voice for their whole department! Fluidity along with transparency between teams has been a crucial element in building our culture.

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Celebrations & Culture

Our social committee meets monthly to discuss company programs, engagement, and social events which are all hugely important for building culture. Inclusivity is key to having the intended impact which is why we always consider the opportunities for employee participation and fairness in these initiatives.

Flexibility is a given for employees observing religious holidays which do not align with traditional statutory holidays and workdays. Managers are understanding and are encouraged to find ways to
accommodate employees so they can participate in religious celebrations.

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Inclusive Design & Inclusive Workplaces

Heritage supports inclusive design in our working showrooms. Our team members are given their choice of ergonomic chair and height adjustable desks, ensuring the right fit.

Our main manufacturing partner Steelcase prides itself in the resources that go into its research and explores available research around the world while implementing it into product design and workplace design suggestions. All of Steelcase’s products have been thoroughly researched and tested to suit the needs of various demographics and applications. The following example offers an example of the lens Steelcase looks through when considering furniture applications – they dive into research such as this further with dealerships like Heritage so that we are able to offer these insights to our clients and effectively tailor suggestions to them.

https://www.steelcase.com/research/articles/topics/trends-360/going-beyond-average-inclusive-design/

Majority of our proposed furniture is BIFMA approved and often exceeds ANSI/BIFMA standards by being BIFMA level accredited. This applies to accessible and inclusive design because – beyond quality standards – it takes ergonomics for a wide variety of users into account. Specific certifications may be available upon request.

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Indigenous Corporate Training

Our team is proud to have completed the Indigenous Awareness course with Indigenous Corporate Training Inc. Heritage Office remains committed to better understanding Indigenous history in Canada, working with our Indigenous colleagues and partners, and advocating for truth and reconciliation. We recognize that this is only a small step towards this goal, and we look forward to continuing this journey as a company, acknowledging that we work on the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.⁠

Learn more about Indigenous Corporate Training