Diversity is one of our core values, and from a business perspective, it's one of our greatest competitive advantages. It ensures our ability to compete and serve you well by allowing us to grow our intellectual capital.

Diversity for Growth and Innovation

Our goal is to foster a work environment that brings out the best in everyone, provides opportunities for talented employees of all backgrounds, and leads to innovations for clients and communities.

RBC Permanent Workforce (Full and Part Time)

Group	1988	2005	2006	2007
Women	75%	71%	70%	69%
Aboriginal people	1.1%	1.6%	1.6%	1.6%
People with disabilities	2.9%	3.1%	3.2%	3.9%
Members of visible minorities	12%	23%	24%	26%

Increasing Representation

A look at hiring activities. In 2006, we:

• Hired 115 employees with disabilities
• Placed 8 interns through Ability Edge, a paid internship program for graduates with disabilities (we've placed 56 people through this program since 1996)
• Hired 3 Paralympians as part of the RBC Olympians program
• Launched "Pursue Your Potential," an initiative for recruiting candidates from diverse backgrounds

Employee Integration

We continue to work for the integration of employees with disabilities into the workplace. In 2006 we:

• Held seminars on recruitment, retention and accommodation with 250 managers across Canada
• Partnered with Ryerson University to discover how people with disabilities develop careers inside organizations

In 2007, we:

• Filled a newly-created role — Workplace Accommodation Advisor — to improve our approach to accommodation, learning resources and talent management

Premises and Information Access

We're also committed to providing access, both to our premises and to information, for our employees who have disabilities, including:

• Providing a barrier-free workplace
• Requiring all new and renovated buildings to be wheelchair-accessible for both clients and employees