Leadership at the top
RBC’s commitment to diversity starts at the most senior level. Our Diversity Leadership Council, chaired by our President and CEO, sets the diversity strategy. This council, established in 2001, includes executive champions from all businesses in North America who are directly engaged in leading implementation and communication efforts, identifying emerging issues, and measuring and reporting on results.

Employees at all levels take responsibility for our commitment to diversity. In 2004, a number of advisory boards were created across RBC’s businesses, including Visible Minority Advisory Boards in Canada, and at RBC Dain Rauscher in the United States. RBC Centura also established a Diversity Leadership Council and Employee Diversity Action Committee.

Employee awareness
“Diversity for growth and innovation” is one of RBC’s values and we recognize that sometimes words are easier to say than to live by. That’s why we have implemented training tools, learning activities and resources for our employees. In 2004, almost 1,600 employees participated in a new diversity training program designed to help them create inclusive and innovative work environments.

RBC’s Destination Diversity – a comprehensive intranet site – is regularly updated to facilitate ongoing learning, with nearly 150,000 hits to the site per year.

As firm believers in sharing what we’ve learned, RBC makes a number of our diversity resources, including our award-winning What We Can Do booklet on gender behaviour, available to individuals, community organizations, academics and representatives from other industries.

For more information, visit rbc.com/careers

External leadership
As a leading corporate citizen, RBC believes we have a role to play in diversity research and programs that benefit all business sectors, not just our own.

For example, in 2004, RBC participated in a research study by the Conference Board of Canada on maximizing the talents of visible minorities in Canada. Representatives from the private and public sectors, and non-government and labour organizations took part, and the study resulted in a comprehensive how-to guide to help employers better leverage the expertise of visible minorities.

In 2004, RBC also helped create Diversity In Action, a Junior Achievement program that teaches youth how diversity can improve creativity and teamwork. Employees helped test the program with more than 40 classes of grade 7–9 students in the Toronto area, and a national implementation is planned for 2005.

Recruitment
At RBC, we have dedicated specialists in our Recruitment Centre who are focused on diversity recruitment, and we also partner with firms specializing in diverse markets to help us find qualified candidates.

We participate in career fairs and partner with community associations, such as Bridge to Employment, which offers a wide range of services to assist people with disabilities to obtain competitive employment. In the U.S., RBC continues to partner with the National Black MBA Association and the National Society of Hispanic MBAs. In Canada, RBC’s involvement continues to grow with Career Bridge, a work transition program for internationally trained professionals.

RBC Dain Rauscher’s Minority Employee Association (MEA) promotes an environment that embraces minority employees and their communities. The association, which includes Cliff Mahto, Jill Haynes, Kimberley Washington and Jose Miranda, arranges networking and support programs and ensures RBC is represented at community events.

Employment equity performance
RBC is committed to having a diverse workforce. We firmly believe that what gets measured gets done, so our businesses develop annual employment equity plans.

In Canada, we provide an annual employment equity report to the federal government disclosing our representation data for RBC’s federally regulated businesses, as well as reporting on activities relative to hiring, development, promotions and terminations of designated groups.

In the U.S., our businesses are regulated by, and comply with, affirmative action and Equal Employment Opportunity legislation.

We encourage all RBC employees and prospective applicants to complete a diversity survey so that there are accurate records of representation. Employees have the opportunity to update their information electronically, with 99 per cent of employees in Canada having done so in 2004.

For RBC’s Annual Employment Equity Report, visit rbc.com/careers

Diversity in business
We believe that unlocking the power of diversity enables RBC to be more competitive and our communities to be more dynamic: this belief guides us in developing our business strategies, products and services.

Having a diverse workforce is the first step to ensuring we can best serve an increasingly multi-ethnic client base. Wherever possible, our employees reflect the makeup of the communities they serve. For example, in Canada, we have 158 branches staffed with employees who speak a number of Chinese dialects. In other key markets, we have managers dedicated to serving the growing South Asian and Middle Eastern populations. In Atlanta, Georgia, where the Latino population continues to increase, RBC Centura has appointed a manager devoted to this market.

We also acknowledge changing demographics when we develop programs. For example, the Korean population is one of the fastest growing in Canada. In 2004, RBC partnered with the Ontario government, creating a resource guide to help prospective Korean immigrants establish their businesses in Ontario.

It’s also critical for us to recognize the financial realities facing diverse client groups, so we can provide superior advice tailored to their needs. After changes to Canadian legislation regarding same-sex unions in 2004, RBC Investments developed a financial planning initiative for gay and lesbian couples, focusing on tax and estate planning issues.

Diversity in communities
RBC supports programs all around the world that celebrate the cultural fabric of our communities. Some highlights from 2004 include:

• a donation of $1 million towards the creation of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, to be built in Winnipeg. The Museum will advance Canada’s commitment to freedom, democracy and diversity, and will include a national program to bring 100,000 high school students to the museum annually;
• a donation of $40,000 to help Girl Guides of Canada make its website available in Arabic, Cantonese, Inuktitut, Mandarin and Punjabi;
• employee involvement in cultural events all around the world. For example, almost 200 RBC employees and their families in Vancouver took part in Walk with the Dragon, helping raise $4,500 for an organization that provides settlement services to new immigrants. The RBC Foundation donated $10,000 to the cause as well.

For more on Diversity at RBC, see Aboriginal Peoples and People with disabilities.