"What gets measured, gets acted on."
For Jacqueline Silvera, the Director of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Anti-Racism (IDEAA) at UHN, this statement sums up the impetus behind an initiative to ensure UHN is a place where access and opportunity are available to everyone.
This week, UHN is formally launching
its first Self-Identification and Inclusion Survey (Please use your Employee ID found on your pay stub) from IDEAA to better understand TeamUHN and the barriers for equity-seeking people within the organization.
UHN has partnered with external consultants Employment Matters and WorkTango to prepare an anonymous, 15-minute survey open to every TeamUHN member to help understand the composition and experiences of those in the organization.
The goal is to collect data that will guide vital work on advancing anti-racism policies, inclusion for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and TeamUHN members from different generations, accessibility, and other areas of the work at UHN. In fact, the data will inform priority-setting and planning to advance inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility across UHN.
It's a landmark moment for UHN, Jacqueline says, because "to move forward we have to understand where we are and have been." The survey has been a long time coming and will have a far-reaching impact on UHN.
Conversations around collecting such feedback date back many years. Earlier plans to release the survey were paused due to the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic, which itself disproportionately impacted racialized and equity-seeking communities.
Zainab Jafri, Manager of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility, told
UHN News that COVID highlighted the disparities that some healthcare workers face.
"I think this will set us up for success in the future by... understanding where people are at, what they're going through, and what they need from us," Zainab says.
"This goes beyond counting heads and seeing who is at the table," she says. "It also sees who is missing, who we have yet to bring to the table, and, of the people we did bring to the table, how they are faring."
The survey will move the needle from diversity to a level of equity and inclusion that must be earned by institutions, Zainab says.
The survey is not symbolic or "a checkbox exercise," Jacqueline says, but a serious move forward for UHN to identify and address systemic equity gaps in policies, practices, and programs.
"If we do not systematically address the contributions, development and opportunity of individuals, we are leaving people unhealthy," Jacqueline says.
"The survey is a crucial step to understand what matters most to TeamUHN and the system approach ensures accountability for the integration of equity, fairness and justice that is not only measurable but is the norm."
Despite earlier delays, Jacqueline says the timing for the survey is "good" because of the heightened experiences over the past three years around societal responsibility, access, racial justice and equity.
UHN's Anti-Racism and Anti-Black Racism Policy, which commits to addressing the impact of systemic racism and discrimination that result in unequal access for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC), was released
in February 2021.
She expects the survey will provide a clearer picture of hiring, retention and advancement that will provide deeper insights into the health human resources crisis and beyond.
The survey has been designed to ensure the protection of identities and anonymity of comments to encourage the frankest, most honest feedback possible.
Dr. Kevin Smith, President and CEO of UHN, is encouraging all TeamUHN members to take 15 minutes to participate, noting it is a strategic priority to empower and invest in a diverse TeamUHN.
"It is critically important to myself and every member of my leadership team that we not only learn more about TeamUHN but ask how this organization can do more to ensure each staff member feels safe, valued, and supported as we collectively work to build A Healthier World," he says.
If you are having trouble accessing the
survey, use your Employee ID found on your pay stub in the
Employee Self Service Portal. The number is above your name and formatted CORP XXXXXXX X. The survey will also be sent to all TeamUHN members by email. Questions can be directed to
your.voice.matters@uhn.ca. The survey will close on Oct. 26.
NOTE: With many TeamUHN members accessing the survey at once, some may experience brief technical delays. Please return to the survey if you are having any issues participating due to the traffic volume.
Watch how the IDEAA survey will help better understand TeamUHN and the barriers for equity-seeking people within the organization. (Video: UHN)
