Voluntary Self-Identification Survey for Prospective External Candidates

To achieve a workforce that reflects the diversity of our community and to better understand representation of equity priority groups in our talent pool, SickKids encourages all candidates to participate in the voluntary Self-Identification Survey.

SickKids is working toward fostering an inclusive job application experience by advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in the recruitment and selection process. The Self-Identification Survey includes questions related to persons who have historically experienced underrepresentation in the workplace, including Indigenous persons, Black and racialized persons, persons with disability, women, and persons from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Your voice matters – insights gathered from this survey will enable workplace transformation at SickKids. Candidate responses will help SickKids to understand representation of equity priority groups in the talent pool. They will also help SickKids to identify and remove barriers that may impact the employment/volunteer opportunities of historically underrepresented equity priority groups and design new data-driven measures to make hiring more equitable and inclusive for all applicants.

This survey is designed to support the priorities outlined in the SickKids Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and the BlackNorth Initiative to foster equitable career opportunities.

Responses are confidential

All individual responses will be kept confidential and will not be used as a basis for any hiring decision affecting applicants.  All reports based on the responses will be grouped together (aggregated) to understand trends and create a more inclusive recruitment and selection process. Your responses will not be visible to hiring managers.

Privacy is protected

We know providing information about how you identify is personal and may be sensitive. We acknowledge that considerations including a fear of disclosure, personal privacy, and concerns about the survey being evaluative in nature or resulting in a negative impact on opportunities may be on your mind. Privacy is of the utmost importance at SickKids and data collected in this survey will be treated with care and integrity following the guidance of Ontario’s Anti-Racism Data Standards and Ontario Human Right Commission’s “Count me in!” guide. These provide direction and best practices in the collection, analysis and application of identity-based data.

Thank you for considering us as an employer. The Self-Identification Survey is just one of many ways SickKids is advancing a more equitable, diverse and inclusive workplace.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Self-Identification Survey is a voluntary survey designed to collect identity-based information about prospective candidates (applicants) as part of SickKids’ ongoing commitment to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion. The questions are intended to help us learn more about our talent pool and the representation of groups who have been historically marginalized and underrepresented in the workforce.

This initiative is informed by the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s guide Count me in! Collecting human rights-based data. This guide identifies the value of collecting identity-based data when used for the purposes of improving equity for persons with identities that are protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code. This initiative is also informed by Ontario’s Anti-Racism Data Standards through the Anti-Racism Directorate.

This survey supports the priorities outlined in the SickKids Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy: to “achieve a workforce that reflects the diversity of our community”.

Our goal is to use the aggregated information to understand the representation of our current talent pool and recognize and address potential barriers to equitable recruitment.

During the application process in the Careers portal (known as PeopleSoft), applicants will be prompted to complete the Self-Identification Survey. If you would prefer not to provide a response or do not feel comfortable answering a particular question, you may select “Prefer not to answer” for any or all of the questions.

To learn more, ask questions or provide any feedback about the Self-Identification Survey, please contact ask.hr@sickkids.ca.

Self-identification is the voluntary disclosure of a person's identity, which can be understood as a state of being, becoming and/or actively under construction. The survey asks individuals to select if they self-identify as a member of one or more of the equity priority groups, which can include the sharing of personal details considered protected grounds under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

The questions included ask applicants to indicate gender identity, if they identify as Indigenous, racial and ethnic background, sexual orientation, if they identify as a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and/or if they identify as a person with a non-apparent or apparent disability.

The Self-Identification Survey recognizes the intersectional nature of identities as both unique and complex to the lived experience of candidates. This survey enables candidates to use self-determination to provide responses where they feel comfortable doing so.

The Self-Identification Survey was developed collaboratively by the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office, Human Resources and Enterprise Data Analytics Office at SickKids.

Care was taken to ensure survey wording balances inclusion, reportability and respect for privacy, and the design of the survey is based on research of current approaches to self-identification as well as feedback from invested parties at SickKids.

The selection of equity priority groups and questions related to those groups was informed by the Government of Canada’s Employment Equity Act and the Ontario Equity, Inclusion, Diversity and Anti-Racism Framework. In addition, recognizing that other groups experience marginalization, this survey also includes a question focused on the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

The survey was informed by the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s guide Count me in! Collecting human rights-based data. This guide identifies the value of collecting identity-based data when used for the purpose of improving equality for persons with identities that are protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code. This initiaitive is also informed by Ontario’s Anti-Racism Data Standards through the Anti-Racism Directorate.

Our equity, diversity and inclusion efforts are always evolving. We commit to improving the survey over time, based on feedback and best practices related to self-identification.

No, this is a voluntary survey. All job applicants are asked to complete the Self-Identification Survey as part of the application process; however, if you would prefer not to provide a response, you may select “Prefer not to answer" for any or all of the questions.

No, your individual responses will be kept confidential and will not be used as a basis for any hiring decision affecting you. Your responses will not be visible to hiring managers. All reports based on this information will be grouped together (aggregated) so no individual can be identified.

Language on diversity and identity is always evolving. We recognize that terms used to describe identity and response options offered in the survey may not feel reflective for all individuals and how you identify. A definition document is available in the survey to provide clarity on response options.

Please select the responses that best reflect you, or select "Prefer not to answer" for any or all questions.

Yes, we ask all applicants complete the survey and provide responses for as many questions as you feel comfortable. Your participation is essential to understanding the representation of the full talent pool.

No, the survey is an initiative to advance equitable and inclusive hiring for all individuals. This initiative helps us ensure all individuals have equal access to opportunities and accommodations in the recruitment and hiring process.

While we acknowledge that the survey may evoke feelings of discomfort or uncertainty, SickKids will use the information from the survey to understand and address conditions that may have led to disadvantages in employment for historically marginalized and equity priority groups. This initiative supports our organizational commitment to advance equity, diversity and inclusion.

No, you don’t have to self-identify every time you apply; however, as an applicant, you have access to review and update your information in My Account Information page in the Careers portal (known as PeopleSoft) at any time. We encourage applicants to review the information each time they apply for a role and update the information as needed.

To learn more, ask questions or provide any feedback about the Self-Identification Survey, please contact ask.hr@sickkids.ca.