Provide a brief background/overview on your business/organization.
Tourism HR Canada is a pan-Canadian organization with a mandate aimed at building a world-leading tourism workforce. It facilitates, coordinates, and enables human resource development activities that support a globally competitive and sustainable industry and foster the development of a dynamic and resilient workforce. The organization works with the industry to attract, train, and retain valuable tourism professionals by giving them the tools and resources they need to succeed in their careers and entrepreneurial endeavours.
What was the first step your organization took or is taking to integrate sustainability into your strategic discussions as a team and into your operational plans?
At Tourism HR Canada, there have always been values and actions related to sustainability, and this workplace culture stimulated like-minded team members to start a conversation around structuring this journey towards building a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable workforce. The organizationโs strengths are embedded in the large array of expertise and experience in the areas of sustainable development, ecotourism, and DEI. Once the committee was formalized, a task force was created to take the self-assessment and start developing an action plan, with the guidance and support of TIAC and GreenStepโs specialists.
Why was committing to improving sustainability an important decision for your business/organization?
When presented with the idea of developing this sustainability journey, the Board of Directors was 100% behind the team. Our President and CEOโs approach is clear: โTaking concrete, measurable actions to secure a vibrant future for our planet is not a choice; itโs a responsibility.โ
As mentioned earlier, the organizationโs mandate is about sharing sustainability and DEI values, and as a leading national partner, Tourism HR Canada has a responsibility towards the tourism sector, its stakeholders and founders, and of course the tourism workforce in all five industry groups. Committing to the Sustainable Tourism 2030 Pledge was a natural step towards fulfilling our mandate.
โTaking concrete, measurable actions to secure a vibrant future for our planet is not a choice; itโs a responsibility. We have a duty to protect our environment and ensure that future generations can partake in tourism, whether as a traveller, a local, or a professional. We are honoured to join the dozens of likeminded businesses and destinations across Canada determined to make a positive change and weave sustainability into their day-to-day practices.โ
โ Philip Mondor, president and CEO of Tourism HR Canada
What is the main driver or motivator for your organization to incorporate sustainability actions into your day to day operations?
There was a lot of interest from several team members in joining the committee and getting involved. The teamโs main driver and motivator was to take action to formalize internal sustainable practices before embedding these into projects and partnerships, a way to โwalk the talkโ. The Committee, called โCommon Groundโ, was empowered by the leadership team to assess the organizationโs footprint, and identify priorities from the UN SDGs that would best represent our mandate, while taking additional training to help build an integrated and inclusive action plan. Participation in awareness activities was a success from the start.
What are a few goals or priorities that you have set for yourselves as an organization in the coming year, that relate to improving sustainability across the organization?
The organization will increase its sustainability performance each year, through to 2030, using an assessment based on the Global Sustainable Tourism Council criteria, and aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Tourism HR Canada commits to measuring and improving its sustainability performance in the following ways:
Continuously adjust its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices to lower its carbon footprint and grow its social handprint
Develop and promote HR practices to build inclusive, diverse, equitable, accessible, leading (IDEAL) workplaces that support a globally competitive and sustainable industry
Provide sustainable National Occupation Standards and quality training to build a skilled, diverse, inclusive, and resilient workforce
Take the self-assessment and sustainability scorecard annually to measure its progress
Are there any initiatives or changes that were introduced or made recently that you would like to share?
Having an open and honest conversation at the internal level about our sustainability status and future journey was paramount, to make sure diverse and different points of view could be articulated and heard. Sharing a common vision, language, values, and goals was a priority for the organization. Small steps to improve our waste management were taken, with some team members managing compost and recycling items. Improving our general sustainable footprint was also an essential objective in choosing our next office location. Awareness activities and resources were developed and shared with the team (new Teams channel, DEI calendar, sustainability tips and newsletters, etc.), and new checklists were created to support sustainable practices for events and activities.
What benefits or positive impacts do hope to see as a result of becoming more focused on sustainability within the organization?
Joining the sustainability global movement and like-minded leaders in the Canadian tourism sector will help the organization grow and lead the way towards building a more competitive, inclusive, and resilient workforce. Clearly addressing these challenges now will help us in addressing the needs of our stakeholders, tourism operators, and employers in the long run, while taking into account the environment and host communities.
Research suggests that the current labour market is actively considering the sustainability practices and standards of a company or organization that they may be considering as a future employer. A recent survey by PwC suggests that โ86% of employees prefer to support or work for companies that care about the same issues they do, and that they are seeking value alignment as a key driver in their job searchโ. Would you agree with this sentiment, and have you heard similar comments from the labour market research you have conducted?
We recently conducted a compensation study including a qualitative activity resulting in a report entilited โWorkplace Culture and Compensation: Insights from Operatorsโ (June 2023). Research showed that many businesses reorganized their teams and looked for ways to innovate their business models more generally. Some developed new strategies to reach new markets, while others decided to increase their investment in sustainable tourism and accelerate their external green certification. In the Recruiting Smarter section of the report, it is proposed that Businesses that align themselves with sustainable or regenerative practices, or who are committed to social equity and community involvement, can also appeal to job seekers looking for environmentally and socially impactful work. A bout Challenges Around Younger Workers, the reports states that Businesses need to show that they align with the values and concerns of their current and future employees. Commitments to sustainable and regenerative initiatives, partnerships with community organizations combatting local inequality, support for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiativesโ these are all signals to young people that working for you, whether itโs working in a kitchen or at the front desk, is a meaningful application of their time and energies.
You recently became a signatory of the Sustainable Tourism 2030 Pledge, and have made a public commitment to improve the sustainability performance of your organization each year. Why was it important to your team to join this movement and show leadership in this area?
Taking the pledge was about commitment and solidarity. There are many things we can achieve as an organization, but we canโt do it alone. The tourism sector is often fragmented due to its size, diversity of industries, and regional realities. Participating in a global movement, showing leadership, and supporting our national and provincial/territorial partners makes all the difference.
โTourism HR Canada looks forward to the opportunity to further its sustainable practices, and will provide annual updates of its progress under the Sustainable Tourism 2030 Pledge,โ adds Mondor. โWe are particularly committed to action around six relevant SDGs: quality education; gender equality; decent work and economic growth; reduced inequalities; sustainable cities and communities; and responsible consumption and production. The resources available through the Pledge will support our work in these key areas.โ
What is one piece of advice youโd offer other business owners/managers looking to improve their own sustainability?
This is a journey, not a race, and nobody can do it alone. To achieve sustainable goals, we all need support from various partners within the sector, and from other industries. But most of all, you need a license to operate and the full support of the community (social license).
Portrait des signataires de lโengagement RH Tourisme Canada
Fournissez un bref historique ou aperรงu de votre entreprise/organisation.
RH Tourisme Canada est une organisation pancanadienne dont le mandat vise ร constituer une main-dโลuvre touristique de premier plan ร lโรฉchelle mondiale. Elle facilite, coordonne et permet des activitรฉs de dรฉveloppement des ressources humaines qui soutiennent une industrie durable et compรฉtitive ร lโรฉchelle mondiale et favorisent le dรฉveloppement dโune main-dโลuvre dynamique et rรฉsiliente. Lโorganisation collabore avec lโindustrie pour attirer, former et retenir des professionnels du tourisme de valeur en leur donnant les outils et les ressources dont ils ont besoin pour rรฉussir leur carriรจre et leurs projets dโentreprise.
Quelle a รฉtรฉ la premiรจre รฉtape entreprise par votre organisation ou en cours dโintรฉgration de la durabilitรฉ dans vos discussions stratรฉgiques en tant quโรฉquipe et dans vos plans stratรฉgiques ?
RH Tourisme Canada a toujours prรดnรฉ des valeurs et des actions liรฉes ร la durabilitรฉ, et cette culture de travail a inspirรฉ des membres de lโรฉquipe partageant les mรชmes idรฉes ร entamer une conversation sur la structuration de ce cheminement vers le dรฉveloppement dโune main-dโลuvre plus rรฉsiliente, plus inclusive et plus durable. Les forces de lโorganisation reposent sur un large รฉventail dโexpertises et dโexpรฉriences dans les domaines du dรฉveloppement durable, de lโรฉcotourisme et de la DEI. Une fois le comitรฉ officialisรฉ, un groupe de travail a รฉtรฉ crรฉรฉ pour procรฉder ร lโauto-รฉvaluation et commencer ร รฉlaborer un plan dโaction, avec les conseils et le soutien de lโAITC et des spรฉcialistes de GreenStep.
Pourquoi la dรฉcision de sโengager dans lโamรฉlioration de la durabilitรฉ รฉtait-elle importante pour votre entreprise/organisation ?
Lorsquโon lui a prรฉsentรฉ lโidรฉe dโรฉlaborer ce projet de dรฉveloppement durable, le conseil dโadministration a soutenu lโรฉquipe ร 100 %. Lโapproche de notre prรฉsident-directeur gรฉnรฉral est claire : ยซ Prendre des mesures concrรจtes et mesurables pour assurer un avenir dynamique ร notre planรจte nโest pas un choix, cโest une responsabilitรฉ. ยป
Comme nous lโavons mentionnรฉ prรฉcรฉdemment, le mandat de lโorganisation porte sur le partage des valeurs de durabilitรฉ et de DEI, et en tant que partenaire national de premier plan, RH Tourisme Canada a une responsabilitรฉ envers le secteur du tourisme, ses intervenants et ses fondateurs, et bien sรปr la main-dโลuvre touristique des cinq sous-secteurs de lโindustrie. Sโengager ร respecter la promesse de Tourisme durable 2030 รฉtait une รฉtape naturelle dans lโaccomplissement de notre mandat.
ยซ Prendre des mesures concrรจtes et mesurables pour assurer un avenir dynamique ร notre planรจte nโest pas un choix ; cโest une responsabilitรฉ ยป, dรฉclare Philip Mondor, prรฉsident et chef de la direction de RH Tourisme Canada. ยซ Nous avons le devoir de protรฉger notre environnement et de garantir que les gรฉnรฉrations futures puissent sโimpliquer dans le tourisme, que ce soit en tant que voyageur, citoyen ou professionnel. Nous sommes honorรฉs de nous joindre aux nombreuses entreprises et destinations partageant les mรชmes idรฉes ร travers le Canada, dรฉterminรฉes ร apporter un changement positif et ร intรฉgrer la durabilitรฉ dans leurs pratiques quotidiennes. ยป
Quel est le principal moteur ou motivateur pour votre organisation dโincorporer des actions durables dans ses opรฉrations quotidiennes ?
Plusieurs membres de lโรฉquipe ont manifestรฉ un grand intรฉrรชt pour rejoindre le comitรฉ et sโy impliquer. Le principal moteur et facteur de motivation de lโรฉquipe รฉtait de prendre des mesures pour formaliser les pratiques durables internes avant de les intรฉgrer dans des projets et des partenariats, une faรงon de โjoindre le geste ร la paroleโ. Le comitรฉ, appelรฉ โCommon Groundโ, a รฉtรฉ habilitรฉ par lโรฉquipe de direction ร รฉvaluer lโempreinte de lโorganisation et ร identifier les prioritรฉs des ODD des Nations unies qui reprรฉsenteraient le mieux notre mandat, tout en suivant une formation supplรฉmentaire pour aider ร รฉlaborer un plan dโaction intรฉgrรฉ et inclusif. La participation aux activitรฉs de sensibilisation a รฉtรฉ un succรจs dรจs le dรฉpart.
Quels sont quelques objectifs ou prioritรฉs que vous avez fixรฉs en tant quโorganisation, liรฉs ร lโamรฉlioration de la durabilitรฉ ร travers lโensemble de lโorganisation?
Lโorganisation augmentera sa performance en matiรจre de durabilitรฉ chaque annรฉe, jusquโen 2030, ร lโaide dโune รฉvaluation fondรฉe sur les critรจres du Conseil mondial du tourisme durable et alignรฉe sur les Objectifs de dรฉveloppement durable (ODD) des Nations Unies. RH Tourisme Canada sโengage ร mesurer et ร amรฉliorer sa performance en matiรจre de durabilitรฉ de la faรงon suivante :
Ajuster continuellement ses pratiques environnementales, sociales et de gouvernance (ESG) afin de rรฉduire son empreinte carbone et dโaccroรฎtre son impact social.
Dรฉvelopper et promouvoir des pratiques RH pour crรฉer des lieux de travail inclusifs, diversifiรฉs, รฉquitables, accessibles et de premier plan (IDรAL) qui soutiennent une industrie durable et compรฉtitive ร lโรฉchelle mondiale.
Fournir des normes professionnelles nationales durables et une formation de qualitรฉ afin de constituer une main-dโลuvre qualifiรฉe, diversifiรฉe, inclusive et rรฉsiliente.
Effectuer chaque annรฉe lโauto-รฉvaluation et le tableau de bord de dรฉveloppement durable pour mesurer les progrรจs accomplis
Des recherches suggรจrent que le marchรฉ du travail actuel tient compte activement des pratiques et des normes de durabilitรฉ dโune entreprise ou dโune organisation quโils envisagent comme futur employeur. Une enquรชte rรฉcente de PwC suggรจre que โ86 % des employรฉs prรฉfรจrent soutenir ou travailler pour des entreprises qui se prรฉoccupent des mรชmes problรจmes quโeux, et quโils recherchent lโalignement des valeurs comme un facteur clรฉ dans leur recherche dโemploiโ. Seriez-vous dโaccord avec ce sentiment, et avez-vous entendu des commentaires similaires dans les recherches sur le marchรฉ du travail que vous avez menรฉes ?
Nous avons rรฉcemment menรฉ une รฉtude sur la rรฉmunรฉration comprenant une activitรฉ qualitative qui a donnรฉ lieu ร un rapport intitulรฉ ยซ Culture du milieu de travail et rรฉmunรฉration : Les points de vue des exploitants ยป (juin 2023). La recherche a montrรฉ que de nombreuses entreprises ont rรฉorganisรฉ leurs รฉquipes et ont cherchรฉ des moyens dโinnover dans leurs modรจles dโaffaires de maniรจre plus gรฉnรฉrale. Certaines ont dรฉveloppรฉ de nouvelles stratรฉgies pour atteindre de nouveaux marchรฉs, tandis que dโautres ont dรฉcidรฉ dโaugmenter leurs investissements dans le tourisme durable et dโaccรฉlรฉrer leur processus externe de certification verte. Dans la section ยซ Recruter plus intelligemment ยป du rapport, il est proposรฉ que les entreprises qui sโalignent sur des pratiques durables ou rรฉgรฉnรฉratrices, ou qui sโengagent en faveur de lโรฉquitรฉ sociale et de lโengagement communautaire, puissent รฉgalement attirer les demandeurs dโemploi ร la recherche dโun travail ayant un impact environnemental et social. En ce qui concerne les dรฉfis liรฉs aux jeunes travailleurs, le rapport indique que les entreprises doivent montrer quโelles sโalignent sur les valeurs et les prรฉoccupations de leurs employรฉs actuels et futurs. Les engagements en faveur dโinitiatives durables et rรฉgรฉnรฉratrices, les partenariats avec des organisations communautaires luttant contre les inรฉgalitรฉs locales, le soutien aux initiatives en faveur de la diversitรฉ, de lโรฉquitรฉ et de lโinclusion sont autant de signaux qui indiquent aux jeunes que travailler pour elles, que ce soit dans une cuisine ou ร la rรฉception, est une utilisation pertinente de leur temps et de leur รฉnergie.
Vous รชtes rรฉcemment devenu signataire de lโEngagement pour un Tourisme Durable 2030, et vous avez pris un engagement public pour amรฉliorer chaque annรฉe la performance de durabilitรฉ de votre organisation. Pourquoi รฉtait-il important pour votre รฉquipe de rejoindre ce mouvement et de montrer du leadership dans ce domaine ?
Cette promesse est une question dโengagement et de solidaritรฉ. Nous pouvons accomplir beaucoup de choses en tant quโorganisation, mais nous ne pouvons pas y parvenir tout seul. Le secteur du tourisme est souvent fragmentรฉ en raison de sa taille, de la diversitรฉ des sous-secteurs et des rรฉalitรฉs rรฉgionales. Participer ร un mouvement mondial, faire preuve de leadership et soutenir nos partenaires provinciaux et territoriaux fait toute la diffรฉrence.
Quel est un conseil que vous offririez aux autres propriรฉtaires ou gestionnaires dโentreprises qui cherchent ร amรฉliorer leur propre durabilitรฉ ?
Cette dรฉmarche est un parcours, pas une course, et personne ne peut y arriver de maniรจre totalement isolรฉe. Pour atteindre des objectifs de dรฉveloppement durable, nous avons tous besoin du soutien de divers partenaires au sein du secteur et dโautres industries. Mais surtout, il faut disposer de la permission de mener des activitรฉs et du soutien total de la communautรฉ (licence sociale).
