Fair Hiring Practices

Fair hiring practices support employment equity and help Dalhousie achieve our employment equity goals by increasing the diversity of our workforce and ensuring our hiring practices are inclusive, equitable, and accessible. In this way we will establish a positive work environment that supports various perspectives and encourages innovation, and where everyone feels a sense of engagement and belonging.

Dalhousie’s Employment Equity Policy specifies that Human Resources and any applicable selection/appointment/hiring committee shall ensure that all recruitment initiatives and practices around appointments are governed by the following Principles of Fair Consideration:

1. Units will use their best efforts to attract applicants from all Equity-Deserving Groups;
2. Units will give preference to qualified self-identified candidate(s) from Equity-Deserving Groups;
3. Candidates who do not self-identify as a member of an Equity-Deserving Group, will be selected only if it can be demonstrated that they are substantially better qualified for the position than any other qualified candidate who has self-identified as a member of an Equity-Deserving Group.
4. In the event that (a) there are qualified self-identified candidates from more than one Equity- Deserving Group and (b) some self-identified Equity-Deserving Groups are less well-represented in the applicable unit than others, a candidate from the less well- represented Group shall be given preference unless other candidate(s) are substantially better qualified for the position; and
5. In applying principles (i) to (iv), special consideration will be given to qualified candidates who self-identified as Mi’kmaq and/or African Nova Scotian.

Recruitment and selection processes must be free from discrimination on the following prohibited grounds or characteristics in keeping with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act:

• Age
• Race
• Colour
• Religion
• Creed
• Ethnic, national or aboriginal origin
• Sex (including pregnancy and pay equity)
• Sexual orientation
• Physical disability
• Mental disability
• Family status
• Marital status
• Source of income
• Harassment (and sexual harassment)
• Irrational fear of contracting an illness or disease
• Association with protected groups or individuals
• Political belief, affiliation or activity
• Gender Identity
• Gender Expression
• Retaliation

For information and resources related to hiring visit the HR myDal site [login required]. 

For information and resources related to Talent Pathways, the university's internal temporary staffing program designed to assist with staffing needs while contributing towards Dalhousie’s commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility visit dal.ca/talentpathways.