RCMP Fails to Hit Minority Recruiting Targets

The Department of National Defence (DND) is failing in the goal to recruit more women and more visible minorities into the forces. DND raised their targets for recruitment in 2010.

Their targets are for 25 percent of the force to be made up of women, around 12 percent to be visible minorities and just under 3.5 percent Aboriginals. According to CBC, the forces now have just over 14 percent women, not quite 5 percent visible minorities and 2.12 percent Aboriginals.

This is especially problematic since the youngest population of Canadians is Aboriginal and immigration is growing all the time. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Defence says they are pushing for these targets because it is important to have the make up of the forces represent the demographics of the country.

Meanwhile, DND recently put together ads to try and attract more Aboriginal youth into service. They spent approximately $53,000 doing testing of the ads and the company they paid came back with some bad news. The ads, they were told, were “offensive to the point of being comical.”

The ads failed to recognize the different accents and dialects of Aboriginal language. Reportedly one of the ads compared traditional canoe-building with serving on a naval ship. The six focus groups that were made up of First Nations, Inuit and Métis told a representative from Corporate Research Associates Inc. that the ads reinforced negative stereotypes. They also said that in some cases the language translation didn’t match the English text and that the wrong dialect was used in at least one case.

Whether the issues facing the RCMP and their traditionally white male environment will have any effect on DND recruitment of women remains to be seen. Also, the treatment of veterans by the current government could sway people away from signing up.

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A N M.

3:02PM PDT on Aug 8, 2012

Hypocrisy knows no bounds, does it?

August 8
send a green star

John B.

2:39PM PDT on Aug 8, 2012

Sounds like the DND didn't do their home work. What a waste of money. Thanks Amy for the article.

Michele J.

10:38AM PDT on Aug 8, 2012

Well, if they had minorities in their administration instead of just wanting them to fill the peon roles, then maybe no one would have been offended in the first place.

Phil A.

9:26AM PDT on Aug 8, 2012

Sounds like people coming to Canada want the freedoms but not the responsibilities.

Dean V.

8:18AM PDT on Aug 8, 2012

You should not have to target a specific demographic... if the minorities do not want to serve with the DOD then that is fine with me.

Doris H.

6:56AM PDT on Aug 8, 2012

Never mind I see now that it is Canada

6:52AM PDT on Aug 8, 2012

Is this the U.S. DOD or Canada?

Ken M.

6:46AM PDT on Aug 8, 2012

Maybe if they had hired a few people from the Minorities to help them design the ads in the first place....nope, that's far too logical and obvious, and besides, it's bad enough they had to hire women! Now they have to hire others also?! Nope, rather just bulldoze ahead.

I guess we should be glad that they at least ran focus groups.

Will R.

4:31AM PDT on Aug 8, 2012

Armies are hungry for bodies. Old soldiers never die! Only young ones... By the thousand!

Ryan Z.

4:04AM PDT on Aug 8, 2012

Personally I don't see why there should be a "target goal" for anyone. Make sure hiring practices are fair for all, but hire who is best for the job.
If that means the entire force is made up of minorities or women or of white males, hire based on skill and qualifications...Don't hire based on race, sex or religion.