[Episode Description]

Diversity is a key element across our cities, communities, and of course, work.

It’s the interconnection between us as individuals with distinct identities and within the communities where we belong.

But how do we ensure that everyone finds that sense of belonging, regardless of gender or ethnicity, and has the opportunity to contribute their unique perspectives?

Anita Bhandari, the Chief Human Resources Officer at the City of Burnaby, draws on her own experience as she sits down with Jay Kiew (JQ) to explore exactly that.

[About Anita]

Anita has sponsored the "Burnaby Promise," a commitment all employees have made to put the community first, build great teams, and act with integrity. Additionally, she has played a key role in shifting the organization's culture through the Burnaby Moving Forward program, aimed at making the City an employer of choice while providing the best possible services to the community.

Anita has overseen the mass conversion for unionized employees, ensuring that they are paid for their work and treated fairly, and has conducted a comprehensive compensation review to ensure pay equity with no barriers or biases. She was part of the Senior Management Team that developed the Burnaby Strategic Plan, which aims to create a city where everyone wants to live, and embodies values such as community, integrity, respect, innovation and passion. Anita was also recently selected as a finalist for the 2023 YWCA Metro Vancouver Women of Distinction Awards.