Sodexo Canada and Procter & Gamble (P&G) are among Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2017. Now in its tenth year, Canada’s Best Diversity Employers recognizes national companies that have exceptional workplace diversity and inclusiveness programs in five groups, women, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, Aboriginals and LGBT people.

Sodexo delivers food and facilities management services across the globe, and has been a market leader in Canada for more than 40 years, now serving about 200 clients. It maintains a diversity and inclusion council and task force. This council oversees various employee business resource groups, such as PRIDE (LGBT), SAGE (multigenerational) and WiLL (women in leadership and learning).

In partnership with Ready Willing and Able Canada, it recently committed to hiring more than 200 individuals with disabilities in 2017 and more than 500 hires in 2018. In Vancouver, the company offers internships to Vancouver Community College students with intellectual disabilities, in partnership with the Vancouver School Board’s Life Skills Program, and its WiLL program provides development opportunities for female team leaders.

Personal care giant Procter & Gamble also made the list. The company’s away-from-home division now serves the food service, building cleaning and maintenance, hospitality, and convenience store industries. A chief diversity officer oversees activities like training on gender differences, persons with disabilities, the LGBT community and inclusive leadership. Internal employee networks offer mentorship and support for professional development, and executives conduct an annual diversity review with senior-level employees to assess progress. There is also the global diversity and inclusion awards to recognize employee champions

Applications for Canada’s Best Diversity Employers 2018 competition will be available early in 2017.